Getting around Rome
Rome has three metro lines and all three skirt the Baroque core — so the fastest way between the Pantheon, Navona and Trevi is still your own two feet.
- One ticket
- €1.50
- For several days
- Roma 24h €8.50, Roma 72h €22
- Metro A
- The Vatican, the Spanish Steps, Termini
The centre itself is rarely worth riding through — the Pantheon, Navona, Trevi and the Spanish Steps sit ten minutes' walk apart, and no metro line runs through that loop. A €1.50 ticket covers 100 minutes on every mode of transport; for days packed with museums and crosstown trips, Roma 24, 48 or 72 hours pay off better.
One ticket for everything, a hundred minutes
The BIT ticket (€1.50) covers buses, trams, the metro and the urban stretch of trains for a hundred minutes from the first validation, with as many changes as fit in that time — but only one metro ride. Buy it at tobacco kiosks (tabaccheria), at station machines, or in the Tabnet/MyCicero app. For three or more rides a day, Roma 24h (€8.50) pays off better, or Roma 72h (€22) for longer.
Two lines that cover the most
Line A runs from Battistini in the north-west to Anagnina in the south-east, with stops for the Vatican (Ottaviano), the Spanish Steps (Spagna) and Termini. Line B runs from Rebibbia to Laurentina/EUR, with stops for the Colosseum (Colosseo), Piramide, and Termini too, where the two lines cross. Line C is the newest and still stops on the eastern outskirts, well away from the tourist centre.
A denser network, a slower ride
Where the metro doesn't reach, a bus does — the network covers the whole city, including parts of the centre with no metro stop — but city traffic makes the ride unpredictable, especially in the afternoon. Trams run fewer routes but move in a straight line without fighting traffic: line 8 links Largo Argentina with Trastevere, 3 and 19 run along the eastern edge of the centre.
Nearly all of it is walked
The Pantheon to Trevi is five minutes, Trevi to the Spanish Steps about the same, Navona to Campo de' Fiori less. Over that loop, transport only adds the wait at a stop you'd have walked past anyway; the metro and buses earn their keep getting into the centre or out of it, while moving around inside it mostly comes down to walking.
From the airport
Fiumicino and Ciampino each have their own route into the city — train, bus or taxi, with prices and journey times that depend on which of the two airports you land at.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Do you need a car in Rome?
No. The centre is a restricted traffic zone (ZTL) and nearly every sight is within walking distance; parking is expensive and scarce.
Which transport ticket pays off best for three days?
Roma 72h (€22) if the metro or bus gets used several times a day; for fewer rides, the single BIT ticket (€1.50) works out cheaper per ride.
What are the main metro lines?
A for the Vatican, the Spanish Steps and Termini; B for the Colosseum, Piramide and Termini. Line C doesn't reach the centre.
Ready for Rome?
Where to next
Mistakes everyone makes in Rome
→Six mistakes that wreck more than a mood — from the Colosseum with no booking to sitting on the Spanish Steps.
Assisi · 131 km
→The hill town of St Francis, with two basilicas, a Roman forum and a fortress above the rooftops — the centre fits into one day on foot.
How well does Rome suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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