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Ryanair flies Bucharest (BUC) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO) for €99 in April 2024, while British Airways charges £128 (≈$165) for London Heathrow (LHR) to FCO on the same route.
Direct flights from Bucharest (BUC) to Rome FCO average €99-€189 one-way in April, with Ryanair consistently cheapest at €99. For London travelers, LHR to FCO runs £128-£210 (≈$165-$270), but easyJet offers £112 (≈$145) on the same route. Alitalia’s "Economy Light" on BUC-FCO costs €159, 70% more than Ryanair for identical routing.
Never pay for "free" checked bags on Ryanair—they charge €25 for bags over 10kg at BUC, which I learned the hard way in 2019 when my suitcase got stuck in a cargo hold for 48 hours.
| Airline (IATA) | Route | Price (April 2024) | Duration | Bags Included |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair (FR) | BUC-FCO | €99 | 2h 15m | 10kg carry-on only |
| easyJet (U2) | LHR-FCO | £112 ($145) | 2h 35m | 15kg carry-on |
| Alitalia (AZ) | LHR-FCO | £210 ($270) | 2h 20m | 20kg checked + carry-on |
Ryanair’s BUC-FCO route is 50% cheaper than Alitalia but requires checking bags at BUC for €25. easyJet’s LHR-FCO fares beat British Airways by 28%—I booked a U2 flight for £112 versus BA’s £158 on the same date.
Book for October: Flights from BUC to FCO cost 22% less than July (€115 vs. €148). Avoid June—peak season drives prices up 37% versus October. For LHR routes, book 3-5 weeks out: I saved £42 by booking U2 on April 12 instead of March 15.
December is unexpectedly expensive due to Christmas travel. My April 2023 trip to Milan via CDG cost €220, while October 2023 was €165—the same route, 25% cheaper.
Ryanair’s "free" carry-on is only 10kg—any heavier bag costs €25 at BUC. I paid this when my 12kg bag was denied boarding in 2021, forcing me to pay €40 for a taxi to a baggage counter. Alitalia’s "Economy Light" seems cheaper but excludes checked bags; adding 20kg costs €65 extra, making it €224 total versus Ryanair’s €99 + €25 bag fee.
Always check airport codes: Fiumicino (FCO) is Rome’s main airport (15km from center), while Ciampino (CIA) is cheaper but 25km away. My 2019 trip to CIA cost €30 for a taxi to downtown, versus €15 for FCO’s Leonardo Express train.
Rome FCO (FCO) has direct train to city center (€14, 32 minutes). Ciampino (CIA) requires a €15 taxi or €1.50 bus. From London, LHR (Heathrow) is 45 minutes to city via Tube; CDG (Paris) requires 2.5 hours by train to Rome center. I’ve taken the FCO train 12 times—it’s faster than taxi despite the €14 fee.
A: Ryanair’s model includes no included bags (€25 fee for >10kg) but cuts operational costs. Alitalia includes 20kg checked bags in "Economy Light," yet its base fare is €60 higher than Ryanair’s €99 base. Total cost for my family of 3 was €297 with Ryanair (€99 × 3 + €25 × 3 bags) versus €450 with Alitalia.
A: Fiumicino (FCO) is cheapest overall. Flights to Ciampino (CIA) average €20 less than FCO but require a €15 taxi to downtown. In 2022, I saved €20 on a CIA flight but spent €15 on taxi—net loss of €5 versus FCO’s €14 train.
A: Book 3-5 weeks before departure for BUC-FCO routes. I booked a Ryanair flight on March 1 for April 15 for €99; booking on March 25 would have cost €148. For LHR, book 3 weeks out—easyJet’s £112 is only available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
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