Airline Tickets to Italy: Finding Deals

Flying out to see Pisa can be an expensive proposition if you don't know where to look. If you're coming from another continent, such as North America or Australia, the international airfare often costs an arm and a leg!

However, that doesn't meant that you won't be able to find cheap flights to Italy, it just means that you'll have to do a bit of planning and have a little bit of luck to snag the great prices.

Discount Air Travel - The Ins and Outs

There are many airlines that fly to Italy : Delta Continental, Eva Airways, American United, Northwest, and even some flights from Air Canada occassionally will have destinations in Italy. In that sense there are many options for air travel to Italy , so it may be wise to do some searching online (see further).

Taking a direct flight if you are traveling transcontinental can be expensive, and for this reason many travel agencies will also have flight options where you will make a brief stop in a continental destination. Often, the airport of choice is Rome.

If you are coming from Canada or the USA the total trip is around 11 hours, depending on where in North America you are located. A brief stop in Rome will allow you to get out, stretch your legs, and see a bit of one of the worlds most famous cities.

Finding Cheap Flights

• Start by checking the aggregator websites: Kayak, Skyscanner, Momondo and Trabber.
• When you find a flight, see if you can get it cheaper on the Airline's own website.
• Check different days, 2 or 3 days before and after.
• Check nearby airports.
• Check to see if one-way flights are cheaper than round-trip fares.
• The cheapest day to buy airline tickets is wednesday morning.

Your Stop Over in Rome

If your flight has you stopping over in Rome for a few hours why not take advantage of it?

Rome is one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in the world, and nowhere else will you find architecture, history, and religious significance that is as rich and vibrant as you will in Rome . This is the city that the western world was founded on, and if you have the opportunity to see it you will definitely not regret it.

Chances are good that you'll be landing in the intercontinental Leonardo Da Vinci airport ( Rome is serviced by three airports), which is located in the south-western area of the city. Straying too far from the airport may wind up being a bad idea if your stop over is rather short (a few hours at most), so you may want to see some of the cafe's or restaurants around the airport.

If your stop over is over night, however, assuming that you've arrived during the morning or afternoon there are plenty of things that you can do to pass the time:

• Go for a ride on the above-ground transit system - If you thought that the public transit system in New York or LA was complicated, wait until you see Rome's! Along with having Europe's largest train station, Rome has several light rail and bus lines. There is no point in the city that can't be accessed by public transportation- it really is a modern work of transportative art!
• See the inner-city - Hire a cab and head downtown for some breathtaking architecture. If you have the time, the Colosseum and Vatican are both exceptional examples of Romanesque design and style. The lineups at both may be quite long, however, so keep that in mind.

Of course, there's nothing better than sipping on a nice glass of wine and watching the world pass by in one of Rome's amazing cafe's. We'd recommend one, but in our experience just about every little place is a hidden gem.

Back in the Air

You're more likely to save money on air fare if you travel during a time that is less busy and distant from any major holidays. Enjoy your flight, and don't forget to take plenty of pictures of historic Pisa once you land!

All text and leaning tower of Pisa pictures © 2010 leaningtowerofpisa.net