Average plane ticket ATl to Venice

[Travel luv]

Hello,

 

For those of you that have travelled to Venice from the Atlanta area, can you give me an idea of what you paid for airfare. The current airline tickets are fairly high, so I'm debating if I should go ahead and purchase or wait. We are about 8 months out, so we still have time to monitor. I just need a general idea of what is a good price. Thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

Don't know what you consider "high" but for some random dates in September, I am seeing just under $1100, which is pretty good for Venice. As discussed here often, Venice is a pretty expensive airport to get to.

[cruisemom42]

Last year when I was pricing flights from Venice to ATL (part of an open jaw ticket), I found the total ticket price increased by about $450 compared with a nonstop flight from Rome to Atlanta as the last leg ($1150 vs $1600). For that price, I booked via Rome and took the train from Venice. The difference in price paid for the train plus two nights in a nice hotel in Rome. ;)

[-Lew-]

You don't mention whether you're looking for OW or RT airfare or your travel date(s). I'm seeing OW fares starting at about $735 on September 15th ±3 days on some consolidator sites.

 

My personal experience is that 20-24 weeks out is usually the best time to purchase international flights.

 

Lew

[CruiserBruce]

Last year when I was pricing flights from Venice to ATL (part of an open jaw ticket), I found the total ticket price increased by about $450 compared with a nonstop flight from Rome to Atlanta as the last leg ($1150 vs $1600). For that price, I booked via Rome and took the train from Venice. The difference in price paid for the train plus two nights in a nice hotel in Rome. ;)

 

I agree. We are going to Italy in June (land tour). The original plan was SFO-Rome, then back out of Venice. But the airfare was $5-600 higher per person, coming back out of Venice, so we made ours a round trip out of Rome, and are training in and out of Venice.

 

So, as mentioned above, Venice is an expensive airport to fly to.

[Travel luv]

We will be flying out in August (August 15th to be exact). We would prefer a direct flight, however I'm strongly considering a connection if I have to.

 

I've been monitoring direct flights on delta and they are around $1945 RT.

 

I was hoping to pay something closer to $1100-$1300 .

[Travel luv]

I agree. We are going to Italy in June (land tour). The original plan was SFO-Rome, then back out of Venice. But the airfare was $5-600 higher per person, coming back out of Venice, so we made ours a round trip out of Rome, and are training in and out of Venice.

 

So, as mentioned above, Venice is an expensive airport to fly to.

 

Is it easy to travel by train from Rome? Can you give me a general idea of how long of a ride it would be and general cost? I'm not that familiar with travel to this area. We also have limited time to work with due to our work schedules. We had planned to stay one day pre-cruise in Venice.

[euro cruiser]

There probably isn't going to be much variation in the price of a one-way fare from Atlanta to Venice as there's no competition for the route, it's just the one Delta/Alitalia code share.

 

You could look at direct flights to FCO (Rome) or MXP (Milan) followed by train trips, but I think that the price difference isn't going to be enough to justify the extra time or hassle, since as far as I can see the only direct flights to Italy from Atlanta are all Delta/Alitalia. Watch the prices, but my guess is that they don't vary as much as on routes where there is competition.

 

If you can see your way to a connecting flight you'll have many more options. Take a look at US Air, direct to Venice from Philadelphia, or many others with one stop in Europe prior to Venice. I use itasoftware to check options and prices (matrix.itasoftware.com).

 

Train fares range like plane fares, depending on class of service, speed of train, and when you purchase the ticket. On the Rome to Venice line it can range from a super economy fare of 29 Euro in second class to a full fare first class ticket at 109 Euro.

 

Best case by train from Rome, for example, including the cost of getting from the airport to the train station (anywhere from 4 Euro per person by bus to 48 Euro for two by taxi) as well as the train fare, would be 33 Euro each (about $46).

[CathyCruises]

I always check matrix dot itasoftware dot com for flight prices. It is not a travel agency, just has the best range of prices and options that I've seen. I've always been able to get just about the same prices for open jaw as r/t.

 

I just checked SFO to VCE, it was about $1100; various options for stops. Worth a look.

[CruiserBruce]

Agree with eurocruiser, and the train trip is about 3 1/2 hours.

