5 Hrs in FCO - Time to Leave the Airport?
 

My Air France flight was canceled tomorrow due to the strike. I have been rerouted on AlItalia, but w a 5 hour layover in FCO.

Do I have time to leave the terminal and see anything? I've been to Rome before so it's not as if this is my one and only chance to see the Colliseum, etc. Should I just chill in the lounge, or head out to see a bit of Rome?

It's not really 5 hours to play; it's more like 3.5 hours. Getting anywhere is easily 30 minutes each way, so now you're down to 2.5 hours absolute max (and for worry-wort me more like 2 hours).

You could cab to Ostia Antica and cab back, but I probably wouldn't go into Rome and risk a glitch along the way.

Will your baggage be checked through to your final destination?

If your departing flight is going to the states, you might have a long trek back through FCO. When you arrive back at FCO, you would have to take the shuttle bus for passport control, security, etc. Then another bus to the terminal. It can take a long time if there are a lot of flights. I'm not sure if Jean is allowing 1 1/2 hours to deplane your first flight and go through the process on your departure flight. Might take longer.

I should have clarified. We will be arriving into FCO from the US. We will then be flying onto Florence. Yes, I realize waiting 5 hours for a 40 minute flight is ridiculous, but it is what it is.

Ostia Antica is a good idea! We haven't been there so it would be value added for sure.

Most likely though we will be too worried about watching the clock to really enjoy an excursion. Not to mention dealing w our carry ons.

Thanks for your replies!

I sorta figured in the minimum 90 minutes kybourbon mentioned (which is why I started with 3.5 hours), but in reality you have no idea how much time you'll have until you actually touch ground and get beyond the security zone.

Personally, I'd probably cancel the second flight and just train to Florence. I'd rather be moving in the direction of my final destination rather than sitting around, but that's me. Yes, it's additional money (60E in 2nd class, but consider the cab fare from the Florence airport v. from the train station), but you'd arrive at your hotel hours earlier.

The Rome airport does have a lot of shopping, if that's your thing.

Jean. I don't think it is possible to cancel a leg of a flight. She may run into problems with the return. But I am not sure.

If shopping is your thing there is a very large mall about 5km from the airport with restaurants. Right at this moment someone is going to have to tell you the name because it just escapes me.

I assume the OP is already in Florence since they were asking about transport the next day.

Sher, the mall is at Parco Leonardo, the first stop headed to Rome if you jump on the FR1 Metropolitan. From there, you can also catch a shuttle (or local bus) from this train station to an "outdoor" mall across the highway, called the Da Vinci Central Market.

Hello yep, in Florence now, (well actually Castellina in Chianti).

I did think about canceling the FCO-FLR leg. I couldn't just skip it because that would have resulted in my return leg getting canceled. I could have had it reticketed to be an open jaw LAX-FCO/FLR-LAX. But dealing w Alitalia through Delta is pretty dicey as it is, as alliance partners they're not particularly well integrated. Since the notice was so short I thought it was best to go w the itinerary I had rather to risk messing it up.

FYI, I got advice on Alitalia FCO lounges on Flyertalk. I spent the time in a comfortable lounge w a bar, snacks and very comfortable chairs for napping. All in all it worked out alright.

Thanks for everyones advice!

rineurope. Thanks. I just could not remember the name although I was just there.

aimeekm, there's a lovely shop in Castellina on the opposite side of the same piazzeta (Piazza del Comune?) as the fortress (now town hall). They sell hand-knit sweaters and robes and hand-embroidered and manufactured nightwear and linens. The hand-made things are made in Castellina. The older gentleman tending the shop on the day we visited did not speak English, but I think the women in the family (wife, daughters) do all of the hand work.

If I can find the receipt for the items we purchased, I'll come back with the name of the shop.

FWIW, because you were re-routed, I think you could have negotiated your way out of the FCO-FLR flight. You should never just not show up for a flight (because of the consequences you noted), but I think you could have cancelled that leg. Of course, when you get the message that you've been re-routed, the brain is too busy taking in the information to process the options. I doubt you would have gotten any money back anyway. And you got to your destination, which is all that matters.

If you go to Radda, I can recommend a restaurant on Via Pianigiani called Le 2 Forchette del Chianti. Coming from Castellina on SR429, go through Radda and turn left on Pianigiani which is one-way and loops back to SF429. Lovely views across the road from the restaurant into the Chianti hills.

Enjoy your trip!

It's SR429, not SF429.