I will be travelling from Venice back to Rome for my flight home on Wed. June 25. I would like to stay in Venice as long as possible. What is the latest a train leaves for Rome? How long is the ride? Do you have to go to Termini and then get a different train for the airport? I am considering staying in Venice as long as possible and then taking a train, going directly to the airport and hanging out there until my flight leaves on Wed. morning at 9:30 a.m. avoiding another hotel. If I stay at a hotel Rome, I will have to get to the airport by 7:30, allow 30 -45 minutes drive time (and cost), and would have to be up by 5:30 anyway. If I stay by the airport, it will cost me 200 euros for a few hours sleep. I figure that I can sleep on the plane. Am I crazy? Is this even possible?

I think that depending on public transportation to get you 4.4-6 hours across Italy, and making your flight home hangs in the balance, "is crazy." Not that it can't be done, but the risk of not making it is there. I don't accept that risk.
I would opt to go to Rome on the day before, enjoy some sites and a good meal that evening, and get a good night's sleep. Then have a driver, for about 45 Euros, pick you up about 6:45 or 7 and go to the airport. Or, you could take the train to the airport.

I believe there is an overnight train that goes from Venice to Rome. Check out train schedules at
www.trenitalia.com

The better option, if you could afford it, would be see if you can change your flight so that you will be flying out of Venice to home, rather than wasting time and money to return to Rome for your flight.

Re: 2Italy -I will have spent 10 days in Rome at the beginning of my trip so I wouldn't need to see the sites. Also getting a good nights rest for a 9 hour flight home seems questionable. The issue of not making it back in time, however,is of primary importance! Would I have to change trains going from Venice to Rome? Would I need to change trains/transportation at Termini to get to the airport?

Re: yk - The change fees for my tickets are $230 each (There are two) plus any additional airfare. I don't think it is worth it. I didn't know my itinerary when I made my flight arrangments. Also, I should have ended my time in Rome rather than having it at the beginning. Hindsight is always best - oh, well!

My favorite train site is the english version of Diebahn. Google Die Bahn English.

Arrives Fiuminicio (the airport) at 8:03am, leaves Vencie at 4 minutes after midnight.

Arrives Fiuminicio at 7:18am, leaves Venice at 8 minutes after 9:00pm.

I did not look to see if you change trains.

Yes this can be done, but you are looking at a long period without significant sleep. Especially if have a second fight after you arrive in the US.

Hold everything! I think I have succumbed to the dreaded IHTSIA (I Have To See It All) syndrome. Maybe I need to go back to my original plan. Originally, I was going to Venice first and then down to Tuscany. That way I would be closer to Rome for the trip home. THEN I found out that many agritourismos booked from Sat. to Sat and, if I changed my itinerary and went to Venice last, I would be able to do the Sat. to Sat. booking. My intention was to do daytrips to Florence (2x) and Siena as well as renting a car for countryside trips to wineries and castles. As a bonus, I could, potentially, go to Verona to see the opera that I had heard raves about.
REWIND:
Forget the opera (it makes me sad).
Go to Venice first for 3 nights.
Go to Florence for 2 nights rather than doing daytrips.
Stay at a B&B or agritourismo south of Siena, rent a car and do daytrips around the countryside for 4 nights.
Travel back to Rome late the night before we leave - not such a long trip or drive the car to the airport.
REWIND OPTION:
Go from Venice directly to B&B/agritourismo and still do Florence on daytrips (2 days).

My brain hurts!

Hi S,

From www.trenitalia.com/en/index.html

The 21:08 from Venice SL arrives Vicenza at 22:20.

The 23:09 arrives Rome Tiburtina at 06:09.

The 06:18 arrives FCO at 07:03

If all goes well, you can do it.

I'm not sure that one can spend the night hanging around inside FCO airport. Before you make a plan that depends on such an arrangement, check official airport information.

I would prefer not to have a lengthy train ride just before my airport departure-too much can go wrong. Being in the Rome area the night before departure is safer.