Before we went to Rome, we had to get back to the ship from Florence. We knew the train schedules and pushed to come back about as late as we possibly could to safely catch the ship.
The bus became comically packed, with the middle door hitting the same lady at each stop when it opened or closed, forcing her to squeeze in a little tighter.
The port buses, like the city buses, come along about every ten minutes, so there's absolutely no reason to act like animals.
While most passengers went into Rome, some passengers went to the rustic countryside closer to the port. A gay couple from Palm Springs that we met at the past guest happy hour said they no longer went on any excursions or even to any attractions, instead choosing to simply find an out of the way restaurant or pub in each port, including Civitavecchia. That's the great thing about a cruise: you can make it into whatever kind of vacation you want.
For Rome, we again had pre-purchased our train tickets and knew the schedules, so we headed for the train station, this time catching a taxi for the short ride.
Keep in mind that when you are in Italy or most other foreign countries, the signs are not geared for English-speaking people. This can be confusing enough to make this an unattractive way to travel for some people, and taking a ship-sponsored shore excursion would be a much better choice for them.
While I do sell train tickets to people who insist, you are really much better off to print out a schedule of the trains and then buy your tickets once you are there. That way, you stay flexible and don't have to worry about losing them. In addition, you don't have to pay the shipping and handling fees.
While signs are geared toward the native language, there are usually friendly tourists and information desks to help you sort through buying tickets and finding the right platform, and they always remind you to validate.
When we boarded our train, we happened to see a ticket checker walking past us, and we had barely enough time to jump off and validate our tickets before the train left. That was almost a very costly mistake.
Apparently, a lot of other passengers similarly planned their schedules, because when we arrived back at the train station in Livorno, we found ourselves engulfed in a crowd trying to catch the next bus to the bus station.
We managed to be among the “fortunate” sardines squished into the standing room in the aisle, and a few people pushed their way on after us.
The bus became comically packed, with the middle door hitting the same lady at each stop when it opened or closed, forcing her to squeeze in a little tighter.
For anyone claustrophobic or easily irritated, taking a taxi is a great alternative to public buses.
When we reached the bus station in Livorno, people poured out of the bus like a clown car at the circus, and we were all off to the spot where the port bus had dropped us.
Upon the arrival of the port bus, a battle royale ensued among passengers fighting to get on. Unfortunately, no official from any of the cruise lines was there to organize lines.
Fortunately for us, the bus stopped about where we were standing, and despite a stampede of panicked guests fearing they might miss a free hamburger hors d'oeuvre at the buffet before dinner, we somehow made it on that bus, too, despite the fact that it required riders to have seats.
The port buses, like the city buses, come along about every ten minutes, so there's absolutely no reason to act like animals.
Anyway, after another terrific evening on board of dining and entertainment followed by a good night's sleep in our comfortable beds, our floating resort arrived in Civitavecchia, the gateway port for Rome.
While most passengers went into Rome, some passengers went to the rustic countryside closer to the port. A gay couple from Palm Springs that we met at the past guest happy hour said they no longer went on any excursions or even to any attractions, instead choosing to simply find an out of the way restaurant or pub in each port, including Civitavecchia. That's the great thing about a cruise: you can make it into whatever kind of vacation you want.
For Rome, we again had pre-purchased our train tickets and knew the schedules, so we headed for the train station, this time catching a taxi for the short ride.
The trains were again on schedule, and we boarded the one we had actually booked. The tickets are good for two months after the valid date, so if you miss a Trenitalia departure, you can catch the next one.
Keep in mind that when you are in Italy or most other foreign countries, the signs are not geared for English-speaking people. This can be confusing enough to make this an unattractive way to travel for some people, and taking a ship-sponsored shore excursion would be a much better choice for them.
Also, remember you must always validate your train ticket before boarding the train. If you do not validate your train ticket, you are subject to a fine of several times the cost of the ticket when the porter inevitably asks to see your ticket.
While I do sell train tickets to people who insist, you are really much better off to print out a schedule of the trains and then buy your tickets once you are there. That way, you stay flexible and don't have to worry about losing them. In addition, you don't have to pay the shipping and handling fees.
While signs are geared toward the native language, there are usually friendly tourists and information desks to help you sort through buying tickets and finding the right platform, and they always remind you to validate.
When we boarded our train, we happened to see a ticket checker walking past us, and we had barely enough time to jump off and validate our tickets before the train left. That was almost a very costly mistake.
The photos are all from Rome, which is one of the most photogenic cities in the world, in my opinion.
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