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Travelling From Seattle to Italy, Mid May

Travelling From Seattle to Italy, Mid May

Old Dec 10th, 2014, 01:25 PM
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Travelling From Seattle to Italy, Mid May

I just noticed that there are no none-stop flights from Seattle to Italy. I was wondering how to make the flight shorter and more pleasant.

So far I have come up with some options:

1. none stop to Paris but I just visited there last year
2. fly from LAX, I do not have a reason to stay in La

Any other suggestions appreciated

S
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 01:43 PM
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Aim for a flight with just one stop. So on Lufthansa via Frankfort, connecting to your city in Italy, or as you mentioned, On Delta via Paris. Or on Air Canada via Toronto. You don't need to stay someplace just because you are catching a connecting flight there. There are other options as well.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 01:51 PM
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Where in Italy? Options -

British Airways or Delta to London, change planes (in the case of Delta to partner Alitalia) at Heathrow.

Delta to Amsterdam, change to (partner) KLM there.

As mentioned, Delta to Paris then connect to (partner) Air France.

Icelandair to Iceland, connect to Milan.

If you want to lay over someplace, Amsterdam is very easy.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 01:54 PM
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I fly from Portland, OR, so usually fly through Seattle. The Air Canada flight through Toronto is a good one. The service is good and the flights have been on time the last 3 times I have flown.

Personally, I like to have 1 long leg directly over to Europe, then a shorter flight from wherever I land in Europe to my destination in Italy. 2 reasons: (2) better chance of me getting at least a tiny bit of sleep on the longer leg; and (2) I usually have ants in my pants to get to Italy, which makes the shorter flight more bearable.

Last year in June we flew Seattle-Frankfurt, then Frankfurt-Naples. I will never fly through Frankfurt again if I can possibly avoid it. We had a 2-hour layover and missed our connecting flight. HUGE airport, buses, trains, long lines. It was a mess.

This year in September we flew Seattle-Munich, then Munich-Venice, which we have done in previous years, and it was much easier. We never have a problem with connections in Munich.

Paris is one of the worst airports for connections and I avoid flying through there if at all possible (unless I am staying in Paris, obviously).
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 02:00 PM
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I am not sure about the relevancy of layover points as a place to stay. If your destination is Italy, then the layover points are merely a place to change planes. You can use booking engines to see the options. For example, use http://matrix.itasoftware.com/, feed SEA and whatever is your Italian destination, VCE, FCO, etc. Click "1 stop", then "time bars" then "duration/sort by duration" and you get 1 stop flights using various airports using different airline alliances.
There are differences in ease of layover. LHR/CDG/FRA require longer layovers while AMS requires no more than one hour. Also, I try to avoid airports often impacted by seasonal weathers such as Atlantic coast during the storm seasons.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 02:17 PM
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thanks all

my trip will include Rome and Venice for a total of about 10 days so I can land in Rome or Venice
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 03:08 PM
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Check my ideas on your other thread. May I again strongly urge you visit Venice before Rome? It is a much easier place to get over jet lag. And as I raved before, the water taxi from Venice airport into the city is one of my nicest (though expensive) visual memories.

Kathie's idea about Toronto is intriguing--no customs--but I still prefer the long flight over the water and a shorter one in Europe rather than breaking it up in the middle. Personal preference.
I think I forgot to say we used United SF-Paris and Air France Paris-Genoa. You could do an open jaw into Venice and out of Rome
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 03:34 PM
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Not sure of your options to change in LHR, CDG or FRA - but I would do either NYC or DC before either one of those - and get a direct flight to Italy form there.

By doing this you avoid having to go through Immigration and make a connecting flight - which can be a delay - instead going through Immigration only when you arrive in italy.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 03:44 PM
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NY traveler makes a good point. Staying overnight in the European city gets rid of the problems. I would rather go through immigration in Europe (and do) than go through immigration in nyc or dc on the way home. Have never missed a connecting flight in Europe though once had the experience from h... traveling Rome-London Heathrow (one of my least favorite airports)--SF.
Was saved by the fact we were flying business and I was temporarily in a wheel chair.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 04:32 PM
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yes, could do NYC, DC or LAX then fly directly
any votes?

thanks again
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 06:09 PM
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Would decide based on fares and schedules. Be sure to allow enough time to change flights when you connect in the US.
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Old Dec 10th, 2014, 06:42 PM
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and although I respect NYtraveler, who has helped me with several things, I'd still vote for flying nonstop over the "pond" as my friend Erica calls it.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 03:30 AM
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If I have to change planes traveling from the US to Europe, I prefer to do it before the long transatlantic flight. When I arrive in Europe, I'm usually pretty tired, and having to make a connecting flight is a bigger problem than it would be in the US when I'm still pretty fresh.

