From Reykjavik to Rome: Complicated Itineraries Edition

July 19, 2015 6:43 AM

I'm planning on going on a trip from DC to Rome in October and we'd love to stop over in Iceland for a couple of days on the way back to the States, but now I'm completely overwhelmed by trying to sort through all the options for international flights.

We saw some great deals on WOW Airlines (anyone have any advice on taking them?) but their online calendar doesn't display any flights between Rome and Reykjavik past August. Same deal with Icelandair's website. There are other flights between Rome and Reykjavik, but they all seem to have super long layovers in places like Dusseldorf, and I don't really want to waste a whole vacation day in the Dusseldorf Airport.

We don't necessarily have to stopover in Reykjavik, but it would be nice to stopover someplace in Europe for a couple of days on the way home since we're likely going to have to transfer anyway. I don't know anything about how inconvenient it is to use the many budget airlines in Europe to fly to different European cities.

We're in DC and were also thinking of potentially flying up to New York if that would improve our options for flights.

Basically, looking for any advice on budget flights from DC to Rome, but extra super bonus points for figuring out how to get us to Iceland (or another European city) for a few days on the way home.

posted by forkisbetter to Travel & Transportation (5 answers total)

hesitant to say this - perhaps i am a complete idiot in travel planning - but places like expedia and kayak allow you to describe exactly this, and then give you the cheapest options. it's easy to use and seems to work well. is there a reason why you're trying to do it by hand? [edit: on one of them you can even limit stopover times]
posted by andrewcooke at 7:01 AM on July 19, 2015

Best answer: We don't necessarily have to stopover in Reykjavik, but it would be nice to stopover someplace in Europe for a couple of days on the way home since we're likely going to have to transfer anyway.

Part of the problem too is that Reykjavik is not really a hub. That would be London, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt. A stopover in one of those cities will be easier to arrange. Iceland-Rome is not a huge corridor so thats why you'll see those flights connected with layovers.

The budget airlines in Europe are fine if thats an option. If there is one you're considering, let us know and we can give our opinions. Easyjet is the airline I use most. Have flown Norwegian and FlyBe as well. The one you'll hear negative reviews about if probably RyanAir. Be careful about the price you see for flights on budget airlines - they usually don't include things like, well, luggage.
posted by vacapinta at 7:09 AM on July 19, 2015

What attracts you about Iceland? October is definitely off season and a lot of things may be shut fo winter. Also, Icland is not going to result in minimal travel timeor cost for that reason. If these two things are significant concerns pick Rome and a European hub and spend a few days there. Try to get a connection toome to the hub or the hub through Rome. That would mainly be London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt. Look what the European airlines flying through these hubs can do for you.

Also consider that a lot of European cities have excellent train connections. Spending half a day on a train feels a lot less stressful than spending that time travelling to/ from and moving through airports. I live in Zurich and I can get to Paris, Milan, Munich, Franfurt in half a day by train. If I am willing to travel longer I can go all the way to Hamburg or Amsterdam without changing trains.

Or you go with the cheapest return fare to Rome that allows you to start your return flight at a time that is compatible with separate inbound flight from somewhere else. Beware that Rome has two airports and budget airline may fly into another airport to the one you're departing from, that budget airlines will charge you extra for checking luggage and that the hand luggage allowance will be enforced rigorously.

To be honest, the additional aggravation of the last option would not be worth whatever I might save on the multi city itinerary for me. But then I'm prepared to spend money on travelling at reasonable time of day and in comfort.
posted by koahiatamadl at 7:22 AM on July 19, 2015

Response by poster: Looks like flying SAS airlines through Copenhagen is a good choice. Anyone know if they'll do the long layovers that Icelaindair does?

Also, the Kayak multi-city flight search is abysmal. That's why I was asking for advice.
posted by forkisbetter at 8:30 AM on July 19, 2015

Best answer: Frankly, budget airlines in Europe are a bit overrated or at least not what they used to be. There are some exceptions but nowadays you generally will have to choose between cost and practicality (location, timing, etc.) Additionally, adding a checked bag or two can easily raise the price by $50-100 per person. I like the idea of WOW Airlines but have found their offerings to be too limited or too expensive to make it worthwhile for me. However, maybe you can find something that will work for you, and I wish you luck!

If you're not feeling up for taking Icelandair, I would recommend you separate the trips to Rome and Reykjavik. Icelandair has frequent sales for people flying from the DC area to Reykjavik and back that include the flight, hotel, and some excursions.

My favorite flight aggregator is Momondo. I love them and find them much better than Kayak. If you are considering doing part of your journey by rail, I can't recommend BETS enough. You can call and get their advice for free; Byron has helped me a great deal over the years and once even recommended I fly instead of taking the train.

One more thing to consider: the main Frankfurt airport (FRA) is a major transportation hub and easy to get to by train; however, many budget airlines fly out of Frankfurt-Hahn, which can only be reached by bus (not cheap and with limited times) or car. I just mention this because sometimes the savings really are great but often the little extra costs add up.
posted by smorgasbord at 3:31 PM on July 19, 2015