The Best Airlines and Flights From Boston to Italy
Whether you’re exploring the beautiful canals of Venice or the stunning history of Rome, Italy is one of the most interesting and fascinating countries you can visit!
Whether you're seeking a romantic getaway in Venice, immersing yourself in the artistic splendor of Milan, or exploring the ancient ruins of Rome, Italy promises to leave a lasting impression on your heart and love for travel. As you plan your adventure, one crucial aspect to consider is which airlines and flights cater best to your needs and travel preferences.
In this article, we will guide you through the top airlines and flights from Boston that are sure to make your journey to Italy truly exceptional. Fortunately, several airlines provide excellent options for flying from Boston to Italy (regardless of your destination) and offer a balance between comfort, efficiency, and value, ensuring a seamless journey from start to finish. However, there are very few direct flights from Boston to Italy, which can make travel more complicated and sometimes even confusing. To help guide you through the process of booking flights, in this article, we will discuss the best airlines and flights for you to get from Boston to Italy.
Now that you have the background, let’s jump into the list:
The best airlines and flights to get from Boston to Italy
1. Boston to Rome on Delta/ITA Airways
The only direct route on this list, Boston to Rome is the definitely best destination in Italy to get to from Boston for two main reasons: it is the only route you can fly direct to Italy (no layovers), and it has the most options for flights. While there are several cheaper options for getting to Rome (including extreme budget options such as Norse Air and Wizz Air), we’re going to focus on and recommend the slightly pricer direct flight options for the route to Rome. Unlike every other Italian destination that forces you to take a connecting flight, the Rome direct flights allow you to relax in your seat, go to sleep, and wake up in Italy with no layovers or hassle with rechecking bags (which we think is worth the higher price)
There are two airlines that fly the direct route to Rome from Boston: Delta Air Lines and ITA Airways. Both of these airlines are also in the same SkyTeam Alliance, so you can conveniently book both of them through either company as they often code-share their flights. For instance, if you have status with Delta, you can search and book ITA Airlines flights on the Delta website to take advantage of any status benefits and further increase the Delta points you earn!
We’d recommend booking this route through Delta regardless of which airline you fly—especially if you’re using miles (which transfer directly from American Express)—as the Delta website and booking platform are generally more stable than ITA’s (which people frequently report having issues with). However, both of these airlines run flights to Rome every single day, so no matter when you’re traveling, you should have these options available almost year-round.
These flights will run you roughly $1200 round trip for main cabin (or only ~90,000 Delta SkyMiles if you book on select dates), with slight variation in price depending on the airline and time of year for travel (see below for example flight times and prices on both airlines). Again, there are cheaper ways of getting to Rome, but this route is the fastest possible way to get to Italy, which means that you get to spend more time traveling and enjoying Italy!
Example Flights & Prices:
Prices to fly direct on Delta Air Lines from Boston to Rome round-trip. These prices are pretty typical across the types of fare.
The point prices for the direct Boston to Rome flight round-trip range from ~80,000 to up to 140,000 SkyMiles depending on the specific dates you use
Prices to fly from Boston to Rome on ITA Airways direct round-trip are high, but you can add an extra layover of comfort when you fly direct
2. Boston to Milan on United Airlines
If you want to get to Italy from Boston cheaply while still avoiding any long layovers, then flying United Airlines to Milan is one of the best options for you. While the flights are not direct, the layovers on the way to Italy are often short (<1.5 hours) and on the way back are never longer than 2-3 hours, typically involving a stop in either Chicago or Munich. If you’re willing to deal with the layovers (which you will have to in order to get anywhere besides Rome), you can get to Italy and back for less than $700! This is outright one of the cheapest ways to get to Italy that don’t involve a 10+ hour layover in random cities across the US or Europe.
United is also both a transfer partner with Chase Bank (meaning you can transfer points directly to the airline/hotel) and a member of the Star Alliance (featuring Lufthansa, Air Canada, and many more convenient airlines), meaning that booking these flights with points is often super easy no matter where you’re trying to book from. For a bonus, try transferring points to Air Canada and booking the United flight that way—you’ll often save a significant number of points or cash when you book that way! I’ve been able to fly using Air Canada from Boston to Rome for only $530.
Example Flights:
For a low price, reasonably short layovers, and good point usage, you can fly from Boston to Milan on United Airlines!
Point prices to book a round-trip flight through Air Canada (operated by United) from Boston to Milan
3. Boston to Venice on Swiss Air Lines
If you’re trying to fly from Boston to Venice, the best option is likely the Swiss Air Lines flight connecting through Zurich (ZRH). Swiss Air Lines is another member of the Star Alliance, which (similar to Air Canada) means that you can book your Swiss Air Lines flights through United, Air Canada, or any other member of the alliance!
This flight route is right in the middle of the pack price-wise (~$800, see below), but often has very short layovers (rarely longer than ~2 hours) resulting in you getting to Italy quicker than almost any other non-direct route. While there are some cheaper budget options to get to Venice (such as flying through London and taking EasyJet to Venice), these trips require booking different tickets across different airlines, having to re-check your bags at each airport, and dealing with much longer layovers. Therefore, we would recommend paying the slight extra “convenience fee” to fly on Swiss Air and enjoy the simplicity and speed.
Example Flights:
Flight prices from Boston to Venice on Swiss Air Lines will typically run you ~$800 round-trip. This flight is mixed between Swiss Air and United, but as they code-share, you don’t have to worry about a thing!
4. Boston to Palermo on Turkish Airlines
Palermo, the capital of Sicily, is one of the most beautiful areas in the south of Italy! Luckily for anyone flying from Boston Logan International Airport, there is a great route there on Turkish Airlines connecting through Istanbul Airport (IST). This route flies frequently, is shockingly cheap (can get as low as $650 round trip), has short layovers (very rarely longer than 2 hours in either direction), and is also part of the Star Alliance, meaning you can book these flights through United or other Star Alliance members using either dollars or points. If you have status on any of the Star Alliance airlines, you can generally apply that status to whatever flights you take by booking through your airline—instead of having to get status with every Star Alliance airline, you can get it with one and then travel them all in luxury!
The route to Palermo may be slightly longer than some of the other routes on this list as you have to connect through Turkey, but for the incredibly low prices this route offers, we definitely think it is worth the tradeoff!
Example Flights:
You can get from Boston to Palermo and Sicily for only $675! We guarantee you will not find any other route this cheap with this quick travel time.
Summary
Italy is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, and with great options to get there from Boston, you’re sure to have a smooth and inspiring trip! Regardless of which city in Italy you’re hoping to start your travel with, we have shared our recommendation for the best airline and flight to take to maximize value and travel experience. The Star Alliance is particularly useful for getting to Italy, with United, Swiss, Turkish, and Air Canada all offering convenient routes from Boston. We hope this article has helped you feel more knowledgeable as you begin to plan your next trip from Boston to Italy!
If you’re interested in flying to other amazing destinations from Boston, make sure to check out our guide for the best destinations to fly from Boston Logan International Airport!