Best UK airports to Rome
All London airports plus most regionals have direct scheduled service.
| Departure airport | Lowest return seen | Typical return | Flight time | Live price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham | £40trip starting in November | £128 | 2h 23m | Check price |
| London Luton | £58trip starting in January | £104 | 2h 14m | Check price |
| Manchester | £59trip starting in November | £100 | 2h 30m | Check price |
| London Gatwick | £68trip starting in November | £104 | 2h 09m | Check price |
| Glasgow | £68trip starting in December | £154 | 2h 52m | Check price |
| Newcastle | £69trip starting in November | £146 | 2h 38m | Check price |
| Bristol | £70trip starting in December | £137 | 2h 21m | Check price |
| Edinburgh | £113trip starting in May | £156 | 2h 49m | Check price |
| London Heathrow | £119trip starting in December | £132 | 2h 12m | Check price |
| London Stansted | £127trip starting in December | £238 | 2h 12m | Check price |
| Liverpool John Lennon | £180trip starting in April | £234 | 2h 32m | Check price |
Return fares seen for each route, checked 12 Oct: the lowest seen and the typical fare, which is the middle of the lowest fares seen for each month. They are past observations, not live prices: use Check price for today's fare. London (all airports) combines every London airport (flight time shown from Heathrow). Flight time is an estimate from the great-circle distance at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent.
Stansted flights land at Ciampino (40-min bus transfer). Factor that in when choosing an airport.
Airlines to Rome from the UK
Cheapest months to fly to Rome
Lowest return fare seen for a trip starting in each month, from London Heathrow, checked 12 Oct. These are past observations, not live prices: use the search box for today's fare. Green marks the cheapest third of the months shown, red the dearest third.
When to fly to Rome
From the fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct.
Fiumicino vs Ciampino
Build your Rome trip
Rome flight FAQs
The lowest return fare we saw to Rome was £40, from Birmingham, for a trip starting in November (checked 12 Oct). The typical return from Birmingham is £128, the middle of the lowest fares seen for each of 12 months. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
From London Heathrow, the lowest return fare we saw was for a trip starting in December: £119, against £172 for July. That is the lowest fare seen for each of 12 months, checked 12 Oct. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
In the return fares we recorded, checked 12 Oct, the lowest to Rome was £40 from Birmingham, then London Luton £58, Manchester £59 and London Gatwick £68. By typical return, the middle of each airport's monthly lowest fares, the lowest was £100 from Manchester, then London Gatwick £104 and London Luton £104. These are return fares seen on those dates, not live prices.
Estimated non-stop flight times to Rome: London Heathrow about 2h 12m (1,444 km); Manchester about 2h 30m (1,678 km); Birmingham about 2h 23m (1,583 km); Edinburgh about 2h 49m (1,934 km); Glasgow about 2h 52m (1,974 km); Bristol about 2h 21m (1,557 km). These are great-circle estimates at 800 km/h plus 24 minutes for taxi, climb and descent; airlines' scheduled times are usually a little longer.
In the week to 12 Oct we saw non-stop flights to Rome sold by easyJet from 8 UK airports, Jet2 from 6 UK airports, Ryanair from 4 UK airports, Wizz Air from 2 UK airports, British Airways from 1 UK airport, ITA Airways from 1 UK airport and TUI Airways from 1 UK airport. These are airlines seen on non-stop fares when we checked, not a timetable.
Direct flights take 2h 35m to 2h 50m to Fiumicino (FCO) and around 2h 30m to Ciampino (CIA). Flights from Manchester and Edinburgh are 3h–3h 10m. Fiumicino is 32km west of central Rome — Leonardo Express train takes 32 minutes, €14 to Termini.
UK passport holders can visit Italy (Schengen Area) visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. ETIAS authorisation will apply once live — check gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/italy. Passport must be valid for 3 months beyond departure.
Fiumicino (FCO) is the main international airport — Leonardo Express direct to Termini in 32 minutes, €14. Ciampino (CIA) is Ryanair-only, 15km south-east — Terravision bus to Termini 40 minutes, €6. FCO is better for most travellers; CIA wins only on Ryanair's base fare.
Rome uses the euro (EUR, €). Cards accepted widely but some family trattorias and taxis prefer cash. Use a fee-free debit card (Chase UK, Starling, Monzo). Carry €50–100 cash for tips, espresso bars and markets (Campo de' Fiori, Testaccio).