Tips on flying into Venice and out of Rome?

A checked bag and a carry-on? You may regret that once you start walking up and down the bridges( often steps, not ramped) to get to a hotel in Venice.

I find the misery level in coach is about the same from airline to airline so I would just go with the schedule and price that meets your needs. Generally mid-week flights will be cheaper and of course watch out for holidays that would increase demand. Another idea would be to fly into Milan for a day or two and train to Venice. Milan being a much bigger airport would provide greater flight options.

PS There is absolutely nothing wrong with a checked bag.

I flew into Venice and out of Rome on a RS Venice, Florence, Rome tour in June 2017 (great tour!). I agree with the prior comment that having large luggage is a real negative in Venice. Re whether a checked bag + a carry on each would be detrimental from a mobility standpoint, I think it depends on the size of the checked bag and carry on. My checked bag technically would have fit the US carry on size limits...and my carry on was the size of a backpack. That amount of luggage was easy to manage in all 3 cities. On the other hand, one family on my tour brought large-sized luggage, which caused them mega-headaches in Venice.

As a Denver-area based traveler, I'm not familiar with what airlines serve the (San Francisco?) Bay Area, but are there any actual direct flights between your home airport and Rome or Venice? If so, that would be the way to go, unless the cost or flight times were somehow prohibitive.

Otherwise, you're looking at a mid-flight connection somewhere, either in the USA or in Europe. For Denver International Airport, our airline options for Europe for a long time had pretty much been Lufthansa (connecting thru Frankfurt or Munich), British Airways (connecting thru London), or United (connecting thru Dallas, Chicago, etc. -a pain and not a comfortable as either the German or British planes). In addition to those, now, Denver has Icelandair (with a usually short connection in Reykjavik) and Norwegian Air (with a connection in either London or Paris).

Since cost is always a big consideration for us, one must be cognizant that some of the newer airline options can come with extra fees for luggage and on-board food and beverages, and baggage weight restrictions. Any of the above airlines will get you there in reasonable comfort, but check the connection wait times and overall flight durations. Also, if you have to transfer from one airport to another (London Heathrow to London Gatwick, for example), that could influence the overall travel time and cost/convenience.

If you use one airline to get to an initial, general European gateway, and then another to actually get to Venice and/or from Rome, that's another possibility, but you probably won't be able to check your bags all the way through, and you'd need to claim them, go through customs, and then re-check them. But budget European airlines like EasyJet and Vueling (and others) offer quick, convenient, cheap flights within Europe, and we've used them to sometimes do a multi-airline method of getting to/from Europe.

We've flown into Venice a couple of times and out other cities, such as Rome. I use Delta for our flights, so just go on their site and select "Multi-city" instead of "Round-trip". We usually fly either through Amsterdam or Paris; allow extra time if you're connecting through Paris/CDG. I book tickets very early so we can have the front two seats in the Economy Plus section. We had a person, once, who rudely had his seat back all of the way almost in my husband's lap the entire trip so this helps avoid that situation.

The best tip I can share with you is to pack light. Venice is much more enjoyable if you don't have heavy luggage. Also, we were rewarded very nicely for packing light one year! We voluntarily took a later flight on a connecting trip back home and were paid $1000 AmEx card each! Only people with no checked luggage were eligible.

Enjoy your trip!

Just an idea- Norwegian flys non stop from Oakland to Rome. You could fly into Rome, shake the jet lag with an overnight or two (plenty to do and see in Rome). Take a cheap flight to Venice, then back from Rome on your round trip Norwegian flight. Or, mix it up a little and fly Norwegian to London, shake your jet lag there, inexpensive flight to Venice, back from Rome.

Once you are on the ground in Rome, it makes no sense to fly to Venice. Faster and more convenient to take the train. And much cheaper if you take advantage of the Super Economy fare on the train.

All really good suggestions! Just what I was looking for. Various airlines you liked and the best cities to fly in and out of, layover considerations, airline seat suggestions, etc.

My plan is to buy a Rick Steves (or similar size) bag and a RS style day back pack. I had heavy luggage on a European trip several years ago and learned my lesson. I figure this time it's bound to be better experience than before with smaller, lighter luggage. So any luggage brand or style suggestions are appreciated also.

We always check one bag for a trip, but our checked bag is about the size of a US carryon. So don't worry about having a carry on bag.

I like the RS roller bag. We have both versions (the truly sided one & the one with the harder edges). We also both carry RS backpacks. It's really hard to fit enough into that, but we're slowly learning the system.

For our checked bag, though, we always use a carry-on size hard sided bag. We live in the mid south. Weather delays for thunderstorms are common, and sometimes luggage has to sit on the tarmac until the storm has passed. A checked hard sided bag helps protect the contents of your bag, where a soft sided one may be soaked through. We use a Delsey hard sided roller bag that also doubles as a carry on if we want to bring it instead of one of the other roller bags.

