Rome has two airports. Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO) and the Rome Ciampino Airport (CIA). FCO is the primary airport of Rome and the airport you are likely to land if you are flying directly to Rome from most parts of the world including the United States. However, if you are transiting to Italy via Europe, you might land in Ciampino Airport, particularly if you are flying Ryanair or Wizz Air.
I have written a detailed article on Rome Fiumicino Airport. You might want to review that article as well.
Rome Ciampino Airport is Rome’s second airport and although it doesn’t handle very many international flights it is a significant domestic hub for onward travel.
The airport does operate with low cost budget airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air, although these are generally inter-continental flights. These budget airlines travel to just over 20 countries and about 50 cities from the airport. Ciampino Airport is also used for state aircraft to greet arriving foreign dignitaries and politicians.
You may need to travel to Ciampino Airport to continue your onward journey from Fiumicino or to travel onwards from within Rome to other parts of Italy or Europe. The airport is located just under 30 km from the center of Rome and is very close to the towns of Castel Gandolfo and Frascati.
Getting to the airport is easy from Rome and you have several main options in terms of transport. Similarly, you can use the following means to travel from the airport into Rome.
Ciampino Airport Transportation.
The following are the important things to know about getting to and from the airport:
Taxi From Rome To Ciampino Airport.
The quickest way to reach the airport is by taxi. Prices are very reasonable and are regulated by the municipality authorities. Prices to get to Ciampino range from between 30 to 50 Euros from central Rome. There are taxi ranks all over Rome so you’ll have no problem finding one!
When looking for a taxi make sure it has the official plates so that you know it’s properly registered and is safe to travel in. When you do catch a taxi you should always make sure that you’ve agreed on the price before you get into the car. This will avoid disputes once you arrive and ensure that you don’t get scammed by an unscrupulous driver.
Train From Rome To Ciampino Airport.
You can take an interlinked train and bus service which is operated by Trenitalia. Tickets are priced at under 3 Euros per person and trains depart from Roma Termini. The train will take you to the town of Ciampino where you then catch a bus from the nearby stop. The journey takes around 20 minutes in total. The bus will drop you off in the square right outside the front of the airport. The same service can also take you back into Rome if you are arriving at the airport.
Bus From Rome To Ciampino Airport.
Terravision buses run a shuttle service to and from Roma Termini to Ciampino airport every day. The journey takes around 45 minutes and the company runs around 10 trips each way per day. The buses have free Wi-fi and air conditioning and the cost of a ticket is around 6 Euros each way.
Rent A Car From Rome To Ciampino Airport.
If you have already rented a car you can drive it to the airport and drop it off at one of the car rental offices. Alternatively, if you’re traveling into the city after arriving in the airport you can rent a car within the airport to get into town.
However, Rome is not a good city to drive in, especially if you aren’t used to it, and so public transport or taxis are usually a better option.
Accommodation Near To Ciampino Airport.
If you need to stay near to the airport then the Ardeatina Park Hotel runs a free shuttle service to and from the airport and costs around 100 Euros per night. The hotel has an outdoor pool, a pleasant bar and restaurant with free Wi-Fi in all the rooms.
Fiumicino Airport Is Better Than Ciampino Airport.
Airfares these days are very expensive. The $350 round trip fares to Europe from the United States are long gone. This is primarily due to the rising energy costs and number of people who are traveling post pandemic. I am hoping that ticket prices go down over a period of time. Otherwise European economies will be in deeper trouble because they are very dependent on tourism.
You might not have a choice on which airport you are going to land. My preference is the Rome Fiumicino airport (FCO). It is a big airport and a busy one, but it is not in the category of JFK, Chicago O’Hare or Atlanta Hartsfield. The layout of the airport is straightforward and it is easy to get around.
I also like the fact that there is a train station inside the airport. If you take the Leonardo Express train, which runs very frequently, you will be in Roma Termini in about 25 minutes. Most of the hotels that tourists typically stay are within a half a mile radius of Roma Termini. There are plenty of taxies available in Roma Termini as well.
