Civitavecchia

Civitavecchia is a city in Metropolitan Rome, region of Lazio, in central Italy.

Understand

Get in

By car

From any departure point, reach the A12 Genova – Rome highway and exit at Civitavecchia. Follow the signs for Civitavecchia centro/Sardegna on S.S. 1 Aurelia for about 3 km.

By train

From any departure point, arrive at the Rome Termini train station. From here, take the regional FR5 trains or Intercity train to Grosseto and get off at the Civitavecchia station.

See "Get Out" below for using trains to reach Rome.

By boat

Civitavecchia is the ferry port of Rome with daily ferries departure to Sardinia Olbia and Porto Torres, Barcelona, Palermo, Tunis and Porto Vecchio. For timetable and itinerary, have a look at TraghettiWeb (dead link: March 2023). The port also affords docking facilities to large cruise ships traversing the Mediterranean. Cruise Passengers have use of a free shuttle to the port entrance, within easy walking distance of stores and a train station for economical travel to Rome. (See same section for Rome.)

By taxi

There are many shuttle service companies such as Fiumicino-Shuttle.com that offer low-price shuttle service with limousines or minivans that you can book in advance online without credit card and then pay the driver. A transfer from Rome or Fiumicino Airport from/to Civitavecchi port or hotels can be booked starting from €90 or a minivan for €149.

Get around

Civitavecchia, the port of Rome, is the point of arrival and departure of hundreds of ships, cruises, ferries travelling all around the Mediterranean. From here it is possible to reach Sardinia, Corsica, Sicily, Spain, France, some other small islands, and even north Africa. A good transportation system links the port to the Eternal City.

See

National Archeological Museum Preserves exciting finds from the Roman port and Taurine spas (just outside Civitavecchia), and the 845 inscription that celebrates the city's reconstruction after being destroyed by the Saracen.
Michelangelo stronghold The impressive fortress built in the sixteenth century with the assistance of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Terme Taurine The thermal complex built by the Roman Emperor Trajan is still well preserved. The rest of the Terme Taurine are north, around 1 hour walking from the harbour. Civitavecchia Pro Loco provides free buses from the harbour. For information +39 3382707567 , +39 0766 20299
Ficoncella Thermal Bath North of the city close to the Terme Taurine there is the Ficoncella bath frequented by Romans and still popular with the Civitavecchiesi. The modern name stems from the fig plants among the various pools.
La Cattedrale The cathedral of San Francesco d'Assisi was built by the Franciscans over an existing small church built from 1610. The current edifice, with Baroque-Neoclassical lines, was erected in the eighteenth century. It's situated between the historical centre of the city and Viale Garibaldi.

Do

Buy

Eat

The main street between the train station and the harbor has a lot of restaurants, pizzerias, bars, etc. for some good food that can be found relatively cheap. Many people hang out here at night and sit around and have a bite to eat and some vino. Great place to people watch in this small town.

Pizzeria al Ghetto. Only open at night and worth the wait! Locals love this place. Outside tables fill up fast so get there early. Only two kinds of pizza, margarita or anchovy. Get it with a cold beer and enjoy the food and atmosphere.
Ristorante Stuzzichino, Via Pietro Manzi, 30, +39 0766 32945. Open at night and at lunch, it's situated in the historical city centre of Civitavecchia. You can taste the local seafood cuisine, in a cozy atmosphere. The restaurant is not very big, so it's recommended to make a reservation

Drink

Sleep

Hotel San Giorgio, Viale Garibaldi, 34, +39 0766 5991. A 4-star hotel in downtown Civitavecchia, overlooking the sea.
Bed and Breakfast Casamica, Via Alcide De Gasperi, 1, +39 0766 31182. Clean cozy rooms with bathroom in a Tuscan style home with seaview. The host family offers pickup service and first-hand tips to discover the hidden beauty of the Italian way of life. Free transfer to the port.
Bed & Breakfast Civitavecchia, Via Rodi, 20, +39 0766 547131. Independent rooms with bathroom and shower inside, Free WiFi Internet, Breakfast included, Air conditioning, TV 26 inch. Mini pool with jacuzzi.
Sunbay Park Hotel, Via Aurelia Sud, Riva di Traiano, +39 0766 22801. Rooms, restaurant, meeting halls.

Connect

Phone centre, Via Dalmazia 3 (also internet)
Calamatta Phone, Piazza Calamatta 11/A -12 (also internet)
Via Gian Lorenzo Bernini (300-400 m straight behind the train station)

Go next

Santa Severa Castle. This castle is on the sea a few miles in the direction of Rome along the Via Aurelia. It was first mentioned in 1068 and is built on the site of a Roman fortress. The courtyard is a pleasant place to stroll around and at weekends there is always something going on. If it gets too hot the beach is right next door. The castle of Santa Severa can be visited from Tuesday to Sunday: 09:30 - 12:30 and 14:30 - 18:00. For information, +39 0766 570077 .

From Civitavecchia you can go almost anywhere in Europe. Train travel offers many benefits.

Rome.

As the primary seaport for Rome, Civitavecchia has trains that frequently take commuters and cruisers into the city. Commuter trains take about 80–90 minutes to reach the main station in Roma...the Termini...and to return from there. With fairly-early departures, the service makes effective day-trips possible...though rush-hour times find them rather full.
Tickets cost about €4.5 each way. Or you can purchase round trip B.I.R.G. tickets for roughly twice that. As of Summer 2009, the latter tickets allowed you unlimited use of Rome city buses and the Metro.
Cruisers are usually provided shuttles from their ship to and from the port pedestrian entrance. From there, you'll find the train station about a 10-minute walk along the seashore.
Take care with your belongings...few needed for a day-trip. Commuter train cars are designed with a platform-level center section for boarding, with seating accessed by narrow stairs that induce many people to leave packages and luggage on the center. Thieves can grab such items and jump off the train just as the doors close at any en route stop.
Drinks are allowed on the trains.

Civitavecchia - Italian comune