Ciampino Airport Ground Transportation

For quick, frequent service to and from Ciampino, it's hard to beat Terravision--assuming that you can get on the next bus, which may be a challenge if several flights dump planeloads of passengers into the Ciampino arrivals terminal at the same time.

Here's a quick guide to using Terravision coaches, which normally run at 20- to 45-minute intervals. (The bus timetable is coordinated with flight arrival and departure times.)

Note: Terravision's route starts and ends at Ciampino's city center (10 minutes beyond the airport), but this won't affect you unless you're staying in Ciampino.

From Ciampino Airport to Termini Station

Terravision coach line at Ciampino Airport

As you leave the customs area, you'll see an arrivals desk. Look for the Terravision representative, who can sell you a ticket (if you haven't prebooked on the Terravision Web Site) and give you a boarding card.

Next, go outside and wait in line for the bus, which usually departs from bay no. 3. You're entitled to priority boarding if you've bought your ticket on the Web, but prebooking will also limit your options if the queue is unpleasantly long.

When the coach is ready for boarding, stow your suitcase in the luggage compartment, give your ticket and boarding card to the driver, and find a seat on the bus. Travel time to Rome is advertised as 40 minutes. (The trip may be quicker or slower, depending on traffic.)

From Termini Station to Ciampino Airport

At Stazione Termini, the Terravision bus departs from the Via Marsala, the street along the left side of the station as you face the entrance. (The loading area is slightly behind the front of the station, next to the bus company's TerraCafé.)

Terravision coach ticket and boarding card Before boarding the coach, go into the TerraCafé. At the ticket counter inside the door, buy a ticket or--if you've prebooked--show your ticket or Internet voucher. The ticket agent will give you a numbered boarding card for the bus.

Once you have your boarding card, you can go back outside to the loading area along the sidewalk.

When the driver is ready to begin boarding, you can place your suitcase in the baggage compartment, get in line, hand over your ticket and boarding card, and find a seat.

Travel time is nominally 40 minutes, but Terravision recommends catching the bus at least three hours before your scheduled flight departure.

At Ciampino Airport, the coach will unload right outside the departures and arrivals terminal. (The terminal is modern but small, so you needn't worry about getting lost.)

Bus/Metro or Bus/Train combinations

Option 1: ATRAL, in partnership with Schiaffini, runs frequent shuttle buses to the Rome Metropolitana, or underground, station at Anagnina. (See our Rome Metro article.)

The bus fare was €1,20 the last time we checked. You'll also need to buy a €1,50 "Metrebus" ticket for the Metro at the Anagnina station, bringing your total fare to €2,70.

This bus-Metro combination is a great choice if you're traveling without heavy luggage and your hotel or apartment is near Spagna, Barberini, or another station on Metro Line "A."

(The only downsides are that the connector bus runs only once every 40 minutes or so, and the Metro can get crowded as you travel toward the city during rush hour.)

On this page, we'll show you how to reach Rome from Ciampino Airport by bus and Metro. If you're going to the airport, simply take Metro Line "A" to the end of the line at Anagnina, go upstairs to the outdoor bus station, and look for the Ciampino Airport stop.

Option 2: ATRAL's newer "Airlink" service takes you by bus to the FS Ciampino railroad station, where you board a train to Rome's Termini station.

For information on both options, see ATRAL's "Ciampino" page.

Here's how to use the Bus/Metro service, which we've used ourselves:

At Ciampino Airport:

Anagnina bus at Ciampino Airport

Exit the terminal, go to the bus bays, and look for the white transit bus with an electronic sign that reads "ANAGNINA DIRETTA - QUICK."

Buy a ticket from the driver and board the bus.

At Anagnina:

Anagnina bus and Metro station

About 15 minutes after leaving Ciampino Airport, you'll arrive at Anagnina, which is a major underground, suburban bus, and park-and-ride station at the end of Rome Metro Line "A."

Stairs to Metro at Anagnina

Follow the crowd to the steps and go downstairs.

Anagnina directional signs

Signs will direct you to Metro Linea A. (There's only one Metro line at Anagnina, and because Anagnina is at the end of the line, all trains go toward the city.)

Vintage streetcar at Anagnina

Admire the vintage tram on the station's lower level, then head left toward the Metro entrance.

Metro Line A entrrance at Anagnina

The Metro entrance is clearly marked, so you're unlikely to miss it.

Rome Metro ticket machine screen

Buy a BIT Metrebus ticket from the vending machine or at the ticket window. (See our Rome Metrebus Tickets and Fares article, which shows how to use the vending machines.)

Next, go to the barrier and insert the ticket in the slot on the front of the turnstile, as described in our Rome Metro article. Retrieve your ticket from the top of the turnstile as the gates open.

Photo: Yassen Tcholakov

Go to the platform and wait for a Metro train to arrive. Trains run every few minutes, so you shouldn't have to wait long.

When the train arrives, stay behind the yellow line until the train has stopped. If necessary, press the large button by the doors to open them.

Rome Metro Lina A car interior

Grab a seat away from the doors so other passengers won't have to climb over your suitcase, and stay on the train until you reach your destination. (See map.)

The most Metro popular stops for tourists are Spagna, Barberini, Repubblica, and Termini. If necessary, you can change at Termini for Line "B," which will take you to other destinations such as the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, and Rome's intercity Bus terminal at Tiburtina.

Other transportation from Ciampino Airport

Buses:

SIT Bus Shuttle operates on the same route that Terravision does. If the Terravision queue is long, head for the SIT coach and buy a ticket from the driver. (Terravision's buses run slightly more often than SIT's do, but if a SIT coach is waiting and you haven't prebooked with Terravision, riding SIT to or from Termini Station will help you avoid the crowd.)

Taxis:

By law, taxis charge a flat rate of €31 for the trip between Ciampino Airport and central Rome within the Aurelian Wall.

For fixed fares to other locations, click here.

These fares apply to travel in either direction.

Also see:

Leonardo da Vinci Airport, Fiumicino (FCO)

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo. Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (including Rome for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.

Ciampino Airport: Ground Transportation to Rome

How to reach central Rome from Ciampino by bus, Metro, shuttle, or taxi.

Terravision coach: Ciampino-Termini and Termini-Ciampino