Marcia

Hi there, <BR>We're visiting Rome for the first time next week and staying at the Forum Hotel. I've heard that taking a cab from the airport to the hotel can be a rip-off, however when I called the hotel to arrange a transfer, they told me a taxi is better. Does anyone know roughly how much a taxi from Leonardo DaVinci airport to the Forum Hotel will run us? <BR>Thanks, <BR>Marcia

Cindy

Just got back from Italy Oct 21. <BR>You are right the cab rides in Rome are a rip-off. <BR>[I took a 15 minute cab ride from the train station that was roughly 22,000 lira and some guy charged me 50,000 lira. (roughly $25.00) <BR>Guys with no meters in their cars will hustle you upon leaving the airport or train station. <BR> <BR>All I can say is find a car with a meter. Don't take any flat rates, that's the ripoff. <BR>It's like double. But if you're tired and don't see any metered ones, it will get you there. <BR> <BR>Good luck. <BR> <BR>

Phil

Taking cabs in Rome can be a rip-off: There are even licensed cabs with meters and the city's badge who will overcharge by quoting a flat rate which is grossly inflated. <BR> <BR>A month ago I was offered a ride from Termini station to my hotel near the Spanish steps at a flat rate of 35'000 Lire; I took a cab from an official stand outside the train station and was metered 13'500 Lire! <BR>Due to scheduling reasons I had to take a cab from my hotel to Fiumicino airport during the morning rush hour and was charged a mere 64'000 Lire. <BR> <BR>So, if taking a cab in Rome: <BR>At the airport or railway station look for an official taxi stand. <BR>DO NOT ANSWER people offering you flat rates, EVEN IF THEY ARE DRIVING AN OFFICIAL CAB. <BR>At your hotel have a cab called by the porter. <BR> <BR>Enjoy your trip <BR> <BR>Phil

cheryl

Marcia-- <BR> <BR>I visited Rome in September and I found the train to Termini to be relatively easy to navigate and affordable (15,000ITL) <BR> <BR>Signs are clearly marked and you can purchase tickets in the magazine stores which are on the way to the tracks. I also stopped at the cambio to get some lira. <BR> <BR>I came into Rome early in the morning and the aiport/station was relatively quiet. Once at Termini(you are outside--under cover until the tracks end), follow the signs for taxis --when I was there Termini was under construction and it happened to be raining that day;(--so affordability has its price. This may have changed now and you will be able to walk from the tracks directly into the station. <BR> <BR>The taxi stand is outside Termini and clearly marked--wait in line and your fare shouldn't be more than 17,000 ITL. Termini is a little crazy, but you will only be there for a few moments--just keep walking and don't leave your bags unattended. <BR> <BR>If you have been in Penn Station or Grand Central in NY--then, Termini is nothing new. <BR> <BR>While at the airport, you will have to walk and navigate escalators, so if you have alot of bags, a taxi may be easier. <BR> <BR>A taxi from the airport should take about 30-45 minutes depending on the time of day. Since I was leaving Rome early in the morning I opted to take a taxi to the airport. The cost was 70,000 ITL. <BR> <BR>The other thing to consider is whether you mind waiting for a train--due to the rain and some other undefined problems, the trains coming into the airport station were delayed, so I had to wait about a half an hour for the train, but after being in a plane for 8 hours, being on the ground and able to walk, was ok with me! <BR> <BR>In most cases, the train from the airport runs every 15 minutes and is direct into Termini. I found the trains in Italy, despite the delays, to be very pleasant. <BR> <BR>In either case, do not take a taxi from any individual who approaches you---you will pay more--go to the taxi stand, that way you can be assured you will receive the best price and treatment. <BR> <BR>Have a wonderful time in Rome--it is truly a beautiful city filled with many things to see and do. best-cheryl

Stephen

Ditto to much of the above. We just returned from Rome and had no problems with the cabs. The flat rate from our hotel to the airport was 70,000 lire. We were willing to pay this as we wanted no suprises en route to a plane that we had to be on. Arriving in Rome I would be much less concerned and would not hesitate to take the train into the city. We used cabs with a phone nunmber on the side. All of these had meters and we never saw any indication that we were not being treated fairly. They are white or yellow and easy to hail, or as indicated above, easy to get at the taxi stand outside of termini. Very easy to find. You will have a blast!