Rome on your own

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barney
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Rome on your own

#1

Post by barney »

There is still some way off our next cruise but we are visiting Rome again.
Last time we did the P&O tour called Essence of Rome and it was excellent.

Next time, we just wish to spend more time in the Vatican city so will do our own thing.

I note that a P&O excursion offers a train from Civit to St Peters Station and that will be my first choice, but if we can't get on that, does anyone know where the Rome on your Own coach drops you off?

Rome is a big place and I can't see any point in getting the coach if it's nowhere near where we want to be.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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david63
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Re: Rome on your own

#2

Post by david63 »

I cannot really answer your question but last year we did a Rome excursion (cannot recall the name of it) but it was a walking tour that included a visit to St Peters and the Vatican. What I do know is that we needed to get the coach from the centre of Rome to St Peters so I would imagine that a Rome on your own excursion would be dropping you off somewhere near the centre of Rome.


nannajan13
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Re: Rome on your own

#3

Post by nannajan13 »

We did the Rome on your own tour a couple of years ago, the drop off and pick up point then was from a large underground coach park near the Vatican. The tour guide took everyone on foot from the coach park to a shop very near the Vatican and she arranged to meet everyone at the same shop to take us back to the coach.
The shop they used was very busy because quite a few tour guides seemed to use it.


Ranchi
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Re: Rome on your own

#4

Post by Ranchi »

We did the charter train. You get a coach from ship to rail siding( only a few hundred metres) as the siding is in the dock area. The train is made of DMU which have been panelled in light wood and furnished with leather seating. There is a guide who distributes maps & can answer any questions. The train takes you to St Pietro station a very short walk The basilica.Your guide agrees a meeting point and time and then you are free to go your own way. We thought the train provided a good way to travel from ship side to Rome. The previous time we were there we had used the coach transfer and the journey was very long due to traffic jams. The P&O charter train is a good alternative, we thought.

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barney
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Re: Rome on your own

#5

Post by barney »

Cheers ranchi, that will be our first choice.
Cheers nannajan, the coach alternative also seems ok if needed.
Empty vessels .. and all that


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Re: Rome on your own

#6

Post by Tracey »

We have done 'Rome on your own' twice, once with RCCI, and the other time with P&O... Both times we were dropped off and picked up again just near the Vatican. Really easy to find the pick up place again.

We are back at Rome next year and hope to do it via the train, as both times we have been, the queues have been too big to get to see the Vatican. When we spoke to people back on the ship who had booked the ships tour via train, they missed all the queues for the Vatican.

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wolfie
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Re: Rome on your own

#7

Post by wolfie »

The best way to do Rome is a 3 or 4 night break there as we did many years ago.

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barney
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Re: Rome on your own

#8

Post by barney »

Unfortunately the ship won't wait that long wolfie.
I had a word with the skipper but he wasn't having any of it.
So, were stuck with just the one day :D
Empty vessels .. and all that


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Re: Rome on your own

#9

Post by CaroleF »

This may be slightly off topic - sorry Mods - but we have a stop in Civitavecchia on our Oceana fly cruise to Malta next year. We have been there once before and we did the easy option Coach Tour of Rome, not stopping at any of the sites but just seeing all the sites from the coach. This was largely because I had a knee problem. Well I've now had a replacement but unfortunately although this was successful I have arthritis in the ankle on the same leg dating from a few years ago when I broke my ankle so I still can't walk too far. I think when we go next year John will want to go on one of the trips into Rome where there will be a lot of walking so I will probably do something different. Has anyone been on any tours, maybe into the countryside or around Civitavecchia itself that I could cope with, not too much walking? Incidentally the Coach Tour of Rome was lovely in that we saw all the major sites and had a fantastically knowledgeable guide, a real history buff who was also entertaining. The only slight hitch was that a motorist drove into the side of our coach which delayed things a little - in the middle of Friday lunch time in the middle of Rome!

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Manoverboard
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Re: Rome on your own

#10

Post by Manoverboard »

We have been to lovely Bracciano ... but they do have a castle to climb. Failing that you could opt for a Tuscany Countryside Tour ?
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Re: Rome on your own

#11

Post by Kentish Lass »

We were in Rome last year, on the Rome on your own coach transfer. The coach dropped us off on the Via del Teatro di Marcelo. It was a drop of point for lots of coaches. It was about a ten minute walk from the Colosseum and I think about 40 minutes from the Vatican City. If I remember correctly the train only trip organised by P&O stopped at Roma San Pietro which is very near to St Peter's Square.

