bucketlister2012

Hi. Husband and I are arriving FCO at 4pm. What is the best mode of transportation for us given that we have never been to Rome and we are not extravagant people? Our hotel is located in Vatican City.

kybourbon

It would help if you list your hotel. I assume you meant close to Vatican City, not in. That could mean either side or behind somewhere. The cheapest method is probably the Sitbusshuttle (about 5€) which used to make a drop off behind Castel Sant'Angelo. Not sure if that is convenient to your hotel or not. You could be on the opposite side or several miles away.

http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/

bvlenci

Your hotel can't be located in Vatican City. There's only one hotel there, Santa Marta, and only cardinals and the like stay there (and now Pope Francis as well).

The Vatican area is rather large; it would help if you give us the address and then we can help you find the best transportation.

bucketlister2012

Thank-you, sorry about my ignorance. We are staying at Via Candia, Roma. It's very close to the Vatican Museums.

bvlenci

There is a bus shuttle, the SIT bus, from Fiumicino to Piazza Cavour, which is about a twenty-minute walk from Via Candia. You could also get a taxi there to take you the rest of the way; it shouldn't cost more than €5-€7. The shuttle costs €6 per person.

http://www.sitbusshuttle.com/en/fiumicino/

You might also want to ask a private transfer service for their prices. Two I know to be reliable are www.romeshuttlelimousine.com and www.romecabs.com . The cost should be under €50.

kybourbon

Official taxis from the airport are a set fee of 48€. There is also a shared shuttle (I think it's called airport shuttle) which might be a bit cheaper, but it will drop people at their various hotels and may take a bit longer than a taxi or limo service (private transfer).

Another option is the Leonardo Express train to Rome Termini (14€) and transfer to the subway (1.50) to either the Ottaviano or Cipro metro stops (your hotel is a few blocks from either). If you take the subway, pay attention to your belongings (especially wallets in pockets,purses,backpacks) as pickpockets are often working it).

Dukey1

Three weeks ago we took a "private transfer" from our hotel (Albergo del Senato) to FCO. The price was 5 Euro above the set price.

We've done the Leonardo Express and we've done the subway, etc., etc.

IMO if you want a transfer that is worth every penny in terms of hassle-free, not having to worry about your belongings, and all the rest of it, get INTO an official taxi at FCO and take it to your hotel.

sandralist

I vote for the getting a pre-arranged car. Ask your hotel to arrange it. Normally they use drivers known to them and who appreciate the steady business, so the driver has a stake in giving you a happy experience that you don't complain about. A car also eliminates all problems if when you land in Rome it is raining or dreadfully hot. Street signs and addresses in Rome are not always clearly visible. Dragging luggage around, map or GPS in hand, worrying about pickpockets, tired from your flight, is not an ideal introduction to Rome. Although the cost will work out to be more per person than other modes of transportation, you can make up for it by economizing in some other way during your trip. Enjoy some truly delicious Roman pizza for dinner one evening to make up for the extravagance hiring a chariot to make your entry into Rome.

PalenQ

Another option is the Leonardo Express train to Rome Termini (14€) and transfer to the subway>

If going by train you can take regional trains from FCO to a station very near the Vatican - San Pietro (S Pietro) I believe the station is called - you may have to transfer once at some small station but it is far cheaper than the Leonardo Express and you need not deal with hectic Termini station where the change to metro can require quite a walk.

bilboburgler

As P says catch the normal train from the airport (not the Express) and change to the Metro, it's covered well here http://www.rome-airport.info/in.html though this website is not the best.

This the correct one http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-r.../pax-fco-train

PalenQ

Well normal trains - regional trains do go to the San Pietro station smack by Vatican City - not sure where the hotel is but it may be as close as a metro ride to the other side of the Vatican - which if your hotel is on the north NE side may be closer than the train station.

Changing to a metro laden with bags is not always a piece of cake - bilbo - where would they change to metro on regional trains - they do not serve Termini I believe but Tiburtina station, Ostiense and Trastevere I believe.

Reading54

I'd strong suggest spending the 50 Euro to take a taxi from FCO to you hotel. It is not a good idea to risk becoming a picket pocket victim in a very tired state while carrying luggage on/off/riding public transportation in a city you are not familiar with.

johnnyomalley

Another vote for a private transfer. Two services were mentioned upthread. They meet you as you ext the secure area, handle your bags and drop you at your front door. Well worth the extra 5 Euro - IMO

bilboburgler

Change at Trastevere to Valle Aurelia or San Pietro as required. Did it last year. Dead easy but then only one bag a person for the Bilbos,

bilboburgler

But you're right they are not metro, but inside the Rome travel ticket area so cheap to travel

kybourbon

>>>If going by train you can take regional trains from FCO to a station very near the Vatican - San Pietro (S Pietro) I believe the station is called<<<

The OP's hotel is nowhere near the S. Pietro station. To even reach anywhere near there by taking the local train instead of the Leonardo would require a train change and then still transferring to the metro to get the rest of the way or a taxi. Here's a map of the lines/metro.

http://atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

The easiest, cheapest option is the Sitbusshuttle as I posted yesterday. The OP said they did't want extravagant (no clue their opinion of extravagant) so I assumed budget. Your luggage is stored underneath so you aren't lugging it.

