Rome airport (instead of Barcelona), airline, city safety, etc

[phabric]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Its a Hilton in the airport. Not a Hilton Garden Inn. The Hilton Garden Inn is a couple miles away.

Correct it was a Hilton Rome Airport

[waterbug123]

On 10/5/2020 at 6:56 PM, Tapi said:

I wholeheartedly agree with giving yourself plenty of time at the FCO airport. When I planned this trip, our ship was scheduled to return to Civitavecchia at 7:00am, so I thought that a 12:25pm flight back to Atlanta would be prudent. 
 

Well, first the airline changed our flight to 11:15am a few weeks prior to our cruise. Still, I thought I had plenty of time. But then our ship’s return time was changed to 8:00am. Now I barely had 3 hours for the 45 minute drive to the airport, check in, and go through security and customs.

 

 

 

Just nitpicking, but with few exceptions (and flying from Rome to the US isn't one of them) you don't clear customs when departing a country; you clear upon entry.   You may go through passport control (exit immigration) but you don't clear customs.

[Tapi]

22 minutes ago, waterbug123 said:

 

Just nitpicking, but with few exceptions (and flying from Rome to the US isn't one of them) you don't clear customs when departing a country; you clear upon entry.   You may go through passport control (exit immigration) but you don't clear customs.

You’re correct. Not customs, but passport control is what I should’ve written.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

Many good suggestions on this thread.  I just copied whole thing. Thanks so much.

When it gets closer, think we will book flights thru EZair.  Yes we fly out of SFO.

I like the idea of taking Princ transportation on return to FCO that includes a tour. 

Either arriving FCO plenty of time for return flight, or stay at the airport Hilton.

Does anyone else have Global Entry?  Did it help at all, to speed thru return?

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

Many good suggestions on this thread.  I just copied whole thing. Thanks so much.

When it gets closer, think we will book flights thru EZair.  Yes we fly out of SFO.

I like the idea of taking Princ transportation on return to FCO that includes a tour. 

Either arriving FCO plenty of time for return flight, or stay at the airport Hilton.

Does anyone else have Global Entry?  Did it help at all, to speed thru return?

 

 

Global Entry absolutely speeds you through Immigration and Customs on the way home. Definitely will never leave home without it.

 

Have you looked at the Italy board? I would never recommend a Princess tour for your disembarking situation. Far better to do a private tour.

[bennybear]

18 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Global Entry absolutely speeds you through Immigration and Customs on the way home. Definitely will never leave home without it.

 

Have you looked at the Italy board? I would never recommend a Princess tour for your disembarking situation. Far better to do a private tour.

Do you mean for North American customs and immigration?   I’m not familiar with it’s use in Italy.  

[CruiserBruce]

27 minutes ago, bennybear said:

Do you mean for North American customs and immigration?   I’m not familiar with it’s use in Italy.  

I am not aware of current situation in Italy. Being a "known traveler " can help entering in a lot of countries (UK, for example), but not sure about Italy.

 

Note I said "on the way home". I was referring to entering the US.

[bennybear]

6 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

I am not aware of current situation in Italy. Being a "known traveler " can help entering in a lot of countries (UK, for example), but not sure about Italy.

 

Note I said "on the way home". I was referring to entering the US.

Thanks.  We find it very worthwhile too.   Just didn’t want to miss something as Italy either works very well or not.  

[iancal]

One thing about the FCO Hilton Airport.....they sometimes have walk in rates that are well below internet rates.   And sometimes they even have a banner outside advertising it.    Check that walk in rate when you go in.  If it is better than your reservation, cancel the former and pick up the walk in rate!

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by iancal

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, iancal said:

One thing about the FCO Hilton Airport.....they sometimes have walk in rates that are well below internet rates.   And sometimes they even have a banner outside advertising it.    Check that walk in rate when you go in.  If it is better than your reservation, cancel the former and pick up the walk in rate!

 

Hilton doesn't allow you to cancel at the least minute. Currently, they are allowing canceling at 24 hours. It has been longer pre-Covid.

[CalLuvsCrusingToo]

Even though good old Princess has changed our itinerary, this is a worthwhile thread for us, and thank you.

We may actually use Rome airport Hilton when we Arrive.  I like walkin rate idea, if I have the guts to try that. lol

Our cruise itinerary has changed and we are now Arriving in Rome, but departing in Barcelona. 😲

 

[bennybear]

22 hours ago, CalLuvsCrusingToo said:

Even though good old Princess has changed our itinerary, this is a worthwhile thread for us, and thank you.

We may actually use Rome airport Hilton when we Arrive.  I like walkin rate idea, if I have the guts to try that. lol

Our cruise itinerary has changed and we are now Arriving in Rome, but departing in Barcelona. 😲

 

We’ve stayed at the airport Hilton three times in the last couple of years.  Judging by the lineups at times,  I wouldn’t chance it.   

[Hlitner]

We have had Global Entry for years.  Many folks have a misunderstanding.  When flying from Europe (or just about anywhere) to the USA your GE does not have any impact until you actually land in the USA (there are some exceptions for a few Canadian airports and some in the Caribbean where you clear US immigration prior to departure).  The only time GE is helpful is after you land at a US Port of entry and are working your way though immigration and customs.

 

So to answer the question about does it help my answer would be "sometimes."  In many cases we have moved through immigration very quickly with our Global Entry only to find ourselves waiting and waiting for our luggage (you need this before clearing Customs or rechecking for a domestic flight).  So getting through immigration in 10 minutes is not too helpful when you wait another 30 minutes for luggage.  By that time most of the folks who did not have GE have caught up.

 

GE is great if you return to the USA with no checked luggage :).

 

GE is also helpful at a very few USA cruise ports....primarily Port Everglades and sometimes Port of Miami.  

 

Hank

[FlyerTalker]

22 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

GE is great if you return to the USA with no checked luggage :).

 

You also get priority for leaving the customs area.  Grab the checked bags and head for the GE exit portal.  No lines in my experience.

[Hlitner]

1 hour ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

You also get priority for leaving the customs area.  Grab the checked bags and head for the GE exit portal.  No lines in my experience.

That has been hit and miss for us depending on the airport and luck.  2 of the last 3 times we have entered through ATL there has been no special line or priority at Customs.  The normal procedure is that after clearing immigration you pick up your luggage from a carousel and then pass through a Customs line before rechecking luggage for domestic.  But those customs lines have generally not had a special line for GE.  Last March it was even worse at DFW when we came into the USA from Mexico.  COVID was on everyone's mind but nobody was taking real precautions.  Once we picked up our luggage we were crammed into a long line to get through Customs and many of the folks around us had just flown in a flight from Madrid where they had waited for days for a flight to get away from a hot COVID zone in Europe.  We were mixed with those folks (where we were in Mexico had no know COVID at that time) and there was no social distancing, masks, etc.  When we finally got home later that night DW and I quarantined ourselves for 2 weeks hoping that we had been lucky (we were). 

 

Hank