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wolfie
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Re: Rome on your own

#12

Post by wolfie »

We have done some good excursions from Civi. 'Taste of Tuscania 'and another whose name escapes me now but which included a visit to an aggritourimo, Casale Bonaparte, where we enjoyed all the local products. Tour said it was tatsters but it really was really a full blown snack lunch. The town itself is good for buying good local products too, Parmiggiano, for one.

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wolfie
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Re: Rome on your own

#13

Post by wolfie »

barney wrote: 18 May 2017, 09:49
Unfortunately the ship won't wait that long wolfie.
I had a word with the skipper but he wasn't having any of it.
So, were stuck with just the one day :D
Consider how many cruises it would take to do ALL that Rome has to offer :shock: and then count the cost of a few nights there. :crazy:

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gilly88
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Re: Rome on your own

#14

Post by gilly88 »

I have read all the above reviews and I have a very different answer barney. we have also done the Rome on your own p&o trip, but we were dropped off at a beautiful park at the very top of the city near the Spanish steps, and it was a very long walk to the colosseum (sp?). the Vatican would have been in another direction, and another trek away. so just be aware, they do vary with there stops as we too have also been dropped off at the car park near st peters square the year before. I would ask on board before you book if you are worried about this.
regards gilly.

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barney
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Re: Rome on your own

#15

Post by barney »

You're right gilly
I'll show due diligence and ask before booking.
Train is still option number 1.
I'm sure if I book that as soon as the CP allows, we should be ok.
Empty vessels .. and all that

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oldbluefox
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Re: Rome on your own

#16

Post by oldbluefox »

The last time we were in Civitavecchia we had a walk to the railway station and the DIY train into Rome looked very cheap and very simple to fathom out, despite the fact neither I nor my wife speak Italian. I know a lot of people and crew go into Rome on this train but so far we have not had the courage to do it ourselves. I suppose it all depends on how confident and brave you are in venturing out otherwise the more expensive P&O option wins. By comparison the train fare was extremely cheap.
One factor against for us was where the train dropped you off in Rome, how close to the attractions and how easy was it to get lost on returning to the station. We are the ones who walk for miles in Venice because we think we know a short cut!!!

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Suekersh
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Re: Rome on your own

#17

Post by Suekersh »

We have done the DIY train to Rome a few times. It used to be an easy 10 minute walk from the port gates to the station. Regular trains to Rome 9 Euros return. Station for Vatican was St Peters only 5 minute walk from Vatican.

The last time we went the shuttle dropped off a long way from the dock gates and it was a hell of a trek to the station. Next time we will get a taxi to the station.

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barney
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Re: Rome on your own

#18

Post by barney »

oldbluefox wrote: 24 May 2017, 09:02
The last time we were in Civitavecchia we had a walk to the railway station and the DIY train into Rome looked very cheap and very simple to fathom out, despite the fact neither I nor my wife speak Italian. I know a lot of people and crew go into Rome on this train but so far we have not had the courage to do it ourselves. I suppose it all depends on how confident and brave you are in venturing out otherwise the more expensive P&O option wins. By comparison the train fare was extremely cheap.
One factor against for us was where the train dropped you off in Rome, how close to the attractions and how easy was it to get lost on returning to the station. We are the ones who walk for miles in Venice because we think we know a short cut!!!
I've sussed that one Foxy !

I take photos on my phone of distinctive buildings on our way out and retrace the route on our way back.

It works, trust me :clap:

In Grand Canaria, every time we went to Las Canteras beach, we got lost on the way back, basically because we went in one way and came out another.
By photographing the building when we arrived at the beach, in this case an Italian restaurant, we simply needed to find the same building to find our way back. :sarcasm:
Empty vessels .. and all that

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oldbluefox
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Re: Rome on your own

#19

Post by oldbluefox »

Great idea barney. :thumbup:
We once parked the car in the street in Innsbruck. I said to my wife it will be dead easy to find on the way back because the ski jump is at the bottom of the street.
Off we went into town but when we came to finding the car again it was then we realised that all the streets seemed to fan out from the ski jump so they all had a view of it. We then spent an hour wandering up and down looking for our car!!!


Bonkers58
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Re: Rome on your own

#20

Post by Bonkers58 »

Having just returned from Rome a good base is either
in or near the Piazza Barberini.
From here you can easily access the ancient sites
good shops and the more popular diversions like the
Treva fountain.
Plenty of taxis,buses and hop-on tourist tours in this
area.

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barney
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Re: Rome on your own

#21

Post by barney »

Cheers and welcome to the forum bonkers58

We only intend to do the Vatican on this visit having been there a few times before. :thumbup:
Empty vessels .. and all that

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