However, traveling in the other direction, I'd prefer to have the change in Europe and fly from there directly to my home airport. That's because having to pick up my luggage, go through customs, and recheck it is perhaps an even bigger hassle.

So, on balance, I'd prefer the option of changing in Europe. If you can get a Lufthansa flight with a change of planes in Munich, that would be my favorite. Amsterdam would be my second choice. You should try to see if you can fly into Venice and home from Rome, which would save you time backtracking to your arrival city for the trip home. Venice is indeed a good place to relax after your long trip, and it's usually better as an arrival city than a departure city because departing flights with connections to the US tend to leave at ungodly early hours.

Unfortunately, in my case, I often have to make a connection in the US AND in Europe, because neither we (in Italy) nor my daughter in Indiana lives near an airport with transatlantic flights.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 06:10 AM
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I am also doing a flight from Seattle to Italy in May. I chose the one stop in Franfurt with Lufthansa. We are arriving in Venice and departing from Rome. Happy planning.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 06:23 AM
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I also prefer layovers in Europe. I am not sure if you have taken US transatlantic flights SEA-JFK, SEA-IAD, etc. These are one of the most miserable flights. Unless you are flying the first class, they are sardine canned flights on narrow pitch, huge single aisle planes like 737 or 757, with people vying for what little space they provide in the economy class while providing minimum service on these 5 hours plus flights. I always feel more comfortable flying domestic in Europe, such as AMS-VCE, AMS-FCO on KLM or CDG-VCE on AF etc. In addition to being shorter flights then US transcontinental flights, on flights I have been on, Europeans seems to be more restrained about reclining their seats. Also changing planes in Europe give more options of destinations. US to Europe flights are limited to only large international airports.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 06:41 AM
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cbgetaway2015--save your $$$ and take the water taxi into Venice. Going through the lagoon is great and there is a moment where you turn and the whole magical city comes up before your eyes. I saw it once the hour before sunset and I will never forget it.

I agree that the Munich airport is excellent.
We get a flight that arrives at 5 pm, stay overnight at the Novotel, take an early morning flight to Genoa rested. DK if you can also do this for Venice. Frankfurt has a Sheraton that is literally right in the airport. Paris Novotel is also very close with free shuttle--if you decide to go that route.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 07:03 AM
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p.s. Another reason I prefer making the switch in Europe when we do it same day is that the goal is to stay awake as long as you can to help with the time change. If I'm going to be half awake, I'd just as soon be in that state making another flight. Others would find this an argument for arriving immediately at destination and changing in U.S. Comes down to pick your poison.
For us, staying overnight in first European destination then flying out the next morning offers best of both worlds.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 10:53 AM
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If you can get a direct LAX-Venice flight AND if that flight is for a good price AND you get into Venice at a decent hour (i.e. in the morning), then that would be my choice.

But for me it really comes down to: (1) price; (2) schedule (arriving as early as possible); (3) avoiding CDG or FRA.

DEFINITELY flying into Venice and out of Rome. IMO it is MUCH easier to recover from jetlag in Venice than Rome, due to the lack of cars/buses/scooters and having to walk everywhere.
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Old Dec 11th, 2014, 05:07 PM
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I checked briefly and the only nonstop flight from U.S. to Venice I could find was Delta from JFK to Venice. I don't mind CDG or FRA, but I know the felling--I hope to never fly through Heathrow again in my life.


Another way to look at it is where can you fly to in Europe nonstop from Seattle that flies on to Venice. My guesses would be united/lufthansa, KLM, air france---but that's from knowing SFO.

Temember--you are making first steps to what will be a wonderful vacation no matter how you do it (except if you go to Rome before Venice)

Buon Viaggio!
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Old Dec 12th, 2014, 06:14 AM
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We are traveling to Italy mid May from LAX and instead of flying non-stop we are flying Air Canada, LAX to Toronto, Toronto to Rome. Even with flying Premium Economy it was a lot less than the direct flight from LAX to FCO on Alitalia.
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