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Easiest way to get around Rome - Travel for a Living

Let’s just assume that most of you have the same habit as me when it comes to city trips. I tend to take the plane rather than car to get there, meaning I have to rely on public transport to get around town once arrived … but then I can think of very few major cities where I would consider driving around in a car a good idea (actually I might struggle to think of any?). Visiting Rome was no exception. If, like me, you need to know the easiest way to get around Rome, you have come to the right place.

After we landed, we made our way into town by train and since our hotel was fairly close by Termini Station, we simply walked there. As we arrived late in the evening, we did not set out exploring that evening. Instead we had a stroll through the vicinity and went to bed. Saving our energy for exploring Rome for the next morning.

Easiest way to get around Rome: Take the bus

Thanks to Citymapper it wasn’t too difficult to work out how best to get to our first destination. What we did not factor in though was strike action taking place on the Metro network. No underground until 12.30 that day. Not a problem, let’s take the bus then. Despite people constantly warning us not to take the bus in Rome, it wasn’t as bad as feared. Yes, the bus filled up quickly. But hey, no worse than in London. And the average speed seemed considerably higher than in London (where it pretty much is quicker to walk than take a bus when in the town center).

Obviously if you have a tight travel budget, walking everywhere is the cheapest way.

Easiest way to get around Rome: Atac Travel Card

For those willing to spend a little more, I would recommend getting a travel card for the Atac network. You can use the Atac travel card on the Metro, the busses and the tram. There are single tickets available for 1.50 Euro, which are valid for 100 minutes (so you can change in-between Metro and busses several times within those 100 minutes). Or you can buy a travel card for 24, 48 or 72 hours for 7, 12.50 or 18 Euros (prices correct in August 2020). Rome isn’t divided into zones, so once you have a ticket you can explore as you like. There is also a weekly ticket for 24 Euros if you stay longer than three days (unfortunately this wasn’t displayed when we bought our first ticket, so we ended up spending a little more than necessary for our 6 day stay).

Tickets are sold at the Metro / train stations, as well as in the tabaccheria (small shops selling newspapers and tobacco). You cannot pay cash in the busses, so make sure you buy your ticket before you board. Also when buying your ticket in a tabaccheria they usually don’t accept card payment, so be prepared and bring some cash.

As soon as you start your first journey, you will have to validate your ticket and your 24 / 48 / 72 hours start from then (so actual 24 hours, not calendar days). Once validated, there is no need to show your pass anymore when entering a bus or tram.

When taking the underground you will need your ticket to get through the barrier upon entry, but you don’t need your ticket to exit.

Obviously, there is also the option of taking a cab, but since I have not tried this myself, I can’t really advise here. All I know is that you need to take a white cab, the black ones are illegal.

Since we visited in September / October heat wasn’t a major issue anymore. Not sure my travel advise (especially concerning busses) would be the same if I were to visit amidst a heat wave in August… probably no. One might never know (but if we do, I’ll let you know).

Hope this helps, anything to add? What would you consider the easiest way to get around Rome? 

Easiest Way around Rome - Your guide to public transport in Rome - Travel for a Living

Easiest Way around Rome - Your guide to public transport in Rome - Travel for a Living

7 comments

  1. This is a helpful post. I walked almost everywhere in Rome, but one night we took a cab because we knew we would get lost trying to get back to our hotel. It was a harrowing experience! But fun!

  2. I’ve been to Rome a number of times and genuinely had no idea they had a metro. I’ve taken the bus or driven, but mostly I walked the city. I didn’t even think to look for a subway!

  3. Always good to know when a city has multiple modes of transportation. We usually end up using a rideshare but in a city like Rome we would love to walk since it is such a walkable city with soo much to see.

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