Rick738

Hi! I'm going to stay at Isitituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri in Rome later this month, and have some questions about getting there from Termini (arriving at mid afternoon on a weekday). I appreciate it if someone who has stayed there before can help me with the following:

1. Approximately how much would it cost to take a taxi from Termini to the convent?

2. I understand I can't get there by metro directly. Is it a good idea if I take metro to one of the following stations (Colosseo, Flaminio, or Lepanto) and then take a taxi? If so, would any one of the stations above be a better choice, considering the traffic along the routes and the distance?

3. The instructions provided by Sister Kathryn at the convent also suggest taking bus #70. Given that I am carrying some luggage, would that be somewhat difficult for me?

Thanks in advance for all your inputs.

WillTravel

I think if you took the metro to Spagna, it would be about a 15-minute walk (but maybe more with luggage). I doubt it would be very useful to take a cab from Spagna rather than Termini, but I didn't take cabs in Rome. At any rate, Spagna would be the closest stop.

If you got on the bus #70 at Termini, which is the first stop, I suspect, I don't think it would be crowded at that point. But it might be so by the end of your journey (about 15 minutes or so).

Are you coming from the airport prior to Termini, or arriving at Termini by train from elsewhere? If the airport, there are other methods that don't involve stopping at Termini.

WillTravel

I just realized you specifically asked for someone who's stayed there. I haven't, but I took public transit quite a bit in Rome, and know where the place is.

Rick738

WillTravel,

Thanks for the replies. I am coming from the airport, and assume taking the express train to Termini would be the most efficient way. If you can suggest a better alternative to get to the convent without taking the express, that will be great.

Rick738

HelenDonegan

Be very careful when you arrive in Termini and get on public transport with luggage and maps etc. This is where a lot of people get robbed and you are at your most vulnerable.

I think a taxi from the station is always best.

WillTravel

Rick, another method is to take the train (not the express) from the airport to Trastevere, and then take Tram 8 to the final stop at Largo Argentina, which is a few minutes walk from the convent. (I'm assuming you're coming from Fiumicino airport.) I looked this up, and I read that the train to take has a final destination "Orte" or "Fara Sabina", but I've never actually taken this train.

Eloise

I've taken a taxi from the official line in front of Termini to the Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri, and if I recall correctly, it cost about 8 or 9 Euro.

If you take the 70 bus, get off at the Corso Rinascimento/Sant'Andrea della Valle stop (one after Largo di Torre Argentina). Go up Corso Renascimento a few steps, Via Colasanzio is the first small street on your left, and the steps up to the Istituto start almost at Rinascimento.

SusanP

I also took a taxi there from the official line in front of Termini, and it cost me 20 Euro. I thought that was a lot, but obviously there was nothing I could do about it. Although unfamiliar with Rome at that point, I'm good with maps, and it didn't seem as though the driver was going way out of his way, but it did seem that the meter was clicking faster than it should have! Oh well, it was the only time I felt a bit taken in the whole trip, so I didn't let it worry me too much.

I was arriving at the train station from Orvieto. Coming from the airport, I plan to take a shuttle on Thurs.

Doble_Vergasser

We took a taxi from Termini (20 maybe 30 Euro).
The trick is that the entrance is on a small side street, different than the street address. The taxi driver said that he did not know the exact place but knew the general area. In the end, we lugged the luggage at least a quarter mile in many directions. In the end, the taxi had dropped us within 100ft (he knew exactly where he was going).

Eloise

I told my taxi driver precisely where to go - except that I gave him the wrong directions!

When we couldn't find Via Colasanzio off Corso Vittorio Emanuele on one or the other side of the church of Sant'Andrea della Valle, he turned into the Piazza Sant'Andrea del Valle and said, "Well, here we are in the Piazza; let's look at a street map," which he whipped out, immediately located the street (off Corso Rinascimento, not Corso V.E.) and drove me to within 6 feet of the stairs to the Istituto.

Rick738

SusanP, Doble:

Was the relatively high cab fare you experienced due to traffic jam?
Btw, slightly off topic here: I'm traveling alone. I suppose I will put my luggage in the cab trunk. Should I even be concerned with the cab driver taking off with my lugguage once I get off from the cab?

WillTravel:

I looked up www.trenitalia.com. Should the departure and arrival stations be Fiumiciano aeroporto and Roma Trastervere respectively? And once I get off the train, where do I buy my tram ticket (same as metro ticket?) How far is the tram station from the train station? Is there a web site I can check for tram info?

