Earliest flight time departing Rome FCO?

[HRHMadonna]

Would appreciate your experience & recommendations RE: the earliest flight time out of Rome (FCO).

 

Our Princess ship arrives Civitavecchia at 6 AM on a Saturday morning. Since we recently spent a week in Rome, we are thinking about hiring a private car and going directly from Civitavecchia along the coast the 56 miles (90 km) to Rome's FCO airport.

 

What has been your experience with early flights out of FCO? Also, I've read that one should allow 3 hours for international check-in at FCO -- Is that about right in your experience?

 

I realize that there can always be unexpected delays...In the past, we have always strictly followed the cruise line's recommendations RE: flight times. However, we have found what Princess says and does to be very inconsistant. On one cruise, Princess told us "no departing flights before 1 PM", yet many passengers with Princess air left the ship early for 11 AM flights back to the states. In another case, Princess told us "nothing before 1 PM" and yet many Princess air cruisers were booked on 9:40 AM flights.

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Madonna

[Fblack]

I am on the Equinox in September. They say it arrives at 4:00AM. Celebrity is telling passengers no flights before 10AM with a ships transfers. I have a 10:40AM flight and have a private driver meeting us at 6:50AM. I know of people with 9:40AM and 10:00AM flights. But Princess is telling you it arrives at 6:00AM. For me, I probably would not take a flight before noon. And then I would arrange for a private driver. They cost about 120 to 130 Euros.

[CintiPam]

It is recommended by most to arrive about two hours before your flight out of FCO, particularly because of the extra terminal for security, etc. before being transported to your departure terminal, where the lines can be long.

 

We arrived two hours early before our return flight from FCO last month, and we had plenty of time to enjoy the ridiculous shops in the new terminal, all the "Gucci, Pucci", as my spouse calls it, that one could want, but not a single place to purchase a newspaper or a magazine! Isn't that weird? There is a bookstore, but no magazines or newspapers anywhere.

[Hlitner]

We have often recommended that passengers not book flights before 11 am. Some have done 10 am flights, but that means you need to be out of the port by 7 which is a bit risky.

 

Hank

[cruisemom42]

 

We arrived two hours early before our return flight from FCO last month, and we had plenty of time to enjoy the ridiculous shops in the new terminal, all the "Gucci, Pucci", as my spouse calls it, that one could want, but not a single place to purchase a newspaper or a magazine! Isn't that weird? There is a bookstore, but no magazines or newspapers anywhere.

 

....but plenty of places to buy an espresso!

[cberge]

We have often recommended that passengers not book flights before 11 am. Some have done 10 am flights, but that means you need to be out of the port by 7 which is a bit risky.

 

Hank

I do so agree.I have never figured out why someone feels they have to be off the ship in the early AM to make an early flight when they can maybe go a few hours later and not feel so rushed and if anything goes wrong it can create a nightmare.If one is not used to FCO is can be daunting at best if you get in the wrong line.I have written this before and I know people want to get going and go home,but the 11 am rule is a good one.Just MHO.

[BurBunny]

Depends on where you're heading. If you live on the east coast, or even as far west as Dallas or Chicago, you can take a mid-afternoon flight and still make it home same day. Those of us farther west have to take the late-morning flights so that we don't overnight somewhere.

[Keith1010]

I would recommend a flight closer to Noon.

 

You need to check in for your flight two hours before. Also, allow an hour to get to the airport. You'll probably make it in less time than that but have the pad.

 

This airport is one of the more chaotic airports. You'll see that first hand when you arrive there for your pre cruise.

 

Have a wonderful time.

 

Keith

[readytocruise2009]

I do so agree.I have never figured out why someone feels they have to be off the ship in the early AM to make an early flight when they can maybe go a few hours later and not feel so rushed and if anything goes wrong it can create a nightmare.If one is not used to FCO is can be daunting at best if you get in the wrong line.I have written this before and I know people want to get going and go home,but the 11 am rule is a good one.Just MHO.

 

Because it might be the only flight of the day that will connect them properly and they can't wait another day. What do you think ????

[CintiPam]

Because it might be the only flight of the day that will connect them properly and they can't wait another day. What do you think ????

 

Hey, calm down. Karen lives on the East Coast near a major airport so simply did not consider this issue. No reason to get so excited.:)

[FTLcruisers]

And some of us have no choice. We originally booked a flight on Continental leaving Rome around 1:30 PM -- well, guess what - with all the changes going on with airlines (eliminating/consolidating flights) we now have a 9:50 AM flight with non-refundable tickets. So, we're not happy but we are dealing with it by getting off the ship early and using a private driver to get to the airport - found some folks to share the ride and cut the cost.

