The many beautiful cities of Italy are served by multiple airports. If you’re flying from abroad, you’ll likely stop in Rome, Florence, Milan, or Venice before continuing to smaller cities.
Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
- Location: Fiumicino
- Pros: connects numerous international and domestic destinations
- Cons: can be overcrowded
- Distance from the Pantheon: a taxi from the airport to the center of Rome costs € 48 and takes about 30 minutes without traffic. You can also take the train for € 15, which takes less than an hour.
The largest airport serving Rome, and one of the busiest in Europe, is Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport (also known simply as Rome Fiumicino Airport). As the hub of the Italian airline Alitalia, Fiumicino serves some 43 million passengers annually. It is connected to the city center of Rome by bus and train, or you can take taxis or carpooling.
Ciampino International Airport – GB Pastine (CIA)
- Location: Ciampino
- Pros: a little closer to the city center of Rome than FCO; not very crowded
- Cons: Serves only low-cost airlines Ryanair and Wizzair
- Distance from the Pantheon: a taxi from the airport to the center of Rome costs € 44 and takes about 25 minutes without traffic. You can also take the bus, which costs as little as € 4 and takes about an hour.
The other international airport in Rome is the smaller Ciampino GB Pastine International Airport. Ciampino, one of the oldest airports in the world, was built in 1916 and played an important role in the history of the 20th century in Italy. It mainly serves low-cost airlines, but it also has many charter and executive flights. It is connected to Rome via the bus service, and you can also take a bus to the nearby Ciampino train station, which offers trains to Rome.
Pisa International Airport (PSA)
- Location: South Pisa
- Pros: very close to the city center
- Cons: only service destinations in Europe
- Distance from the Leaning Tower of Pisa: A taxi from the airport to the center of Pisa costs around $ 15 and takes about 10 minutes without traffic. You can also take the Pisamover, which costs around $ 3 each way and takes you to the main train station in Pisa in about five minutes, from where you would take a $ 2-15-minute bus ride to the tower.
The main international airport in Tuscany is Pisa International, also called Galileo Galilei Airport, in honor of the Italian astronomer and mathematician. A military airport before and during World War II, Pisa International is one of the busiest in Italy, serving some five million passengers a year. It is conveniently located in the city center of Pisa, less than three miles away, on the other side of the Arno River. There are excellent public transport options (the Pisamover, for example, connects the Pisa train station to the airport in five minutes), and taxis are quite cheap.
Florence Peretola Airport (FLR)
- Location: Northwest of Florence
- Pros: very close to the city center
- Cons: limited flights and destinations
- Distance from the Duomo: A taxi from the airport to the center of Florence costs a flat rate of € 20 and takes about 15 minutes without traffic. You can also take a trolley for less than $ 2 or a bus for about $ 6, both of which take about 20 minutes.
Florence airport serves about two million passengers a year and is the second busiest airport in Tuscany after Pisa. It is located on the northwest side of the city, about 2.5 miles from the city center. The airport has limited service compared to Pisa: only a few airlines fly here, mainly Vueling. Many visitors to Florence fly through Pisa, or take a train from Rome.
Milan Malpensa International Airport (MXP)
- Location: Ferno
- Pros: Serves a wide range of airlines and destinations
- Cons: far from the city center
- Distance from the Duomo: A taxi from the airport to the center of Milan costs a flat rate of € 95 and takes about 45 minutes without traffic. You can also take the Malpensa Express train to Milan’s main train station for about $ 15 one way (takes about 50 minutes) or a bus for about $ 10 one way (takes about 45 minutes depending on traffic).
The largest international airport in the area is Milan Malpensa , which is located 48 kilometers from the city center of Ferno. It also serves the nearby cities of Lombardy and Piedmont, as well as the Swiss canton of Ticino. In 2018, more than 24.7 million people flew through the airport, making it the busiest in northern Italy. It is connected to the city center by bus and train.
Milan Linate Airport (LIN)
- Location: Segrate
- Pros: close to the city center
- Cons: limited service
- Distance to the Duomo: A taxi from the airport to the center of Milan costs a flat rate of € 55 and takes about 20 minutes without traffic. You can also take a bus for about $ 2 each way (takes about 30 minutes).
Although smaller than MXP, Milan Linate Airport is closer to the city center of Milan, just a mile from the city limits. However, the airport has limited service with only 13 airlines flying to European destinations. Alitalia is the main operator of this airport. As of May 2019, the only public transport connection to the airport is the bus, although a metro station is under construction. You can also take the light rail to Linate main station and take the bus from there.
Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY)
- Place: Orio al Serio
- Pros: near Bergamo
- Cons: far from Milan
- Distance to Milan: A taxi from the airport to the center of Milan costs more than $ 130 and takes about 50 minutes without traffic. You can also take a bus for about $ 5 each way (takes about an hour).
Also known as Il Caravaggio International Airport, Orio al Serio is a major Italian airport serving both Milan and Bergamo, with nearly 13 million passengers traveling through it each year. It is the main airport in the region for low-cost airlines. Inexpensive buses connect the airport to Milan, or you can take the train to Bergamo and take a bus from there.
Naples International Airport
- Location: North of Naples
- Pros: close to the city center
- Cons: no train connections
- Distance to Positano: A taxi from the airport to Positano costs more than € 120 and takes about 80 minutes without traffic. Public transport options are limited – you’d have to take an airport bus to Sorrento, then a local bus to Positano. You can also take a train or bus to Salerno and a ferry to Positano. Public transport options are much cheaper, averaging around € 15 in total, but can take 2.5 to 4 hours.
Naples International Airport is dedicated to the Italian aviator Ugo Niutta and serves about 10 million passengers a year. It is the best airport to fly to if you visit Pompeii, the Amalfi Coast or Capri. There is no train service to the airport: you will have to take the bus or a taxi. You can hail taxis downtown, of course, which will only cost around $ 25. But you can also take them to Pompeii or even Positano, just be prepared to pay more than $ 100.
Venice Marco Polo Airport
- Place: Orio al Serio
- Pros: near Bergamo
- Cons: far from Milan
- Distance to Milan: A taxi from the airport to the center of Milan costs around $ 35 and takes about 20 minutes without traffic. You can also take a boat for about $ 17 each way, but it can take more than 90 minutes, depending on how many stops there are. The bus costs around $ 7 and lasts 20 minutes.
Venice Marco Polo Airport is one of the busiest in Italy, serving more than 11 million passengers a year. Travelers can connect to local transportation options within Venice, as well as make connecting flights to other parts of Europe here. Transportation options include taxi, private bus, or public boat.
