Getting Around Rome 2026: Fiumicino and Ciampino, the Metro, Contactless Fares and Taxis

Rome's historic centre is compact: its 22 rioni, the old districts, cover about 16 km². On my first evening I saw the Colosseum, Trajan's Forum, Piazza Venezia, the Tiber Island, Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Trevi Fountain, in that order, in under two and a half hours. Rome's tourist board is fair about the other side of that: seeing the city on foot "can be a demanding undertaking", it says, and public transport "gets you to the major tourist sites and attractions quicker."

This guide covers the rest: both airports, the metro, buses and trams, what to pay, taxis, and why not to drive in the centre.

Fiumicino (FCO) to the centre

The Leonardo Express runs every 15 minutes, or every 30 at some times of day, from its own platforms, 23 and 24, at Termini. ATAC's city tickets aren't valid on it. Buy a ticket at the Trenitalia office or a machine in the airport, or online. Or tap a contactless card, phone or watch on the readers by the platforms: that buys one adult single per card, and there's no need to tap out. A paper ticket must be validated before you board; at the airport, that's at the turnstiles. Four people buying together pay €40 for four tickets, and one child aged 4 to 11 travels free with each paying adult.

The FL1 is the cheaper train: €8 to the city's stations, every 15 minutes on weekdays and less often on Sundays and holidays. It calls at Trastevere, Ostiense (for metro line B), Tuscolana and Tiburtina, but not at Termini, so it suits you if you're staying near one of those.

Airport buses are the cheapest way in, and the slowest when the traffic is bad. Terravision is from €4 to Termini, Rome Airport Bus is €8, SIT is €7 online (€2 more at the stop) and TAM is €9 at the stop. All four go to Termini; SIT also stops near the Vatican, and TAM at Ostiense. Some buses run after midnight, mainly to Termini.

The fixed taxi fare

Under Roma Capitale's taxi tariff of 21 May 2026, a taxi between Fiumicino and anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls costs €55, either way. That's for the car, not each passenger, and it includes luggage and other supplements and motorway tolls. The one extra is €5 for each passenger from the fifth. It applies only to a direct trip, with no detours or stops.

Elsewhere inside the GRA ring road, the taxi runs on the meter but can't charge more than €80. The minimum fare from Fiumicino is €35. Some websites, including Rome's tourist board, still show older fixed fares of €48 or €50; it's €55 now.

Taxis wait at Arrivals at Terminals 1 and 3. Roma Capitale's taxis are white, with TAXI on the roof and the Roma Capitale emblem and licence number on the front doors. Taxis licensed by the town of Fiumicino also work the airport. The €55 is Roma Capitale's fare, so look for its emblem.

Ciampino (CIA) to the centre

There's no train from the terminal itself, so it's a bus, a bus and a train, or a taxi.

• Rome Airport Bus to Termini: €8, about 40 minutes. The last bus from the airport is at 22:30. Going the other way, the first bus leaves Termini at 04:00 and the last at 23:55.
• Terravision to Termini: from €6.50, about 40 minutes, roughly every 40 minutes.
• SIT: €6 online, but only a few buses a day.
• Bus and train: Trenitalia's Ciampino Airlink is €2.70 for a bus of about 10 minutes to Ciampino station, then a regional train to Termini.
• ATAC buses to the metro: the 720 goes to Laurentina on line B and the 520 to Cinecittà on line A, both on an ordinary €1.50 ticket.
• Taxi: a fixed €40 to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls, or to Tiburtina or Ostiense stations. The minimum fare from Ciampino is €25.

Skip it

Skip: the offer of a ride inside the airport

At both airports, Rome's airport operator advises being "suspicious of individuals inside the airport offering transport services to the city without the necessary permits". Walk past them to the taxi rank, the bus stops or the trains.

The metro, buses and trams

Rome has three metro lines, all run by ATAC:

• A: Anagnina–Battistini.
• B: Laurentina–Rebibbia, with a branch, B1, to Jonio.
• C: Pantano–Colosseo.

