Vatican Hotels

Vatican Hotels Rome

 

Rome - Guide

Arriving

Rome has two main airports: Leonardo da Vinci (sometimes still known as Fiumicino) and Roma Ciampino.

Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino)

Leonardo da Vinci is the larger airport and is a major port of call for intercontinental as well as national and European flights. Alitalia and British Airways both fly there. The airport is situated 32km west of the city, close to the sea.

The most straightforward way to get into Rome is to take the Leonardo Express, a direct train service to Rome's main railway station, Stazione Termini. A one-way ticket costs €9.50 and must be stamped in the validating machines on the platform before you board the train. To reach the train’s departure point, just follow the signs from the main arrivals area. The service runs every 30 minutes, between 6.30am and 11.30pm.

A taxi from the airport into Rome should cost around €40. To avoid being ripped off, make sure you get into an offically marked taxi at the rank. These are white, with 'taxi' lights on top and a taxi license number. There is another slower but cheaper train that connects the airport to central Rome. To board it, look for the train displaying the destination Orte or Fara Sabina at the airport train station. In order to access central Rome, get off at the Ostiense station (south of the centre, closer to the sights) or Tiburtina (east of the centre, closer to Termini and the hotels there). This train leaves every 15 minutes (every hour on Sundays) and costs €5. The trip from the airport to Ostiense takes about 25 minutes, to Tiburtina about 45 minutes. Do bear in mind, however, that this train does not stop at Termini.

Ciampino Airport

Ciampino is Rome's smaller airport, used mostly by charter flights and budget airlines like Ryanair and Easyjet. Unusually for such an airport, it is actually closer to the city (13 km away) than Leonardo da Vinci.

Providing a convenient direct link between the airport and Stazione Termini, Terravision coaches are timed to meet each budget flight. Vouchers can be purchased from the Terravision desk in the airport arrivals hall. A single ticket costs €8.00. The comfortable coaches leaves from the forecourt outside the arrivals hall 30 minutes after the arrival of each flight, arriving at Via Marsala, alongside Stazione Termini, around 40 minutes later, traffic permitting.

If you’re looking for a cheaper, if less straightforward way to get into the city, Cotral buses connect passengers to 'Anagnina' metro station (Line A) every 20 minutes. From there, trains into Rome are every 10 minutes and take about 45 minutes to reach the Termini Station. A single fare is €1. A taxi from the airport into Rome should cost around €35 and take roughly 20 minutes. Once again, make sure you get into an offically marked taxi at the rank. These are white, with 'taxi' lights on top and a taxi license number.

Getting Around

Rome’s traffic-free historic centre is ideal for walking, with many of the main sites of interest clustered together. Stray outside this inner core, however, and you’ll find that walking becomes hazardous and uncomfortable because of the crowds, heavy traffic, and narrow sidewalks. At such times, public transport becomes much more useful. The Metro is the fastest means of transportation, though the two lines don’t cover that much of the city. The network operates daily from 5:30am to 11:30pm. A big red M indicates the entrance to the subway. Tickets cost 1€. If you buy them from a vending machine in the metro station itself, you’ll need exact money. Alternatively, you can purchase them from tabacchi (tobacco shops) and news stands. Passes for 1 to 7 days are also available. Buses and trams offer better coverage of Rome, but are slower, due to the often-chronic traffic congestion. They are frequently crowded too, so be especially wary of pickpockets. Single tickets cost 1€ and are valid for 75 minutes. You can get on as many buses and trams as you want during that period of time with the same ticket. Once again, tickets can be bought from bus terminals, tabacchi or news stands. You must have your ticket before boarding because there are no ticket-issuing machines on the vehicles. If you want to buy a 1-day ticket (4€), a 3-day tourist pass (11€) or a weekly ticket (16€) for buses or trams, you need to do so at the main railway station, Stazione Termini. Whichever one of these options you go for, you place your ticket in a small machine on the first vehicle you board. This prints the day and hour you boarded. You do the same on the last bus you take during the valid period of the ticket. Trying to hail a Roman taxi on the street will most often be a fruitless and frustrating activity. Ask the reception staff in your hotel to call one if you're going out. The charge will be 2.35€ for the first 3 kilometres. Each kilometre thereafter will cost 0.65€. Every suitcase costs 1.00€ and on Sunday a 3.35€ supplement is added. There's another 4.90€ supplement from 10.00pm to 7.00am. Avoid paying your fare with large bills, since taxi drivers will invariably claim that they don't have change, hoping for a bigger tip.