italy post cruise plan
 

my husband and I booked a cruise mid may 2017 leaving from Civitavicci, Italy. touring Italy and Athens, we plan on doing 4 days prior in Rome but are looking to extend post cruise for 4 or 5 days in a relaxing environment that is easily accessible from the cruise port. any ideas?????
thank you

adele

Will you have a car?

Lake Bracciano is not far from Civitavecchia, and I believe it's easily accessible by bus. With a car, you'd have many options.

Does the cruise return to Civitavecchia, or does it end at Athens or somewhere else?

No car.... Yes it returns to civitavecchia

You could train to Siena with one change at Grosseto, but it would be a fairly long journey from Siena back to FCO and you might need/want to travel to the airport area the night before your flight. Civitavecchia to Siena is 2.5-3 hours by train. There is a direct bus from Siena to FCO, but there are only two daily departures and it takes 3.5 hours.

http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/nuov...iumicino-roma/

But from Siena there are a couple of fairly easy day trips using public transportation (San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Florence). Or take an organized day tour of Chianti. Or just spend your time sightseeing in Siena.

Trains from the Port to the Rome Termini Station take 70 minutes, and from there you can go anywhere.

We end up back in civitavecchia

Does that mean you are getting on another cruise?

So now we are rethinking. Want to do 2 stops before the cruise ( 1 being Rome) and fly home the day the cruise ends. Any ideas where to go from Rome for the weeken before the cruise that won't make going to cruise ship such a long trip or a hassle?

Two years back we did an Eastern Med cruise out of Venice, we spent 5 days in Rome and the took the train to Venice for 3 more days. You could maybe do this in reverse, ending at Rome, to take a transfer to Civitavecchia to board your ship. Another option is Florence and Rome, or maybe Rome first, then Naples or CT. Am not too sure how long it would take to get to Civitavecchia from Naples, but probably just about a couple of hours.

If you want to fly home the day the cruise ends, make sure your flight is not very early in the day. For direct flights to the US, you need to be at the airport at least three hours in advance, because the security procedure is more more complicated than for other destinations. Also, ships don't always dock on time.

To be sure, and to allow a margin of error, I would want a flight that's at least six hours after you're supposed to dock. The fastest way to get to the airport is by taxi or private transfer, which would cost around €120, and take about an hour, or more if traffic is heavy. By train, it would take about 1 1/2 hours, once you get to the train station, and cost about €11. There are fast trains that cost more, but not in the early morning.

Best area in Rome to book a hotel ? We love to walk!! Trevi fountain area, Spanish steps area, or republicca area...

If you love to walk, I would recommend staying near the Campo de'Fiori or the Ghetto area. For the things most people want to see, these are the absolutely most central spots.

Any ideas where to go from Rome for the weeken before the cruise that won't make going to cruise ship such a long trip or a hassle?>>

Orbetello. it's on the west coast of Italy about 150 km north of Rome, on a direct train line [which goes through Civitavecchia] and is beautifully situated on a lagoon. It's not huge but there's plenty to do in the area to fill a weekend [or more] and loads of nice restaurants, bars etc. a cathedral, etc, etc.

you can hire bikes to get around [if you don't want a car] and the train is there to get you to and from Rome/the cruise port.