[Travel luv]

Ok, great! I appreciate everyone's advice. I will continue to explore my options and go from there. We are lucky to have some miles to work with so this will help some I guess.

 

We've gotten a bit spoiled with living in Atlanta. We are used to direct flights to most areas, and I get nervous about connecting flights due to hearing so many horror stories. The reality is there aren't many options to take if we happen to have a connector delayed or we miss it.

[Twickenham]

Ok, great! I appreciate everyone's advice. I will continue to explore my options and go from there. We are lucky to have some miles to work with so this will help some I guess.

 

We've gotten a bit spoiled with living in Atlanta. We are used to direct flights to most areas, and I get nervous about connecting flights due to hearing so many horror stories. The reality is there aren't many options to take if we happen to have a connector delayed or we miss it.

 

For us that don't live in a hub city, connecting flights are our normal. For me, a 1-connection flight is a luxury! So as long as you give yourself plenty of buffer in your connection times (I like a minimum of 2-3 hours), you should be fine.

Italy has a very efficient train system, and you can get some very good pricing if you book in advance. While Rome may be a tad far given your timing, certainly look into flights to Milan.

[euro cruiser]

We've gotten a bit spoiled with living in Atlanta. We are used to direct flights to most areas, and I get nervous about connecting flights due to hearing so many horror stories. The reality is there aren't many options to take if we happen to have a connector delayed or we miss it.

I know how you feel since I fly out of New York. Very spoiled with two international airports to choose from and a third for domestic flights.

 

Look into the US Air connection via Philadelphia. To reduce your stress you can probably get a flight in the morning to Philadelphia with a long space (nearly six hours) before the early evening (6:45 PM) direct flight to Venice.

[cruisemom42]

Ok, great! I appreciate everyone's advice. I will continue to explore my options and go from there. We are lucky to have some miles to work with so this will help some I guess.

 

We've gotten a bit spoiled with living in Atlanta. We are used to direct flights to most areas, and I get nervous about connecting flights due to hearing so many horror stories. The reality is there aren't many options to take if we happen to have a connector delayed or we miss it.

 

I'm sure everyone prefers nonstop flights, but there is usually a trade off with a higher price tag. The cost of flying out of Atlanta always seems to be higher than most of the other busy hubs. :cool:

 

If I don't want to pay the extra $$ for a nonstop to my destination in Europe, my second choice is looking for a flight where the first leg gets me to a busy airport in Europe (e.g., CDG in Paris) and then the second flight gets me to my final destination. I prefer this to making a short hop on the first flight in the US because, as you mention, there are likely fewer options should you miss that second flight....whereas at an airport like CDG there are multiple daily flights to destinations such as Rome or Venice.

 

One other word of advice: allow sufficient time for your connecting flight. What the airlines consider a "legal" connection doesn't take into account any flight delays, congestion at security checkpoints, etc. Nothing is worse than sprinting through a large airport and/or trying to explain to French security officials why you need to get through security NOW to make your flight.

[euro cruiser]

If I don't want to pay the extra $$ for a nonstop to my destination in Europe, my second choice is looking for a flight where the first leg gets me to a busy airport in Europe (e.g., CDG in Paris) and then the second flight gets me to my final destination. I prefer this to making a short hop on the first flight in the US because, as you mention, there are likely fewer options should you miss that second flight....whereas at an airport like CDG there are multiple daily flights to destinations such as Rome or Venice.

Excellent point.

[Hlitner]

We find that the most convenient direct flight to Venice (Marco Polo Airport) is the daily USAIR flight from Philadelphia. If you can find a cheap fare from ATL to PHL this might be an option....and it does avoid having to change planes anywhere in Europe.

 

Hank

[shoelover536]

I just booked ATL to Venice and Barcelona to ATL (cruise goes from VCE to BCN) using miles on Delta for September. Both nonstop flights. I checked what the price would have been - and it was 1250 per ticket.

[Travel luv]

I just booked ATL to Venice and Barcelona to ATL (cruise goes from VCE to BCN) using miles on Delta for September. Both nonstop flights. I checked what the price would have been - and it was 1250 per ticket.

 

Thanks for sharing. Was that 1250 one way or round trip. I am hoping that the direct flights on delta from Atlanta come down to around $1250 for the time that we will be traveling in August as this is a big difference.