Transportation in Rome

Transportation in Rome

Traveling to Italy in September and October is more comfortable because it is less crowded and the weather is good. Walking is very pleasant, but sometimes you need to get from one place to another more quickly. Rome’s transportation systems offer you several alternatives.

Many people decide to stay in the area around the centrally located Stazione Termini. There is a lot to do and to see right there. The Terme di Diocleziano, the biggest Bath complex in ancient Rome, Michelangelo’s Santa Maria degli Angeli, Palazzo Massimo, the best museum of antiquities, Eataly, McDonalds, a shopping mall right inside the Station, the subway and many buses just outside.

For a long time it was not the best place to walk around, but during the last years, it has become a safe place also thanks to the constant presence of soldiers protecting the crowd in the station from potential terrorist attack.  

However if you prefer a more quiet accommodation, you can choose a place close to a subway station.  This will allow you to move quickly to different areas of the city that you want to visit.

A ticket vending machine

The symbol for a tobacconist

All local public transport is integrated in Rome. You have to purchase your tickets before boarding any public transport in Rome. Tickets for both the bus system and Metro can be purchased from tobacconists, bars, or vending machines at Metro stations and major bus stops. In front of Termini Railway Station, by the buses, is a row of kiosks selling travel passes and tours. On both buses and metro there is an inexpensive flat fare, whether you go one stop or to the end of the line.

On a bus, insert the ticket to validate it

A single transport ticket in Rome is valid for 100 minutes (1 hour and 40 minutes) from the moment of validation and is good on subway, buses and trams.  That is, the same ticket allows riding the subway and different buses as long as it is within the 100 minutes. The only constraint is that it can only include one Metro trip, which allows transfer to another line. The tickets are cards with a magnetic stripe, and you should validate it on the first use, by either going thru the Metro turnstile, or inserting it into a ticket machine on a bus. It will then stamp the time. There are also tickets for all day, two days, three days, 7 days, etc. The official map: https://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=385

Rome public buses run a comprehensive and frequent system running from about 5.30am to midnight daily. Nearly all bus stops have a sign to list the routes that stop at that bus stop clearly displayed. Each route is detailed with the major stops along the way. A comprehensive bus map is online at the ATAC website https://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=3