After disembarking from the Sapphire Princess at the Port of Civitavecchia, we discovered to our mild delight that shuttle buses were available to transfer from the port to the train station at €6 per person. Too easy!
At the station, we were able to switch to an earlier train to Rome, rather than face the strong possibility of missing a tight connection caused by an earlier schedule change.
We were now on an Italian regional train with no reserved seats, and we were lucky, among the throng that boarded, to find seats together.
A note in passing: don’t count us among those who overly romanticize the European train experience.
They can be difficult to climb on and off, even with only a rollaboard and a shoulder bag. It can be challenging to find the right car and the right seats. We’ve learned that lesson more than once.
As we learned last year on a French TGV between Paris and Nantes, you also have to keep a close eye on your luggage.
https://www.thewanderingwarners.com/2025/04/a-surprising-theft-on-french-train.html?m=1
In Roma Termini we had a three-hour layover. What to do? We discovered that a massive second-floor area is home to a wide variety of restaurants.
We chose Wagamama, a pan-Asian chain new to us. We quite enjoyed our Pad Thai and another dish recommended by a young waiter with a fluent command of English.
When we asked him where he was from, he replied simply “Iran.” What do you say to that? As we left, we told him we wished him well, which he seemed to appreciate.
A little more than an hour later, we stepped off the train at Orvieto, called the Altarocca Wine Resort, and soon were on our way in a Mercedes van on a speedy ride up the twisting roads.
The countryside is arguably as glorious as any wine region we’ve seen anywhere. The resort itself is beautiful, and before long we were in the suite that would be our home for three nights.
Breakfast was included, so we broke our boycott with some bread, salami, cheese, and yogurt, avoiding this gorgeous array of desserts typical of an elaborate Italian morning repast.
We needn’t have worried about being a captive audience for lunch and dinner, a €25 cab ride each way to and from Orvieto making for a hefty meal surcharge.
We found the meals here were at another level, with separate multi-page menus for lunch and dinner. The food is of high quality, beautifully prepared and presented, and - last but not least - quite reasonably priced.
A generous appetizer to share…
A tasty amuse-bouche…
Beautifully cooked lamb chops…
We burned some calories strolling around the hilly countryside, including a climb to the top of a large rock offering fantastic views.
Another twisty path at the resort’s entrance leads us to more accommodations and a wine production area (we quite like their reasonably priced reds and whites!).
What a glorious part of the world this is, and the Altarocca Wine Resort is a fabulous place to enjoy it.
Would we return here? In an instant!
https://www.altaroccawineresort.com/
