Is anyone familiar with Ryan Air? I want to overnight in Venice for one night and return to Rome. Ryan Air has a good fair for the trip, but I am not very familiar with them.

Ryanair is OK, I flew several times with them. However, do not expect any frills on board.
You will not be landing in Venice but in Treviso and will have to take a train or a bus to get to Venice.

Ryanair is the "ultimate" low cost airline.

- You pay a fee to book with a credit card (not like you have other choices).

- You pay for checked luggage (not like you can bring a lot onboard because of strict limit; and the fee is higher if you decide at the airport, lower if when you book the ticket).

- There is no seat assignments, not even ABC group like Southwest. If you want to board first, you - yes, you guessed right - pay a fee.

- At most airports, you board via stairs from the tarmac.

- You must be checked-in within 40 minutes. Not in line, but checked-in; or you buy a new ticket on the next flight.

- You pay for even non-alcoholic drinks.

- The seat has 29-30" pitch (compared to 31 or 32 on most US airlines), and no recline.

- There's no inflight magazine, etc as there's no seat pocket. The safety instruction is stamped on the seatback right in front of your eyes.

- The flight attendants will be going up and down the aisle the whole flight selling stuff.

And yes, check the airports they use. Treviso, not Venice. Ciampino, which is closer to Rome, not Fiumicino.

Ryan Air is legitimate. It just is what it is.

Read the post by rkkwan and take it VERY seriously. You must follow all rules exactly - esp time of check in and weight/amount of luggage. They don;t give by an inch - due to the super low prices.

And do figure in the extra time and money trekking to their far-flung ariports - rather than the larger airports nearer the cities they serve.

really calculate everything.. the train might be much better all the way around.