Metro-Bus-Tram, Rome

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We used the metro and quite a bit while we were visiting Rome. There are significant restrictions on driving in the city centers so it makes sense to use public transportation.

If you purchase a Roma Pass, not only does it provide free entrance to the first two museums, then reduced ticket prices to all other museums but free use of the city's public transport network. Other discounts are also included. The pass is valid for three days from validation date for €25.

And, if you don't purchase the Roma Pass, a metro ticket is €1 per ride. Tickets are often purchased at the news stand near the metro entrance or there will be a machine you can purchase your metro tickets from in the metro station. Put your ticket into the gate and make sure to collect it once it passes through the machine.

Public Transportion includes metro, buses & trams.
Public Transportation tickets:
75 minute ticket is €1
One Day tickets is €4
Three Day tourist ticket is €11
One Week tour tickets is €16

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The Metro and regional train lines are much more than a communal means of transport: they can also become a vehicle for "intelligent tourism". In Rome and Lazio, there are many lesser-known yet extremely interesting tourist attractions, which are easily accessible using the Metro or regional train services.
Such sights are of great historical and cultural value and represent an undiscovered world of tourist destinations that are a mere ten minutes walk from Rome's various Metro stations.

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Let's begin with technical side. Unlike most metro systems, the one in Rome is actually a standard gauge urban railway gaining power from overhead 1.5 kV direct current power line.
There are two relatively fast lines travelling up to 80 kph. On line A there are new air-conditioned trains, on line B old trains totally covered with graffiti are still running. Lines cross at stazione Termini. Trains are running quite chaotically, sometimes the next train is coming in one minute, sometimes in five. Trains aren't ususally very overcrowded, of course there are more people using the metro at peak hours.

Metro line A is actually the newest metro line in Rome. New air conditioned trains are running, making the ride quite pleasant on a hot day. The line takes you near Vatican, Piazza di Spagna, Fontana di Trevi and Piazza della Repubblica, for example. It intersects to line B under stazione Termini. Trains have diplays to announce stations, but they're often out of order. On some trains stations are also announced acoustically.
Due to construction of metro line C, metro A closes daily at 21.30. It's replaced by buses MA1 and MA2, stopping near metro stations. And hold on to the handgrips, these buses are trying to keep up to the speed of trains! :)

Metro line B is the oldest line of Rome's rapid transit. Old graffiti-covered trains are running on this line. They get hot in the summer - open windows help a bit, but of course make the ride noisier. The line takes you to Colosseo and Roma Tiburtina railway station, for example, intersecting line A under stazione Termini. Stations are announced acoustically (also in English) on some trains.
A new branch of the line, B1, is under construction.

Rome desperately needs third metro line - there are many places where rails don't reach. So finally, construction works of metro C are underway, causing restrictions on several other rail lines. It will run from Pantano to Clodio Mazzini, intersecting to line A in Ottaviano and San Giovanni and line B in Colosseo. The trains will be, of course, fully automatic. First section should be in service by 2011, but in Italy trains are sometimes late...

The best and fastest way to travel in Rome.
All you need is Line A and B
Line A:
Sipro Musei Vaticani - Vatican Museum
Ottaviano San-Pietro - Basilica di St.Pietro
Flaminio - Piazza del Popolo and Villa Borhese
Spagna - Piazza di Spagna
Barberini - Fountain Trevi
Line B:
Termini - Termini
Colosseo - Colosseum
Sirco Massimo - Sirco Massimo

If you are planning to stay a week and commute while in Rome, probably the weekly ticket is the best option for you. It is good for all the subway, bus and tram lines. It cost 16 euros (March 2005), versus 1 euro for each single trip. I know it's a lot, but, on the other hand, just try to buy a weekly ticket in, say, Paris or London, for that kind of price!
Go to the Rome metro page and see where to buy such (and other) tickets!

Going around rome is quite easy. Make use of the integrated card system of the subway (metropolitana or metro), l'autobus or pullman (buses) and trams or simply ATAC (Agenzia per i Trasporti Autoferrotranviari del Comune di Roma) You can buy ATAC tickets from any local tabacchio or bar.

Tickets that cost 1euro is valid for 75minutes from the time is has been stamped and worth all bus/tram rides you can plus 1 metroride.

Ticket that cost 4euro is valid for the whole day with trams, buses and subway.
There are also tickets valid for 3- days (best recommended for tourists, costs 11euro), 1 week and one-month (should you need to stay longer in Rome). Just ask the local tabacchaio for the best advise.

Rome's Metro is not too bad & comprises 2 lines. Trains run from 5 AM to 11:30 PM with Line A, the red line East-West and Line B, the blue line North-South.

Line A includes stops near the sights of the Vatican (Ottaviano-Vaticano), Piazza Del Popolo (Flaminio), the Spanish Steps (Spagna), Piazza Barberini and Piazza della Repubblica. Line B stops at Colosseum (Colosseo), Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo), the Pyramide (Piramide) and San Paolo Basilica (San Paolo).

The common point for both is Termini Station so you can get on any line and change at Termini. At the end of each line is a bus station - the only one I have used is at Anagnina on line A & it's quite large. Finding your bus during the busy part of the day is a real challenge!!

For full info visit the site below which includes the lines & connections.