We need to catch a Ryanair flight out of Ciampini Airport around 9:00 AM. Being as I'm frugal, I'm thinking the Ciampini Airlink would be my best bet, taking the train from Roma Termini to Ciampini Train station, and then connecting on to the bus to the airport. Alternatively, there is a RomeAirport Bus. Are there any other options I should consider for this early maneuver?
Thanks
Warren, the airport you'll be flying from is Ciampino.
I note the spelling only because it helps to get it right if googling around for information. :O)
Airlink looks like an economical plan. Looking at schedules for a random date (Sun, Aug. 7), I see that the early-morning combined journey of train + bus takes a little over 30 minutes. The first train departs at 6:21 on that Sunday, There are 2 earlier departures during weekdays (05:42 and 05:49) and journey times for those range from 36 minutes to 44 minutes, depending on what train your take. Tickets cost € 2.70.
You can purchase your tickets at Termini or pre-purchase them on the Trenitalia website. I would assume that if you buy a digital ticket through the app that you'll need to check in per this process before boarding, as is now customary on regionale trains.
https://www.trenitalia.com/en/purchase/digital-regional-ticket.html
If you purchase a paper ticket at Termini, you just validate it manually in one of the time-stamping machines before boarding.
But they're listing the prices for Terravision (Roma Termini to airport) bus tickets as € 6.00 and same for SIT buses. That's really inexpensive for a comfortable coach bus (we've taken airport buses in Rome and Milan) no transfer from train to bus, and no checking-in process other than your ticket may need manual validation when you board the bus. Skipping that transfer plus easy check-in would be worth the extra € 3.30 to me. Your larger luggage (if you have any) also goes under the bus so you don't have to keep eyes/hands on it on the train...which could be standing room only as regionales don't have seat assignments.
https://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en/pax-cia-bus
I haven't looked at all of the journey times for SIT (they don't make as many runs) but the Terravision buses look to cover ground in about 40-45 minutes.
One more note: there are very few reviews of Airlink on the net but I have seen a couple and both give the time between Termini and airport as more realistically 1 hour versus 30-45 minutes. Here's one of them (I've referenced this local woman's blog a number of times.)
Regarding bus service from Termini, any sort vehicle transport anywhere at all can be delayed by accidents or other snags but I think chances would be fewer than more for this journey, and Ciampino is closer to Rome center than Fiumicino.
We did this in reverse, and the bus was easy, cheap and convenient. In general, I always go with the fewest transfers.
