air travel within italy

Without putting a pencil to it, I am sure it would be quicker and cheaper, certainly more convenient, to take the train. My bench mark is in the range of 6 to 8 hours before I will consider flying.

Also remember that Ryanair flies to airports that are not necessarily anywhere close to the city they say they serve. Their Venice airport, for example, is in Treviso, which is 30 minutes beyond the main Venice airport.

Yes, look at the time to get to Treviso airport (not close in Marco Pole), checkin time, going through security, waiting, flight time, deplaning in far-out Ciampino, bus to Rome, and I'm sure you will have at least 4 hours, more like six, invested in flying. You can get a train from Venice to Rome for 4-1/2 hours for under €45.

Steve, Ride the Train! Like many other discount airlines, Ryanair does fly out of smaller airports. You will have to leave from Terviso and arrive in Ciampino. So for both you will have factor in time and cost of transportation.

Where you really get hurt on discount airlines is in the luggage charges. Our first "luggage adventure" with a local carrier occurred in Venice about 10 years ago. We were flying Volare Airlines, now absorbed by some other airline. The seats were E49 each but our luggage was, of course, over the minimal weight restrictions, and the cost was 8 Euros per kilo. Thus to send my heavy American luggage to Paris would cost me an additional 350 Euros! I tried to buy an extra seat just to stack it in - not allowed! I asked for a supervisor, who came and reread the policy to me! Finally frustrated, I asked where the DHL office was in the airport because it would be cheaper to send it next day then to put it on this plane!

At this point, you do what you do in Italy - You negotiate. We finally got the charge down to 70 Euros -paid to the supervisor IN CASH - and my bags made the flight!

Now we travel often on discount carriers in Europe and we do not check luggage - Of Course, we are only allowed to carry on 7-10 kgs per person in a SMALL bag, but we've gotten used to traveling light.

So, read the fine print... a flight from Venice to Rome on RyanAir is listed as FREE... then you add in the taxes, the luggage charges, they try to sell you "first in" status, they try and sell you trip insurance, there's often a charge for just using a credit card... etc. So what may look CHEAP will cost you MORE than it first appears.

Don't get me wrong - we travel Ryanair and their competitors often, but there are many "other" charges, including transportation to their out-of-the-way airports you must consider!

Ciao,
Ron