What is the best way to get from Rome Fiumicino Airport to the city? All information about transfer options and waiting times at FCO.
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Rome Fiumicino is the largest airport in Italy and has been awarded for the best service in Europe since 2017. More than 40 million passengers arrive and depart every year, up to 170,000 per day. What is the best way to get from the airport to the center of Rome and from the city to the airport? How much time do you need at the airport?
After landing at Rome Fiumicino airport, how much time do you need?
It takes one hour from landing to the exit of Rome Fiumicino airport, 40 minutes for Schengen flights with hand luggage. You should allow 20 minutes to get to the train or bus station. For example, if you are scheduled to land at 3:00 p.m., book the first train or bus that leaves after 4:20 p.m.
What is the best way to get from Fiumicino Airport to the center of Rome?
It depends on whether you want to get from the airport to Rome as quickly and comfortably as possible or as cheaply as possible. The cheapest options are the airport buses and the regional train. The Leonardo Express to Termini station is a little faster. Cabs and private pick-up services are the fastest and most convenient.
How long does it take to get from Rome Fiumicino Airport to the city center?
The airport is located by the sea near the fishing village of Fiumicino, about 30 km from the center of Rome. A highway connects it to the city’s ring road and the southern district of Roma EUR. There is a direct rail link, the “Leonardo Express”, to Termini Central Station and the FL1 ring line.
The times and fares shown are based on a destination in the city center around Via del Corso. Waiting times at the station, taxi rank or shuttle bus are also taken into account.
| Travel time | Price | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shuttle bus | 90-110 minutes | €8.50 per person | Change at Termini to public transport |
| Local train FL1 | 1 hour 20 minutes | 8 € per person with regional ticket BIRG 3 zones | Change at Trastevere to public transport |
| Leonardo Express | 1 hour 15 minutes | 15.50 € per person | Change at Termini to public transport |
| Cab | 60-80 minutes | 55 € up to 4 persons | |
| Private pick-up | 40-60 minutes | 70 € up to 4 persons |
Private transfer from the airport
The most convenient solution is to be picked up directly at the terminal. The driver will help you with your luggage and take you to your destination as quickly as possible.
Together with your reservation you can order 72-hour tickets for public transport, which the driver will give you.
As a newcomer to Rome, this service makes it easy to get to your destination without having to worry for long. Professionals enjoy the luxury and convenience.
Taxis at the airport
There are taxi stands at Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. If the lines at T1 are too long, you can go to T3 where the lines are usually much shorter. Only take taxis from the taxi ranks and do not accept any other offers!
The fixed price for trips within the city walls is €55, otherwise you pay the taximeter price. Roman taxis are responsible for trips within Rome. The local taxi companies are responsible for trips around the airport. For more information, see our article on taxis in Rome.
Taxis to the airport
The journey from Rome to the airport can be pre-booked. This is very helpful as cabs can be scarce at certain times of the day and in bad weather. The Samarcanda cooperative, which offers this service, is one of the best cab companies in Rome.
Leonardo Express
The Leonardo Express generally runs non-stop every 15 minutes from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Central Railway Station. The journey takes 32 minutes. Children under 12 travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Leonardo Express online tickets
With an online ticket, the date and time of travel can be changed as often as desired until the day before the scheduled departure. On the day of travel, it is possible to change the reservation until the scheduled departure of the booked train. To be on the safe side, you can book a later train and change your booking at short notice after arrival. Free Wi-Fi is available at the airport.
On-site ticket purchase options
Leonardo Express tickets can be purchased on site or paid for contactless. At the airport, tickets can be purchased from machines located at the baggage carousels or in the airport railway station. There are also machines at Termini train station. However, these are often besieged by people offering to “help” tourists buy tickets.
With contactless payment, you check in directly at the turnstile with a credit card or smartphone and can buy one trip per payment method. At your destination you have to check out contactless. The rail company calls this Tap & Tap. At Termini station, the Leonardo Express departs from platforms 23 and 24, where the turnstiles are located.
