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Italy

Rome

An entire city built on ancient ruins. Dig below and you hit history — hence just three metro lines.

Bus and trolleybus (autobus, filobus)

Rome's buses sell no tickets on board: buy first and stamp as you board, or tap a card on the reader - JCB and UnionPay included. The routines differ: contactless re-taps at every change, a paper ticket is stamped once.

Updated on August 5, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Buy your ticket before you board
    Buy at a tobacconist, newsstand or machine - no tickets are sold on board. Paying contactless, skip the ticket entirely.
  2. 2
    Stamp or tap the moment you board
    Paper tickets go straight into the on-board stamper - unvalidated means no ticket. Contactless, tap the reader and wait for green.
  3. 3
    Re-tap at every change (contactless only)
    With Tap&Go, tap again at every change and once more before the 100 minutes are up. A paper ticket is stamped once, as you board.
  4. 4
    Show the card you paid with
    Show the inspector the card or device you tapped with. You cannot cover a companion with the same card.

Fares

Single fares1

BIT (100-minute ticket)
100 minutes from validation; also valid for the whole of bus routes 520 and 720 out to Ciampino airport
1.5 EUR ≈ $2

Passes & multi-ride5

MULTIBIT (ten BITs)
One ticket re-validated up to ten times; same total as buying singles, and it cannot cover two people at once
15 EUR ≈ $17
Roma 24-hour ticket
24 hours from the first validation; raised from EUR 7.00 on 1 July 2025
8.5 EUR ≈ $10
Roma 48-hour ticket
48 hours from the first validation; raised from EUR 12.50 on 1 July 2025
15 EUR ≈ $17
Roma 72-hour ticket
72 hours from the first validation; raised from EUR 18.00 on 1 July 2025
22 EUR ≈ $25
CIS (7-day ticket)
Valid until midnight on the 7th day after the first validation; raised from EUR 24.00 on 1 July 2025
29 EUR ≈ $32

Children & discounts1

Children under 10
Free within Roma Capitale, as long as an adult with a valid ticket is with them
0 EUR

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 3, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
VISAMastercardJCBAmex銀聯
Buy on the spot at the reader fitted to every bus and trolleybus
IC card
Metrebus cards can be loaded with BITs and 24/48/72-hour tickets
App tickets
Partner apps such as MooneyGo handle both purchase and validation
QR ticketing
SMS&GO sends a QR code, but you need an Italian TIM, Vodafone or WINDTRE SIM
Paper tickets
From shops and machines - then stamp it on board as you get on
Cash
Fine in shops; the ticket machines out on the street take cards only

Quick facts

Hours
5:00-23:30, plus night lines
Frequency
5-10 min on main lines, 11+ on others
Fares from
1.5 EUR+

Heads-up

  • Night buses lettered N take over after the last metro

    After the last metro, night buses numbered with an N take over - 32 lines from 23:30 to 5:00. Four of them, nMA, nMB, nMB1 and nMC, follow the metro routes, and another 15 daytime lines run until 2:00 every day.

  • A text about Tap&Go is phishing, not ATAC

    ATAC never texts you about Tap&Go. Messages claiming your Tap&Go validation was incomplete and that you risk a fine, with a link to confirm payment, are phishing - ATAC has issued an official warning about them. Do not enter card details.

Timetable

Operating hours 5:00-23:30, plus night lines
Typical duration The workhorse for everything the three metro lines miss, especially inside the historic centre - and it sits in the same traffic you do
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
Editor Naotaka