Fiumicino Airport Transfer to the City

You've booked your flight to Rome? Great. Next, you may be wondering: How do I get from Rome-Fiumicino or Rome-Ciampino Airport to the city center? Here you will find all the options, categorized by airport!

Airport Transfer Rome: How do I get from the airport to the center of Rome? There are several routes from Fiumicino and Ciampino airports to the city center of Rome.

The two airports are located 30 km (Fiumicino) and 18 km (Ciampino) outside the city center. Public transportation connections are only moderately good.

In this article, I will explain the options: From comfortable and expensive to cheap and a little more complicated. The latter option may not necessarily take longer. Additionally, I have a tip for a free airport transfer!

If you are traveling to Rome by plane, you will arrive at one of the two airports. Both Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) and the smaller Ciampino Airport (CIA) are located outside the city.

Here are the options for getting to the city center from the airports!

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This airport is well connected to the train and bus network. It is located about 30 km outside the city center.

Fiumicino Airport is the largest and most important airport in Rome. Most tourists arrive here at Leonardo da Vinci (FCO) in Rome-Fiumicino. It is only 34 km from the city center on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. Fiumicino Airport serves nearly 41 million passengers a year, making it the tenth-largest airport in the world.

The airport code is FCO.

The pass optionally includes the airport transfer via the Leonardo Express. You book this for a specific time. The ticket is valid for up to 1.5 hours (arrival at the final station). Changes are not possible. If you want to take the option 'Leonardo Express' when booking a pass, you must select this option at the time of booking.

This pass is available for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7 days.

The easiest and most stress-free option with a taxi is also the most expensive.

To ensure that no tourists are overcharged, there are fixed prices for rides from the airport to the city center of 48 euros. No matter where in the downtown area you want to go. The price is valid for up to 4 people including luggage.

For rides to other districts, different fixed prices apply (e.g., Ostiense for 45 euros).

Line up in the taxi queue on the street directly at the airport terminal, where the official and licensed taxis of the city of Rome wait.

Note: These fixed prices apply only to the taxis of the city of Rome ('SPQR Comune di Roma'). These taxis are white and have a taxi sign on the roof. You can also recognize them by the license number and the addition 'Roma Capitale' on the door.

Warning: Don't fall victim to a scammer or unlicensed driver. They wait in the arrival hall or outside the exit, trying to win you as a customer. Even if they offer you a fixed price - it is uncertain whether they will stick to it in the end. Furthermore, there is no chance for a complaint.

Also, do not use the taxis of Fiumicino City. These taxis also have fixed prices, but they are significantly higher than the Roma taxis (60 euros).

The fastest way to get to the city without traffic is the Leonardo Express. From Fiumicino Airport, you can reach Termini central station in about 35 minutes.

Trains run from 6:38 AM to 11:38 PM every 30 minutes, during peak hours even every 15 minutes from inside the airport terminal to 'Termini' central station in the heart of Rome. From here, you can easily switch to one of the two subway lines A and B or transfer at the bus station.

In the airport terminal, follow the signs labeled 'Treno' (trains).

The ticket machine is located in front of the platform. If the line is too long, you can also buy tickets at the adjacent convenience stores or at the counter next to the platform.

You can buy a ticket at Ticketbar before traveling.

In our experience, the Leonardo Express is the fastest way to get into the city. The streets are always full, and traffic is always very dense.

For the return trip to the airport, the trains depart from Termini on platforms 23/24. The train operates between 5:50 AM - 10:50 PM.

The FR 1 is a combination of a suburban and regional train. If your hotel is in the western part of Rome (Trastevere, Ostiense, Tiburtina, Vatican), this variant may be faster and more cost-effective than going through Termini with the Leonardo Express. This train does not stop at Termini central station.

Unfortunately, the metro ticket is only valid within the city limits. Therefore, you must purchase a separate ticket which costs 8 euros. The FR 1 operates every 15 minutes during the week, and every 30 minutes on weekends and evenings.

You can get tickets for the regional train at ticket machines in the train stations in Rome as well as at the airport.

