Last Updated on April 25, 2025 by admin

Flying into Rome? Wondering how to get from Ciampino airport to the city center? Let’s take a look at all your options, from least to most expensive.

How to get to Rome from Ciampino airport

Ciampino, or Giovan Battista Pastine International Airport, is the smaller of Rome’s two airports, with Fiumicino being the other. If you’re flying into Fiumicino, check out this post for all the info you need.

Ciampino is serviced by several companies, many of which are low-cost or budget airlines.

Ciampino is closer to Rome’s city center than Fiumicino – it’s only about 16km southeast of the city center. 

For years, flights to Ciampino were largely chartered or private, so it’s pretty small. As you can imagine, there aren’t nearly as many options for dining or shopping as there are at Fiumicino, but the little shop there has sour Skittles, which are extremely important to me, and if you order McDonald’s, they deliver it to your table (don’t @ me, sometimes I eat fast food before a flight and then regret it on board when my ankles start to swell from all the salt, ok?). Anyway, it’s pure McClass.

Just like getting to Rome from Fiumicino, there are multiple ways to get from Ciampino airport to the center of the Eternal City. 

Let’s take a look at each way, starting from least expensive to most.

Ciampino to Rome via public transportation

If you’re traveling to Rome on a budget, this is the option for you. Unlike Fiumicino, you can get from Ciampino to Rome on public transportation. There are a couple of options for this. Both involve taking a bus to the metro and will cost you just €1.50.

You don’t even need to buy a paper ticket if you don’t want to – you can just tap onto the red machine on the bus with a credit or debit card (one per person), and then tap again to get through the turnstile at the metro station (you’ll only be charged once). You can also purchase and validate within the MooneyGo or TicketAppy apps.

If you do purchase a paper ticket, you must validate it in the yellow machine once you board the bus.

Metro: A line

If you want to get to Rome’s metro A, you can take the bus 520 to either Cinecittà or Subaugusta and get onto the metro there. You can also transfer to the C line by taking the metro A to San Giovanni and switching there.

Here’s my extensive guide to navigating public transportation in Rome.

Metro: B line

To get to the B line, you can take the 720 bus to Laurentina and get on there.

Bus

There are three bus companies that run from Ciampino into the city center of Rome: Rome Airport Bus, SIT Bus Shuttle, and Terravision.

The SIT Bus Shuttle also stops near the Vatican, at Via Crescenzio 7 or Circonvallazione Aurelia 19, if either of those stops work better for you.

At the time of writing, the prices for bus tickets from Ciampino to Rome and vice versa were:

Rome Airport Bus by Schiaffini: starting at €6.90

Terravision: €6

SIT Bus: €6

Ciampino Airlink

The Ciampino Airlink service consists of a bus ride from Ciampino Airport to the train station in  the town of Ciampino, and then a train from there to Roma Termini.

Tickets cost €2.70 and you can book them through Trenitalia. 

Taxi

The current price for taking a taxi from Ciampino to anywhere within the Aurelian Walls is €40.

There is a taxi stand outside of the arrivals area at Ciampino. Unfortunately, the taxi drivers at Ciampino are notorious for ripping people off by either charging them more than the fixed fare or telling different groups of people that they have to ride together and then charging them all the full amount.

You might be wondering how I know this, and it’s because these things have happened to me. Both occurred late at night when I didn’t have any alternatives, so be extra mindful if you arrive late. 

I believe that some efforts have been made to combat this – the most significant being a sign that was put up near the taxi stand with the fixed fare and some other rules written on it – and I haven’t flown into Ciampino in a while, so maybe the situation has improved. I really hope so – being ripped off by a taxi driver is such a terrible first impression of the city.

Anyway, there are some other things you should know about getting to Rome from Ciampino by taxi and just about taking taxis in Rome in general:

• Roman taxis are white and clearly marked with multiple logos and a light on top.
• All taxis must accept credit card payments, although many drivers prefer cash and will, in my experience, sometimes say that their card reader is broken. If you tell them that you don’t have any cash, it will miraculously start working again.
• Tipping is not required, but it is appreciated. You’ll have to tip in cash, though – you can’t add a tip to an electronic payment. 

Uber

Uber is available in Rome, but it may be pricier than a taxi. 

Private Transfer

I recommend booking a private car if you’re traveling with a lot of luggage, if your destination is outside of the Aurelian Walls, or if you’re traveling with a large party and need a van. Or if you just want to arrive at your destination in the most straightforward way.

Booking a private transfer also means that you’ll know the cost up front.

Lots of transfer companies on websites like Get Your Guide price gouge – here’s a link to Rome Cab Transfer, which has its prices listed on their website so you can get an idea of what “normal” pricing is. I recently booked with them for my mom and dad when they visited, and they said it was great.

How long does it take to get from Ciampino to Rome?

Public transportation: I don’t think it’s fair to give an estimate for this because the timetables can be so screwy, but I would guess you’re looking at 45 minutes to an hour, depending on your final destination. 

Ciampino Airlink: The timing of the Ciampino Airlink varies between just over half an hour to just under an hour.

Bus: The bus ride from Ciampino to Roma Termini takes about 45 minutes.

Taxi, Uber or private transfer: Again, this will depend on where you’re headed and on traffic, but you can expect to arrive in Rome in about 30 minutes after departing from Ciampino Airport.

Questions about flying into Rome? Share them in the comments!

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