Advice needed: Go direct from Rome airport to Florence or stay one night at hotel?

17: 53 Roma Fiumicino Aeroporto to Firenze

I assume this train is FROM Termini?

I think this is too tight.
I'd allow at least 3 hours from scheduled landing to train departure FROM Termini.
If you purchase train tix in advance and your fight is late or it takes longer to get thru airport and you miss that 17:53 train you are out some $$$.

Plus your arrival in Florence at 10:30 allows you only 30 min to get to your Airbnb for check in. Unless you are staying very close to the station, too risky.

Stay at a hotel near Termini- not airport.

You don’t mention the ages of the travelers or how well they hold up on long travel days, both emotionally and physically. You are the expert on those details. Is pushing the group through to Florence worth it to be done with travel or does this group need a rest day? Both options could be good depending on the travel group.

One other value in the overnight at Rome would be a little breathing room if something went wrong with one of your flights or connections. You would have all evening to arrive and less deadline pressure.

The final question is “ How do you personally respond to tight deadlines and possible travel hiccups?” I find that I get somewhat stressed out which can make me less than the ideal travel companion at those moments. I’ve learned to relax some (with lots of practice) but it is still something I have to be self aware about when planning or traveling. The Rome stop would be a must for me:)

In general, I'm one to do the train from the airport to the city at the start of the itinerary, to allow for some dozing during the ride. However, I think your timing is way too tight. I would change the Airbnb check in to the following day. I would also suggest a hotel by termini.

Can you change your flights to land in Florence? We know several people who have done that by flying US to Zurich to Florence. There must be other cities to connect through in addition to Zurich.
Perhaps there are flights to Florence from Munich which would make the start of your trip so very much easier.
We went through passport control quickly in Rome. Customs is only walking through an exit door that says “nothing to declare.”

Does anyone have recommendations for hotels near termini?

You don't say how long your flight is, but I would guess that it's at least 8 hours. It's going to be a very long day with a fair amount of stress. If it were me, we'd spend the night in Rome.

if possible go to Florence on arrival -- you can wait and buy your ticket at the FCO train station -- it will cost more, but if your plane is early or late, you don't have to worry about it. Spending a night in Rome kind of ends up wasting a day of the trip. Use that first day to get to Florence.

Is it easy to get a train last minute from Rome to Florence? without risk of selling out?

To me, it would depend on the "late fee" for checking into your AirBnB after 2100, in the event you have to take a later train.

If your budget allows, you could get a car service to pick you up at the airport and take you directly to your lodging in Florence. They will be waiting for you near the baggage claim with a tablet or sign with your name on it.

The good news is that there are lot of ways to get from FCO to Florence. Some may cost more than others, but you won't be stranded.

We stayed at Hotel Contilia a few blocks from Termini. All we wanted was a bed for the night. Older hotel, nothing fancy. Inexpensive and clean. Huge breakfast buffet.

http://hotelcontilia.hotelinroma.com/

I don't believe in torture transport days, as I think it is just a poor start to a vacation. I would spend one night near the location the Firenze train begins. I have done this trip and stayed overnight near Termini. We had time to go to St Peters that evening without reservations, but this was a few years ago, and then traveled to Florence in the morning...later morning actually. Daylight allows you to enjoy the scenery, also.

Reading your original post, I see that you're flying from Munich to Rome, a "domestic" flight within the Schengen area, so no need to think about customs or immigration. With carry-on bags you should have minimal delays, longer of course if you check them. I don't know how Covid rules might differ between Germany and Italy whenever your trip is, but any Italian entry requirements would most likely be enforced by the airline in Munich, so you shouldn't expect Covid-related delays at FCO. Also this is a short flight, so none of the adults or the teen is likely to be especially tired.

There are trains from FCO to Florence via either Termini or Tiburtina. With a 15:30 landing you ought to be able to get one earlier than 17:53. On the random December date I chose on bahn.de, there's a 16:57 train, almost 90 minutes after you land, connecting through Tiburtini, that arrives at Florence at 19:27, i.e. 90 minutes before your Airbnb deadline. A taxi should get you there. Not knowing your travel date I can't guess whether such a plan is possible, but it doesn't seem like your problem is as severe as you and some other posters think it might be.

EDIT: Looking on Skyscanner for the same random date, I see several nonstop flights from Munich to Florence, on Vueling, Iberia, Lufthansa, and maybe others. Why fly to Rome to get to Florence?

Also this is a short flight, so none of the adults or the teen is
likely to be especially tired.

They arrive in Munich FROM US.
What time did you leave the US? What time did you leave your home to get that flight? How long is your layover in Munich? Have you flown overnight to Europe before, will you be able to sleep?
Arriving in Florence at what looks to be 24 hours or more since your actual departure from home doesn't seem like a great start to a trip- plus you'll have the stress of worrying about making that train and getting to your lodgings on time. What if you miss that check in? Then where do you stay?

All things to consider.

Makes me happy to hear the flight is considered "domestic" and won't' be as severe trying to get to Florence. The plan is to spend 4 nights in Florence, then go back to Rome for 6 nights and fly home from Rome (an early departure to go home in the morning).

