Rome fiumicino airport - 4 people - Zero cellphones - where do we meet?

April 17, 2013 11:18 PM

Four of us are coming in on different flights and terminals throughout a single morning - what landmark in the Fiumicino airport can we all meet by?
posted by jander03 to Travel & Transportation around Rome, Italy (11 answers total)

I was there last summer and I really don't recall any real landmarks. I would say at the immediate exit from Customs, but that's where all the drivers and families are waiting too so it's very crowded.

Also, you might know this, might not, but they don't sell SIM cards anywhere in the Rome terminals. Usually in European countries I made a beeline for the telecom booths when I get off a plane, get a new SIM in my unlocked US phone so I can call/text my friends immediately but there weren't any kiosks or phone stores in the airport.
posted by mathowie at 11:57 PM on April 17, 2013

There are airport maps here:
http://www.adr.it/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-airport-map
(the "all maps" link gives you one PDF with the whole bunch)

Looks like there are 3 terminals, T2 is the middle one and has a café in the check-in hall.
posted by mvd at 11:58 PM on April 17, 2013

You could meet at the railway station, which is right next to the airport connected by a pedestrian tunnel. There's an area just next to the platforms with benches, ticket machines, ticket kiosks, and a café. The area is small enough that you would be in no danger of missing each other, though you could specify the café if you wanted to be really really paranoid.

It's not the most delightful place to hang out for a couple of hours, but then nowhere in FCO is :-). It at least has the advantage of being totally unambiguous (there is definitely only one railway station!) and well signposted.
posted by pont at 12:28 AM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Head for the train station ticket hall if you are all catching the Leonardo Express.
posted by BAKERSFIELD! at 12:30 AM on April 18, 2013

Best answer: Terminal 3 is between Terminal 5 and Terminals 1 and 2. It is directly opposite the train station.

If you look at the map mvd linked to above the arrivals floor of Terminal 3 has two cafes. One of the two is at the centre of the arrivals floor, next to the information office and by the escalator exit to trains, parking, car hire.

You could meet there.
posted by MuffinMan at 2:32 AM on April 18, 2013

I was at Fiumicino last fall with a friend of mine and also don't really recall any kind of obvious landmarks. What I do recall is the insane amount of people there. We arrived around 9:30 in the morning and the place was packed. The train station (if you're catching the express) or a previously-agreed upon café is likely to be your best bet, but definitely take into consideration that the place is almost certainly going to be jam-packed full of people.

Actually, that's pretty good advice for all of Rome. ;)
posted by juliebug at 2:57 AM on April 18, 2013

There's a Hilton that's so close it's practically attached to the Airport. There's also a free shuttle.

When I went to Rome, I was part of a Cruise. My sister and I met after clearing customs (we were supposed to fly in on the same plane, but a lightening strike on my plane caused me to have a completely different route than anticipated.) We were shuttled (with other cruisers) to the Hilton for coffee and pastries.

The lobby is pretty and comfortable, the coffee and pastries were pretty tasty.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:59 AM on April 18, 2013

Best answer: I think they might sell SIM cards at Fiumicino, only in the newsstands. I could be wrong. The thing to ask for is "una carta SIM." :)

Another idea is that you could all take the Leonardo Express in when you arrive, and then meet at the train station (where the Express will drop you). Termini, the train station, is a lot nicer than Fiumicino -- it has phone stores, a grocery store, bookstores, clothing stores, etc., and you can meet at this spot, which is part of a cafeteria called "Autogrill." To find it, go to Termini's front doors and turn to face inside; it's the only upstairs cafe on the right. It's a nice echoey atmospheric spot for people-watching, and you can get a tray of cafeteria food or a coffee and sit there for hours.

In all parts of Rome, be very aware of your belongings, and never get in a taxi with a guy who's saying "taxi? taxi?" (They have fake meters and your trip will cost like a bazillion Euro.) Have fun!
posted by feets at 7:44 AM on April 18, 2013

I also remember the airport being kind of maze-like and confusing and would agree that meeting at the airport train station would be the easiest place for you to all find one another, although it may be a bit painful for the first people to arrive to watch all the trains head off into the city (or at least it would be for me).
posted by that girl at 12:47 PM on April 18, 2013

Best answer: The cafe in T3 arrivals beside the info point is best place and most comfortable place as suggested above. (Also for what it's worth, there's a stand selling SIM cards in the baggage claim hall after immigration at T3, or at least there was about 11 hours ago when I went past it.) Could you all have a central contact person elsewhere you could call from a pay phone/borrowed cell as a back-up?
posted by bimbam at 1:22 PM on April 18, 2013

Response by poster: perfecto! we met at the cafe in terminal 3 each coming off a different flight between nine and one. it was easy to keep an eerie on the arrival board just across. the hall.

while there we bought Roma Passes which not only allow you access to 2 museums for 30 euros, but also bus access for 3 days.

one more tip: we were approached by a friendly taxi driver and offered a ride for almost twice the price of the licensed and metered taxi line right outside the building.
posted by jander03 at 3:19 PM on April 24, 2013 [1 favorite]