Getting in and out of town: Rome airports

When arriving or leaving Rome, you are likely to do it at the "Leonardo da Vinci" airport in Fiumicino, a little town by the seaside, 35 kilometres (20 miles) from the centre of Rome. It is more known in Rome with the name of the locality, i.e. as "Fiumicino airport" ("Aeroporto Fiumicino" in Italian). In airline tickets, its acronym is usually "FCO".

The other possibility is that you arrive or leave at the "Ciampino airport", a little town 13 km (8 miles) from the centre of Rome. In airline tickets, its acronym is usually "CNO".

Fiumicino airport

In the airport look for the well-made trolleys where to put your luggage.
There are three possibilities: by a) taxi or b) car service, c) train.

Arrival by taxi

Arrival:
Follow the arrows in the airport to the taxi area, which is outside and at the same floor of the check out area. You have to stand in line sometimes, but it is always a fast procedure.
A taxi ride should cost you around 42 Euro (appr. 53 US$). You also pay a fee of app. 1.5 Euro (app. 1.9 US$) for every suitcase.

Make sure that the taxi is an official one, and beware of non-official taxies or drivers: with various excuses (that they have a nicer car etc.) they could ask you consistently more, up to 100 Euro (app. 130 US$). Make sure that you deal the price without possibility of mistakes before accepting the service if the taxi is not an official one. The only other cars and drivers you can trust are the car service ones, please read below.

Departure:
It is better in Rome to book a taxi by phone, and not to wait in the taxi parking areas. The only areas where it is easy to catch a taxi are the train stations. There is no surcharge for phone booking. If you cannot ask your hotel to do it, call 064994, 066645 or 063570. The operators speak some English, so speak slowly and clear. They will ask you the address and at what time they must arrive. They will ask your telephone number. They will call you a few minutes before the agreed time, double checking your request and also informing you of the taxi number or code, and also within how many minutes the taxi will arrive (usually between 3 and 10 minutes). You can only book a tazi within 24 hours before the pick up (with the car service company there is no restriction to book).

Professional car service

A professional car service, with pick-up at the airport or train station to the apartment or viceversa, is available for Roman Homes customers. The fares vary depending on the number of persons. For ex.:

- up to 3 persons will cost you 60 Euro (app. 78 US$) from the airport to the apartment or viceversa. The car will be a large Standard Mercedes (blu colour).

- if you are 4-6 persons, or you are loaded with luggage, you will need a van. It will cost you app. 80 Euro (app. 105 US$) from the airport to the apartment, or viceversa. The car will be a comfortable Mercedes Van.

- if you are more than 6 persons you will need a minibus, which will cost you 95 Euro (app. 124 US$).

The reservation of the car service, generally done with expensive cellular phone calls to the driver, is reserved only for our customers. The car service is extremely professional, attentive and courteous, and has been selected by us among all the car service companies in Rome. The driver will wait for you just out of the customs area in the airport with a board with your name. To benefit from the reservation, customers MUST also fill in the Car Service Enquiry Form. Prices of the car service are fixed, also in the year 2006, (while with taxies they can change for a n. of variables, and you have to pay a fee on top for each suitcase), its cars are climatised, the drivers very professional and with knowledge of English.

Arrival by train

Follow the arrows in the airport to the train station area, you cannot miss it. Elevators and moving walkways will bring you there. You are not allowed to put trolleys with luggage on the walkways, but you can roll them along the corridors next to them.

There are two trains:

1) one goes to STAZIONE TERMINI.
They call it "non stop" (because it does not have in-between stops) and it takes 30 min. It costs 9 Euro (Appr. 11 US$). It generally leaves every hour at every 8th minute (8.08 AM, 9.08 AM etc.). In addition you have the following rides: 7.38 AM, 16.38 , 18.38 PM, 20.38 PM. The first ride is at 7.38 AM, the last one at 22.08 PM. It takes app. 30 minutes to arrive in Termini station.
The train starts from and arrives at track 22 of Termini station (the main train station).

The tickets can be purchased:
a) at automatic vending machines at both TERMINI and FIUMICINO Airport
b) at the ticket counter near the platform at FIUMICINO Airport.
c) at the Alitalia bureau near track 22 at TERMINI (6.30 AM - 9.00 PM)

From Termini station you will be able to take the subway lines A (red colour) and B (blue colour), as well as all the buses of the station and a taxi too if you need one. The cost of a subway or of a bus ticket is 1 Euro (appr. 1.26 US$).

