Rome Transportation - How to Get Around the City

I am a big fan of the Rome transportation system.

Yes, I love to walk, but sometimes it's too far to walk or too tiring, so I take the bus or metro instead.

Of course, there are other means of getting around, such as taxis, e-bikes, and driving.

After nearly 25 years of living in Rome and using just about every kind of transportation option there is, I'm here to break it all down for you.

Find out how to get tickets, which tickets to get, the best ways to get around Rome, whether kids ride free, how to avoid hefty fines, how to stay safe on the bus, and much more.

Rome Transportation Options

One of the most important things that can affect your visit to Rome is how you will get around.

Walking

Walking is usually my first choice, because there is so much to see on foot and because I love the exercise.

Rome's historic center is pretty compact and I can walk easily from monument to monument, piazza to piazza.

Plus, I get to peek into doorways and hidden courtyards along the way.

Why walking may not be right for you

But it's not always feasible to walk in Rome, even as a means of sight-seeing.

It might be raining or super hot or freezing cold.

You might overdo it and find your energy level flagging.

Or maybe you've got blisters, knee or hip problems, or small children or elderly people with you.

Also, more and more people are opting to stay a little bit outside the city center, which means they need to figure out how to get into the center and how to get to the sites they want to see in Rome.

You may choose accommodation far from the city center if you want to stay in a more local neighbourhood.

Or you may want some green space or a pool.

Or cost may be a factor.

Either way, you're going to want to know how to get where you want to go.

And, you're going to want to know the NUMBER ONE thing you can do to make getting around Rome a stress-free experience.

Other than walking, here all the options for getting around Rome:

• ATAC & Cotral city transport (bus, metro, tram)
• Hop on / Hop off bus
• Taxi
• Private car hire
• Driving
• Vespa / motorcycle
• Bicycle
• Electric scooter sharing
• Segway
• Golf cart
• Horse-driven carriage

Finally, here's how to know how to get where you want to go in Rome:

• How to know how to go - apps and websites for getting the best directions

Public Transportation - ATAC & Cotral

Rome's public transportation is run by ATAC (Azienda Tramvie ed Autobus del Comune di Roma).

When you open the website, you can choose English from the language menu at the top. Just know that not everything on the main ATAC site is translated into English. For example, news updates such as closed stations, strikes, or other outages are only in Italian.

The ATAC system includes the metro (underground/subway), bus, and tram systems. 

ATAC is complimented in certain areas of the city by Cotral (Compagnia Trasporti Laziali), a private company that offers bus and overground train services.

One example is the train that takes you to Ostia from either the Piramide Metro or the San Paolo Metro stops.

You can take the Cotral train to either Ostia Antica (excavation site) or Ostia Lido (beach).

ATAC & Cotral Tickets

How long tickets are good for

The most commonly-used tickets are good for:

• single-use
• 24 hours
• 48 hours
• 72 hours
• 1 week

Ticket costs

Ticket costs are as follows:

So, for example, if you plan on staying in Rome for 3 days, figure out if you will use public transportation at least 12 times in that period to make getting a 72-hour ticket worthwhile.

If you purchase any of the above tickets you can use them on the Cotral Rome network (even if they are labelled as ATAC most of the time). 

This means that for a mere 1.50€, you can go from Rome's city center all the way to Ostia beach or Ostia Antica.

Children under 10 ride free on all ATAC transportation and must be accompanied by an adult.

Where to purchase tickets for the bus, metro, tram

The above tickets are good for riding Rome's buses, metro, and trams.

You can purchase tickets from the following places:

• Paper tickets from machines inside metro stations and inside the train stations
• Paper tickets from most (but not all) newspaper kiosks and at tobacco (Tabacchi) shops
• E-tickets with an app like MooneyGo
• E-tickets with your credit card by using the card itself, or a smart device such as a phone or watch that has electronic payment activated

Paper tickets vs. Tap & go

Tap & Go machines have been added to pretty much all buses and trams and in every metro and train station.

Since this is such an easy way to get your public transportation tickets, I'm going to recommend you use that and not worry about getting tickets in advance unless you want more than a single-use ticket.

However:

If you don't carry credit cards or have a contactless payment system on your smart phone or watch, you'll need to purchase paper tickets or use an app.

Also keep in mind that the tap and go machines could be out of order.

I always carry some paper single-use tickets with me for just such an occasion.

