Rome airports accessibility

Rome is served by two international airports, both operated by Aeroporti di Roma (ADR). Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino (IATA: FCO) sits about 32 km west of the city centre on the coast and handles almost every long-haul flight plus most legacy-carrier European routes. Giovan Battista Pastine-Ciampino (IATA: CIA) sits about 15 km south-east of the centre and handles the low-cost short-haul flights (mainly Ryanair and Wizz Air). Most visitors arriving on a long flight land at FCO; a visitor arriving from elsewhere in Europe on a low-cost carrier is more likely to land at CIA.

Both airports are required to provide PRM (Passenger with Reduced Mobility) assistance under Regulation (EC) 1107/2006. ADR's branded service is called Sala Amica. The service is free, booked through your airline at least 48 hours before departure, and covers terminal transfer, lift-and-transfer at the gate, accompanied passage through security and passport control, and luggage help on arrival. The airline passes the request to ADR's contracted ground-handler, who meets you at a designated point. ENAC (the Italian civil-aviation authority) publishes the passenger-rights guidance for the regulation.

If you have not pre-booked or your assistance fails to materialise on the day, the Sala Amica meeting point in each terminal is the recovery point. Tell your airline you are travelling with a wheelchair when you book and again at check-in, and bring a printed copy of the assistance reference number on the day. The same paperwork applies on departure: you get to the Sala Amica meeting point in your departure terminal, and the Sala Amica team handles the rest.

Service dogs travel free in the cabin on EU and most non-EU carriers under Regulation (EC) 1107/2006 and IATA cabin rules. Bring the EU pet passport (EU residents) or third-country annex IV documentation, the rabies vaccination certificate, and the airline's own service-animal form. The chip ID must match the rabies certificate. The same documentation applies on departure from FCO or CIA.

Transfer from Fiumicino to central Rome. Three reasonable accessible options. The Leonardo Express runs every 15 minutes direct from FCO to Roma Termini in 32 minutes for 14 EUR; the platform is step-free at both ends, the train has dedicated PRM seating and accessible bathrooms, and Trenitalia Sala Blu can arrange staff assistance if you request it when booking. The FL1 regional train is cheaper but runs to Trastevere, Ostiense, and Tiburtina (not Termini); useful when your hotel is in those districts. An accessible taxi runs the fixed flat tariff published by Comune di Roma to within the Aurelian Walls and takes 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The Sit Bus and Terravision airport coaches are cheaper but accessible-vehicle availability is not reliable.

Transfer from Ciampino to central Rome. CIA is closer to the centre but has no direct rail link. Three accessible options. The Cotral or ATAC airport bus combination runs to the Anagnina metro station for an onward Line A trip into the centre; the buses are low-floor and the metro is accessible at Anagnina. The Sit Bus Shuttle runs CIA to Roma Termini; accessible-vehicle availability is not guaranteed on every departure, so confirm when booking. An accessible taxi runs the fixed flat tariff published by Comune di Roma to within the Aurelian Walls and takes 25 to 35 minutes. Order a wheelchair-accessible cab via Radio Taxi 3570 or La Capitale and book at least a few hours ahead.

Both airports have accessible toilets in every concourse, accessible drop-off and pick-up bays at the kerbside, free wheelchair loans through the Sala Amica desk on request, and accessible parking rows in the short-stay car parks. The dedicated FCO and CIA venue pages covering terminal-by-terminal layout, where the accessible toilets are, the lift-and-transfer protocol on departure, and the Sala Blu rail-assistance handoff at the FCO station are in the next pilot wave. In the meantime, the airport's official accessibility pages on adr.it cover the same ground at summary depth.