Assisi to Rome train

Depends on how close you like to cut it. The train from Assisi to Rome can take from 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Then you have to catch the Leonardo Express which leaves twice an hour and takes 30 minutes to get to the airport. If it were me, I would want to leave Assisi about 6:00 am.

After you read the information below, you will see how close you are to possibly missing your 11:00 plane. It's not advised to have these multiple possibilities of failure along the routing.

According to current schedules, the first transportation out of Assisi in the morning is a bus at 5:06 to Foligno. Nine minutes later, you are on a train to Rome Termini. You arrive at Rome-Termini at 7:37. Assume that you are on the 7:50 Leonardo Express to the airport (you'll have to run to catch it). You arrive at the FCO airport at 8:22. I would suggest that you need to be on this bus if you want to make your flight on time.

If you take the later 8:01 or 8:16 trains, these are not the LE trains. They are Regionale trains that take 47 minutes to get to the airport instead of 32 minutes. You arrive at the airport at 8:48 and 9:03 respectively.

Are you flying to the USA from Rome or are you simply flying to another EU airport to catch your flight home? Large difference in the departing terminals. If you are flying home to the USA, you will most likely depart from Terminal 5. Two issues: 1) the LE arrives in front of Terminal 3. To get to Terminal 5 your need to take a connecting bus. Again, this takes time. If you are going to another EU airport, your terminal might be close by. If terminal 5, I would recommend taking a taxi from Roma-Termini directly to Terminal 5. Yes it will cost you 50Euro but you have a better chance of being at the terminal on time (traffic to the airport notwithstanding). Issue 2) It sometimes takes 3hrs to get through security at Terminal 5. Lots of security there as planes departing there are going to the USA and Israel. Tough security. Most of the time, you can easily make it through in 90-120 minutes. But, rarely, it can get to 3 hrs.

Stay in Rome the night before. Italy is all about slowing down and enjoying life. Don't end a vacation with stressful mad dash to the airport.

During our last visit to Rome, we spent about 6 days there and then took the train to Assisi for a couple more. This was in March, and it was great--no tourist mobs. Had a wonderful time. Took the train back to Rome, returned to our hotel there (they stored a suitcase for us too. It was the Sophia, just a couple of blocks from the train station, across from the Opera). In the morning, we got up for our very early flight. We took a shuttle because it was so early. We were the only passengers, so the driver came in a car. We still laugh about how we went careening past the Colloseum and other sights at O dark hundred. I couldn't see the speedometer, but my husband said it was on a very impressive number!

It is Hotel Sonya across from the Opera House.

It not easily doable and too many things would have to hit just right to make it doable. I would not do it. Larry's description of Terminal 5 is more than worse case. Terminal 5 is not a departure terminal. Simply a screening area for direct flights leaving Italy. At 11:00am it probably is a direct flight to the US which means you would have to use Terminal 5. Not a big deal. The bus pick up point is right at the curb to the side of Terminal 3 entrance and clearly marked. Short walk from the L Express station. The bus ride is less than five around the corner to Terminal 5. Our experience with Terminal 5 around noon each time was fairly quick - 30 minutes or so. But with flights later in the day, it can get backed up. From 5 you are bussed back to Terminal 3 for departure but you are now behind security with another five minute bus ride. We have found the security screening in T-5 to be pretty light and therefore quick.

If it is a connecting flight to another airport in Europe for you return flight to the US. It would be a little quicker since you would go directly to Terminal 3 and check-in there, through security and to the gate. Again, mid-morning would be pretty light and easy.

Assisi is wonderful, one of my favorite spots in Italy (so far). But so is that other Umbrian town Orvieto, which seems to fit your scheduling needs much better. Train from Florence to Orvieto is easy, and then there is a 5:00 AM train to Rome Termini that arrives at 6:00 AM. Even if you spend the night in Rome, even right near the airport, you face an early morning to be at your terminal by 8:00 AM. If you spend the night anywhere else you face getting up almost in the middle of the night and fretting about all the connections. Whatever town you visit, I would suggest you travel the evening prior to departure and spend the night near the airport in Rome.

Your dilemma presents a great argument for open jaws tickets, and highlights the point often made on this Helpline about how much time town-to-town travel can eat up in your overall schedule, especially when you add in checking in and out of lodging and getting to and from train or bus stations.