Fiumicino Airport To Rome - Find Out The Best Options

LEonardo express TRAIN FROM FIUMICINO AIRPORT TO ROME

Probably the most popular way to get into Rome from the airport is by the Leonardo Express train.

The trains run (around) every half hour (at 23 minutes past the hour and 7 minutes till the hour) and take about half an hour.

The cost is 14€ one-way.

FrecciaROSSA trains from Fiumicino AIRPORT to Rome (and Florence)

There are several high-speed trains leaving Fiumicino and stopping at Roma Termini.

These trains are Frecciarossa which literally means "red arrow." 

The bottom line is the freccia trains are fast trains.

And the "frecciarossa" are the fastest of the fast trains.

From Termini, you can catch another Freccia train to Florence.

If you want to go from Fiumicino airport straight to Florence, you have a couple of options - both involve passing through Roma Termini train station:

One option is to take a train from Fiumicino to Roma Termini and then transfer to a different train to Florence.

Another is to take the train from the airport to Florence without changing at Roma Termini.

The train does stop there but you don't have to get off. 

This is surely convenient if you have a lot of luggage with you.

At this time, there is only one such train per day.

You can check the schedules and you can purchase your tickets on the Trenitalia website.

There are various prices for the trip to Florence, depending on type of service, age, special offers, etc.

If you book the Freccia trains just to get to Termini, the price will be 19.50€ one-way, because of the type of train it is. 

These trains are fast but the time they take to get from the airport into Termini is the same as for the Leonardo Express (32 minutes), so if you are indeed going only to Rome Termini, you might want to just wait for the next Leonardo Express train and save 5€.

Regional Train from Fiumicino AIRPORT to Rome

There is another kind of train you can get from the airport into Rome: a regional train.

These trains are slower and cost less (8€ one way.)

And, they do NOT go to Termini.

The regional trains leave from the same place as the Leonardo Express (and Freccia trains), and take a different, slower route into Rome, making several local stops before arriving in Rome.

The Rome stops include Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana and Tiburtina.

If your hotel, B&B or apartment is in one of these areas, this might be a good options.

Buying tickets for the train from Fiumicino AIRPORT to Rome

If you want to save time, and/or if you plan to arrive in Rome without any Euros cash, you can buy your Leonardo Express tickets from Fiumicino into Rome online.

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Once you arrive at one of the Rome train stations (Termini being the most commonly used, Tiburtina, Ostiense, Trastevere), you then can take a taxi or the Metro/bus to get where you are going.

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Bus from Fiumicino Airport to Rome

You can take one of many bus lines from Rome Fiumicino airport to Rome Termini station.

It's easy to find the buses once you are in the arrivals terminal.

Just follow the signs, as for the train.

The buses are pretty hard to miss!

(There are no hop-on hop-off buses at the airport. If you want to take one of these to tour Rome, visit my page here.)

Bus from Fiumicino Airport to Rome

Rates are extremely competitive and usually under 6 Euros one way if you buy a round-trip ticket.

Book your round-trip ticket between Fiumicino airport and Rome for 11€ here.

Once you arrive at Rome Termini station, you then can take a taxi or the Metro/bus to get where you are going.

Taking a shuttle from Fiumicino Airport to Rome

A shuttle can be an easy, affordable alternative to a bus (above) as a way to get from Fiumicino airport to Rome.

Shuttles from take several passengers to different locations around Rome, usually dropping them right at their hotel/apartment, or at least at a very nearby plaza.

This can be a nice alternative to the bus, which is cheap, but drops you at Termini, meaning you still have to get where you are going.

Other plusses about taking a shuttle include that it's affordable, and you can book and pay in advance.

The downside can be that it may take you some time to get to your destination in Rome, as you have to both wait for the other booked passengers to arrive/board, and, once in Rome, you may have to go around dropping off other passengers before you get dropped off.

So if you are not in a rush, you may find this a good option.

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Taking a Taxi from Fiumicino Airport to Rome

I hear many visitors to Rome saying "I'll just get a taxi at the airport."

You should be aware there are several different types of taxi - white, metered taxis from Rome, white metered taxis from Fiumicino, and private limo drivers.

White Metered Taxi from Fiumicino Airport to Rome

One common way to get from Fiumicino airport to Rome is by taking a white metered taxi.

You will usually find them lined up when you step outside the airport.

The taxi must be registered in the town of Rome (not Fiumicino), otherwise, you have no guarantee of the rate.

A taxi from the town of Fiumicino can simply turn on the meter, or ask you for a fixed rate.

There is no guarantee what the fare could be when taking a Fiumicino taxi from the airport into Rome.

At the time of this writing (2024), the official one-way rate for a Rome taxi between Fiumicino airport and anyplace in Rome inside the Aurelian walls, is 50€.

Did you notice above I wrote "Inside the Aurelian Walls"?

What this means is that the official fare is valid ONLY when the taxi is FROM Rome (not Fiumicino), AND your destination is inside the Aurelian Walls.

Meaning, the walls around Rome from about the 3rd century.

I live in Rome.

And I feel like I live inside the city.

I am looking at the Aurelian Walls in front of my house as I write this.

