Leonardo Express and Rome airport transfers

Fiumicino to Termini by train

The Leonardo Express is Trenitalia's non-stop shuttle between Fiumicino Airport and Roma Termini, the main station. It takes 32 minutes. The airport station is inside the terminal complex: follow the train signs from arrivals.

A ticket costs €14. There are no seat reservations and no fixed train on the ticket: trains leave every 15 minutes, every 30 at some times of day. The first train from the airport is at 5:38 am and the last at 11:27 pm. From Termini to the airport they run from 4:50 am to 11:05 pm.

Ways to pay less:

• Groups. The 'Minigruppi' fare gets you four tickets in one purchase for €40 instead of €56. With three people, buying four is still cheaper.
• Children. Under-4s ride free, and each paying adult can bring one child aged 4–11 free. Two adults and two kids under 12 pay €28 in total.
• Luggage. No surcharge, even for large suitcases.

You can buy from Trenitalia online, in the app, at ticket offices and machines, or just tap a contactless bank card, phone or smartwatch at the gates in Termini and at the airport. One ticket per card per passenger, so if you're travelling as a couple, use two cards. Foreign cards work like any other contactless card, but check your bank's foreign transaction fees.

Fiumicino by bus or taxi

Shuttle buses. SIT runs Fiumicino–Termini for €7 one way or €13 return when bought online; buy at the stop and it's €2 more. SIT also runs a line to the Vatican area, handy if you're staying near St Peter's or Castel Sant'Angelo. Terravision covers Fiumicino–Termini too; check its fares on its own site. The bus costs half as much as the train but shares the road with Rome's traffic, so allow extra time at rush hour.

Taxi. From Fiumicino to any address inside the Aurelian Walls, which means the whole historic centre, the fare is fixed at €55, supplements included, and the same back to the airport. For three or four people with bags it costs only a little more than the train and drops you at the door. Only use white cars marked TAXI with a licence number, from the official rank. The airport authority warns that drivers approaching you at the exit may be unlicensed and charge more.

Ciampino: no direct train

Ciampino is the low-cost airport and has no train to Termini. Your options:

• SIT bus to Termini: €6 one way, €11 return online. There's also a run to the Vatican area.
• ATAC city bus 720 to Laurentina on Metro B, or 520 to Subaugusta and Cinecittà on Metro A. Standard city fare, and covered by the Roma Pass, so if you already bought one, the ride costs you nothing extra.
• Taxi: fixed €40 to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls.

Booking ahead or buying on arrival

For the Leonardo Express there's no saving in buying early: the fare is the same and the contactless gates are quicker than any queue. Tiqets, GetYourGuide and Headout sell the same ticket; it's useful only if you want all your trip tickets in one app.

Buses are different: buying online avoids the €2 at the stop and confirms your seat. The partners also sell SIT and Terravision shuttles and private or shared-minivan transfers to your hotel. A private transfer makes sense if you land late, travel as a group, or don't want to drag cases through the metro from Termini.

One timing warning: the last train leaves Fiumicino at 11:27 pm. If your flight lands at 11 pm and you have checked bags, plan on a bus or taxi.