Rome serves a huge number of buses. This is public transport, and sightseeing routes, and intercity flights. In addition, there are separate buses from airports and routes to outlets. In this article, BlogoItaliano has summarized all the basic details about buses in Rome to make it easier for you to plan your trip.
The public transport bus system in Rome is very extensive and has about 300 routes.
Public transport buses in Rome
In addition to the usual yellow and red buses, green express trains and small diesel-powered eco-buses move around the city.
Express trains make significantly fewer stops on the route, due to which they move around the city much faster than ordinary buses. A popular express route among tourists is No. 40: it follows from the station square to San Pietro via Nazionale and Argentino square.
The city has about 300 bus routes
Eco-buses move much more slowly, but they can squeeze into even the narrowest streets of the city. The numbers of these routes always begin with 11.
It is customary to enter the bus through the front and rear doors, to leave - only through the middle door.
Buses stop on demand, so at small stops on the street it is better to wave the driver a hand, and in the bus compartment - before the stop you need, press the special yellow button. After pressing the button, a loud bell will sound, and the message Fermata prenotata ("Stop ordered") will light on the board.
Opening hours
Buses in Rome operate from 05:30 to 00:00 (eco-buses - from 08:00 to 22:00). The interval of movement is from 10 to 25 minutes.
The schedule and the scheme of movement of buses are placed at stops. The lines of blue (for working days), red (for weekends) or black (for daily routes) indicate the route of regular buses, green squares are for express routes, and dark blue with a yellow owl on the side are for night flights.
Schedule and scheme of buses placed at the bus stop
On the billboard you can see the inscription "Sciopero". This means that the drivers of this route are on strike (a case for Italy is not uncommon), and you will have to look for another opportunity to get to the right place.
Route maps are available free of charge at the ATAC Cinquecento Piazza in front of Termini Station.
Night buses in Rome
At night, from 00:30 to 05:30, night buses (notturni) run through the city, which are easy to recognize thanks to the letter N in front of the route number. One of the most common night routes - N1 and N2 - replaces the main lines of the Roman metro (red line A and blue line B, respectively).
Almost all night buses leave from Termini Station and Piazza Venezia
There are 20 lines at night, almost all buses leave from Termini Station (Piazza del Cinquecento) and Piazza Venezia. The interval for night buses is 30 minutes. The fare is 1.5 euros, a ticket is purchased from the driver.
Public transport tickets
Tickets for public transport in Rome are sold in vending machines, which can be found at the entrance to the metro and at major ground stops. Such machines can give partial change, so it is better to use banknotes with a difference of no more than 4 euros from the desired amount.
You can avoid problems with change if you buy a ticket at the ticket offices of the subway or at newsagents and tobacco kiosks. You can buy a ticket in the transport itself only after 21:00, while its cost will increase one and a half times.
Ticket machines can be found at the metro entrance
There are several types of tickets:
- Single ticket (for 100 minutes) - 1.5 euros
- 24 hours ticket - 7 euros
- 48 hours ticket - 12.5 euros
- Ticket for 72 hours - 18 euros
- 1 week ticket - 24 euros
- Children under 10 travel free of charge.
When you issue an identity card (carta d identiti) for 5 euros at the ATAC information bureau, you will receive the right to purchase a 1-month pass for 35 euros. The travel card is considered valid only when the certificate number and owner data are entered into it, as well as in the presence of a stamp.
Roman buses stop on demand
All public city transport in Rome is subordinate to one ATAC management company, so the ticket applies to all modes of transport, including buses, trolleybuses, trams and metro.
From the moment you activate the ticket, you can make any number of transfers and use any type of transport during the specified time. The exception is a trip on the subway on a one-time ticket - in the subway it can be used only once.
The Trevi Fountain can be reached by sightseeing bus
It should be understood that the ticket is valid for 24 hours on a calendar day: at midnight the ticket becomes invalid no matter how long you have composted it. Tickets for 48 and 72 hours obey the same logic.
Composting tickets in public transport is a must. Also, the validated ticket must be kept with you throughout the trip. Otherwise, a meeting with controllers will cost you 100 euros. If the composter in the cabin does not work, the date and time of boarding must be written on the ticket by hand.