The cheapest but also the longest option is the bus. These buses run to the city center every 20 - 45 minutes. The duration of the ride depends on the time of day, as a guideline, I would plan for one hour. During my visit to Rome, it always felt like there was traffic.

When choosing a bus, you have several options:

The Terravision buses are the most well-known in Rome. They run non-stop from 5:30 AM to 10:55 PM to the center.

A one-way ticket costs 4 euros if booked online in advance, 5 euros on-site (the return trip costs even up to 6 euros).

Information on the Terravision Bus website.

Sit buses take you every half hour first to the Vatican and then to Termini station. Tickets cost 6 € one-way, or 11 € for a round trip. The buses operate from 8:30 AM to 12:30 AM.

More information on the Sit Bus on the official website.

Ciampino Airport is located in Rome about 18 km from the city center. The airport is a military airfield. Many state tourists and private jets land here, as well as Italian firefighting planes. Ciampino is also an economic airport primarily served by low-cost carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet.

It is Rome's 'Low Cost' airport. Unfortunately, the airport is not accessible by train or metro.

Airport connections work smoothly until midnight - is that a good thing? If flight delays occur late at night, many passengers end up in the area and have to wait until early morning to continue.

As a big fan of city passes, I also have a hot tip for Rome! The Rome City Pass offers you the option to add the airport transfer.

The simplest, stress-free but most expensive option for the Rome airport transfer is also the taxi.

If you want to get quickly and comfortably to your hotel in downtown Rome, you can take a taxi. Just like for Fiumicino Airport, take an official taxi from the city of Rome. These taxis are white and have a taxi sign with 'Taxi' on the roof. You can also recognize them by the license number and the addition 'SPQR Comune di Roma' on the door.

For this taxi, fixed prices apply starting from 30 euros to the center. No matter where in downtown you want to go. The price is valid for up to 4 people including luggage.

You can find the taxis by following the taxi signs in the airport terminal. They will take you directly to the taxi stand of the official taxis of the city of Rome.

Warning: Don't fall victim to an unlicensed driver. They wait in the arrival hall or outside the exit and try to win you as a customer. Even if they offer you a fixed price - it is uncertain whether they will adhere to it in the end. Furthermore, there is no opportunity for a complaint.

Alternatively, you can use UBER. This has the advantage that you can already see the price beforehand.

You can find the Terravision buses directly in front of the main terminal entrance at the airport. The bus runs non-stop to Termini central station and costs 4 euros if you book your ticket online, or 6 euros on the bus.

Due to heavy traffic, you should also plan about 1 hour of travel time to the center.

Book bus tickets at Get Your Guide

Book tickets here.

The Sit buses also run directly from Ciampino Airport to Termini central station. They operate every 40 minutes from 7:45 AM to 11:30 PM. Tickets cost 4 euros if booked online.

A somewhat more complicated option is the transfer by bus and metro. Since you need to transfer here, I always recommend using the Terravision buses.

To get to the city center by metro, you first need to take a Cotral bus to the Anagnina metro station. This station is the last stop of line B. From here, you can continue to Termini or another station that is more convenient for you.

The costs are by far the cheapest:

If you have booked a very early flight back home, unfortunately, the only options are to take a taxi or a private shuttle to Rome Fiumicino Airport or Ciampino Airport.

Fiumicino Airport: Ride the Leonardo Express directly to Termini Station in Rome. The Leonardo Express runs non-stop. Duration: 32 minutes. Thus the fastest way to get into the city center of Rome.

The ride from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Rome Termini costs 14 €/person. Children up to 3 years ride for free.

The best way to get to the center of Rome is by bus or metro. At the bus terminal, a bus operates every 40 minutes to the Anagnina metro station (1.20 €).

Leave us a comment and let us know how your trip was. What tickets did you purchase and how did the transport or transfer work for you? Did you reach your destination smoothly and without traffic? How much did the ride cost? Did I perhaps forget one of the transfer options? Leave us your comment. If you have questions, feel free to post them under the article as a comment.

I hope you found this article informative and enjoyable.

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