Fiumicino Airport in Rome: how to get to the city, terminals, Tax-free refund 2021

Thirty kilometers southeast of Rome is the small town of Fiumicino. It is unlikely that its name would be widely known to tourists if it were not for the main airport in Italy, bearing the name of the great genius Leonardo da Vinci, next to it.

Airport infrastructure

The territory of the airport is divided into several terminals:

T1 serves passengers who have Schengen visas. T2 is intended for charter flights. T3 accepts international flights whose passengers pass through passport control, as well as aircraft of the Italian company Alitalia. T5 serves flights to the USA and Israel. The airport has a cargo terminal, four runways, a waiting room, escalators, a baggage claim belt, a huge hall, and other specialized premises, the scheme of which can always be seen on the electronic scoreboard.

The terminals offer free Wi-Fi access and non-smoking rooms. In the terminal building itself, you can have a bite to eat in a cafe, exchange currency, buy souvenirs or necessary medicines.

There are multiple ATMs at the airport where you can withdraw euros from your card. Other currency can be obtained at exchange offices operating from 6.00 to 23.00. >There is a left-luggage office on the territory of the third terminal, open from 6.30 to 23.30. The cost of this service per day is six euros.

It will be interesting and useful for parents to know that there is a mother and child room at Fiumicino Airport, where you can leave your child for a certain time. There, experienced nannies will look after him while moms and dads are busy shopping, paperwork, or other things. Also, if necessary, qualified medical assistance can be provided to passengers.

Moving around the airport

You can travel between the airport terminals by shuttle buses, which are free of charge. The interval between flights is 20 minutes. One of them serves terminals T1, T2 and T3, and the other circulates between T3 and T5. You should know that from 01.00 to 04.00 these buses arrive only on the call of passengers. To do this, there are intercom buttons installed at bus stops. Additionally, terminal T3 can be reached by a small automatic train.

Registration procedure

All tourists are warned in advance that it is best to arrive for the registration procedure and preliminary ticket control 2.5 – 3 hours before departure. This is due to the duration of this procedure, especially when it comes to departure to the United States and Israel. But for customers who use the services of the airport's VIP lounge, they have the opportunity to go through passport and customs control, receive registration documents and checks for luggage without a queue and a long wait. They include a menu from the airport bar, free and unlimited Wi-Fi, and fresh newspapers and magazines.

Return Tax-free

For tourists arriving from countries outside the EU, there is a Tax-free service, which implies a refund of 20% of the cost of purchased goods, the price of which exceeds 155 euros. There are several intermediary firms dealing with VAT refunds. One of them is Global Blue.

If the seller of goods has an agreement with her, then the money will be returned to the client even before boarding the plane. The rest of the companies transfer money to the customer's card after their departure from Italy. The only condition is the presence of a Tax Refund check, which must be stamped by customs.

Nearest hotels

Unfortunately, sometimes weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances force passengers to wait all night for a flight. In order not to spend this time at the airport, you can use the services of hotels located near the exits of the terminals. There are only three such institutions, and they include:

Hilton Roma Airport

This is a rather expensive 4-star hotel, where clients are provided with a high level of service, varied cuisine and multiple additional services included in the price of accommodation, which is about 200 euros per night.

Hilton Garden Inn Rome Airport

The hotel also belongs to the 4-star class and has approximately the same range of services as the option described above. The cost of a room per night is approximately 130 euros.

Welcome Airport Hotel

It belongs to the “2-star” budget establishments, where you can spend the night inexpensively, but quite comfortably, waiting for departure.

To save money, you can go to Fiumicino, where you can find a hotel, accommodation in which will be from 30 to 70 euros per night.

How to get from the airport to the center

Traveling from Leonardo da Vinci Airport to Rome is quick and easy, as there are numerous modes of transport available to passengers.

Bus routes

Perhaps the most easily accessible means of transportation is the Cotral bus. But there are two significant drawbacks, which include the inconvenience of carrying bulky luggage and the lack of night flights.

Railway transport

The most economical way to travel is by rail. The disadvantages of this option include the low speed of this type of transport and problems with the transportation of bulky luggage.

Taxi

It is a convenient but expensive mode of transport. Its cost, according to the municipal tariff, is 40 euros. This includes baggage allowance. The number of passengers should not exceed four people.

When using the services of local taxi drivers, you need to be prepared for the fact that he can call a higher price, counting on the inexperience of the tourist. But a correct indication of the real price puts everything in its place, although it slightly lowers the driver's mood.

Transfer

This is the most convenient way to travel from the airport to Rome, with virtually no drawbacks. First of all, passengers traveling with children pay attention to it. Having discussed this detail in advance, the client receives a car with seats equipped for kids, and a spacious luggage compartment that can fit large hand luggage, a stroller, and so on. You can also order a car equipped with an additional air conditioning system. And for tourists from Russia, a Russian-speaking driver is provided who can tell a lot of interesting things about Italy, its traditions and local attractions.