How to get from Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to Rome city Center?

Arrive at Fiumicino Airport (FCO)

When a tourist or a traveller lands in Rome Fiumicino airport, his/her first difficulty is to understand how to reach his/her accommodation. The modalities are in fact numerous and varied. The best choice will depend a lot on where the hotel is located and the budget.

There are two main airports in Rome, one is called Rome Fiumicino and the other is called Rome Ciampino. There are three main train stations in the center of Rome, one is called Termini, the other two are called Tiburtina and Ostiense.

The three main train stations connect metro lines and bus stops. So many people choose to get off at one of these three train stations to enter Rome center. Then they can take metro or buses to go to their hotels. (Termini is connected to both metro A and Metro B, whereas Tiburtina and Ostiense are connected only to Metro B.)

This article explains how to get from Rome–Fiumicino International Airport “Leonardo da Vinci” to Rome city center. We discuss 4 types of transportation: taxi, shuttle transfer, train and bus.

By Taxi

If your budget is high, you can choose to take a taxi. Otherwise we would recommend other means of transportation.

By shuttle transfer

If tourists have financial resources and a little time available, the best alternative could be to take a shuttle transfer. For example, the company Roma Transfer transports up to four passengers directly to the place of destination at a competitive cost equal to € 45 from Fiumicino airport.

Therefore, it could be convenient to use transfer service if you are a family of four. On the contrary, if the choice is to be made by a single traveller or a couple, collective transport such as by train or by bus can be considered.

By Train

From Fiumicino airport, the Fiumicino train station is reached via a system of elevated passages. You have to be careful to follow a bit complicated directions to get there. At the Fiumicino station you can buy two types of tickets from company Trenitalia: the Leonardo Express or the Regional train for Rome.

Leonardo Express

The Leonardo Express is a train that leaves every fifteen minutes from Rome Fiumicino station and arrives at Termini station in thirty-two minutes. The first train leaves at Rome Fiumicino station at 6:08 am and the last at 11:23 pm. Trains depart every hour at XX: 08, XX: 23, XX: 38, XX: 53. The train does not make intermediate stops and it costs € 14 per single traveller.

Be aware that the Leonardo Express arrives at Termini station at platform No.27 that is around 700 meters far from the main entrance of the Termini station. From the main entrance of the Termini station, you can soon reach the metro lines A and B.

Regional train

To understand which regional train to take in Italy, a passenger needs to look at the destination stop written on the Railway Electronic Noticeboard. The destination stops for regional trains going from Fiumicino Airport to the Rome center are usually Poggio Mirteto, Monterotondo or Fara Sabina. It costs € 8 to reach the center of Rome from Fiumicino station.

Typically, regional train leaves from Fiumicino station every fifteen minutes at XX: 12, XX: 27, XX: 42, XX: 57. The first train leaves at 5:57 am and the last at 11:27 pm. However, it must be considered that the frequency of departures is thirty minutes instead of fifteen in early in the morning, on Saturdays and Sundays. The stops between Fiumicino and Rome are Parco Leonardo, Fiera di Roma, Ponte Galeria, Muratella, Magliana, Villa Bonelli, Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana, Tiburtina, Nomentana, Nuovo Salario, Fidene, Settebagni.

But be very careful:
(1) There is no stop at Termini station.
(2) You need to plan which stop is the most convenient for you to get off. Because the stops are very far from each other.
(3) The train does not end in Rome and it can continue to go out of Rome to other towns. So you need to make sure that you get off at the stop that you prefer.

The regional train takes 26 minutes from Fiumicino station to reach the first stop in the center of Rome (Roma Trastevere). Instead, the train takes 48 minutes to reach Rome Tiburtina. The train intersects metro B in both Ostiense and Tiburtina stops. A metro stop called “Ponte Lungo” in line A is located near the Tuscolana stop (about 450 meters on foot from the train stop to the metro stop). If the accommodation is located near one of these stops, or if a traveller plans to take the subway, the regional train can be a viable alternative.

By Bus

The cheapest way to reach Rome Termini train station is by bus. There are at least four companies that guarantee a constant connection from Fiumicino. From Fiumicino the bus takes about an hour to arrive Termini.

TAM BUS

For example, TAM BUS guarantees the Fiumicino – Roma Termini connections at a cost of € 7 (€ 13 if the return is also purchased). The first daily connection leaves at 5:40 am and the last at 0:15 am. The bus makes an intermediate stop in “piazza 12 Ottobre 1492”. Here, you will find the high-quality food shop Eataly. If you walk down to underpass from “piazza 12 Ottobre 1492”, you will first arrive at Ostiense train station and if you keep walking, you will arrive at the Piramide stop of metro B. You can find complete timetables here.

The bus has free wi-fi. The ticket departure time and/or the chosen day that you have booked can be modified only once at a cost of 1.50 euro (It’s allowed to make the modification of the ticket until one hour before departure time).

terravision

The Terravision company offers connections from Fiumicino airport to Rome Termini at a slightly cheaper cost, equal to 6 € (11 € if you also buy the return). The first connection leaves at 8:30 am and the last at 11:00 pm. Terravision tickets can be purchased directly on Ryanair flights. Here you can find the complete timetables here.

The ticket is valid for the same day of the chosen day that you have booked.

SIT Bus Shuttle

The company SIT Bus Shuttle guarantees the Fiumicino airport – Roma Termini connections at a cost of € 7 (€ 13 if the return is also purchased). This company has an agreement with Fixbus, so tickets can also be purchased on the website of Fixbus. The first connection leaves at 8:30 am and the last one at 10:15 pm. The bus makes two intermediate stops, the first stop is on the Circonvallazione Aurelia n. 19 and the second is near the Vatican City (via Crescenzio n. 19). You can find the complete timetables here.

The bus has free wi-fi.The ticket is valid for the same day of the chosen day that you have booked.

Rome Airort Bus by Schiaffini

The company Rome Airort Bus by Schiaffini also provides the link between Fiumicino Airport to Rome Termini station without intermediate stops. The first bus leaves at 6:30 am and the last at 00:00 am. The cost is € 6,90 (€ 9,90 if you also buy the return). You can find the complete timetables here.

A tourist can buy a ticket online that can be used within 90 days from the purchasing day. Thus, the bus ticket can be used for the later buses if the airplane delayes .

Travel Tips

1. As Rome is a city has a lot of traffic jam, it’s important to consider extra time might be needed when taking bus from airports.

2. Strikes are not rare in Rome. Public bus from company ATAC can be on strike or can have malfunctions or delay. Thus, after you arrive in train stations in Rome center, you need to be careful on how to reach your accommodation without completely relying on ATAC bus or tram.  Especially, if there is a strike on the day after you arrive in the city center, it’s better to take taxi directly to avoid losing both time and energy.  

Note: Schedules and prices reference time mentioned in the article is 26 May, 2022

Written by Enrico and edited by Hua