More Flying Anxiety- This Time for Italy

[WinniWoman]

Napcabs

Napcabs

www.munich-airport.com

If all you want is to rest with some peace and quiet, and not go anywhere you can make use of this service instead of leaving the airport.

Hilton has a hotel inside the terminal at Munich that you can consider too.

So many options...

Yes! Great ideas!

 

[davidvel]

Yes! Great ideas!

Yes I agree with the suggestions regarding a hotel stay in the layover. It seems this all started mainly based on the long layover. If you think about the layover just being the start of your trip in Europe it may be easier to swallow. A short nap, shower and small meal would be perfect to get you energized to reach Italy. It will also allow you to be on a good (new) clock to avoid jet lag. Good luck on your choices.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

If hasn't been mentioned already: try Norse Atlantic Airways. https://flynorse.com/en-US/book/flights

According to their site they are having a sale in October:

NYC JFK to Rome
starting at $149 each way Economy
$630 - $810 each way Premium Economy.

I just discovered this airline (phoenix of Norwegian Airways pre-covid). I am flying Norse LAX to London ow for $1000 nonstop in Premium Econ. Looking forward to trying it out.

(I haven't read this entire thread so if this was mentioned already my apologies).

 

[WinniWoman]

If hasn't been mentioned already: try Norse Atlantic Airways. https://flynorse.com/en-US/book/flights

According to their site they are having a sale in October:

NYC JFK to Rome
starting at $149 each way Economy
$630 - $810 each way Premium Economy.

I just discovered this airline (phoenix of Norwegian Airways pre-covid). I am flying Norse LAX to London ow for $1000 nonstop in Premium Econ. Looking forward to trying it out.

(I haven't read this entire thread so if this was mentioned already my apologies).

Wow. That’s great. Unfortunately they don’t fly from Boston.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Can you take the train, express bus or a cheap positioning flight to JFK from a regional carrier? I am flying on $49 Southwest flight OAK to LAX to catch my upcoming Norse flight. Currently flights out of SFO to Europe on United premium $3400 or 180k pts ow - too expensive and we almost cancelled trip.

HT to @Ken555 for Norse tip. Worth saving $2400 for extra half day + flight. ( I found a 50k pts flight return on United nonstop FRA to SFO in Premium. Great deal but could not find reasonable ow outbound until Norse).

RometoRio.com is my go to for how to get from a to b. It might provide ideas to JFK. You could use same for Rome (no pun intended) to Sicily transport.

 

[WinniWoman]

Can you take the train, express bus or a cheap positioning flight to JFK from a regional carrier? I am flying on $49 Southwest flight OAK to LAX to catch my upcoming Norse flight. Currently flights out of SFO to Europe on United premium $3400 or 180k pts ow - too expensive and we almost cancelled trip.

HT to @Ken555 for Norse tip. Worth saving $2400 for extra half day + flight. ( I found a 50k pts flight return on United nonstop FRA to SFO in Premium. Great deal but could not find reasonable ow outbound until Norse).

RometoRio.com is my go to for how to get from a to b. It might provide ideas to JFK. You could use same for Rome (no pun intended) to Sicily transport.

Thanks. We live in New Hampshire. As it is Boston is 2 hours from our home and we’ll be hiring a car service to get us to Boston. ( more $$$$$)

That RometoRio is a cool site, though. Hadn’t heard of it. But we don’t fly much and more than likely this is our last time flying ever.

 

[CalGalTraveler]

Have you considered taking a flight or train from Bos to JFK to catch Norse direct to Rome? It sounds like you would have a 6 hour layover in MUC (or maybe you found an affordable non-stop from Bos to Rome (best case).)

If you still have a layover or high cost, if it were me I would compare total prices and times on RT flights from Bos to JFK to board Norse nonstop to Rome and use JFK on your layover instead of MUC.

But you know your alternatives best. Enjoy Rome2Rio. It's a great site.

 

[Passepartout]

Thanks. We live in New Hampshire. As it is Boston is 2 hours from our home and we’ll be hiring a car service to get us to Boston. ( more $$$$$)

Mary Ann, you will drive yourself NUTZ chasing airfares from places you have no desire to make your gateway.
We just consider inconvenient connections a necessary 'tax' to live where we choose to live. Living out in the 'Boondocks' means flying- or a looong drive in order to take ANY international trip. No airline is going to have a decent rate from/to Idaho. It isn't gonna happen. So we pay for the priveledge of living here
Book airfare you can live with and be happy you are able to travel at all. (Remember 4 years ago)

Jim

 

[WinniWoman]

Mary Ann, you will drive yourself NUTZ chasing airfares from places you have no desire to make your gateway.
We just consider inconvenient connections a necessary 'tax' to live where we choose to live. Living out in the 'Boondocks' means flying- or a looong drive in order to take ANY international trip. No airline is going to have a decent rate from/to Idaho. It isn't gonna happen. So we pay for the priveledge of living here
Book airfare you can live with and be happy you are able to travel at all. (Remember 4 years ago)

Jim

For sure! That’s why we decided to get a travel agent in the first place and we have made the decision to go along with what she suggests and in refundable economy class. Whatever happens happens.