Reading all of your great responses, I think it might be best to go straight to Florence but not book a train ahead of time. Our sleep will be all messed up anyway and we can take naps on the train ride. Then we won't have the stress of making the exact train time if we get delayed. Hopefully, the trains won't be all booked up. It will be a random night in December. Hope we get to AirBB on time so no fees will incur (but seems cheaper to pay the fees then miss a train).

Curious what the seasoned travelers think of this plan.

ChristineH I posted right before you sent your message.

We leave from LA around 5:30 pm. to Munich.
Getting to Rome 15:40 next day
Should probably give everyone sleeping meds

OK the layover in Munich is only an hour (LA-Munic-Rome)
We will have been traveling around 13 hours total.

Is going to Florence after all this travel crazy?

I'd worry a bit about that 1 hour layover in Munich!
You need to go thru passport control in Munich, the find your next gate. Same terminal or not?
If plane leaves LA even a few minutes late/arrives late in Munich, you miss your connection. Been there done that.
If flight to FCO is with same airlines on 1 ticket they will get you to Rome but it will be on the next flight, if there are seats.

It IS the same airline. Luftansa. Shoot now I'm scared. My dear hubby just booked the flight so I didn't look too deeply at the layover time. Now I have that to worry about.

Won't I just be a transit passenger in Munich? No need for customs there?

Not customs

But you are arriving from US and enterIng Schengen so you have to go thru passport control
And I guess show any docs now required for COVID

When you arrive in Rome you will walk thru the “Nothing to declare” door
You will already be in Schengen so no need for passport control there

Thank for your response. I just checked and we are in and out of the same terminal in Munich (2). I'm already stressed thinking about it. It's LESS than an hour. So mad there's so little time for this. Hope they help us out.

No point stressing about it too much. Lufthansa is a good airline they will do their best for you, they sell that flight that way.

We had a connecting flight thru Frankfurt (Lufthansa also going to Rome) a few years ago - our flight left US almost an hour late and it was a really tight connection to begin with. We made it.

OK seasoned travelers who are following this thread. This is the first trip to Europe for my kids and it's only for 11 days. Am I doing the right thing going to both Florence and Rome? Would it be better to just stay in Rome the whole time because there's so much to see and do? Will it be too exhausting to do 2 cities in such a short amount of time? I don't want to stress out my family. The kids ARE older but still, I don't want to be around cranky teen/young adult either.

I really wouldn't be too concerned about visiting two nearby cities in 11 days. Your initial plans seem fine, and the train ride isn't that long.

It's really too bad you couldn't have booked a multicity ticket that would have taken you into Florence and home from Rome, obviating the need for that train to Florence. Lufthansa does have direct flights from Munich to Florence.

I'd just stick with your current plans. Lufthansa will get you to Rome (or Florence) if you miss your connecting flight in Munich. And there are later trains that will get you to Florence; you just might have to pay that late arrival penalty.

OK that makes me feel better. Just wish were arriving earlier in the day. Oh well, it will be an adventure to a special world. Heros journey that's for sure!

thx for all of your awesome replies!

You might call Lufthansa now and see if flight can be changed to Florence?
Can’t hurt to ask
I know United has no change fees now, not sure about Lufthansa

2 cities in 11 days is fine
Good plan

My husband will freak...it took him 2 hours to figure out those flights using miles etc. But I'll lightly suggest. Thx for the tip

I agree that 2 cities in 11 days is fine, but I also agree that you should fly directly into Florence, if possible.

If you still have to fly into Rome, I would seriously consider spending that first night in Rome, just to get a good night's sleep. We enjoy the Hotel Aberdeen, in easy (if you don't have too much luggage) walking distance of Termini. Good (cheap, decent quality) restaurants in the vicinity. Also consider Sofia hotel. About the same distance from Termini, but on the same street as some good eateries.

ths for the hotel near termini suggestions. What do we do without luggage? We don't check into the Air BB until 3:00 that day so we will be saddled with it

That’s the problem with Airbnb/apartments

I would think Florence station has luggage storage
Somebody here will know for sure

Sorry for misreading your original post and thinking you were flying only from Munich. Of course you'll be tired. All I can add (if I have any credibility at this point) is my agreement that 11 days is enough for a first trip to both cities, and that it would be worthwhile to change your Munich-Rome flight to Munich-Florence if the schedule allows and it's affordable. That change might also buy you more time in Munich instead of that tight connection.

Every airbnb host I’ve ever asked has allowed us to leave our bags in the apartment early, usually when the previous guests have checked out and the place is being cleaned. Just ask if either that or even an earlier check-in is OK.

However, as much as I love Florence and have spent 6 weeks there, consider staying in Rome the entire 11 days. Do either of your kids have things they really want to see or do in Florence? I was crazy about Renaissance art at their ages but not many kids are —- our own two kids (now in their 30’s) would put going to art galleries and museums at the very bottom of their lists. But they would enjoy Rome.

