Flight route to Rome from USA

No worries. 3:40pm is not late. Trains run till very late at night. You'll be at your hotel by 5 or 5:30pm.
FRA is bigger than AMS and in my experience at least, FRA requires long walks from one terminal to the other. But that depends on where your flights arrive from and depart. If you have mobility issues then they take u on a cart and it's easier. I experienced that two years ago when my wife had a broken foot.

Hmm. In late october it could be getting dark by the time you can get thru customs and find your way to Rome. You'll be tired from the flight, disoriented in a new city, and trying to find your hotel. I think I'd opt for a taxi this one time. It could end up being the best 40 euros you spend. I haven't been thru Amsterdam, but I agree that Frankfurt is a mess. You often have to get off the plane onto the ground and be bussed to the terminal, then have to go thru security again before trying to find your connecting flight.

This is so helpful...many thanks

Amsterdam as a transfer option is much better. It is considered as one of the best airports in Europe.

Another option could be to find a direct flight to Rome from a US City. These flights arrive in the morning Rome time. You might find it less stressful to make your connection in a US airport rather than one in Europe.
Also having a limo or taxi service waiting for you in Rome is another service that is well worth the money after a long jetting lagging plance ride.

I find it much more stressful to connect in a US airport back East rather than Europe. I'll take Frankfurt or even Paris over Newark any day, especially coming back to San Francisco. US airports back East are more likely to be subject to weather or congestion related delays and that could cause you to miss a connection. If you miss a connection in NY, that is likely the only flight for the day to Rome and you will have to spend the night in NY (at your expense if weather related, since it's not because of the airline's fault). If you miss a connection in AMS or FRA it is not a big deal. There are plenty of flights going to Rome. They'll rebook you on another flight a few hours later. The best European hubs to connect are Munich and Amsterdam. But unless you have a very short connection Frankfurt is fine. You just have to walk a long distance on those rolling walkways because the terminals are long. As far as going through security again in Europe, that is not going to change. When you transfer from an out of EU flight to a EU Schengen flight, you will have to pass through security again, whether you are in Frankfurt or Amsterdam or Paris. Having to be bussed to the plane (rather than through the jetway) is common in Europe when you transfer to smaller planes, for example to Florence. Not sure about Rome, because you'll be boarding an airbus 320 to Rome, not a small plane.

A good plan for your arrival is to see how you feel once you are actually ready to leave the airport for your hotel. If you feel up to it, take the train; if you are at all tired, stressed, or unsure, just take the taxi (the rate from FCO into central Rome is fixed). If you use http://www.kayak.com, you can find all the flight options. On the right, there's a way to arrival time; choose an earlier one. Yes, if all else is equal, changing in Amsterdam is better. But, unlike some other Helpline posters, I have no problem with Frankfurt Airport (although it can be a long way from one gate to another, particularly on return to the US).

I'm almost 70 too and have a flight in late September from Chicago to Rome via Air Berlin from Chicago to Berlin that leaves at 3:25 PM. It arrives Berlin at 7:00 and we catch an Air Berlin flight at 9:25 arriving in Rome around 11:30 AM. We use frequent flyer miles so we get shunted around a bit. There are direct flights to Rome from many cities in the US that arrive in the morning. We always book flights to arrive at our European destination as early as possible.

My earlier post did not come through correctly, and I also made a mistake in it. The corrected paragraph: >>If you use http://www.kayak.com, you can find all the flight options. On the left, there's a way to sel-ect arrival time; choose an earlier one.<< To those who suggested connecting in New York, Berlin, or elsewhere: Nancy is coming from Whitefish, Montana. Looking on Kayak from Kalispell (her closest airport), I see that flights go to Mineappolis (and then to Amsterdam) or to Denver (and then to Frankfurt). Any other gateway would require even more than the two changes she has with these routes.