More Flying Anxiety- This Time for Italy

[Cornell]

Yes. True. I’m not crazy about spending several more days on this trip in Rome especially.

You’ll prob be sick if the tour group by then too ! The trains run often & won’t be difficult to figure out.

The way I see this is :

You now how a ton of information. This will involve tradeoffs . If comfort & sleep are your priorities then spend some extra $ to tack on a hotel room at both end of the trip. Or get biz class tix for your flights so you are comfy & can sleep. If it’s strictly about $ then you are at the mercy of the air schedule which costs the least. Only you can decide the levers you want to pull.

 

[WinniWoman]

You’ll prob be sick if the tour group by then too ! The trains run often & won’t be difficult to figure out.

The way I see this is :

You now how a ton of information. This will involve tradeoffs . If comfort & sleep are your priorities then spend some extra $ to tack on a hotel room at both end of the trip. Ot get biz class tix for your flights so you are comfy & can sleep. If it’s strictly about $ then you are at the mercy of the air schedule which costs the least. Only you can decide the levers you want to pull.

Do you know if the high speed train goes to the Rome airport? I’m also thinking there could be a flight from Naples to Rome? Something I have to look into as well.

 

[Cornell]

Do you know if the high speed train goes to the Rome airport? I’m also thinking there could be a flight from Naples to Rome? Something I have to look into as well.

Why would you want to fly from Naples to Rome given that this entire discussion started with your dislike of air travel ?

Another EASY option for you is a car service to take you door to door from Naples to the airport in Rome.

Might be ideal at the end of a long trip.

 

[WinniWoman]

Why would you want to fly from Naples to Rome given that this entire discussion started with your dislike of air travel ?

Another EASY option for you is a car service to take you door to door from Naples to the airport in Rome.

Might be ideal at the end of a long trip.

I was just throwing out another option which gets us directly to the Rome airport. I know nothing about it the schedule or anything.

Yes- car service another idea. Thanks.

 

[beejaybee]

Just want to give a "shout out" to everyone here who is trying to help Mary Ann!

Any one who has posted regarding flight options or made other suggestions likely has as much if not more expertise than most travel agents!

I have a new suggestion- a flight from BOS to Heathrow (LHR) that departs at 7:35 AM, takes 6hrs/20min and gets you to London at 6:55 PM the same day. Of course, that schedule presents problems given your distance to BOS and the early departure. A Heathrow hotel that night and then the next day fly to Catania. Out of LHR you'd have to connect, but EasyJet has direct flights to Catania out of Gatwick(LGW) or Luton (LTN) so you'd have to arrange transport to either of those airports.

 

[Talent312]

Rome would be a great place to spend a month, but you can do a 1/2-day bus tour. From the main terminal in Rome, there's a non-stop train to the airport (which has an attached Hilton)...We stayed at the Airport Hilton one night enroute from Venice to Amsterdam.

Check out... https://www.rome2rio.com/ . It can show you options for going from anywhere to anywhere

 

[CPNY]

I agree with relaxing and spending the extra night before heading home. There are not too many great options out of Naples in the afternoon and all have long layovers.

My personal vies is that Italy is magical! If I was not living in Hawaii, I would certainly consider moving there. We have flown from Hawaii to Rome and rented a vehicle to explore Tuscany (and be part of a group of 22 for a destination family wedding) . Every town has something wonderful to enjoy. It would have been much easier if we still lived in NY, but for us, the food and people make the long flights worth it. I was quite impressed with the laundromats and food markets.

Yeah, that’s a long trek from hawaii! But look at the bright side. You’re so close to Asia!!

 

[Patri]

I think you have a reason to go to Catania? Husband’s heritage? Otherwise go to a major city or two. Rome and Florence are actually wonderful. Pick a different tour.

 

[WinniWoman]

I think you have a reason to go to Catania? Husband’s heritage? Otherwise go to a major city or two. Rome and Florence are actually wonderful. Pick a different tour.

We had decided no cities. I wanted a nice short 9 day excursion to southern Italy. But my husband really wanted Sicily. Initially I had booked a resort close to Cefalo to stay at for a week but upon researching realized we would need to hire a car to see the island and a few I contacted via email said they were based in Taormina so it would be too crazy. In addition to Cefalu we could have also taken a bus to Palermo for a day from the resort, but that’s about it and I really didn’t care about seeing Palermo.

Anyway, I cancelled that then started looking at tours instead and this one seemed perfect for the two of us. Just a bit long but it has to be.

In my head I was just logically assuming we’d probably be flying from Boston to Rome and then to Catania and going home Naples to Rome to Catania. Something like that- never imaging these types of schedules ( and fares for premium economy.).

Anyway, I always liked the idea of seeing northern Italy and Switzerland but because we always do things “North” we thought we’d do something “ south” for a change. I’ve looked a little at other tours - domestic snd international- and let me tell you almost everything is sold out for this year! Or not as nice as this one seems in terms of hotels, down time, etc. So it’s down to now or never!

