GETTING AROUND ROME

Getting around Rome
Rent a car for travel in the countryside, but use public transport and taxi while in city.
The historic centre is not particularly large and so it is easy to visit on foot, as most monuments are to be found in the same area.
The truth is that even with an excellent guide and lots of time you will probably not see all the art and historic monuments of Rome. Trying to see everything will leave you exhausted and confused. This is why it’s highly recommended to take a guided tour - whether it’s one you’ve got in your guidebook that helps you navigate (and make sense of) what you’re seeing, or whether it’s a real, live person you’re following around (rome4u!). Either way you’ll be sure to not miss the highlights, the really important pieces, and, what’s more, understand their importance.

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Safety
Travellers on crowded buses – and trains should be very careful of their possessions and personal space. Pickpockets (often children) and gropers frequently ride these services - kick up a big fuss if you encounter any trouble, shouting loudly to alert others and any nearby police officers. You should also be wary on nightbuses, particularly if you are heading towards the emptier end of their route. Generally, though, the public transport is fairly safe and efficient, despite the fact that many scooter-and-car-obsessed locals scorn it.

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TAXIES
If you need a taxi, remember to look for the official metered white or yellow taxis. There are taxi ranks in many locations throughout the center, but is nearly impossible to hail one driving down the streets, particularly at night. Make sure your taxi is metered; insist on the metered fare, rather than an arranged price. Make Sure before you get on a Taxi to ask how much you are being charged to your destination.
To call for a taxi within Rome, try 06 3570, 06 4994, 06 6645, 06 551, or 06 8822.

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RENTING BIKES OR SCOOTERS
To really "do as the Romans do", you have to drive around on a Vespa. You'll have no trouble finding rental places all around the city. Rental average are €40-€50 for a one day.

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A more environmentally-friendly, though similarly scary, option is to try a pedal bicycle - the City of Rome has recently launched 'Roma'n'Bike', a bicycle-hiring scheme, at a fairly low cost, with 19 pick-up / drop-off points across the city centre.






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AIRPORTS
Rome has two airports - Fiumicino (Leonardo da Vinci) and Ciampino.

Fiumicino
The Leonardo Express direct train connects Fiumicino non-stop to Termini (Rome's main train station, connecting with the Metro lines A & B). It runs every 30 minutes with a journey time of 30 minutes. The train departs from and arrives at Termini station at track n.25 and runs from 5.52am till 10.52pm. Ticket: EUR 14,00. Children under 12 years travel free.


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For more information see:
http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/muoversi-in-citta/con-le-ferrovie-regionali/leonardo-express.html

The FR1 every 30 minutes from 5.05am to 19.33pm. Calling at Parco Leonardo, Fiera di Roma, Ponte Galeria, Muratella, Magliana, Villa Bonelli, Trastevere, Ostiense, Tuscolana, Tiburtina. The train meets the Metro B at Magliana, Ostiense and Tiburtina. Ticket: EUR 8

For more information see:
http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/muoversi-in-citta/con-le-ferrovie-regionali/fr1-fiumicino-aeroporto-fara-sabina-orte.html

COTRAL bus (from Terminal 3). Ticket EUR 4,50 if purchased in advance, or EUR 7,00 if purchased on the bus. Different buses connect the airport to:
Cornelia; Ostia Lido; Fregene; Eur Magliana; Tiburtina.

Taxis to Rome’s Centre take 40-50 minutes at a set fare of EUR 40. For journeys to other parts of the city, the fare is set by taxi metre (there is an extra charge of EUR 1 for luggage).

For more information see:
http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/muoversi-in-citta/in-taxi/taxi-informazioni-tariffe-numero-unico.html


Ciampino
COTRAL bus, get off at Metro A: Anagnina station, then to Termini Station. Cotral bus runs every 30 minutes, until 11pm.

For more information see:
http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/come-arrivare/in-aereo/aeroporto-g-b-pastine-di-ciampino-collegamenti.html


Taxi to Rome’s Centre take 20-30 minutes at a set fare of EUR 30. For journeys to other parts of the city, the fare is set by taxi metre (there is an extra charge of EUR 1 for luggage).

