train from Florence to Rome

I generally get to Fiumicino airport 2.5 hours prior to the departure for US bound flights and always had time to spare. 2 hrs is the minimum you should attempt, to avoid unnecessary stress. Nevertheless Larry is right in recommending to spend the last night in Rome. It is simply impossible to be at Fiumicino airport by 9:00am (just 2hrs prior to departure) if you start from Florence and go by train.

The train ride is an hour but the other travel consideration will make it a much longer trip. If possible, the smart move is to book the flight from Florence which may not cost any more than the flight from Rome even though you will most likely transfer planes in Rome. Avoiding multiple modes of transportation on the same day is a good rule of thumb.

Diane, you are attempting a risky venture. For getting through security at FCO, you generally need to be there 3hrs in advance. Often times you don't need that much time but sometimes you do. And, you can't tell when the long lines and delays will occur. You could plan for only two hours and take your chances. My suggested arrival time at FCO is 8:00am. From Rome Termini to FCO, it's a 35 minute train ride to Terminal 3. If you are departing from Terminal 5, you will have to change to a connecting bus between the terminals. That means that you need to be at Rome-Termini about 7:00am. Or, you can take a taxi directly to Terminal 5 from Rome-Termini for a flat rate of 50Euro. Finally, The high-speed train ride from Florence takes 1hr40min. The first high-speed departs Florence at 6:50 and arrives at 8:35. You're 90 minutes late at this point. However, this is just the high-speeds. There are a couple of earlier and slower trains. But, no train arrives from Florence before 8:26. I strongly recommend that you not attempt this. Instead, I suggest taking the train to Rome the night before and spend your last night in Rome. You can stay at the Hotel Sonya which is about 3 blocks from Rome-Termini. You can then take an early Leonardo Express or the 50Euro taxi ride and make it to FCO in a safe amount of time.

Thank you, Larry. You've helped make our decision to leave the night before.