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Getting from Rome’s Fiumicino airport (as known as Leonardo da Vinci) to Rome’s city center isn’t complicated. It really isn’t. Why? Because there are so many options!
And the aim of this article is to give you a clearer picture of the different possibilities. What are the quickest, cheapest and most efficient options?
More than 12 years separate my last two visits. So when I went back last January, things had obviously changed!
So here’s the information I’d have liked to find to save time 🙂 Anyway, between the train, the express train, the bus, the cab, I’ll show you it all 🙂
Getting to Rome with the LEONARDO EXPRESS – the fastest way
This is clearly the fastest way to get to Rome city center, and more specifically to Rome Termini station, the Italian capital’s ultra-central train station. Introduced in 90 for the soccer World Cup, it hasn’t aged a bit and works perfectly well. On my last trip, we couldn’t take it because the last departure from Fiumicino is at 11.20pm and we were too late. Let’s have a look at all the details and why it’s such a good mode of transport:
- 1 train every 15 minutes
- First departure (from Fiumicino) at 6:08 a.m., last departure (from Fiumicino) at 11:23 p.m.
- First departure (from Rome Termini) at 5:20 a.m., last departure (from Rome Termini) at 10:35 p.m.
- Duration: 32 minutes!
- Price: from €14, up to €19.50
Departure is directly from the terminal, which is ultra-convenient. And the train is direct to downtown Rome. Yes, there is no other stops, which is why it’s so quick even though the airport isn’t super close to the city
Take the BUS, the cheapest option
It’s cheap, it’s convenient, it’s the SIT bus (Societa Italiana Transporti), a shuttle that links Rome Fiumicino airport to Rome Termini, passing through the Vatican (convenient!) I’d say the big advantage is its value for money. It’s not particularly expensive (7€), takes just an hour and drops you off right in the center.
After that, there are fewer connections than the Leonardo Express, as we’ll see, one bus or two per hour. But on a positive note, the last departure is late! at 00:40. If only I’d known… 😀 Let’s have a look at the details:
- price: €7 one way, €13 return
- duration: 1h (45min if it’s running)
- 1 or 2 buses per hour
- First departure (from Fiumicino) at 7:45 a.m., last departure (from Fiumicino) at 00:40 a.m.
- First departure (from Rome Termini) at 4.10am, last departure (from Rome Termini) at 8.30pm
- The full timetable is below
Taking a TAXI / UBER between Rome airport and the city center
Cabs, a double-edged option
People are going to tell me that it’s a bad reputation, that I’m being all Parisian and stuff, but Italian cabs, and therefore Roman cabs, have their own little reputation. You have to be careful:
- make sure the meter is on
- confirm that ALL luggage is included and that there are no extras
Especially when it comes to the airport, they’ll try to pull the wool over your eyes. They’ll make you pay a bit more for luggage, for tolls that don’t exist, for all the reasons in the world 😀 I’ve never had this problem on internal journeys within Rome, only for the airport. As I wasn’t too confident and it was late, and I didn’t know a real cab from a fake one, I booked my cab (a real one, that is) via Uber, which offers this option. In the end, it came to the front, without a hitch, a few minutes’ wait as it was already in the area:
- journey time: 30min
- price: 48€ (legal rate)
So it’s expensive, but it’s practical and fast, and you just have to be careful.
Please note: only Rome’s “comune di Roma” cabs charge the legal rate. The others (especially those in the Fiumicino commune) are not obliged to do so, and will charge you the full price.
So be careful with these cabs, they’re white and it’s marked on them
Drivers like UBER
My first, trusting reflex was to try and book an Uber. Except that access is restricted and above all the price was more expensive than for cabs, namely over fifty euros.
When I was looking, I only had the option of a big car, which cost a fortune. So I didn’t see any point. Unless you’re a big group, then it might be worth it (6 people).
That’s why I ordered my cab via the Uber app. On the other hand, Uber works well in the city, I’ve had no problems and it’s not particularly expensive.
Transfer from Rome Fiumicino airport by MINIBUS
A reliable and convenient option is to take a minibus:
- pick you up at the airport (you’ll be contacted directly for the meeting point, but it’s next to the tourist office)
- from the airport to the center in 30/45 min.
- the price is 30€ per person
- unfortunately you can’t select just 1 person 🙁
- They drop you off at your hotel
- Average opening hours (8am / 7:30pm)
So that’s good, but beware of the price for several people, it quickly becomes more profitable to take a cab for 3/4 people. But if you’re a group, it’s a good deal
Take a PRIVATE DRIVER from the airport to the center of Rome
Having a car waiting to take you to the center sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?
It’s ultra convenient and reliable. However, it’s a little more expensive than a cab, costing between €60 and €80 for a sedan. The advantage: you don’t have to wait, and there are no nasty surprises when it comes to price or choice of cab. It’s an efficient door-to-door service. The downside is that it costs a little more.
In conclusion
Now you know everything! So we have several options:
- The most convenient is the Leonardo Express for 19€.
- The shuttle bus, which takes you to your hotel for 30€.
- The bus, the cheapest option for 7€.
- Cab, if you want to try it, for 50€.
- Private chauffeur for 60€.
- Uber, but it seems prohibitively expensive, unless you book your cab via the app.
Practical information about Rome
5 guided tours to discover Rome
- the most popular: a guided tour of the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel
- the most romantic: discover Rome by night
- the most classic: a tour of historic Rome
- the most economical: a free tour of Rome’s classics
- Off the beaten track: discover the Janiculum, Trastevere and the Jewish Quarter with an English-speaking guide.
5 must-see monuments
- The gigantic Basilica of St. Peter
- Free admission, but come early or late to avoid the crowds
- The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, simply exceptional.
- The Pantheon, a true plunge into history
- Free admission for the moment, but they’re thinking of changing that
- The Colosseum, a leap into the world of gladiators
- Saint John Lateran Basilica, one of the city’s 4 major basilicas
- Free admission, but if you want to see the monastery, baptistery and museum, you’ll need a ticket.
5 places to stay in Rome
- Casa Mia Vaticano, a wonderful little guesthouse next to the Vatican not expensive
- Roma Suite Piramide, very good and less than 100€, next to the Baths of Caracalla
- Black Rooms Colosseo, excellent value for money 2 steps from the Colosseum
- Residenza Venti Settembre, a magnificent little pleasure next to the Villa Borghese
- Maalot Roma, luxurious and simply exceptional
