How to get from Florence to Rome

Why visit Rome?

Rome is Italy’s capital, a perfect mix of history, culture, and vibrant street life. It’s a beauty in ruins. With the Colosseum and the Pantheon still standing proud, it is easy to understand why Rome was once one of the world’s most powerful empires.

At its heart is a world of its own — Vatican City — which yearly draws millions of believers and non-believers alike. The jaw-dropping architecture and art in St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums are not to be missed! Truly, a visit to Rome will take you back in time.

There are 3 ways to travel the 275 kilometers (171 miles) from Florence to Rome. You can choose between the bus, train and flight. The journey takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 4 hours and the quickest way is by train. If you're on a budget, the cheapest option is by bus with tickets starting at €7 ($8).

If you’re looking for the cheapest option, then the bus is a really good choice. It’s less than half the price of a regionale train and also a bit faster.

The only catch is that bus stations for both Florence and Rome are located outside the city centres. This means that you’ll have to spend extra time and costs on transfers to and from the bus stations. That will make the travel time a bit longer, but still cheaper than any of the trains.

Itabus and FlixBus are the main bus operators for the Florence to Rome route. Rates start from €7 ($8) for a bus ride to Rome that takes around 3 to 4 hours.

The most convenient option when travelling from Florence to Rome is the train. One advantage is that both stations are located in the city centres. Aside from the trains being spacious and comfortable too, they are not dependent on traffic conditions.

You also have 2 types of trains to choose from for this route, all with multiple departures daily.

Regionale trains

Regionale trains are the cheapest and slowest trains available. If you’re not in a hurry, we don’t think it’s a bad idea to spend around 4 hours on this scenic journey, especially when a ticket costs only €22 ($25). Note that there are only 9 departures a day for this train.

High-speed trains

You can also choose high-speed trains like NVT, Italo, and Frecciarossa. Travel time is only 1.5 hours, but tickets are more expensive with rates from €35 ($40). These trains have several hourly departures from morning to night, so you can be more flexible with your schedule.

We don’t think taking a flight from Florence to Rome offers much advantage over the other options. With combined rates from €90 ($100), the flight is the most expensive choice.

Although the flight itself takes only 55 minutes, you’ll have to add the travel time to and from the airports plus the required waiting time for your flight. That would be at least 3 hours. The high-speed trains are much faster and cheaper.

Keep in mind too that, unlike the other options, flights are only available from April to October.

Do you still want to take a flight? Read on for a detailed guide.

TIP: If you decide to travel by plane, please consider including a carbon compensation fee to reduce your impact on the environment.

Florence Airport is located about 7 km west of the city centre. The most convenient way to get here is by tram.

To get to Peretola Airport, you can board Tram Line 2 from Unita Station, which is within walking distance from Santa Maria Novella Basilica. Trams are available every 11 minutes from 05:00 to 00:30. A ticket costs €1.60 ($1.80) for the trip that takes around 20 minutes.

Other options from the city centre to Florence Airport include a 25-minute shuttle bus that costs €6 ($6.80) and a 20-minute taxi with rates from €25 ($28).

ITA Airways operates 2 daily flights from Florence to Rome between April and October. The journey takes 55 minutes and ticket prices start from €82 ($93).

Flights arrive at Fiumicino Airport, which is situated 30 km southwest of Rome city centre.

From Fiumicino Airport, you can take a bus, a train, or a taxi to get to Rome city centre. We recommend taking the bus if you’re on a budget and are not in too much of a hurry.

Several shuttle bus companies operate on this route. Sitbus offers hourly trips from early morning to night for only €6 ($6.80) per ticket. You can expect to arrive at Roma Termini after around 50 minutes. From here, you can either walk to your hotel or take a short taxi ride.

Alternatively, you can either take a 30-minute train that costs €14 ($15.90) or a 40-minute taxi with rates from €48 ($55) from Fiumicino Airport to the city centre.