Yet, my apartment is technically OUTSIDE the Aurelian Walls, and so if I hire a white metered taxi to take me to Fiumicino, even though I live CLOSER to Fiumicino than someone living INSIDE the walls but to the north or east, I will be charged the fare on the meter and NOT the flat 50€ rate.

And often, the fare on the meter is more than 50€ when going between Rome and Fiumicino airport.

Hmmm, and how do you know if your accommodations fit into this boundary?

Ask your hotel/B&B when you book.

And, ask the taxi driver before you get in.

You can read a bit more about this, from my good friends at The Beehive Hostel in Rome.

Private Limo service from Fiumicino AIRPORT to Rome

Click the photo to book your private transfer now

When you land at Fiumicino, and come out of baggage claim, you will find a sea of drivers, many of whom are holding up signs with the names of people who've booked with them in advance (which I highly recommend!)

Other drivers are waiting for people to get off the plane in search of transport into Rome.

They may approach you and ask if you need a "taxi" into Rome.

If you take a ride with one of these drivers, you may wish to prepare yourself first by reading the above link about the Aurelian Walls, and my below list of things to watch out for.

MOST drivers are honest, but some are not.

Caveat Emptor!

Rates for this should be 50-60 Euros one way for up to 4 people with luggage in a standard sedan.

Rates may go up for late-night transfers or excessive baggage.

If you really want to "take a taxi" from Fiumicino airport to Rome, I really recommend you just book this in advance.

It may be a bit more than the 50€ flat rate, but you will have peace of mind in knowing you will pay exactly what you expect.

The benefits of booking this kind of service in advance are:

1. Peace of mind knowing the rate is fixed
2. Being able to prepay with credit card
3. Knowing you will have someone to meet you at the airport to make it all go smoothly, with no surprises

HOW NOT TO GET RIPPED OFF BY ROME AIRPORT TAXI DRIVERS

I am sorry to have to write this but unfortunately after years of hearing so many stories of bad experiences of people hiring taxis at the airports in Rome, it is a must:

• If you take a white metered taxi, make sure it is registered in Rome and not the town of Fiumicino. The Rome city taxis are obliged to charge the set fare of 50 Euros into Rome, while a Fiumicino registered taxi is legally able to simply turn on the meter, which can result in a much higher fare. (The official taxi fare from Ciampino into Rome city centre is 31 Euros.)
• If you get into a non-metered taxi, which are called “NCC” (noleggio con conducente, meaning hired with driver), set the rate before you get in. Make sure it is the final rate including tolls (there are none), and baggage. The rate should be in the area of 50-60 Euros for a standard car service for 3-4 people with luggage.
• If you agree to take a private car service with a driver who approaches you in the airport, make sure you are the only ones who will be in the car. I have heard stories of people being taken to a private minivan, asked to sit there, and then even locked in while the driver went back inside the airport to look for more fares to collect on the same ride.
• This is a big one, and I’ve been hearing it too much lately: drivers know that many tourists are savvy about establishing the fare in advance, and that often people do know the official city rates, so this warning applies to private and public taxis: When you arrive at your hotel in Rome, do not pay the driver until after you have gotten your luggage out of the back of the car. When you pay the driver, take the money out and hold it, asking him or her to get change while you hold the bill(s). I have heard many stories of drivers insisting that the passenger “only” gave a 5 instead of a 50, or a 10 instead of 100, and asking for the rest of the money. 

Renting a car and driving into Rome

Are you thinking of renting a car and driving from Fiumicinao airport to Rome?

Here's why I don't recommend it:

• You do NOT need a car while you are in Rome. It's so easy to get everywhere on foot or with public transportation. Or even city taxis.
• If you are staying anywhere in the city center, you will have to pay for parking, to the tune of at least 30€ per day.
• If you think you can just park in the street, think again. It will either cost to park in the street, or, you risk a hefty fine.
• Speaking of hefty fines, if you drive (even by mistake) into the "ZTL", which means zona di traffico limitato, you will definitely get a fine. Even months later. Trust me you will be fined. Most of Rome's historic center is off limits to cars other than for residents or city vehicles.
• Do you really want to contend with wacky and pretty intense Rome traffic??

There are times when it can make sense to rent a car and drive from Fiumicino airport to Rome:

• Your accommodations are NOT in the city center, and/or there is easy parking. This could be the case if you are just staying overnight at say, one of the Rome airport hotels, before moving on the next day. Or if you are simply staying at one of the larger hotels just outside the city center.
• You know your way around Rome, have driven here before, and have a place to park.

If, on the other hand, your idea is that you will rent a car at the airport, spend a couple of days in Rome, and then drive on to Tuscany or the Amalfi coast, your best bet is the rent the car IN ROME, on the day you leave the city.

Hiring a rental car in Rome

If you do want to rent a car in Rome, you can check Auto Europe, which compares rental rates across major car rental companies, like Hertz, Avis, Budget and more.

Can you take Uber from Fiumicino into Rome?

In Rome, we don't have Uber the way you might be used to using it.

The Uber app works here, but your options are limited.

In Rome, you can only book Uber black, which means you will get a limo service.

Rates may vary and this may not be a more convenient or cheaper option than a regular taxi.

In fact, if you want to book a car service to or from the airport, I recommend doing this in advance, so you can be sure to have a car waiting for you, and so that there are no surprises when it comes to the rate.

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