Rome Ciampino Airport

Extremely rude security staff. 5am and there is a massive security queue. Everyone looks tired, as like us they wouldn't have slept much. We are on time though, very happy after our holiday in Rome and ready to go straight back to work. Until the moment where a male security officer from lane #2 screams "laptops! tablets!". As I was almost asleep I said "yes" indicating my tray, implying that I had taken out of my bag the only mobile device I had with me - my mobile phone. At that point he starts shouting at me. "This is a mobile phone! This is not a tablet! Don't you know the difference between a phone and a tablet? Get your tablet out! Where is your laptop?" And picks up my bag prior to screening. Calmly I respond that I don't have a laptop or a tablet with me, only my mobile phone. At that point he goes through another lecture of the difference between several mobile devices. It's 5 in the morning, we had to wait in a massive queue and someone who is getting paid to be a security officer believes that he has the right to ruin someone's day? Who has told him that it is ok to speak like that in the airport passengers? Security is of paramount importance, so is kindness though. I am a frequent traveler, and really enjoy airports. The service level of Ciampino Security is the worst I have ever seen. The management really needs to take some immediate action, other than changing the toilets sign (but not the facilities themselves).

Easily the worst airport I have ever travelled to/from in my life. Terrible facilities and the most appalling customer service I have ever experienced. Security was non-existent (and we travelled the weekend of the Paris terrorist attacks), no announcements were made for boarding over the tannoy at any point. My partner and I were at the gate an hour before we were due to board our flight back to Manchester with Ryanair, I nipped to the toilet while everyone stood waiting in the very long boarding queue, and when I returned back I was denied access to my flight. The last couple of passengers were still walking through the doors and onto the bus less than 100 metres in front of me, but I was told I was not allowed through as I went to the toilet. The 'Supervisor' then proceeded to walk out of the building and left us standing there with no information as to how we were to get home. Absolutely shocking.

Small airport, practically a Ryanair hub, is more convenient than Fiumicino to reach Rome city center. There's few options to go to Termini Station, fast and cheap. All processes, from disembark after landing to boarding at return were smooth and fast. The ground staff was polite and efficient. Limited offer for food, drinks and shopping. I will not hesitate to use Ciampino Airport again.

Small and very easy to navigate airport, serving low cost airlines - mainly Ryanair. No lines for security, but it can be chaotic when a lot of flights depart at the same time - not enough space and seating. Closer to the city then Fiumicino, however no train connection (bus only) and traffic in Rome can be horrendous. Do not buy bus tickets on board - it's better to buy them on the spot with the company that departs first. Small distances within the airport. Very few shops. Boarding done by bus or just walking to the aircraft. Much better than Fiumicino.

I would recommend Ciampino Airport to anyone travelling to Rome. Not because it's great, but because it's an awful lot better than Fiumicino! A few years ago I decided never again to travel through FCO. Ciampino hasn't great facilities but at least some of the workers try to help and are not as rude. There's something seriously wrong at Rome's main airport - from the top to the bottom, staff wise. Ciampino is easy to negotiate and my mildly disabled mother was treated well at the departure gate.

Flying Ryanair from Rome to Manchester, 17th July. The queue for check-in may well have been the longest I have experienced, but it was one queue for several flights and several check-in desks and it did not take much more than 30 minutes to get through. Security was quick enough but the staff seemed to me to be overly officious, approaching the point of rudeness. Now comes the problem! There were 3 or 4 flights leaving at similar times from Hall B. There are very few seats near the gates and hundreds of people waiting, most sitting on the floor. There were so many that it was difficult to move around or over them. Buses take you to the plane. Strangely the first bus, which took those who had paid for Priority Boarding, was only half full, whilst there were a couple of hundred still waiting to board and it seemed that we had to wait for that same bus to return again. I just wonder why they did not allow some of the non-payers to fill the bus and therefore save time, achieving a departure which would have been on time.

Coming into Ciampino was fine straightforward and we found the car rental easy enough using the rental shuttle. However coming home was a completely different story. We booked on 6.25am flight to Manchester and reached airport at midnight expecting a few hours to kill have food and drink and somewhere to sit. What actually happened was departures shut at midnight until 4.30am! We were told arrivals is open so headed there. What we found was no food or drink facilities and nowhere to sit as there was not enough seats. We lay on the cold floor for 4 hours with many others who had nowhere to sit. This is completely unacceptable. When departures opened there was a massive queue for check in and no staff to check us in until 5am. By this time the queue was outside the main doors. Still no refreshments available to buy not even a single vending machine. By the time we checked in there was another huge queue for security mingling in with the queue for check in. People were pushing in through fear of missing their flight and there was no airport staff to help organise the chaos. We were rushed through security and just made the flight. It was a terrible experience. I would definitely not use this airport again.

I use Ciampino regularly - at least 6 times a year - as the flights in and out tend to be the most convenient for me. I agree with many of the reviewers comments that the airport is overcrowded with far too little seating both before and after passport control. The food is limited and of pretty mediocre quality. Getting through security on arrival and departure is relatively pain free. Then we get to transport to and fro! I tend to use the local Cottral bus and the metro from Anagnina to Termini and on to Tiburtina to catch a local train but must stress that in rush hour the journey from Termini to Ciampino (and the other way) can take up to 2 hours as the buses from Anagnina to Ciampino are only every 40 minutes. So long as you know what to expect and have only carry-on bags I still prefer it to Fiumicino.

The bus from Ciampino to the Termini train station is extremely expensive. A 1 hr wait twice to get on the bus. Better by far to take a cab or a bus to the Anangama train station. Ryanair service from Ciampino is awful. If you are a US citizen you must stand in line with those checking baggage for 1 hr to get your passports checked. The passport check took less than 10 seconds. Ryanair needs to have a separate kiosk where you can get your passport and boarding pass.

My favourite 'little airport' that I use regularly - up to 4 times a year. Arrival; from aircraft landing to sitting on the bus to Termini - around 15 minutes if you only have carry- on bags. Bus from CIA to Termini costs €4 one way (but €6 if you buy the ticket at Termini for return to CIA). The quickest airport to get through on arrival I've ever been in. Departure; check-in lines are similar to all airports and take up to 40 mins but security is a breeze. Very limited shops airside but this is a 'little airport'. Airside seating limited but most people stand in the queue for hours to be the first onboard anyway.