Get around Rome by Metro—our guide to Rome's underground

• By: Editor
• On: 06/Mar/2007
• In: Rome Travel Tips

At the moment there are two lines operating on Rome's Metro – the 'Red Line A' and the 'Blue Line B'.  A 'Green Line C' is currently under construction as well as an extension to Line B. Both underground lines operate from 5.30am to 11.30 pm Sunday to Friday and until 0.30pm on Saturdays. The two lines only intersect at one point – Termini, the city's main station.

The Metro Red Line A connects Battistini, to the west of the city centre, to Anagnina (link ed to Ciampino Airport by bus) in the southwest of Rome. There are 27 stops in total. It's convenient to the following attractions: the Vatican (Ottaviano S Pietro stop), the Vatican Museum (the Cipro- Musei Vaticani stop) and the Spanish Steps (the Piazza di Spagna stop).

The Metro Blue Line B has 22 stops and goes from Laurentina in the south of Rome to Rebibbia in the northeast. It's handy for attractions such as the legendary Colosseum (Colosseo stop) and St. Pauls (Basilica S. Paolo stop).

Tickets for the underground in Rome can be purchased from vending machines at any of the metro stations or from nearby newspaper and tobacco shops. It's worth noting that these tickets can also be used on buses and trams.

You can buy a BIT (biglietto integrato a tempo) which is valid for 75 minutes and costs EUR1.00. A BIG (biglietto integrato giornaliero) is valid for 24 hours and costs EUR4.00. A 3 day BTI (Biglietto Turistico Integrato) will set you back EUR11.00 while a weekly CIS (Carta Integrata Settimanale) costs EUR16.00. This is handy if you're in Rome for a long spell as it's valid for 7 days.    

You need to validate your ticket at the turnstiles (punching barriers) in each metro/underground station. Always remember to check the direction you need to go, so that you're not on the wrong platform – there's nothing worse than watching your train depart as you stand on the other side!

As with most cities the metro is particularly busy during rush hour and pickpockets (thieves) are active, especially during busy periods. Just think about it, you're on a busy metro/train with standing room only - they're experts so you probably won't even feel them taking your wallet. They know all the tricks of the trade and have a number of different ways to distract you.

Having said that, Rome's underground transport is safe to use (just make sure you keep a good eye on your belongings and don't leave them unattended) and is really great way of travelling around the city's top attractions.

Have you any tips for travelling on Rome's underground transport? Or if you've any questions on the Metro, our Rome Travel Experts are here to answer your queries.