Coach & Minibus Hire in Italy

From the Ship to Rome, Naples, Genoa or Venice

Cruise days run on the ship's clock. A minibus with a driver collects a family or a group of friends at the port, fits in a city or a ruin, and has everyone back aboard in time. It also links the port with the airport at either end of the cruise.

Civitavecchia: further than it looks

Rome's cruise port is a fair way out: about 71 km to the city centre, which a coach covers in roughly 1 h 20 min when traffic is light, and around 66 km, about an hour, to Fiumicino. Cars cannot drive onto the quays. Any vehicle entering the terminal zone, whether a car with driver or a coach, needs the terminal company's permit, and the vehicle's operator applies for it. From Largo della Pace, by the port gate, free shuttles run out to each berth.

A Rome day from the ship means some 2 h 40 min on the road before any sightseeing, so keep the list of sights short.

Full-size touring coach parked for boarding
Full-size touring coach parked for boarding

Naples and Genoa: the city on the doorstep

In Naples the ship docks right in town: the Stazione Marittima faces Piazza del Municipio, some 20 minutes by road from Capodichino airport. Pompeii lies around 35 minutes off, Sorrento about 1 h 10 min, and fast ferries to the islands sail from Calata Beverello alongside.

In Genoa, Ponte dei Mille and Ponte Andrea Doria sit within a short walk of Genova Piazza Principe station. The city's own airport, about 11 km off, is far closer than Milan's. Neither port publishes an official coach stop by its terminals, so where the group boards is confirmed by the operator.

Rules to know before you set off

  • Vehicles entering the Civitavecchia terminal areas, such as cars with driver and coaches, need an access permit from the terminal operator, which the vehicle's operator arranges
  • Since 1 August 2021 ships over 25,000 GT may not pass through the Bacino di San Marco and the Giudecca Canal in Venice (D.L. 103/2021), so large ships berth at Fusina or Porto Marghera instead of Marittima

Venice: which berth?

Large ships, above 25,000 GT, have been barred since August 2021 from the Bacino di San Marco and the Giudecca Canal, and now tie up at Fusina or Porto Marghera instead. Anyone sailing from Marghera still checks in at Marittima, next to Piazzale Roma; at San Basilio, vehicles can drop passengers but not park. By road, Fusina is about 19 km from Piazzale Roma. The berth is printed on the cruise documents: look it up before booking, since the transfer plan hangs on it.

What travellers ask us

How far is Venice airport from the cruise terminals?

From Marco Polo it is roughly 15 km, some 25 minutes by coach, to Piazzale Roma beside Marittima, and about 23 km, some 40 minutes, to Fusina.

What if disembarkation runs late?

Send the ship's name and scheduled arrival, and agree with the operator how long the driver waits. Leave a margin before any flight.

Is a minibus big enough for end-of-cruise luggage?

With every seat taken, the luggage space is tight. For a full set of suitcases, book one size up or leave some seats free.

More places for your group

Other vehicles with a driver