Our flight leaves Rome at 6AM so we are told to be there three hours early. By the time we get ready and make our way to the airport, we're wondering if we should just head to the Fiumicino Airport late the night before and try to sleep there. Is this possible? Recommended? What would others who have an early flight do?
Thank you in advance.
Not really good places to sleep at FCO. I usually overnight at the airport Hilton, which is within walking distance.
Not really much of a dilemma. It's part of travel.
You have to get up in the middle of the night in order to make it to the airport on time. Go to bed early. On the positive side, since you'll be waking up at some ungodly hour, you'll probably be pretty tired once you finally get on the flight, so it'll help you have a better chance at sleep. Don't forget your eyeshades and earplugs.
You picked that flight time in advance I guess. Everyone is different but I would get a hotel near the airport and walk over or take a taxi and not try to sleep on the bench in an airport, that is pure misery. If it was a party all night situation drinking dancing to 3 am of my 20 year old years maybe I would chose differently. Set the alarm clock cell phone (the thing everyone is faithful to nowadays) whatever or get a wake up call; somebody traveling with you since you said our flight will wake up when you need to as responsible adults.
At 6am your flight is certainly headed to someplace in Europe (my guess it’s the Lufthansa flight to Munich). That means it’s like a domestic flight in the US. Be in line at the check-in counter 75 min prior to departure and that will be plenty of time. If you stay at the Hilton at the airport, the walk across they skywalk is at least 10 min, so you should be done with the check out by 4:30 and start walking.
You guys are a great help! Thank you! I'm going to check into getting a hotel close by. A travel agent booked the flight and didn't consult us (a bad idea and I'll be sure that won't happen again). But the good new is: No sleeping at the airport for us after all. Thanks again.
I have a 6:40 am flight. After much consideration and research, I decided to stay in Rome near Termini and take the TAM bus which goes every hour all night to Fiumicino. While the Hilton at the airport solves a variety of issues, I just couldn't stomach the cost compared to the reviews. So I am paying about half for a nice enough place where I can drop my bags, have a good meal and wander a bit before heading to bed early. My goal is to be there at least 2 hours ahead.
I see you just posted as I did! Just be careful about being able to get to the airport at that time of the day. Some hotels offer transfers but they may not operate until much later in the day.
What is the Tam bus? It leaves every hour from Termini station?
A travel agent booked the flight and didn't consult us
and you let them get away with that?
This is why there are fewer and fewer travel "agents" and more people do their own bookings
What is the Tam bus? It leaves every hour from Termini station?
The Fiumicino airport website has all sorts of transport info:
http://www.adr.it/en/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-to-and-from
The T.A.M. bus website:
http://www.tambus.it/index.php
Schedule:
http://www.tambus.it/pdf/pdf_orari_roma_termini_en.pdf?v=2
There are other transport options if you don't have a really early flight.
Stay across the street from FCO at the Hilton which is what we always do.
Stay across the street from FCO at the Hilton which is what we always do.
Here's another vote for the Hilton. In addition, they have a free shuttle into town that leaves every hour. We booked a Walks of Italy Rome evening stroll tour for our last night. It was great. We ate outdoors at the Piazza Navaro, then took the tour. We were done in plenty of time to catch the 10:00pm shuttle back to the Hilton and were tucked in bed by 11:00. The next morning we took the 5 minute walk over to the terminal. There is a free shuttle from the hotel as well.
We stayed at the Hilton at the airport. I think that's your best bet also.
Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and pay too much for a hotel. For me, this would definitely be one of those times. That Hilton is able to charge those prices for a reason. Too bad you're not in London with that Premier Inn inside the airport.
Booking.com shows lots of hotels near FCO, most of them less expensive than the Hilton. Not quite as close, and you'll need to check carefully about early morning shuttles, but there must be some affordable choices there.
Four years ago my spouse and I did sleep in the Rome airport as we had a six am flight as well. We weren’t the only ones sleeping there either. Wasn’t that bad, slept on the floor with jackets under us and over us and our luggage surrounding us linked together by bike chains. 😬 Only did that because our train from Florence arrived in Rome at 10 pm. Couldn’t justify paying over 100 euros for five hours in a hotel. Will be in Rome again this December with another six am flight. Choosing this time to stay in a hotel near the airport. If I was younger I’d hunker down at the airport again.
For a 6AM flight you probably don't need to be there 3 hours ahead - it's probably a schengen flight not to the US/Canada? And what time does security open at FCO? Smaller airports don't always open lines until 1-2 hours before the first flight.
So I'd get there at 4. Personally, I don't like moving hotels so I'd just keep my last night in my hotel in Rome and get a cab. Arrange it the day before or earlier, it would come at 3:30, so I'd be up at 3. No fun, but I find that better than packing my stuff and getting it out of the room by noon (checkout time), not having a room to take a siesta or clean up in the afternoon, coming back to get my luggage that was held at the desk (because I'd still be out sightseeing past check out time), then checking in to a new hotel for what amounts to half a night of sleep. Also, I like to take an evening stroll around the city for my last night in town. Hard to do when you are staying by the airport!
