Handy tips 

 

 

 Maps and directories 

 

  • Tuttocittà Maps and itineraries
  • Pagine Bianche
    The Italian White Pages, the directory to find telephone numbers and addresses of people, companies and government offices. 
  • Pagine Gialle
    The Italian Yellow Pages, to find business listings, telephone numbers and addresses.
 
 

1.1   Public Transportation

 

Rome’s buses, trams and metros (undergrounds) are run by ATAC (800 43 17 84; www.atac.roma.it).
 
All local public transport is integrated in Rome and the Ticket options are:
  • B.I.T. € 1.50. Standard ticket, valid for one Metro ride or 100 minutes on all buses.
  • B.I.G. € 6.00. Daily ticket, valid for unlimited metro, bus, and train travel within Rome.
  • B.T.I. €16.50. 3-days tourist ticket, valid for everything listed under the B.I.G ticket.
  • C.I.S. €24.00. Weekly ticket
Public transportation Tickets must be purchased in advance from newsstands, bars, or vending machines at metro and major bus stops (notably Largo Argentina and Piazza San Silvestro).
 

1.1.1     BUSES AND TRAMS

 

The main bus station is in front of Termini Central Station on Piazza dei Cinquecento, where there’s an information booth (7.30am-8pm).
Buses generally run from about 5.30am until midnight. Over 20 night bus lines run from 00:30am to 5:30am.
 

1.1.2    METRO (UNDERGROUNDS)

 

The Roman metro cross the historic city. At the moment there are only two lines: A (red) and B (blue), which cross at Termini Central Station.
Trains run approximately every 7-10 minutes, from 5:30am until 11.30pm every day (until 0:30am on Saturdays).
 
 

1.2   Taxi

 

There are several taxi companies in Rome. Before book a run, make sure the taxi is licensed (it’ll be white or yellow with the letters SPQR on the front door). Official rates are posted in the taxi.
How to book a taxi:
1)        At rank. In the centre you’ll find ranks at Termini Central Station, Largo di Torre Argentina, the Pantheon, Corso Rinascimento, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Spagna, Largo Goldoni, Piazza del Popolo, Piazza Venezia, the Colosseum, Piazza GG Belli in Trastevere and near the Vatican at Piazza Pio XII and Piazza Risorgimento.
2)       By phone. To book a taxi by phone, try the following: Radio Taxi (+39 06 35 70) - Samarcanda (+39 06 55 51) - Pronto Taxi (+39 06 66 45).
 

 

Whatever number you call, be prepared to be placed on hold, often for a long time. Try to ignore the annoying music and do not strain to understand the friendly messages while you wait. Eventually, an operator, who will not speak English, will come on the line. Say “Vorrei un tassi a Via….. (fill in the address here)”. The operator, or a computer facsimile thereof, will then say something to you in Italian. Ignore this and stay on the line. After a while, another operator or computer-generated voice will inform you in rapid, barely intelligible Italian, that “Napoli ventidue” will be there in three minutes. (Taxis in Rome are identified by the name of an Italian city, followed by a number.) They are miraculously prompt about showing up as promised, usually in under ten minutes. You can now order a taxi the night before if you need to have a morning pickup. You'll get an SMS message on your cell phone ten minutes before the cab is likely to arrive.