Fiumicino layover: where to wait between two flights

The first thing to work out is which checkpoint is waiting for you. Anyone changing area, in either direction, goes through passport control. If you arrive on a European flight and continue to a destination outside the Schengen area, after the check you enter Terminal 3, area E: from that moment the lounges within reach are the ones in this zone, and it is best to choose there without doubling back. Passengers who stay in the Schengen area pass no border control and find their lounges in Terminal 1.In the non-Schengen area, two lounges are open to all passengers. The Plaza Premium Lounge, on the upper floor of the shopping gallery, is the cheapest choice for a short wait and also accepts the American Express Platinum card. The Prima Vista Portus, run by Aeroporti di Roma, has showers, handy after an overnight flight, but you cannot stay longer than three hours: on a long layover it is better to go in only for the second part of the wait.In the Schengen zone there is more choice. If you leave at dawn, the Plaza Premium Lounge in area A is already open, before all the others. The Primeclass Lounge, on the mezzanine, has the lowest paid entry fee in this zone and spaces divided into three rooms, with chaise longues for resting. The Prima Vista Domus, on the upper floor of area A, has an open-air terrace and an express kitchen in addition to the buffet. For a higher level there is the Plaza Premium First, with an à la carte menu and signature cocktails. With Priority Pass, LoungeKey or DragonPass you can enter most of these lounges. Up-to-date prices and opening hours are in the boxes above, taken from our lounge database; access with cards remains subject to seat availability at the busiest times. Airline lounges follow different rules. The two ITA Airways lounges welcome business-class passengers and status holders, and sell entry only to those flying with the airline. Those of British Airways and Emirates, both in the non-Schengen area, are reserved for premium-class passengers and for members with the status required by their respective loyalty programmes.

A Fiumicino layover is best organised by starting from one simple question: which area am I leaving from? Once that is clear, you choose the lounge by the length of the wait and the type of access you have, whether a card such as Priority Pass, a premium ticket or paid entry. If the wait is long, remember the three-hour limit at the Prima Vista Portus and consider splitting your time between the shops and the lounge. All the airport's lounges, with hours and services, are on the Fiumicino page.