Rome Fiumicino International Airport; credit RaBoe/Wiki Commons
Rome Transportation
Airports
Rome Fiunicino International Airport (FCO) is located about 20 miles outside central Rome. It is the eighth-busiest airport in Europe in 2017. The airport appropriately honors the great Italian Leonardo da Vinci, who designed a flying machine with wings centuries before human flight. FCO AIRPORT MAP
Tips Flying to Rome
• Confirm your flight at least 72 hours in advance.
• If you are not flying directly to Rome, arrange plenty of time between transfers. Italian flights are frequently delayed.
• Make 2 copies of your passport & reservations; leave one copy with someone at home, then take the second copy with you.
• Pack headache, motion sickness, and other medicines in your carry-on luggage.
• If you have a cold or have problems with air pressure, purchase special earplugs available at most airports or pharmacies.
• Bring an eye patch for sleeping.
Leonardo Airport Express train takes 32 minutes to reach Termini Station in the centre of Rome. The passenger terminal directions to the airport train are well signposted.
Depending on your terminal, it’s a 5-10-minute walk, and trains run every 15 minutes. It is the fastest and most comfortable transfer to Central Rome.
Don’t take the Leonardo Airport Express to central Rome, if you have many large pieces of luggage. Instead, pay Euros to take a taxi or shuttle from the airport to central Rome. Another large luggage-high comfort option is to hire a private car at 4-5 times the cost of Leonardo Express Train.
The cheapest public transport option between the airport and the city center of Rome is the Terravision Bus, one of four airport bus services to Termini Station. Buses cost a third of the Leonardo Airport Express train, but take twice as long and are less frequent. If you have to save money, take the train.
Italo high-speed train at Rome Termini Station; credit Wiki
Train Station
At the Termini Station, know the end destination of the high-speed train you want. The competing Trenitalia Frecciarossa and Italo high-speed lines serve the station. Everything is labeled in Italian, English and other languages, well organized, and clean. The green blazer-clad Trenitalia representatives are willing and ready to help.
Rome Termini Station is central to the city, as you see from this map. Termini is most accessible to Rome attractions with two Metro lines, Ferrovia regional lines, and a Tram line stop here. Rome also has three other popular train stations, Tiburtina, Ostiense, and Trastevere that host Trenitalia Ferrovia regional trains and either Metro trains or Trams.
One-way BIT ticket lasts 75 minutes after first validation for unlimited transfers between the Metro Rail, Trams, Ferrovia regional trains, and standard buses. The only transfer that is not allowed is to leave the Metro System and return by the Metro turnstiles.
The ticket costs €1.50. BIG Day pass is the best option for visitors. It allows unlimited public transportation from purchase until midnight of the same day. The BIG day travel card costs €6.
Rome Metro train leaving the station; credit Marco Chilese
Rapid Transit
Rome Metro Rail System is a preferred way to travel without luggage between Rome districts during day time. It has 3 Metro heavy rail lines, 3 Tram (light rail) lines, and 7 Ferrovia commuter rail lines that blanket Rome and reach the coastline. ROME RAPID TRANSIT MAP
Before your plane landing in Rome, write directions on a small sheet of paper that explain how to reach the Ferrovia 5 commuter rail line to Rome Termini Station. To minimize targeting by pickpockets, avoid reading maps or tour books on Metro & Tram trains. Instead, read a Metro-Tram Rail Map and tour books in your hotel room.
Memorize saying the name of your Metro & Tram stations near attractions in Italian — it’s not hard.
Cruiseport
Cruise ships at the port near Rome; (c) Soul Of America
Civitavecchia is the cruiseport for Rome. It’s located 45 miles northwest of the city. It is an hour by train from Rome and an hour by car from the airport. Civitavecchia has multiple piers for several cruise ships. A free shuttle service is usually provided between your specific ship and a parking lot outside the port. See http://www.portidiroma.it/en/content/ship-arrivals-and-departures. See this map of the port area and train station.
The shuttle service is available from 5:30 am to 11:00 pm. Shuttle frequency is every 15 minutes and one of two shuttles is equipped for the transport of disabled passengers. The old shuttle stop is at Via Turco, adjacent to the Europcar rental office. There should be a tourist info booth there too.
You can walk the 20 minutes to Civitavecchia Train Station or take the Argo shuttle bus for a €2 fare. The shuttle schedule is at http://civitavecchia.portmobility.it/en/civitavecchia-train-station.
Rome Cruise Terminal can also be reached from Civitavecchia Train Station with the local Argo buses. If you are carrying a lot of luggage, this may not be a good idea.
For those leaving from the port to Rome by train, buy the BIRG Ticket (5 zones). For €12, it allows unlimited trips in all public transport, from Civitavecchia Station to Rome from the time of validation until midnight. The BIRG can be purchased at the station.
We do not recommend driving to/from the cruise port unless you know the region well. If you do, park in one of the three available car parks and take a free shuttle from there to the port.
If you don’t want to ride the train, our advice is to reserve a driver allowed to pick up / drop off at your cruise ship. You can book a cab at https://www.civitavecchiaport.org/port-main-terminal/Civitavecchia Cruiseport Terminal