I almost never have to use them but it's handy to have them as a backup.

Validating tickets

If you have any kind of paper ticket, you must validate it before or as soon as you board whatever means of public transportation you are using.

If you use the ticket to ride the metro, you will have no choice but to validate the ticket, as you can't get through the electronic turnstiles without entering a valid ticket.

Once you pass the ticket through the reader, it will pop back out and you need to grab it and keep it until you have stopped riding the metro (or bus if you use this same ticket to switch to a bus from the metro).

If you use a paper ticket to ride a bus or tram, it's the honour system so it's up to you to validate it.

If you are using an app like MooneyGo, you still have to electronically validate the ticket.

I purchase about 10 tickets in advance with my MooneyGo app, and then each time I ride the bus, I tap a ticket and tell the app to validate it which it does.

I'm then all set if an inspector asks to see my ticket. I just show them the QR code on my phone.

If you use Tap & Go, you will just tap the machine with your credit card or smartphone or watch. (The Tap n Go machines do not have a slot for inserting your card. You need a card that is contactless.)

When you get the green light that your payment has been accepted, you are good to do.

You will not receive any kind of receipt or physical ticket when you use Tap & Go. 

So if an inspector asks to see your ticket, just show them the phone or credit card you used to pay, and they can verify that you have a valid ticket.

If you purchase a pass that's good for more than a single ride, you must validate it the first time you use any form of public transportation.

That sets the start date and time of the ticket and it will end according to whatever ticket type you purchased.

You don't need to validate it after the first time, but you do need to have it with you in case you are asked to show proof of a valid ticket.

When you use the metro with this type of ticket, you just pass the ticket through the machine and it will read that it's valid and pop it back out and open the turnstiles for you.

Rome Transportation - Metro

The Rome Metro or underground is an easy, quick way to get around parts of Rome.

At least, the parts not full of underground Roman ruins.

Our metro is made up of 3 lines and is one of the smallest metro systems in Europe. It's not easy to create metro lines in Rome since every time they dig, they find sites to excavate.

The two main lines currently are the Red line A and the Blue line B. Some people refer to the red line as the orange line, although to me, it's always been the red line.

While the Metro is limited due to all the underground ruins, it does have a lot of convenient stops such as:

• Colosseum - Blue line B, Colosseo stop
• Vatican - Red line A, Ottaviano and Cipro stops
• Spanish Steps - Red line A, Spagna stop
• Trevi Fountain - Red line A, Barberini stop
• Circus Maximus - Blue line B, Circo Massimo
• Termini station - Both lines, Termini stop

There is a new Green line in the works with many stops already functioning.

Some of the stops that will be useful for visitors is the brand new Colosseo metro stop due to open sometime in 2025. Yes, we already have a Colosseo stop, but this will be a huge, much improved stop and much easier to navigate.

Another stop in the works is in Piazza Venezia. Unfortunately, this stop is not due to be completed until sometime around 2035.

The metro runs daily from 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM and on Fridays and Saturdays, until 1:30 AM.

The metro's timetable may vary, depending on works and special events in the city. 

Find out everything you need to know about riding the Rome Metro on my dedicated page.

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ROME TRANSPORTATION - bus

Rome has an extensive bus system, allowing you to get almost anywhere in Rome, even to many areas outside Rome.

It's the slowest way to go, but it can be an adventure and/or scenic if the bus isn't too crowded.

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ROME TRANSPORTATION - Tram

There are 6 tram lines in Rome, all part of the ATAC Rome public transportation system.

The trams are all in strategic spots, connecting to either a metro or bus stop, making it easy to get quickly to locations the metro cannot always go, such as the auditorium or MAXXI museum.

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The Rome ATAC tickets are not valid for the following means of Rome transportation:

• The Leonardo Express going between Rome Termini and Fiumicino airport.
• The trains that go between Rome and the port city of Civitavecchia.
• Any bus or trains going to either of Rome's airports.
• Hop-on /hop-off double decker buses, which are run by private companies - see below for more information on this

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Top attractions and tours

• Colosseum - Don't miss visiting Rome's most iconic monument
• Vatican Museums - This is where the Sistine Chapel is
• Pantheon - Book ahead and skip the line
• Galleria Borghese - You'll need to book ahead for one of Rome's best museums
• Castel Sant'Angelo - See Rome's history through its architecture
• Rome City Pass - A great way to make your Rome visits easier

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