surfpeace

Hi all,

We fly into FCO ON British Airways with a scheduled arrival time of 9:15 am. What would be a realistic time to predict on when we would arrive at our apartment very close to the Pantheon. We probably will be looking at taking the FL1 suburban train service based on what we have been able to learn so far on-line. Welcome any suggestions that you may have.

sandralist

Unless you are familiar with Rome, it is simpler to take a taxi straight from the airport. The Pantheon is located in one of the very oldest parts of the city, without a nearby train or metro stop, so you will need a taxi anyway once you are in the city center.

Because of unpredictable delays in weather and landing times, and gate arrivals, baggage unloading, it is very hard to estimate your arrival time, especially if you aren't flying non-stop into Rome but switching planes in another European hub.

If you are trying to arrange when to meet with a landlord for an apartment, I would suggest that they arrange a taxi pick up for you (the driver will wait until your flight arrives, however delayed) and the taxi driver will call your landlord and tell them what time to expect you. You should also have a way of contacting your landlord in case your flight is delayed at your point of departure.

surfpeace

thank you sandralist. i was leaning towards the taxi. we are flying in from Philaphedia and we are going to our rental appartment. Have never been to Rome so definetely are not familar with the city

ducinaltum

Surf -

I was in the same scenario you describe and earlier this year I booked a shared minibus from FCO into the city center for about 21 euro (the drive is about 30 minutes in normal traffic). So yes, I had to wait a bit for the other couple in the bus but for me, the short wait was worth the 30 euro difference between what my apartment owner (and general taxis) charge at 50-55 euro. But for you the 50 might be totally worth it and can be a great hassle-free choice.

If you go the other route, on Viator it was listed as an 'airport to hotel'-type of transfer service so I just found a hotel close to the apartment I rented (1 block from the Pantheon) to list on the site and then once I met up with the driver I gave him the actual address of the apartment.

I was familiar with the area already so when he got a little confused I was able to point to the right street - it might not be a bad idea to familiarize yourself with google maps and the area you'll be in/print out a map just as a reference.

greg

The "legitimate" taxi fee is fixed at 48€. http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-r...-/pax-fco-taxi Read all the paragraphs on this page including warnings on what the "legitimate" Rome taxi looks like and the existence of rogue taxis. Legitimate taxis are at official taxi rank and there are always a queue to get onto taxi. They do not solicit your business. If anyone approaches you outside the taxi rank, they are scam taxis.

The prearranged rides have their own issues. The usual complaint is a no show and may be followed by charge on your card because of the claim that you were not "there" on time. Some people spend all their life without mishaps, while others get hit by snafus.

If you are traveling with checked luggage, what limits you leaving the airport is the luggage retrieval. It is slow at FCO. Assume about 1 hour between your plane opens the door to the time you can leave the airport.

You will be traveling after the morning rush into Rome if your luggage takes usual one hour, your travel with will be relatively unaffected by the traffic until you are in the heart of the city. If you luck out and the luggage come out quickly, favorable jetstream enable the plane to arrive much earlier, or you are traveling with carry-on only, the highway road traffic would slow you down into Rome.

I have stayed many times near Pantheon. One issue with this location is that the pedestrian crowd can get so heavy, and the taxi cannot get close to the rental and you might be told to walk the last block or two on cobble stone street with your luggage.

I presume you have a defined protocol with your rental on what happens if you arrive earlier or later than planned.

surfpeace

Thanks all for your input. Ducinaltum, could you share more on the shared minibus as on the surface it seems like a good way to go. Thanks as well Greg. We read about "legitimate" taxis and will avoid at all costs. We had not considered the potential challenges of using prearranged transport.

sandralist

If you want to simply take a taxi from the airport, there is no problem with legitimate taxis, which line up in a queue and are regulated. They charge a flat fee.

If you want to work with your landlord about pre-arranging a pick-up, the company that the landlord uses will be one they use all the time, for their own personal taxi rides as well, and you will have recourse about any issues that may arise, which would be unlikely anyway.

