Transport in Rome

Rome has many ways for people to get around, making it a big spot for roads, trains, and airplanes in Italy. The city has lots of buses, trams, and metro lines to help people travel quickly.

On Tuesday, January 14, 2020, Rome made a change by stopping diesel vehicles from driving on its roads. This rule helped to keep the air cleaner for everyone.

Urban transport

Rome has buses, trams, and subway lines for its public transport. The city’s transport is managed by Roma servizi per la Mobilità. They plan bus routes and give users information and services.

The Rome Metro has three underground lines. The first line opened in 1955, and it is the oldest in Italy. The Metro now has 60 km (37 mi) of tracks with 73 stations. Lines A and B meet at Termini station. Line C is driverless and meets line A at San Giovanni Station and line B at Colosseo Station. The Metro serves many passengers each day.

Rome also has trams and commuter rail lines. The Rome-Lido line connects the city to the seaside town of Ostia. Roma-Nord links the city to northern suburbs. The Lazio regional railways have eight lines that connect Rome’s suburbs and the Lazio region. Some of these lines also serve Rome’s airports, Fiumicino and Ciampino.

Rome has many bus routes, including three trolleybus routes. Bus routes are identified by symbols and letters. Urban routes (U) operate around the city from early morning to midnight. Express routes (X) connect the city center to far suburbs with fewer stops. Exact routes (E) follow strict timetables, mainly in outer areas. Night routes (N) operate from late evening until early morning.

Interurban bus transport

Many coach companies operate in Rome, such as Flixbus, Marino, Busitalia Fast-SIMET and Baltour. They offer trips across Italy and to other countries, mostly leaving from the bus stations in Anagnina and Tiburtina (TIBUS). These stations are very busy, with many passengers each year.

Cotral is the main company for bus travel in the Lazio area. It links all the towns in the region, except the islands of Ponza and Ventotene. Cotral’s buses usually start from Rome’s metro stops at Tiburtina, Anagnina, Cornelia, Ponte Mammolo and Laurentina.

Railways

Rome is very important for trains in Italy, just like Milan and Bologna. Rome is in the middle of Italy, so it has many fast train lines to cities like Florence, Bologna, Milan, Turin, Venice, Naples, and Salerno.

The biggest train station in Rome is Roma Termini. It is the busiest station in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. Another big station is Roma Tiburtina, which is being updated for fast trains. There are several other important stations in Rome too.

Roads

See also: List of streets in Rome

Rome has many roads to help people move around. The most important road is the A90, also called the Grande Raccordo Anulare or GRA. It goes around the city and connects to roads that lead to places like Milan, Naples, Genoa, and Teramo. There are also roads to Fiumicino Aeroporto and other nearby towns.

Rome sometimes has a lot of traffic because there are many cars and not enough public transport. To help with this, some parts of the city limit when cars can drive there. These areas are called Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL). During certain hours on weekdays, cars cannot drive in these zones. There are also special areas where only clean cars can drive.

The city also has paths for bikes and electric scooters. In 2024, Rome started building a big new bike path called "GRAB" to help people ride bikes more easily.

Rome supports sharing cars to help the environment. There are many car-sharing services, and many places to charge electric cars.

Motor Traffic Limited Zone (ZTL)

To reduce traffic, some parts of Rome limit when cars can drive there. This is called the Zona a Traffico Limitato (ZTL). During workdays from 6 am to 6 pm, cars cannot drive in the central part of the city. Other areas like Trastevere, San Lorenzo, Testaccio, and Monti also have limits on cars during busy times.

There are also rules to protect the environment. Some areas close to certain types of cars, and there are places to pay to park in the old part of the city.

Cycling and e-scooters

Rome has many places to rent bikes and electric scooters. The city has about 320 km of paths for bikes, going through parks and along main streets. There are many places to park bikes, and some train stations have special spots for bikes.

Car sharing

Sustainable mobility is encouraged by car-sharing services. Operators like Carsharing Roma, ”Enjoy”, ”Share Now”, ”eCooltra”, ”BikesBooking”, and ”LeasysGO!” are active in the city. There are many places to charge electric cars, with 3,588 charging points available.

Airports

Main articles: Rome Fiumicino Airport, Rome Ciampino Airport, and Rome Urbe Airport

Rome has three main airports for travelers. The biggest is Leonardo Da Vinci Airport, also called Fiumicino. It is the largest airport in Italy and has many flights. It is a little far from the city center, but trains and buses make it easy to get there.

Another airport is Rome Ciampino Airport. It is about 15 km from the city center and can be reached by train, bus, or shuttle.

There is also a smaller airport called Rome Urbe Airport. It is closer to the city and mainly used for helicopters and private planes.

Maritime transport

Marina of Rome

Main article: Marina of Rome

The Marina of Rome is a place for boats and ships near the Ostia beach and the Tiber river. Italian police groups like the Guardia di Finanza, Carabinieri, Polizia, and Capitaneria di Porto help keep it safe for the Municipality of Rome and the Lazio Region. It has space for many boats and ships and a place to fix and care for them.

Port of Civitavecchia

Main article: Port of Civitavecchia

The Port of Civitavecchia is the biggest port near Rome. It was built long ago by the Emperor Trajan and is about an hour away from Rome. This port is very busy for moving things and people. It is a main place in Italy for big holiday ships, with many visitors each year.

It is part of a travel network called the "Motorways of the Sea" and connects to places in the Mediterranean, like Sardinia, Barcelona, Malta, and Tunis. The port is managed by a special group and includes other ports like Fiumicino and Gaeta, all called the "Ports of Rome and Lazio".

Statistics

In Rome, people use public transport to go to and from work. On average, people wait about 20 minutes at a stop or station for their ride.