How to navigate Rome’s metro with confidence: Tips and tricks from our forums

Rome is filled with architectural wonders spanning millennia, and you can hit most of the main attractions on foot. But Rome is a big city and using the metro to get around the Eternal City can help you save time and energy.

Most of the major sights are within walking distance from a metro station, including the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, and the Spanish Steps at Piazza di Spagna.

Check out our ultimate guide to Rome’s Metro system and find out how to navigate it like a local.

The Rome Metro is the main public transit system within the Italian capital’s metropolitan area. It runs for about 37 miles, spread across 73 stations and three lines (A, B, and C). Plans for a subway system in Rome dated back to the 1880s, though construction didn’t kick off until the 1930s. World War II caused a long delay in the construction, which was eventually completed in 1955.

Today, the Rome Metro is a convenient, affordable, and easy way to get around the city. It’s far more reliable than the tram network and buses, which follow winding routes and often get stuck in traffic.

The subway takes you to most places in and around Rome’s historic core. A few must-sees, however, still lack a subway link: both Piazza Navona and the Mausoleum of Hadrian are almost a mile away from the closest Metro station. The good news is the system is growing in all directions. Line C, for example, will extend to the Colosseum and connect the city center to Rome’s easternmost districts in a couple of years.

In addition to its subway, Rome has a commuter rail service made up of eight lines. Five of them leave from Termini (the city’s main railway station). The other three either depart from or pass through the Tiburtina train station (located in the northeastern part of the city). One of these is FL 1, which connects Fiumicino International Airport to central neighborhoods like Trastevere.

The Rome Metro provides multiple options for purchasing a ticket or pass. The simplest way is to head to a ticket machine (which has an English menu option) or office. Both can be found in all subway and suburban train stations.

But while ticket machines operate according to the Metro system’s working hours, ticket offices are only open between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. from Monday through Saturday and between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Sundays and public holidays.

You can also buy your tickets at over 2,000 newsstands, bars, and tobacco shops across the capital. Around 1,000 of them sell passes as well.

Finally, all Rome Metro stations have at least a couple of turnstiles allowing for contactless payment through your debit/credit cards and smartphones.

That will depend on how long you’ll be staying in Rome, what distances you’ll be covering, and how often you’ll be using the system. Tickets and passes are valid on the subway and on all trams and buses within the city, but none of them can be shared between passengers.

The single ticket to Rome’s public transportation is good for 100 minutes after validation and allows for multiple transfers within that time frame (though only on a single subway ride). It costs $1.50 and can also be purchased via SMS (provided you have a local TIM, Vodafone, or WINDTRE SIM card) or on the MyCicero app. Alternatively, you can buy a carnet of 10 single-ride tickets for $15.00. The single ticket is recommended if you’re planning to take the Metro up to four times a day. If you’re traveling more than that, you’ll get better value for money with a Rome Metro pass.

If you’re planning to ride the subway several times a day during your trip to Rome, consider getting a 24-hour pass for $7.00, a 48-hour pass for $12.50, or a 72-hour pass for $18.00. These will give you unlimited access to all public transportation around Rome for the specified period and they only need to be validated once.

Are you staying in Rome for a week or so? If the answer is yes, and you think you might be using public transportation more than twice every day, getting the system’s weekly pass for $24.00 will be worth it.

The Roma Passes are special versions of the two- and three-day passes meant specifically for visitors. Apart from access to all of Rome’s public transit system, you’ll enjoy discounts on events and exhibitions across the city and free entry to one museum or archaeological site. The 48-hour pass costs $32 while the 72-hour one costs $52.

Passes covering all of the provinces within the Lazio region cost between $8.90 and $39.20 depending on where you’re traveling. They’re valid for three days and can be a great option if you’re using public transportation both within Rome and to reach Fiumicino Airport.

From Sunday through Thursday, all three lines of the metro run between 5.30 a.m. and 11.30 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, the subway runs from 5.30 a.m. to 1.30 a.m.

The Rome Metro offers a handful of ticket and pass options for your convenience, so take a few minutes to figure out which suits you best based on your itinerary.

While subway stations have turnstiles, trams and buses have tiny machines where you’re supposed to insert your ticket to have it validated. Failure to do so may result in a fine.

No matter which euro bill you use, you’ll get your change in coins. So if you’re paying for your ticket in cash, try to use smaller bills or you’ll end up with a pocketful of coins.

The subway is quite safe day or night, but pickpocketing is relatively common like in all big cities around the world. Be aware of your surroundings, especially around the ticket booths.

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