Getting around Rome: ATAC passes, strike days and the run to Fiumicino

Rome's public transport is cheap, patchy and occasionally on strike. Get a monthly pass, learn the strike rules and you'll be fine.

The short version

• A single BIT ticket is €1.50 for 100 minutes on buses and trams, or one metro ride. A monthly pass is €35 and an annual one €250 [1][2].
• Short-term tickets went up on 1 July 2025: the 24-hour ticket is now €8.50 and the weekly CIS €29 [2]. If you live here, skip them and buy a pass.
• On a national transport strike, ATAC normally guarantees service from the start of the day until 8:29 and again from 17:00 to 19:59 [3].
• Fiumicino is 32 minutes from Termini on the Leonardo Express (€14) or cheaper on the FL1 regional train (€8) [4].
• Smartraveller warns that theft is common on trains, including the Fiumicino run [5].

How the network fits together

ATAC, owned by Roma Capitale, runs the metro, most buses and the trams. Some outer bus routes are run by subcontractors, and the regional Cotral company runs buses to towns outside the city plus the Roma–Lido (Metromare) and Roma Nord rail lines.

Three metro lines, not much coverage

Coming from Sydney or Melbourne, the metro will feel small. Three lines serve a city of nearly three million people, because every time anyone digs under Rome they hit something ancient.

• Line A (orange) runs north-west to south-east, from Battistini through Ottaviano (for the Vatican), Spagna, Termini and San Giovanni to Anagnina.
• Line B (blue) runs from Rebibbia and Jonio in the north-east through Termini, Colosseo and Piramide (for Testaccio and Ostiense) to Laurentina in EUR. Line B1 branches off at Bologna.
• Line C (green) comes in from Monte Compatri-Pantano in the east. After 12 years of work, the Colosseo/Fori Imperiali and Porta Metronia stations opened on 16 December 2025 [6]. Colosseo is now a change point between lines B and C, and both new stations double as small museums of what was found during the dig. The rest of the line, through the historic centre towards Piazzale Clodio and the Farnesina, isn't finished.

Metro trains run from about 5:30 to 23:30, with later closing on Friday and Saturday nights [1].

Buses and trams do the heavy lifting

Most of the city, including Trastevere, Monteverde and much of Prati, is reached by bus or tram rather than metro. Tram 8 from Largo Argentina to Trastevere and Monteverde is the one most newcomers use. Buses and trams run roughly from 5:30 to midnight, then night buses marked "N" take over [1]. Timetables are more a hope than a promise; real-time apps are far more useful than the printed board at the stop.

Fares and passes in 2026

Rome's fares are a bargain next to Opal or myki for anyone travelling every day. A month of daily Opal or myki commuting costs far more than a Roman's €35 pass.

Some points that trip people up:

• The BIT only covers one metro ride. Inside its 100 minutes you can hop between buses and trams, but once you go through the metro gates and out again, that's it.
• Validate everything. Paper tickets must be stamped in the yellow machine on the bus or at the metro gate. Smartraveller notes that an unvalidated ticket can mean an on-the-spot fine [5]. Inspectors do board, especially on popular tourist routes.
• Monthly passes are personal. The standard monthly pass is tied to your name on a Metrebus card. Older guides also mention a pricier "impersonal" monthly pass that anyone can use [7]. Check current terms with ATAC before paying more for it.
• Discounts exist. ATAC has had reduced-price passes for students and lower-income households, based on the ISEE (the Italian means-test figure). Ask at a ticket office once you have a codice fiscale.

Getting a pass, step by step

1. Get your codice fiscale first. You'll be asked for it on most Italian forms, including transport ones.
2. Request a personal Metrebus card. You can apply through ATAC's online shop and collect the card at an ATAC ticket office with ID, or apply at a ticket office in person [7].
3. Load the monthly or annual pass. Top up online, at ATAC ticket offices, or at authorised tabaccherie and newsstands [7].
4. Validate the card at a gate or reader before the first trip of each new period, and keep your top-up receipt in case an inspector asks.
5. Set a reminder for the first of the month. Monthly passes run per calendar month, not 30 days from purchase.

Tapping a bank card

Rome takes contactless bank cards at metro gates and on surface vehicles, so you can use your Australian Visa or Mastercard while you wait for the pass. Smartraveller confirms some Italian cities let you pay contactless when you board [5]. Even during strikes, card payment on surface vehicles keeps working when ticket offices close [3]. Tap the same card each time and watch for foreign-transaction fees from your Australian bank, which can add up across a month of €1.50 taps.

