Overview
Rome's public transport is run by ATAC (Azienda per i Trasporti Autoferrotranviari del Comune di Roma), which operates the metro, buses, trams and urban trains. The system is anchored by the Metropolitana di Roma, a rapid transit network that began operation in 1955 and is the oldest metro in Italy. It carries roughly 820,000 passengers a day, or about 320 million a year.
Riding it end to end as a visitor is straightforward. Plan your route, buy a ticket or tap a contactless card at the gate, validate if you are using a paper ticket, ride to your stop, and exit through the turnstiles. Almost everything in the city runs on the Metrebus integrated tariff system — an acronym built from "Metro", "Treno" and "Bus" — which lets one ticket cover metro, buses, trams and participating urban trains within the limits of the Municipality of Rome and the urban tariff zone.
Expect the metro to be the fastest way across the centre, buses and trams to fill the gaps, and suburban rail (the FL lines) to reach the wider Lazio region. Note that Termini, the main station, is locked between 00:30 and 04:30; most long-distance trains passing through in that window stop at Tiburtina instead.
The network
Rome's network is a patchwork of metro, suburban rail, trams, buses and — where relevant — ferries, all knitted together by the Metrebus fare system.
Metro (Metropolitana di Roma)
The metro comprises three lines — A (orange), B (blue) and C (green) — running on 62 km (39 mi) of route and serving 74 stations.
- Line A (orange) runs from the southeastern suburbs through the northeast of downtown and up to the northern part of the city near Vatican City. It has 27 stations, with terminals at Battistini and Anagnina. It connects with Line B at Termini and with Line C at San Giovanni. It entered service in February 1980.
- Line B (blue) was the first metro line in Rome and connects the northeast of the city with the southwest. It has 26 stations with terminals at Rebibbia, Jonio and Laurentina (just east of EUR). It opened on 9 February 1955, with regular services beginning the following day. A 4 km branch (B1) linking Piazza Bologna with Conca d'Oro opened in 2012, and its terminus at Jonio opened in 2015.
- Line C (green) opened on 9 November 2014 and runs radially from Colosseo (interchange with Line B) to the eastern terminus of Pantano. It is the first metro line to extend beyond the city boundaries. Its trains are fully automated, using the same driverless system as the Copenhagen Metro. Extensions are under construction, with the station Venezia expected to open in 2033.
All three are heavy rapid transit lines using six-car trains roughly 105 m long.
Suburban rail (FL lines)
Eight FL lines — 672 km (417.5 mi) with 131 stations — surround Rome and the Lazio region. Two named express services also matter to visitors: the Leonardo Express, connecting Roma Termini to Fiumicino's Leonardo da Vinci Airport, and the Civitavecchia Express, connecting the city to the Port of Civitavecchia. There are also three commuter urban lines (135 km / 83.8 mi with 57 stations).
Trams and light rail
Six tram lines cover 36 km (22 mi) with 192 stops. The Roma–Giardinetti light railway is the line whose former terminus at Pantano is now served by metro Line C.
Buses
ATAC buses fill in where the rails do not reach, including urban routes such as line 720 to Laurentina and line 520 to Cinecittà. Cotral bus services within Rome are also covered by the integrated ticket.
Ferries
Rome itself is not a ferry city; the waterborne connection that matters for travellers is the port link served by the Civitavecchia Express train rather than a scheduled urban ferry network.
Tickets & fares
Rome uses the Metrebus integrated tariff system, so one ticket type generally covers metro, buses, trams, Cotral services within Rome, urban trains (Rome–Lido, Rome–Viterbo, Rome–Pantano) and Trenitalia regional trains in second class. Fares below are approximate and change — always check current prices before you travel.
- BIT (Biglietto Integrato a Tempo) — the single-journey ticket, €1.50. Valid for 100 minutes from first validation, with unlimited transfers between metro, buses, trams and urban trains. You may not exit and re-enter the metro through the turnstiles on the same ticket.
- 24-hour ticket (MetroBus 24h) — €7. Unlimited travel from validation until midnight of the same day.
- 48-hour ticket — €12.50. Unlimited travel for 48 hours from first use.
