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Table of Contents:
When to travel to Civitavecchia
How to get to Civitavecchia from Rome
Where to stay in Civitavecchia
When to travel to Civitavecchia
Civitavecchia is a famous cruise and ferry port in Italy, located less than 100 km from Rome. A large number of cruise ships arrive in Civitavecchia every day, as well as many ships and ferries depart from here, which can take you to many cities in Italy, to other cities in Europe, as well as even to North Africa. Both short trips to Sardinia or Sicily and multi-day cruises with visits to a large number of diverse cities are popular.
It is worth remembering that Civitavecchia can become not only a transit point on a trip, but also an independent destination, since the city has preserved quite a lot of attractions, both natural, historical and architectural. In addition, you can swim in Civitavecchia in the summer. Summer months are ideal for visiting Civitavecchia because tourists can combine a beach holiday with cultural visiting.
After some research, I decided to put together information I have previously found out and create a complete guide on how to organize a holiday in Civitavecchia. I figured out how to get to the town, where to stay & what to do there. I really hope this detailed information will help you plan your trip to Civitavecchia.

How to get to Civitavecchia
Where do you fly into to get to Civitavecchia? Most often, tourists wonder how to get to Civitavecchia from Fiumicino airport in Rome, as well as how to get to Rome from Civitavecchia if you are here for just 1 day of your cruise trip. The most convenient means of transport in this case will be electric trains, as well as taxis (if you have limited time). The current flight timetable to Rome can be checked via specialized online services such as Aviasales and others. I often use this online service as it helps me a lot to compare different flight options and choose the optimal one.
How to get to Civitavecchia from Rome
By public transport: Electric trains from Rome to Civitavecchia and back run throughout the day. The travel time is from 40 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes. Rome Termini train station is located in the city center, so you need to take the metro from Fiumicino Airport. Then, from the railway station, trains to Civitavecchia run twice an hour throughout the day. You can check the current train timetable and purchase tickets in advance at the Raileurope booking service. It is one of my favourite online planners which I use pretty much often when going to Europe. To my mind, it has a convenient search and a lot of useful filters to narrow down the results and find out the best available one.
By taxi: You can also book a taxi car from Fiumicino Airport to Civitavecchia. It is more expensive than taking the train, but you don`t need to get to the train station on your own; this option is also relevant if you travel with a lot of luggage. Similarly, you can also order a taxi service from Civitavecchia to Rome if you are limited in time and are afraid of not being on time for your cruise. The travel time, in this case, takes a little less than an hour. You can book taxi services in advance via various online services, for example, Kiwitaxi, Intui.Travel and others similar ones. Based on my research, these online services have a lot of positive reviews that is why I can recommend them. For sure, there are a lot of other taxi services available at the airport.

Where to stay in Civitavecchia
If you come to Civitavecchia for a few days (and the town is worth it), then you can stay here in bed and breakfast hotels, standard hotels of various star categories, apartments or guest houses. Most of the hotels in Civitavecchia are located in the historical center of the town or at short distance to it, and since the town center is directly adjacent to the sea promenade, this also means short distance to the sea too.
There are also countryside hotels in Civitavecchia; they are suitable for you if you want to relax away from the bustle of the port, surrounded with greenery and the sound of the sea. The pricing policy of local hotels is quite affordable, which is good news. In addition, most accommodation places in Civitavecchia have reviews and ratings for accommodation that are above average, which indicates the quality of local service.
Let’s talk in more detail about several possible options for stopping. The La Marina B&B hotel has a good location, relatively close to the sea and the railway station at the same time. There is a relaxation terrace overlooking the sea, free Wi-Fi, breakfast included in the price, a swimming pool, and a parking area. The hotel is located on the first beach line. The Residence Stendhal has similar characteristics. There are family rooms, a parking area, free Wi-Fi, included breakfast, and rooms with town or sea views.
PortView Guesthouse has access to the first beach line of Civitavecchia, and also offers its guests family rooms, including breakfasts, free Wi-Fi and daily room cleaning. B&B Maison de Revel is a typical country hotel. It is located on the first beach line, surrounded with greenery; it has free parking and Wi-Fi; breakfast is included. As online booking services provide tourists reviews, I found out that the windows overlook the sea or garden. This hotel is located 1.2 km from the center of Civitavecchia (see on the map).