I hope you can get all this worked out soon —- it does sound stressful!

Arriving from Munich you have no passport control to deal with in Rome.

You should be able to get a train earlier than 17:53 and get to Florence around 730PM.

How far the lodging is from the train station would be the only other critical element in getting there 'on time'.

( Above assumes you are successful in making the 60 minute change in Munich.)

Another reason to wait before buying the train tickets from Rome airport to Florence: you could arrive at the right time to jump on the direct FCO-Florence high speed train.

Be aware that there is no "late arrival penalty" for the cheapest train tickets: if you arrive one minute late at the track, you must get new tickets paying the BASE fare. Even full price BASE tickets, that nobody buys in advance, are wasted one hour after the departure of the booked train.

Note that there are two competing companies running high speed trains from Roma Termini to Firenze SM Novella. The number of available seats is too big to worry about sold-outs. Both companies would be happy to run more trains if they routinely sold out.

A few years ago, I booked tickets that included a return from Dublin through Heathrow to home. After booking it as one ticket, I was nervous because we had 75 minutes in London and this included changing terminals. When I called the airline, their position was that they wouldn't offer the ticket if they didn't think it was a doable connection. I researched the transit between terminals and all was well. However, anything can happen. One little delay can change everything.

Have you taken trains in Italy before? If not, you need to be aware that there are multiple trains leaving for Florence around the same time. We once thought we were about to miss our train, only to find that ours was 15 min later.

Also, I would be too much of a zombie after those flights to go to Florence that night.
I think Florence would be an enjoyable city even if they're not interested in art. You might consider doing a food tour in Florence.
I also would consider keeping my reservation for the first night in Florence. You would pay for lodging in two places the first night, but you would be able to get in when you got to Florence the next morning. What time of year are you going? If it's not summer, you could wait until you landed to decide if you wanted to stay in Rome the first night or go ahead to Florence, rather than booking the hotel in Rome in advance.

The first thing I would do is call Lufthansa and see if you can change your flight to fly into Florence without penalty. That would solve a lot of your issues with time. We have been stranded before with a delay out of IAH and missed our connections. It's a pain. It will make your first day much easier if you can fly direct to Florence.

If you decided to stay in Rome, we have stayed at Hotel Assisi twice by Termini for next day transit. Nothing fancy, but an easy walk with luggage from the station. Nice breakfast. Personally, I would just trek on to Florence with last-minute train tickets. It's a short ride, and you can catch a cat nap along the way.

Either pay the late fee for Airbnb should you not make tight connections, or do your best to change tickets.

Another scenario is to make Rome your starting point. Then break up your trip with a couple of days in Florence and perhaps a couple of days somewhere else. I think you will find there is more than enough to do in Rome to keep you all occupied, and while Florence is lovely, as mentioned above, you really have to be in to the things Florence offers.

I would wing it and plan to go to Florence upon landing. No need to purchase train tickets in advance. Just buy at the Fiumicino Aeroporto station.
If you happen to arrive late and not make it to Florence on time to check-into the ABNB, then just get into a hotel in Florence when you arrive.
If you happen to land so late that you can’t even get on a train to Florence, then stay in a hotel in Rome near the Termini station. No need to book anything in advance. Just get on your wifi device and book a hotel on the spot.
Assuming an on time arrival of your plane you can make it to the Fiumicino Aeroporto station (just across the Terminal) in one hour. You are coming from Germany, therefore no passport control (immigration) to go through. It’s like a domestic flight in the US.

Yes Florence Santa Maria Novella station does have a luggage storage office. It closes at 11pm for the night.

I am in the same situation. No direct flights into Venice now only Rome. We’ve decided not to torture ourselves and travel to Venice on arrival day. I think adding one more vacation day at the beginning and staying in Rome the first night is the way to go and stay by train station. Catch an early train into Venice the next morning. However, it’s 3.5 hours time, plus the hassle of getting to the station. Not sure what the distance is to Florence. If it’s just an hour or so, I’d say do it.

2 cities is definitely the way you want to go! The fast train is fun and the kids will like that experience. A
So, it’s nice to put your feet up and look at the scenery along the way.

I would get the Trenitalia app, tickets Fiumicino Aeroporto to Firenze SM Novella after retrieving your luggage. The late fee will be much less than a hotel for the night.

This is an AMAZING community! Thank you all for the support. I ended up canceling the first night at the AirBB in Florence and opted to find a hotel near the Termini so we can start out with a good night's rest after the long flight then there's no stress trying to get to the train late at night. We can have a nice breakfast and enjoy the scenery on the way since it will be light. I will book the fast train to Florence. We have three nights there and will take the train back to Rome for six nights. Now that the bones are in place, I will figure out the details.

Do not forget to compare trenitalia's and italotreno's fares before buying the train tickets to Florence. I think that if you subscribe to Italo's newsletter you will receive their promo codes any Friday.

Another plug for Hotel Aberdeen near Termini station. Very helpful and friendly staff, and location can't be beat. Spent 4 nights there last week at the end of our Italy trip and will definitely return.