Hotel rooms in Rome do not come cheaply, specially those located in the city center. Depending on the season 3 star hotels in the middle of Rome can cost well over $200 a night for a small standard room. An alternative would be to find a hotel in the outskirts where rooms can be less expensive and larger than those in the city center. The Hilton Rome Airport is a great choice.
The Hilton Rome Airport is connected to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and the train station via a covered walkway making it very convenient for most travelers.
We usually catch an early morning flight home and staying at the Hilton Rome Airport is very convenient. We either take the free airport shuttle or walk about 10 minutes to the departure area.
Staying at a familiar brand like the Hilton is comforting. You can be assured that you will get the comfort and service that you expect from Hilton properties worldwide. This is reassuring for travelers abroad, specially first timers.
I know most folks think that staying at an airport hotel is good only if you’re catching a flight so they usually book just a one night stay. But this isn’t necessarily true. The Hilton Rome Airport is ideal for almost any traveler.
The hotel offers guests a free shuttle to and from the city center. The shuttle runs every 2 hours and drops you off in central Rome. Returning guests are picked up at the same location. Check with the concierge for a city map as well as a shuttle schedule.
If you don’t want to take the shuttle you can always take a taxi. The fee to Rome is €60, the return is about €50, slightly more after dark or in the early morning.
Another alternative is catching a train from the Fuimicino Station.
The train runs non-stop from the airport station to Roma Termini, Rome’s main train station, every 15-30 minutes. The first train leaves the airport station at 6:23 am and the last return train leaves from Roma Termini at 10:35.
Tickets cost €14 each way or you can buy a book of 10 tickets for €115. If you have a first class rail pass you can use it on this train, just show the conductor your pass.
If you don’t mind taking the less expensive local trains you can purchase tickets starting at €8 depending on where you want to go.
The train station makes the Hilton Rome Airport very convenient for those who want to use Rome as a base to explore the country by train. If you’re going to one of the major cities serviced by high speed trains you can catch the Leonardo Express to Termini and transfer to a high speed train or catch a local train to Tiburtina where you can transfer to a high speed train.
This is what we did last month when we took the train to Florence, Venice, and Siena. We caught the first train, about 6:30, to Tiburtina and transferred to a high speed train. It turned out to be very convenient.[spacer height=”20px” id=”2″]
On the flip side the Hilton Rome Airport is in a pretty remote location. There aren’t many restaurants nearby so you need to make sure to grab dinner before returning to the hotel, unless you’re ok with the overpriced room service menu or the restaurant in the hotel lobby.
We sometimes book a room that includes breakfast. This works well if you can work your schedule around breakfast hours. The breakfast buffet isn’t bad, it has watery scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, breads, cheeses, fruit, cereal, and yogurt. But it’s best to find a bed and breakfast rate, the buffet costs about $25 or more per person if paying at the restaurant.
The same restaurant serves lunch and dinner. I’ve never had lunch there, but during the dinner hours the place is split in 2. One side serves Italian staples like pasta and steaks, the other side serves burgers and pizza. Prices are what you can expect from any restaurant located on Hilton property, pretty expensive, but the food is ok.
If you’ve booked the bed and breakfast rate but must leave before the buffet opens they will pack you a continental breakfast to go. Just let the front desk know the night before and they’ll have a bag with yogurt, fruit, and biscuits ready for you when you check out.
Each room is equipped with an electric kettle and stocked with coffee and tea. This is handy if you just need a cup of something in the morning or before you retire for the night.
There’s also a mini bar filled with sodas, water, beer, liquor, and snacks. The price card should be located close by. Be prepared to pay €5 or more for a bottled water or can of soda. An ice machine is located on each floor not far from the elevators.
The Hilton Rome Airport has an indoor pool, fitness center, tennis court, and small video arcade. We’ve never used them, we’re too busy running around town, but if you’re traveling with kids it might be a good way to keep them occupied between sightseeing.
Getting there from the airport:
Follow the signs from luggage claim to the elevator or escalator and go up one level. It’s the same direction to the train station.
On the upper level you’ll find a walkway to both the hotel and the station. Walk or take the moving sidewalks until you reach the middle.
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Here you’ll see different corridors heading to different areas and screen with flight schedules.
Take the corridor on your left. This will end at the elevator. Take it down to the ground floor and you’ll end up at the sidewalk leading to the hotel.
To get to the train station:
Take the elevator up to the next level.
Walk to the middle where the flight schedule screens are.
Take the corridor to your left to the train station.
Other tips:
You can wheel your luggage to the hotel with the free carts available in luggage claim.
If you’re walking to the airport or train station with luggage ask the concierge for a free cart, they have a stash in the back.
If you need train tickets buy them from the machine or the main Trenitalia booth on the right. There are other booths that sell tickets but some are travel agents who sometimes charge a bit more.
Validate your ticket BEFORE you get on the train.
