shuly

I've been to FCO last August and it was a zoo. Two bus transfers on each connection, poor signposting, no lounges to be seen. Now that much of it has been refurbished I need some help.

Will connect from TLV to CDG and then back CDG to TLV in July. Both with AZ, flying business. Is it all going to be Terminal 1? Which area? I find the maps on the FCO website really confusing. Which lounge would be good for lunch on the connection?

Thanks very much,

Shuly

AlicorporateUK

Hi and welcome to the Alitalia forum, Shuly.

Whilst probably everyone here is at least aware of the issues affecting FCO airport (mainly connected to its poor infrastructure), you will have however encountered a number of serious extra complications as a result of the terminal fire last year, hence the bus transfer when changing terminal etc. etc. That said and going back to your original query, your TLV flight will arrive at T3 and, from there, you will have to go through passport & security in order to reach T1, where your CDG flight will depart from. Depending on the time you're going to have between flights on the day, you could either go land-side and visit the recently revamped Dolce Vita lounge or alternatively stay air-side and head to the D gates area, where you will find another AZ lounge. Food in both lounges is pretty decent and certainly way better than other airline lounges around Europe (see KL in AMS or even AF at 2F). Going back to terminal transfer: your aircraft may get to a remote stand (meaning bus to the main terminal building), however you will now be able to get to T1 without yet another bus transfer.

Any doubts, let us know.

G

shuly

Thanks a lot for the detailed answer, AlicorporateUK.

What about the return trip? According to the FCO website, flights to TLV depart from Terminal 1. Is that indeed the case?

Any thoughts on which of the lounges would be best to spend two hours in?

Shuly

Ditto

On the TLV-CDG, I would say go land side since you have to clear security anyway, and Dolce Vita is close enough to your departure gate


I guess that's a matter of taste, none of those options is very exciting in my opinion, I actually prefer the KL crown lounge sometimes when they have nice options, where as the FCO lounges always have the same boring food.

richyhu

I may be wrong, but I am fairly sure that the TLV flights will board from gates in the G satellite. The ADR website probably refers to T1 as this is where you would check in for all Alitalia flights.

If you are in transit you wouldn't have to go landside unless you wanted to.

In theory the AZ lounge in G which was being refurbished should be re-opened by the time you are there in July and if it is in the new "Casa Alitalia" format it promises to be pretty good (pizza oven, freshly cooked pasta etc...)

AlicorporateUK

Unless your excitement comes from snacking on bread, butter & cheese, then I can't really see when but, hey, personal taste indeed (there's a countless pages' thread on the KL forum which will just reiterate the delights of the "food" served at the Crown Lounge ).

Personal taste is one thing, incorrect information is not quite the same as the food choice does vary quite often. You are probably confused with LIN or you don't depart/transit from/through FCO that often

G

shuly

Thank you all very much. I think I know what to do now:
Coming from TLV, I will go landside and walk to the T1 landside lounge, waiting for my CDG flight. On the way back, if the T3 lounge is open by then, I'll transfer airside from T1 to T3 and wait there.

Again, many thanks: as always, valuable information here.

Shuly

AlicorporateUK

It is a mix of G & H without any specific pattern, I'm afraid. Regardless, flights to TLV depart from T3 whereas, indeed, check-in would be at T1.

G

Ditto

Crown lounge food is not exciting at all indeed, but sometimes the cooked meal can be quite nice, also the soups are ok most of the times

I go through FCO about 2-3 times a year, trying to avoid it if possible since I'm not a big fan of AZ, so apologies if I am wrong, but it always seems similar to me.