Public transportation in Rome: everything you need to know

Public transportation in Rome consists of bus, metro and tram lines. However, the tickets provided by ATAC can be used, within the validity period, even on regional trains that travel within the territory of the capital of Rome.

ATAC, Agencia per la mobilità del Comune di Roma, offers tickets with different prices and validities to suit how long visitors will stay in the city. Another option is to use the Roma Pass, with discounts of up to 100% for some tourist attractions, plus free transport for 2 or 3 days, depending on the option chosen.

If you don’t want to choose the Roma Pass, the ticket can be a good option to move around the city between the tourist attractions, hotel and even the airport.

Where the ticket can be used?

According to information on the ticket, it must be validated on the first trip and will be valid for the time printed on it, within the territory of the capital of Rome, serving the local public transportation of ATAC (bus, tram and metro), Cotral and regional railways by train (2nd class from Trenitalia to the lines from Rome to Lido, Giardinetti or Viterbo).

Types of ticket

The tickets can be bought at any Tabaccheria (tobacco shops) “with a big T on it” and at the machines present in the subway stations. The options of validity and price of the “biglietto” are the following:

• BIT standard Ticket (€ 1,50) –valid for one metro ride or up to 100 minutes on all buses allowing transfers;
• ROMA 24-hour (€ 7,00) – valid for unlimited travels for 24 hours from validations;
• ROMA 48H (€ 12,50) – valid for unlimited travels for 48 hours from validations;
• ROMA 72H (€ 18,00) – valid for unlimited travels for 72 hours from validations;
• CIS – CARTA INTEGRATA SETTIMANALE (€ 24,00) – valid for 7 calendar days.
• MENSILE (€ 35,00) – valid for the calendar month as indicated on the pass or on the receipt of pass charge.

All the tickets mentioned have unlimited trips, except the BIT, which has a limit of 1 trip by subway. After you buy your ticket, you must validate it in one of the yellow machines present in the buses or trams, only once. The validity date and the convalidation date will be stamped on the back of the ticket. It is important not to forget to validate it, keep it until the expiration date, because the inspector may board at any time to check. The fine is 50 euros and has to be paid on time.

Airport connection through public transportation in Rome

Basically, there are three forms of transport connection in Rome with the international airport in Fiumicino: Leonardo Express, FL1 and a third form, which we will talk about later.

Leonardo Express

It is the most expensive but fastest option of all, lasting 35 minutes. The Leonardo Express is a non-stop train that connects downtown Rome with the airport. If you are arriving in Rome, you should go to the train station at Fiumicino Airport. However, to get to the airport, you must go to Rome Termini station, which is the central train station, to catch the Leonardo Express.

Each user pays a fee of 14€ for the ticket, per leg, which can be purchased at the counter or at the station’s automatic machines. The Roma Termini train station has connections to the metro lines A and B.

FL1 Regional Train

This one may have the best cost x benefit. Regional trains have 15-minute breaks during the week and 30-minute breaks on weekends. However, as they don’t pass through Termini, you should take the train at one of the train stations where the FL1 line passes, in the city of Rome:

• Nomentana
• Tiburtina
• Tuscolana
• Ostiense
• Trastevere.

So, if you are not near any of these stations, check the box below or download the map, which have subway connection line A or B:

Roma-Lido-Fiumicino

This last option was our travel experience. It is a longer trip, but it came at no cost, as we were still within the validity of the 72h ticket.

Rome was our last destination on the journey. So, as the flight was very early, we stayed in Fiumicino on the last day. We stayed in a hotel that had a transfer service to the airport. So, the day before, we left Rome around 10am to Fiumicino.

On Via Tiburtina, where we were staying, we took a bus to Tiburtina Station. We took the subway “line B” to the station “Eur Magliana”, which is connected to the “Porta San Paolo-Cristoforo Colombo”, a surface metro. We get off at Lido Centro station and take the blue bus from COTRAL, which was also part of the set of transports that ticket is accepted, and, finally, take the line to the Fiumicino Airport.

It is important to be aware of the timetables, as the last bus leaves at 24h from the terminals. There are some night lines. If you want to search about bus schedule, train lines and routes, there are several apps that make this information available.