So researching my quest to italy in September, i've noticed that the flights with a layover are much cheaper, obviously. What are everyone's opinions on this? It'd be nice to save a couple hundred, but then at the same time, i'd assume itd be stressful changing planes and wasting all that time in the airport. Any suggestions?

I never flew to Italy from the USA, but obviouslly I've flew a few times from the USA to Holland. I took a layover once. It was when I moved here. My aunt payed for it as an early wedding gift so I wanted to get the cheapest one as possiable. It was a very bad experience for me. It was $650.00 and when I went for a non stop trip it was $880.00. For me it was worth paying the extra $230.000. I had a lay over in Healthrow (England) airport. It was more exausting and the people who worked at that airport was exremely rude. I almost missed my flight because some workers were arguring over who should help me find the gate. On top of that I lost my purse and I had to pay 20 Euros for it to be mailed out to me the next day since it had my ID in it.

I've heard that most people don't mind the extra stop because the schedual works out for them and somehow it turns out to be a lot cheaper for them. I've heard that people saved about $500 dollars and sometimes even more. I showed up 2 hours before the flight from England left. It took me a half an hour to go through customs and I spent a half an hour trying to look for my gate. The next hour was spent being tossed back and forth at help desks because no one wanted to answer my question. On top of that they hated my accent and corrected me all the time. At one point two people from two different help desks started to argue on who should help me.

With that said, I recomend you find a layover somewhere other than the Healthrow airport. You'll only wind up getting stressed at that airport.

Where in Italy are you going?

Thanks for the advice. I think as of right now i'm looking at September 18th through the 27th. To me money is not worth the stress, so if i had to pay a couple hundred more to be far less stressed, id take it! I was thinking, its not like i can enjoy the countries i stop over in, ill just be sitting in the airport. Many of the lay overs are like 8 hrs, so both ways i'd be wasting a whole day.

Sepetember seems like a good month for a vacation. The weather still isn't cold yet and there are less tourists during that time.

I also think spending the few exta hundred dollars is worth it. At least when it comes to long flights. We had a layover in Germany when we went to Sicily. From Holland to Geramany was about 45 minutes to an hour and the flight from Germany to Sicily was about 2 hours. It's not that bad if you don't have to travel that far and you wind up in a good airport. The Frankfurt airport was a friendly airport.

Can someone explain to me how a flight with a layover, with 2 planes, 2 airports, twice as many flight crew, terminals, take offs and landings, can possibly cost MORE than a non-stop flight?

I just don't get it.

Anyway, it is a tough choice....spend a few hundred more dollars and get to your destination sooner, or stop half way through and stretch and get something to eat at (maybe) a nice airport, then continue on your way...

It is all personal choice really and for me will come down too how much time i will have at the destination (if I'll be there for 4 days (non-stop) vs 10 (lay-over)) and how much extra I am willing to spend at the time I book the flight.

Don't you mean 4 days with a layover and 10 non stop. If you have a lay over youll have less time to spend at your destination. I cant stay extra just because of the layover, ill just have to sacrifice time spent in italia!

no, if i only have 4 days "on the ground", I don't want a layover (=non-stop)...with more time in Italy, a layover isn't terrible.

Well you can't really stop "half way" of the trip if you are coming from the USA. You'll land in the ocean. lol

you would want a layover if you only had 4 days in Italy? I would rather spend more time in Italy.

I don't think I'll ever do a layover again when it comes to going to visit my home town in the USA or anywehre in the USA or Cananda. It's just way too much stress adding even more time to the long flight.

JOe, I just checked Expedia.com and they have a flight on Iberia that has a 1 1/2 hour layover in Madrid and the cost is $773 Roundtrip! Then there is one on British Air for $4000.00, coach! Go figure.