Regional Train
The regional train is slower than the Leonardo Express because it has many stops. However, if you don’t need to go directly to Termini station, it can be an interesting alternative. The FL1 regional train runs in a semi-circle around the city, stopping at Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina. At Trastevere you transfer to St. Peter’s Basilica, at Ostiense the metro B crosses and starts the line to Ostia, Tiburtina is a fast train station and there is also the central bus station.
Tickets purchased online can be changed up to the scheduled departure time. Children under the age of 4 travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
Shuttle buses
At the end of Terminal 3 there is a bus station where the airport buses to Rome and other directions depart. The SIT bus is very popular and stops at Via Aurelia and Castel Sant’Angelo on the way to the Central Station. Terravision goes directly to the Central Station.
Car rental
A rental car is not essential for your stay in Rome. However, if you want to explore the beautiful and varied surroundings of Rome, a rental car is the first choice. Many car rentals are located directly in the parking garages at the airport.
Other car rental companies pick up their customers at a meeting point on the departures level. Take the escalator up to the departures level and go to the meeting point in the parking lot between T1 and T3.
How long before departure do I need to be at Fiumicino Airport?
For Schengen flights, one hour before departure is sufficient for carry-on baggage and online check-in. If you need to check-in at the airport, the waiting time depends on the airline and is usually up to 30 minutes. Low-cost airlines have few check-in counters and require passengers to be at the airport up to three hours before departure. For non-Schengen flights, allow up to 30 minutes for passport control.
When do I need to go through security at Rome Fiumicino?
As the walk to the gate can be long, you should arrive at the security checkpoint at least 60 minutes before your flight’s departure time – or 90 minutes before your flight’s departure time if you also need to go through passport control.
The security checkpoints at Rome Fiumicino are equipped with the latest technology so that electronic devices and liquids do not need to be unpacked (except for flights to the USA and Israel). The waiting time is therefore only a few minutes. Pregnant women and families can use the Family Lane. There is also a free priority lane called QPass. Reservations can be made free of charge at https://fco.clearme.com/.
At Rome Fiumicino Airport
If you arrive at the airport early, this is not a big problem. As soon as you have checked in, you can go to the inner area of the airport. There you will find excellent restaurants for an aperitif and a good meal, as well as many interesting shops. If you are flying outside the EU, you can shop here tax free.
Many passengers come here early to relax before their flight. There are airport lounges in both Terminal 1 and the non-Schengen area of Terminal 3 where you can recharge your electronic devices and store your luggage if you want to take a walk around the airport.
My son arrives from the US on Delta at Terminal 1 (FCO) departing at Terminal 3 on ITA. He only has one hour. Can he do this? What is the quickest way to do this?
Delta arrives at T3 and if your son has a domestic flight, then he will depart from T1. If he has both flights on one ticket and baggage checked thru to the final destination, he has a good chance that the connection flight will wait for him. T1 and T3 are connected internally, but with time to disembark, passport control, and walking between terminals, an hour is very tight.
Hello! I have a flight booked from Rome FCO to Venice (Marco Polo) via Al Italia (I know that a train would have been a better option, but we had a flight credit) in late August. We plan on taking a day trip – so no checked luggage or anything like that – how much time should we give ourselves between arrival and boarding? Also is the Venice airport similarly efficient (or inefficient)?
Thank you so much for your insight!
Hello, have you seen our suggestions for a day in Venice?
Rome and Venice are both efficient airports. You shall make the web check-in. Then you can go directly to the gate and 60 minutes before boarding shall be enough. I don’t see evening flights from Venice to Rome, so you may stay overnight there.
From Venice airport you can take a taxi or a boat to Venice. Taxi is the fastest but you arrive at Piazzale Roma near the train station and from there you have to walk. The alternatives are the waterbus or a watertaxi. This needs around an hour to arrive but you arrive directly in the center like San Marco or Rialto. With the waterbus (vaporetto), take the orange line, The watertaxi you can book directly on Getyourguide.
Hello I hope you can help me. I arrive in Rome from the US on Delta at 10:35am. My departure is at 12:10pm on Alitalia to Cairo. Is 95 minutes enough time to make the connection?
