Can anyone help me...I will be a first time visitor to FCO/Italy/Rome and need to get from FCO to Rome on a Monday morning. What is the best way to do this and any idea about the price? Also should I have US$ converted before I leave (ie for taxi??) Thanks in advance for any help!!

As far as I know a taxi is the only practical option. We unknowingly got into a bandit (unlicensed) one; it turned out fine but I would recommend making sure you use a licensed cab

You can sometimes have your hotel in Rome arrange car service for you. I did this last year with the Intercontinental there via e-mail. The driver was waiting for us as I exited customs/immigration with a sign. I used the service leaving also. The cost for 2 people with bags was about $45US each way.

For about $8.00 US you can take a train non-stop from FCO to Termini station in Rome.
From there you can get a cab to your hotel. I'm sure you'll find ATMs in the airport to get some local currency.

I too had my hotel arrange for the car the night before. Not only were they on time but I found out afterwards (from a friend who lives in Rome) that they were very reasonable.

60,000 for that distance is nothing. If you are coming in August (before the 15th), the trafic will not be too bad. Other than that take the train the traffic at the Porta Magliana will be hell.

Any transportation updates?

[This message has been edited by NeoOfTheCRS (edited 07-11-2003).]

For anyone planning a trip to Rome here you are some transportation updates.
There are two rail lines from FCO going to Rome. The first "Leonardo Express" connects "no-stop" the airport directly to main railway station "Termini". The trip takes 35-40 minutes and one way fare is about 13US$ / 11Euro.
The second one, FM1, crosses the city and makes some stops in the city historical and touristic heart, and is connected with underground lines (Leonardo Express does too, roman underground network is composed of 2 lines intersecting at Termini).
Time lenght varies from 30 minutes to 55, depending on stops and the fare is a little cheaper: 10US$ / 8,5 Euro one way.
At the airport you can find money change facilities, ATMs and most credit card are also accepted by self ticketing machines.
Train departures from FCO alternate between the two routes and there is a train starting every 15 minutes from 5.30 a.m. until 11.00 p.m..
No way to get to Rome overnight unless you rent a taxi or a limousine. As I live there I didn't ever tried the latter (how will it sound coming back home in a limousine?) but I don't suggest the former, just a little bit expensive for a 20miles / 32km trip, for instance.
A taxi (the authorized ones are usually white, don't trust people waiting in or just outside the hall and offering low price service) trip will cost around 40 Euro, but try to ask the price before you get in and ask for a receipt once arrived at destination: this will help to avoid you bad surprises and money change mistakes...
If you are too lazy to find out where your hotel is, if you don't trust your orientation sense, or if you are travelling with a huge amount of unuseful lugagges -American and Japanese people do-, a good compromise to get anywhere during daytime is to hop on one of the trains, getting out at Termini, Trastevere or Ostiense stations (the closer to city center) and get a taxi down there.
Have a nice stay and enjoy Rome.

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My husband and I will be at the Hilton Airport April '04 for 4 days prior to a cruise. We want to take a couple of tours, but none of the tour operators pick up from
the Airport Hilton. How difficult is it for only English speaking tourists to take the train from FCO to the Termini station?
I was told we could get a private car but round trip would be about $97.00, which is more than we would like to pay.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Eleanor

walk across to the terminal and train station. walk to the ticket booth downstairs. hand the clerk euros while mouthing the words "Termini" Grasp ticket in hand proceed left to the platform with the sign that says Termini. Get on train if it is sitting there or wait for it to arrive. 35-40 minutes later get off train and walk the length of Termini to the exit. Take taxi, bus or metro to main part of Rome.

As an alternative once you are at the FCO station just follow all the people lugging luggage onto the train and get off when they do.

It is easy.

Dup., so removed

[This message has been edited by opushomes (edited 10-10-2003).]

I am stopping in Rome on the way East. I will be spending about 8 to 9 hours. Are there any suggestions for how to get into town and what I should try to get to see? I was in Rome about 25 years ago and saw the basics but wouldn't mind going again.

Any one taken the high-speed train from Rome to Florence? And, I'm assuming I would not catch that train at FCO, but would have to get into Rome for it. Am trying to do that for the Florence Do in May. Have come across a couple different on-line booking agencies for it, but few allow for on-line purchase. I'll keep looking, 'tho. Would welcome any suggestions, and would be happy to copy those to the Flo. Do. forum in case anyone else is similarly flying to Rome for that. Thanks!

Any one taken the high-speed train from Rome to Florence? And, I'm assuming I would not catch that train at FCO, but would have to get into Rome for it. Am trying to do that for the Florence Do in May. Have come across a couple different on-line booking agencies for it, but few allow for on-line purchase. I'll keep looking, 'tho. Would welcome any suggestions, and would be happy to copy those to the Flo. Do. forum in case anyone else is similarly flying to Rome for that. Thanks!

We did this last February. You can take a train from FCO to Rome and then purchase your ticket to Florence at the train station. I really wouldn't worry about purchasing tickets beforehand. The trains run quite frequently. If you're concerned about getting a reservation before you go, you can use raileurope.com or railsaver.com (this requires faxing, but they shipped the tickets immediately to me)

Two quick questions:

Regarding purchasing FCO/Firenze Eurostar Italia/Trenitalia tickets---if it's the ES* that I want, as it looks like a much shorter ride in terms of time, I'd likely have to purchase those in advance (maybe the Trenitalia site?) to ensure I'd have a seat, right?

And, since I'll have a lot of time in Rome between when my flight lands and when I need to be in Florence, where is the Left Luggage Station at Termini (had a hard time telling from the station website map)?

Do other train stations in Rome have a Left Luggage place?

Two quick questions:

Regarding purchasing FCO/Firenze Eurostar Italia/Trenitalia tickets---if it's the ES* that I want, as it looks like a much shorter ride in terms of time, I'd likely have to purchase those in advance (maybe the Trenitalia site?) to ensure I'd have a seat, right?

And, since I'll have a lot of time in Rome between when my flight lands and when I need to be in Florence, where is the Left Luggage Station at Termini (had a hard time telling from the station website map)?

Do other train stations in Rome have a Left Luggage place?

Hi,

For the FCO-Roma Termini ticket, you can buy it with a credit card at automatic units directly in the FCO train terminal. Departures every 30 minutes.

You can buy an "electronic ticket" on www.trenitalia.com for ES and IC(intercity) trains. You than can print it and bring the receipt with you or get the confirmation number sent on your cell phone. You can also do the reservation for any other train and then when you get at the train station you enter the confirmation code and your last name and it will print out.

Trenitalia used to ask for your "codice fiscale" - social security number - to register online. You will have to go on http://www.comuni.it/servizi/codfisc/ to "calculate" it, as it is an algorithm based code that doesn't change. Enter your last name, name, select your gender, in Comune... enter USA and Prov... enter EE, then select your birthdate. Enter that with a generic home address such as "Poste Restante, 00100 Roma RM" and you will be able to go through the process ;) Not too complicated I hope.

The left luggage station at Termini is on the left side, when you exit the train and walk to the main lobby. It is downstairs; anyway there are signs everywhere. You will have to go through metal detectors and sometimes an actual police agent open your luggage before accepting it for left luggage.

I don't think any other station in Rome has left luggages services; in fact in Italy I think only Torino - Milano Centrale - Venezia Santa Lucia - Bologna Centrale - Roma Fiumicino - Palermo Centrale have this kind of service. In Bologna they are the only one to have self-service left luggage like there use to be in US Airports.

Benvenuto in Italia.

Frank