[cberge]

Because it might be the only flight of the day that will connect them properly and they can't wait another day. What do you think ????

Whoa...geeesh..then take the flight...I never meant there were no exceptions,but then again(playing the Devi's advocate here) what if the ONLY flight was booked and something went wrong re getting to the airport on time and it was missed because it was booked to early//All kinds of scenario's when traveling...no need to yell.

[cberge]

Hey, calm down. Karen lives on the East Coast near a major airport so simply did not consider this issue. No reason to get so excited.:)

Hey thanx...BUT I didn't always live where I do now,but when traveling to Europe (and it used to be a lot different back in the day),but things did still go wrong then with connections etc.planning with THAT in mind always seemed easier when disaster struck.With the airlines now even getting into an area with 3 major airports can sometimes be daunting:D.Guess my reply was not a good one:eek:

[Hlitner]

And some of us have no choice. We originally booked a flight on Continental leaving Rome around 1:30 PM -- well, guess what - with all the changes going on with airlines (eliminating/consolidating flights) we now have a 9:50 AM flight with non-refundable tickets. So, we're not happy but we are dealing with it by getting off the ship early and using a private driver to get to the airport - found some folks to share the ride and cut the cost.

 

Ouch! We have had similar experiences with the airlines :( I would make two suggestions beyond booking the private transfer (a very smart move). Make sure you document the fact that the airline changed your departure time and take copies on your trip in case you miss your flight (you can than try to get another flight with no penalty...and document everything so you can fight with the airline when you get home). My 2nd suggestion is that you carry your own luggage off the ship. Most of the cruise lines now have disembarkation schemes where they will allow passengers to take their own luggage off the ship and get the earliest departure time. While others are waiting for their luggage to be off-loaded and sorted you will be on your way to FCO.

 

Hank

[catoro]

Hi We have a 9:45am flight out of Rome. If we get off the ship at 6:00am will we make it in time for our flight? What type of transportation would you recommend. This is our first trip out of Rome. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Carole

[cberge]

Hi We have a 9:45am flight out of Rome. If we get off the ship at 6:00am will we make it in time for our flight? What type of transportation would you recommend. This is our first trip out of Rome. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Carole

As you can see I get in trouble when I answer questions sometimes...but here goes.Your ship may dock at 6 am(if it docks ealier than probably no problem),but that does not mean you can get off right then as it has to clear customs etc.and it may take sometime..call the cruiseline and see what time they think you can disembark and if there is any special thing you can do like keeping your own luggage and taking with you as opposed to putting it put night before,and if they is a special way of getting off first as line's do differ.When all that is said and one hire a private pick-up service to meet you at the ship as soon as you can get off and head for the airport.Try TomeCabs as it seems to be a favorite of a lot of people on the board.You really need to be there at least 2 1/2 hours before your flight(and I say this as the airport can be confusing) so you can judge your time.Maybe someone else will have a better reply,but I thought I would take a stab at it.I would have said not to book flight to early,but then I would really be in trouble again:D:D. Good luck and have a great crsuie.

[nparmelee]

FCO is tough, there are days when people on a 10:00 am-ish flight say it takes them almost 2 hours to get checked in and that they were afraid they'd miss their flights because everything just took so long and other days where people with a similar flight time get through and 2 hours is more than plenty for them. Weekends would definitely be better for pushing your luck on the timing than weekdays because of road traffic, but if there is any traffic at all, and it is pretty common for Italian roads to have traffic for no apparent reason and at all hours, you might be cursing and stressed out before you even get to the airport. Then there are the potential delays in just getting off the ship. On the other hand, the gamble could pay off, the ship could dock early and clear the port authority quickly, you manage to be some of the first people off the ship, and traffic is light and everything works out. If you really must push those early gamble flight options, make sure you have back up plans either for later possible flights or for a possible overnight stay. That means also looking at possible later flights that at least get you a lot closer to home if you really must get back asap.

[Terpnut]

Hi We have a 9:45am flight out of Rome. If we get off the ship at 6:00am will we make it in time for our flight? What type of transportation would you recommend. This is our first trip out of Rome. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Carole

You can probably do it if:

1. You get off the ship early and by no later than 7 am. The ship will probably not debark passengers right at 6 am. Consider traveling light and carrying off all your luggage yourself.

2. You pre-book your private transfer and leave right away.

3. You don't encounter any traffic on the normally 45 min drive from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino.

4. You are very relaxed and don't get easily stressed over the super tight timeline with no margin for error.

 

:)

Edited September 16, 2009 by Terpnut

[globetrecker]

Would appreciate your experience & recommendations RE: the earliest flight time out of Rome (FCO).

