Rome public transport | Explore the top picks with cost & Tips
It’s time to tackle one of life’s biggest challenges: Rome public transport. I’m joking—it’s actually quite simple, and by the end of this blog, you will know everything there is to know. That’s my bus, I gotta go. Welcome back to our “Guide to Rome” series! I’m Tatiana from the Roman Food Tour, and today, we’re going to show you how to navigate the city of Rome using public transport. Keep watching to learn everything about tickets, the Metro, buses, and overground trams, as well as other useful tips for making your way around the city.
Before we get started, make sure to check out the destination page to and Italy page for even more information on the food and culture, wonders of Rome. now discuss Rome public transport in this blog.
Navigate Rome Like a Local
Alright, first things first, let’s talk about tickets. Now, just so you know, each Metro station, bus, and tram in Rome is equipped with contactless payment tabs that accept credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay. However, I always recommend using a physical ticket or having some on you, just in case there happens to be some sort of technical malfunction. It’s never worth the risk of being charged a €50 fine if something were to go wrong.
A single physical ticket costs €1.50, is valid for all three types of public transport, and can be used endlessly within a time frame of 100 minutes. You can buy them at any Metro station using either the counters or machines, at Tobacchi (tobacco) stores conveniently labeled with a T sign, and at green kiosks stationed around the city. There are also a few applications that allow you to buy tickets online, such as Moneo and Ticket.
Happy! If you’re in Rome for a few days, you could consider purchasing either a day, 48-hour, 72-hour, or weekly ticket option, as opposed to a single ticket— all of which you can find at the locations we just specified. If you do choose to use your card, One Tap will automatically debit your account by €1.50, the price of a single ticket, giving you 100 minutes of use on the transport system.
Alright, so we just entered the Metro at Ottaviano, which is over here, and we’re taking the A line towards Espagna. That’s three stops. The great thing about using the Metro here in Rome is that there are only two lines: Line A and Line B. Line C is still under construction, so there are much fewer trains. Progress on building Line C has been extremely slow because every time workers start digging, they run into ancient ruins.
Alright, let’s head over to our train. The Metro trains start running from 5:30 a.m. and run all the way up until 11:30 p.m., and 1:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The two Metro lines both pass through Termini, Rome’s main train station and transport hub. One more thing to remember when using public transport is to always make sure you’re aware of your belongings.
Okay, so change of plans! We decided to get off at Flaminio instead of at Spagna because we want to show you the beautiful Piazza del Popolo, and from there we can head over and stroll down Via del Corso. It’s a beautiful and very populated area, especially when it comes to shopping.
My favorite thing... While the Metro here in Rome does work very well, consider that the two working lines do not cover the entire city, and there are often strikes or construction work being done. Google Maps is a great way to stay up to date with all of that stuff, and in that case, you would have to resort to other modes of public transport, such as buses.
So, to my left is the entrance to the beautiful Villa Borghese, and right in front of me, the entrance to Piazza di Spagna. We’re on our way to a bus stop just off of Piazza di Spagna. Right behind me, you can see the famous Spanish Steps, and we are filming this in December, so you can see the beautiful Christmas tree up there. And right in front of me, we have the richest street in the country for those who are inspired to do some Christmas shopping: Via dei Condotti.
I know this was supposed to be a blog on public transport, but I got distracted by the prospect of window shopping. Forgive me! And if you want, we can do an entire blog just on shopping in Rome. So, let us know!
Now, Roman buses are famous for being late or slightly off schedule, but there are ways to stay up to date with their status. Google Maps works pretty well, but I like to use an application called Move It, which gives you really great suggested routes for your final destination and is surprisingly accurate at predicting bus arrival times. Let’s test it out!
Alright, so here’s a pro tip for you: always make sure to signal to the bus driver that you would like to board his or her bus; otherwise, they might think you’re waiting for something else and drive past without stopping. I’ve seen it happen before. Once you’re on board, make sure to activate your ticket by entering it into these yellow machines with the arrow pointing downwards.
Pro tip number two: if you ever need to politely ask someone to make room for you to exit the bus, simply say “per favore.
Now, since I am part of a wonderful company known as the Roman Food Tour (check out our tours and extra information in the description box below), I couldn’t resist taking the chance to enjoy the classic food of Rome, Italy—pizza margherita—alongside, and then we’ll proceed on our transport journey.
Rome also has an overground tram that runs from Piazza Venezia in the city center to Trastevere station and beyond. It passes every 8 to 10 minutes but only covers a limited area of the city. In addition to these three modes of public transportation, there are also scooters, e-bikes, and car-sharing options that can be accessed through applications such as Lime and Free Now.
And as a last resort, there are also a lot of taxi stands stationed around the city center. It’s the best way to grab a licensed taxi that charges by the meter.
Alright, I think you are now equipped with the knowledge to navigate the Eternal City using public transport. Let us know if you have any further questions in the comment section down below. For even more information on the food, lifestyle, and culture of Rome, head over to our website and check out our blog posts. As always, thank you for watching, and we’ll see you next time.
