Hi, I'm going to Italy in September. My arrival flight is into MXP. Would it be better to land at MXP at 6:25 am or 9:55 am on a weekday? I'll be taking either the bus (direct) or the train (connection in Milan) to Stresa. There's already been a change to my flight and I can change to either of these choices.
Also, on my return trip leaving FCO, I can leave at either 10:30 am or 12 noon. I'll be taking public transportation to FCO from my lodging in the Vatican or Prati area on a weekday.
Check the bus schedule to Stresa
I think the 6:30 arrival might mean you’ll have a wait for the bus
I’d take the noon flight home
You need to be at FCO 3 hours before departure
Look up the Alibus that goes directly from Malpensa to Stresa. You will need a reservation ahead of time. I love Stresa! Have a wonderful time there!
And I would pick the noon flight back to not need to rush early morning.
I would pick the later arrival at MXP, on the off chance that I might be able to check in upon arrival. And if not, there will at least be less time to hang out waiting. You can drop your luggage, go for a walk, and have lunch.
Thank you for the replies.
Bus schedule is: 1 hour MXP--Stresa (direct) at 9am, 12, 2pm 4pm
Train schedule is: 1 hour 13 min MXP--Stresa (1 change at Busto Arsizio) at 6am, 7, 8, 9, 11, 1, 3pm.
The time you want to arrive is up to you. I see the first bus to Stresa is at 9:00 and the next is at 11:30. If the flight is on time you could be at the bus stop within one hour from arrival, but I’d rather get there with the earlier flight, all other things being equal. That would give you a cushion in case of a flight delay and in case of no delay you can relax, have breakfast at the airport, freshen up at the restrooms and relax. Also you can enjoy an extra 2.5 hours in beautiful Stresa. Also, if you opt for the train, I wouldn’t bother to back track all the way to Milan to get back to Stresa. The better option is to take a taxi from the Malpensa airport to the Gallarate train station and from there take one of the numerous trains to Stresa. A taxi can take you to Gallarate in 15 minutes. The train from Gallarate to Stresa is about 30 minutes. Another, train option is to take the train from the airport to BUSTO ARSIZIO, then at Busto take another train up to Stresa (that train will stop in Gallarate on the way to Stresa). This option is cheaper then the taxi to Gallarate then train, but it will take a bit longer (about 1h 15min). In any case there is no need to go all the way to Milan, you can change the train in Busto Arsizio.
For the return flight from FCO from Prati/Vatican I would probably take a taxi for convenience, especially if you have luggage. The taxi will take about 35-40 min depending on traffic. However the taxi costs 50€ flat rate, so if you prefer the public transportation option to save money you can take the metro to Termini and then the Leonardo Express train to FCO. It might take you about one hour, all things considered, unless your accommodations are far from the closest metro stop.
You should try to be at the airport about 3 hours prior to departure or at least 2.5 hours prior. So you decide on the best time for you. I’m not a morning person, so unless I took the taxi, I would probably go for the later flight.
It is often advised to take the first available flight of the day as there tends to be less of a chance for delays or cancellations. I’ll be departing from Rome in October and chose the 755am flight so that if there were a delay or cancellation I’d have the chance to take a later flight with the airline I am booked with.
Thanks for the suggestions!
I changed my departure flight from MXP to the later 12 noon departure. Unfortunately, the arrival flight to MXP arriving at 9:55 am is no longer available to me :( So I had to keep my original flight arriving at 6:25 am to MXP.
It will all work out I'm sure. There may be changes available later on since my trip isn't until September.
I usually book my flights 9 months out. 50% have changed. Airlines have repeatedly said flights could change again up till about 3 months out. Sept is a loooong way away in terms of a committed schedule by the airline.
Last time I was in Rome I stayed in an apartment in the Prati/Vatican area. I took a bus from right outside FCO to a stop near the Vatican and walked the couple of blocks to my apartment. It was a nice bus that put passengers' luggage underneath.
It was the Fiumicino Airport: Shuttle Bus to/from Vatican City. I didn't have a ticket in advance, but you could buy tickets right at the bus. The link also indicates that you can buy them in advance.
These phrases are important:
"Benefit from daily departures every 30 to 40 minutes."
"All tickets have priority on the time chosen but are still open all day long and can be used at any time."
To get an idea of departure times from the Vatican area to FCO, use the Select Participants and Date form. Put in a date, click on Check Availability and you'll see the departure times for the pick up location going from Vatican City to FCO. They seem to start at 04:30. Click on the map link above to see where to meet. Zoom in and you'll see the name of the stop, Bus Shuttle to Fiumicino. That's exactly where I got off.
I think that bus option is much simpler and cheaper than any other option for where you're staying.
