Rome Fiumicino's ambitions and hiccup intermodality.

One is quick to say intermodality, single ticket air+train, frictionless travel experience and other beautiful innovations that simplify the traveler's life. It's easy to say, as long as you don't travel early in the morning or return late at night.

Rome Fiumicino's steps forward.

Especially if we then talk about the airport in Rome Fiumicino, hub of the national airline Ita Airways, flagship of the Italian airport system and now a stable frequenter of the high classics among the best stopovers in the world For services.

All efforts to make Fiumicino a world-class hub, however, are lost precisely if we talk about connection with the rest of the territory, starting with the city of Rome. Without denying all the improvements introduced in recent years, the airport remains in fact deficient in public transportation services that make it less competitive against other European hubs.

In recent years, in fact, rail link service has been enhanced, bringing more and more Leonardo Express - the little trains that connect Rome's Termini station with the airport - to run the route; in addition to getting the high-speed trains from Venice, Padua, Bologna, Florence and Rome directly to the airport station. Not to mention the many regional connections on the FL1 Fiumicino Airport - Rome - Orte line.

During peak hours, for example, there is a Leonardo Express departing from Roma Termini every 15 minutes.

Fights, squatters and scams: the problem of cabs

Of course in a few years we will be able to move differently, thanks to the launch of the air cab service. In the meantime, however, daily, or almost daily, we read about fights, scams, and any other issues with the cab service at Fiumicino airport..

A poor calling card for an airport that can boast of a 5-star Skytrax rating.

Trains yes, but not at all hours

What is lacking, however, is a public service that guarantees connectivity even at the most inconvenient times, as was brought to our attention by one of our readers.

La Early morning (at 6 a.m.) or late night (midnight onwards) not a few flights depart from or land at Leonardo da Vinci. Flights that often provide international connections at major European hubs or come from intercontinental destinations.

In this case, however, there is no train to take, no single ticket to take advantage of - fleecing the new Fco Connect service launched by Ita Airways along with Trenitalia and Rome Airports - and no alternative to focus on other than the cab service, which continues to be, in my opinion, a thorn in Fiumicino's side.

Nighttime holes in Leonardo Express service

Making a quick comparison, in fact, the first Leonardo Express available in the morning is the one at 4.50 arriving at Fiumicino at 5:22 a.m. A service that cannot be useful, therefore, to those who have a flight departing in the early morning hours.

In fact, the previous train is available at 11:05 p.m. of the previous evening (arriving at Leonardo da Vinci at 11:37 p.m.), which then involves having to spend the night at the airport.

The same argument, applies to those who come to the capitol airport overnight. The last train departing from the airport station is scheduled at 11:53 p.m. arriving at Termini at oo.25.

In this case, a landing at Fiumicino with a plane scheduled for 11 p.m. may already be the subject of "missed connection" with rail service if you factor in the time it takes to disembark, retrieve any baggage, and deal with any border control formalities.

The few alternatives

In fact, the airport's own website reports that "those arriving after midnight" can take advantage of the following services: buses with the Cotral, T.A.M. and Terravision lines. (not the ultimate in comfort and agility of travel) or car sharing, and finally cabs.

On the latter service-the subject of national and international news related to inefficiencies, bad habits with respect to foreign (as well as Italian) customers, lack of transparency on rates and low fleet availability-a separate debate should be opened.

This leaves a large "hole" in the so-called intermodal project - that although it does not impact a very high percentage of travelers - it leaves Rome Fiumicino a step behind compared to other European hubs who also take advantage in some cases of a metro service that connects the airport to the city center or provides a nearly 24-hour connection.

An issue that is certainly not the responsibility of Rome Airports, the company that manages the airport, but which in any case disfavors a further upgrade of Italy's largest airport.

• airports
• trains