The Train Station at the Rome Airport (FCO)

(UPDATED January 2012)

I’ve replied to many questions regarding the Train Station at the Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, also known as Fiumicino (FCO). The FCO Airport train station is easy to find and very convenient for arriving and departing passengers. You can get ALL your tickets for train journeys throughout Italy, helping you to avoid the long lines at the Roma Termini Station if you’re making a train connection.

There is a full-service Trenitalia counter in the FCO train station. Here you can purchase tickets, talking directly with a Trenitalia representative. Or you can use one of the self-service kiosks in the station. For more help on purchasing a ticket at these kiosks, see Buying Train Tickets Using A Kiosks. You can get your Arriving at the Leonardo Da Vinci Airport from the USA tickets, your FR1 Metropolitan Train tickets, or even those AV train tickets to Venice here in the Train Station at the FCO airport.

In the above map, the yellow and blue arrow on the left side of the photo is pointing to the FCO train station. You can see that the train station is across the main street from Terminal 3, the primary Terminal at FCO.

How to Get to the FCO Train Station

For flights arriving from the USA, you’ll deplane, clear passport control, pick up your baggage, walk past Customs, and eventually exit out a set of frosted doors. For a complete “walk-through” of the T3 Arrivals area, see this post.

Currently, all non-Schengen or international flights – which includes those from the USA – are exiting through the secure, T3 Airside Arrivals Area and into the public, T3 Landside Arrivals Area.

All the people you see in this photo are waiting for arriving friends, family, and clients in the public, T3 Landside Arrivals Area. To get to the FCO train station you can stay on this lower level and travel through the underground passageways or you can ascend to the top level of the Terminal via elevators and use the overhead walkways. We’ll talk about both options.

Traveling Via the Underground Passageways

To travel using the underground passageways, you will stay in this level. After getting your luggage, passing customs, and exiting through the sliding glass frosted doors, immediately TURN RIGHT!

You’ll see a hallway on your right that looks just like the second picture above! The top picture of is a close-up of the hallway Directional Sign and you can clearly see the “Train” signs that tell you to head down this hallway. Note – you would have to be a world-class sprinter to make the bus station from this location in three minutes. Those times, and the other estimated times you’ll see throughout the Arrivals area, are quite optimistic. At the bus depot you could catch the Terravision Bus or the SITBus Shuttle into town. Let’s continue to the FCO Train station.

You’ll proceed down this hallway, passing the Commune di Rome desk (where you could get your Roma Pass), and walk about 150 meters. You’ll then see a sign similar to the top photo above, telling you to head down this escalator to get to the train station. Yes, you have to go DOWN to get UP to the train station! The escalator takes you down under the road and back up the other side.

The escalator is marked in the second picture by the yellow circle. You may also find other folks here. Notice the gentleman circled in green. He is standing at this location trying to solicit people who need a ride into town. He looks pretty official with a badge, credentials, etc… Nope, he is NOT. He’s telling the young couple with the backpacks – who’ve turned to speak with him – “Why ride the train. I can get you a “private” taxi and get you into Rome very quickly!”

Don’t even slow down for these guys. If you want to ride in a taxi, head for the TAXI queue almost STRAIGHT OUT from where you exited those frosted doors, about 150 yards back from where you’re standing now. These guys are NOT working with an Official Rome taxi and you’ll easily pay 1.5 – 2 times the normal taxi rate to get into town. So again, don’t stop – just get on the escalator and head down towards the train station!

You’ll take the down escalator, go under the road, and then take a few UP escalators all the way to the top level.

Once at the top, you’ll go straight towards the wall in front of you and TURN RIGHT.
Now you’re entering the train station. Perhaps a 8-10 minute walk from those frosted doors.

Traveling Via the Overhead Walkways

If you have a bunch of luggage stacked on a cart or you DO NOT want to try and negotiate the escalators… then use the large elevators in the T3 Arrivals area, and proceed through the overhead walkways to the FCO train station.

