Arrival at FCO

We are arriving at FCO airport in the morning around 7 am on United Airlines flight. First time there and so how long does it usually takes from your arrival, to the baggage claim and out of the terminal?

How long is a piece of string ? This is Italia and you roll with the punches.

FCO is an older tired airport. We have taken as little as 40 minutes to up to 2 hours to get out of the joint at the same time of the day . Guess its the phase of the moon . Also Italians love taking stopworks and snap strikes so that can stuff things up too . Again just roll with the punches, for its many faults an Italian holiday and the Italian people especially are just so magical .

Also Italians love taking stopworks and snap strikes so that can stuff things up too.

In fact, strikes and work stoppages in Italy are quite predictable as by law they must be announced in advance and published. What appears random to the uninformed traveler is not random at all.

 

In more than a dozen arrivals at FCO over the last decade or so, I'd say the average time from touch down to exiting the airport is about an hour. Sometimes a little faster, sometimes a little slower.

Like eurocruiser, my experience over the past 5 years or so has been that allowing about an hour is usually sufficient. This includes deplaning, going through passport control, and claiming luggage.

 

Of course, most flights from the US arrive at FCO in the morning, and occasionally there may be a bit of a backup. I usually try to get a seat near the front of the economy cabin, so I can be quicker getting in line for passport control.

Thank you for all the responses. The reason I'm asking is because some of the tours I may or may not get that day strictly starts on certain times and I'm afraid I may not make it in time from the airport if I pick the early tours. So I guess to be safe I should take those tours that probably starts as early as 9 am but no more earlier than that? We arrive at the FCO around 7:45 am on October 17.

 

Is there a rush hour traffic on a Friday morning there? Hopefully the drive and traffic is not bad from FCO to let's say Vatican or not sure what part of the city called in the areas around Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and/or Colosseum?

You won't be able to make a 9 AM tour if your flight arrives at 7:45, no way.

 

Even if all goes right and you get out of the airport in only 45 minutes, you can't count on making it into town in a half hour. And what would you do with your luggage?

 

Rome is the capital of the country, the largest city in Italy, and a major employment center. Of course there is traffic going into the city at 8:30 on a weekday morning!

You won't be able to make a 9 AM tour if your flight arrives at 7:45, no way.

 

Even if all goes right and you get out of the airport in only 45 minutes, you can't count on making it into town in a half hour. And what would you do with your luggage?

 

Rome is the capital of the country, the largest city in Italy, and a major employment center. Of course there is traffic going into the city at 8:30 on a weekday morning!

 

Thanks. So a tour that starts at 10 am would be more feasible then?

OP I think you need to clarify where these tours start. Are you talking about starting the tour at the FCO airport or are you thinking of a tour that starts in Rome?

 

FCO to Rome is at least an hour with a private car service.

Thanks. So a tour that starts at 10 am would be more feasible then?

 

Well, it depends. If you think it's feasible for you to get off an overnight TA flight, having crossed 9 time zones, do something with your luggage ('cause you won't be able to check in to a hotel at that time - the most you can hope for is a concierge holding your bags) and hop on a bus tour, then yes, it's probably doable. Last time I did something like that, I wanted to die by about 11 am. But I'm sure it's quite doable for some.

One note: I would strongly urge taking the train into town, rather than any vehicular transport.

OP I think you need to clarify where these tours start. Are you talking about starting the tour at the FCO airport or are you thinking of a tour that starts in Rome?

 

FCO to Rome is at least an hour with a private car service.

 

Yes a tour that starts in Rome and per my previous post either at Vatican or not sure what part of the city called in the areas around Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and/or Colosseum?

Yes a tour that starts in Rome and per my previous post either at Vatican or not sure what part of the city called in the areas around Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps and/or Colosseum?

 

You will not make it into Rome by 10:00 am unless you have a private car waiting. You do know that FCO is some distance (26 KM) from Rome? Taking the train from FCO to Rome if you can make the 9:05 train it if 35 minutes to Rome. Chances are you cannot make the 9:05 train and the next would be 9:35 and you would to Rome train station after 10:00 am. Likewise, what are you doing with language and what hotel are staying in in Rome? When does your cruise leave?

Edited April 17, 2014 by Donray

OP, you are giving us information only in bits and pieces.

 

Trying to work you through the entire arrival process, if you arrive at FCO at 7:45 am.

 

Allow an hour to get through passport control and reclaim your luggage. Then you have several options to get into Rome, depending on your preferences for cost and timing. This information from Tripadvisor lays out the basics on these options:

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g187791-c144716/Rome:Italy:To.And.From.Fco.html

 

 

On arrival, most people want to stop at their hotel and drop off luggage (even though your room may or may not be available to you yet). If your hotel is very close to Termini, the main rail station, then taking the express train may make sense time-wise IF you can make it on the 9:05 train. It takes about a half-hour. But you still have to get to your hotel from Termini, check in, drop off luggage, and get to wherever your tour starts.

 

If you have a taxi or private driver pick you up, they can take you directly to your hotel. Depending on traffic and where your hotel is located, this can take anywhere from about 40 minutes to over an hour. Best case scenario if you leave FCO at 8:45 am, you might be at your hotel at 9:30 am. Again, you still have to check in, drop off luggage, and get to the start-point of your tour.

 

I just don't think a 10:00 am start is really reasonable. It MIGHT work, but you're also likely to be stressing all morning as to whether or not it WILL work -- in addition to jet lag.

 

I would suggest that you don't plan any tour with a starting time that's set in stone until at least noon. If you are lucky and all the stars align and you get to your hotel early, spend the time walking around your hotel. Assuming you are in the Centro Storico, there is probably something near that is worth seeing, if you do a little research. (One more good reason for staying in the center....)

Edited April 17, 2014 by cruisemom42

Joining with the others - no way will you be able to get INTO Rome to do a 9am tour.

 

Sounds like you want to go to the Centro Storico part of Rome for your tour (yes, that's the part with the Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc.).

 

Like others have said, you've got to do something with your luggage…and, get to where your tour starts.

 

I honestly wouldn't pick a tour that started before noon.

Sorry for the bits and pieces :o because I don't really have a plan yet when we arrive in Rome. All I have confirmed for now is our flight that will arrive on a Friday. We have a Celebrity cruise the next day and so we would love to be able to tour as much of Rome that Friday and stay overnight at a hotel and then tour some more of Rome on the day before we depart with the ship.

 

It seems like ideally tours from RIL or RC seems like a good idea because they will offer to pick us up from the FCO, give us a tour in the morning and doesn't matter what time and take us to our hotel after the tour. Or pick us up from FCO, take us to the hotel to drop off the luggage and then on to the tour and then back to the hotel after the tour.

 

Either that or I'll just have to find a tour in the afternoon then.