Contents 5
Fiumicino: four options
| How | Price | Time | Where it drops you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo Express | EUR 14 per person | 32 minutes | Termini station |
| FL1 commuter train | EUR 8 per person | 27–31 minutes | Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana, Tiburtina |
| Bus | EUR 6–7 per person | 40–50 minutes | Termini, some services to the Vatican |
| Taxi | EUR 55 per car | 40–60 minutes | any address inside the Aurelian Walls |
The Leonardo Express runs every 15 minutes and makes no stops. Its one drawback: it leaves you at Termini, and if you are not staying near the station you still face the metro or a taxi with your suitcases.
The FL1 commuter train costs almost half as much and suits many people better: it stops at Trastevere and Ostiense, closer to the southern and western parts of the centre. It runs every 15 minutes on weekdays and every half hour at weekends, with longer gaps on Sundays.
Buses are the cheapest option and the most vulnerable one: they sit in the same traffic as everyone else. With children after a night flight, fifty minutes on a bus is harder going than half an hour on a train.
Family arithmetic: the group ticket
Here is the detail almost nobody mentions. The Leonardo Express has a Minigruppi fare: four tickets bought together cost EUR 40 instead of 56. For a family of four that is EUR 16 less each way, EUR 32 there and back.
Compare that with a taxi: EUR 55 per car to your door against EUR 40 by train to the station plus the walk with luggage. For a family the gap stops being decisive, and the choice becomes one of comfort rather than money.
One more thing about children: on Trenitalia trains only children under four travel free. Do not confuse this with Rome’s city transport, where they travel free up to ten. The rules differ, even though the ticket has the same name.
If your flight lands at night
The trains do not run at night — neither the Leonardo Express nor the FL1. That leaves two options.
- Buses are timed around night arrivals and run to Termini. But the wait is longer, and Termini at night is not where you want to stand with sleepy children.
- A taxi at the flat fare. And this matters: no night or holiday surcharge is added to the flat fare. At night the ride into the centre costs the same EUR 55 as in the daytime.
With children after a long flight a taxi is usually the right answer — not because of money, but because it is the only way to reach your door in one go. Take one only at the official taxi rank: the cars are white, with the lettering on the door and a meter. Anything offered to you by voice in the arrivals hall is not a taxi.
Ciampino
The airport is small and has no train line. The options:
- Bus to Termini — about 40 minutes, EUR 6–7. Services are timed around the low-cost flights.
- Taxi — a flat EUR 40 into the centre, inside the Aurelian Walls.
- Bus to Subaugusta metro station and on by line A. The cheapest of all, but doubtful fun with suitcases and children.
Choosing in under a minute
- Staying near Termini, landing in the daytime — Leonardo Express, and Minigruppi if there are four of you.
- Staying in Trastevere or near Ostiense — FL1: cheaper and closer.
- Landing at night, with children or three suitcases — a taxi at the flat fare.
- Travelling as two with hand luggage and counting every euro — the bus.
Once you are in town you will need city transport — we have a separate guide to that: the Rome metro, tickets and opening hours. And if you are still planning the trip, have a look at our Rome routes for families with children.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to get from Fiumicino into central Rome
The Leonardo Express to Termini station is EUR 14 and takes 32 minutes. The FL1 commuter train to Trastevere or Ostiense is EUR 8. The bus to Termini is about EUR 7 and 50 minutes. A taxi into the centre is a flat EUR 55 per car.
How much is a taxi from Rome's airport
From Fiumicino into the centre, inside the Aurelian Walls, it is a flat EUR 55 per car, not per person. From Ciampino it is EUR 40. No night or holiday surcharge is added to the flat fare.
Is there a family discount on the Leonardo Express
Yes. The Minigruppi fare: four tickets bought together cost EUR 40 instead of 56. For a family of four that saves EUR 16 each way.
How do I get in from the airport at night
The trains do not run at night. That leaves the night buses and a taxi at the same flat fare of EUR 55 — no night surcharge is added. With children after a long flight, a taxi is usually the right answer.
How do I get in from Ciampino airport
There is no direct train. Buses to Termini take about 40 minutes and cost EUR 6–7; a taxi into the centre is a flat EUR 40. Another option is the bus to Subaugusta metro station and on by line A.
Do children pay for the journey from the airport
On Trenitalia trains only children under four travel free — the rule differs from Rome’s city transport, where it is free up to ten. In a taxi children make no difference: the fare is per car.
