Cheap Flights to Rome

Rome is at once a fascinating place to visit as a tourist and also a bustling and very much lived in city. It can be a culture shock to step into Rome when you might have been dreaming of the relaxed canals of Venice, but this is Italy, too - it is, perhaps, the most Italian of all Italian cities. Because of this, it is both fabulous and frustrating.

Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (airport code FCO), more commonly called Rome-Fiumicino Airport, is Italy's largest airport. It is located just over 21 miles from Rome city centre and is one of two hubs for the beleaguered Italian national carrier, Alitalia.

A full list of the airlines which serve both of Rome's airports is here, and as they are both operated by the same company the list is (rather unhelpfully) not divided between the two. From the UK, however, you will find flights on Flyglobespan from Edinburgh, Aer Lingus from Belfast, Air One from London City, Alitalia from Heathrow, and British Airways from Heathrow and Gatwick. What the airline listing lacks in customer service, the interactive terminal maps found here more than make up for.

There is a railway station at Fiumicino where you can catch the Leonardo Express into the city. It is roughly a half hour trip with no stops to Termini Station and this train runs twice every hour. If you miss the Express, the Leonardo Local is only a 40 minute trip with one stop (at the Rome Trastevere Station) before Termini, and there are slower local trains which run every quarter hour and make loads of stop between the airport and city centre. You can read more about the rail service here. In addition to trains there are also several buses which run from Fiumicino to Termini (more information here) and taxis for hire as well (more information here). Taxis now operated on a flat fee basis, so be sure to hire an authorised driver. If you would rather have your own car in Rome, you clearly have a high tolerance for drivers who might be considered mad. These car hire agencies serve Fiumicino.

Rome Ciampino Airport (airport code CIA), often called just Ciampino, was once Rome's main airport. Despite the larger size and higher traveller numbers at Fiumicino, Ciampino remains one of the busier airports in Italy. It is a little more than nine miles from Rome city centre and is also used by the Italian military.

From the UK, easyJet flies to Ciampino from Belfast, Bristol, East Midlands, Newcastle and Gatwick, and Ryanair flies from East Midlands, Glasgow-Prestwick, Liverpool, Stansted and Luton. The full list of all airlines serving both Ciampino and Fiumicino can be found here. Reaching Rome city centre from Ciampino is not as simple as it is from Fiumicino. There is no rail service from Ciampino, so you must either take a bus to a nearby rail station (either the Metro or a regular train) or take a bus or taxi into the city. Taking a bus to a rail station is going to be the cheapest option, although the Metro can get rather busy which can make it difficult to navigate with any amount of luggage (especially as it is on the Metro where many tourists find they have been pickpocketed). The bus/rail combination should take you the better part of an hour. The alternatives include taking a bus or shuttle all the way to Termini Station (roughly a 40 minute trip) or hiring a taxi - the latter has a fixed fare, but be sure to check that includes luggage. Bus and rail information can be found here, taxi information here, and if you are brave enough to drive yourself around Rome, car hire agencies are listed here.

Have an excellent holiday in Rome, and if you want more information about travelling in Italy, do check our Italy Travel Guide.