 

Our Princess ship arrives Civitavecchia at 6 AM on a Saturday morning. Since we recently spent a week in Rome, we are thinking about hiring a private car and going directly from Civitavecchia along the coast the 56 miles (90 km) to Rome's FCO airport.

 

What has been your experience with early flights out of FCO? Also, I've read that one should allow 3 hours for international check-in at FCO -- Is that about right in your experience?

 

I realize that there can always be unexpected delays...In the past, we have always strictly followed the cruise line's recommendations RE: flight times. However, we have found what Princess says and does to be very inconsistant. On one cruise, Princess told us "no departing flights before 1 PM", yet many passengers with Princess air left the ship early for 11 AM flights back to the states. In another case, Princess told us "nothing before 1 PM" and yet many Princess air cruisers were booked on 9:40 AM flights.

 

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Madonna

 

When we flew out of Rome I believe the earliest flights were around 8 AM.

[Terpnut]

When we flew out of Rome I believe the earliest flights were around 8 AM.

Try even earlier: my parents had a 6:40 am flight out of FCO and they weren't even the first flight out! Edited September 17, 2009 by Terpnut

[catoro]

As you can see I get in trouble when I answer questions sometimes...but here goes.Your ship may dock at 6 am(if it docks ealier than probably no problem),but that does not mean you can get off right then as it has to clear customs etc.and it may take sometime..call the cruiseline and see what time they think you can disembark and if there is any special thing you can do like keeping your own luggage and taking with you as opposed to putting it put night before,and if they is a special way of getting off first as line's do differ.When all that is said and one hire a private pick-up service to meet you at the ship as soon as you can get off and head for the airport.Try TomeCabs as it seems to be a favorite of a lot of people on the board.You really need to be there at least 2 1/2 hours before your flight(and I say this as the airport can be confusing) so you can judge your time.Maybe someone else will have a better reply,but I thought I would take a stab at it.I would have said not to book flight to early,but then I would really be in trouble again:D:D. Good luck and have a great crsuie.

Karen-thanks for your input. We actually dock at 4:00am and I'm hoping that they will let us off the ship by 6am. So I think we will hire a private car and hopefully that will get us to the airport with time to spare

Carole

[skiiergirl]

I am on the Equinox in September. They say it arrives at 4:00AM. Celebrity is telling passengers no flights before 10AM with a ships transfers. I have a 10:40AM flight and have a private driver meeting us at 6:50AM. I know of people with 9:40AM and 10:00AM flights. But Princess is telling you it arrives at 6:00AM. For me, I probably would not take a flight before noon. And then I would arrange for a private driver. They cost about 120 to 130 Euros.

 

How did your 10:40 flight work out? What time did you get off of the ship?

[Keith1010]

For those considering earlier flights remember that while some might have gotten off the ship early others might not been so fortunate. Whatever you do factor in time for the ship arriving to port a little later than planned, that it might take you a little extra time to find your luggage, one hour to get to the airport and if you flight is international that you need to get there two hours before.

 

I have been to this port of call many times and I have seen things work perfectly well and things not go as planned.

 

Keith

[shemp2000]

And some of us have no choice. We originally booked a flight on Continental leaving Rome around 1:30 PM -- well, guess what - with all the changes going on with airlines (eliminating/consolidating flights) we now have a 9:50 AM flight with non-refundable tickets. So, we're not happy but we are dealing with it by getting off the ship early and using a private driver to get to the airport - found some folks to share the ride and cut the cost.

 

We had Delta flights at 11AM a couple of years ago that were non-refundable. Between the time we booked the flights and took the cruise, Delta changed the departure time to 9AM. We simple called them and explained what was going on and they rebooked us on a later flight for no additional fee.

 

Give your airline a call, they might just help you out.

[Liz goodwill]

You can probably do it if:

1. You get off the ship early and by no later than 7 am. The ship will probably not debark passengers right at 6 am. Consider traveling light and carrying off all your luggage yourself.

2. You pre-book your private transfer and leave right away.

3. You don't encounter any traffic on the normally 45 min drive from Civitavecchia to Fiumicino.

4. You are very relaxed and don't get easily stressed over the super tight timeline with no margin for error.

 

:)

 

tHANKS FOR THE INFO, i TOO HAVE A 9:45 FLIGHT. Celebrity docks at 5am I need to be off with my bags by 7am. I have private transportation and I have been to Rome and the airport many times. I am not easily stressed. I also speak a little Italian. NOW, My husband is the opposite...worried