Sightseeing buses in Rome
In addition to public transport buses, there are excursion routes in Rome. If you live in the center, then sightseeing double-decker buses may well replace the usual transport, as their routes "cover" all the main attractions.
Guided tours cover all major attractions
Each bus has an audio guide in several languages (including Russian), which tells about the most significant places along the route. In the warm season, many buses operate with an open area on the second floor (no roof).
In Rome there are several companies that serve sightseeing routes. The guided tour lasts about 2 hours and passes through all the main attractions of the city, including the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and others.
Tourist buses run from 9:00 to 20:00 every half hour
During the validity period of the ticket, travelers can get off the bus at any stop and just as well take the route back.
Tourist buses run approximately every half hour from 9:00 to 20:00 (in the summer, even until 23:00). A ticket valid for 48 hours costs about 30 euros.
You can find out more details and purchase tickets for sightseeing buses in Rome via the links below.
Helpful advice The historical center of Rome is quite compact, and many travelers travel between the main attractions on foot. An ideal solution for such a study of Rome could be an audio city center guide for the iPhone link.
The audio excursion route runs from the Vatican to the Coliseum and is designed for the whole day. In total, there are 62 points on the route, voiced by a professional announcer. The audio guide works on a smartphone without the Internet, it is equipped with a map with all the attractions of the excursion and GPS to easily find the way, even if this is your first time in Rome. This is a much more economical solution than a standard tour.
Buses to Rome from airports
Buses are the cheapest and perhaps the most convenient option to get from the airports of Rome - Fiumicino and Ciampino - to the city center. The famous European low-cost airline - Terravision works here.
The fare from Fiumicino Airport to the center is 5.80 Euro; from Ciampino Airport - 5 Euro. Children under 4 years old can be transported free of charge. There are no restrictions on the size of luggage.
In Rome, buses go to a stop at Termini Station (Via Marsala), the main transport hub of the Eternal City.
Conversely - from the city to the airports - buses also depart from Termini, but the stop is on Via Giolitti - on the other side of the station.
Buses on the route from Fiumicino to Rome run from 5:35 in the morning to 23:00; from Ciampino - from 8:15 to 00:15. In both cases, it is better to book tickets online: since there are a lot of tourists in Rome, there may not be any tickets on the spot, especially during the peak season.
Tickets are booked for a specific date and time, however, if your plane is late, then for the same ticket You can leave with one of the following flights. Tickets purchased online are a must. print outto present upon landing.
More details about the service and the process of buying tickets BlogoItaliano told in a separate video:
- Fiumicino Airport Bus Tickets
- Ciampino Airport Bus Tickets
Buses from Rome to other cities in Italy
The main intercity transport in Italy is trains, but you can get to all the more or less important cities from Rome by bus.
The most convenient operator for Russian-speaking travelers is Flixbus - you can purchase tickets for its routes online, and the service has an excellent Russian-language version.
Flixbus main bus stop is located at Tiburtina Station
The main advantage of buses over trains is often (but not always) a lower price. The main minus is a longer travel time.
The main Flixbus stop in Rome is located at Tiburtina Station. You can familiarize yourself with the schedule, fares, and purchase tickets online on this page.
Buses to Rome Outlets
The list of outlets in Rome and beyond is quite impressive, while getting to outlets in the city will not be difficult: the entire public transport system is at your service.
But in order to go shopping outside the city, you will need the help of special shuttle buses (unless, of course, you have a personal car or extra money for a taxi).
The bus stop for Castel Romano is near the train station
The most popular outlet in Rome is Castel Romano. BlogoItaliano wrote more about him in a separate article.
The outlet is connected by regular routes to Rome's main train station, Termini. The stop is located at Via Marsala 71, right next to the station. Buses to the outlet depart at 9:30, 9:55, 10:30, 11:30, 12:30 and 15:00.
In the opposite direction - from the outlet to Rome - buses leave at 11:20, 13:45, 17:15, 18:15 and 20:00. Travel in both directions costs 15 Euros. Children under 10 years old can use the bus for free.
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