For more information see:
http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/muoversi-in-citta/in-taxi/taxi-informazioni-tariffe-numero-unico.html

CIVITAVECCHIA PORT

(81km-50miles out of Rome)

The train lives Civitavecchia every 30 minutes with a journey time of 75 minutes. It runs from 5.05am to 10.50pm. Calling at St Pietro station and Termini station. Return Ticket: EUR 9,50

COTRAL bus to Cornelia station (Metro A)

Taxi to Rome’s Centre take 60-80 minutes the fare is set by taxi metre (there is an extra charge of EUR 1 for luggage). A single journey may normally costs 130EUR to 150EUR.

Roma’s Public Transport System
Rome's public transport system has plenty of critics, but for most tourist purposes the network is satisfactory enough. The central area and most attractions are covered by buses, trams and underground Metro lines.

The most impressive aspect, however, is the price - Travellers will be pleasantly surprised.

The bus system is good, plus the metro. Buy a day ticket for unlimited rides on buses and the metro. Pick up a copy of the Roma Metro-Bus map at any newsstand for information on which bus to take to specific sights.

2010 Ticket prices are:

• 75 minutes - €1
• Multibit (5 tickets) - €5
• 1 day - €4
• 3 days - €11
• 7 days - €16
• Monthly - €30

Tickets must be purchased in advance at metro and major bus stops, or from tobacconists, news-stands, bars, or vending machines (exact change only!).

Within the city 'Metrebus' combined tickets are valid across the full range of services, including travelling to Ostia & Ostia Antica , but not Fiumicino, or Tivoli .

A single ticket, called a BIT, costs €1 and can be used on any form of transport - but including only one metro journey.
If you are relying on single tickets, purchase a supply to last a while.

Combined ticket (Transport – Museums Entrances)

• Roma Pass Transport is valid for 3 days on all public transport services, it offers free entrance to 2 museums, and discount to all museums and sites that have joined the initiative. Cost: €25 http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2; http://www.romapass.it/
• Museo Nazionale Romano: the ticket is valid for 3 days and it allows you to visit: Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, and the Terme di Diocleziano. Adult price: €7,00; Aged 18 to 25: €3,50; Free admission: European Union citizens younger than 18, seniors over 65
• Appia Antica: the ticket is valid for 7 days and it allows you to visit: Terme di Caracalla, Villa dei Quintili, and the Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella. Full price: €6,00; Aged 18 to 25: €3,00; Free admission: European Union citizens younger than 18, seniors over 65
• The Archaeologia Card is valid for 7 days, and provides entrance to nine sites: the Colosseum, Palatine, Baths of Caracella, four National Roman museums, and two sites on the Appian Way. It's money saving, and most importantly, with the card, no waiting in lines with the kids to buy tickets for the Colosseum. Purchase the card at any of the nine sites (buy the card before you tackle the Colosseum). Adult price: €27.50; Aged 18 to 25: €17,50; Free admission: European Union citizens younger than 18, seniors over 65 http://www.rome.info/museums/cards/

Stamp your ticket when you enter the metro or board a bus or tram. There are two shapes of ticket and consequently two types of validating machine on every vehicle. Inspections are quite frequent and you'll be fined or even escorted to the police station if you don't have a valid ticket. If you ever find yourself on a bus with a broken validating machine, the correct procedure is to write the date and time on your ticket in pen.

Pick up a copy of the Roma Metro-Bus map at any newsstand for information on which bus to take to specific sights.

For more information see: http://www.060608.it/en/trasporti/muoversi-in-citta/in-bus-e-tram-pubblici/sistema-metrebus.html

UNDERGROUND

The Roman metro (called Metropolitana by residents) goes round rather than through the historic city. It has only two lines, A (red) and B (blue), which cross at Termini Central Station. The regional Roma-Lido railway connects the city to Ostia. It runs from 05:18 to 11:30. There are 13 stops with a total average journey time of 37 minutes. The Roma-Pantano railway runs from 05:30 to 9:30. It has 30 stops with an average journey time of 36 minutes. Trains run approximately every 7-10 minutes, from 5:30am until 11.30pm every day (until 0:30am on Saturdays).

Linea B

Laurentina

Eur Fermi (COTRAL)

Eur Palasport

Eur Magliana (interscambio:Ostia Antica, Ostia, Castel Porziano)

Marconi

San Paolo

Garbatella

Piramide (interscambio:Ostia Antica, Aeroporto Fiumicino, Civitavecchia, Viterbo).

Circo Massimo

Colosseo

Cavour

Termini

Castro Pretorio

Policlinico

Bologna

Tiburtina (COTRAL)

Quintiliani

M. Tiburtini

Pietralata

S. M. de Soccorso

Ponte Mammolo (COTRAL)

Rebibbia (COTRAL)

Linea A
Battistini
Cornelia (COTRAL)
Baldo degli Ubaldi
Valle Aurelia
Cipro/Musei Vaticani
Ottaviano/S.Pietro
Lepanto (COTRAL)
Flaminio
Spagna
Barberini
Repubblica
Termini
Vittorio
Manzoni
San Giovanni
Re di Roma
Ponte Lungo
Furio Camillo
Colli Albani
Arco di Travertino
Porta Furba
Numidio Quadrato
Lucio Sestio
Giulio Agricola
Subaugusta
Cinecitta'
Anagnina (COTRAL)

Underground Tourist Stops
Piazza di Spagna: Line A: Spagna.
Musei Vaticani: Line A: Cipro/Musei Vaticani.
Basilica di S. Pietro: Line A: Ottaviano.
Colosseo: Linea B: Colosseo.
Circo Massimo, Terme di Caracalla e Aventino: Linea B: Circo Massimo.
Appia e Catacombe: Line A: Colli Albani, then bus 660.

BUSES and TRAMS
There are hundreds of bus lines, running from 5:30am till midnight. All buses and trams travel in both directions.
The main terminal stations are Termini (Piazza dei Cinquecento) and Piazza Venezia. From these two piazzas buses leave for all directions every 30 minutes. Night bus stops are marked with an owl. You can purchase tickets on board.

Take the tram around Rome – Pick up the 3 tram for a ride through Rome, on Viale delle Belle Arti (in front of the Museum of Modern Art) in the Borghese Gardens. A 40 min. ride takes you along the park, through Roman neighborhoods, past ancient walls and aqueducts, right to the Colosseum. You could get off there, or keep on going, past the Circus Maximus, up the Aventine, to Piazza Porta S. Paolo and the Tiber River. (At the Tiber, just get off and take the 3 tram going back to the Borghese Gardens). The tram goes slow, it's pleasant and relaxing, the perfect things for a lazy Sunday afternoon. Tram 19 offers a pleasent trip too.

Trambus has renewed a certain number of its vintage streetcars into elegant tram restaurants known as “Tram Ristorante” from 28 and 38 pax. These unique trams are the only ones of their kind in Italy.

These historic means of transport have become real mobile restaurants, that offers the opportunity to stop off in front of the Colosseum or in Piazza Thorwaldsen. Tram Ristorante will enable you and your guests to have a unique and unforgettable experience whilst travelling and viewing the beauty of the eternal City. The Tram Restaurant does not only have daily scheduled departures in the city centre, it also can be rented for exclusive use, for surprise parties, business lunch or meetings, weddings, birthdays, christenings, graduation parties and many other forms of entertainment. So it will be possible to offer to one's guests a nice surprise, the only one in its kind, organized in an original way and in a very careful and comfortable atmosphere.
http://www.romeguide.it/tramristorante/tramristoranteeng.htm

To get around, the bus system is good, plus the metro. Buy a day ticket for unlimited rides on buses and the metro. Pick up a copy of the Roma Metro-Bus map at any newsstand for information on which bus to take to specific sights.

The most useful bus lines for the tourists are:
• 40 Express: Termini (Viale Einaudi) - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Argentina - Chiesa Nuova - Piazza Pia (for Castel S. Angelo and St. Peter's).
• 64: Termini (Viale Einaudi) - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Argentina - Corso Vittorio Emanuele - Stazione S. Pietro (basically the same route as the 40 Express except it makes many more stops) .
• H: Termini (Viale Einaudi) - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Viale Trastevere - (then continues into the western suburbs, ending at Via Capasso).
• 8 Tram: Connects the historic center with Trastevere. Largo Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Piazza G.G. Belli - Piazza Mastai - Piazza Ippolito Nievo - Stazione Trastevere - Monteverde - Casaletto.
• 492: Stazione Tiburtina - San Lorenzo - Termini - Piazza Barberini - Piazza Venezia - Corso Rinascimento - Piazza Cavour - Piazza Risorgimento (for the Vatican Museums)
• 23: Piazzale Clodio - Piazza Risorgimento (for Basilica di S. Pietro) - Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II - Lungotevere - Ponte Garibaldi - Lungotevere - Via Marmorata - Piazzale Ostiense - Basilica di S. Paolo
• 170: Termini - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Via del Teatro di Marcello - Bocca della Verità - (then south to Testaccio and EUR, ending at Piazzale dell'Agricoltura)
• 714: Termini - Piazza S. Maria Maggiore - Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano - Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - (then south to EUR, ending at Piazzale P.L. Nervi)
• 660: Largo Colli Albani - Via Appia Nuova - Via Appia Antica (near the Tomb of Cecilia Metella).
• 910: Termini - Piazza della Repubblica - Via Piemonte - Via Pinciana (Villa Borghese) - Piazza Euclide - Palazzetto dello Sport - Piazza Mancini

REDUCED MOBILITY PASSENGERS

Rome has only started becoming handicap-accessible. Wheelchair access to restaurant bathrooms is almost nonexistent, ramps are rare, elevators in old buildings are uncommon, and buses in general are not wheelchair-compatible.

Line A wheelchair access (Cipro-Musei Vaticani e Valle Aurelia only).
Line B wheelchair access (All stops but not Circo Massimo, Colosseo & Cavour).

Travellers with difficulties moving can use the 590 bus service . It is equipped for motorised wheel chairs and runs parallel to metro line A (from Piazza Cinecittà to Piazza Risorgimento), but it runs every 90 minutes (schedule posted at the bus stop).

Electric buses (Could be the perfect solution for turists with reduced mobility)
• 116: Via Veneto - Piazza Barberini - Piazza di Spagna - Corso Rinascimento - Campo de' Fiori - Piazza Farnese - Via Monserrato - Via Giulia - Campo de' Fiori - Corso Rinascimento - Pantheon - Piazza Colonna - Piazza Barberini - Via Veneto (It also does a loop inside the Villa Borghese, stopping near the Galleria Borghese, before making its final stop at the top of Via Veneto.)
• 117: Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano - Piazza del Colosseo - Via dei Serpenti (Monti) - Largo Tritone - Piazza di Spagna - Piazza del Popolo - Via del Corso - Piazza Venezia - Piazza del Colosseo - Via Labicana - Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano
• 119: Piazza del Popolo - Via del Corso - Largo Goldoni - Piazza Venezia - Via del Tritone - Piazza Barberini - Piazza di Spagna - Via del Babuino - Piazza del Popolo

NIGHT BUSES
(from 12:30am to 5:30am )
Over 20 night bus lines run from 00:30am to 5:30am.
For lines tables and public transport maps visit official site of public transportation in Rome - ATAC S.p.A

The most useful night bus routes:
• 78N: Piazzale Clodio - Piazzale Flaminio - Piazza Cavour - Largo di Torre Argentina - Piazza Venezia - Via Nazionale - Stazione Termini. A good bus to know if your hotel is near Termini but you plan to be out late in the historic center.
• 40N: Same route as Metro Line B. Good connection between Testaccio (use the stop at Piramide, in Piazzale Ostiense) and Termini, or if you need to catch a night train from Tiburtina station.
• 55N: Same route as Metro Line A.
• 29N: Piazzale Ostiense - Lungotevere Aventino - Lungotevere de' Cenci (across the Tiber from Trastevere) - Via Crescenzio (Vatican area) - Via Barletta - Piazza Marina (Flaminio) - Via Belle Arti - Viale Liegi (Parioli) - Viale Regina Margherita - Via dei Marrucini (San Lorenzo) - Via Labicana (Colosseum) - Viale Aventino - Piazzale Ostiense

OPEN-TOP TOURIST BUSES

  These buss work like a ‘jump on’ / jump off’ tour, and the visitor can stop at any of the above mentioned sights, as long as the ticket is used just one day.
Tours lasts about 2 hours.
  A hostess on the bus offers a guided tour in different languages.
The buses depart everyday (including holidays), from Piazza del Cinquecento (Termini Railway Station).
  Tickets can be purchased at the Infopoint Trambus on the square or directly on board (in this case the price increases of 1 Euro).

Christian Open
Price: 16,00 Euro (adults); 8,00 Euro (kids from 6 to 12 years old); Free (kids under 5 years old). The ticket is valid 1 day.
The bus departs every 20 minutes, from 8.30am to 7.00pm.
It stops at the most famous Roman churches.

110 Open
  Price: 20,00 Euro (adults); 10,00 Euro (kids from 6 to 12 years old); Free (kids under 5 years old). The ticket is valid 1 day.
The bus departs every 10 minutes, from 8.30am to 8.30pm.
  The 110 Open bus stops at: Quirinale, Colosseum, Bocca della verita (Mouth of Truth), Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, St Peter's Square, Piazza Cavour, Ara Pacis, Trevi Fountain, Via Veneto, and back to Termini Station.

Archeobus
  Price: 15,00 Euro (adults); 7,00 Euro (kids from 6 to 12 years old); Free (kids under 5 years old). The ticket is valid 1 day.
The bus departs every 20 minutes, from 8.30am to 6.00pm.
  It stops at the most famous Roman archaeological sights along the Appian way: Circo Massimo, Mura Aureliane, San Callisto and San Sebastiano catacombs, Tempio di Romolo, Circo di Massenzio, Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella, Villa dei Quintili, Mausoleo di Casal Rotondo, Valle della Caffarella, Baths of Caracalla.

110 OPEN + ARCHEOBUS (JOINT TICKET)
There is the possibility of a join ticket for 24,00 Euro per person. The ticket is valid 2 days.

Driving

• You must be 21 to rent a car, and most rental companies make those under 23 pay by credit card. If you want to rent a big car, you might have to show two credit cards.
• Driving is on the right.
• Right turns on red lights are forbidden.
• Headlights are mandatory when driving on all roads outside city limits.
• Seatbelts and children's car seats are compulsory.
• Using a cell phone while driving is also illegal.
• Italian traffic police can charge on the spot-fees for infractions, so be prepared to pay. Penalties for drinking and driving are especially harsh, and the blood-alcohol in Italy is much stricter than in the United States.
• The expressways are free, but the highways are toll. Upon entering a toll highway, you are issued a ticket, which you return while paying upon exiting the highway.
• Take note that Uscita means EXIT in Italian.
• Parking spaces are often at a premium in crowded Italian cities. Fines for violations are high and strictly enforced. Towing is common. As a result, it is best to leave your car in a guarded parking area.
• In many central zones in the city there are authorised parking areas marked with blue lines (the yellow lines mean you can't park there). The cost per hour is 1.00 Euro. After 8 pm (in some cases after 11 pm) you can park for free until 8 am. Tickets must be displayed in windscreens and they can be bought both at the machines on the pavement (coins only) or at tobacconists (large T sign) and newsagents.
•Italians like to drive fast and honk their horns a lot. Tailgating is the norm.
• The speed limits are 80mph (130kph) on highways and 70mph (110kph) on state and provincial roads.

Rome: Why you shouldn’t even try to see it all
The truth is that even with an excellent guide and lots of time you will probably not see all the art and historic monuments of Rome. Trying to see everything will leave you exhausted and confused. This is why it’s highly recommended to take a guided tour - whether it’s one you’ve got in your guidebook that helps you navigate (and make sense of) what you’re seeing, or whether it’s a real, live person you’re following around (rome4u!). Either way you’ll be sure to not miss the highlights, the really important pieces, and, what’s more, understand their importance.

For further information:
http://www.atac.roma.it/index.asp?lingua=ENG
www.trambusopen.com
http://www.atac.roma.it/
http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/rome/transport.html
http://www.rome.info/metro/