Getting from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Rome (and Vice Versa)

I have a soft spot for flying straight into Venice when I can, but most overseas visitors to Italy land in Rome. It's the country's biggest airport, it has the most nonstop flights from North America, and the fares are often lower.

Landing at Fiumicino is only half the battle, though. Leonardo da Vinci Airport, which everyone calls Fiumicino (few-mee-CHEE-noh), is more than 30km from the city center. Here's how to get from the terminal to your hotel, and back again when you leave.

One thing first: don't rent a car at Fiumicino unless you're heading straight for the countryside. Driving in Rome is miserable, and the historic center is a camera-enforced limited traffic zone (ZTL), where every camera you pass can mean a fine of €83 to €332 in 2026.

Getting from Rome Fiumicino Airport to Rome

What I'd do: if your hotel is near Termini or a Metro stop, take the Leonardo Express. If it's in Trastevere or near one of the FL1 stations, take the FL1 and save a few euros. If there are three or four of you, or you land exhausted with big bags, the fixed-fare taxi to your door is worth it; split four ways it costs about the same as the train.

Taking the Leonardo Express from Fiumicino to Rome

The Leonardo Express runs non-stop between the airport station and Roma Termini, Rome's main station. The trip takes 32 minutes, and trains leave every 15 minutes from early morning until late evening, seven days a week. The airport station is a short, signposted walk from the arrivals halls.

Tickets cost about €14 in 2026. Luggage is free, and one child aged 4 to 12 travels free with each paying adult. A group ticket for four people costs €40, which saves a little if you're traveling together.

You can buy tickets at the station ticket office and machines, at newsstands and tobacco shops in the airport, or ahead of time on the Trenitalia website or app, which puts the ticket on your phone. A digital ticket is for the train you pick, but you can switch to another for free until your train leaves, which is handy when your flight is late. If you buy a paper ticket, validate it in the machines before you board.

Details are on the Trenitalia Leonardo Express page.

Taking a local train from Fiumicino to Rome

The cheaper train is the FL1 regional line (Fiumicino to Orte). It doesn't go to Termini, but it stops at Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana and Tiburtina, among others. At Ostiense you can change to Metro line B (the station is Piramide), and at Tiburtina to line B as well; Tuscolana connects with line A at Ponte Lungo.

A ticket costs about €8 in 2026. Trains run every 15 minutes or so on a normal weekday, and less often on Sundays and holidays. It's a commuter train, so expect ordinary regional carriages rather than luggage racks built for suitcases.

Taking the bus from Fiumicino to Rome

Several bus companies run from Fiumicino to central Rome, mostly to Termini. Buses take longer than the train and get stuck in Rome's traffic, but they're cheaper, and some run through the night when the trains don't. That makes the bus the answer for a very late arrival or a dawn departure.

The regional public bus company, Cotral, connects Fiumicino with Termini and Tiburtina stations, including overnight. A ticket is about €5 bought in advance, or €7 on board, in 2026. Current fares are on the Cotral website, and the full list of bus companies serving the airport is on the Rome airports website.

Taking a taxi from Fiumicino to Rome

There are still drivers who try to overcharge visitors, but the fixed fare makes that easy to avoid. From Fiumicino to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls, which covers nearly every central hotel, the fixed fare is about €55 in 2026. It includes luggage and covers up to four passengers. Say "tariffa fissa" and name your hotel before you set off. If you're not sure whether your hotel is inside the walls, ask the hotel before you land.

To get that fare you need an official taxi. Official Rome taxis are white, with a "TAXI" sign on the roof and a license number on the doors. Take one only from the marked ranks outside arrivals, and ignore anyone who walks up to you in the terminal offering a ride.

Flying into Rome's smaller airport, Ciampino, instead? There's a fixed taxi fare from there too, about €40 in 2026.

Booking a car with a driver

The last option is a car with a driver, marked "NCC" (noleggio con conducente, "rental with driver"). The price isn't fixed, so agree on it when you book. NCC drivers can't pick up fares on the street or from the taxi rank the way taxis do, so book one before you fly; many hotels will arrange it for you. The driver meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign. It usually costs more than a taxi, and it's worth it mainly when a taxi queue would be the last straw after a long flight.

Going back to Fiumicino

Everything above works in reverse. The Leonardo Express leaves from its own platforms at Termini (they're at the far end of the station, so allow an extra 10 minutes to walk there with bags). For an early-morning flight, check the first train before you book your hotel; if you need to be at the airport before it runs, a taxi or the overnight Cotral bus is your answer. The fixed taxi fare applies in this direction too.

Now that you're in Rome…

Start with my Rome travel guide, with links to most of what I've written about the Eternal City.

First time in Rome? Read my Rome survival tips for first-time visitors.

Pressed for time? Here are my top 10 things to do in Rome.

Rome is big, so you'll use the Metro and buses. Our guide to Rome public transportation covers tickets and the three Metro lines. A single BIT ticket is about €1.50 in 2026 for 100 minutes, and you can simply tap a contactless card at the gates.

Looking for a budget bed? I've written about Rome's party hostels, hostels near the Colosseum and hostels away from Termini Station, and there's a wider list of hostels in Rome.

original photos, top to bottom, by: cgkinla, Josh Clark, Sky Eckstrom, Ambrosiana Pictures (G), Patrick Rasenberg, j_t_d