Riding public transportation in a foreign country can be scary, especially if you’re not used to moving around by metro or bus. However, in most European destinations, this is the most efficient way to explore the city. And Rome is no exception! So, we’ve created this video guide to help you understand how to ride public transportation in Rome like a local. Watch the video below, or read the information below:
I. Rome Public Transportation Tickets for Tourists
Depending on the length of your trip and your itinerary in Rome, choose the pass the suits you best.
This is the single-journey ticket.
On buses, it is valid for 100 minutes from the first validation, even if you change buses.
On the Metro, it is valid for a single journey, even using different lines, but without passing through the turnstiles if you change between lines A-B-B1. Passing the turnstiles is permitted only to change between lines A and C.
This is basically a pack including 2, 3, 5, or 10 BIT (single journey) tickets.
If you want to buy several trips in advance, this pack is for you.
With this pass, you can ride public transportation as much as you want for 24 hours. If you’re spending one day in Rome, and you want to move quickly between attractions, this is the ticket for you. It is valid for 24 hours from the first validation, for unlimited journeys within the territory of Rome.
With this pass, you can ride public transportation as much as you want for 48 hours. If you’re spending two days in Rome, and you want to move quickly between attractions, this is the ticket for you. It is valid for 48 hours from the first validation, for unlimited journeys within the territory of Rome.
With this pass, you can ride public transportation as much as you want for 72 hours. If you’re spending three days in Rome, and you want to move quickly between attractions, this is the ticket for you. It is valid for 72 hours from the first validation, for unlimited journeys within the territory of Rome.
With this pass, you can ride public transportation as much as you want for an entire week. If you’re spending 7 days in Rome, and you want to save money on transportation, this is the ticket for you. It is valid for a week, until midnight of the seventh day including the day of validation, for unlimited journeys within the territory of Rome.
It is basically the same as the Rome 48-hour ticket, but in addition, it includes admission to one museum/archaeological site/experience. As you can see, the price difference is almost €20, so whether it’s worth it or not depends on the attraction you want to use it for.
It is valid for 48 hours from the first validation for unlimited journeys within the territory of Rome.
It is basically the same as the Rome 72-hour ticket, but in addition, it includes admission to the first two museums/archaeological sites/experiences. As you can see, the price difference is €34, so whether it’s worth it or not depends on the attractions you want to use it for.
It is valid for 72 hours from the first validation for unlimited journeys within the territory of Rome.
Children up to10 years travel free on public transport services in the territory of Roma Capitale when accompanied by a fare-paying adult.
These are the passes we recommend you buy as a tourist traveling to Rome. For longer stays and regional passes, check out the official Atac website: www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes
||. Where can you buy public transportation tickets In Rome?
You can buy Rome public transportation tickets at the Atac ticket offices along the Metro Lines A and B, as well as along the Roma-Lido and the Roma-Viterbo railways.
Opening hours:
Monday-Saturday from 7:00 until 20:00;
Sundays and holidays from 8:00 until 20:00.
There are two types of vending machines in Rome: older and new.
At the older ticket vending machines at the metro stations and bus terminals, you can buy:
- BIT (Integrated time tickets)
- ROMA 24/48/72 hour tickets
- CIS (Integrated weekly card)
In the stations of Viterbo, Sant’Oreste, Rignano Flaminio, Morlupo and Riano it is also possible to buy distance-based tickets.
The new ticket vending machines:
The new automatic ticket vending machines are of two types: FULL Service, that allow payment by credit/debit card as well as in cash, and LIGHT Service, that allow payment only by credit/debit card. In most metro stations, you will find both types.