Thanks to all.

Eloise

Bear in mind that, except for the Leonardo Express to Termini, the trains leaving Fiumicino are all commuter trains with no provision at all for luggage.

The tram platform at the Trastevere train station is obviously outside of the train station; the stop is called "Stazione Trastevere." You can buy a ticket for 1 Euro at a "tabacchi" or newsstand. You take tram 8 for 2.9 kilometers to "Argentina."

For tram information:

www.atac.roma.it

It is a five-minute walk, according to www.mappy.com, from Largo di Torre Argentina to Via San Giuseppe Colasanzio.

Doble_Vergasser

I did not seem terribly expensive (but we like in Atlanta. Where your first mile in a cab is $5 or $6.) We went thru the same questions that you are going thru but it was simpler to take a cab.

Vacations should be simple (very simple).

Why don't you put your bags on the seat beside you. If you had two (not 3 or more) I would think that would be fine.

lonelyplanet

According to my lodging at convents book:

- From Termini Train Station take the bus No. 64 to San Andrea della Valle.

SusanP

Rick, My fare was not due to a traffic jam. As I said, it seemed to me that the meter was clicking away faster than normal. I really can't be sure. It also wasn't that the driver didn't know where to go. He had looked it up on his map before starting off and took me right to the door.

I think I remember reading somewhere that they can do something to make the meter go faster, but I'm not sure. It's the only time I paid a lot more than I thought it would cost. I'm leaving this Thurs to go to Rome and am taking a shuttle from the airport, if you want to consider that:
www.airportshuttle.it

Eloise

SusanP:

There are a number of situations in which Roman taxis are allowed to speed up their meters: on Sundays, late at night, and outside the Rome city borders, if I recall correctly.

But a lot of the ones that pick up poor befuddled tourists at Termini unfortunately do not abide by those rules...

SusanP

Eloise, I knew I had read something about that. This was a Wednesday afternoon, and I wasn't even befuddled, but I couldn't be sure he was doing it.

The funny thing is, the next night I took a taxi back to Giuliana from the Opera (not that far from Termini) after midnight. I expected a surcharge due to the time of night. That one cost 13 Euro, considerably less than the one from Termini!

Rick738

Based on all the inputs I received so far, I can see the following ways to get from Fiumicino Airport to the convent:

1. Express train to Termini, then taxi. Cost 20E to 30E. Probably the most efficient and least hassle, but most expensive. Also concerned with being ripped off by bad taxi driver.

2. Express train to Termini, metro to Spagna, then walk (20-25 min with luggage). Cost 10.50E. Probably not a good idea if it rains. I may also be too jet-lagged to orient myself well while navigating the unfamiliar roads.

3. Express train to Termini, then bus. cost 10.50E. Not sure if is a good idea to get on a bus with luggage. Also, how likely will I miss the stop as I am unfamiliar with the surroundings? And is bus ticket available at Termini?

4. Regular train to Trastevere, then tram. Cost 6E. Cheapest, but could also be the slowest. Train service not as frequent as the express? Ok to Travel with luggage on a regular train and tram?

Still trying to decide ...

Doble_Vergasser

Rick,

As far as "Also concerned with being ripped off by bad taxi driver."
Why not ask the price and discuss the location before you are in the cab. You might find a driver who actually knows that the entrance is up the steps on the side street.

Eloise

Rick, If you're worried about 1., then eliminate it. Eliminate 2.: It doesn't make sense to take a Metro (which, to my mind, is worse than taking a bus) to a stop from which you have a long walk through unfamiliar streets and dragging your luggage.

So your choices are 3. and 4. I've frankly never done either, but I know many people have done 3. You can buy a bus ticket at a newsstand inside Termini station. Don't take the No. 70 bus recommended by Sister Kathryn; take the No. 64 bus that starts its route right in front of Termini. At mid-afternoon, the bus is unlikely to be very crowded. You get on the bus either at the front or preferably at the back, where there is more open space to put your luggage; validate your ticket in the yellow box. Do keep an eye on all your belongings though, and your money should probably be stashed away somewhere safe. Romans are generally pretty friendly people, so just ask some nice-looking lady, "Per favore, la fermata Piazza Sant'Andrea della Valle?" She'll probably tell you herself or ask someone else to tell you when to get off. Also, many buses have electronic signs near the roof of the car that tell you what the next stop is. And once you get off, you're within 100 feet of the Istituto Santa Giuliana Falconieri.

Believe me, it sounds a lot more difficult than it really is.