The airport-to-city transfer is your first impression of Italy — and it's where tourists most often get overcharged, confused, or stranded. Every Italian airport has multiple transfer options (train, bus, taxi, private car) at wildly different prices, and choosing the wrong one can cost €50+ more than necessary. This guide covers the 8 major tourist airports with exact routes, times, and 2026 prices.
Plan your arrival →Leonardo Express train (BEST for most): Non-stop to Roma Termini. 32min. €14. Every 15min, 6:23am-11:23pm. Buy at the station or Trenitalia app. Regional train FL1: To Trastevere/Ostiense/Tiburtina stations (NOT Termini). 30-45min. €8. Useful if your hotel is in Trastevere. Bus (Terravision/SIT): To Termini. 50-70min (traffic dependent). €6-7. Budget option but slower. Taxi: Fixed rate €50 to anywhere within the Aurelian Walls (covers most of central Rome). Agree on the fixed rate BEFORE entering. Taxi guide → Private car/NCC: €50-70 (pre-book via Welcome Pickups, Blacklane, or local NCC). Driver meets you at arrivals with your name. Worth it for groups or late arrivals.
Malpensa Express train: To Milano Centrale (51min, €13) or Milano Cadorna (36min, €13). Every 30min. The fastest and most reliable option. Bus (Terravision/Malpensa Shuttle): To Milano Centrale. 50-70min. €8-10. Taxi: Fixed rate €95 to city center. Expensive but convenient for groups. Milan Linate (LIN): Much closer — bus 73 to central Milan (25min, €2), or taxi €30-40 (metered).
Alilaguna water bus: Directly into Venice by water — to San Marco (Blue line, 90min, €15), Murano (Red line), or other stops. Scenic but slow. ATVO/ACTV bus: To Piazzale Roma (Venice's "car park" entrance). 20min. €8-10. Then vaporetto into Venice. Water taxi: Private boat directly to your hotel's nearest water landing. 30min. €110-130. Luxury but spectacular — arriving in Venice by water taxi is cinematic. Land taxi: To Piazzale Roma. €40-45. Then vaporetto.
Florence (FLR, Peretola): Tramvia T2 to Santa Maria Novella station (city center). 20min. €1.70. The BEST airport-to-city connection in Italy — cheap, fast, frequent. Also: taxi €22-25 (fixed rate). Naples (NAP, Capodichino): Alibus to Stazione Centrale/Porto. 20min. €5. Also: taxi €19-23 (zone-based fixed rates — insist on tariffa predeterminata). Catania (CTA, Fontanarossa): AMT Alibus to central Catania. 20min. €4. Also: taxi ~€25. Pisa (PSA, Galileo Galilei): PisaMover automated train to Pisa Centrale station. 5min. €5. Then train to Florence (1h, €9). The cheapest gateway to Tuscany. Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY): Budget airline hub for Milan. Terravision/Orio Shuttle bus to Milano Centrale. 50-60min. €5-7. Also: train (Orio shuttle to Bergamo station, 10min, then train to Milan, 50min).
Buy train/bus tickets BEFORE exiting the arrivals hall — machines and desks are inside arrivals. Don't walk outside and get approached by unlicensed drivers. Validate tickets: If you have a paper bus/train ticket, stamp it in the machine before boarding. Late night arrivals (after midnight): Trains and buses often stop running 11pm-12am. Taxi or pre-booked private car are your options. Budget for this when booking late flights. Luggage: Trains have luggage racks. Buses have luggage compartments. Water taxis/buses in Venice: your bags travel with you (can be awkward with large suitcases on crowded vaporetti — consider a water taxi if you have heavy luggage). Transport → · Train passes → · First-timer tips →