Roman Holiday

April 10, 2011 4:35 PM

Can I get from the center of Rome to Fiumicino to catch a plane on Easter Sunday morning?

I want to get to Fiumicino about 7:00 a.m. to make a 10:00 a.m. flight, and I don't know how disrupted transportation will be by the holiday. Can I count on the Leonardo Express or should I rent a shuttle? Or should I make emergency plans to stay near/at Fiumicino on the night of the 23rd/24th?

posted by bad grammar to Travel & Transportation (6 answers total)

Are you staying at a hotel with a concierge? Because this is a question for a good concierge. But if it were me, I'd stay near Fiumicino the night before, because that will make life a lot less stressful.
posted by cyndigo at 6:41 PM on April 10, 2011

Trenitalia has no mention of a reduced Easter train schedule. I would count on Leonardo.
posted by Xurando at 7:56 PM on April 10, 2011

On several occassions, I have used this company to reserve a cab before going to Rome. I found the drivers very polite and the manager was very responsive to my messages. I would email them and ask what their schedule is like on Easter: http://www.romecabs.com/
posted by parakeetdog at 8:19 PM on April 10, 2011

The Express may be on time, but there is no guarantee that the driver and his union friends will be (I speak from experience). . Go early to Fiumicino.
posted by alonsoquijano at 2:05 AM on April 11, 2011

Isn't Easter Sunday the one day each year with the biggest crowds throughout the city, especially around the Vatican? And aren't there "sunrise services" (ie - 7am would be exactly the most crowded time)?

I remember when I was a student spending a semester in Rome, we made it a point to travel out of the city that weekend if we didn't want to be involved in the events. Even if all the public transport is running right on schedule (ha!), just general crowds may make it a nightmare to travel. I'd stay near the airport that night.
posted by CathyG at 7:06 AM on April 11, 2011

Also, be aware that the beatification ceremony for JP2 will be only a week later (1 May),and a lot of pilgrims who can spare a whole week will probably try to combine this with Easter in Rome, so crowds will be even thicker than usual. Personally I'll be staying out of town all week, including both weekends.
posted by aqsakal at 5:26 AM on April 14, 2011