Italy Arriving

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Italy Arriving

By Air Leonardo da Vinci Airport has separate terminals for international and national flights. Situated 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the city, it is one of Europe's busiest and, thank heavens, it's working much better than it did a few years back, when it was plagued by strikes and was regarded as a near disaster by foreign airlines. These days you can even find luggage trolleys. Four bars are open, plus a so called America Bar, with two more bars on the domestic side. A clock has been placed next to passport control. So things have improved from the days when an Alitalia executive knelt before Leonardo's statue and intoned, "What have they done in your name?" Perhaps out of respect for the great man, most people know the airport as Fiumicino, taken from the name of the nearby seaport.

When leaving by air, remember that checkin lines tend to be long unless you are traveling first or business class. Allow at least an hour, not the ten minutes the airport claims as average checkin time.

A direct rail link now exists between the airport and Ostienze station in Rome. The station is not the most convenient downtown arrival point, but the rail side costs under $4, compared to $50 by cab. When traveling on from Ostienze by cab, be careful with the different denominations of bank notes city cab drivers don't point out any mistakes.

By Rail

Termini Station is the worst possible introduction to Rome. Set in the sleaziest part of town, it's a camp for vagrants and other urban lowlife. The station is dirty, porters are rare, and lines for tickets stretch like lines for bread during a famine. Buses from the Termini are hunting grounds for pickpockets. If you are going to travel by train, remember that an express is a rapicdo whereas an expresso stops for the slightest excuse, or none at all.



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