The only thing I can suggest for your flights is to remember that if you have a connection at any point, make sure that your connecting flights are on the same airline to save yourself a lot of potential trouble if one of the flights is late. For example, you could fly American Air from the US to Venice (one way, with connections, probably) and then fly Rome to the US on Delta (one way, with connections) as well. That way each single direction of the flight is on the same airline which will protect you if there are delays.

You can also look for an open jaw (multiple city) ticket on a single carrier. Prices can vary. You'll need to juggle that one a bit to see what works best price wise.

Also keep in mind that the day you fly can impact the cost of your ticket. If you're already planning extra days, play around with dummy bookings to see if one set of dates is significantly cheaper than another. Good luck, and have fun on your trip!!!

Those are great tips about the luggage and the flights. I was looking at flights where I'd have to go (for example) on Air France from San Francisco to Amsterdam then transfer to KLM airlines to get to Venice, but now I will stick to one airline each way, especially with a checked bag! Thanks!

Any airlines people prefer for the US to Venice/ Rome to US flight? Anyone familiar or fly on Air France? They seem to have the most convenient flights and best prices for the SF Bay Area.

I'm looking for seat and flight comfort. Shortest duration.

Hi, Air France, KLM and Delta are partners, so it’s not an issue to fly Air France and switch to KLM. To answer your question, we’ve been pleased with Air France.

You don't gain anything from sticking to the same airline. The airlines are partnered up so as long as you are flying on a single ticket you find it works just as smooth. What you do not want to do is to book two separate flights on different tickets. That will cause problems if you miss the next flight. But as long as it is one ticket they will take care of you.

I was looking at flights where I'd have to go (for example) on Air France from San Francisco to Amsterdam then transfer to KLM airlines to get to Venice, but now I will stick to one airline each way, especially with a checked bag! Thanks!

Any airlines people prefer for the US to Venice/ Rome to US flight? Anyone familiar or fly on Air France? They seem to have the most convenient flights and best prices for the SF Bay Area.

Air France and KLM are Delta partners. You should be able to book that ticket as all one reservation so that your checked bag can be checked through to your final destination. If not, try looking at the Delta website, but either way you should be able to do that as one flight with two different airlines because they partner together.

I have flown American Air, Delta, Air France & KLM to/from Europe. They are all good airlines. I think I like the seats on American slightly better than than the ones on Delta, but that's just me.

If your budget allows, look at the Comfort Plus, Economy Plus (the name varies per airline) tickets for those routes. They're one grade up from regular economy and allow you a tiny bit more leg room.

A small tip regarding seat selection: for the best view of Venice while landing, choose a seat on the right side of the plane...so it would be seat K or F , not A. Happy landing!

If you're concerned about carrying your luggage with you in Venice then either take a water taxi to your hotel OR choose a hotel close to the train station. Have been to Venice more times than I can count and dragging luggage with you is just part of the trip. It's definitely not a show stopper.

We always fly British Airways to Europe as we are members of their mileage program. But going to Venice with them is a problem, as the Seattle flight lands at Heathrow and most Venice flights depart from Gatwick, so an airport change is necessary.

However, from the Bay Area you do not have this problem, as BA flies to Gatwick from Oakland (not every day of the week, however). If you book this route youndepart Oakland at 15:25 and arrive in Venice 14 hours 40 minutes later, including the two-hour connect time. I would say that is a good flight time from the West coast. Plane is a 777.

For the return from Rome, you have lots of choices, and can fly into either Oakland, SFO, or San Jose. If you select SFO, the offers include flights on American Airlines that connect through JFK or Chicago instead of Heathrow if you prefer.

Easy to book on the BA website using the "multi-city" button. However, the flight prices do not show up in the array, so you need to check each combination individually to see the price.

When I flew into Venice and out of Rome (2015), there really wasn't multi-city surcharge. It was just as cost-effective as a single destination round-trip and a lot less hassle (re: arranging in-country transport).

I now prefer the travel with a carry-on only. (In fact, my favorite is now a roll-on with backpack straps by REI...) In Venice, schlepping suitcases across town over bridges and on packed waterbuses gets to be a drag real fast. And, keep in mind, you'll have to schlepp is across the country and up & down hotel stairs.

And, checking that bag can lead to a lot of pain and torment should the airline misplace it. If you fly into Venice, you'll more than likely have at least one connection...

As for airline comfort - many of the legacy carriers are introducing a new cabin class - American Airlines calls theirs Premium Economy but it may be named differently on other airlines. This section is much like Business Class before the advent of the Business Class 'pod' seats. Big seat, lots of space (pitch), big recline, foot rest, upgraded meal service - priced between economy and the current Business Class. I have seen AA offering this on their Philly to Venice and Rome to USA routes now.

Just checking in and really liking all the tips and tricks you have! Thanks so much! This is so helpful and it's stuff you only learn by experiencing it. If anybody wants to add... airlines you prefer, tips for flying out, seat assignment tips, etc, please keep 'em coming!