Where is this dance tournament, please?

Thorsten Reulen’s travel information for the EuroGames dance competitions

During our short visit to Rome in April, we were able to convince ourselves that the Palacavicci is an ideal venue for dance competitions. Indeed …

One thing is clear: never before the venue of a dance tournament as part of an international multi-sports event has been so isolated, so difficult to reach and in such a profoundly ugly environment as in this year. Between traffic routes for cars, trains, airplanes and horses (!) the “Palacavicchi” is located in the middle of a huge commercial area beyond the public transport.

But it does not help. We have to go there. And we will make it!

The immediate surroundings:

To make things even more complicated, several streets around the tournament venue are called “Via Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli”, and several buildings are named “Palacavicchi” or “Pala Cavicchi” or “Casa Cavicchi”. The easiest help: If you turn from the “Viale J.F.Kennedy” to the southwest in the small industrial area in which the dance venue is located, you see a petrol station directly to the left. Just a little further on there is a driveway on the right side, and you have to get into it. Should you miss this spot and come across a glass pizzeria with a big palm in front of it, then you have to turn around again. “Our” Palacavicchi building is located very close to the main road.

The different ways to get there:

1. By foot:

If you stay in one of the hotels near the competition venue, you will not see much of the city of Rome, but you have the great advantage of being able to walk. But beware: The “Viale J.F.Kennedy” and the “Via Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli” are busy streets that have neither a sidewalk nor a fortified side strip. You have to go over gravel and grass. No fun, even if you have luggage with you. But it is doable.

By the way, it is about 2 km to the train station Ciampino to the Palacavicchi, from the subway station Anagnina even more.

2. By train and bus:

From Rome’s main train station, Stazione Termini, there are frequent, fast and cheap trains to Ciampino Regional Train Station. But then the problem begins. Several bus lines leave from there, but none of them follow the “Viale J.F.Kennedy” over a longer distance. All lines turn off far before reaching the junction to Palacavicchi. In sum, not a good option.

3. By train and taxi:

That should work quite well. I cannot give exact information about the prices for a taxi, but the price from and to the train station Ciampino should be 10-15 € per direction.

4. By metro and bus:

In my opinion the best option for those who are staying in the center of Rome and do not want to spend a lot of money on transport. From the terminus Anagnina of the subway line A, bus 503 departs three to four times an hour (timetable information: https://viaggiacon.atac.roma.it). This is a ring line that runs in one direction only. So you cannot get on the bus in the wrong way. The line is very slow because it criss-crosses residential areas. But when the bus arrives at the BANDINELLI stop, it is only a good 800 meters to walk (see above) to the venue. You can use a ticket for € 1.50 both for the subway and the bus. But you should calculate a lot of time.

5. By metro and EuroGames Shuttle:

Those who want to reach Palacavicchi without having to walk can connect the metro with the official shuttle service. But there are quite a few snags: You already should have prebooked your shuttles until 03.07.2019, the price is very high, the shuttle service operates only once in the morning to the competition sites and once in the evening back (it was announced to us otherwise) and it does not take the direct way to the Palacavicchi. And will it even work? Who can dare to say that now? Maybe it will work wonderfully, but maybe it will be a disaster. It is an option for the brave ones.

6. By underground and taxi:

That should work well (like option # 3). Significantly more expensive than with the subway and the bus, but also much faster. As long as there is a taxi rank at the subway terminus.

7. By car:

By car?? Only some very few dancers will go to Rome by their own car, and those who live in the center of Rome should think twice about driving there, but those who have accommodation in or around Ciampino should seriously consider to book a rental car (preferably directly from the airport). The prices are not high and you get rid of many worries. However, you will need strong nerves for standing the Roman road traffic. In any case there is parking in front of the Palacavicchi.

8. By taxi only:

If you live in Ciampino and do not like running, the taxi is a possible option. Especially when traveling with two or more people. But if you live in the center of Rome, you should know that this option will be very, very expensive.

You see: All roads may lead to Rome, but none to the venue of the EuroGames 2019 dance competitions. At least not a single really great one. But as I already mentioned before: Yes, we can!

Our venue: Palacavicchi

Via Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli, 130, 00178 Roma RM, Italien

https://goo.gl/maps/JbnF2PE1QWw

You will find general travel information for your arrivel or travelling around in Rome in this post: Arrival Instructions Rome.