Rome Hotels

Air

Leonardo da Vinci/Fiumicino Airport is 19 miles (30 kilometers) southwest of the center of Rome. Fiumicino handles numerous domestic flights within Italy, as well as international flights to all major European cities and further destinations. One of the best and easiest ways to go to town is by the Stazione Termini direct train, which usually leaves the Airport Station hourly. By car it takes a 40-45 minutes drive to get to the center.
Rome's second airport is Ciampino, about 20km (12mi) southeast of the city center. From there a COTRAL bus connects you with a subway to Stazione Termini, or you can drive down the Via Appia Nuova.

Train

If you arrive by train, there are two stations in Rome: Termini (main) and Tiburtina. Termini, Piazza Cinquecento, are not far from the center. The station has recently been refurbished and includes facilities such as left-luggage, carabinieri (army) and police stations, a tourist office, money exchange and ATMs (at the Banca di Roma), various shops, bars and fast-food restaurants.

Taxi

Taxi ranks are located at various points around the city center. Visitors are recommended to use only the yellow and white official taxis, these have meters. Be wary of non-official taxi drivers, especially if you need to go to the airport, they may ask you even more than twice the official price. Surcharges are applied for every suitcase, for early and late service, and also for service on Sundays, holidays and airport transfers. While taxis may be called by telephone, the meter is turned on immediately after the call and not on pick-up.

Metro

The fastest means of transportation in Rome is the Metropolitana, Metro for short. The subway system consists of two lines, A (red) and B (blue), which intersect at Termini. The A line will take you to the Trevi Fountain (Barberini stop), Spanish Steps (Spagna stop), and the Vatican (last stop), all with direction "Ottaviano". The B line leads to the Tiburtina station (with direction Rebibbia) or to the EUR, Colosseum, the Basilica of San Paolo, the FAO and the Circus Maximus, the Colosseum in the other direction (with direction EUR Fermi or EUR Laurentina).
Trains run daily from 5.30 until 23.30; approximately every 6 minutes on line A and every 10 minutes on line B. On Saturday the last run begins at midnight from each end. Both lines converge at the main railway station (Stazione Termini). A big red letter M indicates the entrance to the subway.

Buses

Rome's bus service is operated by ATAC and COTRAL, with the ATAC buses generally serving the city center and most of the suburbs while COTRAL buses service the outer suburbs and outlying regional areas. Most of the ATAC buses terminate at the bus station outside Stazione Termini. Buses run between 6:00 am to midnight everyday and operate every 10 to 45 minutes, depending on the route, however some start later and begin their last run at 22.30. The timetable can be seen at every stop, indicated as "FERMATA". Night buses run daily along 27 routes, and are marked on bus stops and buses with the letter ??

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased from disposable machines at major bus stops, metro stops, and train stations as well as at ticket offices. Usually tickets can also be purchased at newsstands and "Tabacchi" (tabacconists). A single fare structure for buses, trams, trains and the metro means that visitors can travel on all these forms of transport with one ticket. For cheaper prices, booklets of tickets (carnet) can be purchased at tobacco shops (tabacchi) and in some terminals. You can also get a tourist pass good for a day, a week, or a year. Tickets should be validated at the beginning of the journey to avoid a fine.

Car

Rome is encircled by a network of motorways. The A12 leads into Rome from the west, and the A24 from the east.?The A1 runs between Rome, Florence and Milan. Many motorways have tolls. The interweaving paths of mopeds, pedestrians and trams, the erratic driving, the one-way systems and the frequent traffic jams make driving in Rome an experience that is best avoided. Parking is as problematic as driving. For longer visits a parking card - available at tabacchi (newsagents) - is more convenient. There are various underground car parks in the city - the one at Villa Borghese is open 24 hours. Anything marked Sosta Vietata (no parking) is to be avoided. Many petrol stations close between 1200 and 1500.