starfish1

We're looking into flights for a return trip home from Venice via Rome in September. The flight time is 7:15am and I'm wondering realistically what time we would have to be at the airport to check in. I know the airlines say three hours but I'm having trouble accepting that being there at 4:15am is really necessary. The flight is going to Rome where we catch a connecting flight to Toronto. Any info would be appreciated as to how much time we should allow for check in at the Venice airport. The hotel suggested being at the aiport by 5:45am which suits me but I just want to make sure that wouldn't be cutting it too close. Thanks for your help!

Zerlina

The airport doesn't open before 5:00 or 5:30 am. A flight to Rome is not going to be with a jumbo and have to process huge numbers of passengers.

5:45 am would likely be early enough, but if you'd feel safer, take the first ATVO direct bus from Piazzale Roma to the airport. It will get you there at 5:20 am.

notbob

Marco Polo is a rather compact airport. From our experience, there is not much going on before 5:30 am. Zerlina's suggestion of the ATVO bus at 5:00 am or a taxi from P.le Roma around 5:00 am would get you to the airport before 5:30.

J62

The airlines say three hours for an international flight. You're taking a domestic flight to Rome. I agree with the others. Personally I'd roll in sometime around 6 or 6:15 and feel fine, but no harm in being earlier either.

starfish1

Thanks so much for your responses. And yes J62 you are right, thanks for pointing out that this is just a domestic flight. Ahhhh, a few more minutes shut eye! Appreciate your help everyone.

wendie

As a retired airline ticket agent I just wanted to mention that here in the USA when you check in for a flight (for example LAX-JFK-VCE)although you are changing planes in JFK they still have to check and enter all your passport info etc in LAX so that is considered an international checkin. Also at the same time, your bags are checked to the final international destination. Many times people assumed they do not have to arrive early but it does take longer to check in an international passenger. I assume it is the same way flying the other direction.

Zerlina

>I assume it is the same way flying the other direction.<

It is not. The TSA's regulations do not apply in Italy except for direct flights to the US.

NYCFoodSnob

I've been on a 7:15 AM flight from Venice to Paris. Nobody showed up at the check-in desk until 6:30. I logged this nonsense in my travel notebook. To their credit, they had everyone boarded and ready for take-off by 7:15. Passengers boarded the plane en masse. Europeans have little respect for lines or getting to work earlier than they absolutely have to.

teacher90

We are flying out of VCE on Sat. may 19th at 6:50 am. The hotel has a shuttle at 4 arriving 4:20 or at 4:55 arriving 5:20. The clerk at the hotel said the 4:55 should be fine, but the airline says 2 1/2 hours to be safe. We are first flying to Frankfurt where we will be changing a plane for LAX in USA. Lufthansa said we will therefore be checking in for an international flight at VCE. My concern is that airport is not open that early. Anyone know how crowded it is at that hour?

annhig

The clerk at the hotel said the 4:55 should be fine, but the airline says 2 1/2 hours to be safe.>>

to be safe for what?

By all means get up at 3am to be there for 4.20, but you'll have a very boring couple of hours waiting for the airport staff to show up. if it's crowded, it'll be with people sitting on their suitcases wishing they'd stayed in bed and checking their watches every 5 minutes in the hope that the cafe will have opened. [it won't have].

it may be lufthansa that you're flying with, but the country you are flying from is Italy.