Help with Rome and airport....
#1
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Help with Rome and airport....
Hi all,
A Italy we are going! Yeah!
We are currently planning our 2004 trip and like so many of you, we will be going to Italy. We have chosen to go in early November and we also have decided to brave it and do another escorted tour. I know, I know I said that I would never do one again, but we do not really have plans to go back, so this is a one time thing and would like to see as much of Italy as possible.
We decided to find the best price on a land only because the markup on the flight included is ridiculous. We also want to stay a couple of days in London on the front end so we are taking our American Airlines flight from RDU to London and return.
Based on some great recommendations we are flying into London on a Friday morning, staying in London Friday night and Saturday night, then taking an Easyjet flight to Rome to hook up with the tour group at the hotel on Sunday afternoon. We will be with the group for 9 nights, 2 in Rome, 2 in Sorrento, 2 in Venice, 2 in Florence, and 1 in Rome on the back end. We leave on a Tuesday by easyjet from rome to London, stay in London 1 more night and then fly out of London at Wednesday noon to RDU.
The tour for land only is about $1500, with air it is about $2700(this includes a connection flight from rdu to jfk and airport transfers). We can buy tickets today for Raleight to London roundtrip for about $500 and the roundtrip Easyjet to Rome is about $100. This saves us about $600 on the escorted tour flight costs...by this summer I expect that airfare to drop another $100 and with our points, possibly $200.
My question, I have two. What is the best most economical way to get transfers or travel from the Rome airport to our hotel which will be central Rome?
My second question has to do with London. The rates are terrible right now simply because the pd vs dollar is terrible. We are not going to be able to afford even a 50 pd room. We want to have separate rooms in London because we will be sharing the rest of the trip.
A friend of mine suggested staying, not in london proper, but in one of the suburb areas. That the hotels are much cheaper. If we do this, we want to stay if possible in the area between London and Gatwick. Does anyone know of a suburban hotel in that area that is near the train station into London. We will buy a day card for the tube so getting around london is no problem.
Hotel suggestions for outside of central london and Rome airport transfer?
Any help will be appreciated!
A Italy we are going! Yeah!
We are currently planning our 2004 trip and like so many of you, we will be going to Italy. We have chosen to go in early November and we also have decided to brave it and do another escorted tour. I know, I know I said that I would never do one again, but we do not really have plans to go back, so this is a one time thing and would like to see as much of Italy as possible.
We decided to find the best price on a land only because the markup on the flight included is ridiculous. We also want to stay a couple of days in London on the front end so we are taking our American Airlines flight from RDU to London and return.
Based on some great recommendations we are flying into London on a Friday morning, staying in London Friday night and Saturday night, then taking an Easyjet flight to Rome to hook up with the tour group at the hotel on Sunday afternoon. We will be with the group for 9 nights, 2 in Rome, 2 in Sorrento, 2 in Venice, 2 in Florence, and 1 in Rome on the back end. We leave on a Tuesday by easyjet from rome to London, stay in London 1 more night and then fly out of London at Wednesday noon to RDU.
The tour for land only is about $1500, with air it is about $2700(this includes a connection flight from rdu to jfk and airport transfers). We can buy tickets today for Raleight to London roundtrip for about $500 and the roundtrip Easyjet to Rome is about $100. This saves us about $600 on the escorted tour flight costs...by this summer I expect that airfare to drop another $100 and with our points, possibly $200.
My question, I have two. What is the best most economical way to get transfers or travel from the Rome airport to our hotel which will be central Rome?
My second question has to do with London. The rates are terrible right now simply because the pd vs dollar is terrible. We are not going to be able to afford even a 50 pd room. We want to have separate rooms in London because we will be sharing the rest of the trip.
A friend of mine suggested staying, not in london proper, but in one of the suburb areas. That the hotels are much cheaper. If we do this, we want to stay if possible in the area between London and Gatwick. Does anyone know of a suburban hotel in that area that is near the train station into London. We will buy a day card for the tube so getting around london is no problem.
Hotel suggestions for outside of central london and Rome airport transfer?
Any help will be appreciated!
#2
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If there are just 2 of you, the express train from Fiumucino to Termini Station in Central Rome is the cheapest option. I think it's around $10 per person. From there, depending on where you stay, it's a cheap cab ride, metro trip or (free) walk to your hotel.
On London, do yourself a favor and stay in Central London. Even in Central London, some of the distances between areas (Earls Court vs West End, for example) can be great, but they're all linked by the tube. The experience of staying in London is worth the little extra cash.
On London, do yourself a favor and stay in Central London. Even in Central London, some of the distances between areas (Earls Court vs West End, for example) can be great, but they're all linked by the tube. The experience of staying in London is worth the little extra cash.
