In Rome Out Florence or vice versa?
 

My wife and I are planning a trip to Italy this January and I was wondering if it would be better to fly into Rome and return from Florence or vice versa. <BR> <BR>Any advice?

We were in Italy in June-- we flew into ROme and out of Pisa... In Rome there was so much to do and see--we were constantly on the move---then we headed north to Tuscany where we ended our trip, very wonderful, relaxing, and scenic..... we headed to Pisa(very easy airport to get in and out of) and headed home. It seemed to work for us having the most hectic portion of the trip first and ending with Florence, Tuscany etc......Enjoy!! <BR>Mary

A couple things to be aware of that may or may not help your decision making. The Rome airport is a about a 30 minute train ride from Rome. If your flight leaves early in the morning, there may not be a train leaving the city early enough, and your best bet is to pay a hefty cab fare, or take your chances changing buses. We got caught by this surprise, and elected to take the last train to the airport and stayed at the airport. Others did as well. Big mistake. The whole thing shuts down at night, and armed guards are constantly checking your passports all night long. It has made for some great stories to tell, but no fun at the time. <BR>The Florence airport is very small, but on the very edge of the city with bus and taxi service. Would probably make for an easier departure. <BR>Enjoy your trip. We can't wait to go back someday.

Question of Mary, 7/24 posting: You wrote of arriving Rome & departing Pisa. <BR>Which airline did you use? Did your plane fly from Pisa to the States or did you have to change planes in Europe? <BR>Details would be appreciated. <BR>Susan

Susan: <BR> <BR>We are using Alitalia and the flight leaves either Rome or Florence at 8:00AM for a flight to Milan and back to Miami. <BR>

Jimbo - <BR> <BR>I do NOT recommend flying out of Florence, and many agree. Pisa or Bologna are better alternatives. See the thread "Florence or Bologna" for comments, which has been sent to the top for you.

I don't know why Lesli doesn/t recommend flying out of Florence, however we did and it could not have been easier. From Florence there are no direct flights to the US. We changed planes in Paris (we flew Air France). The taxi from the hotel (near the Duomo) to the airport cost about $25 for the four of us with luggage. It took about 30 minutes. The airport is small and it was easy to check in. In addition, we were able to get a VAT refund in Florence (even though we traveled through Paris). If our luggage had been misdirected on the way home we were not to concerned because we had other clothes at home. All in all we thought flying out of Florence was easy and we'd do it again

From my other post: <BR>"I flew into Florence my last trip, and was SUPPOSED to depart from there as well, but after we all sat around waiting to go through security immediately prior to boarding, we were suddenly informed that the flight was not happening due to fog. They bussed us to Pisa, which took an hour and a half (how, I'm not sure - should have been about a 40 minute trip.) Then we sat around for a while before we finally took off for Munich.... Needless to say, I missed my connection. (By about 20 minutes, God forbid they hold the flight.) After much confusion, I ended up having to fly back to Zurich, and from there eventually onward towards home. <BR> <BR>I understand this sort of thing is fairly common for the Florence airport. Bottom line: what should have been more convenient ended up being a major hassle, and an already long trip was made many hours longer. I'll definitely check Bologna for next time, and/or Milan, which has worked well in the past." Others concurred that Florence airport is convenient when it works, but it often doesn't. <BR>

Hi Jimbo - <BR> <BR>Plane connections aside, in my experience, the people who don't like Rome are the people who see Rome AFTER Florence. Florence is so easy and relaxing that it strips you of your ability to cope with and thus enjoy a big bustling city like Rome. Imagine going to Newport RI and then to NYC. Or Carmel and then to LA. See Rome first - IMO one of the most interesting and beautiful cities in the world - and then Florence. <BR>Given the weather problems discussed above, it may be worthwhile at the end of your trip to take an evening train to Bologna, have dinner, stay there overnight, and fly out of there the next morning.