Where to stay the night before a departure from Rome
 

In planning a trip for next year (before I book flights), the itinerary is shaping up with 5 nights in southern Tuscany before heading home. I'll have an extra night before leaving from Rome. Any thoughts where we should stay? (We don't intend to visit Rome at all this time) We will have a car and it will be a morning flight. It would be great to leave from Pisa, but those seasonal flights are not on the books yet for next spring.

How early will you book a flight? You could stay somewhere on the coast north of Rome or in the area between Orvieto, Rome and the coast such as Viterbo, Tuscania, Tarquinia. The drive to the airport wouldn't be too far, but it would depend on your flight time.

Last time I was in Orvieto, someone staying where I was had an early flight out of Rome and was training to catch it. She planned to catch a train about 5am (too early for me). She had to arrange a taxi to the train station as the funicular doesn't run that early.

Hello ky. There's a 10:40 am flight from Rome. Of the towns you mentioned, do any have charm?

There's also a 12:45 flight. I wonder why it's 30 minutes longer than the 10:40 flight (both non-stop and same aircraft).

Re the 30-minute discrepancy. On domestic flights in the U.S., airlines often add more minutes to a flight schedule at airports and times where they know delays in taking off or landing are common. This is one of their tricks for keeping on-time statistics high.

I wouldn't be surprised if they do the same thing in Europe.

Personally, I like to play it safe and be IN Rome on the day I have to fly out. You never know what surprises may await you if you plan on driving into the city, or to the airport, on the day of your flight.

There are plenty of relatively inexpensive small hotels and/or B&B's in the area around the airport, as well as the more expensive larger hotels. That said, even though you do not plan on visiting Rome on this trip, I have found that spending my last night in actual Rome city proper and having a lovely evening meal before my flight back, gave me a better "last taste" to my visit than other options (which I have also tried).

Have a good trip!

Have you checked to see if you can book a ticket out of Pisa early enough to connect with the 12;45 flight out of Rome?

I fly out of Italy's secondary airports all the time, connecting with US bound flights that leave after noon. It's easy to make the connections at FCO and it is usually much less hassle getting to the airport in the morning. Plus, if you'd like to go to Pisa, it's a great place to spend the night and enjoy the small city away from the monuments.

If it isn't Pisa that particularly attracts you but just the ease of leaving from Tuscany instead of hauling all the way back to Rome, check out whether departing from the airport in Florence or even Bologna offers you anything attractive.

PS: I should add that I have found one-hour to be sufficient connect time at FCO. And I only have carry on. I might leave more time if I checked a bag, but domestic flights into Rome often start early.

If you see a flight from Pisa that you like and are thinking you can drive there in the morning and drop of your rental, just make sure the rental office at your airport is open. Usually they are, no problem, but check.

First of all, I suggest not to book any accomodation as long as you don't know from which airport you'll be leaving. There's no reasonable way of basing yourself in the middle between Rome and Pisa so to catch the plane wherever it leaves from.
Second, IF it's going to be Rome, DON'T book anywhere just because it's charming there. Traffic around Rome is not fun, and from Tarquinia, Tuscania, Orvieto or Viterbo, the risk of not reaching your plane in time would be far too high - the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the highway loop around Rome, is a route where you can easily incur a one or one-and-a-half hour delay with bad luck. So if you decide on staying away from the metropolitan area, by all means be sure to have a train connection to the airport.
What I would do, though, is basing myself in Ostia Antica for that last night. (It's called "antica", but it's a modern village NEAR the ancient ruins.) That's just 9 kilometres from the airport, and whether you have a car or go by bus, or by taxi, you'd easily reach your plane at whichever hour. Ostia Antica is not what I would call charming, just an average, dull village, but if you have just the evening there, you can still benefit from one of the best restaurants in the environs of Rome: Al Monumento, serving seafood, prepared in the style of Romagna (the region around Rimini - Ravenna). Simple, rustic (don't expect anything faintly fancy!!), really good. If you arrive earlier in order to spend the day there, the archeological site of Ostia is of course nearby, and it's one of the best all around Italy (to put it more precisely, one of the three best, along with Pompeii and Herculaneum). Don't believe the rushers who will inevitably tell you "two hours is just enough for Ostia" - it's not, and you'll immensely enjoy spending the entire day there.

