How early is too early for flight home?

[getaway101]

Looking at flights from Rome to DC after a cruise. Do you think 10:50 a.m. is too early when Princess has nothing before 11:15 a.m.? It is a Wednesday. Is private transportation faster than Princess transfers?:confused:

[mellon1]

Looking at flights from Rome to DC after a cruise. Do you think 10:50 a.m. is too early when Princess has nothing before 11:15 a.m.? It is a Wednesday. Is private transportation faster than Princess transfers?:confused:

 

I posted this question awhile back. Our flight was early too. After getting feedback from the people who know best on this site, we are staying over a night in Ft. L and heading out the next day. A lot can happen out of the cruise line's control with custom's etc. Sorry, I know this is not the answer you wanted to hear. I knew the answer but was hoping to get a different response on the site here. They call it like it is. You really don't want to be rushed or pressured that last day to ruin your wonderful vacation.

[GUT2407]

Depends what time you dock, but there may be a good reason Princess first is 11:15.........

[pris993]

Looking at flights from Rome to DC after a cruise. Do you think 10:50 a.m. is too early when Princess has nothing before 11:15 a.m.? It is a Wednesday. Is private transportation faster than Princess transfers?:confused:

 

We always book a flight after 1 pm... even though we get a private transfer which to answer your question is quicker... you can ask to be off the ship by a specific time if you are using a private transfer. We do.

 

Screening at Terminal 5 where flights to USA leave from is more intensive, 3 different levels of screening.

 

Drive from port to airport is about 1 hour.

 

Even if the ship gets in port early, ship does not control what time dock crews starts... I can recall waiting at 7:30 am for departures to begin. we had a private car waiting...

 

missing a flight these days is not fun, not may airlines have emplty seats on later flights anymore.

 

When we can't get an later light, we either stay in Rome for a night at the Hilton Hotel at the airport, which has a free shuttle in to Rome for sight seeing or fly to Paris for the day and get a flight back to the USA later.

[elliair]

I can give you advice on the Princess transfer, DON'T DO IT! You will be waiting in a lounge waiting to board the bus. Handicapped boards first, then you're waiting on the bus for it to be filled. Get your own transportation to the airport. I will never do a Princess transfer again. I'm not familiar with flying from Rome to DC, others will know.

[shredie]

It's a long ride from the ship to the airport.

[easyboy]

Looking at flights from Rome to DC after a cruise. Do you think 10:50 a.m. is too early when Princess has nothing before 11:15 a.m.? It is a Wednesday. Is private transportation faster than Princess transfers?:confused:

Yes, private transportation is faster since it takes off once you board, unlike Princess transfer. Your planned flight time seems too early considering the approx. 60 min travel time from port to airport.

[LeeW]

Last time we were in Rome (Civitavecchia is the port), we got off the ship in first walkoffs at around 8, took a private transfer and were at the airport at 9. As pris993 says, you check in at the airline, are screened, get on a bus to a different terminal and are screened again. Takes a LONG time - nearly two hours for us. We actually stayed overnight near the airport, so this was over two days - we wanted to take the train down to Pompeii - but allow lots of time. Yes, the transfer runs around 130 Euros.

[Corfe Mixture]

Security can be slow at all major airports in Europe, particularly at terminals which serve flights to the USA and early morning queues of up to 40mins to clear security at FCO are reportedly not uncommon. Furthermore, if your aircraft is at T3, they will still check you in at T5 and, after clearing security they will bus you from T5 to T3 where you then have to clear security for a second time.

 

Also, one of the funny things about FCO is that it does not open until 07.00 and nothing seems to happen until 08.00 when the staff start to arrive which tends to make the queues worse between 08.00 and 09.00.

 

You will need to check with your airline as each airline has its own policy/rules, but arriving two hours before the flight should give you ample, but not excessive, time. On this basis you should aim to be at the airport by 08.50, by which time the early bottleneck at security should be clearing.

 

The journey to the airport takes around one hour, but you will be making it during the rush hour, which means being in your private transport and on your way to the airport by around 07.30, so it really depends on how quick you can get off the ship. You probably won't make it if you use a ship's transfer and, in any event, knowing that you have a tight timescale, you will find sitting on the bus for ten minutes very stressful.

 

Check out this link for a discussion on the subject of checking in at FCO

 

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/rome-airport-should-i-arrive-more-than-2-hours-early.cfm

Edited September 23, 2016 by Corfe Mixture

[sunsetbeachgal]

To me that sounds very early, even with a private transfer. I'm sure whether you use Princess air or not, they provide guidelines about flight times. On our flight home from Amsterdam this summer there were several security/passport checkpoints all with lines in addition to the long slow moving line to check baggage. The process took quite awhile.

 

I would not want to end my trip stressing over missing a flight or worse yet miss the flight and have to deal with that!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Edited September 23, 2016 by sunsetbeachgal

[getaway101]

Well, scratch that idea :rolleyes: Thank you everyone for the advice. It was most helpful.

[Rustybuttons123]

Why rush to the airport? Well unless you have to but you might want to rent a car and do some touring for at least a few days, then fly home. I've driven around that area a lot, lots of Etruscan sites, also interesting and not too far are Pitigliano, Bagnoregio and Orvieto.

[notentirelynormal]

We too had an early flight. We had a private driver waiting. We docked. Then because it had rained the night there was a huge puddle at the bottom of the ramp. Pulled it up. Moved the ship. Put it down again. We kind of pushed to the front of the line. Our luggage just happened to be 'right there' when we got off. We grabbed it, through it in the car, drove to the airport, got in line, went through security, took the bus, waited 10 minutes, got in line, went through security then got to the airplane.

 

We were very lucky to make it.

[getaway101]

Why rush to the airport? Well unless you have to but you might want to rent a car and do some touring for at least a few days, then fly home. I've driven around that area a lot, lots of Etruscan sites, also interesting and not too far are Pitigliano, Bagnoregio and Orvieto.

 

We will have already been gone for 28 days.

 

We too had an early flight. We had a private driver waiting. We docked. Then because it had rained the night there was a huge puddle at the bottom of the ramp. Pulled it up. Moved the ship. Put it down again. We kind of pushed to the front of the line. Our luggage just happened to be 'right there' when we got off. We grabbed it, through it in the car, drove to the airport, got in line, went through security, took the bus, waited 10 minutes, got in line, went through security then got to the airplane.

 

We were very lucky to make it.

 

Yeah I think we will nix that idea. So let me try to get this straight....You have to check in to the airport and go through security then get on a bus and do it all over again? :confused:

[Corfe Mixture]

.........So let me try to get this straight....You have to check in to the airport and go through security then get on a bus and do it all over again? :confused:

 

Correct. T5 is a satellite check-in terminal for T3 and is exclusively (I think) for flights to the US operated by US carriers and flights to Israel operated by El Al. There are no gates at T5 and after checking in you get bussed to T3 where your aircraft will be waiting for you.

 

In accordance with security requirements all passengers must be security cleared before they can enter the airside area of terminal and this includes transfer passengers arriving from another terminal. As a result, you will need to clear security at T5 before you can get to the transfer bus and again, after getting off the bus, before you enter T3.

 

This is necessary to guard against the risk of someone taking something onto the aircraft which was passed to them after they cleared security.

[SadieN]

We've been asked, at least twice, to put all electronics and electrical components together for screening ala 311 bag when traveling thru T5. The Romans believe that 1.5 hours is sufficient time. YMMV