Making the most of Civitavecchia Rome
Use these notes to shape a realistic day ashore, then confirm any time-sensitive information for the date of your call.
Arriving at the port
How to get to the port:
From Fiumicino Airport:
From Fiumicino Aeroporto you can take a train to Civitavecchia (with 1 change of trains), the time will be approximately 1.20 to 1.45 hours. You need to carry your bags in and out the train. If that's no problem, go for it. You can walk the 1600 meters (= 4 blocks) to the port or take a cab (hard to get sometimes). It's an easy walk along the beach and some shops. If you arrive at the entrance of the port, you can take a free shuttle, which at times are not run very efficiently, often it seems that only one bus is in service, to accommodate all cruise- and ferry ships in the harbor. Please make sure you take the right shuttle, as the…
Specially with much luggage you might prefer to reserve a shuttle.
A new permanent cruise terminal opened in May 2018. The Amerigo Vespucci Terminal covers an area of 12,500 square metres, making it one of the largest in Europe. The ground floor of the terminal boasts an atrium and a 4,200 square metre luggage hall, while the first floor features a VIP area, a bar, a waiting area and 60 check-in desks.
If you first want to spend some time in Roma: there is a direct non-stop train service, the Leonardo Express, from Fiumicino Airport Station to Roma Termini, the central station. Trains run every half hour during the day, from 06:37 to 23:37. Journey time is around 32 minutes. From the Roma Termini train station there are direct trains to Civitavecchia which take from 0. 46 to 1.18 hrs, depending on the train. Train schedules. The train station is about 1.5 km away from shuttle stop. You also can take the Argo shuttle bus.
Trains from Civitavecchia to Rome are about Euro 5.50 each way. If you want to take the IC (intercity trains, which are slightly faster) you will need a seat reservation and is more expensive Euro 11, and more cumbersome to get, if you do not master Italian that well.
Civitavecchia is a nice enough beach town in its own right. However, the beach itself is pebbled. An hour in town is often enough time to spend here.
Civitavecchia is the most used cruise port of Italy, with nearby Napels in close second place. Livorno and Genoa are close to follow.
Hotels in Rome.
You may want to explore Roma on your own; in that case, taking the train will be the best option: the train station is an easy 20-minute walk from the port entrance. Civitavecchia is an industrial port and requires a shuttle from where the ship docks to the port entrance. To find the train station, simply exit the port entrance and then cross the street where the crosswalk is to where a newsstand is across on the other corner, turn right and follow this street (parallel to the coastline) till you are at the station. The ride into Rome takes just about an hour to get to the first stop in Rome, St. Peters Basilica. Or stop at Roma Termini where…
In the Eternal City of Rome, you can explore some of the world's most famous churches, monuments and fountains: the Colosseum, the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain (toss a coin in the fountain to ensure your return). Sip cappuccino at a cafe in a piazza or window-shop among the high-fashion boutiques of Via Condotti. Walking the streets of Rome is wonderful. You can walk or take a taxi or subway to the Colosseum, a great place to start your tour of Rome. You can almost picture the animals and gladiators in the small rooms underneath the Colosseum floor. Across the street from the Colosseum is the ancient…
Did you know: Berlusconi used to croon on a cruise ship long before he became head of state.
Getting around
A good choice is to buy a BIG ticket (4 Euro), as it will allow you to have 1 day of unlimited travel on buses and underground in Roma. Be sure to write your name on the back of the ticket and validate it in the little yellow validation machines in the train terminal.
Besides above ticket there are several Hop-on-Hop-off routes. They all depart at the Railway Termini Station.
Nearby places
Terme Taurine, also known as the Taurine Baths, is a large elaborate ancient Roman baths complex located about 4 km east of the city of Civitavecchia. Reachable by local bus.
Food and shopping
If you want to spend time shopping in Rome, there is an endless choice of places for you to choose from: from the most famous designer labels in Italian fashion that dominate the more elegant city streets to the outlets outside the city, to the old craftsmen's shops and laboratories and the flea markets.
The most famous fashion streets in Rome are three parallel streets that all meet up with Via del Corso, starting from Piazza di Spagna or near there: Via Condotti, Via Borgognona and Via Frattina. The most famous of the three is Via Condotti, which owes its name to the channels that carried water to the Agrippa thermal spa baths. Today it is one of the most elegant streets in the world, lined with the shops of the most famous fashion labels.
Money
Euro
Staying connected
Language Italian.
Free wifi has been introduced to the Civitavecchia downtown area.
Emergency number: 112
Opening Hours and
Most shops and businesses in Italy open from Monday to Saturday from around 8am until 1pm, and from about 4pm until 7pm, though many shops close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings, and in the south the day can begin and end an hour later. In the north, some businesses work to a 9am-5pm day to facilitate international dealings. Traditionally, everything except bars and restaurants closes on Sunday, though most towns have a pasticceria open in the mornings, while in large cities and tourist areas, Sunday opening is becoming more common