Transfer from FCO - magicaljourneys.com
 

Has anyone used magicaljourneys.com for transfer from FCO to Rome hotel. They advertise $18 USD. This is the best price I found so far - but are they reliable?

$18 is a minibus transfer, per person. Private car transfer is at a whopping $91 (when a regular taxi is round €45 - $58). Leonardo Express is very fast and frequent at €9.50 to Termini, or only €5 by local train to Trastevere or Ostiense, and a cab to your hotel (maximum €10 within the central area).

Last time I was in Rome I ordered car service and I want to say it cost around $70 US. This time, knowing how easy the rail system is from experience, we will be taking the Express train into Termini from the airport for 9.5 Euros each.

From my experience I would highly recommend taking the train and saving your money for gelato....you'll need it! Have a great trip!

Alec, is there something wrong with a minibus transfer. Will it bring us to the hotel? I still don't understand why it cost so much less.

Not fundamentally, except that you are likely to be sharing the minibus with other passengers going to other hotels, and it can mean extra wait at the airport and longer journey time if you happen to be the last to be dropped off. The business probably operates on the basis of a full vehicle: $18 x 8 = $144. As I said, you are likely to get to your hotel more quickly by taking the train or a taxi.

Seems like a good price if there are 1 or 2 people traveling together but for 3 or more it would be cheaper to book a limo service. Limo Service Rome current rates are 45E for 3 people, 55E for 4 and 5E for each additional person up to 8.

If you decide to use magical journeys please let us know how it works out.

bisabella: I went to their website and they are just using the 'Hotel Reservations' shuttle service in FCO.
There is no magicaljourneys shuttle bus and $18USD is just a 'guide' of the price which will be in Euros of course :).
But let's say it is $18 p/p and you are a couple and I am a couple in front of you in line because you must go to the 'Hotel Reservations' desk with your magicaljourneys voucher.
I walk up and pay $31 and I am on the list for the next shuttle.
You hand them your voucher that you paid $36 for and you are on the list right behind me.
So you see there is no advantage in using them, they just voucher existing companies in all those countries it seems. They get a commission and the companies get the business.
The shuttles aren't bad if you can get to the desk easily (no line) and get out on the next shuttle.
The 'Hotel Reservations' desk is easy to find when you arrive. If arriving at Terminal C it's right in front of you as you enter the Arrivals hall after leaving the secure area.
For in the 40 to 50+ euro range you can book a limo www.limoservicerome/com.
The Airport train and Termini taxi can be a bit of a hassle with luggage and jet-lag but figure ~30e for a couple including luggage charges and tip. Regards, Walter

To ParadiseLost. Thank you for the info but I must be dense because I don't understand what you mean. Can you clarify it. Thank you.

The Leonardo Express is so cheap and simple to use!!! I highly recommend this mode of transportation for your transfer. Besides, "When in Rome"....

'Hotel Reservations' is a completely seperate company in Italy that books hotels and airport transfers.
They are located in the airports and train stations.
They operate a shuttle service from each of the 3 terminals at FCO.
Now magicaljourneys says "Departure Point:
You must make your way to the Hotel Reservation Consortium Assistance Desk situated at each arrival terminal of Rome's Fiumicino Airport"
This is the 'Hotel Reservations' company and you will give them your prepaid voucher which will pay for the journey.
And I'm 90% certain that they will put you on the shuttle along with everyone else in the order that you arrived and booked at the 'Hotel Reservations' desk.
I doubt that they would bump anyone just because you had a voucher and they paid cash, it's just a shuttle bus :).
Think of this company as a travel agency, they will book everything for you for a commission.
They will also book a limo & driver for you for a minimum of $91 (70e). This journey with a very reliable company like 'limoservicerome' is only 45e, so magicaljourneys makes 25e for booking what you can easily do yourself online.
Bottomline: I can see no advantage of having a more expensive prepaid voucher over just paying cash for the same exact service a person without a voucher would get.
Regards, Walter

ParadiseLost: Okay, thanks, now I understand. Would you suggest going to the "Hotel Reservations" and booking a shuttle when we get to the airport? How would that work? Would the cost be less - how long would we have to wait. I just found out our hotel in Rome the first night is Hotel Cicerone. Thanks for all your help.

Just wanted to reply to be included in answers. I was going to book a shuttle in advance, but if I can just get on one at the airport, that would be better.

traveler: I have only used the 'Hotel Reservations' (HR) shuttle once, so I don't know how the other shuttle services work.
bisabella's post got me curious so I looked at magicaljourneys website and saw that they went thru HR and that you had to check-in at their desk with a voucher.
bisabella: In hindsight perhaps they will reserve a spot on a certain shuttle like at 1030.
But you must make it to the desk and be *checked-in* before that, it's not like they will hold the shuttle for you if you're not there.
So maybe I jumped the gun when I saw that you only received a voucher and still had to stand in line at the HR desk.
If you can reserve a spot thru HR you could probably do-it-yourself, I remember that they (HR) did have a website a couple of years ago.
I assume timing would be the key though, book it too early and you miss it or too late and you wait. Last month it took me 1.5hrs from touchdown to entering the Arrivals Hall, Passport Control was a nightmare and they lost my luggage :(.
Now when I used HR 2 yrs ago it was a good deal for a single traveler at 10.5e.
But the people ahead of me were booking hotels which was time consuming (multiple choices of location and prices). By the time I booked my shuttle it had just left and I had to wait 30min for the next one. So it was ~1hr before I was actually on my way after arrival.
Sorry to be confusing and jumping the gun but I could be right about them just vouchering you your tickets. But on the otherside of the coin can you make it to their agent before your shuttle leaves if they do book in advance?
Also last month I walked by their booth and there was no one in line. Regards, Walter

This is the shuttle service that HR www.hotelreservation.it uses
www.shuttleservice.it/en/
You can book it in advance.
Sorry for the confusion bisabella :( , just book thru them direct and cut-out the middleman :).
Regards, Walter

If you are staying at a hotel, they might be able to arrange something for you. Our hotel, Residenza Cellini, sent a car for the two of us from the airport for 47 euro.

Okay, I think I will just wait until we get to the airport and then go to the Hotel Reservations Desk to book the shuttle. I looked at www.shuttleservice.it/en/ and they had my hotel as a "partner hotel" and even though my hotel was there, I couldn't select it - so I can't book online anyway. I guess I'll wait til we get there and hope we won't have to wait long for the shuttle.

From some of my research - I found RomeShuttle service to be somewhat inexpsenive - $35Euro. In my opinion - having a car pick-up at the airport is more comfortable than navigating the train....although I am planing my first trip so it may be just "first time" jitters.
http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/FiumicinoE.htm

Has anyone used romeshuttlelimousine.com?

Their rate of 35 Euro does seem cheap . I have emailed them to find out if that is a flat rate for 4 people or a charge per person but their response is not clear. Has anyone actually used them and can give me first hand experience re price and reliability?

We are a family of 4 arriving at FCO around 9.30 pm after an extremely long flight (with multiple layovers , more than 24 hours total from Australia) so the train is not a consideration. Also the last train departs around 11.30 pm and if the flight is delayed or customs clearance takes a while we may miss it.

We are ataying at an apartment so there will not be a hotel service.

Lavender, It look to me like it's 35 Euro for 4 people. You might prefer their Mercedes Van for a family of 4 with luggage. It's only 45 Euro. Don't know the company, however, so can't vouch for reliability. Good luck.

I, too, am pretty skeptical about Rome Shuttle Limo. Although if this is true, I'd love to book it and have one less thing to worry about, instead of bumping into those helpful people wanting to lighten your load, etc.

Hm...