I would keep it simple and spend the last night in Rome. One problem of a connecting flight is that unless both flights are on the same ticket , if the originating flight is late and you miss your flight home, you are on your own. What's so bad about spending your last night in Italy in Rome?

First, thank you for your good advice. I am not booking hotels now, but am feeling the pressure to book the flights so far out because I would like to use Amex pts and for business class if possible. So that urgency is driving the development of the itinerary. I was going to post a new thread to ask advice on that, but if you’re all still around, I would love to know what you think. Although this is probably my 7th trip to Italy, I’m hardly an expert (especially since some of my trips were with a back pack at the turn of the century). In looking at maps, I suddenly feel that I haven’t seen half of what Italy has to offer. The itinerary that I’m considering has only places that we’ve never been to.

Land in Milan and rent a car
2 nights Parma
2 Bologna
3 Cinque Terre area
2 Lucca
5 Southern Tuscany
1 near Rome
Depart from Rome

Originally, I thought we would do RT Milan, but since I feel strongly about finishing in Tuscany, it seems ridiculous to go back north. When I look at multi city flight itineraries for next spring, and if I add Florence, for instance, it comes up going home through Paris and a very long trip. Since Delta's non-stop Pisa to NY is a seasonal flight, it won't be available for next year for quite awhile. I'm wondering if it's possible to book the Rome to NY flight now and whenever the Pisa flight is shown, ask them to make the change.

Did I miss that or didn't you tell so far which month you are going?

You did not miss! May 13 - departure 6 pm NY

So I think your itinerary is excellent. (The Cinque Terre are a big no-no in summer, that's why I asked.)

I have a flight out of FCO to JFK at 12:30 pm. I will be returning my rental car in Tuscany, right across the street from the train station in Chiusi. It is about a 90 minute train ride to Rome Termini. We have a hotel near Termini for that night, and will be able to spend an enjoyable last evening in Rome. (There are many nice inexpensive places to stay within walking distance of Termini). Then the next day we will get the Leonardo Express, which is a 30 minute train ride to FCO. It runs every 30 minutes with the first one leaving at 5:50 am.

We are staying here: http://www.bbluanainn.it/italian.html the night before we leave from Fiumicino. It is only about 4 km from the airport, as I recall. It is also 2 km from Ostia Antica, which we are going to visit the day before we leave. this inn was recommended by someone here on Fodor's as I recall.

CPG: I would certainly heed Franco's advice on Ostia. If for any reason that does not work out, this Fiumicino restaurant was recommended for a last Roman meal by MFant on another board. It does look a bit fancy but if that is ok with you, the food should be excellent.

They have a hotel on site:


http://www.pascuccialporticciolo.com/porticciolo/

Agree with Franco, stay close to Ostia Antica. Every time I'm in Rome I return to OA for my "time stood still" experience. And very few tourists or rather very few people. I just hope it doesn't become another Pompeii.

We fly out of FCO at 10:55am, so we are staying at the following hotel the night before:

Hotel Albergo Del Senato Rome - www.albergodelsenato.it/

A little pricier, but right across from the Pantheon and very close to a couple of attractions that we can visit the night before.

FYI - Delta has a bonus offer for Amex points transfer (25%) through the end of June. You must register before the transfer.
https://www.delta.com/marketing/summerpromo/

I stayed at the Hotel Alimandi during my last few days in Rome. I didn't know it at the time I booked, but the hotel offered free transportation to the the airport. I gave the driver a generous tip because I was very pleased with the service.

Hotel Alimandi is located a block from the entrance to the Vatican Museum. This may not be the answer for you, Centralparkgirl, but may be of interest to others.

Two good suggestions - thank you all. That settles it: we will fly home from Rome. I will definitely look into Ostia, another area I haven't visited yet. What's the car drop off situation at FCO? Is it an easy experience or something to avoid at all costs?