To use this path, when you exit out of the frosted doors into the non-secured area, TURN LEFT. On the far, far left side – to the left of the cafe’ – you will see elevators. Ride the elevator to Level 2 – that’s the HIGHEST level you can go to… so hit the top button. Once on Level 2, you can walk through the overhead walkways to the FCO train station!

You can see the overhead, enclosed walkways connecting to the train station from different directions. The second photo is a side-view of one of the overhead walkways from near Terminal 1, crossing over the Departures Road. In the background of the bottom photo you can see the overhead walkway to the FCO train station as shown in Photo 1. This can give you an idea of the distance from T1 to the far end of T3. It’s probably about a 6-8 minute walk. Again, if you’re at the T3 Arrivals level, you are one level BELOW the streets where these pictures where taken.

In this photo, this is the view after you have got off the elevator on Level 2 and head to the left. Here you see the overhead walkway with the moving sidewalks. You would cross this and then turn right at the crossroads of the next walkway to get to the train station.

Inside the FCO Train Station

As you enter the train station, you’ll see to your left, three sets of tracks (second photo). The ticket centers are left, right, and straight ahead. For the Trenitalia desk, TURN RIGHT when you enter this area… it will be across the train plaza. The bottom photo is of the Trenitalia Ticket center in the train station plaza.

When you enter, you’ll see the Travel Agency (365 – Travel & Leisure) pictured on your left. They are also located in the Roma Termini Station. On short trips their prices are usually the same as Trenitalia. I’ve always gone directly to the source (Trenitalia) or to a kiosk. But if the lines were really long at my primary choices…..

… We’ve bought Metro Passes and Leonardo Express tickets from this “Tabacchi” shop. As you can see from their “crawling sign,” they do sell tickets to Termini.

And your last option, in the center of the train station plaza are these self-service kiosks. (Note, they have even a newer, more modern version for purchasing ONLY the Leonardo Express and FM1 tickets. These are currently located on the right side of the platforms as you face the tracks).

This kiosk picture above gives you a great “long shot” of the Train Station at FCO. In this picture you are FACING the three tracks. They are in the distance under the canopy and the “yellow poles” at ceiling level. The Trenitalia ticket desk would be to your immediate right in this shot. You can see the small newstand pictured above in the right-side background of this shot – under the “T” for Tabacchi sign. And as you can see on your left, there’s the other agency you can use to buy tickets. So this train station is not very big… Once you get here, it’s easy to assess your ticket options.

Above, we are walking from the kiosk and the Trenitalia counter towards the train tracks….Most of the time the Leonardo Express arrives on Track 2 – the center track.

Here’s are two photos of the validation boxes at FCO. All the trains leaving this station are Regionale or local trains. Thus, there is open seating and you MUST validate your train ticket before getting on ANY train leaving the FCO train station. They’ve just placed new stickers on these validation machines at the FCO train station that – IN ENGLISH – saying you can be fined €100 if you fail to validate your ticket. I have my ticket checked perhaps 30-40% of the time I ride the train to FCO, but failture to have a ticket – or to validate your ticket – will result in a hefty fine… especially for visitors. So, DON”T FORGET TO VALIDATE!

Lastly, you arrive at the Tracks, validated ticket in-hand to get on your train. Here, we are getting on the Leonardo Express – which is parked in the center track. Riding the train in from the FCO Train Station is really that simple!

Connections

If you are making connections at Roma Termini, and you buy ALL your tickets here – be it at a counter or at a kiosk – make sure to allot yourself enough time to get from the train you’re leaving the Airport on… to your connecting train! The Leonardo Express “usually” arrives at Track 24. I’d give myself at least 20-30 minutes MINIMUM on any connection. These links, Arriving by Train – Roma Termini and Train Connections in 10 Minutes or Less may help you.

Enjoy the trip – Follow these guidelines and you’ll be a “train veteran” before you get to Rome!

Videos at the FCO Train Station

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