FCO Rome Airport to Naples - Connecting trains

It is too early to book any train in September.

This topic has been covered many many times and recently. If you search this forum you will find all the advice/suggestions.
Here is one
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/fco-to-naples-by-train

Are you looking on the official train sites?
https://www.trenitalia.com/content/tcom/en.html
or
https://www.italotreno.it/en

It is best to wait til you arrive- flight delays, passport control, luggage etc all make it impossible to know which train you can actually make.

The Leonardo Express goes to Termini and runs every 30 min- no need to book in advance- price is always the same.
I believe the regional train from FCO only goes to Tiburtina.

From Termini take a fast train to Napoli Centrale- your choice Trenitalia or ItaloTreno. Both have easy to use apps

Get the app and book those tickets once you have cleared immigration. Anything else you take the risk of missing your train and wasting your money.

Thank you for this information. We intend to use the fast train but I've been reading the fast trains sell out well in advance. I checked our date and preferred time on Trenitalia and all the Economy and Classes below it are completely sold out. Perhaps this is just a fluke or maybe the Base fairs don't sell out?

Fast trains do not sell out well in advance, discounted tickets sell out because they are capacity controlled. Economy and SuperEconomy are discounted fares, not classes. Base is the name of the walk-up fare. Discounted high speed trains tickets can't be refunded, so getting tickets in advance after a flight you run the risk of wasting your money.

Trenitalia may not offer discounted tickets months in advance, especially for trains running in September when Italo has opened its sales only up to August 6.

The 2 more distant tracks at Roma Termini are 200 meters away. The Leonardo Express is a Trenitalia train, When you buy a through ticket with Trenitalia the connections are always protected. If you miss the Naples train because the Leonardo Express is late you can get a new ticket for free at the counter.

What date in September?

....but I've been reading the fast trains sell out well in advance. ..... Don't know where or what you are reading but it is wrong. The reverse is true -- trains rarely sell out even fast one. And trains are frequent. And sometimes the fast train is not your best choice. Most of the Italian trains are pretty cheap even without the discounts so, in your situation, I would not purchase a discount ticket or any ticket in advance since that ticket is restricted to that date and TIME. If you miss, you need a new ticket. Only a Base ticket allows for limited change in time.

Book you tickets either at the airport or Termini.

Thanks for explaining about the train systems.

What I mean by the 2 options is that there is a ticket available which is FCO-Termini-Naples (FR 9423/FR 9587), or, alternatively take the Leonardo Express anytime to Termini and catch the FR 9587 at Termini. I’m not sure if there are pros and cons to either.

It’s on September 3.

In the event that your flight is delayed, I don’t recommend buying your ticket in advance. Once you land and clear customs, just follow the yellow signs to the train and buy the next ticket available. Termini is a nice stop to grab a sandwich and then get on your next train. It’s all pretty intuitive once you’re on the ground. Enjoy!

Thank you Frank. I must have read the wrong posts or misunderstood them. The important thing is that I'm able to catch a train within a reasonable time slot after landing without purchasing in advance and I'm okay paying the base fare.

Thank you, April! Feeling less stressed already!

Pretty sure that 9423 train is the Leonardo Express.

You don’t need to buy LE tickets in advance. It runs every 32 minutes and can’t sell out.
Here is the schedule:

https://www.rome-airport.info/leonardo-express.html

You should wait til you arrive to buy your Roma Termini to Napoli Centrale trip.
Get the Trenitalia app. There is free wifi in FCO.

Buy your LE tickets on the app or at a kiosk.
Just follow the signs. It’s easy.

The LE takes 32 min. Don't book a fast train til you can determine what time you'll get to Termini.
Give yourself 30 min between trains, grab a snack if time

There are fast trains from Termini to Napoli Centrale at
12:50, 12:55, 13:00, 13:53, 14:00, 14:38…

You will have to pay the Base Price.

With luck you’ll make the 13:53 train and if not- next train-1 hr 15 min til you're in Naples
Make a note of the train times- recheck closer to your trip.

Awesome, Christine, thanks for your help!

Be sure to validate your train ticket or risk a healthy fine on the spot..

Thanks for the reminder!

Only need to validate Regionale tickets and the Leonard Express.

If you have extra time at Termini and are interested in something other than a sandwich, you can check out the Mercato Centrale under the same roof (on the south side of the station, which as I recall is the side where the Leonardo Express usually arrives). It has a variety of food options. However, you should expect it to be crowded, and no one will be masked, so you have to be prepared to assume that risk on the first day of your trip.

The set up at Termini is a bit unusual. It's a dead-end station, but you can't just walk straight to your platform. There's a barrier right in front of where the tracks terminate. It has multiple exits but just one entry point, right around the middle (Tracks 12-13, I'd guess). You may have to do more walking than expected to reach the platform used by the Naples train, so don't cut it too close on your timing.

Thank you all for the great tips!