Fiumicino Airport

Rome’s Fiumicino Airport is Italy’s main airport hub. This is especially why, particularly if your starting point is far from Rome, flying represents the most convenient option, both in terms of journey times and costs.

Fiumicino (IATA code: FCO), along with the smaller Ciampino Airport, forms the capital’s airport system; it is the hub for ITA Airways and simultaneously serves as a base for a number of major airlines, including budget carriers Ryanair, Vueling and Wizz Air.

With passenger traffic in constant growth despite the negative impact of the pandemic in 2020-2021, Fiumicino Airport serves as the gateway to Rome for visitors from across the globe.

To reach your hotel or Rome’s city centre once you’ve landed at the airport, book a transfer online, which is the most convenient solution.

From Rome Fiumicino Airport to the City Centre

Once you’ve exited the terminal, you’ll need to work out how to reach the city centre. Essentially, you have three options: train, bus or taxi.

Leonardo Express Train

The train is the fastest way to get into Rome’s centre from Fiumicino Airport. The service is called the Leonardo Express and connects Fiumicino with Rome Termini in just 31 minutes. From there, you can easily continue virtually anywhere in Rome, using buses, the metro or regional trains.

The Leonardo Express offers non-stop service, with departures every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes otherwise. At Termini station, trains depart from and arrive at platforms 23 and 24.

As a direct dedicated train, Leonardo Express ticket prices are higher than standard fares. To save money, you can use the FL1 regional train, which departs from Fiumicino and arrives at Roma Tiburtina in approximately 45 minutes, stopping at a few intermediate stations including Trastevere, Ostiense and Tuscolana. Here too, services run every 15 minutes during peak hours and every 30 minutes otherwise.

Bus

The bus is the most economical solution for getting from Fiumicino Airport to Rome’s city centre, however you’ll need to contend with the capital’s traffic, which, especially during rush hours, can be rather brutal. Therefore, it’s not possible to give a precise estimate of journey times; a reasonable approximation would be anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and a half.

Various companies operate this route, including Sit Bus Shuttle, Cotral, Atral-Schiaffini, T.A.M. and Terravision. Each runs its own route, so plan your journey in advance by checking which company serves your destination.

For example, Sit Bus Shuttle stops at Termini and goes as far as the Vatican, Cotral stops at Roma Termini, Roma Tiburtina, Cornelia where you’ll find metro line A, and Eur-Magliana where you’ll find metro line B, Atral-Schiaffini and Terravision only go to Termini, whilst T.A.M stops at Termini and Ostiense.

Taxi

Given the need to be very wary of unlicensed taxis, which often overcharge unsuspecting travellers with fares well above the norm, the official airport taxis from Rome stand at the arrivals areas of terminals 1 and 3, and charge fixed rates to some of the most common destinations.

Taxis are certainly not cheap, so expect to spend between €50 and €60 for the journey; however, they’re convenient, private, and especially if you’re travelling with luggage, they have the advantage of saving you from having to lug your bags around Rome, as they’ll take you directly to your hotel. The return journey, from Rome to Fiumicino, costs no more than €70 under local regulations, provided it originates within the Grande Raccordo Anulare ring road.

Private transfer

An alternative to TAXIs is to book in advance a private transfer to or from Rome airport. A driver will pick you up at the airport arrivals (thus avoiding taxi queues), at your hotel or wherever you prefer, to take you to the desired address.

It is the best solution if you do not want to waste time, do not want to use public transport, have a lot of luggage or are travelling in a group. To book a private transfer to or from Rome airport visit this site.

Connections to Other Destinations

If you land at Fiumicino but Rome isn’t your final destination, don’t worry: thanks to the extensive transport network, you’ll be able to reach numerous areas throughout the province, Lazio and indeed Italy.

For instance, Trenitalia connects Fiumicino twice daily to Florence, Bologna, Padua and Venice without having to go through Rome Termini station. Of course, if you want to continue your journey by train once you’ve left the plane but these cities aren’t your destination, you can easily reach Termini and then use the national rail network, whether high-speed or otherwise.

Various buses also depart from Fiumicino, connecting the airport with numerous Italian cities, including Naples and Florence. The companies to consider are FlixBus, Fiumicino Express, Roma Marche and Gaspari Bus.

Car Hire

If you opt to hire a car, Fiumicino is practically located along the Tyrrhenian coast: from there it’s easy to head up the Lazio coastline as far as Argentario in Tuscany, or head south to enjoy the region’s most beautiful beaches, from Nettuno to San Felice Circeo, right through to Sperlonga and Gaeta, which sit on the border with Campania. To use the motorway network, you’ll instead need to reach Rome via the A91 ring road, then continue your journey depending on your destination.

To rent a car in Rome we always recommend comparing the rates of all companies with DiscoverCars because in our opinion it offers the best prices, allows cancellation up to 48 hours before rental and offers a very cheap comprehensive insurance policy.

Arrivals and Departures

Recommended hotels

Below is a list of recommended hotels near Fiumicino Airport.