Sometimes it makes sense to arrange with the landlord to meet up at a cafe/bar quite close to the apartment. That way the landlord can call the bar to find out if you are there, and you will have a comfortable place to wait.

But in general, I urge you to bring cellphones to Italy, for all sorts of reasons, including being able to SMS/text message your landlord. There is lots of info online or people will help you here about the most economical way to do that.

ducinaltum

What I wrote earlier is most of the story - searched Viator (I actually found it the day before I left Paris for Rome in an uncharacteristic display of last-minute planning). I entered the address of a nearby hotel into the website so they had an idea of where I was going (which I then later clarified to the driver when I was in the car).

I had to print out the 'ticket' and show it to the driver so they knew it was me (they stressed the importance of this). There were other more expensive options (and this was February so I wouldn't know if they start to upcharge when the seasons shift) but the one I chose was just fine - 8-person van with just me and a couple. This was February so nothing was packed (the airport/van/centro storico streets) and we didn't have to make a bunch of stops which could eat up your time depending on where you are in the drop-off order. I was the first drop-off and it was as painless as you could imagine.

I agree with sandra about bringing a cell phone - during the drive into the city I was texting the apartment owner who was communicating with his wife on when to meet me as she was taking a quick break from work. For me, it's also useful to connect with friends I know who live there, but you will find many useful things with regard to various apps (Nasoni to find the delicious water fountains was a new one I heard about because of this forum - carry an empty water bottle and fill up on this free and completely safe water!) or maps (including ones that can be used offline to save your data).

The apartment owner I used this last time offered a private car service (pick up from airport and/or pick up from hotel to airport) for 50-55 euro (can't remember). I didn't use it because for me, a solo traveler, the minibus was cheaper.

However, since it's you and your wife, the cost of the minibus will be only 6-8 euro cheaper than a taxi/private driver and the private driver will know exactly where to go. So that's something to consider given your situation.

Happy planning!

kybourbon

Ducinaltum is talking about the cost for one person. You appear to have more than one so a taxi would likely make more sense since it's a set fee of 48€ (four people including luggage). That's for an official Rome taxi.

It's not easy to reach the Pantheon by public transport. If you took the FL1 to Roma Trastevere you would have to switch to bus or tram there (or taxi).

ducinaltum

Which is what I said ky - a taxi or a private driver offered by their apartment rental owner would only a few euro more than the minibus I took considering there's two in their party.

Surfpeace, another thing I wanted to mention is that there are a couple places where taxis wait just south on either side of the Pantheon so if you don't arrange for a private driver to take you back to the airport at your trip's end, you can walk a block or so (depending on where your apartment is, maybe closer) and easily get into one of those for the aforementioned 48 euro.

The one I used is right in front of the Hotel Minerva and the other is on the southwestern side of the Pantheon.

sandralist

If you plan on using one of the taxis that wait at the taxi ranks near the Pantheon for your last-day departure, pay attention during your stay near there about whether the rank is always well-stocked with taxis during the time you would want to be leaving. My experience of staying in that area was that were often lulls when no taxis were there at all, which would make for some anxiety if you had a plane to catch.

bvlenci

I can recommend a private transfer service that costs about the same as a taxi, and will go out of their way to help with details like contacting your rental agent about an apartment. Www.romeshuttlelimousine.com is a service that we've used, when my daughter was traveling alone with a toddler. We were very satisfied. My daughter wanted to withdraw some cash at an airport ATM, but the driver suggested that she go to a bank instead, and he would wait while she used the ATM. On that particular occasion, they charged less than a taxi would have, because the hotel was outside the fixed-fare zone, on the far side of Rome from the airport.

I've also read excellent reviews of Romecabs.com, but I have no direct experience, mostly because they're somewhat more expensive. I'm sure there are other excellent services as well. No reliable transfer service requires payment in advance, although you need a credit card to make the reservation; you'll be charged if you are a no-show. Be sure to read the terms and conditions.

surfpeace

Amazing input all. Appreciate your assistance on help planning our trip.