From the airport to the centre of Rome: every way, the prices and what to choose
Fiumicino and Ciampino: train, bus, taxi. What it costs, how long it takes, and when to choose which.
Two airports serve Rome: the large Fiumicino (FCO) and the small Ciampino (CIA) for low-cost carriers. The way in depends on where exactly you are going and how many of you there are. Here it is, in order, with prices for 2026.
Fiumicino: the Leonardo Express
The fastest and most predictable option. A direct, non-stop train to Termini station, 32 minutes, every 15 minutes. The ticket is €14 on the Trenitalia site (resellers add a commission, so it can be €17–18). The first from the airport is around 6:23, the last around 23:23. Children under 12 travel free with a paying adult. For whom: you are staying near Termini, or going on by metro — lines A and B meet there.
Fiumicino: the FL1 train (cheaper)
A regional train, €8, but it does not go to Termini. It stops at Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana and Tiburtina. If you are staying near one of these, it is both cheaper and closer to the door. For whom: budget matters more, and your area is by these stations.
Fiumicino: the bus
The cheapest way: shuttle buses to Termini, about €6–7, a journey of 50–55 minutes (longer in traffic). For whom: an early, budget arrival, with no hurry.
Fiumicino: a taxi
Rome runs a fixed fare from Fiumicino to the historic centre (within the Aurelian Walls): €50 per car, not by the meter. Take only an official white taxi from the rank, and do not agree to the touts in the arrivals hall. For whom: three or four of you with luggage — then it works out much like the train.
Note: Roma Pass travel cards are not valid on the airport train; it is always a separate ticket.
Ciampino (low-cost carriers)
To the centre: shuttle buses to Termini, about €6, a journey of 40 minutes. Or the local bus to Ciampino station plus a train. The fixed taxi fare from Ciampino to the centre is €31.
The short rule
To Termini or the metro — the Leonardo Express. Staying by Trastevere or Ostiense — the FL1. Counting every euro — the bus. A party with cases — a taxi at the fixed fare.
Settled on which area to stay in, to keep the journey short? Here is our guide to the quarters of Rome. And a route for the first day can begin on the day you land.
Next, open the City Map of Rome and see where your hotel sits in relation to the stations. In Prime I show where it is easiest to set off from on the first day.