Now I need to figure out how to pack for 16 days in just carryons with toiletries and no washer dryer ( so spoiled with timeshares) and how to use our locked iPhones with no international service available with our provider if we need to make a cell call to the USA. But that will be another thread. lol!

 

[ScoopKona]

Now I need to figure out how to

1) pack for 16 days in just carryons with toiletries and no washer dryer ( so spoiled with timeshares) and

2) how to use our locked iPhones with no international service available with our provider if we need to make a cell call to the USA. But that will be another thread. lol!

[Numbers added for convenience.]

1) Pack two or three days and wash on the go. Let's say worst-case scenario happens, and I spill pasta sauce all over my shirt at dinner. I hop in the shower, with my soiled shirt on. Wash it. Remove the shirt. Rinse it. And then shower. My grandparents hand-washed their clothes until after the war. If they could do it, I can do it.

2) Rely on wifi calling. No card needed.

 

[WinniWoman]

[Numbers added for convenience.]

1) Pack two or three days and wash on the go. Let's say worst-case scenario happens, and I spill pasta sauce all over my shirt at dinner. I hop in the shower, with my soiled shirt on. Wash it. Remove the shirt. Rinse it. And then shower. My grandparents hand-washed their clothes until after the war. If they could do it, I can do it.

2) Rely on wifi calling. No card needed.

As for washing on the go how do you have time for the clothes to dry even? Especially on a tour schedule.

I know about WiFi calling, but don’t you need to use like Facebook messenger, or something like that for WiFi calling and the other person needs to have that also? Example, let’s say we are in the Munich airport and we miss the flight home. I would need to call our car service company to tell them but they don’t have Facebook messenger. I’d be dialing their phone number.

I know I sound stupid but I really don’t understand these things and want to be prepared.

 

[ScoopKona]

Example, let’s say we are in the Munich airport and we miss the flight home. I would need to call our car service company to tell them but they don’t have Facebook messenger. I’d be dialing their phone number.

"Enshuldigung bitte. Darf ich mir Ihr Telefon ausleihen? Ich habe eine probleme."

I've done this many times. Helps that I speak German. But most people speak enough English to get the job done. And yes, clothes dry JUST FINE in Europe in Summer under a ceiling fan. If I wanted to be ghetto, I'd hang them on the window sill. But that's never been necessary. And there's always the option of buying a shirt if need be. They have the same stuff we have, after all. Just like the movie Pulp Fiction explains.

EDIT -- They don't have email? They can't be told "we're flying in on AirAnnoyance XYZ-123, please track our flight with FlightAware-dot-com and pick us up." And finally: Why the car hire? Two one-way car rentals would surely cost less. Enterprise still picks you up. I just did that a couple months ago.

 

[elaine]

I know about WiFi calling, but don’t you need to use like Facebook messenger, or something like that for WiFi calling and the other person needs to have that also? Example, let’s say we are in the Munich airport and we miss the flight home. I would need to call our car service company to tell them but they don’t have Facebook messenger. I’d be dialing their phone number.

You can text them using wifi and ask them to text confirmation of new pick up time, so you know they saw it. Does your service provider not have international calling, even for an extra fee? For Ex, Verizon has a daily rate of $10 if you set it up in advance and it only charges if you use it. Texting is usually much cheaper than calling if you have to pay extra out of pocket without a plan.
Lots of how to pack advice websites. Here's our typical suitcase for 4 weeks, which also includes dressier evening attire--you can ditch that if not needed:
Me--4 dark bottoms: 1 cotton capri, 1 dressy pants/capris, 1 skirt, 1 bermuda shorts (summer) and also 1 sleeveless black knit dress, scarves (to change up the black dress), some silky/poly tops for dinner, cotton shirts, sleeveless shells, 1 3/4 cotton sweater. I mix/match adding chunky costume jewelry for dinner. 1 pair dressier (but comfy) shoes for dinner, 1 walking shoe, 1 black flats.
DH--3 bottoms: 1 khaki and 1 zip off trail paints, 1 bermuda shorts, 5 knit polos, 2 tee shirts, 1-2 dress shirts, 2 ties, 1 leather shoe, 1 low rise hiker shoes. If you have 2 nights in the same place, you can wash and hang to dry in bathroom. Most things will dry in 1 day. Cotton Polos take 2 days to fully dry in room temp air--much quicker if outside. We do not wash pants/shorts until 4-5 wearings unless something got spilled on them.

