Rome to Catania flight advice

Long delays can happen. I’d risk this if I had to, but first I would check one stop flights via Lufthansa.

It works until it doesn't. AA changes your flight between now and Sept and turns out you arrive a few hours later. A storm delays your plane arriving at Charlotte. Or something else. I'm risk averse and would stay the nite in Rome before going to Catania unless I could book it on a single ticket.

We did the same itinerary you are considering (in 9/23), CLT to Rome to Catania. We booked on ITA. There was a bit of a delay on the ITA departure but it was essentially seamless and easy. There can always be glitches/flight changes but, if it were me, I would plan for the best and not spend the night in Rome. Four+ hours should be ample time.

Happy travels! You will love Sicily.

Unless on one ticket I wouldn’t do it. We cleared Rome this past spring in 30 minutes, no luggage. But it wasn’t that busy.

Our rule of thumb, is we always come in a day or two early and add extra day on the end.

The one-way ticket from Rome to Catania on 9/30 is less than $100. So that is what we are risking, right? If we miss that flight, we lose it, and need to buy a new ticket on a later flight. There are several later flights from Rome-Catania. Does anyone have a feel for how full these are in late September (off season)? On the return to Charlotte at the end of the trip we are coming into Rome a day early so we won't have this risk then.

Make sure all flights leave from FCO. Some leave from Ciampino.

The one-way ticket from Rome to Catania on 9/30 is less than $100. So that is what we are risking, right?

Yes, plus the cost of the new flight, which will not be under $100, plus the risk that the next available flight being the next day, which means a hotel for the night and probably still paying for the room in Catania.

4 hours should be fine, better without checked bags. However the other thing to consider is your bag for the FCO-CTA flight, do not expect that even the standard American carry-on will qualify as cabin luggage, you will need to pay for a checked bag with ITA/Ryanair/others, so that means checking in and a round of security to re-enter the terminal anyway. A late arrival or excessively crowded conditions at FCO is a minimal risk, real, but minimal in the big picture.

As long as you are flexible and have a "plan B" go for it, many can not stomach the uncertainty. I am in the group that just plans on a couple nights in Rome (Love the city, time to visit old haunts) then proceeds onward after I have rested.

Does anyone have a feel for how full these are in late September (off season)?

Sept. may not be as 'off season' as you might think/wish. How many in your party? Getting 2 seats may not be much of a problem; a family of 6 may have a challenge.

My thought when 1st looking at this was 'it's still hurricane season' and weather could be a wild card to mess up flight schedules; but you live there so are much more aware of those issues than I am.

Overall, 4+ hrs should be fine, but random weird happens.

I would not book a r/t ticket for the Sicily flights. If you have a r/t ticket and miss the first flight the return flight would likely be cancelled and you would be left replacing both flights. One way tickets for the Sicily flights limits your potntial loss.

Happy travels

The one-way ticket from Rome to Catania on 9/30 is less than $100.

But if you try to buy a ticket on 9/30 for that day or the next because you missed the flight for which you bought the ticket, it is going to cost a lot more than that. Last-minute fares are always more expensive. Are you two people traveling ? Four ? (How many last-minute tickets might you get stuck buying?)

Four of us travelling.