You get off the ship, take the free shuttle to Largo della Pace and, from there, you decide: Rome, the old town or a short walk on the waterfront. The port is large, but your day is simple once you know the shuttle, the station and the time you must be back on board.
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Rome from Civitavecchia: small-group day trip, 8 people at most
from €138.89 · rated 4.9/5 (481 reviews) at the time of writing
via Viator
Which terminal will my ship use?
Cruise ships use the quays 10, 11, 12, 12bis, 13 and 13bis along the long breakwater named after Christopher Columbus, and quay 25 on the opposite side of the breakwater. The port has five cruise terminals, and here are two of them. The Amerigo Vespucci terminal opened in 2018: it covers 12,500 square metres, has more than 60 check-in desks on the second floor and a panoramic terrace. The Donato Bramante terminal opened in December 2025 on quay 12, near the Vespucci, with 23 check-in desks that can grow to 46.
Your cruise line tells you the quay and the terminal for your day. You do not need to choose: the shuttle serves all of them.
How does the free shuttle work?
The port shuttle is free and anyone can use it. It runs from about 5:30 to 23:00, and later if a ship docks after 23:00, with a bus roughly every 20 minutes. At least two buses run at the same time, and one is equipped for wheelchairs.
The ride from the terminals to Largo della Pace takes about 10 to 15 minutes. From quay 25 the shuttle goes straight to Largo della Pace and back, without intermediate stops. From the other quays there are two routes: one goes from the terminals to Largo della Pace and on to Molo del Bicchiere, the other stops at the Bramante terminal first. Largo della Pace is the main hub, and many excursions meet you there or near it.
Where do I find information and the station?
Largo della Pace has a service centre and an information point that opens when ships land. The other two information points are at Varco Vespucci and at the Autostrade del Mare terminal. Largo della Pace is about 500 metres on foot from Varco Vespucci.
The train station is about 600 metres from the Fortress gate, Varco Fortezza, which is a walk of about 10 minutes along the sea. If you prefer not to walk, a special line connects the port with the station on the days when ships are in port. It runs from about 7:00 to about 19:00 and costs 6 euro each way, and you buy the ticket on board. Fort Michelangelo and the Vanvitelli Fountain are only a few metres from Varco Fortezza, so a short walk is easy to add on your way to or from the station.
What can I do in a few hours on foot?
Civitavecchia is a town you can walk. The old port, the fortress and the fountain make a stroll of one to two hours, and the old town centre can fill the rest of the morning. The guide to Civitavecchia on foot has the route, and the food and history tour starts at Largo della Pace and lasts about 3 hours.
If you want to see the Etruscans, the necropolis of Tarquinia is close. There is a guided trip of about 6.5 hours with lunch and a return to the port, described in our Tarquinia guide.
Is Rome possible in one day?
Rome is about 70 kilometres from the port. A guided excursion takes about 1 hour 30 minutes each way, so a 9-hour day leaves around 6 hours in the city. A typical example: you leave the pier at 8:00 and you are back around 17:00. If your on-board time is 18:00, you have one hour to spare.
Alone, by train, count about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes from ship to central Rome, each way. That means 9 to 10 hours in total for a day trip, and a long stop is the only way it works well. The Rome in one day guide adds up all the times, and the guide to trains and transfers compares the ways to get there.
Many state museums are closed on Mondays and the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month, so check the weekday of your stop before you plan.
Which should I choose: an excursion or freedom?
Choose a guided excursion if you want to see Rome with the return to the pier taken care of. The small-group Rome tour featured on this page, with no more than 8 people per minivan, lasts about 9 hours and includes a guaranteed return to the pier. At the time of writing it is rated 4.90 out of 5 from 481 reviews, and prices start from 138.89 euro.
Choose a private transfer if you want to go to Rome at your own pace: the driver waits at the ship with a sign and the ride takes about an hour. You decide where to go, and for the way back you can take the train.
Choose the walk and the shuttle if your stop is short, or if you have already seen Rome. The port and the old town are enough to fill a good morning.
Whatever you choose, look at the on-board time on your cruise card or in the app, and ask the information point at Largo della Pace if you have a doubt about the shuttle times on your day.