 

[clifffaith]

Can’t sleep on planes? Best travel tip I ever received was to ask my doctor for a Rx for .5mg Lorazepam. Only time I’ve ever taken a “sleeping pill”. Flew from LAX to multi hour layover in Düsseldorf. Slept well on the plane, no after effects. Pill was a godsend on the way home from Paris when we were both horribly sick. I guess as long as I have my 10 year old bottle in my hand I should take it downstairs to the OFH nurse for disposal.

 

[Talent312]

Can’t sleep on planes? Best travel tip I ever received was to ask my doctor for a Rx for .5mg Lorazepam....

Non-prescription alternatives:
Melatonin or an antihistamine (like Benadryl).
Combined with boring music, like James Taylor or Enya.

 

[CPNY]

Just want to give a "shout out" to everyone here who is trying to help Mary Ann!

Any one who has posted regarding flight options or made other suggestions likely has as much if not more expertise than most travel agents!

I have a new suggestion- a flight from BOS to Heathrow (LHR) that departs at 7:35 AM, takes 6hrs/20min and gets you to London at 6:55 PM the same day. Of course, that schedule presents problems given your distance to BOS and the early departure. A Heathrow hotel that night and then the next day fly to Catania. Out of LHR you'd have to connect, but EasyJet has direct flights to Catania out of Gatwick(LGW) or Luton (LTN) so you'd have to arrange transport to either of those airports.

I was going to suggest that same option especially if you're flying economy. Daytime flights to Europe in economy are much easier than redeye when your body wants to sleep and now youre in an uncomfortable position.

 

[Cornell]

Just want to give a "shout out" to everyone here who is trying to help Mary Ann!

Any one who has posted regarding flight options or made other suggestions likely has as much if not more expertise than most travel agents!

I have a new suggestion- a flight from BOS to Heathrow (LHR) that departs at 7:35 AM, takes 6hrs/20min and gets you to London at 6:55 PM the same day. Of course, that schedule presents problems given your distance to BOS and the early departure. A Heathrow hotel that night and then the next day fly to Catania. Out of LHR you'd have to connect, but EasyJet has direct flights to Catania out of Gatwick(LGW) or Luton (LTN) so you'd have to arrange transport to either of those airports.

This is a really interesting idea for ME - so thank you. I'm most likely going to London in December leaving out of Chicago. I always think of international flights as leaving at night. I see I could leave in the AM Chicago time and then be in London at bedtime "local time". Early evening Chicago time. I feel like I might adjust to this type of timetable better and would prefer to just be awake on the plane vs trying to get comfortable to sleep.

This had never occurred to me.

 

[CPNY]

This is a really interesting idea for ME - so thank you. I'm most likely going to London in December leaving out of Chicago. I always think of international flights as leaving at night. I see I could leave in the AM Chicago time and then be in London at bedtime "local time". Early evening Chicago time. I feel like I might adjust to this type of timetable better and would prefer to just be awake on the plane vs trying to get comfortable to sleep.

This had never occurred to me.

Yes, the daytime flights are perfect for Europe. Especially if you fly business. You get to really enjoy the product and you land, have a nice meal and sleep well. They are under rated and often over looked flights. Often times they are less expensive as well.

 

[1Kflyerguy]

Personally I would not stress over a six hour layover. Pretty solid chance you will need to clear both immigration and security at your point of entry to the EU. That is usually quick, but i have also occasionally run into long lines that chew up time. I personally prefer 3-4 hours, but longer can be good if you encounter delays. Also consider what the fall back options are if your long haul flight is delayed,. If you miss the next flight is there another the same day? If not a bigger buffer may be better.

 

[WinniWoman]

This is a really interesting idea for ME - so thank you. I'm most likely going to London in December leaving out of Chicago. I always think of international flights as leaving at night. I see I could leave in the AM Chicago time and then be in London at bedtime "local time". Early evening Chicago time. I feel like I might adjust to this type of timetable better and would prefer to just be awake on the plane vs trying to get comfortable to sleep.

This had never occurred to me.

Yes. I took a red eye once from Hawaii to NY and it was one of the worst of a multitude of worst flights I ever had.

As it is I don’t sleep well normally.

 

[slip]

For whatever reason, I can't sleep on a plane either. Otherwise, I sleep like a rock so I don't know what it is about a plane. It always made the trip from Hawaii really long. I know what you mean about that and a long layover.

 

[CPNY]

Yes. I took a red eye once from Hawaii to NY and it was one of the worst of a multitude of worst flights I ever had.

As it is I don’t sleep well normally.

I am like you, I do not like red eye flights. I am taking one on my trip to Europe this summer but I am flying business and chose the latest flight. 10:45pm out of JFK into LHR. I will put the bed flat as soon as we are off the ground and get as much sleep as I can. It will work out to around 5.5 hours of sleep since NY to London isn't that long. If I were in economy I absolutely would choose a day time flight. If I am going to sit upright, it might as well be during the day where I can watch movies and get up and walk around.

