Transportation
Getting Around
Subway
The Metropolitana, or Metro for short,
is the fastest means of transportation in Rome.
Due to the archeological treasures beneath Rome's soil, and perhaps
because Rome is not an important industrial town, the subway metro
system has only two lines, A (red) and
B (blue), which intersect at Termini.
In general, with the B line you can go to the Tiburtina station (with
direction Rebibbia) or to the EUR, Coliseum, the Basilica of San Paolo,
the FAO and the Circus Maximus, the Coliseum in the other direction
(with direction EUR Fermi or EUR Laurentina).
The A line is the one to the Trevi Fountain (Barberini stop), Spanish
Steps (Spagna stop), and the Vatican (last stop), all with direction
"Ottaviano".
Trains run approximately every 6 minutes on line A and every 10 minutes
on line B.
There are trains from 5.30 AM until 11.30 PM every day. On Saturday
the last run begins at midnight from each end.
Tickets are 1,500L and are available from automatic ticket distributors
at all stations. These machines accept 50L, 100L, and 200L coins and
1,000L notes. Some stations have managers, but they don't make change.
To get cheaper prices, ask for booklets of tickets (carnet), which
can be found at tobacco shops (tabacchi) and in some terminals.
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Bus
The city bus company is ATAC and most
of the main buses terminate at the bus station outside Stazione Termini.
Buses start their duty from around 6am to midnight, with some services
running throughout the night. A bus ticket is also valid for the city's
subway and train services. You need to buy your ticket from a tobacconist,
newsstand or vending machine before you get on the train or bus. You
can check the timetable as well as the itinerary of the buses on the
yellow plate at every stop, which is indicated as "FERMATA".
Taxi
Be wary of non-official taxi drivers, especially if you need to
go to the airport. Particularly in this case we have experienced
that they ask you even more than twice the official price. The official
taxies are yellow or white, and have meters.
Although in Rome there are taxi stations, it is better to call one
by phone. It is much more comfortable than to wait in the taxi parking
areas. The only areas where it is easy to catch a taxi are the train
stations. There is no surcharge for phone booking (apart of course
from the modest phone call cost).
If you cannot ask your hotel to do it, call 063570, 064994 or 066645.
The operators speak some English, so speak slowly and clear. They
will ask you the address and at what time they must arrive. They
will ask your telephone number. They will call you a few minutes
before the agreed time, double checking your request and also informing
you of the taxi number or code, and also within how many minutes
the taxi will arrive (usually between 3 and 10 minutes).
You can also book a taxi ahead following the same procedure. The
service is accurate and on time, and it is the best way to proceed
for example when you need to catch an early morning train or plane.
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Car and Motorcycle
In Rome traffic by car is difficult, but you can ride a motorcycle
or moped in the city. The rule in Rome is to look straight ahead
to watch the vehicles in front, and hope that the vehicles behind
are watching you! Most of the historic centre of Rome is closed
to normal traffic, although tourists are permitted to drive to their
hotels. Traffic police control the entrances to the centre and should
let you through if you have a car full of luggage and mention the
name of your hotel. The hotel management should provide a pass,
which allows you to park in the centre. A pay parking system has
been introduced around the periphery of Rome's city centre. Spaces
are denoted by a blue line in most areas including the Lungotevere
(the roads beside the Tevere river) and near Termini.
Getting to/from the Airport
Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino) airport
is 26km (16mi) southwest of the city. One of the best and easiest
ways to go to town is by the Stazione Termini
direct train, which usually leaves the Airport Station hourly. There's
also a night bus service to Stazione Tiburtina. If you're driving,
an autostrada runs from the airport to the city via EUR - it's a
45 minute drive and will cost you a lot of money by cab.
The other airport in Rome is Ciampino,
about 20km (12mi) southeast of the capital city of Italy. From there
you can jump in a COTRAL bus which connects with a subway to Stazione
Termini, or you can drive down the Via Appia Nuova.
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