A Guide to Airports in Italy

By
Martha Bakerjian
martha bakerjian photo, italy travel
Martha Bakerjian
Martha Bakerjian is an Italian travel expert who uses her home in northern Tuscany as a base for her in-depth explorations of the country.
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Updated on 05/26/19
Milan-Malpensa airport
Milan-Malpensa airport.

LTCE / Getty Images

The many beautiful cities in Italy are serviced by multiple airports. If you're flying in from abroad, you'll likely stop in Rome, Florence, Milan, or Venice before continuing to the 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 downtown Rome costs a flat €48 and takes about 30 minutes without traffic. You can also take the train for €15, which takes just under 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 for Italian airline Alitalia, Fiumicino serves some 43 million passengers annually. It's connected to Rome's city center via bus and train, or you can take taxis or rideshares.

Ciampino–G.B. Pastine International Airport (CIA)

  • Location: Ciampino
  • Pros: Slightly closer to Rome's city center than FCO; not very crowded
  • Cons: Only services low-cost airlines Ryanair and Wizzair
  • Distance from the Pantheon: A taxi from the airport to downtown Rome costs a flat €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.

Rome's other international airport is the smaller Ciampino G.B. Pastine International Airport. One of the oldest airports in the world, Ciampino was built in 1916 and played a major role in Italy's 20th-century history. It primarily serves low-cost airlines but also has many charter and executive flights as well. It's connected to Rome via bus service, and you can also take a bus to the nearby Ciampino Railway Station, which offers trains to Rome.

Pisa International Airport (PSA)

  • Location: South Pisa
  • Pros: Very close to the city center
  • Cons: Only services destinations in Europe
  • Distance from the Leaning Tower of Pisa: A taxi from the airport to downtown Pisa costs about $15 and takes about 10 minutes without traffic. You can also take the Pisamover, which costs about $3 each way and takes you to the main train station in Pisa in about five minutes, from which you'd take a $2, 15-minute bus ride to the tower.

The main international airport in Tuscany is Pisa International, also called Galileo Galilei Airport, after 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's conveniently located to Pisa's city center—fewer than three miles away, just across the Arno River. There are excellent public transportation options (the Pisamover, for instance, connects the Pisa's train station with the airport in five minutes), and taxis are fairly cheap.

Florence Airport, Peretola (FLR)

  • Location: Northwest Florence
  • Pros: Very close to the city center
  • Cons: Limited flights and destinations
  • Distance from the Duomo: A taxi from the airport to downtown Florence costs a flat rate of €20 and takes about 15 minutes without traffic. You can also take a tram for less than $2 or a bus for about $6—both take about 20 minutes.

Florence's airport serves some two million passengers annually and is the second busiest airport in Tuscany after Pisa. It's 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 handful of airlines fly here, primarily Vueling. Many visitors to Florence fly in via Pisa, or they 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 downtown Milan costs a flat rate of €95 and takes about 45 minutes without traffic. You can also take the Malpensa Express train to the main train station in Milan for about $15 each way (takes approximately 50 minutes) or a bus for about $10 each way (takes about 45 minutes depending on traffic).

The area's largest international airport is Milan Malpensa, which is located 30 miles outside the city center in the town 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's connected to the city center via 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 downtown 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 approximately 30 minutes).

Although smaller than MXP, Milan Linate Airport is closer to the city center of Milan—just about a mile outside city limits. The airport, however, has limited service with only 13 airlines flying to European destinations. Alitalia is the primary operator out of this airport. As of May 2019, the only public transportation connection to the airport is the bus, though a metro station is being built. You can also take the light rail to Linate's main station and take the bus from there.

Orio al Serio International Airport (BGY)

  • Location: Orio al Serio
  • Pros: Close to Bergamo
  • Cons: Far from Milan
  • Distance to Milan: A taxi from the airport to downtown Milan costs more than $130 and takes about 50 minutes without traffic. You can also take a bus for about $5 each way (takes approximately one hour).

Also known as Il Caravaggio International Airport, Orio al Serio is a major Italian airport that services both Milan and Bergamo, with nearly 13 million passengers traveling through it each year. It's the main airport in the region for low-cost airlines. Affordable buses connect the airport with Milan, or you can take the train to Bergamo and take a bus from there.

Naples International Airport

  • Location: North 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 transportation options are limited—you'd have to take an airport bus to Sorrento, then a local bus to Positano. You could also take a train or bus to Salerno and a ferry to Positano. The public transportation options are much cheaper, averaging about €15 total, but they can take anywhere from 2.5 to 4 hours.

Naples International Airport is dedicated to Italian aviator Ugo Niutta and serves some 10 million passengers a year. It's the best airport to fly into if you're visiting Pompeii, the Amalfi coast, or Capri. There's no train service to the airport—you'll have to take the bus or a taxi. You can take taxis downtown, of course, which will only cost about $25. But you can also take them to Pompeii or even to Positano—just be prepared to pay more than $100.

Venice Marco Polo Airport

  • Location: Orio al Serio
  • Pros: Close to Bergamo
  • Cons: Far from Milan
  • Distance to Milan: A taxi from the airport to downtown Milan costs about $35 and takes about 20 minutes without traffic. You can also take a boat for about $17 each way, but it might take more than 90 minutes, depending on how many stops there are. The bus costs about $7 and takes 20 minutes.

Venice Marco Polo Airport is one of the busiest in Italy, serving more than 11 million passengers annually. 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.