short version...in florence last week...on friday 12/17 was in sienna when the snow hit...took nine hours to get back to florence...was supposed to leave sunday morn flor/paris/cincinnati...most flights cancelled out of florence because you could not connect to paris/london/frankfurt which all had bad weather...flight rescheduled for tuesday so luckily i went and got my same room back at katti house in florence...she told me i could stay as long as needed...back to try again early tuesday morn...flight cancelled again...they gave me option to get to rome by noon for flight to philly on u.s. air...one just had to get out of florence to get more flight options...took 7am train to rome and made it in plenty of time...just another reason also to pack light as i always do-one bag...would have been crazy lugging around some of the multiple trunk sized pieces...
Posted by
St. Louis, MO USA
1976 posts
What a crazy few days! Like all good travel stories, it's hell while you're going through it but it makes a great story when you get home. We've been hearing horror stories about airports in London, Frankfurt, and Paris but I haven't heard anything about Italy. You should definitely recommend your hotel in Florence for future travelers - she sounds really cool and completely willing to accommodate you.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
And yet another good thing to say about trains. Welcome back!
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32219 posts
matthew, Good to hear that you made it home without too much trouble. The situation appears to be easing somewhat now, although it's going to take awhile to clear the "backlog" of both passengers, luggage and cargo (there was a shipment of Lobsters in Halifax, that was destined for hungry Europeans - hopefully that arrives by Christmas!). Further storms could be on the way though! At least you can relax and enjoy being at home, rather than sleeping in an airport with an "emergency blanket" for cover. Cheers!
Posted by
OP
cincinnati, ohio, usa
129 posts
katti house is listed in rick's florence guide book...
Posted by
The Hague, NL (AMS)
2207 posts
Watching my friends' travel plans in Rome (via facebook), it's been a mixed bag. Now, as mentioned, flights are opening up. I have an American friend headed to Washington DC from FCO that finally got out the day before yesterday. Fortunately, she lives in Rome... and just went home and was not stranded at the airport. I fly out XMAS Eve (poor planning..... but a great price) from CPH-AMS-DTW-MCO. Yes, you pay for the cheap prices by traveling around the world to get to your destination. Helps build up the FF miles and you get to see the world's airports! Unfortunately, here at CPH today we have winds of 30-45 mph and snowing furiously! Hopefully they will keep the airport open so tomorrow's flights can get out. Then, I have a plane change in AMS, which has been closed 2+ days earlier in the week. So I'm trying to "rearrange" my flights to depart directly from CPH to anywhere in the United States. If you're in northern Itlay, especially leaving by MXP - which has more options - you might call the local office of the "1st leg" of your flight and see if you can get a direct, "out of Europe" flight. Not connecting, especially in FRA, LHR, LGW, or AMS, might save you the hassles associated with the current winter travel. I'm still "talking" with folks at KLM and Delta, so don't hesitate to speak with all members of your airlines' partners... much better to be proactive, rather than sitting in an airport for day after day. Good Luck to all traveling!
Posted by
Atlanta
3250 posts
Sounds like an adventure Matthew! A great reminder about packing light - happy you're home safe!