BA is sometimes criticised for being 'London Airways', and whilst I don't think that's entirely fair, there's no hope of services from my local airport - Bristol - any time soon. Thus the first phase of my travels does generally require getting to the capital, or thereabouts: the best airfares were out of Gatwick. Sticking to my 'avoid Reading station' rule meant National Express coach, at a relative bargain price of £28 return. Whilst the price appeals, the journey time may not: the route from Bristol is actually to Heathrow first, before turning into one of the transfer services to Gatters. Still, an ipad full of tv shows to catch up on queues through the three hours or so: and thanks to getting ahead of schedule somewhere between the airports followed by a remarkably swift bag drop / security experience I was actually in the BA lounge before I was even meant to have stepped off the coach!

Since I was flying 'euro traveller' (economy), my lounge access was thanks to the BAEC silver status I did a tier point run for at the start of the year (the same trip also gave me the HHonors gold I'd be heavily exploiting in Rome). I have somehow never made it to the main BA lounges at Heathrow T5; I thought I'd been here before, but I was misremembering the Galleries from Heathrow's Terminal 3. This - the Terraces at Gatwick - was rather smaller, and catering seemed thinner (although that could be due to recent 'enhancements'). Still, I was able to grab snacks, a drink, a newspaper and wifi access and settle in to a comfy sofa to watch my flight slowly slip later and later on the departure board... we were about half an hour late off the ground.

Not much to report from the flight itself: economy was made entirely tolerable by having secured exit row window seats for both legs at time of booking (for free, another perk of silver), although our delay managed to grow rather than shrink en route. Passport control was the usual cursory glance that I love about visiting Europe instead of the US, although that just meant I made it to the baggage hall twenty minutes before my baggage!

The standard way to get to Rome proper from Fiumicino is the Leonardo Express to Termini, which I've described before; however I'd spotted that my hotel was nearer Tiburtina station, which can be reached from the airport by slower, cheaper regional trains. I was easily able to find the time for the next one of those from a wall-mounted timetable, and although the ticket machine couldn't sell me a suitable fare the small office could. The train itself could be found on the platform next to the Leonardo Express, and featured bi-level carriages that I always enjoy travelling on. The next station is also indicated onboard by LCD, which helps if like me you can't really distinguish one Italian place name from another.