Hello,
If the baggage is checked thru to Cairo and you don’t need to leave the transit area of terminal 3 this shall be enough.
Good evening, I am scheduled to arrive FCO terminal 3 at 07:40, and my connecting flight departs from FCO Terminal 3 (Gate E15) at 09:15.
This leaves me with 1 hour and 35 minutes to disembark, collect my baggage and check-in for my connecting flight (different airline)
— do you think 1h35 is enough transit time to make the connection?
Hello,
for a simple transit without leaving the gate area it would be ok. But if you have to go trough the airport to collect the baggage and then check-in, make security check and passport control, your chances are not very high. Actually there are not many passengers in Fiumicino but I would not feel comfortable to have such a tight connection with baggage.
hello arriving FCO at 9:10 am from USA. connecting flight to Palermo at 11:55 am same terminal(3). how do I get from arrivals terminal 3 to departures terminal 3 and is that enough time to claim and recheck luggage? Thank you
Hello, behind the exit from the baggage claim area on the left are an escalator and elevators that take you to the departure level of terminal 3. Time is enough.
Hello Bernhard. I am hoping that you will be able to answer my question.
Myself and my husband will be departing to NY from FCO terminal 3, while my daughter will be departing to Australia one hour later from terminal 1. Will she be allowed to go through customs and remain with us at our terminal and then arrive later at her terminal without having to go through customs again? Many thanks for your response.
Hi Linda,
probably your daughter will check in at terminal 1 but departure will be for sure at terminal 3. T1 and T3 are internally connected and there is only one passport control and one gate area (E) for intercontinental flights. The gate areas B, C and D are for national and EU (Schengen) flights. If your daughter goes to Milan or another EU destination and transits from there to Australia, she can not pass with you the passport control.
Please help: I will come in: Rome, at 11:50 (D+1) (FCO), ITALY
Terminal 3, Fiumicino Airport and need to transit to (FCO), ITALY
Terminal 1 Rome at 12:35 Fiumicino Airport. I have 45min to do this. Will I make it in time or do I request for assistance?
Thanks
Hello, 45 minutes is very tight if you come from outside EU (due to the passport control). If you come from the Schengen area and the arriving flight is on time, you can do it. There is a direct passage from T3 to T1 for transit passengers. If you have incoming and outgoing flight on the same booking and baggage checked through, the airline will give you assistance in case of delay.
Hello, we have a flight on Turkish airlines at 7;15 AM on Sunday, leaving out of FCO for the US. How early should we plan to be at the airport? Is the airport and check in counters open in early hours? And finally, what are our options to get to FCO that early from Piazza Navona area? Thanks.
Hello, your departure is at terminal 3. If you fly economy you shall be there around 5:15 for luggage check-in, otherwise 30 minutes later. I think, the best is to take a taxi. You shall book the taxi in advance. Travel time in the early morning from Piazza Navona is around 35 minutes by car, so you shall book the taxi for 4:40. There are not many alternatives, the first train is later and the first shuttle bus leaves at 4:45 from Termini and arrives at 5:40 at the airport. That would be rather tight and on such a long flight you shall start it comfortably.
My son will be arriving on Norwegian Air, and has 1 hour to find his transfer flight with Czech Airlines. Does he have to go through customs, security, etc. to catch his transfer flight? Also, can you tell me the terminal and route he should take once he arrives? Thank you!
This is only possible if your son has already the boarding pass for the connecting flight and he travels with hand luggage. If he wants to check in luggage, he has to clarify before, whether he can check thru baggage from Norvegian to Czech Airlines. This depends on the airline DCS they are using.
Czech Airlines is in codeshare with Alitalia. The Alitalia flight departs from terminal 1, the Czech flight from terminal 3. He will see on his boarding pass the departure terminal. If your son does not leave the transfer area, he has no customs and security control.
Your son arrives at T3. If he arrives at the bus gate, he has to go up one level and then look for the connection flight (T1 or T3).
I will be arriving from JFK (NYC) to Rome on 11/23. I need to meet reps from Royal Caribbean. Their instructions are to go to Arrival Hall. Has anyone done this before? Any more information you can share? Thanks in advance.