Strike days: what "sciopero" really means

Smartraveller puts it bluntly: strikes are common across Italy, and they disrupt trains, buses, trams and taxis [5]. In Rome a sciopero is a regular event, and they often fall on a Friday.

The good news is that Italian strikes are regulated and announced in advance. Unions have to give notice, and for local transport there are guaranteed bands, the fasce di garanzia, when a minimum service must run. For the 24-hour national general strike on Friday 30 October 2026, ATAC guaranteed buses, trams and metro from the start of service until 8:29 and from 17:00 to 19:59 [3]. Outside those hours, nothing is promised. Some lines run normally; others vanish.

A few things to know:

• Night buses have their own rules. On that strike, "N" night lines weren't guaranteed on the night before the strike day but were on the night after [3].
• Metro stations may be open but limited. Lifts, escalators and stairlifts at open stations can be out of service and ticket offices closed [3]. That matters if you have a pram or bad knees.
• Cotral and regional trains may join in. Check whether your rail line or a Cotral bus is affected too [3].
• Taxis and flights strike separately. Air and taxi strikes are called on different days from transport ones. Check before any trip to the airport.

In practice, Romans work around strikes by leaving before 8:30, working from home, walking or cycling. ATAC posts strike notices on its website and app a few days ahead. Follow them and the news, and plan big days (exams, Questura appointments, flights) away from announced strike dates where you can.

Scooters, bikes and walking

Shared e-scooters and e-bikes are everywhere in central Rome. Italy's updated road code, in force since December 2024, made helmets compulsory for all e-scooter riders and is phasing in a registration sticker and insurance for privately owned scooters. Rules have changed several times, so check the current position before buying your own. Cobblestones (sampietrini), tram tracks and Roman drivers mean a lot of riders end up in casualty, so a helmet is a good idea on any bike too.

Cycling infrastructure is improving but still patchy. The Tiber cycle path along the river is the most pleasant route, and the newer bike lanes on main roads such as Via Nomentana help. Many Australians end up walking far more than at home: the centre is compact, and a 25-minute walk often beats a bus that never comes.

If you're thinking about a car, read our guide to driving on an Australian licence first. Smartraveller notes that once you take up residence and stay more than a year you need an Italian licence, and Australian licences can't be converted [5]. Most of the centre is also a ZTL (limited traffic zone) with camera fines.

Fiumicino, Ciampino and the long way home

There are no direct flights between Rome and Australia. The usual routes home are through a Gulf hub (Doha, Dubai or Abu Dhabi) or an Asian one (Singapore, Bangkok or Hong Kong). Almost all of those long-haul flights use Fiumicino (FCO). Ciampino (CIA) is mostly budget European flights.

Some tips for the flight home:

• Leave plenty of time. Long-haul check-in queues at Fiumicino's Terminal 3 can be slow, and you'll need passport control for a non-Schengen flight.
• Use the FL1 if you live in the south or west. From Trastevere or Ostiense it's cheaper and often quicker than going via Termini.
• Only take licensed white taxis with a roof sign and meter, as Smartraveller advises [5], and confirm the flat fare before you set off.
• Watch your bags. Smartraveller specifically flags theft on trains to and from Fiumicino, often by groups where one person "helps" while another steals [5].
• Check for air strikes. If an aviation strike is called for your flight day, contact your airline early.

Settling in is easier with people who've done it. Join Cooee Italy, our Facebook group for Australians in Italy, to ask which bus actually turns up and who's sharing a taxi to Fiumicino. Join the community.

Sources

1. Trasporto pubblico – Sapienza Università di Roma
2. Aumento biglietti ATAC Roma: la guida – Telepass Moveo (July 2025)
3. Sciopero del 30 ottobre, a Roma a rischio bus, tram e metro: gli orari garantiti – GreenMe (October 2026)
4. Rome airport transfers: the complete 2026 guide – Untold Italy
5. Italy travel advice – Smartraveller
6. Metro C, aperte le fermate Colosseo-Fori Imperiali e Porta Metronia – Il Post (December 2025)
7. Come fare l'abbonamento ATAC, mensile o annuale – Money.it

Keep reading

• Driving in Rome on an Australian licence: the one-year trap
• Moving to Rome from Australia: the complete guide
• Cost of living in Rome vs Sydney and Melbourne
• Your Australian driver's licence abroad: drive, swap or renew?