Originally Posted by MsEverywhere
I'm going to the Florence, Italy DO next month. My flights are to/from Rome.
I have the web site for Tranitalia, and am ready to make reservations. I'm not sure how much time I should allow.
My plane lands in Rome Friday, May 6 10:20AM. How long will it take me to clear customs, immigration, and get to the train station? I plan to just have carryon, no checked bags. I was thinking about booking the 12:30PM express to Florence. What happens if my plane is late or I'm delayed and I miss my train? Will they just put me on the next train? What happens if I can catch an earlier train? Can I go standby on earlier train?
My plane departs Rome Monday, May 9 1:20PM. How long should I allow in FCO to get from train station, for ticketing (not sure if NW allows OLCI from Rome), security? I was thinking a train that would get me there about 10:30AM, since I'm one of those folks who likes to allow PLENTY of time. Are their trains pretty much on schedule? I know this is Italy, not Germany, but any info would help.
I can't answer your first question but I will tell you that it takes more than 30 minutes to get between FCO and the train station in Rome and the trains that take you there run about every 30 minutes (at least, they did a couple of years ago). Given the possibility of airline delay, a customs delay and then waiting 30 minutes for the train to town, your arrival connection seems tight. If it were me, I would plan a night in Rome on both ends. If you don't want to do that, I'd plan at least a four hour buffer on the arrival. On the return, I would allow another four hours between scheduled arrival in the Rome train station and the departure of your flight. You might spend some time sitting around waiting for trains and planes, but this way, you are covered in the event of a minor train or plane delay.