- 72-hour ticket — €18. Unlimited travel for 72 hours from first use.
- Weekly pass (CIS) — €24. Unlimited travel for 7 days.
- Monthly and annual travel cards are also available for longer stays.
Smartcards and tap-to-ride: contactless payment has been rolled out across much of the network. You can tap a contactless debit or credit card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay or a smartwatch directly at metro gates without buying a paper ticket.
Validation: paper tickets must be punched or validated in the machines before boarding — an unvalidated ticket is invalid. Fines run €50–€100, higher if paid later, and inspectors operate including on Sundays.
Where to buy: vending machines in any metro station, convenience stores and newsstands. Contactless tap-and-go works at metro turnstiles and on some buses and trams.
Tourist passes: the OMNIA Rome & Vatican Card bundles unlimited public transport, a hop-on hop-off bus, and priority access to the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, Colosseum and Roman Forum. It is a commercial product rather than part of the ATAC fare structure, so compare it against the plain 48-hour or 72-hour tickets before buying.
From the airport
Rome's main airport is Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino (FCO). The fastest public-transport link to the centre is the Leonardo Express train to Roma Termini: a 30-minute non-stop journey costing about €14 each way. Be careful with its rules — travellers have reported being fined by the conductor for using it incorrectly, so make sure your ticket matches the service.
Cheaper rail options exist: regional trains to Rome depart from the same station as the Leonardo Express, cost significantly less (around €8 to stations in Rome), but do not stop at Roma Termini.
Coach services are another option, with an average cost of about €7 if booked in advance and up to €9, taking up to an hour. Flibco runs an airport shuttle between Fiumicino and Roma Termini with up to 40 departures a day; the journey takes around 45 minutes and tickets start from about €6.99 when booked online, departing from Terminal 3 and arriving at Via Giolitti next to Termini.
Taxis operate on a fixed fare to the centre (any point within the ancient Aurelian Walls).
Rome's second airport, Ciampino (CIA), is smaller, closer to the centre, and has no direct train connection. From Termini and other stations you can take a train to Ciampino station and then a bus to the airport (Ciampino AirLink), with the bus timed to meet the train; the total journey is around 40 minutes. Several direct coaches also run to Termini, including SITBusShuttle (about €4 one-way to the centre, €6 from the centre, €8 return), Terravision (about €6 one-way, €11 return booked online), RomeAirportBus by Schiaffini (about €5.90 single from the airport, €6.90 single from the city) and a COTRAL direct line (about €5 one-way).
For the cheapest route from Ciampino, take ATAC urban bus line 720 to Laurentina (Line B) or line 520 to Cinecittà (Line A): one €1.50 ticket covers the whole trip and is valid for 100 minutes. You cannot buy tickets on the bus, but ATAC vending machines are located shortly before you leave the airport.
Etiquette & customs
- Queuing: Italians are informal about lines, but at metro gates and ticket machines a loose queue is expected — let people off before you board.
- Escalators: stand on the right and walk on the left, as in most of Europe.
- Priority seating: seats reserved for the elderly, pregnant passengers and those with reduced mobility are marked; give them up without being asked.
- Eating and drinking: keep it minimal on board — a quick coffee standing is fine, but full meals on a crowded metro carriage are frowned upon.
- Rush hour: the metro can get very crowded, especially on Line A. Keep your bag in front of you, don't block the doors, and let passengers exit before you push in.
- Validation: always punch your paper ticket before boarding. Inspectors do check, including on Sundays, and the fine is €50–€100.
Official links
Survival terms
- Subway / metro — metropolitana (meh-troh-poh-lee-TAH-nah)
- Ticket — biglietto (beel-YET-toh)
- Line — linea (LEE-neh-ah)
- Entrance — ingresso (een-GRESS-soh)
- Exit — uscita (oo-SHEE-tah)
- Transfer — cambio (KAHM-byoh)
- Single fare — biglietto singolo (beel-YET-toh SEEN-goh-loh)
- Day pass — abbonamento giornaliero (ahb-boh-nah-MEN-toh johr-nah-LYEH-roh)
Before you travel, check the current fares and any service changes on the operator's official site, because prices and timetables in Rome are updated regularly.