Easiest way FCO- Rome center

We are going in September and have reserved with Roma Cab. They send a driver with a sedan or van to the airport. Seems very professional.

Barbara,

One big advantage of the Leonardo Express is that it's not affected by "traffic issues". If you're travelling by metered Taxi, traffic problems could be expensive. However, if you're travelling via Shuttle at a fixed rate, then cost won't be a factor.

Happy travels!

Not to mention that for many people from the U.S., riding a train into the city has a novelty factor. However, the disadvantage is that you then have to find your way to your hotel and the Piazza Navona is not that close to either metro line or Termini station. If you are going to take a cab, it's probably best to take one from the airport all the way to the hotel, or as other posters suggested--take a shuttle. You might see if your hotel has one, or at least one that they can recommend/reserve for you. There are also many recommendations on this board.

Ken,

the taxis from FCO to the city centre have fixed rates 40 Euro no matter how the traffic is. If the cab driver wants to turn on the meter you should definitely say something or get out and take a different taxi.

But yes, if you do arrive just in the midst of rush hour the train might be quicker.

If you do opt to take a cab from the airport to your hotel, I would advise clearing the 40 euro price with the driver beforehand. Print out the law and show it to him.(This lets him know you are aware of the law and what your expectations are.) We went through this in June and the driver tried to charge us 65 euro when we reached our hotel. I showed him the printout with the law at that time. (He had a very public fit.) In retrospect, I wish I'd done it before we entered the cab.

We took the Leonardo Express on the way back to the airport and I preferred that mode of transportation. There was no AC on the train, but come to think of it, there was no AC in the cab, either!

See below:

Express train

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 (more information below). Tickets cost €11 and are one-way only (so buy extra for your return journey if you want to be organised), and must be stamped in the validating machines on the platform before you board the train. From the main arrivals area, just follow the signs. The service runs every 30 minutes, between 6.30am and 11.30pm.

Taxis
Every so often there has been a spate of news stories about tourists being conned by drivers; make sure you take an official marked taxi from the rank. These are white, with 'taxi' lights on top, and each has a taxi license number. From October 2006, in a very helpful move, the Rome authorities have capped taxi prices. From Fiumicino into central Rome (anywhere within the Aurelian walls, which basically includes the central tourist area) should cost precisely €40 and no more. If you have problems, ostentatiously write down the taxi's license number (check this is displayed in the cab when you get on board), and ask for a receipt. Call 060606 to report any problems.

Diane hit it all. Folow her lead and have a great time!

You talked about "We" but didn't mention how many people that would be. For two people taking the Leonardo Express and then a cab from Termini to your hotel would be about 30 Euro vs 40 Euro with a taxi. If you're 3 the cost is pretty much the same but the taxi will be quicker.

As a family/group I'd also consider a shuttle service that will pick you up right inside the airport terminal and take you to your hotel in a Mercedes sedan for the price of a taxi (up to 3 or 4 people) or if your group is larger they have a Mercedes van that will be quite a bit cheaper than taking two taxis or even the train.

We used this service and were very happy:

http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com

On previous trips to Rome we took the train to Termini and then taxi to hotel. But on a recent trip (May) we were approached by shuttle drivers and knew very little about them. The first one offered us a 45 euro ride to our hotel. We turned that one down and another driver (who did not have a scruffy appearance) offered us a ride for 30 euros(for the two of us) and we happily accepted--there were five of us total in a very spacious late model van and we were driven right to our hotel door--very nice when you are jetlagged and not thrilled at the idea of schlepping luggage. So you might consider this at FCO.

A cab from FCO to the center of Rome is 40 euros for up to 4 people and luggage. Be sure to agree on that price beforehand. We decided that in our jetlagged state we would enjoy being met by a private car. I contacted Rome Cabs by e-mail and for 50 euros we were met by a driver inside the airport and taken in an air-conditioned Mercedes directly to our hotel. The driver even took our bags into the lobby for us. It was worth the 10 euros extra. The agreement was detailed in an e-mail before we left, even including a phone number to call in case there was a problem. You can google Romecabs. Great company.

I made a reservation for September with RomeCabs and received an email confirmation the same day. Great Reviews. Here's the website. http://www.romecabs.com/

Thanks, all!

I also made a reservation for September with RomeCabs & immediately got a confirmation. I have heard wonderful things about RomeCabs (from another travel site) and for only a few dollars more than what a cab would cost, someone from RomeCabs will stand outside the baggage claim area holding a sign with my name on it. I like the idea of not having to decipher an "official" cab from an unofficial one & having to make sure whether they'll charge me the 40 euro or not, etc., especially since I'll probably be very tired when I arrive. RomeCabs will be there whether your flight is late or early; they monitor your flight arrival time.

If you are flying in/out of Rome, check out http://www.airportshuttle.it/ - they have the best rates for door to door airport shuttle service and is often times cheaper than the cost of cab + train and less of a hassle if you have luggage (which of course you will!). You can book online or just call them a day or two ahead of time. I think it's $25 euro for the first person and something like $6 euro for each additional passenger. We didn't find out about this until after we were in Rome but we used it on the way out of Rome and it worked out beautifully. We did share our shuttle with one other family but it was door to terminal service and saved us money and the hassle of cab to the train station then train.