Changing carriers at FCO

If it was me I'd spend the nite in Rome near Roma Termini and take the direct train to Brindisi the following morning, about a 5 hour trip. And if Brindisi isn't your actual destination the train also has other stops including Bari, Monopoli, Ostuni, and ends at Lecce. I did this last fall on a trip to Lecce. The schedule for next spring isn't out yet but the current schedule shows a few direct trains daily.

If you do end up flying Ryanair then read their FAQ & terms and conditions carefully. They mean each and every one of them, including baggage size & weight. Also keep in mind they close bag drop 40 minutes and boarding 30 minutes before the flight is scheduled to depart. Personally I would only fly Ryanair as a last resort.

That is a bit tight with the check in for Ryanair, unless you can check in on line. Have you considered taking the train from Rome? Check both the Trenitalia and Italia sites. Take the Leonardo Express from FCO to Roma Termini and then on to Brindisi.

We did as John suggested—-we spent a night in Rome (in the city, not at the airport) and took the fast train to Bari the following day. I bought the train tickets a couple of months in advance and they were very inexpensive. It was far more relaxing than stressing over getting to a connecting flight at FCO—-we had an evening in Rome, got a good night’s sleep, a morning walk around Villa Borghese, and a pleasant 4-hour train ride.

Tickets bought 2-3 months in advance can be under 30€ for that route.

I will add that your list of chores to do at FCO to get to the Ryanair flight neglects security screening. I do not know how tough that is at FCO these days, but it could take 20-30 minutes.

Basically, an unprotected connection (separate tickets, different airline) with less than 2 hours between flights (possibly much less if your plane from Amsterdam is late, or parks at a remote stand instead of at a gate) is just not a good plan.

That sounds a bit risky, especially considering that your first flights might be delayed. And I agree that if you're going to Puglia, the train sounds like an easier option.

(Also, please don't use airport codes, it makes your post very confusing and hard to read.)

Another consideration at FCO is that the plane may not park at the terminal necessitating a bus ride, which is more time consuming. If that were the case for either one ( or both?) of the flights, your 1hr 50min really shrinks.

If buying a single ticket to Brindisi or Bari is financially unappealing, then I see the choices to be:
a) take the 350PM flight --- have a nice relaxed lunch at FCO;
b) spend the night in Rome and fly (or train) the next day.

I concur that driving that far after the overnight flight is not wise.

RyanAir is absolutely not an airline to be cutting it close to check in time with, unless you feel like buying a new ticket for later that day. They never give the benefit of the doubt.

I would suggest flying nonstop into FCO on either United Airlines or ITA Airways. Then take a train from Rome Termini to your destination.

It's the simplest way to get to your destination since there are no connecting flights.

Another thing to consider is that you may make it but your bag may not. AMS is batting .500 on mishandling my checked luggage post-COVID.

We secured a ORD-FCO round trip booking on Delta using Skymiles, a great deal at just 75,000 Skymiles and $90 in fees/taxes.

That deal would be very hard to beat, and worth a bit of difficulty to figure out the last leg to Puglia.

Would it be that unbearable to wait until the 17:00 ITA flight? Can you purchase lounge access with all the $$$ you're saving?

KLM is batting 1.000 transferring my bags - as in not losing them..