Our cruise ship will dock at Civitavecchia, port city for Rome. We wonder if we can take public transportation to and from Rome, spend the day on our own, instead of being herded by some shore-tour operator. Your views? Thanks!

Yes. you can take the train from Civitavecchia to Rome. Many people do it..

Trains leave for Rome about every half hour and take about an hour to reach Rome.

HI

See www.trenitalia.com for schedules.

If you are adventurous, take the train. I can remember when our cruise ship docked at Civitavecchia, they were offering an all-day tour of Rome, transportation, lunch, etc, for $350 per person. The people who went on it said it was a rip-off, but they felt it was the only way to see Rome.

Do some research on what you want to see, where it is situated from the train station, and have a great time. Just don't miss the train back to the ship.

I agree...I love cruise ships and I've taken plenty of shore tours but in this case I think Ira and Budman have said all that needs to be said..and unlike the shore tour group you can do it all at your own pace or stop and take the time to enjoy the moment without having to rush on to the next "sight." Good Luck.

2 years ago on our first time in Europe, we were on a cruise ship as well. We took the ships tour because we were unsure of how to navigate trains etc. I have since been back for a longer period, but am still glad I took the ships tour. There was NO WAY we would have been able to see the Vatican museum and St Peters and the Colosseum and other sites in one day. Just too much navigation when we were not sure of the transportation. Besides one could easily spend a long time just getting oriented in the Vatican. The guide we had was very good and efficient at "herding " us. Would I have liked more time at the things I wanted to see and no time at the Vatican store? Yes, but I did get to a good many of the highlights I wanted to see, and I am confident I would not have been able to on my own. Rome and Alexandria, Egypt were the only organized tours we took and we were glad we did. Have a great time!

I'm with the do it on your own crowd. The train was simple to use and inexpensive but be sure to a)validate your ticket before boarding or you can get fined b) give yourself plenty of time to get to the train station in Rome when you are returning and c) take a train that arrives back in Civitavecchia with a little cushion

You can't possibly see all of Rome in a day so I'd pick either the St. Peter's/Vatican area or the Ancient sites-Forum, Coliseum, etc. and then if you have a little time left over spend it seeing some of the outdoor spots-Trevi Fountain, Spanish steps, and maybe the Pantheon.

If you do opt for a ship tour, I noticed the less expensive ones were drive by tours so spend the extra $$ and get the ones that actually go inside.