train connection from Rome to Florence

The easiest way to do this is take the train from the FCO airport called the Leonardo Express to Rome Termini - which the big train station in Rome. This will take about 30 minutes.

At Rome Termini buy a ticket for the next fast train from Rome to Florence Santa Maria Novella (SMN) on either Trenitalia or .Italo - whichever is going next. Between the 2 companies there are 4-6 trains an hour so there will be no problem getting an appropriate train. The train takes about 1.5 hours.

If you actually need to meet them at the airport. In Florence you will need to leave the train station and get the T2 tram or a taxi to the airport. The tram is just outside and costs about 2e. The taxi will be more expensive but depending on how much luggage you have it may be worth the cost.

All of these steps are straightforward and you will spend about 2.5 hours in transit so you do not need to rush through this. If you actually need to meet them at the airport you will probably have a couple of hours in Florence to stop and get something to eat before you are ready to meet them. If you are all returning to Florence you might consider checking into your hotel or at least stashing your luggage before heading to the airport.

This is completely doable even with a late plane or other potential issues.

=Tod

This is doable, but six hours is enough only if your United flight is reasonably close to on time. Florence Airport doesn’t have a regular train station, so when searching for tickets, use Firenze Santa Maria Novella, usually listed as Firenze S. M. Novella or Firenze SMN.

First, check Trenitalia for a direct Frecciarossa from Fiumicino Aeroporto to Firenze SMN. There are a few direct trains, and if one lines up with your arrival, that is by far the easiest option.

Otherwise, the normal route is:

1. Follow the signs to the train station inside Fiumicino Airport and take the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini. It’s nonstop, takes 32 minutes, and usually runs every 15 minutes.

2. At Roma Termini, take a Frecciarossa or Italo high-speed train to Firenze Santa Maria Novella. The fastest trains take about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Either company is fine, so choose the departure that works best. Give yourself at least 15 minutes to change trains at Termini because the Leonardo Express platforms are a bit of a walk from the main high-speed platforms.

Once you are actually at the Fiumicino train station, the whole trip should take around three hours, including the connections. The bigger issue is how long it takes to get out of the airport. Since you are arriving from the US, you’ll need to deplane, go through passport control, collect any checked luggage, and walk to the station. That could take an hour, but it could easily take longer if immigration is backed up.

Realistically, I would allow four to five hours from landing at Fiumicino to arriving at Florence Airport. So if your flight lands on time, you will probably make it with some room to spare. If it lands an hour late, or passport control is unusually slow, it could get tight. If your group is simply meeting you there and can wait a little, I wouldn’t be too worried. If their bus or tour leaves exactly six hours after your scheduled arrival, I would arrange a backup plan.

Also, make sure you select Firenze Santa Maria Novella, not Campo di Marte or Rifredi. If your group is only meeting at Florence Airport because that’s where their bus is picking them up, ask whether they could pick you up at Santa Maria Novella instead. That would save you another half hour and make the connection much less stressful.

Not to state the obvious but to limit your stress I would be sure you have a way to communicate prepared before you land separately.

The train stations will have WiFi and if you have purchased an eSim or are using an international cell plan you should be able to message almost immediately after you land. Have chosen app - something WhatsApp or Signal that can use WiFi is best - so you can stay in touch and communicate once they land.

Chances are you will be ahead of them, but if you are in Florence and they are coming in from the airport you can coordinate a meeting place in Florence rather than just having them sit and wait for you when they could come meet you.

Good luck,
=Tod

Thank you all for your help. I appreciate the support.

I'm afraid I've got bad news, there are no direct trains from Fiumicino airport to Florence. I think the last time they tried to push a direct, expensive, service was before Covid.

There are two trains that depart from the airport's station: the Leonardo Express, the no-stop service to Roma Termini station, and the FL1 that stops at Roma Tiburtina station and at many secondary stations in and around Rome. Here's a pic of both trains at the airport: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/66d038728d5dca2b3cc7fb28/fc81f8af-6ff7-41e2-ae2d-a4f88f76cfa8/processed_20250718_105235.jpg?format=2500w The Leo Express is more expensive, if you take the wrong train you'll be fined on the spot.

Sometimes the fastest route from FCO to Florence is not via Roma Termini but via Roma Tiburtina, where all high speed trains going north stop.