Rome Airport, also called Fiumicino and named after Leonardo da Vinci, is the largest in Italy. Its history dates back to the mid-1950s. It is named after the great master of the Renaissance, who was not only a brilliant artist, but also an engineer who first developed a helicopter and an aircraft with wings. This jetty is located in a small fishing village of Fiumicino, near the coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea, 35 kilometers south-west of Rome's city center. The airport communicates with the capital of Italy through road and rail transport. The journey from Termini Central Station to the airport by train takes about 30 minutes.
The official opening of the Leonardo da Vinci Airport took place on January 15, 1961. Then he was a small air port with two runways. Fiumicino was built to unload another airport. Rome at that time was served by the Ciampino airfield, which is now operated only for domestic and charter flights. For decades, Fiumicino was expanding, new hangars, maintenance centers were built and new runways were constructed.
Now Rome Airport has four terminals and offers a wide range of services: conference rooms, banks, cafes, restaurants and shops selling local Italian and international goods. Terminal 1 is mainly used by Alitalia, which offers flights throughout Italy. Also in Terminals 1 and 2 flights to other European countries are carried out: the Czech Republic, France, Denmark, Greece, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Poland and Switzerland. Terminal 3 specializes in international flights. Terminal 5, opened in 2008, is used by the major international airlines of the United States (United Airlines and US Airways), operating flights to Charlotte, Philadelphia, Newark and Washington.
In 2012, Rome Airport served 37.5 million passengers traveling to 150 different destinations around the world. It ranks 27th in terms of workload in the world. In addition to Rome, Fiumicino is connected by land transport with such nearest settlements as Capena, Ciampino, Cerveteri, Fonto Nuova, Monterotondo, Ladispoli, Pomezia, Tivoli and Riano. You can get to them on buses, taxis and trains. Those who prefer to drive independently can rent a car right at the airport. To do this, you only need to show your driver's license.
As already mentioned, Rome Airport has a developed infrastructure. Information posts are available in all terminal buildings near the arrival halls. In each terminal there are shops where tourists can buy any goods, from souvenirs, clothes, perfumes and electronics to luxury goods and works of art. In anticipation of the flight, passengers are invited to try Italian pasta and pizza in the bars and restaurants of the airport. Also here there are fast food establishments, where you can have a bite with a hamburger, french fries or ice cream. To drink a glass of delicious Italian wine, you should visit the bar "Frescobaldi".