From Nashville, TN to Florence, Italy

We all know the classic family airport adventure—where the fun begins five hours before your flight boards! Arriving at the crack of dawn is a must, because who doesn't love a good sprint through empty airport halls? And let's not forget the inevitable tearful breakdowns. This approach can turn even a quick trip into a stress-fest, making the thought of a long-haul flight to another country feel impossible. However, I'm here to show how easy international travel can actually be! Once you get comfortable with it, you'll open the door to many exciting adventures, right at your fingertips. Let me walk you through my journey from Nashville, TN, to Florence, Italy!

1. First things first, booking flights! -

   1. We booked flights directly through Delta's website (it was cheaper that way) and was great about showing how long our layover was, and the variations between cities

      1. Our flight: Nashville to New York (3hrs), a 1.5hr layover in JFK, then New York to Rome (9hrs)

         1. Other reliable places to book flights:

            1. rio2rome

            2. Skyscanner

            3. Momondo

   2. A minimum of 3 hours between flights is recommended so bags get fully transferred from one plane to the next...we did not follow this rule and were fine but it's better to be safe than sorry!!

2. Next, Uber -

   1. For us, jumping straight onto a train in Rome seemed daunting so we opted for Uber it has been an extremely pleasant experience!

      1. (We went a week early to visit Rome and adjust to using the trains for future trips...we ended up only using Uber)

   2. The Rome airport has designated areas for Uber pick-ups, you have to walk a little ways but the app will show pictures on where to go (Don't accidently get in the taxi line!!)

      1. Fares can be pretty pricey depending on the time and day of the week, it was about €82 ($96) for an hour drive to our place.

         1. Also, in the Uber app, I recommend changing your common payment method to the currency of the country you are in (for us Euros)

            1. If not, your Debit/Credit card might charge you foreign transaction fees

3. Now trains! -

   1. The train we took was a direct ride from Rome Tiburtina Station to Florence Firenze s.m.n Station (1hr 17min)

      1. You can book online or buy in person (but prices are cheaper if you book in advance)

         1. Train stations are very similar to airports! Once you have your ticket find the big board of departures & arrivals and locate your train with the train number, this will tell you the platform you need to be at!

      2. If you have a physical ticket you may need to get it "checked" at these little yellow machines that you slide the ticket into, so it gets stamped (you can get in trouble if you are on the train without a checked ticket)

         1. Once on, find your assigned seat, put your luggage overhead or keep it with you and relax!

            1. Never leave your purse/bags on the ground, unattended, or out of your hands as pickpockets frequent trains and will snatch loose items

This is our online train ticket, they will scan the QR code once on the train