You’ll arrive at terminal 3. As soon as you’ve passed customs, you’ll be in the arrivals hall. There wait the tour operator and limousine service with signs in hand. More info about the transfer to Civitavecchia
Hi
I’m flying from TLV to NYC with a connection stop (for 1:50) in FCO
do I need to pass passport control?
If you have your baggage checked through to NYC you can stay in the transit area without passing passport control.
will the bus from airport to termini take bicycles that are not in bags?
Hi Mike,
this depends on the available space and is not guaranteed.
Alternative: The regional trains allow the use of folding bikes free of cost. On the FL1 line to Fiumicino, bicycles may be taken on extra charge.
I am arriving from Johannesburg on Wed 18 Sept AZ 849 6.50am, then direct to Venice AZ 1471 at 8.15. Where do I land and which terminal do I depart from?
Thank you.
Hi,
you shall check thru your baggage to Venice.
You’ll arrive in terminal 3, pass immigration and go then directly to terminal 1. There is a direct passage between T3 and T1.
Hi Bernhard,
I arrive from South Africa at Rome (FCO) at 6:50 on Alitalia. I have a connecting flight on Alitalia to Spain departing at 8:10. One ticket. Will I have enough time to clear customs, check-in again and make the connecting flight?
Hi Cecilia,
with you unique ticket you shall check through your baggage to Spain and do the customs clearance there, also receive the 2nd boarding pass already in SA. You must only pass immigration at Fiumicino and go directly to your connecting flight.
Hello There! Excelent and useful information in this site. I have a question similiar to those above: I am flying from Firenze to Fiumicino, Roma. It will be Alitalia, departing at 6:35 am, arriving at 7:25 am. I think, being a domestic flight, to terminal 1.
Second leg will be from Rome (Fiuimicino, terminal 3) American Airlines, 9:15 am. No checked luggage and most likely boarding pass on hand. My chances are?
Hi, there is a unique transit area between T1 and T3. You can pass internally from T1 to T3 without going to the exit. It is a 10-15 minutes walk from T1 to the passport control at T3, so your chances are excellent.
Arriving in Rome airport at 7:15 a.m., how long will it take to arrive at the terminal for a flight to Bari. What flight time should we look for. Will we have to go through customs again?
To be on the safe side you shall consider 3 hours between passport control, baggage claim and check in of the domestic flight. You shall also check the statistics for delays of your incoming flight on a site like https://www.flightradar24.com/. There is no customs on domestic flights but if you don’t have a transit ticket and you have to check-in in Rome you have to pass the security check. With a transit ticket and baggage check-through, two hours or less are enough.
Arriving at terminal on Norwegian at 11:40 and have a flight to Naples on Alitalia departing in terminal 1, can I make my 2pm flight with collecting my bag and going through customs? Thanks
Hi Elaine,
if the arriving flight is on time it’s ok. If possible, it would be better to check through the baggage to Naples. In alternative, you can take the Leonardo Express to Termini and take the high speed train to Naples.
How many Tourist Information Points are there in Terminal 3? I am being met at Fiumicino Airport and would like to find an appropriate spot at Terminal 3 Arrivals to be met by my contact in Rome
Hi Annmari,
there is only one passenger exit at T3 and one Tourist Information Point. As meeting point I suggest the bar “Semplicemente Roma” opposite the passenger exit inside T3.
Um voo que chega de PARIS (CDG) as 20:25 daria tempo para embarcar em um voo para Larnaca (Chipre) as 22:50. Contando o tempo de recolhimento e entrega das bagagens e passando pelo controle de passaporte?
If you have a connecting flight, you can check through your luggage from CDG to Larnaca. Otherwhise you have some risk like flight delay or delay of baggage return and you shall do this with hand luggage only.
would a US citizen arriving at 8AM into Rome airport and flying KLM to the US be able to make a flight departing at 9:30AM? thanks
For a transit that should go, but it depends on the punctuality of the incoming airline. If you come from Rome and have to drop your luggage, you should be there at least two hours before and for a group even more.