Public transportation in Rome?

Hi Mira,

You have gotten some very good responses! If you come to Rome from Florence, you will arrive at the Stazione Roma Terminiand the metro lines and many busses are there. The public transportation system includes both busses and the metro. As mentioned, there are two metro lines that sort of make an 'X' that meets in the middle at Termini station.

The best way to get around Rome is by walking. It is a pretty compact place and you will discover all sorts of marvels just walking from one place to another. If you need to travel a longer distance or your feet give out, there is usually a public bus, tram or metro somewhere you can access.

Try this link to get all the information you need about the transportation. A three day pass is a great savings; you can hop on and off busses and metros all day long without getting a new ticket. There is also a weekly pass and a monthly pass. You can purchase those passes easily at a Tabacchi shop. Those shops have either a white or a blue sign with a large 'T' on it. 

One word of advice - if you can avoid bus route 40, do so. It is a haven for pickpockets as it is heavily used by tourists. Besides, it is very, very crowded most of the time.

Mira,

You've gotten plenty of good responses on buses/metro, so I won't repeat. That said, Rome is quite walkable, so forget about public transportation, and throw on (or buy!!!) some comfortable shoes!

Florence is made for walking and takes less than an hour to walk. Enjoy yourself and take in the experience as you stroll along.

The transport in Rome is good when it works. I didn't have any issues with the Metro (there's only 2 lines), it was fast, reliable and air conditioned. However the buses... it's Italy, so there's no schedule. You just find a bus stop and hang out until one decides to appear. Rome is pretty safe and overall pretty friendly. In the summer you'll find tons of fellow American tourists, if the language starts to pose issues with the locals. Or you can use gestures, since it's Italy :)

If I remember correctly, you can get a tourist pass for 3 days, but don't quote me on it. Most European capitals do the 3 day city pass as part of tourism development.

Rome is definitely worth a visit, it's fantastic city with great food and awesome vibe. If you can squeeze it in, definitely do.

First of all, Rome is just a short train ride from Florence so definitely try and fit it in. Being a very "touristy" city, there are plenty of ways to get around (buses, subways). I've been there twice and mostly got around on the metro, it's very simple, cheap and gets you right where you need to go. BEWARE - you WILL experience a lot of annoying individuals/beggars near the ticket machines who are going to "help you" purchase the right tickets. They are there to do 1 of two things, 1. Pickpocket you, 2. demand/snag your change after the machine spits it out. Aside from that, it's totally safe for a group of girls, just make smart decisions and you'll be totally fine. Like i said, the city tries to make it as easy as possible for tourists,

There is a subway system that covers a good amount of the city, between 2 lines. The major sightseeing hotspots are all relatively close to a station, although be prepared to do a lot of walking as well. For example, the subway will get you close to the centro storico area, but you'll have plenty of walking between the  Campo dè Fiori,  Spanish Steps and Pantheon Pantheon