Local Public Transportation

Navigating the city isn’t too difficult, but there are some things you need to know.

You may have heard the old adage, “All roads lead to Rome,” but once you’re in Rome, how do you navigate the city?

The core of the centro storico—where you’ll find important monuments and piazzas like the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Spanish Steps—is fairly compact and walkable, but chances are you’ll need to use public transit or take a taxi at some point. Sure, you could walk the 2.6 miles between the Colosseum and the Vatican, but by the time you get there, you might be too exhausted to appreciate it. Here’s what you need to know about getting around town. 

Roma Termini, the main railway station, is very close to the Conference venue: 1 km/15 minutes walking distance.

You can easily get around Rome and visit its fantastic attractions by bus, tram, and metro using ATAC’s Tap & Go service. With a contactless credit, debit, or prepaid card, or a compatible digital wallet, you can simply tap your card or device on the validator at metro gates and on buses or trams—there’s no need to buy a paper ticket in advance, as your fare is charged automatically. 

For more information, visit the official ATAC website: https://www.atac.roma.it/en/home.

Beware of phishing scams: ATAC has warned customers about fraudulent SMS messages claiming that a Tap & Go validation is incomplete or that a payment is required to avoid a fine. These messages are fake. ATAC never sends SMS messages requesting payment confirmations or additional charges for Tap & Go. If you receive such a message, do not click on any links or provide personal or payment information. Always rely on ATAC’s official website and customer service channels for information and assistance. 

An individual fare currently costs €1.50 and is valid for 100 minutes, for a one-way metro ride (line changes included) plus any combination of buses and trams. You must validate the ticket upon first use, either in the metro turnstiles or in the automatic machines aboard trams and buses. Tickets are sold in metro stations at the ticket office (though not all metro stops have one) or at automatic ticket machines, as well as in tabacchi (shops selling cigarettes, marked by the sign Tabacchi or the letter T).

If you’re staying for a few days, you can buy a rechargeable metro card and refill it as you go, or purchase an unlimited pass for 24, 48, or 72 hours, or for a week or a month. We suggest to buy 48 or 72 hrs “Roma Pass” allowing free use of the city’s public transportation network, free entrance to 1 or 2 museums/attractions, and discounts on other museums. 

For any further information, please visit: for passes, museums, and other tourist services:

• https://www.romapass.it/en/the-cards/

• https://www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes

Rome has 3 subway lines (A-B–C) and several bus routes covering almost all parts of Rome and its suburbs.

The metro operates between 5:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and runs until 1:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. 

Buses and trams generally operate from 5:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. After that, there are night buses, but they don’t run as frequently and often take different routes.

For further information on tickets, offers, fares, maps, and directions:

• https://viaggiacon.atac.roma.it/

• https://www.rome.info/transport/public-transport/metro/

Using Metro

Rome’s metropolitana (as locals call it, or metro) is usually the fastest and cheapest way to get from point A to point B. There are only three lines, so it’s easy to navigate. 

Line A (red or orange on metro maps) crosses the city from northwest to southeast. Along the line, you’ll find stops near top sights like the Vatican (Ottaviano), Piazza del Popolo (Flaminio), the Spanish Steps (Spagna), the Trevi Fountain (Barberini), Piazza della Repubblica (Repubblica), and Termini Station (Termini). 

At Termini, you can change to Line B (blue on metro maps), which stops in Monti (Cavour), near the Colosseum (Colosseo), Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo), and the hip neighborhood of Ostiense (Piramide).

Line C (green on metro maps)—the newest line—now runs from the eastern suburbs through San Giovanni and all the way to the new Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station, and stops in Pigneto, an up-and-coming neighborhood full of street art and cool places to eat and drink. 

The closest stations to the Conference venue are: 

• Termini station on line A – approximately 1.2 km from the venue entrance in Piazzale Aldo Moro.

• Policlinico on line B – approximately 800 m from the venue entrance in Piazzale Aldo Moro.

Using Buses and Trams

In addition to the metro, Rome has an extensive network of buses and trams that crisscross the city. Of course, they’re subject to traffic, so they’re usually slower than the metro, but they go to many places that the metro doesn’t reach. 

If you’re standing at a bus or tram stop, you can look up at the signs to see the bus or tram number and all the stops it makes in descending order. So if you’re standing at a bus stop and you want to take the bus to a stop that appears above the stop you’re at, you need to cross the street and take the bus in the other direction.

Bus and tram drivers don’t collect or sell tickets, so you need to already have a ticket when you board or buy it on board with your credit card. 

With Google Maps, it’s pretty easy to figure out the best route to take. You could also download the Moovit app to get directions, see all the stops on individual lines, and track buses in real time.

Using Taxis

Taxis licensed by the Rome City Council are white and bear the sign “TAXI” on their roofs. The symbol of the Rome City Council is also clearly visible on the vehicle’s front doors, and the license number is displayed on the back left door.

ATTENTION: Any other vehicle waiting at the airport exit could be driven by unauthorized persons, and fares could be higher.

Taxi stands are marked by an orange sign. If no taxis are lined up, you usually only have to wait a few minutes for one to arrive. If you want to call for a taxi, the central dispatch number is 06 3570 (remember to put the country code +39 in front if you’re calling from an international phone). You can also use an app like ITTaxi or FreeNow.

Fares start at €3 on weekdays between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., €5 on Sundays and public holidays from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and €7 from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. All taxis in Rome are required by law to have a POS machine, so you should be able to pay with a credit or debit card. Tipping isn’t necessary, but feel free to round up to the next euro or leave a few euros if the driver has been especially helpful with loading and unloading heavy luggage.

Uber isn’t really a thing in Rome. Technically, it’s legal, but drivers need to be licensed professionals, so they’re few and far between. This type of service is known in Italy as NCC (noleggio con conducente), and it’s often used by hotels that arrange airport pick-ups and drop-offs, or by tour operators that arrange transportation for day trips and similar services. The car is usually a black Mercedes, the driver is wearing a suit, and the price is correspondingly high.

Rome establishes mandatory fixed fares for taxi journeys between Fiumicino (FCO) and Ciampino (CIA) airports and the Rome city centre (Aurelian Walls boundary, the historic boundary of central Rome). These fixed fares cannot be increased by the driver under any circumstances — not for traffic, not for luggage, not for the number of passengers (up to 4). For example form Fiumicino airport to the conference venue the fixed fare is 55 euros in 2026. 

See for details: https://www.comune.roma.it/web-resources/cms/documents/Taxi_Tariffario_ITA_ENG_SPA.pdf

Using E-Bikes and Scooters

There was a period during the pandemic when electric scooters and e-bikes became ubiquitous in Rome, but the city has made an effort to reduce the number of them. That said, you can still find them around and can rent them using apps like Lime and Uber. Just be careful if you decide to go this route. Drivers can be rather unpredictable.