The Roman public transport system
Congratulations. After the luxury travel experience that only a Ryanair flight can offer, you’ve managed to arrive in Rome, Italy, in one piece. The Eternal City is at your feet, and you can’t wait to see all the interesting things it has to offer. Just one question: how do you get there? Here, we provide a handy “travel 101” guide to the buses, trams and trains in Rome.
Tickets
Helpfully, you can use the same ticket on any kind of public transport in Rome. A ‘BIT’ (single) ticket costs € 1.50, and can be used as much as you want within 75 minutes. A ‘BIG’ day ticket, for € 6, will last until midnight. A ‘BTI’ ticket (€ 16.50) lasts for three days, and a ‘CIS’ ticket costs € 24 and lasts for a full seven days. Tickets can be bought in tobacconists (‘tabacchis’), news stands, in metro stations and in some bus stations.
The metro in Rome
Given the many mysteries that lie under the floor of Rome, it’s hardly surprising that the metro is relatively undeveloped. With just two lines, the originally named line ‘A’ (runs from the top-left corner of the city to the bottom-right) and ‘B’, the system is fairly easy to work out.
Metro stations in Rome are marked by a big ‘M’ on a red background, and are open until approximately 11.30pm on weekdays and 12.30am on Saturdays.
Buses in Rome
Although they take a bit more work to get your head round at first, the buses in Rome are incredibly useful and run all over the city. Check the name of where you need to go and which line you need to take on a map, and head to the relevant bus stop. All bus stops bear the names of all their destinations, so if you can’t see your stop on the list you’ll need to cross over and find the corresponding bus stop on the other side.
Tickets are stamped on machines inside the bus. Bear in mind that not all bus stops sell tickets - get them from one of the above-listed sources instead.
Trams in Rome
To bulk up the bus and metro system, Rome also has a well-developed bus and tram network. They’re often listed on the same maps, but trams can be distinguished by the fact that they’re assigned low numbers – the highest number you’ll see on a tram is the number 19.
Roma Pass
For € 30, it’s worth thinking about investing in a Roma Pass. As well as three days’ worth of public transport, this all-purpose ticket buys you entry to any two museums/archaeological sites of your choice. You are then granted concessional entry in any other museums etc. you choose to visit. The Pass also has other benefits, as well – it gives you a discount for the On-call Multi-lingual Medical Service for Tourists, for example, and you receive a free map and guide with the pass.
Passes can be bought from participating sites. Bear in mind that the pass does not cover transport to and from the airports of Rome. More information can be found here.
Penelope - Marketing Team