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14 hours in Fiumicino?

We have a 14 hour layover in Fiumicino at the end of our 2 week trip in July. We arrive at 10 pm on a Friday, and fly out at 12:40 pm on Saturday. We are travelling with our 5 children (aged 16 - 22). We will have spent the first couple days of the trip in Rome. I'm wondering how we can maximize our time at the end of the trip. Would you recommend just getting a hotel close to the airport due to the time limits.. or should we get a place by Ostia Antica and see the sights early Saturday morning (until 10:00 am)?.. or should we shuttle into Rome and enjoy some people watching/ambience either late night or early morning? If you recommend Rome, where.. like would Trastevere or the Pantheon area be good? Thanks for your advice!

Posted by
1589 posts

Julie, If I have read this correctly, you only have about 8 hours that are free. Considering any possible arrival delays & the need to be back at the airport by 11 AM, I would suggest rooms at the airport.

Posted by
833 posts

Since your children are 16-22 and are probably happy to be up late, I would stay in the center of Rome and spend your last night with a good meal or drinks and walking around the city. Rome is beautiful at night. Get up, maybe see something in the morning if you get up early enough, or just head to the airport. I would be there before 11am. I would recommend Pantheon/Piazza Navona area because that is one of my favorite areas to walk around at night. You can walk all over thoughsee Piazza Navona at night, head to the Trevi Fountain, Castel Sant'Angelo. Anywhere. But if you want to make the most out of your last night, stay in the center rather than in Fiumicino and take a taxi in the morning. However since this is at the end of your trip and you may be exhausted (especially from your flight that brought you into Rome) I would consider either canceling the night or morning activities. Either don't stay out too late on Friday night in order to get up on Saturday and do what you want, or just enjoy Friday night and know that you will probably wake up and head straight to the airport.

Posted by
1589 posts

If they LAND after 10 pm, will they really have time to get to Rome( nearly midnight if they go through customs, etc, eat & walk around and still catch the 0935 train the next morning? While it is possible, there would be very little sleep. Just sayin'

Posted by
23178 posts

This is one of those situations that I view as a sucker play. You think you should enough time but you really don't. Have been through a couple of them. While I have never recommended staying near the airport this maybe the one exception. It would be expensive to get into Rome at that time of night for a quick return the next morning. You would be hard pressed to be checked into a hotel in Rome prior to midnight. And, if it is an international flight returning directly to the US, you need to be at the airport by 10AM at the latest. Which means you need to be leaving your hotel by 9 or a little after. Hardly much time to look around And it was always hard to get sons moving at that time of the morning. Fine something at the airport.

Posted by
2 posts

Thank you all so much for your advice! I really appreciate the help. It sounds like we probably should stay in the vicinity of the airport. Thanks again!!