Flight to U.S. from FCO - arrive 2 hrs early, or 3?

I think if Delta told you to do that, you should listen. Now, they may just be giving themselves more lee-way, but who knows? Extra security? Maybe they have reduced the check-in staff.

I'm not sure where you read that 2 hours is sufficient - 3 hours is the standard recommendation for any intercontinental flight these days, particularly from busy airports.

Could you be fine with 2 hours? Sure. Would I take that chance? No. All it takes is one person holding things up, and you could be at risk of missing your flight. The formalities in T5 take a while, and you are then bused back to T3 (where, behind the escalator, there's a good food selection, so you can have a nice breakfast while waiting).

I've flown into Rome but not out of it. It's a large, busy airport, and I wouldn't take the chance. My recent flight to the US from Barcelona (I think not as busy an airport) began with a 50-minute line at the United counter. If I had only arrived 2 hours early, that would have been a very unpleasant 50 minutes. Consider the penalty for being late: What does a last-minute one-way trans-Atlantic ticket cost?

I wouldn't risk anything less than 3 hours prior. Sometimes it takes every minute of that three hours to check in and get through security and then on to the gate. Two hours is a risk I'm never willing to take. If you show up only two hours prior and miss your flight the airline is not obligated to help you and it could cost thousands to re-book.

Donna

FCO has a special terminal for US flights. That means all the flights going to the US around the same time as your flight are processing people at the same time. It's bad enough getting through the first and second check point - expect long lines depending on your class of service. There will almost always be people in front of you who have baggage problems (badly packed, oversize, over weight). Once you are through those two lines, thankfully for your specific carrier, you have the security scan. That is for everybody in the terminal. Wait! You aren't done yet! Now you get on a bus that takes you where the plane actually is. Thankfully the escalator has always been working when I'm there otherwise there are a lot of stairs up to the gate area.
Sound awful? TSA-precheck makes the worse line much better. Upgraded service to business or first class makes all 3 lines easier to take. Nothing helps the bus - few seats, minimum air conditioning and a long ride.
Now that I think of it - maybe it only feels unpleasant because I really don't want to be leaving Italy!?!

The time of day is another factor. What time is your flight? As stated, Terminal 5 is not a true terminal with flights arriving and departing or even with gates. It is simply a processing area for all flights directly to US. For us it has always been relatively smooth and not overly time consuming but there are often reports of long lines and slow process especially at the final security check point. I would plan on three hours.

PS I have never seen a 2 hr recommendation so would be curious to know where you are getting that recommendation.

Each airline has its own standards. So you need to go according to what they tell you.
I've not flown Delta out if FCO, so I have no experience with them there. Last time I flew out of T5 was in 2010 (United), and it didn't take me that long at all, but no sure about more recently. I think 3 hours is probably on the very conservative side. I guess you'll have time to kill at the coffee bar once you check in.

WOW, DOUBLE WOW and OMG!!! Ok, it's settled - we will be there 3 hours early for sure!! Our flight is at 11:45am. Thank you all so very very much! Our last flight leaving Italy was 10 years ago - much has changed. Thanks again!

Are you sure you can taxi directly to Terminal 5?

Get there 3 hours ahead, you have a couple of bus rides in store before you board the plane (which may have a jetway or may be parked on the airfield). If you are checking a bag, there is an extra line for that, too.

The two hour recommendation probably comes from the European airlines, such as Alitalia, which require that you must have checked in your baggage and have a boarding pass in your hands, at least 60 minutes prior to a long distance flight.

Yes, the taxi cab can take you directly to T5, but you must tell the driver, because they automatically assume you are going to T3.

2 hours is usually fine for domestic travel (I say "usually" because you sometimes run into nightmarish security lines). For intercontinental flights, 3 hours is my minimum.

Look at it this way...how would you like your flight to begin? Being super-stressed out, worrying and trying to rush through everything, maybe missing your flight (missing that flight=the beginning of a very, very bad, and probably stunningly expensive, day). Or would you like to be relaxed, care-free, get all your business done and have some time to relax, maybe do a little last minute in-airport shopping, grab a snack, etc., and get settled on the plane with time to spare?

Airports may not be your favorite place to pass time, but having an extra hour or so to kill in an airport before you fly to the other side of the world is a smart plan to get the experience started right. To me, there's no worse feeling than showing up at the last minute and sweating over whether or not you're going to make it. Easy call.

As so many others have said before, what WOULD I do without all the incredible folks on this Forum! Guess I'd have to limit my travels to Hoboken!!! Thank you all for taking time to reply!