Flying from Seattle to Venice

Personally, with a couple of exceptions, there are really not many airports to avoid. What are you options from Seattle? Amsterdam is very nice airport to transfer. Might consider flying into Milan and train to Venice. We have done that. Paris is huge and can be a problem depending on airline. Our personal preference is a short leg in the US and long leg to Europe. Easier to sleep on the long leg.

We have never had to take connecting flights, since, in past trips, we've had the luxury of flying non-stop from Seattle to our destinations (London and Paris). We prefer the over-the-pole- long-leg option which means flying into Amsterdam, Paris, or Frankfurt and then on to Venice. I can see where Paris would be overwhelming for a connecting flight. Are there any qualitative differences between Amsterdam and Frankfurt?

Frankfurt is huge but well organized with good signage. Could have a long hike between gates -- it just depends. For us, Amsterdam seems small and comfortable.

I have friends that have flown through Amsterdam and that's what they've said as well. Thank you for your input. Even though it's a year away, you can't plan too early!

I hope to be flying Seattle-Venice at the end of next August. I’m keeping my options open. My thinking used to be to get to Europe on a non-stop and make the connection to my final destination there. Now, I am considering making my connection to another city in the US and flying nonstop from there. Why the possible change in how I fly? If travel requirements remain as fluid and changing as they are now, I’ve eliminated one more country’s requirements to keep track of if I connect in US vs. Europe.

I think I will keep an eye out on the situation and wait for awhile to ticket unless I use frequent flier miles.

That’s actually a sound strategy. My wife is nervous about flying across the Atlantic (as opposed to an over-the-pole route), so it’s never been a consideration. We may have to rethink things, though.

From Sea-Tac, you'll most likely get a direct flight to Amsterdam using the artic circle path. Then a flight to Marco-Polo. You may find a slightly less expensive flight with more connections, but don't do it. Amsterdam is a wonderful airport. Even if you have a long, 3-4 hour lay-over. KLM is our favorite carrier. Airbus 380 is our favorite jet.

At this point, it certainly seems like flying in to Amsterdam and then on to Venice is the best option.

We are doing this in October. We are flying Lufthansa. Our route is Seattle-Frankfurt-Venice. Our other consideration was using Delta, but I was hearing negative things about their international flights at the time I was booking so went Lufthansa instead. I have had to deal with Lufthansa customer service a couple of times and they have been really great, if that is helpful to know.

We officially have slightly over a year, since we just put down a deposit on the My Way Italy tour that starts on 9/20/22. It's nice to know that there are options, whether we decide to long-leg it or short-leg it.

Also, a note for you about your tour. We did the My Way Spain and loved that type of tour. It is great to have the travel/lodging all figured out so you only have to decide what you want to do and where you want to eat. Also, there is some time with others so there is a little interaction rather than being just on your own the entire time. It was a great mix for us and our two early 20s kids who were with us.