I also travel with the Trtl neck pillow. It keeps my head and neck perfectly still and allows me to take cat naps, something I was never able to do on a plane. Could be something to look into. it's def the best travel neck pillow Ive ever used. The head stability really helps.

 

[WinniWoman]

I am like you, I do not like red eye flights. I am taking one on my trip to Europe this summer but I am flying business and chose the latest flight. 10:45pm out of JFK into LHR. I will put the bed flat as soon as we are off the ground and get as much sleep as I can. It will work out to around 5.5 hours of sleep since NY to London isn't that long. If I were in economy I absolutely would choose a day time flight. If I am going to sit upright, it might as well be during the day where I can watch movies and get up and walk around.

I also travel with the Trtl neck pillow. It keeps my head and neck perfectly still and allows me to take cat naps, something I was never able to do on a plane. Could be something to look into. it's def the best travel neck pillow Ive ever used. The head stability really helps.

Thanks. I’ll check into that for sure. Going to need it.

 

[Glynda]

Taormina is beautiful. I loved sitting at an outdoor cafe in the piazza and people watching. There was a wedding going on and it was fascinating. I've not been to Palermo but I would love to go back to Sicily and see more as long as I can also go back to Taormina!

 

[b2bailey]

Yes. True. I’m not crazy about spending several more days on this trip in Rome especially.

I'm wondering if you could try a new perspective about your trip?
1. It's a trip of a lifetime -- you are fortunate and blessed to be physically and financially able to do it.
2. Since you are spending time and money to get there -- why not make the best of it?
3. Give up the phrase -- this trip is too long. You can't imagine how silly that sounds to me and some others.
4. Once you make it over there, the rest is easy.
5. Why be in any hurry to return home? Maybe that's something you can "shake off"?

Why do you use a quote from Helen Keller that you are reluctant to embrace?

Forgive me if this is too harsh.
You are younger than me -- and this old dog has had to learn a few new tricks -- and I'm glad I did.

 

[StaceyM]

This is a really interesting idea for ME - so thank you. I'm most likely going to London in December leaving out of Chicago. I always think of international flights as leaving at night. I see I could leave in the AM Chicago time and then be in London at bedtime "local time". Early evening Chicago time. I feel like I might adjust to this type of timetable better and would prefer to just be awake on the plane vs trying to get comfortable to sleep.

This had never occurred to me.

I’ve done the daytime ORD-LHR and I highly recommend it as long as your destination is London (or UK).

Any connections require an overnight in London, so it basically wastes a second day of your trip on travel. And post-Brexit to do an overnight, you have to enter and exit the UK and then clear immigration again at your destination in Europe. Plus it seems like a lot of the BA connections involve a transfer to Gatwick, which costs $100 for a cab or else 2-3 hours navigating public transit around midnight.

I’d consider your whole plan carefully before booking it with a onward connection.

 

[Cornell]

I’ve done the daytime ORD-LHR and I highly recommend it as long as your destination is London (or UK).

Any connections require an overnight in London, so it basically wastes a second day of your trip on travel. And post-Brexit to do an overnight, you have to enter and exit the UK and then clear immigration again at your destination in Europe. Plus it seems like a lot of the BA connections involve a transfer to Gatwick, which costs $100 for a cab or else 2-3 hours navigating public transit around midnight.

I’d consider your whole plan carefully before booking it with an onward connection.

Good info but final destination is London 🩷

 

[beejaybee]

@Cornell
Once upon a time we had a morning flight to London out of Newark that was ideal for being totally refreshed the following day! With a cruise on the books for next year that leaves out of Southampton, I began researching early morning flight possibilities. Unfortunately, we have to connect and the schedules I'm seeing now are too tight for my comfort level.
The alternative that we will go with, assuming AerLingus maintains its direct CLE-DUB flights in 2025, will be to depart @8:30pm and arrive the next morning. From DUB we will catch a bus direct to Galway, sleeping enroute, spend a few days there then back to Dublin. We can even fly direct to Southampton from there. We'll be spending a few days in London after the cruise, but return flights to the US, even with connections, don't exhaust me. If we go home via AerLIngus, connecting in DUB we go thru US preclearance there.

 

[WinniWoman]

I'm wondering if you could try a new perspective about your trip?
1. It's a trip of a lifetime -- you are fortunate and blessed to be physically and financially able to do it.
2. Since you are spending time and money to get there -- why not make the best of it?
3. Give up the phrase -- this trip is too long. You can't imagine how silly that sounds to me and some others.
4. Once you make it over there, the rest is easy.
5. Why be in any hurry to return home? Maybe that's something you can "shake off"?

Why do you use a quote from Helen Keller that you are reluctant to embrace?

Forgive me if this is too harsh.
You are younger than me -- and this old dog has had to learn a few new tricks -- and I'm glad I did.

Yes. Thanks. I’m coming around to that. In case you didn’t notice I have a very overactive mind. A lot of mental gymnastics and my logic is in constant battle with my feelings (and my physical body). On top of everything else I’m OCD.