14 avril 2020

How to Get Around Rome By Public Transport

Rome is becoming one of Europe’s busiest and growing metropolis. Getting the right information on how to use the transport system in Rome, will surely save your time and give you more practicality on moving around the city. Here are the answers to all your questions you may have about the Metro, bus, tram and train lines in Rome.

HOW DO I USE THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN ROME?​

Azienda Tranvie e Autobus del Comune or most commonly known as A.T.A.C is Rome’s official transportation system, providing on its almost 3 million inhabitants subways, buses, streetcars, and commuter train lines that connect the whole city and the outskirts of Rome. Unfortunately, ATAC is still not able to provide transport system on every part of Rome. Rome’s subway system is one of Europe’s smallest and it doesn’t cover several areas of the city’s central core. Buses are more likely, a better choice when visiting the city center, especially during rush hour. There is still a lot of work and improvement needed on Rome’s transportation system so it is very likely that you will use a combination of subway, bus, tram and your own feet, unless you prefer a taxi to reach certain places. Furthermore, the transport system is not well connected to the two main airports of the city – Fiumicino and Ciampino – so to learn how to reach those click here.

What kind of ticket types you can purchase?

Rome Metropolitan subways, buses, and trams use “Metrobus” which are valid on all three modes of transportation. The tickets can also be used for commuter-train rides within the Comune di Roma (including the beach at Lido di Ostia but not Fiumicino Airport).

As of 2019, there are 5 types of Rome Metro passes to pick from according to your needs and the time spent in the city. The price of tickets spans from 1.50 to 24 euros, depending on how often and for how long they are valid.

One-way ticket (BIT) — is the standard ticket for one metro/subway ride (with train line changes if needed), one commuter-train ride and lasts 100 minutes since its first validation on public buses; the ticket costs 1,50€.

ROMA 24H or Day pass — is a 1-day ticket. Has a validity of 24 hours of unlimited transport on the Metrebus network from the first stamping. The day pass card costs 7€.

ROMA 48H or 2 Day Tourist Pass — is a 2-day ticket. Has a validity of 48 hours of unlimited transport on the Metrebus network from the first stamping. The 2-day pass card cost 12,50€.

ROMA 72H or 3 Day Tourist Pass — is a 3-day ticket. Has a validity of 72 hours of unlimited transport on the Metrebus network from the first stamping. The 2-day pass card cost 18€.

Carta Integrata Settimanale (CIS) or Week pass — Has a validity for 7 days of unlimited transport on the Metrebus network from the date of the first stamping, or until midnight on the seventh day. The week pass cost 24€.

Even though these are different types of ticket, most of the time it has an identical look/designs on the front of the tickets, but the data printed and stored in the back of the tickets are different.

Insider Note: For your daily transfers (from airport to hotel and vice versa or Rome to another city), if you would prefer to experience the comfort and security of having your very own driver to pick you from the airport and take you to your hotel or apartment, you could use private transportation services like Rome4kidstours Transfers or Welcome Pickups Service.

Where do I buy ATAC tickets?

Metrobus tickets can be purchased at automated vending machines that can be found in metro stations or larger tram stops. Can be purchase too at ticket counters inside metro stations. Newspaper stands, kiosk and tobacco shops, usually marked with a blue sign with a large “T” or “Tabacchi” sign also sell them. The machines feature a variety of languages, so it should be rather easy to get a hold of the number of tickets that you want. However, you can usually ask for a metro or bus ticket in English, but it could be possible that the level of English of the person behind the counter is quite poor. In that case, and – let’s be honest – if you want to spice it up a little bit and feel like a local simply say “Potrei avere in biglietto della metro, per favore?”.

How do I validate a transport ticket?

You must validate your Metrobus tickets prior travel. Riding without a stamped ticket can result to a fine of 50€ or higher. The validation process differs for metro, train, tram and bus.

When riding a bus or tram you must validate your ticket by using machines located near the doors immediately after boarding. Hold the striped side toward you and insert the ticket on the direction of the arrow.

When riding the metro, insert the ticket on the slot in front of the turnstile before entering and retrieved it from the top of the machine before entering the gates.

When riding the commuter train, stamp your tickets in the yellow machine on the platform before your get on the train.

Don’t forget to validate your ticket before boarding any transportation. Inspectors are often really sneaky and dress up as tourists to prevent people from cheating the system — so beware! Showing a ticket inspector an unvalidated ticket is no different to having no ticket at all. It is extremely easy to forget to validate your ticket when hopping on a packed bus! Also, when you are using a 1, 2, 3, or 7-day ticket, you only need to stamp it once.

How late does the Metro run in Rome and often do Rome metro trains run?

The metro opens every day from 5:30AM, with the first train departing on its terminus from every line to 11:30PM with the last train departing on its terminus from every line. The opening hours differ on Friday and Saturday. On these days, the metro runs until 1:30 am.

When the metro and trams are shut down, you will have to resort to taxis or night buses. Taxi night rates are different from the daytime rates, and when you get a taxi try to get only from an official rank of taxis (the white ones), avoid taking a ride from a driver who approaches you. Taking the bus, however, will give you a chance to see Rome sights at night by public transport!

During the day metro trains come every 5 minutes on average, but be aware that during rush hour it can be really packed. At night, trains are a little more unreliable. On the other hand, buses are – as the Romans often angrily verbalize – irregular. That’s why many apps like Moovit have been developed to track the movements of buses and give people a head-start on which mode of transportation to use and how to get from A to B! A.T.A.C has an official app too, but not always reliable.

What is Roma Pass and is it worth getting one?

There are several discounted packages that you can opt for. Whether the Roma pass or any other discounted pass will save you money depends on how much you intend to use it. The Roma pass is worth trying, depending always on how long is your Rome vacation.

The Roma pass is a transportation and museum card that you can be purchase offering a variety of discounts, direct access to museums and other attractions and free entries.

It comes in two options: The original Roma Pass 72 hours and a cheaper Roma Pass 48 hours. Both of these are allowed to be used to subways, buses and trams too. Each pass also allows reduced entry in some museum and archeological sites.

If you will be staying in Rome for a longer period of time than there are also a variety of annual and monthly travel cards that you could look into. These would definitely save you money over time!

NOTE: The Roma pass is only a great choice for adults. No children’s passes are available.

Other things you should be aware of:

• Children younger than 10 years of age do not pay for public transport, assuming they are accompanied by an adult.
• Delays and strikes happen rather often. We are Italy, after all…the land of “la Bella vita” where rules are times are flexible and don’t always apply.
• The best apps to download on your phone that track buses are: “Rome Bus”, “Orari Bus ATAC Roma” and “Bus Roma” and Moovit .
• The metro is made of three main lines (lines A, B and C), but only the two main ones (A and B) should be of interest for tourists, as line C is mainly thought to connect the suburbs to the city center. Also, line C is still being constructed, which explains the green line on the map. Lines A and B intersect at the main station of the city, called Termini. This stop houses the main train station in Rome and, therefore, acts as a central transport center not only for the city of Rome, but for Italy as a whole.

If you don’t want to visit Rome with your luggage, you can book a luggage storage in Rome with Eelway. Drop off your bags or suitcases in our partner network of shops and hotels. There is no minimum or maximum storage time. Most of our luggage storages are open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. Your luggage is sealed and insured, this way you can do your visit of Rome peacefully.