Daughter is going on a study abroad trip in Sicily, and will be transferring from Delta in Rome to Alitalia for connection to Palermo. Does she have to change terminals? Any tricks or best practices on how to do this in Rome? She has three hours for connection time, which we think will be plenty, but if there is anything we need to know in advance, we'd love some expert opinions. She knows little to no Italian.
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16243 posts
Arrival from US (JFK? ATL?) is at T3, departure to PMO is at T1.
No tricks. Just follow signs after ,passport control (immigration). Signs are in Italian and English, and everybody at the airport speaks both.
No need to retrieve luggage in Rome. She will see the luggage again in PMO.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
Assuming she is all on one ticket, and gets boarding passes for both flights when she checks in for the US to Rome flight, the procedure is the following:
- After landing at Terminal 3, she will exit the plane and follow the crowd to the line-up at passport control. This can be a fast or slow process, depending on how many other planes landed at the same time, and how many agents are on duty.
- She will then follow signs to Terminal 1 (there's a covered sidewalk between the two, and it's very well sign-posted).
- If for some reason she does not have a boarding pass for her flight to Palermo, she will see the Alitalia check in desks right as she enters the terminal. If she does have her boarding pass, no need to stop at these desks.
- She will then go through security in Terminal 1.
- She will then find her gate for her flight to Palermo. Most likely, she will have some time to kill; there's a variety of eateries, stores, etc.
- Upon landing in Palermo, she will pick up any checked luggage, then go through the "Green Channel - Nothing To Declare" customs lane.
No knowledge of Italian is necessary at any of these steps.
Posted by
OP
22 posts
Thank you so much for your detailed responses. Five weeks in Sicily all expenses paid as a college student. Life is good!
Posted by
roswell, ga, usa
1501 posts
WOW! 5 Weeks of studying in Sicily. My son studied in Spain, and that was quite an experience, but Sicily would be even better! I would try to get her some Italian lessons before the trip if it's not too late! I hope she is planning on touring the island while she's there. I know of a Very Safe Tour Guide in Taormina that would take her all over the Eastern side if you're interested. PM for info. if you want it. They speak perfect English.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
One thing I forgot. When she checks in in the US, she should make sure any checked luggage is tagged PMO. That way, it will be transferred to her connecting flight. If it's tagged FCO, she will have to retrieve it in Rome, then recheck it. The check in agents are usually alert about this, but it never hurts to be sure (look at the tags yourself).
Posted by
OP
22 posts
Harold;
Thanks so much! She is in the air from JFK to Rome right now....I know her luggage is tagged to PMO, so she should be okay. I am not entirely comfortable her luggage will arrive when she does, she was a Delta flight connecting to Alitalia at JFK (codeshare) to Rome and to PMO. Hoping that the two hours at JFK was time to get the luggage from the Delta flight to the Alitalia one...if not, she has spare clothes in carry on, but it would be nice.