 

[WinniWoman]

"Enshuldigung bitte. Darf ich mir Ihr Telefon ausleihen? Ich habe eine probleme."

I've done this many times. Helps that I speak German. But most people speak enough English to get the job done. And yes, clothes dry JUST FINE in Europe in Summer under a ceiling fan. If I wanted to be ghetto, I'd hang them on the window sill. But that's never been necessary. And there's always the option of buying a shirt if need be. They have the same stuff we have, after all. Just like the movie Pulp Fiction explains.

EDIT -- They don't have email? They can't be told "we're flying in on AirAnnoyance XYZ-123, please track our flight with FlightAware-dot-com and pick us up." And finally: Why the car hire? Two one-way car rentals would surely cost less. Enterprise still picks you up. I just did that a couple months ago.

Tracking our flight doesn’t help if we are not on the plane! Lol! Not to mention email is not instantaneous like a phone call is. But sure, that’s an option though not a preferred one. I could discuss with the car company ahead of time.

We get car service because we don’t drive in Boston, not to mention being tired when getting back due to time change and long flight.

We’ve always hired a car to take us to and from the major airports, even when we were younger and living in NY. We never lived close to a major airport.

 

[WinniWoman]

You can text them using wifi and ask them to text confirmation of new pick up time, so you know they saw it. Does your service provider not have international calling, even for an extra fee? For Ex, Verizon has a daily rate of $10 if you set it up in advance and it only charges if you use it. Texting is usually much cheaper than calling if you have to pay extra out of pocket without a plan.
Lots of how to pack advice websites. Here's our typical suitcase for 4 weeks, which also includes dressier evening attire--you can ditch that if not needed:
Me--4 dark bottoms: 1 cotton capri, 1 dressy pants/capris, 1 skirt, 1 bermuda shorts (summer) and also 1 sleeveless black knit dress, scarves (to change up the black dress), some silky/poly tops for dinner, cotton shirts, sleeveless shells, 1 3/4 cotton sweater. I mix/match adding chunky costume jewelry for dinner. 1 pair dressier (but comfy) shoes for dinner, 1 walking shoe, 1 black flats.
DH--3 bottoms: 1 khaki and 1 zip off trail paints, 1 bermuda shorts, 5 knit polos, 2 tee shirts, 1-2 dress shirts, 2 ties, 1 casual dress shoes, 1 low rise hiker

No- our service provider doesn’t have the option of international calling to the USA even for a fee. I wish they did. We use Straight Talk.(Walmart)

But if texting works on WiFi only that would be pretty good. I didn’t know that. Thanks.

And thanks for the packing tips!

 

[elaine]

yes it does--we texted on wifi to various different people with a variety of phones. all worked fine from multiple foreign countries.

 

[ScoopKona]

Tracking our flight doesn’t help if we are not on the plane! Lol! Not to mention email is not instantaneous like a phone call is. But sure, that’s an option though not a preferred one. I could discuss with the car company ahead of time.

We get car service because we don’t drive in Boston, not to mention being tired when getting back due to time change and long flight.

We’ve always hired a car to take us to and from the major airports, even when we were younger and living in NY. We never lived close to a major airport.

Whenever I went to a game at Fenway, I never drove in Boston, either. I'd park somewhere outside the city and then take the T in. Logan has a convenient stop on one of the lines if I'm not mistaken. Coming in from up north, I'd only drive as far as Lowell or Haverhill. Let MBTA take you the rest of the way. Can't be more than an hour or two from your location. I used to do this in the other direction to get from my school to my girlfriend's school. As far as I was concerned, my trip was on easy-mode as soon as I parked in the commuter lot.

Again, this only works if traveling without a metric ton of luggage. Every bag increases the difficulty by an order of magnitude.

I wish I had a system as nice as MBTA. It's cheap, too.

 

[WinniWoman]

Whenever I went to a game at Fenway, I never drove in Boston, either. I'd park somewhere outside the city and then take the T in. Logan has a convenient stop on one of the lines if I'm not mistaken. Coming in from up north, I'd only drive as far as Lowell or Haverhill. Let MBTA take you the rest of the way. Can't be more than an hour or two from your location. I used to do this in the other direction to get from my school to my girlfriend's school. As far as I was concerned, my trip was on easy-mode as soon as I parked in the commuter lot.

Again, this only works if traveling without a metric ton of luggage. Every bag increases the difficulty by an order of magnitude.

I wish I had a system as nice as MBTA. It's cheap, too.

