Romans have a complicated relationship with ATAC (the city's public transport company). They complain about it constantly — buses are late, metro stations close for repairs, the escalators at Barberini station have been "under maintenance" since the Flavian dynasty. And yet: ATAC works. 2 metro lines + 8 tram lines + 350 bus routes cover the entire city. A single €1.50 ticket lasts 100 minutes (unlimited buses/trams + 1 metro ride). You can reach ANY point in central Rome within 30 minutes by public transport. This guide explains every option, every ticket, and the unwritten rules that separate tourists from Romans on the bus. Taxi guide →
Plan my Rome transport →Metro A (orange): Battistini → Anagnina. Key stops: Ottaviano (Vatican), Spagna (Spanish Steps), Barberini (Trevi 5 min walk), Termini (main station). Metro B (blue): Rebibbia/Jonio → Laurentina. Key stops: Termini, Colosseo (Colosseum!), Circo Massimo, Piramide (Testaccio), EUR. Metro C (green): San Giovanni → Monte Compatri. Limited tourist use (mostly suburban). Hours: 5:30am-11:30pm (Friday-Saturday until 1:30am). Frequency: Every 3-7 minutes peak, 7-12 minutes off-peak.
BIT (€1.50): Single ticket. Valid 100 minutes from first validation. Unlimited bus/tram rides + 1 metro ride. Roma 24h (€7): Unlimited everything for 24 hours. Worth it if you make 5+ rides/day. Roma 48h (€12.50) / 72h (€18): Multi-day passes. CIS (€24): 7-day pass. Buy from: Tabaccherie (tobacco shops — look for the "T" sign), metro station machines (coins/cards), the Tabnet or MyCicero apps. VALIDATE every ticket on the yellow machine when boarding bus/tram or entering metro gates. Unvalidated ticket = €55 fine.
Bus 64 (Termini → Vatican): The most useful tourist bus. Also the most pickpocketed. Bus 40 (Express Termini → Vatican): Same route, fewer stops, fewer pickpockets. Use this instead of 64. Bus H (Termini → Trastevere): Cross-city connection. Tram 3: Colosseo → Trastevere → Testaccio → Piramide. Tram 8: Trastevere → Largo Argentina (near Pantheon). Night buses (N lines): When metro closes (11:30pm), N buses run main routes until 5:30am. N lines follow metro routes approximately. Bus stops: Electronic boards show estimated arrival (when working). Google Maps and Moovit apps are more reliable for real-time bus tracking.
1. Enter from the rear doors, exit from the middle doors (front door reserved for disabled/elderly). 2. Validate your ticket IMMEDIATELY upon boarding. Inspectors board randomly — "I didn't know" is not accepted. 3. On the metro: stand on the RIGHT side of escalators, walk on the LEFT. Romans will murder you with their eyes if you block the left. 4. Bags in front on crowded buses — especially line 64. 5. Don't expect buses to arrive on schedule. The app says 3 minutes, reality says 12. This is normal. 6. "Permesso!" (excuse me, let me pass) is the magic word for getting off a crowded bus.
Fiumicino → Termini: Leonardo Express train (€14, 32 min, every 15 min). Best option. Or: Terravision/SIT bus (€6, 55 min). Ciampino → Termini: Terravision/SIT bus (€6, 40 min). Or: ATAC bus to Anagnina metro + Metro A to Termini (€1.50 + €1.50, 60 min, cheapest). Taxi: €50 FCO / €31 CIA fixed →