How to get around Rome

As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, but there are several ways to get around and explore the Italian capital. From the subway to the streetcar, from bicycles to bike sharing, the alternatives for getting around Rome while enjoying the beauty and sights offered by the Eternal City are many indeed.

With a year-round mild climate and with most of its most famous monuments enclosed in the historic center, walking remains one of the best ways to explore Rome. To get unhurriedly lost in its streets is to take a journey through time by discovering unexpected corners far from the hustle and bustle of tourists. All you need to organize your route is a map or the advice of a specialized association.

To reach some attractions , however, it is necessary to use public transportation, which in Rome is operated by ATAC and includes buses, streetcars, metro and regional train lines. Although not one of the most extensive in Europe, Rome’s public transportation network is convenient and inexpensive.

If you are planning a trip to explore the Eternal City, here is all the information you need to get around Rome quickly while avoiding chaos and city traffic.

Subway

The fastest and cheapest way to get around Rome is definitely the subway. Inaugurated in 1955 and expanded at a very slow pace due to continuous archaeological discoveries, the Rome Metro today has 60 kilometers of track divided among three lines: the Orange A line, the Blue B line and the Green C line. Although it may seem underdeveloped, in reality the Rome Metro efficiently connects the city’s major tourist attractions.

The Orange A Line runs through the city from northwest to southeast, connecting major tourist sites in minutes. Take the A line to reach the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, (Cyprus – Vatican Museums) St. Peter’s Basilica (Ottaviano – St. Peter’s), Spanish Steps ,Villa Borghese (Spain) or the famous Trevi Fountain ( Barberini – Trevi Fountain). The Termini stop, in addition to being the main train station stop in Rome, is the interchange with the A and B lines and the arrival/departure point for the Leonardo Express train to Fiumicino airport

Line B runs through Rome from northeast to south. It is useful for reaching the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Termini station and Piramide, an interchange station with the FR1 regional train from Fiumicino

Line C, opened in 2014, connects the eastern part of the city to the center. It is the least important from a tourist point of view because it does not touch places of special interest but can be useful if you decide to stay outside the center.

You can buy metro tickets directly at the station or at newsstands and tobacconists. If you plan to get around the city using public transportation on a regular basis, we recommend that you buy tickets in advance or get a season ticket. In this way you save time and money. The Rome subway runs daily from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm. On Fridays and Saturdays the hours are extended until 1:30 at night.

Bus

The bus is not the fastest way to get around Rome, but it is indispensable for reaching some tourist sites. The main bus station is located in Piazza dei Cinquecento just across the street from Termini Station. Other important stations are located at Largo di Piazza Argentina and at Pizza Venezia.

Rome has 338 daytime bus routes, 22 night bus routes and 8,260 bus stops. To untangle this dense network of connections, therefore, it is helpful for you to know that the Urban lines are marked by the letter U followed by a number and operate from 5:00 or 6:30 a.m. until midnight. Night lines marked with an N operate between midnight and 5:00-6:00 am. The Express (X) lines run long routes with few stops, while the Exact (E) lines, usually operating on Saturdays and holidays, connect the center to the suburbs

At each stop you will find information about the routes that stop there: the route, the days they operate, and the time of the first and last bus. As with the subway, tickets can be purchased at the station, at newsstands and tobacconists. To avoid unpleasant inconvenience, remember to obliterate the ticket through the appropriate devices.

Depending on how much you plan to use public transportation and how long you plan to stay in the city, you can choose from different types of passes. With Rome’s transportation network tickets you can travel on: metro, buses and trolley buses, streetcars, buses of the Cotral company with which you can easily reach some “out of town” destinations, suburban trains Roma-Lido, Roma-Viterbo, Roma-Giardinetti and regional trains Trenitalia. There are various types of tickets.The most commonly used tickets are:

• Single ticket (BIT): valid for 100 minutes after validation and allows unlimited changes between modes of transportation. It costs €1.50.
• Metro-Bus 24 hours: allows you to use public transportation for 24 hours after validation. Costs €7.
• Metro-Bus 72 hours: allows use of public transportation for 72 hours after validation. Costs €18.
• Weekly Subscription (CIS): is the ideal option for long stays in the Eternal City. The price is €24.

Streetcars in Rome

Streetcars are a sustainable and “romantic” means of transportation. The fact, however, that there is a rather small tram network in Rome that does not run in the ancient center reduces its usefulness. The lines most used by tourists are line 2 (Piazza Mancini – Piazzale Flaminio), line 3 (Piazza Thorvaldsen – Trastevere) and line 8 to be considered because it connects Piazza Argentina to Trastevere famous for its authentic atmosphere and its trattorias.

Rome suburban trains

Suburban trains complement the metro network, as they connect the city to areas of great tourist interest located in its surroundings, such as, for example, Ostia Antica and Viterbo. Always operated by ATAC, they share fares and tickets with subways and buses. They operate from 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., with a frequency ranging from 10 to 20 minutes. There are three main lines of suburban trains: Rome – Lido, Rome – Viterbo and Rome – Giardinetti

Rome by bicycle

A fun and active way to discover the beauty of Rome is to get around by bicycle. With this vehicle you can organize customized itineraries among parks and historic villas and have the possibility of accessing restricted traffic zones, discovering secret corners with a unique atmosphere in total freedom and with maximum hourly flexibility. To enjoy the pleasure of a bike tour, you can turn to a specialized rental agency, or use a bike-sharing service. To use the bike sharingi service, you must purchase an electronic card at one of the 10 authorized Ticket Offices. The card costs €10 and you must present tax ID and a valid ID to purchase it. Uber Jump’s bike-sharing service has recently gone live in Rome. In this case, all you have to do is download the Uber app on your cell phone to book a pedal-assisted bicycle in seconds.