Getting to Formello from Rome

Formello is a medieval village north of Rome, between the Via Cassia and the Cassia bis, inside the Veio Regional Park. From the centre of the village to Piazza Venezia, in the heart of Rome, it is about 28 km by road, and the point where the Cassia bis leaves Rome's ring road (the Grande Raccordo Anulare, or GRA) is about 14 km away. This page explains how to get here by car, by train, by bus and from Fiumicino airport, with distances measured on OpenStreetMap. For timetables we point you to the operators, because services change over time.

By car: from Rome and the ring road

A car is still the most direct way to reach Formello. The distances below were calculated on OpenStreetMap from Piazza San Lorenzo, in the old centre of the village: they are indicative and change with your starting point and route.

From the GRA ring road and the Cassia bis

The main road is the SS 2 bis Cassia Veientana, known locally as the Cassia bis, which starts at its junction with the Grande Raccordo Anulare (kilometre zero, according to Anas, the national roads agency) and heads north. From the ring road take the Cassia bis exit towards Viterbo and follow the dual carriageway to the Formello junction: about 10 km. From the junction, Via Formellese takes you to the centre of the village in about 4 km. In all, from the ring road to Piazza San Lorenzo, it is about 14 km.

From central Rome

From Piazza Venezia to Piazza San Lorenzo the route is about 28 km by road: you leave the city northwards as far as the ring road and then continue on the Cassia bis as above. The distance as the crow flies is shorter, which is why you will often hear "twenty kilometres from Rome": by car, though, plan on the real distance, and allow for traffic on the Cassia bis.

Le Rughe and the Via Cassia

Le Rughe, the most populous part of the municipality, lies along the Via Cassia, further west than the old village. If that is where you are going, put the exact address into your satnav: the best route depends on where you arrive.

Parking near the old centre

The old centre is compact and uphill, and since 10 November 2025 it has been a limited traffic zone (ZTL): without a permit the car stays outside (Comune di Formello, ZTL in the old centre, in Italian). A council order mentions a parking area in Via Regina Elena, close to the flights of steps that lead into the old centre. During events and roadworks the council may ban parking with temporary orders: before you travel, check the notices on the Comune di Formello website.

By train: Cesano and Saxa Rubra

There is no railway station in Formello itself: to arrive by train you get off at a nearby station and continue by bus or car. The two useful lines are the FL3 regional line and the Roma-Viterbo railway run by Cotral.

The FL3 to Cesano di Roma

The FL3 is Trenitalia's Roma-Cesano-Viterbo regional line. Its trains call at the Rome stations of Roma Ostiense and Roma Tiburtina and reach Cesano di Roma station, about 11 km by road from the centre of Formello. From Cesano to Formello there is bus line 20, running since 1 July 2026. Train times and connections are on the Trenitalia website.

The Roma-Viterbo railway to Saxa Rubra

The Roma-Civita Castellana-Viterbo railway, run by Cotral, links its terminus at Flaminio, in central Rome, with the stations of the northern suburbs, including Saxa Rubra, about 17 km by road from Formello. According to Cotral, since 7 September 2026 trains have again been running over the whole urban section, after works between Acqua Acetosa and Saxa Rubra. Saxa Rubra is also an interchange for Cotral buses (see below). For timetables and service changes, the reference is the Cotral website.

By bus: line 20 and Cotral

Line 20, Formello to Cesano station

Since 1 July 2026 Formello has been part of the new organisation of regional public transport in Lazio by network units (Unità di Rete). The council has announced interurban bus line 20 (Unità di Rete 2, Valli del Tevere), linking Formello, Bike Park with Cesano station. On the map published by the council the route crosses the village, the Olmetti area and Le Rughe before reaching the station.

There are few buses: in its notice of 29 June 2026 the council lists four departures in each direction, Monday to Saturday. Up-to-date timetables, the map and tickets are on the Astral Unità di Rete website, as indicated by the council. With so few runs, check the times before you plan your day.

Cotral and the Saxa Rubra interchange

Cotral is the regional company for out-of-town bus routes. In its 2025 Service Quality Charter the Roma Saxa Rubra interchange is listed as the terminus for routes towards the Tiberina, the Cassia Veientana, the Cassia and the Braccianese, which is the area where Formello lies. To find out which buses stop in Formello or Le Rughe, with the current timetables, use the journey planner on cotralspa.it.

From Fiumicino airport

From Fiumicino airport to Formello it is about 51 km by road (indicative distance on OpenStreetMap). By car the route uses the Grande Raccordo Anulare and then the Cassia bis, as described above.

By public transport, take the FL1 Orte-Fiumicino Aeroporto line, which like the FL3 calls at Roma Ostiense and Roma Tiburtina: change there for the FL3 to Cesano di Roma and continue on bus line 20. Because line 20 has so few runs, check the connections on the Trenitalia and Astral websites before you travel.

Live traffic

The Cassia bis is a very busy road, especially at rush hour towards Rome, and accidents or roadworks can close a carriageway. Before you set off, look at our Meteo del traffico page (in Italian), which shows the situation on the Cassia bis between Formello, Le Rughe and the ring road. For closures and roadworks on the main road, the official notices are those of Anas, which also offers its VAI traffic app.

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