As for getting your hotel to book a transfer, I find them to typically be higher (often the highest option) than the other limo services or taking a taxi. The transfer services listed on the airport website are higher than a taxi or Rome Shuttle Limousine (one of the cheapest private transfers - many reviews on Fodor's).

There have been several reviews for Airport Shuttle also if you don't mind a shared shuttle. 1st person is 25€ and each additional is 6€.

http://airportshuttle.it/

nytraveler

So you have several options from shared shuttle (31 euros) for 2 people to Rome taxi (48 euros).

Then there are multiple public transit options - via train and taxi or train and metro and waking from there.

Depends on how much luggage you will have, how comfortable walking around a city you don't know with luggage - at what could be rush hour. (If your plane lands even a little late and there is a line at Immigration and waiting for luggage - you could be getting near your hotel at 7 pm.

bilboburgler

Valle Aurelia is only 900m from the centre of street the Op's hotel is on. No distance at all for a walk.

sandralist

If you take public transportation, you still have to get your luggage from where you are left off to where your hotel is. The fact that the luggage is stored under the bus doesn't eliminate the need to lug it to your hotel -- and be aware that you may be the one doing the stowing and retrieving your luggage from the hold under the bus, not a bus employee. Likewise, 900 m is close to a mile of walking. Rome's walking surfaces do not make it easy to roll luggage.

The point of pre-arranging a transfer is that they will wait for your flight if you are delayed and meet you inside the airport and assist with your luggage, and you won't need to walk to a queue (and wait if you arrive at a busy time at the airport.)

As pointed out, the idea of what is extravagant is up to you. Friends of mine recently flew to Milan via a 4-hour layover in Istanbul because the cost was 60 percent cheaper than flying with a layover in London. They are not extravagant people either, but most people would prefer easier travel and not think themselves as being extravagant.

For two of you sharing a car transfer or taxi to the door of your hotel the cost will be higher than if you carry your luggage to public transportation and carry it through the streets to your hotel. Very few people would think of you as extravagant for taking a taxi, but you might define extravagance differently.

bvlenci

One of the private transfer services I mentioned, romeshuttlelimousine.com , often costs less than the official taxi, depending on the time of day and number of people. The other, romecabs.com , is a little more expensive. I think the services provided by both companies make it worth the little extra it may cost you. Romeshuttlelimousine has performed various little services for us at no additional cost; for instance, they stopped at an ATM outside a bank so that my daughter wouldn't have to wait in the long queue at the airport ATM.

Romeshuttlelimousine charges €45 for a transfer to central Rome, for up to three people, except for very early or very late transfers. (I notice that they say the fare is going up in April; I assume that's next April, but do check.) They give a €5 discount for the return trip if you book both ways. The fare is often the same outside the taxi fixed fare area (inside the Aurelian walls), which would be cheaper than a taxi. They wait for you inside the airport, holding a sign with your name, and help you with your luggage. Romecabs.com charges €50 for the same service. With both services, you pay on arrival at destination, and the price is established when you make the reservation (no surprises).

On the other hand, the €48 fare for the taxi is valid at all times of the day or night, for up to four people, so for trips at odd hours, or for four people, the taxi would be cheaper if the destination is inside the Aurelian walls. Some taxi drivers, though, will try to tack on extra fees, which is not allowed.

I would be cautious with hotel-arranged transfers, because I've heard of prices much higher than those charged by the services you can arrange yourself. I wouldn't use a hotel-arranged service to central Rome if it cost more than €50, because there are two well-known and reliable services that charge €50 or less. I also wouldn't use any service that requires payment in advance.

There are also shared shuttle services that cost considerably less. They meet you at the airport, but you have to wait until all the scheduled passengers arrive, and then they drop them off one by one. They usually guarantee that you won't wait more than a certain amount of time, usually 20 minutes, but unless you're the first to be dropped off, this will definitely take longer than a taxi or private transfer. I've never used one of these, so I can't give a recommendation. I would look for reviews before using one of these.

I myself usually take either the FL1 train, which stops at Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana, and Tiburtina; or the Leonardo Express, which stops at Termini, depending on where I'm going. Then I take a bus, tram, or taxi from there, depending on the circumstances.

Children (up to age 14 I believe) ride free on the Leonardo Express; on the FL1, children under age 4 ride free, and from 4 to 14 pay half price. For three or more adults, the Leonardo Express plus a taxi from Termini would cost more than a taxi or transfer service.

Here are the web pages of the two services I mentioned:

http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/...t-transfer.php
http://www.romecabs.com/transferservice/airports/

Here is full information about taxis, in three languages, including a map of the Aurelian wall area (on the last page):

http://www.comune.roma.it/PCR/resour...uglio_2012.pdf