AllisonJ

I am traveling from Positano to Rome on Wednesday, June 15th to catch a flight at Fiumicino back to the States on Thursday, June 16th at 7:05am.
Am I better staying at a hotel by the Termini and catching the 5:22am train to the airport or is that cutting it to close? Since we want to spend some time in Rome the night before we leave, is it worth it to stay all the way out by the airport? Another option would be to take a cab at 5am or so instead of the train and stay closer to the Spanish Steps or a location better than the Termini.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

LoveItaly

Hi AllisonJ, What time do you have to check in at the airport? I would assume by 5:30am?

I would stay in Rome the night before and then take a taxi at 5:00am to go to the airport. Traffic should be light, and think it would be the most relaxing for you. Have a wonderful trip!

Eloise

I've just checked www.trenitalia.com for 16 June, and the first train to Fiumicino from Termini is at 5:52, not 5:22. (There are earlier commuter trains from Roma Tiburtina, but I personally have never bothered to find out where Tiburtina is.) There may also be changes in the schedule between now and June 16, but I wouldn't count on it. And even 5:22 would be cutting it much too close for comfort for a transatlantic flight.

I agree completely with LoveItaly: Stay somewhere nice in Rome (i.e., not near Termini), have a last wonderful dinner and have your hotel call a taxi for 5:00 a.m. at the latest. If I wanted to play it safe, I would probably have the taxi called for 4:30 a.m.

There is a recent thread about time required for check-in at Fiumicino, but it was for an intra-European flight. With a transatlantic flight boarding a jumbo jet, I'd give it an extra half hour.

LoveItaly

Hi allison, I think that Eloise is correct, making arrrangements for a taxi at 4:30am is probably better, just in case the taxi is a few minutes late etc. You probably should check with your airlines however, to see what time the airline personnel will be at the airport. I say that as I have arrived at the Venice airport 2 hours ahead of a 7:00am flight to find that I have had to hang around for 30 minutes or so before I could even check in. I have never used the FCO airport so I don't know the procedure there. Hopefully someone else here can advise you.

minnie17

Hi Allison,
We just returned from Rome, and also caught a 7:00am flight. We took a taxi, arranged for the day before, from the Del Senato hotel (next to the Pantheon) to the airport, it took 24 minutes. We left at 5:00 am, and had plenty of time in the airport to catch the plane.
minnie

RichardJ

If it took you 24 minutes from del Senato to the airport at 5am, do you think it would take longer at 7am? Our flight is at 10:10 am and we are staying at the same hotel.

tcreath

I agree with the others. You shouldn't have any problems at all getting the airport in time. I had the same experience that minnie17 had. We had a 7:00 a.m. flight. We arranged, through our hotel the night before, for a taxi to pick us up at about 5:00. There was absolutely no traffic and we got to the airport in about 20-25 minutes. I've done this twice without any problems.

Tracy

CheBird

The Hilton at the airport couldn't be more convenient, and they have a free shuttle to and from ancient Rome. That's how we spent our last day/night when we got back from Tuscany and had a 7:00 a.m. flight the next day. They also shuttle you over to the departures terminal.

Ann1

I second the Hilton. They have a shuttle that runs all day back and forth. It think it leaves the Hilton on the even hours and leaves central Rome on the odd hours. It goes until late at night. So you can go in for the whole day and night. This way you get another hours sleep in the morning and never have to think about a driver picking you up.