#3
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Just to correct martytravels Easyjet flies into CIAMPINO Airport not Fiumucino. And there are no direct trains from Ciampino. Lots of good information here: http://www.easyjet.com/EN/where/cia.html or here:
http://www.adr.it/content.asp?L=3&IdMen=204
http://www.adr.it/content.asp?L=3&IdMen=204
#5
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hi all,
Thanks for the info on the airport, I did not know until you said it that it was not the main airport. we will probably try to arrange for either a transfer service or taxi, since we are unfamiliar with the area or language.
Martytravels, both my companion and I have been to london several times now, so the distance etc does not bother us. In order to tag this onto our trip we are going to have to go budget all the way. We both went to london back in october and have some stuff we still want to do and/or see.
of course I would love to stay in central london again, but with the exchange rate so bad, we just can afford even a 50 pd room a night, and I am not willing to stay in the absolute budget budget in central london.
I had heard that if you stayed in a hotel outside central london you could find a really good or decent hotel for about 20-30 pds. is this true and if so, where, what hotel etc.
we would like to stay somewhere between london and gatwick, preferably near a train station that had connections to london and gatwick.
any help on this would be lovely.
thanks
Thanks for the info on the airport, I did not know until you said it that it was not the main airport. we will probably try to arrange for either a transfer service or taxi, since we are unfamiliar with the area or language.
Martytravels, both my companion and I have been to london several times now, so the distance etc does not bother us. In order to tag this onto our trip we are going to have to go budget all the way. We both went to london back in october and have some stuff we still want to do and/or see.
of course I would love to stay in central london again, but with the exchange rate so bad, we just can afford even a 50 pd room a night, and I am not willing to stay in the absolute budget budget in central london.
I had heard that if you stayed in a hotel outside central london you could find a really good or decent hotel for about 20-30 pds. is this true and if so, where, what hotel etc.
we would like to stay somewhere between london and gatwick, preferably near a train station that had connections to london and gatwick.
any help on this would be lovely.
thanks
#6
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erinb, have you considered bidding on a London hotel on Priceline? I just stayed at the Kensington Forum Holiday Inn (3*) over Easter for with a winning bid of $50 per night. It's a great hotel in an excellent location next to Gloucester Road tube (with Circle/District and Piccadily lines). Read more about bidding procedures, current winning bids, and Priceline restrictions (e.g. no refunds, etc) at www.biddingfortravel.com.
#9
Calamari - Limo services from FCO to your hotel for 4 people will be 52 euro. If you take the train to Termini(38 euro) and then a taxi to your hotel(?euro) I don't think you will save much and the limo is much easier.
#11
Calamari - Many on this board use Limo Service Rome and are very satisfied with their services. www.limoservicerome.com The prices are in English on the website if you scroll down after clicking on the rates. You e-mail them and they will ask your flight and hotel information. They will wait (wait time included in price) at the airport outside baggage claim with a sign with your name on it. There are many other limo services but this one always gets good feedback from travelers.
#12
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kybourban,
Thanks so much for the tip on the limo service. I was actually thinking of doing the train and taxi thing, but this idea is much better and direct to the hotel.
Thanks a bunch!
erinb
Thanks so much for the tip on the limo service. I was actually thinking of doing the train and taxi thing, but this idea is much better and direct to the hotel.
Thanks a bunch!
erinb
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Calamari, the train service from FCO to Rome's Termini station is called the 'Leonardo Express' and operates every 30 minutes from early morning (5:50 am) through late evening (11:30 pm). The Leonardo Express leaves from Rome's Termini station tracks 26 or 27 and goes straight into FCO's Terminal C (Lufthansa, United, etc). One way tickets cost ~ €10, and must be stamped in the validating machines on the platform before you board the train. It's the best bet for economical, secure transport between the city and airport.
#15
There were six of us so not only was it much more convenient to have a limo waiting for us at the airport and take us directly to the hotel it was also cheaper(62 euro or 10.33 euro each). Train would have been 57 euro for six and then the cost of 2 taxis from Termini. The limo also had ac which was very important last summer in Italy. In fact Limo Service Rome e-mailed me before departure to warn us about the heat in Rome and advised to bring shorts.
Be sure you stop in the airport and get euro to pay the driver. He warned us about pickpockets on the ride in and my brother-in-law asked questions. Then the first day my brother-in-law was pickpocketed on the subway.
If you do a search you will turn up several other limo services for Rome but I was very happy with Limo Service Rome.
Be sure you stop in the airport and get euro to pay the driver. He warned us about pickpockets on the ride in and my brother-in-law asked questions. Then the first day my brother-in-law was pickpocketed on the subway.
If you do a search you will turn up several other limo services for Rome but I was very happy with Limo Service Rome.
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Great advice from all of you. I am all about affordable Limo service especially when it works out to be cheaper other forms of transport. I'll book the service as soon as I know which hotel we will be staying at.