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Advance Airport Time Needed

A couple of brief questions.

  1. I have a flight to Rome in June leaving the USA at 5pm central time on a Thursday and arriving in Rome at 12:30pm Rome time on Friday. Is it reasonable to expect that I could dump my bags at the place I'm staying that Friday afternoon, go do a little sightseeing, eat a good dinner, and then get a normal night's sleep and be able to wake up at about 5:00am the next day to take a flight to Austria? It's been a little while since I went to Europe and I can't remember how the schedule adjustment worked last time I went.

  2. My flight to Austria on the Saturday (if I book it) will leave at 9 in the morning from Fiumicino. How early should I -- an American -- get to the airport to check in and get through security, etc. Is it the same as in the US -- about 2 hours early? Or can I give myself a little less time?

Many thanks!

Posted by
6898 posts

Bryan, you described the program nicely. Your flight is a domestic EU flight and is not in the international area. Thus, it should be less time through security but don't count on it. The Leonardo express leaves Rome Termini twice an hour beginning at 5:50am. It's a 31-minute journey.

Posted by
290 posts

Larry, thanks. If I understand your reply correctly, then, I should be OK getting the 6:20-ish Leonardo train to Fiumicino, arriving there close to 7:00am or so, and that should give me plenty of time to check in and board my 9am flight to Vienna.

Can anyone reply to my first point? I can't remember how easy or difficult the time-change adjustment was last time I went to Europe. I seem to recall being pretty tired upon arrival, but pushing myself to stay awake until 10 or 11pm or so, and then getting the normal amount of sleep, and being more or less adjusted to the new time zone the next day.

I just want to be reasonably sure that I will in fact be able to wake up and take a 6am metro ride to Termini on that day after I arrive in Rome! Thanks again.

Posted by
19 posts

I think I'm a bit more cautious. It took us three hours to get from our hotel near Termini to the gate for our departure; the security line was insane.

As to how you will fare regarding the schedule adjustment that depends. If you leave the US well rested (follow Rick's guidelines about being ready to go 48 hours in advance and rest, rest, rest), sleep well on the plane and are in reasonably good health, then yes, you should be able to do it. We typically go to bed around 8 or 8:30 on our first night in Europe and are able to get up fairly easily the next morning. 5 a.m. might be a stretch; take a good alarm clock!

Posted by
23178 posts

Predicting jet lag is difficult. We generally have no problems but we have a very sit routine. We generally time shift our daily schedule by about three hours during the week prior to departure. Up very early on day of departure so we are pretty tired when we got on the plane. Within 30 minutes of wheels up we have the eye shades on, the noise canceling headphones on, taken an OTC sleeping pill, ignore everything around us, and get as much sleep as possible till breakfast is served. On arrival try to stay in the sun and outside till about 3 or 4 pm. Grab an absolutely one hour nap and have dinner on local time and to bed around the normal local time 10/11. The next morning we are very close to being on local time. We used to follow the plan of staying up for an early dinner and to bed around 8 but found that the nap is best for us.

We have flown out of the Rome domestic terminal in the AM with no unusual delays. If Laura was in the international terminal, that is standard.

Posted by
290 posts

Thanks to everyone.

Frank, it is not possible to stay in a hotel near Termini; I am pretty well locked in to this place I am staying near the Colisseum. Still, it is only two metro stops from Termini, and I think if I get an early start I can make it in time. All of this public transport early on a Saturday morning is very tedious but I don't have the freedom that a larger budget affords.