How to get to Rome from Fiumicino Airport by bus or shuttle, Leonardo Express train, taxi, or rental car? Both during the day and at night? Schedules, travel times, and ticket prices for 2026—all in this practical guide from Eurotraveler.
Rome, Italy’s largest city, is served by Leonardo da Vinci International Airport, also known as Fiumicino Airport (FCO). It is located in the town of the same name on the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, approximately 30 km southwest of Rome. Most travelers arriving in the “Eternal City” by plane will pass through this airport’s terminals.
But what to do next? The vast majority of tourists know of only one way to get to Rome from the airport—by train. And they don’t use a regular, regional, or inexpensive train, but the most famous one—the Leonardo Express.
It’s convenient and fast—need we say more? It gets you from Fiumicino Airport to Termini Station in 32 minutes. Plus, it minimizes transfer times (which is important when you’re carrying large luggage).
All you need to do after picking up your suitcase(s) from the baggage carousel is follow the signs with the train symbol.
But first things first!
Train
Rome’s main airport is connected to the city by a direct and convenient rail service that is integrated into the overall public transportation system.
If you prefer, you can take a regular regional train that stops at stations from which you can easily transfer directly to the Italian capital’s metro system. You can do this not only at the route’s terminus—Tiburtina Station—but also, for example, at Trastevere or Ostiense stations (Rome metro map and fare information).
A one-way ticket for an adult costs €8, and the travel time from the platform at Fiumicino to Tiburtina is 48 minutes. The first train departs around 6 a.m., and the last one at 11:27 p.m.
You can view the schedule and buy tickets here: trenitalia.com/en.html. In the “Departure” field, enter Fiumicino, and in the “Arrival” field, enter Roma (Tutta le stazioni), which means “all stations.”
You can also take the modern high-speed Leonardo Express, which costs almost twice as much (14 euros vs. 8), but gets you to the center of Rome in just 32 minutes. Keep in mind that it makes no stops, so from Fiumicino you can only go to Termini Station.
The first Leonardo Express departs from Fiumicino at 5:38 a.m., and the last one at 12:23 a.m. Trains run every 15 to 30 minutes.
Termini, of course, is also connected to Rome’s metro system. From there, you can travel to any city in Italy, as well as many cities across Europe.
If you wish, you can stay in Rome at a hotel near Termini. Most of them are cheaper than the city average. But keep in mind that the area surrounding Rome’s main station is considered seedy, immigrant-heavy, and rough. And yes—literally a bit dirty.
Bus
An even more affordable, though somewhat time-consuming option (you’ll have to leave the airport building) is to travel from Fiumicino Airport to Rome. There are plenty of options available; one-way tickets cost €7, and the journey to Termini Station takes 45 minutes. There are other stops along the route; you can find the exact routes on the carriers’ websites.
Most shuttle buses from Termini start running (first trip) at 5 a.m. and end (last trip) at 12:30 a.m. Buses run approximately every half hour. For example, this is the schedule for Terravision buses—terravision.eu.
Other carriers also serve this route. Some, such as Cotral Bus, operate at night. This is, of course, a godsend for those arriving at the airport on a late flight or, conversely, an excessively early one.
Cotral buses run from Fiumicino to Rome (to Termini and Tiburtina stations) starting at 1:45 a.m. at one-hour intervals. The stated travel time is 29–39 minutes, and the ticket price is just €5.
On the Cotral website, you can find not only the bus schedule but also the train schedule – cotralspa.it/en/.
Taxi
With a transfer, it’s straightforward—if someone is meeting you, getting to the city is simple and hassle-free. Taxis are a different story. Although the fare is fixed (€55 for a ride to the center of Rome within the Aurelian Walls), local taxi drivers take advantage of tourists’ unfamiliarity with the city limits and “inflate” their prices. They recommend fighting this by contacting the police, but in our opinion, that’s not the best way to start a vacation.
So here’s a link to the airport’s page regarding standard taxi fares depending on the destination: adr.it/pax-fco-taxi.. The information is available only in Italian, but a standard cross-browser translator can translate it into other languages without losing the meaning.
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© Eurotraveler
