Rome's airports: Fiumicino or Ciampino

Ciampino is closer: 15 km against 32 km, and the taxi to our hotels typically takes 31–39 minutes against 30–45 from Fiumicino. Both fares are fixed by the city, per car and all supplements included, to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls, which takes in all ten of our hotels: €40 from Ciampino and €55 from Fiumicino. Fiumicino has the better public transport, with the Leonardo Express non-stop to Termini in 32 minutes for €14 and the FL1 to Trastevere and Ostiense. From Ciampino the cheapest way in is the Airlink bus and train to Termini for €2.70, with a change at Ciampino station.

Fiumicino handles domestic, European and intercontinental flights, with more than 240 destinations in about 80 countries in 2025. Terminal 1 takes Schengen flights, including ITA Airways, the Lufthansa and Air France groups, easyJet and Ryanair; Terminal 3 takes non-Schengen and long-haul flights, including British Airways, Jet2, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Delta and United. Ciampino is mainly a low-cost airport, and Ryanair runs 21 routes from it in its winter 2026 schedule. Ryanair flies from both, so check the airport code on the booking: FCO or CIA.

Ciampino's single terminal means short walks from kerb to gate. Fiumicino is larger, but well signposted, and both airports sell a €10 Fast Track through security, free for children up to 12; Fiumicino also offers a free bookable security slot called QPass. Fiumicino has 77 e-gates and Ciampino 12, used by EU, UK, US and several other chip passports, and both now register non-EU visitors in the EU Entry/Exit System. Hours differ: Ciampino takes no commercial flights from 23:00 to 06:00 and closes its arrivals hall from midnight, while Fiumicino has 24-hour cafés, round-the-clock taxis and the Hilton Rome Airport a covered walk from the terminals.

Only Fiumicino. You can pay your way into Primeclass from €25, Plaza Premium from €29, the Prima Vista lounges for €40 and ITA's lounges from €49, and several take Priority Pass. Fiumicino also has bookable tables at sit-down restaurants, a Tax Free Mall in the E gates with no 22% VAT for any nationality, left luggage at €10 a bag and a club car to the far gates. Ciampino has a short run of good cafés in departures, including a Roman pizzeria and a traditional Roman bakery, and that is the point of it.

For our ten hotels it barely matters: every one is inside the Aurelian Walls, so either taxi fare covers it, and the drive is about 30–45 minutes from either airport. Choose by flight time and airline. If you are travelling light to the Colosseum side of the city, Fiumicino's train to Termini is the easiest public transport arrival. Our Rome transfers page has the timed and priced way from each airport to each hotel.