htomlin412

My family and I will be traveling to Ischia, Italy in Sept. 2017. Flying out of one the the Washington DC airports, we have the option of a layover (in Frankfort or another European city) and then flying into Naples, Italy OR flying direct to Rome and then taking a train to Naples. We are of a mixed opinion- personally, I would rather fly direct then take a train (not a huge fan of flying), another opinion is that with landing in Rome, going through customs then catching a train with luggage maybe chaotic.
Any opinions?

J62

At Rome you need to take a train from the airport into the city, then catch a train to Naples. Cheaper train fares are available if you buy in advance but since you cannot be 100% sure exactly which train you'd be able to catch you'd probably need to buy a same-day ticket.

In my opinion you are far better off connecting through FRA and flying directly into Naples. You'll likely get there sooner and with less hassle.

vincenzo32951

It's a toss-up, especially since you don't seem to like the idea of changing planes and flying twice.

Catching the train to Naples from Rome is as J62 describes. Not too bad, but if you have lots of luggage, it could be inconvenient.

This sounds expensive, but you might look into a car service from Rome to Naples. You don't mention how many people are in your group; it could be worth it depending on the size of your group and your point of view.

My figures are rough, but I think a car service from the Rome airport to your hotel would run you around 350 euros. Suppose you have four people in your group. You're going to have four train fares, plus I assume taxi fares from the Naples station to your hotel. That won't add up to 350, but it's a substantial sum. Then of course, with the car service, you have the factors of lots of saved time and not having to negotiate the two trains and luggage when jet-lagged.

Just something to think about.

Calabria62

We flew to Naples via FRA, as in your first option, from the U.S. We flew on Lufthansa. We had only 1 bag each, but opted to check it, since our layover was a bit lengthy, if I recall. Since FRA is a huge place, we were able to explore its interesting shops, and view the awesome cars on display, doze a but....to pass the time. Then off to Napoli, where we picked up a rental car.

I'm not a fan of long/multi flights, either, but in this case, I'd suggest option A as mentioned above. It might be less stressful than flying direct to Rome, getting to city, getting train, schlepping luggage.... as J2 and Vicenzo said.

kybourbon

I would connect through Frankfort.

Rome's airport is in Fiumicino so you would have to trek to the airport train station, catch the train to Rome Termini (Leonoardo Express 14€ pp), catch another train to Naples and then transport to the ferry. My last arrival at FCO took forever. Immigration was a zoo and took over an hour. I haven't flown into Frankfurt lately so can't compare how long arrival would take there. Naples airport is small.

Are you staying in Naples or going on to Ischia?

greg

I would mention a few more consideration. Both have pros and cons.

Plan A: direct to FCO
I presume you are looking at 17:20 UAL42 IAD-FCO?
If you take all train route to Napoli, both FCO-Rome and Rome-Napoli trains are meant to carry luggage. The usual issue here is which Rome-Napoli to take if one wants to buy a deeply discounted fare. The last minutes fare is not that exorbitant, provided "my family" is not big.

You need to deal with United Airlines and Trenitalia/Italo. This is relevant in case of strikes by train companies (more likely) or UA (less likely). If you can get to FCO, you do have an expensive option to drive/taxi/transfer to Napoli.

Plan B: via FRA
Washington-FRA is either on United or Lufthansa
FRA-NAP will have to be Lufthansa to stay within the Star Alliance.

FRA is a huge airport, but Star Alliance to Star Alliance change is well designed and quick.

One issue here, while not a definite issue, are the Lufthansa strikes. There has been 14 strikes since April 2014. The most recent one was over 6 days in November. The contract dispute is still going on even though the planes are flying. I had to change my flight plan from FRA last month due to their off an on strikes.

There several in this forum who would probably not fly LH if they have a choice.

yorkshire

Have flown to Naples from DC (Dulles), changing in Munich on Lufthansa. The short layover is just enough time for a decent meal. It's a breeze and SO much more pleasant and less of an intrusion than Rome+train and all that entails--with a ferry at the end to boot!

kja

Although I could live with either option, I far prefer booking flights that take me to my intended destination. Among other things, it means that I don't need to worry much about a delay in the first flight, as the airlines would then be responsible for getting me -- and my luggage -- to my destination. JMO.