2) The second train is called with two names: "FM1" (Ferrovia Metropolitana 1), or "Treno metropolitano per Orte or Fara Sabina" (it goes alternatively to both places, both are good for you)". Sometimes at the little train station of the airport it is simply indicated as going to "Stazione Tiburtina", from the name of the most important in-between stop.

This train is cheaper (5 Euros, appr. 6 US$) and as comfortable as the other one.
In working days it leaves every 20 minutes or so, and there is always one leaving at every 0.28 and 0.58 of every hour: 7.28 AM, 7.58 AM, 8.28 AM etc. During weekends there is a reduction in frequency, but there is at least one every hour.

Moreover it is the earliest (first ride at 6.28 AM) and the latest train going to town (last ride at 23.38 PM).
In addition this train has in-between stops. They are usually train and subway stations of Rome: Stazione Trastevere (after 23 minutes), Stazione Ostiense (27 minutes), Stazione Tuscolana (36 minutes) and Stazione Tiburtina (41 minutes).

The Stazione Trastevere is the one you have to get off if you need to reach this famous quarter, and also if you have to go to Monteverde Vecchio or to Monteverde Nuovo.

Stazione Ostiense is the first station where you can take the B line subway (and hence continue to the Coliseum at the "Colosseo" stop, the FAO at the Circo Massimo stop, the Monti quarter at the Cavour stop, San Paolo Basilica and the EUR at their respective stops).

Stazione Tiburtina is served also by the subway B line, by many important buses and you can always take a taxi if you want.

Departure by train

From Stazione Termini to Fiumicino with the non stop train. There follows the timetable:
6.52 AM; 7.22 AM; 8.22 AM; 9.22 AM; 10.22 AM; 11.22 AM
12.22 PM; 1.22 PM; 2.22 PM; 3.22 PM; 3.52 PM; 4.22 PM; 5.22 PM; 5.52 PM; 6.22 PM
7.22 PM; 7.52 PM; 8.22 PM; 9.22 PM.

From Stazione Tiburtina, Ostiense or Trastevere to Fiumicino with the cheaper train, it is very useful because it is the first leaving: the first ride is at 5.04 AM from Tiburtina (it then leaves Stazione Ostiense at 5.16 AM and Stazione Trastevere at 5.20 AM). The trains frequency is the same as the opposite way, i.e. to Rome.

From Ciampino airport

The cost of a taxi ride to the town or to the airport is about the same as for the Fiumicino airport, although slightly less. The same considerations apply as from Fiumicino airport (please click on the underscored text). The cost and organization of the car service is the same as from Fiumicino airport.

We will now consider only hence the transport from and to the airport by public transport:

Arrival Ciampino:

Regarding public transport, you must buy the tickets from the kiosks or bars in the airport 1 Euro (appr. 1.3 US$). Then you have to walk all the way to the gate/exit of the airport, and there you must take any blue regional bus (the stop is near the gate) that has a plate with written "Roma".

You will arrive at the "Anagnina" bus and subway stop. Once the bus stops in the large widening, follow everybody going downstairs, and you will find yourself in the subway station. After having bought the ticket 1 Euro (appr. 1.3 US$) from the automatic dispenser or from a kiosk nearby, you must take the direction "San Pietro or Ottaviano". This gives you simply the direction to downtown, as Ottaviano is the final destination there. The stop "Termini" is the main train station. "Spagna" is the stop of the Spanish Steps (and of the Trevi Fountain nearby). "Ottaviano" is the stop to go to St. Peter's basilica, to the Vatican and to Prati.

Departure Ciampino

You should take the subway line A to the stop called "Anagnina". Once you are there, after the check out point of the subway, take the corridor to the left. You will find yourself in a very large corridor. Take it turning left, and walk for about 100 metres. At the end you will find a counter (at the left). Purchase the ticket informing the clerks that you need to go to Ciampino airport. Then take one of the many stairs in front of the counter, and you will find yourself in a large space with the bus platforms. It is not necessary that you take the specific one to Ciampino airport, but any bus that will drop you there (ask the driver or to the people to check if the first bus leaving goes there).

The bus will go along the ring of Rome for a while, then it will take the Appia road and will stop right in front of the little airport. You will have to cross the Appia road (be careful) and past the gate of the airport you will have to walk to the check-in area.

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