About the Leonardo Express - my son had a problem awhile ago. He and his friend (flying to different cities) both missed their flights. It was on a day that the clocks were moved ahead the night before and they claimed that and a late train were the culprits. I've always doubted that story. The friend got charged $200 to get home and mine lucked out and just got on the next flight. Is the train ever effected by strikes or other delays?

ky - thanks for that link! I think I remember you posting that somewhere else. Too bad the bonus won't count for this trip.

Yes, it could be affected by delays and/or strikes. Also, the cost per person is 15 euros, so depending how many of you are traveling it might make more sense to go by taxi or car service.

I can't guarantee you'll never find a delay on the Leonardo Express, but I believe it is excluded from all strikes.

I heartily second Franco's recommendation for Il Monumento but is NOT fancy. I disagree that the borgo lacks charm. I've stayed in Roderigo di Vivar in Ostia and loved it, but it is not for everybody. It's a real quirky adventure -- but like I said, I really enjoyed it. There may be other choices in Ostia Antica, I don't know, but personally Ostia Lido has no appeal for me.

Turning in your car at FCO can be a challenge, but you shouldn't avoid it all costs. I believe the Slow Travel website has a section of detailed driving instructions.

(Franco, I wouldn't describe Ostia Antica as a modern village, not with its atmospheric medieval borgo, castle and the church of Sant'Aurea, all worth visiting.

http://www.ostiaantica.net/castle.php

But I had no idea you were a fan of Il Monumeto. I've posted about it a few times.

http://www.ristorantemonumento.it/principale-eng.htm

Oh sorry, ekscrunchy! I now realize you were saying mbfant's recommended restaurant was fancy (would be!) not Il Monumento -- which retains its legacy of being a restaurant for the working class.

Also, just for the record, I was suggesting to centralparkgirl that she might book a SINGLE TICKET out of Pisa through Rome. That's what I do when I fly from secondary airports to the US.

It actually is quite simple to fly this way out of Italy to the US and often is cheaper.

zeppole, "modern" as opposed to the archeological site, "modern" like in "inhabited now". It's extremely confusing for anyone who has never been there that Ostia ANTICA is referring to a contemporary village rather than the scavi.
As far as Monumento, I, too, have been recommending it several times on Fodor's - I even have two of their recipes, which I love to prepare at home: Spaghetti al Monumento (with clams and cozze) and Mazzancolle al coccio (Italy's best variety of prawns in a lemon-and-vinegar sauce). Mmmmmmhhh. End of digression, sorry.

Ostia is now on my own list---thanks to you both for that tip. Here is the site for the Rodrigo de Vivar:

http://www.rodrigodevivar.com/in/where.html

Now how did he wash up on the shores of Ostia?

eks,

Apparently Il Monumento has enjoyed a long life as a breezy place for Romans to go for a Sunday lunch, so overnighing in Ostia doesn't have to be part of the deal, although it can be a nice start or finish to an Italian stay.

Franco, I enjoyed chicken at Il Monumento, cappaletti in brodo and piles of sauteed chicory that tasted like they had been pulled out of somebody's backyard nearby. Part of its charm for me was that it was close to rustic -- not the decor, but the style of cooking. It's rough and ready. (And in one cold weather visit, there was a roaring fire at night in the main dining room, but the next day, the solarium was open for a sunny winter lunch.

As long as food is delicious, I love rustic!

zeppole, who do you fly Pisa to Rome? It would actually raise the cost for me because I'm hoping to fly with points.