How To Use Public Transportation In Rome
Friends, we loved our vacation to Rome, and we’re so happy to share what we’ve learned during our trip. In this blog, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about using public transportation in the capital of Italy. Public transportation in Rome is safe, cheap, and efficient, so in my opinion, it’s the best way to get around the city. Most attractions you see as a tourist can be reached by Metro and bus, so that’s what we’ll talk about in this blog. There’s a full guide to Rome on our channel—check it out and hit subscribe for more practical tips for your trip.
First, let’s talk about passes. You’ll need a ticket to ride public transportation, otherwise you risk being fined. You can buy passes at ticket offices and vending machines in the Metro stations, at newspaper stands, and at tobacco shops. Also, there are tap-and-go machines inside buses and Metro stations where you can buy single-ride tickets with a credit card. One ride costs €1.50, but if you’re spending a few days in Rome, I recommend you get a pass with unlimited trips for your entire stay. Here are your options: we were there for one week, so our best option was the CIS pass, which covers unlimited rides for 7 days on all public transportation.
Here’s how to buy the weekly ticket at the vending machine in the Metro station.
To get the best route to your destination, use Google Maps. Write your destination here and tap on this icon to see the routes via public transportation.
If you can choose between buses and the Metro, pick a route via Metro, as buses are very unreliable in Rome. The times shown on Google Maps are almost never right, and you might end up waiting a lot for your bus. In some stations, there are displays showing the times when the buses arrive—those you can trust.
At bus stations, you will see these boards showing the lines stopping there and their following stops. Read them to be sure you’re at the right station, heading in the right direction. 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. If you don’t already have a pass, you can buy a single-ride ticket from the tap-and-go machine with your credit card.
In Rome, you can enter the bus through any door, but keep in mind that the ticket validators are at the back, and tap-and-go machines are at the front. Passes with unlimited trips only need to be validated once on the first trip by bus, while single-journey tickets have to be validated at the beginning of each ride. The cards with the magnetic stripe go inside this slot, while the others must be tapped on this spot.
Here, 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. In Rome, buses usually run until 12:00 a.m.
But there are a few night lines operating after midnight, and they are included in the weekly pass. The Metro is the fastest way to move around Rome. While it doesn’t reach all areas of the city, it will take you to attractions like the Coliseum, Fontana di Trevi, the Spanish Steps, or the Vatican. You can buy transportation passes at the ticket offices or vending machines. Unlike the bus, you need to validate your pass every time you enter the Metro, not just on the first journey. If your card has a magnetic stripe, insert it in this slot; if it doesn’t, tap it here.
After validating your ticket, these doors will open, and you can enter the Metro. At the Metro station, there are two platforms, one for each direction. Make sure you’re taking the train in the right direction by checking these signs. 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.
During the week, the Metro in Rome stops running after 11:30 p.m., but you have night passes available after midnight. Public transportation is the fastest and cheapest way to move around Rome. Some tourists prefer to move around by taxi, and while that’s definitely more comfortable than a bumpy bus ride, it’s also more expensive.
Here are the must-sees in Rome: Rome is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Make sure you include in your trip a visit to the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, Fontana di Trevi, and the Pantheon. There’s a full guide on our channel—check it out and hit subscribe for more recommendations and practical tips for your trip to Rome.
How to Use the Buses in Rome
Today, we’re going to teach you how to use the buses in Rome. This is our latest in the series of “Roma How To” blogs. Now, in any foreign country, the transportation system can get pretty complicated. But today, we’re going to show you how to conquer the buses of Rome.
We recommend carrying a ticket with you while in Rome. You never know when you’re going to need one, and actually, it’s really hard to find one on the bus. You usually get them at a Tabacchi shop. Now, let me show you how to actually buy one.
When traveling around Rome, it’s important that you know where you are, where you’re going, and which bus number you’re supposed to take. We’re standing here at the bus stop in Piazza Venezia. The Italian word for bus stop is “fermata.” You’ll read the fermata on top of the boards, along with the name of the bus stop. In this case, it’s Piazza Venezia. After that, it’s important to choose which bus to take.
Now, above the bus number, you’ll always see a different letter. “X” means Express: Watch out, this bus doesn’t stop at every single stop. A night bus is marked with the letter “N.” The buses you’ll usually be looking for are the ones with the letter “U,” meaning Urban. Our destination, in this case, is Piazza Navona.
Now, usually, on these bus stops, you won’t see the name Piazza Navona on the board, which means we need to look for the nearest stop available. This is when your map will come in handy. To get to Piazza Navona, we need to get off at Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Looking at the board in front of you, we’re looking for bus number 64.
It’s also important to note that the first and last stops are what’s known as the “Capolinea,” meaning the beginning and the end of your route. So, in order to get to Piazza Navona from Piazza Venezia, you’ll have to take bus number 64, heading in the direction of Stazione San Pietro.
Now that you’re on the bus, and the crowd has finally cleared out, you get to use your ticket. You’ll see the arrow pointing to the place where you need to insert it into the machine. Check it out. And that’s it! Validated.
So everyone, we’ve reached our destination, the beautiful Piazza Navona. Now, you can admire Bernini’s Four River Fountain. We hope this was helpful, and make sure you check out our other how to use Rome public transport
Thank you, and that wraps up our Rome public transport | Explore the top picks with cost & Tips. Do you agree with the places we chose, or is there somewhere you visited that you feel should be on the list? leave us a comment.
You can find me on Instagram: @dreamytravelersofficial/.
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