Hi everyone:

On Saturday September 10th I will be arriving in Rome alone, to connect with a tour I'm taking starting Sunday the 11th. My flight gets in around 11AM on Saturday and I'm trying to decide my options for the next 18 hours! Should I check into a cheap hotel/hostal/B&B near the airport (I have to be at the airport no later than 7:30AM on the morning of the 11th), or leave my bags at the airport and travel into the center of Rome for the day and evening (of the 10th).

I've discovered that there is a train from the airport into central Rome, and a bus and METRO system that can get me around town. I can just explore. All of this sounds preferrable to spending all of Saturday hanging around the airport by myself.

Any suggestions, special tips or advice will be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

JuneTwin

ttt

I would get a hotel in Rome and explore for the day and evening. Grab a cab or early train to the airport next morning.

On a Sunday morning a cab can get you to the airport in 25 minutes from central Rome.

Please do not spend the day at the airport. Choose a couple of things you'd like to see in Rome, get a map, and go see them. Many churches close in the afternoon but are open until 7:00.

Have dinner in one of the famous piazzas and people watch. Campo dei Fiore has restaurants with reasonable prices.

What a great opportunity to see some of Rome. I agree that it would be nicest to get a hotel room. Just make sure to pick an area that will make it easy for you.

And enjoy!!!

Visit www.ContextRome.com for a look at their wonderful walking tours.You can have a great taste of my favorite city with one of their archaeologists or art historians.The two hour orientation walks are good if you'd like to get a feel for the city,or you could take the Roma Antica(four hour) walk of the Forum/Palatine Hill/Colosseum or the Arte Vaticana which covers the Vatican Art Museum/Sistine Chapel/St.Peters. Their small groups (generally 6 or fewer)present lots of opportunities for discussion.Buona Fortuna!

Hi june,

There is no place to leave luggage at FCO.

I agree, stay the night in Rome.

First train from Rome TE to Fiumicino Airport leaves at 05:52 Arr 06:23

See www.trenitalia.com

Ira - The FCO airport website continues to list their left luggage services and prices so I assume it is still open. It is located in Terminal C - ground floor international arrivals and is open 7 am to 11pm. The price is 3.50E for 24 hours and I think that is per piece stored. I will post the link but it seems quite long. The airport website is www.adr.it and you can do a search for left luggage on the English version.
http://www.adr.it/content.asp?L=3&Id...sito%20bagagli

Many, many thanks to one and all! This information is enormously helpful. I now plan on going into Rome for the day, taking one (or two) walking tours, enjoying a great meal, AND people watching. It will be time well spent.

Junetwin

Yes, indeed, as kybourbon has helpfully pointed out, there absolutely IS a left luggage service at Rome's Fiumicino, most major international airports do have them. Why do people state things in absolutes unless they know for sure?

You can leave your luggage at the airport, maybe check-in at an airport hotel, and then take the train into the city, keeping a close watch at all times on your purse, particularly on the bus and metro (this is where a great many thefts occur).

You'll have a marvelous day on your own, I'm sure.

A different opinion:

Check into a hotel not in Rome but in Fiumicino (the city, not the airport). Take a cab just down the street to Ostia Antica and see Pompeii-quality Roman Ruins without any of the crowds. Now, granted, I don't know how easy it would be to get a cab FROM Ostia Antica back to the hotel, so this idea may be easier said than done. This puts you right in the area of the airport for your 7:30 group departure. If nothing else, you'll be in Fiumicino, so you can go to the beach!

If you want to go to Rome, do so at night by taking a cab or shuttle bus back to the airport, and then taking the Leonardo Express train into Rome (€9.50 each way).