Well, we think the car service is imperative for us. We could drive to Concord and take a bus down and leave our car there at the bus parking lot for free, but we simply don’t want to. So we’ll pay for the car service and leave our car home. Nothing like door to door.

 

[Luanne]

Well, we think the car service is imperative for us. We could drive to Concord and take a bus down and leave our car there at the bus parking lot for free, but we simply don’t want to. So we’ll pay for the car service and leave our car home. Nothing like door to door.

We find that as we've gotten older we're much more willing to pay for a lot of convenience. We've used a car service for year. My husband started using one when he was traveling a lot. We continue to use the same service when we fly in and out of San Francisco Bay area airports. He just likes knowing he'll have someone reliable that is available.

 

[ScoopKona]

Nothing like door to door.

If this was my trip, I'd be posting a message about price anxiety, not flying anxiety. I'd lose sleep over the costs, not the logistics. (One of the reasons I still haven't taken my dream-trip to India and Nepal is I've never liked the flight options -- last time I looked it was 30 hours each way and about $5K for basic economy on Nickle & Dime airways. Flying in comfort will cost at least $10K per person. Those are the last two countries I want to visit, but haven't. I'm hoping to tie the trip to a LHR visit -- probably the least expensive option.)

There's always a more convenient way to do things -- but eventually the costs pile up to the point where you have to ask yourself, "Why are we doing this? Is it really worth it?"

I don't know New Hampshire's transportation system nearly as well as I know Massachusetts'. But there's gotta be a better way than invoking "Driving Miss Daisy." And that's just the first and last steps of this multi-step problem.

 

[Luanne]

If this was my trip, I'd be posting a message about price anxiety, not flying anxiety. I'd lose sleep over the costs, not the logistics. (One of the reasons I still haven't taken my dream-trip to India and Nepal is I've never liked the flight options -- last time I looked it was 30 hours each way and about $5K for basic economy on Nickle & Dime airways. Flying in comfort will cost at least $10K per person. Those are the last two countries I want to visit, but haven't. I'm hoping to tie the trip to a LHR visit -- probably the least expensive option.)

There's always a more convenient way to do things -- but eventually the costs pile up to the point where you have to ask yourself, "Why are we doing this? Is it really worth it?"

I don't know New Hampshire's transportation system nearly as well as I know Massachusetts'. But there's gotta be a better way than invoking "Driving Miss Daisy." And that's just the first and last steps of this multi-step problem.

Not your trip though is it.

 

[ScoopKona]

Not your trip though is it.

Also didn't ask for help, did I?

 

[Luanne]

Also didn't ask for help, did I?

 

[WinniWoman]

If this was my trip, I'd be posting a message about price anxiety, not flying anxiety. I'd lose sleep over the costs, not the logistics. (One of the reasons I still haven't taken my dream-trip to India and Nepal is I've never liked the flight options -- last time I looked it was 30 hours each way and about $5K for basic economy on Nickle & Dime airways. Flying in comfort will cost at least $10K per person. Those are the last two countries I want to visit, but haven't. I'm hoping to tie the trip to a LHR visit -- probably the least expensive option.)

There's always a more convenient way to do things -- but eventually the costs pile up to the point where you have to ask yourself, "Why are we doing this? Is it really worth it?"

I don't know New Hampshire's transportation system nearly as well as I know Massachusetts'. But there's gotta be a better way than invoking "Driving Miss Daisy." And that's just the first and last steps of this multi-step problem.

Well our ideal trip doesn’t exist, so we compromise on some things and spend more money on other things. We’re pretty frugal, but we also are very body aware. Money is fluid. Our bodies, not so much.
Ideally we’d be in First Class and a direct flight from Manchester, NH to Catania, but that doesn’t exist and First Class is way out of our budget. So we spend a little more on what we can afford to get to and from the airport. Every little bit helps.

That’s what it’s all about. We pick and choose what we value most and balance it with what we can afford. Heck if money was no object I’d hire a private jet! Lol!

PS New Hampshire is mostly a rural state and we live mid state- more towards north so transportation is limited here.

 

[Luanne]

Well our ideal trip doesn’t exist, so we compromise on some things and spend more money on other things. We’re pretty frugal, but we also are very body aware. Money is fluid. Our bodies, not so much.
Ideally we’d be in First Class and a direct flight from Manchester, NH to Catalina, but that doesn’t exist and First Class is way out of our budget. So we spend a little more on what we can afford to get to and from the airport. Every little bit helps.

That’s what it’s all about. We pick and choose what we value most and balance it with what we can afford. Heck if money was no object I’d hire a private jet! Lol!

PS New Hampshire is mostly a rural state and we live mid state- more towards north so transportation is limited here.

It's your trip Mary Ann. Enjoy!