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Public Transportation in Rome

Stephanie Westbrook

Driving and parking in Rome can be quite difficult. The best solution for getting around Rome, when you're not walking, is to use public transportation. The bus lines cover the entire city and give you a chance to mingle, though at times a little too closely, with Romans and other tourists.

The metro can be useful if you're staying near a station. The 2 lines don't cover much of the city but it can be a very fast way of getting around if you happen to be going near a station. The metro also connects with some of the train stations and the Cotral buses that go out of town.

This section contains all the information you need to use the buses and metro (subway) in Rome. Click on the links below to go to the sections.

Tickets: Where to buy them, types of fares and tickets, how to validate your tickets on the bus or in the metro.

Hours of Operation: Hours that the buses and metro run.

Buses in Rome: Getting on and off, types of buses, bus stops.

Metro (Subway) in Rome: Rome metro lines, getting on and off, using passes

Getting to Rome's Airports by Public Transportation: Buses and metro to Fiumicino (FCO) and Ciampino airports

Taxis: How to use Taxis in Rome.

A Word About Pickpockets

As in any big city, there are pickpockets working the buses and metro in Rome. Some buses are notorious, such as Bus 64 that goes from the main train station, Termini, to the Vatican.

Buses and the metro can be quite crowded making it easier for the thieves to work. If you're carrying a purse, keep your arm over it. A backpack should be placed on your chest or carried by hand, not on your shoulders. In general, just be aware of who is around you and try to keep a hand over your wallet or purse.

Rome Buses and Metro on the Internet

Buses in Rome: www.atac.rome.it
The ATAC site is really quite good but is in Italian (no longer has an English version). Under Fares and Tickets, you'll find information on the various types of tickets and the costs as well as where to buy them. The ATAC site also has really good transportation maps of Rome. You can type starting and ending points and it will show you the bus routes and/or metro to take. You can select the quickest route, the one with the fewest transfers or the one with the shortest distance to have to walk. You can also type in an address if you just want to know where something is located. The maps of Rome are quite good.

Rome Metro (subway): www.metroroma.it
This is the site specifically for the Rome subway. It shows maps and schedules. There is also a handy pdf file you can download and print that shows a map of the entire subway and light rail system in Rome.

Tourist Lines: www.trambus.com
This site is unfortunately only available in Italian. You can view maps of the routes of the tourist lines 110 and Archeobus by clicking on vedi il percorso.

Airports of Rome: www.adr.it
Transportation information for getting to and from Rome airports.