Arriving night stress
 

Hi, husband and I are planning a trip to Rome later this fall, but I'm trying to avoid potential pitfalls based on travel "adventures" we've had.

Here's the dilemma - our flight isn't scheduled to arrive at FCO 'til 7:30pm. It will be after dark, and I don't want to fumble around with train stations and navigating on our own when we'll already be exhausted (we're in the camp that NEEDS a nap by about 5pm on the arriving day). I had planned to arrange for private transportation to the apartment, BUT if there's any kind of a mix-up we could be left on the sidewalk with noplace to stay for the night. Ugh. We've been close to this same situation twice before and really don't feel like going for a "third time is a charm" experience.

On the other hand, everything might go just fine and I'm worrying for nothing. But our luck doesn't seem to run that way.

What are your thoughts on staying in a hotel near FCO the first night? I figure then we could take the train into the city the next day, in the daylight, and we'd have more time to get SIM cards, etc., in a place that is more likely to have open businesses.

Thanks for weighing in!

Taxis from FCO to nearby hotels will cost you almost as much as a taxi into the city, and the downside is there is no place decent to eat near FCO (well, almost not, but it's not easy to find it).

So you might as well stay at a hotel and go have a pizza. Romans eat late.

Stay at a hotel in the city in case that wasn't clear.

Just one more thought:

Why don't you ask your landlord to arrange for a pick up? The driver will call your landlord when your driver has picked you up. If you don't think your landlord is reliable, maybe you should book a different apartment through a different agency.

Well, the FCO airport hotel I stayed at was pretty grim. Nothing around, the bar served typical overpriced airport hotel food. For that reason, I'd probably just reserve a nice hotel in the city center and take a taxi from the airport directly there. Then you can get dinner and stroll around the ruins on your first night. Instead of eating bad hotel food and being stuck near the airport.

But I guess if you think you'll go straight to sleep, then the airport hotel would be ok. I'm always too excited to sleep early the night of arrival.

Thanks. I don't have any reason to be suspicious of the landlord - the apartment has a ton of reviews and they're all great - but I'm a bit more realistic than I used to be. Flights get delayed. Shuttle reservations get lost. Things happen.

Normally I wouldn't even have booked a flight that arrives so late, but the fare was too good to pass up. I can change the apartment to check in the next day, so that's not an issue...just trying to be sure the trip gets off to as smooth a start as possible.

This is Rome, not some boondock.

Kandace, I'd just catch the train into town, but if you really cannot face that (and really it is easy) then get a car service. Rome Taxi Drivers are basically very middle class, very documented, very safe people (it is a "controlled" business with expensive licensing etc).

Staying at the airport, no. But you could go and stay at Ostia Antica or just Ostia (one a massive roman remain, the other a seaside resort, next to each other) and catch the train (different train) in in the morning.

I understand why tou worry but think you are overthinking it. If you book an accomodation, you have a place to stay. Book a car service (rome cabs has a great reputation and am sure others will have recommendations as well), they follow arrivals and are there when you land, even if you have a delay. In the worst case (lost reservation) you get a regular taxi from the airport. You will not stay on the curb. You will reach your roman base and then go out have a nice dinner and start the best way!

OK, thanks for the reality check, everyone! :-)

Another excellent and reliable limousine service is www.romeshuttlelimousine.com which is often a little cheaper than Rome Cabs. Both will ask what flight you're arriving on, and will monitor the status, so that if the flight is delayed, they'll arrive at the airport a little later. Either one will be happy to call the landlord when you're leaving the airport.

I would ask for a price quote from both. They will honor that quote, and you pay them on arrival at your destination. (They take a credit card number, in case you are a no-show, in which case they do charge you.)