The first trains leave the ends of the lines at 05:30. The last leave at about 23:30 from Sunday to Thursday, and at about 01:30 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Line C reached Colosseo/Fori Imperiali on 16 December 2025. Colosseo is now where lines B and C meet. Between lines A and C, you still change at San Giovanni. Line C's next station, Piazza Venezia, isn't due until 2033.

Buses and trams run from 05:00 until the last departures at 23:30. Then 32 night bus lines take over, from 23:30 to 05:00. Some of them, such as nMA, nMB and nMC, follow the metro lines, and many start at Piazza Venezia or Termini.

Tickets, and why you may not need one

ATAC's prices since 1 July 2025:

Children up to 10 travel free with a paying adult.

Contactless (Tap&Go) works on every ATAC bus, tram and trolleybus and at every metro gate. Tap your card, phone or watch every time you board, including when you change. A tap within the 100 minutes of a fare you've already paid isn't charged again.

It also caps what you pay. In ATAC's words: "If you exceed four 100-minute BITs, at the sixth you will be charged a 24-hour Roma ticket for € 8,50". So a busy day costs no more than the 24-hour ticket, as long as every tap is with the same card or device. A card and the same card in your phone's wallet count as two.

ATAC publishes no cap beyond 24 hours. Even so, the Roma 48H and 72H only beat tapping if you'd pay for five or six journeys every day, and then by €2 to €3.50 at most.

Validate a paper ticket every time: when you start, again when you go into the metro, and again whenever you change vehicle within its 100 minutes. Keep it to the end of the journey, and carry ID: inspectors can ask for both. Travelling without a valid ticket, including one you didn't validate, means a fine of €100 to €500 on top of the fare. It's reduced if you pay within five days.

Taxis and Uber in the city

Rome's tourist board advises taking a taxi from a rank or booking one. To book:

• Roma Capitale's ChiamaTaxi: call 060609, or use the ChiamaTaxi app.
• Radiotaxi 3570: call or WhatsApp 06 3570. It's part of the itTaxi app network.

Metered fares start at €3.50 on weekdays, €5 on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, and €7.50 at night, from 22:00 to 06:00. The minimum fare is €9. When you book a taxi inside the GRA ring road, it can't charge more than the starting fare plus €5 for coming to pick you up. Tell the driver how you'll pay before you set off.

Uber works in Rome with professional drivers only. Its Rome page lists Comfort, Van, Black and Electric, and licensed taxis booked through ItTaxi with a maximum fare guaranteed. It lists no UberX.

Driving: not in the centre

The historic centre, the Tridente around Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo, and Trastevere are limited traffic zones (ZTL), open only to permit holders at set times. Testaccio has a night zone. The historic centre's day zone applies from 06:30 to 18:00, Monday to Friday, and from 14:00 to 18:00 on Saturdays. Its night zone applies from 23:00 to 03:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Taxis are exempt. If you hire a car for day trips, pick it up on the way out of the city.

Questions

What's the cheapest way from Fiumicino to central Rome?

An airport bus, from €4 with Terravision to Termini. The FL1 train is €8 and avoids the traffic, but it doesn't stop at Termini.

How much is a taxi from Fiumicino to Rome?

A fixed €55 to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls, under Roma Capitale's tariff of 21 May 2026. That's for the car, with supplements and tolls included, plus €5 for each passenger from the fifth.

How much is a taxi from Ciampino to Rome?

A fixed €40 to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls, or to Tiburtina or Ostiense stations.

Do I need a travel pass in Rome?

Usually not. Tap a contactless card on every bus and tram and at every metro gate: ATAC charges €1.50 for each 100 minutes and stops at €8.50 in 24 hours. The 48- and 72-hour tickets only beat that if you'd pay for five or six journeys every day.

Does the metro go to the Colosseum?

Yes. Colosseo/Fori Imperiali is on lines B and C. Line C reached it on 16 December 2025.

How late does the Rome metro run?

The last trains leave the ends of the lines at about 23:30, or 01:30 on Fridays and Saturdays. Night buses run from 23:30 to 05:00.