The Metro (subway) of Rome

Getting around Rome, Italy, by Metro—the subway (underground train) system

The modern interior of the Rome subway
The modern interior of the Rome Metro.

Rome's Metro (which is short for "Metropolitana," which is the Italian term for "underground train," which is British for "subway")—whih uses the same tickets and passes as the bus—is a good idea that turns out to be fairly useless.

The main reason for this is that it isn't very extensive—every time workers dig new tunnels, they run across ancient ruins and have to stop so archaeologists can putter about.

The city has only two lines (the orange "A" and the blue "B") that etch a rough X on the city map, with Stazione Termini train station at the intersection.

Useful Italian
Ticket - biglietto
City bus - autobus
Bus stop - fermata
Subway - Metro
Subway station - stazione Metro

I'm getting off! - scendo!
Excuse me (to get though crowds) - permesso
Excuse me (to get attention) - scusa
Excuse me (to apologize) - mi dispiace
more»

(So I lied. There is also a Line C. However, (a) it still being built, (b) so far it only extends from the extreme eastern suburbs in to a few stations just inside the ring road, and (c) even once it is finally completed all the way to Termini, it will not pass a single sight of interest to tourists, so for visitor purposes it is useless.)

How to get into Rome's city center from Termini train station

For info on tickets, click here.

For more on Rome's transportation system (buses/trams and the Metro) visit www.atac.roma.it.

For more on Rome's general layout—its major streets, squares, and neighborhoods—click here.

Unless you happen to be heading to the area immediately around the Spanish Steps, the bus is a far better bet than the Metro, as Rome's subway system doesn't really serve the core of the historic center but rather skirts its edges.

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How long does Rome take?

Planning your day: Rome wasn't built in a day, and you'd be hard-pressed to see it in that brief a time as well. Still, you can cram a lot into just a day or three.

To help you get the most out of your limited time in the Eternal City, here are some perfect itineraries, whether you have one, two, three, or four days to spend in Rome. » Rome itineraries

Rome tours

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