Rome travel guide

Walking

Central Rome is best seen on foot. The Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are all within 15 minutes' walk of each other, and the Colosseum is about 20 minutes from the Pantheon. Streets are cobbled and often uneven, so wear comfortable shoes, and expect hills around the Capitoline, Palatine and Gianicolo.

Metro, buses and trams

ATAC runs three Metro lines, buses and trams. Line A serves the Vatican (Ottaviano), the Spanish Steps (Spagna) and the Trevi area (Barberini); line B serves the Colosseum and Circo Massimo; and line C now reaches Colosseo. Lines A and B meet at Termini. The historic centre between the Pantheon and Piazza Navona has no Metro, but buses and tram 8 stop at Largo di Torre Argentina. A single BIT ticket costs €1.50 and is valid for 100 minutes on buses and trams, including one Metro ride. Day tickets cost €8.50 for 24 hours, €15 for 48 hours and €22 for 72 hours, and a seven-day CIS ticket costs €29. You can also tap a contactless bank card at the barriers and on board: each tap is charged as a €1.50 BIT, capped at the €8.50 day price. Children under 10 travel free with a paying adult. Validate paper tickets on boarding; fines start at €100.

Trains

Roma Termini is the main station, with high-speed trains to Florence, Naples and beyond. Roma Tiburtina serves Tivoli and some high-speed services, and Roma Trastevere and Ostiense are on the FL1 line to Fiumicino. City tickets cover regional trains within Rome in second class, but not the Leonardo Express.

Airport transfers

From Fiumicino (FCO), about 30 kilometres from the centre, the non-stop Leonardo Express train reaches Termini in 32 minutes for €14, running about every 15 minutes. Regional FL1 trains run to Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina for about €8. Shuttle buses to Termini start at about €7. Official white taxis charge a fixed fare of €55 to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls. Ciampino (CIA), used by many low-cost airlines, has no direct train: take a shuttle bus to Termini for about €6 to €8, or ATAC buses 520 and 720 to the Metro with a standard BIT ticket. The fixed taxi fare from Ciampino is €40.

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Tourist tax

Rome charges a contributo di soggiorno per person per night for up to 10 consecutive nights, paid at the property: €4 to €10 in hotels by star rating (€6 at 3 stars, €7.50 at 4 stars, €10 at 5 stars), €6 in B&Bs and short-term rentals, €3.50 in hostels and €3 on campsites. Children under 10 are exempt.