Public transport in Rome: what to know on buses, metro, tramways and passes in Rome

Knowing how to use Rome's public transportation network is certainly the first step to enjoying your visit to the city to the fullest.

First of all, you have to consider that the center of Rome is spread over a very large area. Colosseum and Roman Forum, for example, are in a very different area than the Vatican Museums or the Spanish Steps.

The indispensable thing to do, therefore, is to plan your daily itinerary. This makes it easier to understand which public transportation will be indispensable during your stay in Rome.

As we shall see, however, there are many tickets and passes available, which allow you to organize your vacation in a very convenient and practical way.

So let's find out more about Rome's public transportation and how it will be useful for your "Roman Holiday."

Buses and streetcar connect all areas of the capital, both in the center and in the suburbs.

There are 6 streetcar lines, operating from 5:30 AM to midnight:

- First, we mention line 8, because it is the most interesting from a tourist point of view: it connects Piazza Venezia (Roman Forum area) to Trastevere;
- Secondly, line 2 connects Piazza Mancini to Piazzale Flaminio;
- Line 3 connects Piazza Thorwaldsen and Trastevere;
- Line 5 connects Giovanni Amendola to Piazza dei Gerani;
- Next, line 14 connects Giovanni Amendola to Palmiro Togliatti;
- Finally, line 19 connects Piazza Risorgimento to Piazza dei Gerani.

As for buses, the capital offers more than 300 daily lines and more than 20 night lines, counting more than 8 thousand stops. In addition, the city is trying to introduce autonomous electric vehicles.

The lines operate from 5:30 AM until midnight, and there are also a number of night bus lines operating from midnight to 5:30 AM.

In addition, if you want to have an interactive experience with the Roman capital, you can also buy a ticket for the scenic tourist bus!

There are three metro lines: the first is the A line, or red line, with 27 stations, which connects Battistini to Anagnina, and runs 290 times a day.

The second is the B line, or blue line, with 3 terminuses: Laurentina, Rebibbia and Jonio and connects 26 stations with 308 rides per day.

The third line is the C line, still under construction, with two terminuses: San Giovanni and Monte Compatri-Pantano. It is the newest but also the one with the most interesting history. In fact, during construction work on the San Giovanni stop, numerous Roman artifacts emerged that are now on display inside the station itself, which is used as a museum. Anyway, the terminus of Line C will be in Piazza Venezia, right in front of the Altare della Patria.

In general, the metro allows you to reach the main points of interest in the city such as the Spanish Steps, Piazza del Popolo, the Trevi Fountain, the Opera House, the Colosseum, and St. Peter's.

It is the most convenient and fastest method of getting around the capital, used by tourists, but also by Romans themselves.

The metro operates daily from 5.30 am to 11.30 pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays until 1.30 am.

On special occasions, it may also be interesting to consider trains. In fact, there are as many as 12 railway lines in Rome! There are 8 main ones (whose name begins with the letter F) and 4 special ones.

In terms of management, Trenitalia takes care of 9 while 3 are related to Atac, the company that runs Rome's public transportation. The latter 3 cover the routes from Rome to Viterbo, from Rome to Giardinetti, and, finally, from Rome to Lido.

Among the other lines, certainly the most interesting is the one called Leonardo Express, and it connects Roma Termini station to Fiumicino airport. Then we count the FL1 line (Orte - Fiumicino Aeroporto), the FL2 (Roma Tiburtina - Tivoli), the FL3 (Roma Ostiense - Viterbo Porta Fiorentina), the FL4 (Roma Termini - Frascati / Albano Laziale / Velletri), the FL5 (Roma Termini - Civitavecchia), the FL6 (Roma Termini - Cassino), the FL7 (Roma Termini - Minturno - Scauri) and the FL8 (Roma Termini - Nettuno).

In short, after this overview, it is certainly clear that public transportation is an indispensable tool, to say the least, for exploring the beauty of the capital.

However, how to buy and use tickets, season tickets and passes? Let's see right away.

As we have seen, the company that manages transportation in the capital is Atac.

There are numerous solutions offered by Atac for the use of tickets that are valid not only for buses and streetcars, but also metro and regional railways (in the latter case, tickets are valid only in second class and on the routes Rome - Lido, Termini - Centocelle, Rome - Viterbo).

Here are the alternative solutions:

- The single ticket, valid 100 minutes after validation (in the subway it is valid for a single ride and allows you to change lines A-B and A-C), at a price of 1.50 euros;
- The card that includes 10 single tickets, at a price of 15 euros.

Tickets can be purchased at tobacconists, newsstands, ticket vending machines at the main city bus terminals and metro stations, as well as at Atac ticket offices and train stations in the Lazio region.

If we are talking about metro tickets, they can also be purchased via contactless credit card.

It may also be useful to know that children up to 10 years old, if accompanied by a paying adult, have free access on the main means in the territory of the municipality of Rome.

However, it is always advisable to consult the official website  to stay updated on any news or changes. Alternatively, there are also a number of mobile applications that provide solutions on routes, connections between different stops, schedules and possible delays: the main one is certainly Viaggia con Atac, the official application of the public transport company.

In addition to single tickets, there are passes that allow unlimited travel on Rome's public transport lines for 24, 48 and 72 hours. If you are staying in Rome for longer, it is certainly worth considering also the weekly pass at a cost of 24 euros per person.

Finally, let's not forget the Tourist Pass: a card that not only allows you to get around on public transportation in the capital, but also to have access to some of Rome's major museums, monuments and attractions!