Rome is an amazing city full of history and art. From historical monuments to incredible food, there is so much to experience in Rome. And while I highly recommend spending at least a few days in Rome so that you can truly soak it all in, sometimes if you’re on a Mediterranean cruise all you have is one day.
This itinerary is intended to help those who only have one day to visit see as much of Rome as possible. While cruise ships do offer guided tours, I can guarantee that you will not see as much as you will with this itinerary. And I can also guarantee that going exploring on your own will be a lot cheaper than taking a guided tour.
Who This Itinerary is For
This itinerary is for those who only have one day to visit and are not afraid to venture out on their own. This itinerary is also for those who want to see as much of Rome as they can in one day.
Who This Itinerary is Not For
This itinerary is for those with at least a moderate fitness level. This tour involves a lot of walking and sometimes at a brisk pace. This is not for anyone that has mobility issues.
Directions from the Pier to the Train Station
There is a shuttle bus that is run by the port. You must take one of the shuttles to get to the area just outside the port. There are no timetables listed for the shuttles. The train station is an easy 10 minute walk from the port entrance.
Take the shuttle to the port entrance then, exit the port entrance and cross street where the crosswalk is. You will see a McDonald’s just outside the port gates. Walk towards it, then continue straight and around the corner.
Continue on this street parallel to the coastline with the Mediterranean along your right side approximately 4 blocks until you hit the train station.
Once you arrive at the train station and have your ticket, you’ll have to find which track your train will be arriving on.
Train Travel to Rome
When the train arrives in Stazione Termini in Rome it will most likely arrive between tracks 27-29. It is around an 8-10 minute walk into the main station. The cost for the train runs around 5 euros per person.
In Italy, if you purchase your tickets at the station, you must make sure to get your train tickets validated before getting on the train. There is usually a yellow box where you can stamp your ticket before boarding your train.
Train tickets will be checked while on board. Tickets purchased online do not need to be validated.
In 2019, a new Civitavecchia Express service was introduced especially for cruise ship passengers. There are four trips that run daily from Civitavecchia to the Roma San Pietro and the Roma Ostiense Stations.
If you decide to take one of these trains, you’ll need to take another train to get to Roma Termini to begin this itinerary.
The timetables listed below are current at the time of posting but you will want to check for schedule updates before your trip. This itinerary is also based on the time frame that our ship was in port. You will want to adjust these times based on your own cruise ship schedule.
You may want to purchase your train tickets ahead of time. You can purchase them at https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html
Train Tables: Civitavecchia to Roma
Train Number Departure Arrival
23655 7:44 8:50
23657 7:58 9:20
2335 8:42 9:50
12233 8:57 10:28
8601 9:16 10:03
Train stops: S. Marinella, Marina di Cerveteri, Ladispoli Cerveteri, Maccarese, Fregene, Roma Aurelia, Roma S Pietro, Roma Trastevere, Roma Ostiense, Roma Tuscolana, Roma Termini
Metro Directions to Your First Stop
From Stazione Termini walk to Metro B Line. There are escalators that go down to the subway which are located at the platforms concourse and the central concourse. Just look for the “M” symbol.
You can purchase your metro ticket from a ticket kiosk. You’ll board the B Line. It is just 2 Stops to the Colosseo stop.
The lines for purchasing tickets to the Colosseum are always long. You may even see people selling tickets to help you skip the lines. Many times it’s a scam. The best way to beat the lines is to purchase your ticket at Palatine Hill.
Palatine Hill is located across from the Colosseum. You can purchase a combination pass that allows you access to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum.
Walking Directions
Once you have explored Palatine Hill and the Colosseum you’ll make a short walk to the Roman Forum. From there you can walk to Piazza Navona followed by The Pantheon and then walk to Trevi Fountain.
You can print out the walking directions and a map by clicking here:
From Trevi Fountain, you will make your way to the Barberini Metro stop where you will board the A line to the Cipro stop which is the closest stop to the Vatican Museum. It is 3 stops from Barberini.
Make sure to purchase your tickets for the Museum before your trip. The line to purchase tickets is usually wrapped around the block. You will not be able to see this attraction using this itinerary without purchasing your tickets ahead of time.
If you want to make sure you see the Sistine Chapel, follow the wall to the left. The Sistine Chapel will be by the Last Judgement wall.
I recommend going to see this first and then spend the rest of your time taking in everything else. It’s also important to know that no photos are allowed inside the chapel.
To purchase tickets online visit: http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/visita-i-musei/scegli-la-visita/musei-e-collezioni/musei-vaticani-e-cappella-sistina/visita-libera-musei-vaticani-e-cappella-sistina.html
Tickets start at 17 euros
After the Vatican Museum, walk back to the Cipro Metro stop and take the Metro A line back to Stazione Termini to take the train back to Civitavecchia.
Train Tables: Roma to Civitavecchia
Train Number Departure Arrival
23654 15:12 16:18
26230 15:37 16:30
518 15:57 16:45
2344 16:12 17:13
26232 16:30 17:20
12254 16:57 17:44
23656 17:12 18:17
Full Best of Rome in a Day Itinerary
Be at the station no later than 7:45 for 9:20 arrival in Rome
7:58 train to Roma
9:20 to 9:35 Metro ride to Colosseo stop (B Line) Buy ticket from Termini station and validate)
9:35 to 9:45 walk to Palatine Hill for Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum Tickets
9:45-10:00 purchase tickets
10:00-10:30 Tour Palatine Hill
10:30 to 11:00 Tour Colosseum
11:00-11:30 Tour Roman Forum
11:30-11:50 walk from Roman Forum to Piazza Navona
12:10-12:15 walk from Piazza Navona to Pantheon
12:15-12:30 pictures at Pantheon
12:30-12:40 walk from Pantheon to Trevi Fountain
12:40-12:50 pictures at Trevi Fountain
12:50-1:05 walk from Trevi to Barberini Metro station
1:05-1:10 Pictures of Fountain at Barberini
1:10-1:30 Metro A line from Barbarini to Cipro
Arrive at Cipro stop by 1:30
Arrive at Vatican via Viale Vaticani – entrance to Museum
Exchange Vatican ticket Voucher inside
Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel 2:00-4:00- There is a food hall downstairs after main entrance. You can eat lunch and rest before heading back upstairs to the museum.
4:00 walk to Cipro Metro Station and take Metro A line back to Stazione Termini
Take 4:30 train back to Civitavecchia
4:30-5:20 Train to Civitavecchia
5:30-5:50 shuttle back to ship
Laws to Remember
There are new laws that have recently been passed regarding eating and drinking in the historic areas of Rome. You are no longer allowed to eat, drink or sit on the Spanish Steps. Even eating a cup of gelato inside the Pantheon can lead to being fined.
Also, you should refrain from wearing heels while visiting the historical monuments as they are also forbidden. And Remember that bare shoulders should be covered and no shorts or short skirts are allowed in The Vatican. Make sure to plan your outfits appropriately.
Public Bathrooms
For more information about the bathrooms in Italy, read my post here.
Vatican Museum – They are located in the basement and are really clean
Colosseum – These are clean but be prepared to straddle the toilets
Roma Termini basement level
This is a very fast paced itinerary and while it does not allow you much time to linger at each stop, it will allow you to see as much as you possibly can.
We followed this exact itinerary while we were on our cruise and it was fun, but I still hope to go back one day and take it a little slower. Rome has so much to offer!