zeppole, I have yet to try anything non-seafood there. Yes, really rustic fare, the opposite of sophisticated, inventive contemporary dining. They have been around since the 1880s, it's still owned by the same family, and they are still preparing the Romagna fare that they had been preparing BEFORE coming to Ostia - the whole village was founded, in the 1880s as I said, by poor immigrants from Romagna who came here in the hope of finding work and making a living, and Il Monumento was the new village's first osteria - and is still where the Romagnoli community of Rome and environs is centering around. By the way, the name Monumento is NOT referring to the ruins of ancient Ostia, as most people would be tempted to think, but to a small plate outside the restaurant commemorating the 1880s arrival of the Romagnoli. And on another sidenote, taking out my notes, I see that I've mixed up two recipes: the mazzancolle are with lemon and brandy, while the one with lemon and vinegar is a calamari recipe. Which means that I have three Monumento recipes, not two, huzzah! Ok, now I've managed to make this a Monumento thread - sorry, Centralparkgirl.

centralparkgirl,

I book through Orbitz and usually the Pisa to Rome leg in the morning is Alitalia, and I get on a US bound flight, with my carry-on, usually onto a US Airline, sometimes Alitalia all the way. I've never done it on points, but sometimes when I cost out the total bill for transportation costs to Rome and Milan plus the cost of a convenient Roman or Milanese hotel room, it works out in my favor to get on the plane in Pisa (or Genova or Bologna or Florence) instead of traveling over land a day early to be within striking distance of FCO or MXP.

Some people have a reluctance to fly Alitalia thinking it is prone to strikes, but since I've been living in Italy, Brit Air, Air France, Lufthansa and few other airlines have had strikes, but not Alitalia.

franco,

The stone outside the restaurant commemorates not the arrival of the Romagnoli (and Ravennati), But those who died draining the salt marshes. The stone is emblazoned with the words Pane e Lavoro (Bread and Work for those reading along), and the names of the workers who died for bread.

http://img108.mytextgraphics.com/pho...4auwbrfic.jpeg


Bu if you look at the restaurant webpage you will see it prominently features yet another monument nearby, a bust of Andrea Costa, who helped organize the Ravennati and Romognoli workers to gain workers rights, and is hailed on the monument as an "apostle of socialism."

http://www.ristorantemonumento.it/

There is also a similar monument in Ostia not far away to Nullo Baldini, another organizer of the Ravenna-Romagna workers:

http://img107.mytextgraphics.com/pho...4auwddesx.jpeg

Actually, I should have said the bust of Baldini sits in front of the Pane e Lavoro plaque.

zeppole, that's of course all very interesting, but let's agree that the monument commemorates ALSO those who died, but the achievements of those who succeeding in building the "new Roman civilization" there, as well. Here's another link with the complete text of the plaque (which is not always easy to read on the photo - for example, there are no names of anybody, dead or alive): http://www.grupponline.it/Gabbia%20p...O.A.Lapide.htm - actually, more than complete since they have one sentence there (the one before "Ora ai morti") that doesn't appear on the actual plaque, so I'm tempted to think that the text on the plaque may be a quotation from a longer text.

...succeeded...
I know, there's a preview function. I'd rather like to have an edit function.

Franco and all, thanks for the discussion of Il Monumento! We are staying in Ostia Antica the last night of our trip, and I would love to have one more really good traditional dinner from Romagna. Especially since we are starting our trip in Bologna, where we expect to eat wonderful food!

If it's a Monumento thread and it's my thread, then I guess I must eat there. Why tempt fate?

charnees - when are you traveling? I'd like another review.

The plot thickens. Delta is now showing JFK-Pisa flights for early May 2011. Knowing my itinerary, if I have a choice, should I do RT NY/Pisa and just rearrange the order of the itinerary? Or would you still fly into Milan?
Thanks for your help!

Centralparkgirl, in 2009 I flew to and from Pisa and it made travel a breeze. The airport is small which is a benefit in so many ways. Since I use a carry-on, it's a breeze getting through at both ends of the trip, with far fewer lines than at the bigger airports. So far, it seems it hasn't been a target for troublemakers, so you can feel less hassled than at the Rome and Milan airports.

That said, once I decided to travel in the milder months wearing sandals at the airports to cut out taking off my shoes and to always have an online boarding pass both ways, airport arrivals and departures have become more tolerable.

This past May, I flew to and from Fiumincino. While it is better than JFK in terms of transporting your carry-on, it can still be a long haul to and from the plane.