In Rome, they have got it sussed!! You can buy a travel ticket that allows travel on any bus, metro or tram for an allocated time, and away you go! This way saves you money, and saves the hassle of sifting through your euro change everytime you just want to hop on and off crowded buses......
You just need to look after your ticket, and get it stamped in a machine everytime you board.
There are however, big fines for people caught travelling without valid tickets, and you must remember to make a note of the expiry date on the back of your ticket (as a mate of mine found out to his cost!)
You can purchase such 'heavenly' tickets from any normal newsagents / convenience store, by simply asking for a 7day travel pass (or however long you want it for). I think i remember the price to be around £4-5 for a week, which is unbelievable for city travel.

