I will finish the Best of Sicily tour Nov. 1st in Catania and booked an additional night at same RS hotel checking out on Nov. 2nd. Can I have reasonable confidence of catching an 11:30 flight back to Seattle with an early flight from Catania to Rome (7:30 for example) or am I better advised to stay near airport in Rome the night before?
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
2695 posts
Too nerve wracking for most of us if this is 2 separate tickets.
Stay near the airport the night before an international flight.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11948 posts
If an airline will not sell the CTA-FCO-(XXX)-SEA as a single ticket, it is a sign that a DIY two ticket approach is not a good idea.
The "(XXX)" is because I do not believe there is a FCO-SEA direct flight.
I do not see a 730 CTA-FCO departure.
What you contemplate is possible, IF everything works perfectly
Posted by
OP
32 posts
OK I neglected to leave out I connect through Heathrow, not fly to Seattle directly from Rome on British Airways. I had looked at single flights from Naples to Palermo and the return Catania to Rome separately, but see it's better to to book flights an open jaw. On an open jaw return flight Google Flights has a 7am flight to Rome gets in 8:25am with my flight to Heathrow at 11:25am. Still too risky?
Posted by
267 posts
If you're doing open jaw, you might consider going CTA to heathrow on EZ Jet - I'm not positive they fly to heathrow but last year we booked United BOS-heathrow, EZJet Gatwick - CTA (after a week in England). After our time in Sicily we flew Palermo-Naples, EZJet, and train to Rome after a few days in Naples, then flew United FCO to EWR. I know it's not comparable to what you're doing but it's just an example of Using multi-city from the US on United, then booking flights to/from Sicily separately, EZ Jet was very good.
Posted by
Edmonds, WA 🌨 ☂
11948 posts
a 7am flight to Rome gets in 8:25am with my flight to Heathrow at 11:25am. Still too risky?
Checked bags? If so, the retrieval and re-checking will eat up a significant amount of time.
When I flew Rome to Athens, our plane was parked out on the tarmac and we had to take buses which is more time consuming, than parking at the terminal. If you have to do that you eat into the 3 hrs even more.
FCO -LHR is going to require the full Schengen exit passport processing, and 3hrs is the standard recommendation. So very little to no fudge factor. More risk than I would be comfortable with.
Have you already purchased the 1135AM BA flight from FCO? If not, I would be inclined to book the 515PM departure.
Posted by
OP
32 posts
No my RT to Rome is in stone on British Airways connecting through Heathrow. I'm only considering the flight from Naples to Palermo, do the tour, then flight back to Rome from Catania. After tour ends I could spend last night in Rome and assured to make my 11:25am flight or chance an early flight from Catania to catch the return flight obviously on the same day. Is it that unreliable? I'm not trying to be dense, just lazy. I'd have to find another nights stay in Rome as opposed to another day in Catania, then an airport to airport adventure.
Secondarily I was told buy them individually as they are inexpensive regional flight with many departure times; but found if I book an open-jaw flight it was much cheaper; like $94 for entire Sicily flight on Google Flights. How soon do I need to purchase this open-jawed Sicilian adventure ticket?