Anyone who has ever taken a Mediterranean cruise is sure to be familiar with the city of Civitavecchia, with its hard-to-pronounce name. This city is the sea gate of Rome. And it’s possible to reach it by train. The journey takes about 40-60 minutes.
You can get from the train station to the port either by bus (2 Euros one way) or on foot (around 15-20 minutes). In any case to enter the port itself, you'll need to take a cruise shuttle. If you're boarding a cruise ship in Civitavecchia, it likely means you've flown into Rome's airport. While it’s possible to take a taxi straight from the airport to the port, most tourists prefer to spend one to three days in Rome.
In this case you’ll need to buy a train ticket from Termini Station. The one-way ticket for adults costs about 4.7 Euros (with a 50% discount for children under 12). The train ride takes about an hour. There is also a faster train option, but it’s nearly twice the price and takes about 40 minutes.
I don’t think it's worth paying extra because the trains are quite comfortable even for 4.7 Euros. However, it’s a good idea to arrive at the station early since the trains depart from one of the more distant platforms.
The first time we went to Civitavecchia, it was by cruise ship. We were in a rush to get to Rome, so we didn’t bother exploring the city. As a result we didn’t get to see either Civitavecchia or Rome.
This time, our cruise began and ended in this city. Therefore on the way back, we were able to dedicate almost an entire day to the city and we didn’t regret it.
Honestly, Rome didn’t impress us much. But Civitavecchia, a quiet town by the sea, won us over. Even in January the weather was sunny, clear and 15 degrees. While there aren’t many historical sights here, it’s pleasant to sit by the sea, enjoy a coffee and stroll through the shops.
In the summer you can visit the water park. And in the winter, you can go to the thermal baths. Rome on the other hand, requires more than just one day, especially if you’re on a cruise. For this reason I wouldn’t recommend cruise passengers going to Rome, especially on their own. You’ll get tired, won’t see much and will likely end up disappointed.
I would recommend taking a cruise from Barcelona instead of Rome. The port is located very close to the city center and Barcelona is just as good as, if not better than Rome. We personally prefer Barcelona much more.