Rens is now booking passengers at Rome Airport Hilton. All indications are that this is very far from centers - trains very dangerous - anyone have input? My first trip to Rome and now I am terrified.

I'm afraid I don't know who Rens is. <BR> <BR>Airport Hilton is quite far from Rome. Hourly train service about 30 minutes from the city. Local service somewhat longer goes every 20 minutes. Hotel may operate bus service. <BR> <BR>There's nothing terrifying about the train, or the city. The only thing to be terrified about is if you plan on actually visiting the city and are stuck out at the airport. It's certainly the wrong place to be if you're visiting Rome. You want to be in the city, near sights, near restaurants, where you can experience the city. <BR> <BR>If someone sticks you out at the airport when you want to visit the city it's a great disservice. <BR> <BR>Rome.Switzerland.Bavaria <BR>www.twenj.com

I'm in the same boat as Sarah. I've booked a Renaissance cruise with 3 days in Rome, and I've just discovered that we'll be at the Airport Hilton. Is there anyway to make lemonade out of this? Interesting sites around the hotel, closer to Florence or other cities to visit, anything positive at all? I'll appreciate suggestions or ideas.

Bitter lemonade! <BR> <BR>Ostia Antica is closer to the airport than the city, though getting a cab to and from may be a chore. It'll certainly be more expensive than the metro/train from the city to Ostia Antica would be. <BR> <BR>It's just a bum deal. Sorry. The bright side is that I'm sure the hotel offers (free?) service to/from the city, and you'll be able to spend your days there. You just won't be able to stop off at the hotel and rest if you tire. The other downside is that most of us would stop sightseeing at, say 5pm, and restaurants don't open for dinner until 7 at the earliest, and one would really not like, in Rome, to get to dinner much before 8pm. Which means either you're stuck eating at the hotel (which is one of the hotel's motivations in selling group rate rooms cheaply) or you've another trip downtown and back i the evening. <BR> <BR>If there's a bright side, Rome is a wonderful city that's worth a bit of trouble to visit. Better to get to see it using the airport hotel as a base than not to get to see it at all! <BR> <BR>Ed

Sarah and Joe, <BR>I can back Ed's advice with personal experience. We stayed at the Airport Hilton on our last night in Italy (had an 8am flight). It is far from the city, but I do believe they have a free bus service going in (at least to Termini). I would check with the hotel to find out the extent of this free bus service and make use of it for dinner, if at all possible (cab fare will be around $40 each way). The hotel's restaurant is entirely forgettable. <BR> <BR>Good luck!

I make mine your words, Ed Just for the record, though, since January 30, the express train runs every half hour (starting at 6:51 till 21:51 from Termini and from 7:37 to 22:07 from Fiumicino). <BR>Paulo <BR> <BR>