What to see in Civitavecchia
Most tourists who arrive in Civitavecchia for one cruise day tend to immediately leave Civitavecchia for Rome, and this is not surprising, since the Italian capital is known throughout the world for its great attractions.
Conventionally, the attractions of Civitavecchia can be divided into historical and natural, and both deserve attention. Also, local sights can be divided into urban (located within the town) and suburban (located in the surrounding area). As a rule, tourists usually do not have enough time to visit countryside monuments, and this is a pity, because they are often superior ones.
Quite a lot of historical and archaeological monuments have been preserved in the center of Civitavecchia. For example, Michelangelo fortress built in the 16th century attracts attention. The fortress received this name not by chance; the famous artist was an architect of this building. As I found out, the Cathedral of St. Francis, built in the 18th century, can also be considered as a historical monument. The cathedral mixed features of lush baroque and strict neoclassicism, which makes the cathedral elegant and unique.
Archeology lovers will be delighted by the ruins of the thermal springs of Taurina. The springs here have not been functioning for a long time, but the ruins remaining from them are of a very majestic scale. In addition to the listed attractions, the port of Civitavecchia, where snow-white yachts and ferries moor, also deserves attention. This port is known throughout the world and is one of the largest in Italy after Genoa.

When going to Civitavecchia for a beach holiday, you need to keep in mind that the local beaches are pebbly. They are neat, clean and equipped, but the shore strip is quite narrow and paved with pebbles. Larger boulders can also be found in the water, so it is recommended to wear slippers when entering the water. Pirgo Beach is considered to be one of the most well-groomed beaches in Civitavecchia, and I would definitely recommend paying attention to it.
In my point of view, it is better to go to the neighboring resort towns of San Augustino and Tarquinia if you look for spacious sandy beaches. In Civitavecchia you can also find a wonderful water park for the whole family. The Aquafelix Water Park has a lot of entertainment, outdoor pools and slides in its area. I did some research to collect practical information for visiting and here it is:
- The water park opens at the beginning of June and operates until mid-September, from 10 am to 6.30 pm daily.
- The entrance ticket costs from 20 euros for adults and 13 euros for children. The tickets can be purchased on the spot or online at the official website or at the Tiqets service.
If you decide to explore the surroundings of Civitavecchia, we recommend that you visit at least 2 remarkable places. The first is the Ficoncella thermal complex. The thermal baths are located 4 km from Civitavecchia and here you can find 5 different natural pools, the water temperature of which varies. The temperature in the hottest pools reaches 60 degrees! Local springs are considered to be healing and useful for treating body and soul. I found out detailed information for visiting the complex:
- The complex is open in the summer (open air) from 8 am to 8 pm daily.
- The entrance fee is only 1.5 euros per person.
The second important attraction in the surroundings of Civitavecchia is the graceful and impregnable castle of Santa Severa. Its construction dates back to the beginning of the 10th century, while the castle itself has been preserved in excellent condition, and is considered to be the only castle of its kind in Italy. It is located on a sandy shore, and many tourists, having observed the castle, continue to relax on the local beach.

Take a note! When going on a trip to Italy, do not forget to take out travel insurance, which is useful for receiving a tourist visa and for solving emerging medical problems when travelling in another country. You can purchase insurance via online services, for example, via EKTA and others. You can choose from different modes, including quiet, active or extreme rest.
Photo above the article: jpitha

Julia is an experienced traveller, BA in International Relations and Languages and true lover of planning trips in advance. Learn more about the author…