March 2025. We’re embarking on a train trip to Sicily. We fly from Brussels Airport to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport with ITA Airways. Then we take an Intercity Notte sleeper train by Trenitalia from Roma Termini Railway Station across Italy to Syracuse. Yes, the train is loaded on a ferry to cross the Strait of Messina. After visiting Syracuse, Catania and Palermo, we return to Rome, and home. With 25,832 km², Sicily is only 20% smaller than Belgium (30,689 km²). Quite a lot in four days.

Last time when flying home on ITA airways in Business Class we had to clear passport control to go to the international lounge of Piazza di Spagna as the new Schengen Lounge was still under construction. Even though this time there was renewed construction (to expand it to handle the extra influx of Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance passengers after 31 march) we could access ITA Airways Hangar Lounge in the Schengen area of the airport.

It is actually a rather small lounge considering the size of the airport and it being ITA Airways’ main hub. It’s a big room with some different styles of seating spread around and a stylish bar in the middle.

At the bar you could order barista made coffees and signature cocktails as well as any other drink you would like.

There was also a small buffet offering soup and 2 types of pasta as hot items, while offering some more salads, bread, cold pasta and charcuterie as cold options. There were some jars with cookies spread along the bar, but no real dessert options. I also missed a fridge from where you could grab your own bottles of water or non-alcoholic beverages as you needed to ask every drink at the bar.

The toilets where actively kept clean, but seemed a bit small and starting to show signs of wear and tear. There also was single locked shower stall in the male toilets, presumably you have to ask for access at the entry desk.

All in all it was a fine lounge. It was certainly not a bad lounge but also doesn’t really standout. It is a good mid-range lounge. In my opinion I found the extra-Schengen piazza di Spagna lounge better. But often the “International” lounges of airlines are much better. We also found the lounge to be incredibly crowded and hard to find a seat. Hopefully the expansion will be enough to host the extra guests coming from the entry into the Lufthansa Group and Star Alliance.

Sicily & Rome 2025

1. REVIEW | Brussels Airport Diamond Lounge at A-Gates.
2. REVIEW | ITA Airways Business Class Brussels to Rome.
3. ROME | Afternoon tea at Hotel Hassler Roma on top of the Spanish Steps.
4. REVIEW | Trenitalia Intercity Notte in Superior (Excelsior) Class.
5. SICILY | Neapolis Archeological Park of Syracuse.
6. SYRACUSE | Ortygia.
7. REVIEW | Boutique Hotel Caportigia Syracuse.
8. SICILY | Catania.
9. ITALY | Trains in Sicily.
10. REVIEW | NH Palermo.
11. SICILY | Palermo Cathedral.
12. PALERMO | Palazzo dei Normanni, the Royal Palace of the Normans in Sicily.
13. PALERMO | Palazzo Butera in the Kalsa neighbourhood.
14. SICILY | Palermo.
15. SICILY | Syracuse – Catania – Palermo + Agrigento – Taormina – Cefalù.
16. REVIEW | Trenitalia Intercity Notte in Deluxe Class.
17. ROME | Exploring EUR or Esposizione Universale Roma.
18. REVIEW | Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese.