Rome’s bus network (ATAC) is chaotic, unreliable, and the only way to reach half the city. The metro has 3 lines; the buses have 350. You’ll need them.
Plan your trip →Bus 40 (express): Termini → Piazza Venezia → Largo Argentina → Vatican (Piazza Pia). The fastest Vatican connection. 20 min. Bus 64: same route as 40 but local (more stops, more crowded, more pickpockets). Bus H: Termini → Piazza Venezia → Trastevere. Bus 23: Piazzale Ostiense → Trastevere → Vatican (riverside route). Bus 910: Termini → Via Veneto → Villa Borghese.
Same €1.50 BIT ticket as metro (100 min, unlimited bus/tram changes). Validate on board in the yellow machine. Buses rarely display which stop you’re at — use Google Maps live tracking. Night buses (notturni): N-prefix routes run midnight–5:30am on main corridors. €1.50 same ticket.
Don’t expect a schedule. ATAC says 10-min frequency; reality is 5–30 min depending on traffic, driver mood, and alignment of planets. Use the Moovit or Probus Roma app for real-time tracking. Back doors don’t always open — press the button AND push. Rush hour (7:30–9am, 5–7pm) is sardine-level on main routes.