The Leonardo Express is the quickest connection between Roma Termini station and the international airport of Fiumicino (Leonardo Da Vinci Airport). If you want to save money you can also take a slower train, the FR1, into Rome. If you want to save even more money, you can take a direct bus from Termini. And if you’re not interested in saving money, you can take a taxi.
Fiumicino Airport Connection
By train: Leonardo Express
The Leonardo Express is the fastest connection between Rome’s international airport Fiumcino (FCO) and the center of the city. Travel time is slightly more than 30 minutes and there are no intermediate stops. The price of a single ticket is 14 Euros.
The first train in the morning from Roma Termini to the airport leaves at 5.35 AM and the last one is at 10.35 PM. There is one train every 30 minutes.
The first train from Fiumicino to Termini is at 6.23 AM and the last one is at 11.23 PM.
The Leonardo Express only has 1st class carriages and the price of a one way trip is 14 Euros. The ticket can be bought from ticket offices, tobacco shops and newspaper stands (only at the airport and railway station itself) and from vending machines. In case you need to get the train to Fiumicino very early in the morning it is recommended to buy the ticket beforehand.
In Termini, make sure to buy a ticket to the airport and not to the city of Fiumicino. The ticket to the city is cheaper, but does not get you to the airport. Moreover, you would have to go to another station since the trains to the city do not leave from Termini.
To get to the airport, the Leonardo Express normally leaves from either track 23 or track 24, which are the platforms closest to the Via Giolitti end of the station.
Note that the Leonardo Express is a guaranteed service, also in case of (not uncommon in Italy) strikes. If necessary, the Leonardo Express will be replaced by a bus service.
By train: FR1 local train
The cheaper alternative to the Leonardo Express is the slower FR1 train, which does not take you to Roma Termini however. It does stop at the following principal stations: Roma Trastevere, Roma Ostiense (connection to metro B), Roma Tuscolana (connection to metro A) and Roma Tiburtina (connection to metro B), plus a number of other, smaller stations. The ticket costs around 8 Euros.
The first FR1 train departing from Fiumicino is at 5.57AM and from 6.27AM onwards they leave with intervals of 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the time of day. The last one is at 10.42 PM. The first train from Ostiense to Fiumicino is at 5.17 AM and the last one is at 10.02 PM.
By bus
There are multiple companies providing a direct bus service to the city of Rome. These are called Atral/Schiaffini, T.A.M., SIT Shuttle and Terravision respectively. Prices vary but are generally around 7 Euro for a one-way ticket. It is cheaper (6 Euro) if you book in advance, but the times quoted are often incorrect as they usually only leave when every seat is taken. Atral/Schiaffini, Terravision and T.A.M. have their stops in Via Giolitti near Termini, SIT Shuttle is the other side of the station, in Via Marsala.
By taxi
There is a fixed price of 48 Euro for cabs from Fiumicino to anywhere in central Rome and vice versa. The center of Rome includes everything within the Aurelian Wall. To be sure, ask the driver before boarding how much it will cost. Pay no attention to the illegal cab drivers who approach you the moment you enter the arrival hall. There should be no extra charges for luggage or anything else.
By shuttle bus
As soon as you enter the arrival hall, you will be approached by pretending to give out information. What they are really trying to do is talk you into taking a shuttle bus into the city. This is not necessarily bad, but the pricing can be “creative”. You should not end up paying more than 20 Euros per person. The advantage is that you will be dropped off at your final destination. However, you will be sharing the ride with other travelers, which means that if you are the last ones to be dropped off, it might take you a lot longer than expected.