| Author |
Message |
    
Janet
Citizen
Username: Janetcopeland
Post Number: 16
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 1:08 pm: | 
|
I'm planning an April trip to Prague (where eldest son is studying for the semester- yay!), with a couple of days in Budapest at the end. The routing on Alitalia (which has the best rates and flight times at this point) has just 45 minutes in the Rome airport between flights on the way home. Both flights arrive in/depart from Terminal C.
Does anyone have any experience going through this terminal? Is 45 minutes ludicrous? It's a great flight if it works, as it gets us back in Newark at 1:30 pm. There is a back-up if we miss it, which will require an additional flight to Milan and then to EWR, getting in around 6:00 pm.
|
doulamomma
Citizen
Username: Doulamomma
Post Number: 935
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 1:20 pm: |
|
Hi,
I can't recall if it was in Milan or Rome (also on was Alitalia), but I had to change planes & there was another point of check-in with security (but I was pregnant, so they rubbed my belly appreciatively & waved me on...noone else in my familywas pregnant,however, so it was a bit stressful time-wise, but we made it) - is there a travel agent with whom you can check? |
Miss L Toe
Citizen
Username: Miss_l_toe
Post Number: 453
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 1:30 pm: |
|
That's a pretty tight connection, especially if the flight from Prague is delayed....it's possible that you could make it bu (if you're in economy class though it will take you longer to get off the plane from Prague). However, if you're checking in baggage it might not make the onward flight to EWR and may have to be forwarded on a later flight....ask the check-in staff to label your cases with priority tags.
I would phone Alitalia and ask their advice. |
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 1476
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 1:31 pm: |
|
I take it you're coming in to Da Vinci. In my experience, ( I fly in and out of a number of European airports about 20 times a year), 45 minutes is cutting it very thin. If your inbound flight to Rome is delayed, you're almost out of luck.
In any case the airport takes a bit of navigating to find your way from gate to gate.
I'm candidly surprised that your travel agent would book you with such a short transfer period, unless the flights are in contiguous gates (which just about never happens).
By the way, if you haven't been to Budapest, you're in for a treat: wonderful city. IMHO.
Are you sure there aren't cheap flights either direct to Prague or through Frankfurt, Munich, Copenhagen, or Paris? The route you're taking seems a bit cumbersome.
|
Old Toad
Citizen
Username: Skewer1
Post Number: 9
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 1:33 pm: |
|
it's not a huge airport. however, Shouln't be that risky.
Was shocked the last time I went to Rome (2 years ago) from NYC: believe it or not, we did not see one official there(no stamping of passports, etc). It felt like a bus station. |
Janet
Citizen
Username: Janetcopeland
Post Number: 17
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 2:15 pm: |
|
I'm not using a travel agent....should I be? Since the advent of the internet, I've always planned my own trips.
This itinerary is from Orbitz; Expedia and Travelocity show the same thing. However, I just checked the Alitalia site, which does not have that itinerary - which is probably not a great sign! |
oots
Citizen
Username: Oots
Post Number: 362
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 4:27 pm: |
|
Is your flight soon? Last week I heard that they were on strike or a strike was pending. Good luck!
oots |
Miss L Toe
Citizen
Username: Miss_l_toe
Post Number: 455
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 6:26 pm: |
|
I don't know what price you got with Alitalia...but another route which is unlikely to come up on Orbitz/Expedia/Travelocity is a combination of a national carrier and a budget European airline:
Check out these ideas: fly to Gatwick airport in London with Continental from Newark, then take an Easyjet budget flight also from Gatwick to/from Budapest:
http://www.easyjet.com
Or you could fly into London Heathrow (British Airways and Virgin Atlantic flies there from Newark) then take a BMI Baby (BMI = British Midland Airways)flight to Prague:
http://www.bmibaby.com
If you are adventurous enough to try getting around by train - here is some info:
http://www.seat61.com (see column on the left).
And you will just not believe this...but the Irish-owned budget airline, 'Ryanair' actually has *free* flights to certain destinations in Europe and others which cost just a few pennies (from UK and Ireland to mainland Europe). I flew with them to Rome last Summer and they were no-frills but fine.
http://www.ryanair.com
|
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 1477
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 6:42 pm: |
|
ryanair is stunningly good, consistent, and always on time. The fact that it's efficient and Irish doesn't mean a thing (ahem!).
Go EIRE and up the Dubs! |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 1881
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 7:00 pm: |
|
Yeah but on ryanair you have to get out on the wings and flap for yourself .... ;-)
(or so the joke goes ... never flown on them myself, I will admit) |
Innisowen
Citizen
Username: Innisowen
Post Number: 1479
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 7:11 pm: |
|
CLK: not so. But the fares are so low that if they asked me to get out and flap my arms around, I'd do it in a nanosecond.
I flew Ryanair from Dublin to Paris for about US$18 a year ago. For that small amount of bucks, I'd even get out and help with push-back. |
CLK
Supporter
Username: Clkelley
Post Number: 1882
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - 7:34 pm: |
|
I'm pretty sure I saw that fare when I was looking into where to spend our vacation this year. It was tempting - we go to Ireland every summer anyway. I think the lowest I saw was 18 Euro, Dublin-Paris-Dublin. Ended up not happening for other reasons though.
So you're right - they are unbeatable value, beyond question. |
Cubeless
Citizen
Username: Cubey
Post Number: 280
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:09 am: |
|
I just flew through Rome connecting to Turin. I had a 50 minute connection and I literally ran from my arrival gate to my Alitalia flight. There were 2 security checkpoints with only one agent working. I was also stopped by 2 plain clothes police officers who questioned me briefly. My flight departed at 9:00 and I got to the gate at 8:57...luckily they held the plane for me. I think they only did that because they already had my luggage loaded on the plane. It was stressful and I wouldn't do a connection that tight if I had to do it again. My 2 cents.
|
AntoninaKC
Citizen
Username: Antoninakc
Post Number: 168
Registered: 5-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 8:48 pm: |
|
RyanAir and EasyJet are fabulous airlines.. so cheap! I think I paid less than 50 bucks (not euros) for round trip from paris to barcelona. Only difference I noted between airlines like those and regular ones is the lack of in flight meals. |
kathleen
Citizen
Username: Symbolic
Post Number: 452
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2006 - 6:09 pm: |
|
Janet,
There are two airports in Rome, Fiumicino and Rome Ciampino. I'm assuming you are talking about Fiumicino, so if you are still looking for advice, I would say that is too tight a connection, and wouldn't even consider it if you are checking in any luggage, unless you don't care if your luggage arrives in the US sometime later than you do.
Also, people considering using London as a connection to fly Ryanair need to know that most Ryanair flights depart from Stanstead airport, which is at least as far from Gatwick or Heathrow as Newark is from JFK, with no easy mode of transport between the two. Most US travelers opt to spend a night in London to make the connection to a Ryanair flight, and hotel costs in London are not cheap. (Ryanair also has very strict luggage limits, so you need to check in advance if you are doing more than a carry-on.) |
Closed: New threads not accepted on this page