Early Flight out of FCO - Where to stay?

Unless you stay at the Hilton, which is connected to the airport... Of course, the soullessness comment still applies....

I think Kent is right: stay where you really want to be in Rome, and enjoy your last night, postponing packing, etc. until late! Your hotel can arrange an easy taxi to the airport for you at any time of morning (just be sure to set it up with the desk the day before), and you can sleep on the plane. That's what we try to do...why 'leave' Italy before you have to?

Arnold, check out Erin's earlier thread called "Early flight from Fiumicino Airport". There is some great input there.

Based on that thread, we're seriously considering spending our last night (read: 5 hours) in FCO for a savings of about 110E. For the short amount of time we'd actually be in the apartment before we had to leave for our flight, and the even shorter part of that actually spent sleeping instead of packing, I think we'd rather spend the 110E on something else!

Arnold, I have bitten the bullet and booked my last night at the Airport Hilton. Saves watching the clock all night and worrying that I will miss the taxi. They have special deals on now, which I worked out would really cost little or no more that a hotel in Rome plus the taxi fare.

Thanks to everyone who posted a reply. It seems that Rome is really not set up to accomodate early travellers. I guess cheap air-fares aren't so chep after all.

I have a flight leaving at 7.20am. I plan to catch the first train leaving Tiburtina at 5.04 getting me to FCO a little under 2 hours before my flight.

Lou
San Jose, 3/12/09

Many people are suggesting staying in the city, so I imagine you have experience with this, how much on average is a taxi from the city to the airport?

Thanks-a

The taxi rates are fixed -- it has been a couple of years but think it is 40E during the day and 50E at night.

Frank's right, it's a fixed rate from anywhere in the city center, imposed by the city to halt an epidemic of drivers ripping off unwary customers....and it includes luggage and up to 4 people. Click here for the official details from the city of Rome, and don't let a cabbie try to tell you any different!!

Depending on how early your flight is, you can take the last train to the airport (10:52pm) and just nap there for a few hours until your flight. You'll sleep well on the plane plus save $$ for the last night in hotel + taxi. It's not the most comfortable option, but an option. The first train leaves 5:52 am if you can make it to your flight.

Here's a website that specifically addresses the exact question posed in the original post:http://www.roninrome.com/2009/03/15/getting-to-fiumicino-early-in-the-morning/

Well I'm back from my Italy trip (awesome), and here's how the early flight issue worked out. I stayed at a hotel in Ostia Antica for 49 Euros and took an early taxi to the airport for a set price of 30 Euro. It worked out fine. The cost of the taxi was the same as if we had taken the leonardo express at any other time of the day (there were two of us traveling). We left the hotel at a little after 6:00am and arrived at the airport by 6:20am. I would not, however, spend the day in Ostia Antica, there is nothing there. We checked in late at night without incident.