Italy · FCO
Flights to Rome
A compact, walkable centre and a summer worth avoiding
Rome's historic centre is smaller than most first-time visitors expect, which is good news: much of what you have come to see is within walking distance of itself. The planning problems are heat and queues, and both are seasonal.
The city's biggest attractions now run on timed entry, so the difference between a good trip and a frustrating one is often decided weeks before you fly rather than on the day.
Getting to Rome
Airports
Fiumicino (FCO), also called Leonardo da Vinci, takes essentially all long-haul arrivals. Ciampino (CIA) is smaller and mostly serves low-cost European routes.
Flight time
Around 8 to 9 hours non-stop from New York, roughly 10 from Chicago, and about 12 to 13 from the West Coast, usually with a connection.
Into the city
The Leonardo Express runs from Fiumicino to Termini station in about 32 minutes. Regional trains are cheaper and slower, and licensed taxis charge a fixed fare into the historic centre, which is worth knowing before anyone quotes you otherwise.
When to go
Demand rather than price is described here on purpose. Any fare we show you comes from a live search on your own dates, so a fixed figure on this page would be out of date before you read it.
Busiest and hottest
June to August
Very hot, very crowded, and the queues at the major sites are at their worst. August adds local closures as residents leave.
Best balance
April to May, September to October
Warm without being punishing, longer daylight than winter, and manageable crowds. This is when to go if you have the choice.
Quietest
November to February
Cool and occasionally wet, with the cheapest fares and the shortest queues. Easter is a notable exception and books heavily.
Good to know
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Language
- Italian
- Time zone
- Central European Time
- Power
- Type F and L plugs, 230V
- Entry for US passports
- Visa-free for short Schengen stays, up to 90 days in any 180. New EU border systems are being introduced, so verify the current rules before you fly.
Entry requirements change and we are not an immigration authority. Always confirm the current rules for your nationality with the relevant government before you book or travel.
Worth sorting before you fly
Book the Colosseum and Vatican before you fly
Both use timed entry and both sell out in peak months. Arriving without a slot means either a long queue or missing the site entirely.
Religious sites have a dress code
St Peter's and many churches require covered shoulders and knees, and it is enforced at the door. Carrying a light layer in summer saves a wasted trip across the city.
Stay central and walk
The centre is compact enough that a well-placed hotel removes most transport from the trip. Cheaper rooms further out trade that away for daily journeys.
Consider pairing it with a train trip
Florence, Naples and Venice are all reachable by fast train in a few hours, which often makes more sense than a second flight.
Other destinations
FAQ
Rome — common questions
Airports, timing, and when it is worth talking to an agent.
How many days do you need in Rome?
Three full days covers the headline sights without rushing: one for ancient Rome, one for the Vatican, and one for the centre and whatever you have decided matters to you. Four or five lets you add a day trip or simply move at a civilised pace. Two is possible but you will spend it queuing and walking rather than looking.
When are flights to Rome cheapest?
The winter months outside Christmas and Easter are consistently the quietest, with early November and late January the softest. We deliberately avoid printing fare figures, because transatlantic pricing to Italy moves week to week and a fixed number would be misleading — the search here prices your own dates.
Is it better to fly into Rome or Milan for a trip to Italy?
It depends where you are actually going, and this is a genuinely common thing to get wrong. Milan is often cheaper to reach and is the better gateway for the north and the lakes; Rome is the better base for the centre and the south. For a multi-city trip, flying into one and out of the other is frequently cheaper than a return to either, and it saves backtracking. That comparison is worth doing before you commit.
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