Cheap air travel within europe

I am from the United States, and my wife, child and myself, plan to
travel to Europe in June. I have most of my trip planned, except for
the travel from Rome to Frankfurt. I have looked at the ryanair's very
appealing price structure. However, I have also read that ryanair is
not very dependable, which could be very troublesome for us. I seek
advice, should I perhaps travel by train, consuming considerable
amount of vacation time or should I consider the scenery I would miss.
Certainly, I would like to balance cost, time spent traveling while
enjoying the scenery and local culture. Could someone please give me
pros and cons. Thank you.

Joe