We'll be landing in Rome at 8:50 am from Canada for our honeymoon Tuesday, October 3rd and we'll be taking a train to Florence. Do you think landing at 8:50 leaves enough time for customs, baggage pick-up and making it to the train platform and purchasing tickets that morning for the 11:08 direct train to SMN in Florence? Does this train usually sell out? Does anyone know which terminal our flight should be landing in?
Thanks in advance!
Are you sure there's a direct train from Rome Airport (FCO) to Firenze SMN?
Hi Tim, I've checked the Trenitalia website after seeing some posts on here that there was one and I do see one for that day.
Yes, there is also one at 15:08.
If you land on time, yes you can. But if you get though quickly, there are early trains using the FL1 train to Tiburtina connecting to Freccia trains to Firenze that will get you there earlier at the same price, 55 EUR per person. I wouldn't risk buying SuperEconomy tickets ahead because the discount is not big enough vis-a-vis the risk that your plane could be late or there could be some delay getting through immigration and getting your luggage.
Hi Sam, thanks for the reply. I wouldn't plan on waiting until 15:00 for a direct train. I see an 11:08 train direct to Firenze SMN. I also likely wouldn't buy tickets in advance. I'm interested to know if realistically we'd be able to catch the 11:00 train if landing at 8:50.
If you land on time, you have a very good chance. Just pointing out that you may be able to catch an even earlier train with a connection at Tiburtina.
Nobody except tourists take the high speed trains from the airport.
Italian trains almost never sell out, the 11:08 from FCO never does.
If you land on time, you have a very good chance.
Ditto to what Sam said, and good to know that you don't intend to buy tickets in advance, just in case you experience a delay. I wouldn't expect that train to sell out so you should be good to go! Good luck!!! :O)
Editing to add: for anyone who can make the timing work, the twice-daily direct trains (11:08 and 15:08) from Fiumicino are really nice for travelers going immediately on to Florence.
Thanks everyone!
Are you flying directly to Rome from Canada or do you have a connecting flight in Europe? If you have a connecting flight within Europe, you will clear immigration there which shortens your time in FCO. We recently arrived via Frankfurt from Vancouver and waited for less than 5 minutes to get our luggage once we got to the carousel and were on the train to Rome Termini almost an hour ahead of my estimation.
If you have a connecting flight within Europe, you will clear immigration there which shortens your time in FCO.
Sorry to be pedantic, but that only applies if you have a connecting flight within the Schengen Area.
If you are for example connecting in London, the UK is not in the Schengen Area, so you enter the Schengen Area and go through immigration in Rome.
Conversely, Iceland is in the Schengen Area, so if you connect in Reykjavik, that is where you go through immigration, not in Rome.
Hi KAS and Chris. Thanks for the input :) We have a direct flight into Rome from Montreal so will need to clear customs when we land.
Actually it is immigration and customs. Two separate functions. Customs is always a walk through the green door and a wave of the hand. Immigration, passport control - whatever you want to call it is a very different and potentially time consuming activity.
