My wife and I are arriving at Rome airport mid September and have been trying to find a shuttle bus type operation to get us to our apartment in Rome, as a substitute for a taxi or the train. We have used this type of inexpensive transport in Paris which we found on the internet, but we can't find the same type of thing in Rome. Any ideas?

i was in rome in july. took a taxi from the airport. i don't remember thinking it outrageously expensive. didn't see any info about shuttle buses. even the hotel i stayed at didn't have a shuttle as far as i know. alot of people take the train from the airport to the main terminal and then take taxi's. if you decide to do this i will just say, beware of pickpockets. someone with lots of luggage would be prime targets. also, beware of pickpockets the whole time. i was pickpocketed in the subway and i saw it happen to other people. they are professionals there.

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Sally, What does "inexpesive" mean to you? I'd pay $50 (US) to get us to the hotel in The Steps if it is faster and more convenient. Is that "do-able"? <BR>Thanks for the help.

eugene, i'm sorry i'm not more help with this denomination thing. for one thing, when i'm in europe, even though i try to have a good idea about what $10, $100 is in the local currency, it's still like playing with monopoly money to me. plus, when i first got to rome, you know how disoriented you feel at first. having said this, i do not believe it was more than $50. i think that would have made a bigger impression on me. i'm thinking it was probably in that neighborhood and maybe a little less. BTW, i was going to the excelsior hotel and that is not too far from the spainish steps so i would expect it to be in the same general price range. maybe someone else can be more definitive than me.

Hi Eugene, I've flew into Rome a few times and have taken the shuttle into town. I was not surrounded by pickpockets, mostly other tourists and travelling locals. The train into Rome is not the problem, as it is inexpensive and quite easy to find, you just follow the signs at the arrival terminal. The problem comes downtown, when you switch at the main TERMINI station. Whether you have problems depends on the amount of luggage you have and whether it has wheels..I was pleasantly surprised to find there is now a permanent police station at the TERMINI building, and they really do make their presence known. I recommend you take the train and then a taxi from the TERMINI station. It really is very easy and reasonable (~$10us pp when I went). Be sure to get a fixed price from your taxi driver and make sure he is licenced. Ask a cop or security if you are uncertain. I haven't heard of suttle buses from the Rome airport, has anyone else? I hope this helps! Have a great trip!!!!

Sorry, to clarify, the $10us pp is the train ride cost, not the taxi cost...

We just returned from Rome. The taxi from Airport to our Hotel (near the Pantheon) cost us exactly 75,000 Lire ($37 US) and we had suitcases. I think it's worth the taxi ride after a long flight. Also, you don't have to deal with looking for taxi at the Termini. We figured, it would have cost us $20 (for train tickets for 2) plus $10 for taxi from Termini to Hotel. Paying an extra $7 to take the taxi and not having to deal with crowds, pickpockets, hauling luggages, and getting to our hotel right away is well worth the money. Heck, we would have paid an extra $20 if we had to! <BR> <BR>

Don't take a taxi, take the train. It's downstairs IN THE AIRPORT. All you have to do is cross the street, take the escalator up and then down. It comes every few minutes and stops very close to where you'd be likely to be going. Or, catch a taxi from the train to exactly where you're going. Save the $60-75. bucks.

In response to Jill. I don't know where you came up with the savings of $60-$75 dollars, unless you were ripped off by one of the taxi drivers there. I just returned from Rome last week (August 28th). Like, I said we paid ONLY aout $37 including tip each way (airport to hotel and back). We pre-negotiated the price with the driver, and paid the exact amount when we got to our destination. By the time you get to the Termini, you still have to find a taxi to get you to your hotel, unless you are staying near the Termini area. Overall, the taxi ride took us about 30 minutes, maybe less. I still say Taxi is better, unless you're strap for cash and saving $7 to $20 is really that important!

After reading this post, my suspicions about being ripped off by the taxi driver are confirmed. I took the train from the airport (very easy and inexpensive - about 50 minutes) and at the Termini got a cab to my hotel (the Marriott Grand Flora on Via Veneto). I asked the driver how much, he sized up me & my luggage (one piece of carryon - not Louis Vuitton!) and said $40. I thought it sounded high, but was pooped and didn't have a good sense of how far the hotel was or was the traffic was like. Needless to say, it was short ride (maybe 20 minutes) so I felt very gullible - so much for having traveled all over the world!! On the return to the airport, the hotel arranged for a "shuttle" van - cost about $50 and was about 40 minutes. So, be careful of cabs from the Termini. In the future, I'll just take a cab from the airport to the hotel, and the hotel shuttle back.

I agree with BG, we only paid around $40 dollars (80000 Lire from airport to hotel 75000 Lire from hotel to airport. We called our hotel to ask them first what was a fair price for a taxi cab. When we arrive in Rome from LA, there was a lot of cabs outside. One driver said 100,000 Lire ($50) then we went to another driver who told us 90,000 Lire ($45). We quickly told him that our hotel told us not to pay more that $40 dollars so we aggreed on 80,000 Lire and got in the cab. I was suprised to find out how fast he got us to our hotel (near the Trevi Fountain). I think since we had prenegotiated the fare, he wanted to get us to our hotel as fast as possible, taking all the short cuts. We did noticed that he had covered the meter with his wallet, but my husband asked to see. It only said 60,000 Lire on it! Since he got us to our hotel within 30 minutes we didn't question the 80,000 Lire. Plus after reading the average cab fare from this post, we decided to not to argue with the driver. Just be cautious with the cab drivers there! Don't be a target! <BR> <BR>

Just returned from Italy and we paid 14,000 ($7) lire from airport to Spanish Steps and 20,000 ($10) returning back. That included our bags, tips. No shuttle bus in Rome to the best of our knowledge but shuttle bus in Milan leaving airport, none going back...we paid $60 but it was a 45 min. trip and well worth it..