ROME AIRPORT - ARRIVAL TIME/PICKUP BY CAR SERVICE?

[Froufie]

Travelling to FCO shortly - meeting up with a friend whose flight arrives earlier than mine.

 

We are hoping to reserve a car service and I know they will ask for flight details and wait around an hour or so?  I am concerned that might not be long enough as I have heard it might take 1-1.5 hours to get off plane, go through customs/immigration and pick up luggage?  Is this true?

 

If so can we just tell the car service what time we wish to be picked up?  Instead of relying on them monitoring the flight and deciding how long to wait?

 

As well concerned about 'contact information' - I believe they ask for a cell phone number which means one of us needs to have an international plan or sim or something?  I will be on a plane and then in the airport so would they be contacting me once they know I have landed?  Is it best to give friend's number as she will already be at the airport? 

 

Any input greatly appreciated!

[euro cruiser]

A professional car service does this all the time, you just need to give them your flight information.  Unless you have some reason to believe that you will be particularly slow, much slower than the average traveler, I don't think you need to do their job for them by deciding in advance a specific pickup time.

 

Drivers aren't lone rangers, they talk to one another as well as their dispatcher.  If there is a problem at the airport causing delays for arriving passengers, they'll know about it before you do.

 

You may want to specify when you make the reservation that you will have checked bags to collect (but they will assume that for passengers coming from overseas).

Edited November 5, 2023 by euro cruiser

[CruiserBruce]

Agree. A good quality service, like recommended here, will track your flight and knows when to be there.

[cruisemom42]

They also know to allow around an hour after landing for passengers to clear passport control, get luggage, etc.

 

Just be sure you both give them the LATER time of arrival, whether that's your flight or your friend's.

 

They likely wouldn't try to contact you until the later flight has landed since they won't know about the earlier one. You and your friend should decide which phone number to share.