Getting around Rome

Rome is perhaps chaos personified. The hussle and bussle of the city make it a vary vibrant and interesting place to visit and live. Every waking moment seems to be awash in cars, pedestrians and the all so popular vespers that occupy the streets of Rome. If you are visiting this city or the first time this experience can be a bit daunting to say the least. So therefore it is vital that before you visit this city that you become aware of how to get around.

By Subway

Perhaps one of the best ways to explore Rome is through the Metropolitana and can be found through the signs that display a big red M at most entrances. For a ticket to ride the subway it is relatively cheap only 1 Euro. These tickets can be purchased at all of the tabacchi or tobacco shops. You can also find tickets to the subway at many newsstands and most stations sell them as well so it should be easy to obtain a ticket to ride.

By Bus and Train

The Roman bus system is operated by the Azienda Tramvie e Autobus del Comune di Roma or ATAC. A ticket also costs 1 Euro and is valid for 75 minutes of use where you can get on and off as many buses that you wish. You may also use the subway with this ticket as well so it is actually quite a deal. Getting around Rome by bus is slow and painful as most buses are very crowded.

Also try to avoid the “wallet eater” or route number 64 which is very popular with tourists and pickpockets . Because many tourists travel on this route there is a greater chance that your wallet or purse will be stolen and that would certainly ruin your vacation.

For those that are staying for a longer period of time there are several options for you. There is a one day pass which costs 4 Euros and a weekly pass which costs 16 Euros and these tickets can be purchased at Stazione Termini. There is even a tourist pass which lasts for three days nd costs 11 Euros. Obviously you want to pick what ever option is best for you and how long you are going to be staying.

In order to get the routes that the busses take the best and only way that I know of is to pick one up at the bus information center at Piazza dei Cinquecento. Now you must keep in mind that these routes change all the time and most likely the map will be out of date but it should give some idea on how to navigate the city. The only routes that maintain pretty consistent are numbers 75 and 40 as these routes are also frequented by the many tourists that come.

By Taxi

Do not even bother with hailing a taxi as they will not come to your beckoning. Rather the best way to get a taxi is to have your hotel call you one or you can call one of these numbers yourself which is 06-6645 or 06-3570 or 06-4994. Either number will get you a taxi to arrive where ever you are located be it a restaurant, hotel or even a famous landmark if they can get close enough.

By Car

I would not recommend driving in Rome under any circumstances as the drivers are a bit wild and I honestly think you need to be born there to be able to withstand the traffic. Although recently some laws have been proposed to make the driving a bit safer I would still stay away from it. If you do choose to rent a car I would try to pick one up on the outskirts of the city and only drive in the countryside where the traffic is a bit saner.g etting around Rome can be very easy if you know what you are doing and how to get around. otherwise the traffic and people can be very overwhelming especially if you are not all accustomed to big city living.