Rome Airport Taxi | Online Booking (2023)

Top Tips For Using Taxis To And From Rome’s Airports

Rome is one of the most popular cities for tourists to visit in Italy, as they’re attracted by its rich history and still-standing iconic landmarks including St. Peter’s Basilica, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. And while they’re in the city they also get to enjoy the famous pasta for which Italy is rightly known, all in a place with a great year-round climate.

Getting to and from Rome is simple no matter where in the world you are located, because there are connections across Europe and beyond that fly in and out of Rome airport –Fiumicino International Airport “Leonardo da Vinci” (more commonly referred to simply as Fiumicino Airport). The airport is located about 32 kilometers, or almost 20 miles, from the city center. There are also flights to and from Rome-Ciampino International Airport “G. B. Pastine” (known as Ciampino Airport), which is about 15 kilometers, or just over 9 miles from Rome.

If you’re not planning on taking public transport or hiring a car to get from either airport to the city itself, then you’ll be riding in a Rome airport taxi. But it’s not just a simple case of following the signs at the airport for the taxi queue and getting the next available car. There are several important tips that you need to know in advance before catching a taxi to or from the airports.

The guide below details important things to consider when you’re using this mode of transport, and will help you avoid falling victim to popular scams that typically end up with passengers paying fare more than they should. Study the tips below before your travel, and you can rest assured that this part of your holiday won’t cause you any unnecessary stress.

Know the flat fare between Rome’s airports and the city center

Rome Airport Taxis that serve the two airports are required to charge you a flat fixed rate if your journey is from the airport to a location that is inside the boundaries of the Aurelian Walls, which are the centuries-old walls that delineate the perimeter of the city of Rome. Similarly, if you head to the airport from a destination inside the Aurelian Walls the rate should be a fixed charge.

Make sure you research the location of your hotel, rented home or other destination in Rome to determine whether it is insider the Aurelian Walls. Knowing this information will be crucial in telling the driver that you expect to only pay the flat fare for your journey. The fixed rate to and from Fiumicino Airport is €50 and for Ciampino Airport it is slightly cheaper at €30.

Fixed fares (each way)

* Fixed prices is subject to change without notice. 

Finding Rome Airport taxis at either airport and identifying legitimate drivers

Once you land at the airport and have your luggage, you should look for signs that point the direction of where the taxis are waiting. These are the only official locations for taxis at either airport, and you should never take a ride from someone that approaches you. Unlicensed drivers hang out in the arrivals area and try to persuade unsuspecting tourists to ride with them by promising a quicker journey at a lower price than the regular taxis. But these drivers inevitably end up charging far more than an official taxi would cost. And by riding in an unlicensed car you’re also likely going to without insurance if you get into an accident.

Instead, join the queue of passengers at the official taxi rank at either airport. You will be able to recognize the fleet of taxis because they are all colored white, and on the side of the cars you should be able to see a logo that includes the words “Comune di Roma.”

Consider withdrawing some Euros before getting your Rome Airport taxi

By law, all taxis that operate in Rome and serve the airports must have machines that enable you to pay by credit card — although the exception to this rule is American Express, a card that is not in widespread use in the country as it imposes large transactions costs on drivers so they sometimes can end up losing money on a trip depending on the fee.

To avoid any risk of electronic fraud, it’s recommended that instead of paying by credit card you should simply withdraw some Euro bank notes (either in your country at a currency exchange bureau, or from an ATM at either airport) and pay with that instead. This allows you to count the money you give the money, and the money you get back, to avoid being short-changed.

However, if you are adamant about wanting to pay by credit card you might hear the driver tell you that his machine is broken. Don’t listen to this, because it’s a scam to try making you pay in cash so that the driver can avoid the credit card processing fees. Tell the driver you know the law says they must have a working card reader, and it will likely suddenly be working again.

Write down the driver’s details if you need to make a complaint

Some of Rome’s taxi drivers, whether it’s fair or not, have a reputation for not being good drivers and for speeding and being aggressive on the road. If you feel that your driver rode in an unsafe manner, you have the right to report them to Rome’s transport department.

In addition, if you feel that your driver has overcharged you and they are refusing to charge you the correct fare, you can also threaten to report them to the same division.

In the unlikely but possible event that you do want to file a formal written complaint, there are some important details you need to write down. Each Rome airport taxi will have a numbered license at the rear of the vehicle, and this license — along with the driver’s name — should also be posted somewhere inside the car and typically on one of the doors. These two pieces of information are all you need to pursue an official complaint against a driver.

Tipping drivers is not mandatory, but it is also not prohibited

Thankfully many taxi drivers in Rome are very reputable and you are likely to be driven at a fair rate and with adherence to the rules of the road. If you come from a country where tipping is part of regular custom then you might think to give your driver some extra cash. The main thing to know in Rome is that tipping is not required at all, although it’s also not frowned upon.

If you don’t want to tip anything that is entirely acceptable and the driver will not be upset by this. Should you want to tip then a good rule for doing so is to give the driver about one Euro more than the total fare, they don’t expect anything more than that.

The only exception to this rule is if the driver goes above and beyond to help you out with something, for example if they assist you with many heavy bags or do something else beyond the minimal expected level of service. In this instance you might want to reward their extra work by tipping at least a few Euros, but probably no more than €5 to €10.

Avoid being charged too much by unscrupulous drivers

Unfortunately there are some drivers who will try to make extra money off unsuspecting tourists, and they have tricks that include charging you more than the set rate for luggage, or turning off the meter for destinations outside the Aurelian Walls and over-charging you.

Thankfully it’s easy to counteract these scams. Know before flying that the rate for luggage is about €1 per item, so don’t get overcharged even if you have many bags.

And if your destination is not within the Aurelian Walls and therefore not covered by a flat fare, insist that the driver uses the meter for the journey and takes the most direct route. If they driver claims their meter is broken simply inform them that you intend to file a complaint about this, and again you’ll find that it miraculously is working again. Similarly, it’s a good idea to have a print-out of the most direct route from the airport to your destination. You can use this to insist that the driver follows this route and doesn’t take the long way to increase the meter fee.

How to get a taxi from Rome back to one of the airports

At the end of your holiday in Rome you will need to get back to whichever of the two airports you are flying out of, and so you’ll need to know how to get a taxi for that return journey.

If you’re staying a hotel then you simply ask someone on reception or at the concierge desk to make a telephone call to a taxi company and they will dispatch someone to get you. The waiting time is not very long at all, and you can expect to be picked up on average from 5 to 10 minutes after making a call to a taxi company. If you’re staying at a rented house or similar location you can call the taxi firms yourself and expect the same kind of waiting time.

Alternatively, use the internet or your phone’s location apps to find out where the nearest official taxi rank is located in terms of distance from where you’re staying. If it’s a very short walk then you can simply take your luggage to the taxi rank and wait for one to appear. There are taxi ranks throughout the city and they usually have at least one car waiting.

Private car service

Similar to a taxi, a private car service will give you a dedicated driver that will meet you once you have your luggage and drive you to Rome for a flat fare. These cars tend to be of higher quality, including limousines and sedans, but they will be more expensive than a regular taxi and you can expect to pay much more than the taxi flat fare of €50 to the city center.

However, a benefit of these private car services is that they can be booked in advance. So if convenience is more important to you and expense is not an issue, this can be a good selection. To arrange for a private car service, research online to find companies that operate at the airport.

Rome Airport Taxi FAQ