If you do not have a rechargeable Atac card already, it will be issued to you by the new ticket vending machine when you buy of one of the following tickets:
- BIT 100 MINUTES
- 2 BIT 100 MINUTES
- 3 BIT 100 MINUTES
- 5 BIT 100 MINUTES
- 10 BIT 100 MINUTES
- ROMA 24 HOUR TICKET
- ROMA 48 HOUR TICKET
- ROMA 72 HOUR TICKET
- CIS WEEKLY CARD
The chip on paper card is for personal use only (not for groups). The new card (chip on paper) is rechargeable and free for purchases of at least €4.50. If you buy tickets for a lower amount, the cost of the card is €0.50
If you have a rechargeable card, you can top it up it, depending on the type of card, with the following tickets:
- BIT 100 MINUTES
- 2 BIT 100 MINUTES
- 3 BIT 100 MINUTES
- 5 BIT 100 MINUTES
- 10 BIT 100 MINUTES
- ROMA 24 HOUR TICKET
- ROMA 48 HOUR TICKET
- ROMA 72 HOUR TICKET
- CIS WEEKLY CARD
- ANNUAL PASS ROMA
- MONTHLY PERSONAL PASS ROMA
In Rome, you can buy your public transportation tickets at any of the 2700 points of sale (newsagents, tobacconists, affiliated bars, etc.). 1000 of these shops are enabled to sell/top up e-tickets and passes.
On all the public transportation means in Rome, you can buy a single journey ticket directly with your contactless card (including GooglePay or ApplePay).
Important: you can only use one card for one person, so each traveler must use a separate card.
In Rome, at the Pay&Go and Pay&Go+ parking meters on the street, you can use your credit card to recharge your pass.
At the Pay&Go parking meters you can recharge:
- monthly Metrebus Roma pass (only ordinary),
- BIT and 10-BIT tickets,
- tourist tickets ROMA24/48/72 hours
- Integrated weekly card (CIS);
At the Pay&Go+ parking meters you can recharge:
- monthly and annual Metrebus Roma passes (only ordinary),
- BIT and 10-BIT tickets,
- tourist tickets ROMA24/48/72H and
- Integrated weekly card (CIS).
*At all Pay&Go and Pay&Go+ parking meters you can activate public transport cards purchased online or at ATMs.
III. How to ride the bus in Rome.
- Use Google maps to find your route via public transportation. Find your station and wait for the bus.
- At bus stations, you will see boards showing the lines stopping there and their following stops. Read them to be sure you’re in the right station, heading the right way. The route on Google Maps should match the stops on the board.
- There are no ticket machines at the bus stop, and you can’t buy transportation passes from the driver in Rome. If you don’t already have a pass, you can buy a single-ride ticket from this tap&go machine, with your credit card. Keep in mind that you must use separate cards for each passenger.
- In Rome, you can enter the bus through any door, but keep in mind that the ticket validators are in the back, and tap&go machines are usually at the front.
- The passes with unlimited trips only need to be validated once, on the first trip by bus, while the single journey tickets have to be validated at the beginning of each journey. The cards with a magnetic stripe go inside the ticket slot, while the others must be tapped on the validating machine. If this part isn’t very clear, please watch the video below.
- The buses in Rome go on a lot of cobbled streets, causing the rides to be very bumpy, so hold on tight!
- When the bus approaches your stop, press the red button so the driver knows you want to get off at the following station.
Rome Bus Schedule
In Rome, buses usually work between 6 and 12 am, but there are a few night lines operating after midnight, and they work with the same passes as the normal lines.
IV. How to ride the metro in Rome
- The metro is the fastest way to move around Rome. While it doesn’t reach all the areas of the city, it will take you to attractions like the Colosseum, Fontana di Trevi, the Spanish Steps, or the Vatican.
- Unlike the bus, you need to validate your pass every time you enter the metro, not just on the first journey. You validate your ticket at the entrance turnstiles. If your card has a magnetic stripe, you insert it in the validating slot. If it doesn’t, you tap it on the round circle above.
- There is a tap&go machine on the metro, too, for single-ride journeys, where you use your credit card. (GooglePay and ApplePay work, too)
- After validating your ticket, the doors will open and you can enter the metro. Once you’re in, you can ride the metro as much as you want with a single ride ticket until you go through the exit turnstiles.
- At each station, there are two platforms, one for each direction. Make sure you’re taking the train in the right way, by checking the signs with the following stops.
- Unlike the bus, the metro comes every few minutes and is always on time.
- Inside the train, there is a display announcing the following station, so you’ll know when it’s time to get off.
- You don’t need to validate your pass when exiting the metro. Just go through the doors marked with a green arrow.
Rome Metro Hours:
From Sunday to Thursday: 5:30 AM to 11:30 PM
On Fridays and Saturdays it runs until 01:30 AM
Remember that during the night, you have night buses available.
