Transportation

PUBLIC MASS TRANSIT

Metro, the subway, is only a half block away. The A line will take you to the market, the Vatican, Spanish Steps and Piazza del Popolo, etc. You can change lines at Termini the main train station in Rome to pick up the B line.

Buses run in the center and to points outside on a regular time frame. Added to the bus lines are the trams.

Leaving the center the local train system will serve you well in getting to the sea and points in between. In fact the local lines run up to over 50km outside of Rome. Termini, the main train station, is only 700 meters from home.

The fares are more than reasonable. Buses and trams €1,50 for 100 minutes of travel. The Metro €1,50 per ride. Now you can hop on Metro and then transfer to a bus to use up the 100 minutes on the fare card. You can also purchase a yearly card for about €250,00 and ride until you drop.

Regional trains are a bargain as most will cost you a total of €6,00 for a round trip. The high speed train to the airport is only €14,00.

TAXI

Taxis can only be found at taxi stands. You can not hail a cab on the street. They will not stop as it is against the law. The best plan is an app on your phone to call for a taxi from anyplace in Rome. The average wait is 3 to 5 minutes. The rate charged is normal for most major EU cities and the average ride to go 5km is about €10,00. A taxi to the airport is fixed at €48,00.

PRIVATE CAR SERIVCE

We use a private car service when Gale heads to the states to the airport. There are times when you need a driver for an extended period and a private car service is the way to go. While you pay for the service there is nothing like traveling around Rome in a comfortable Mercedes.

Used one to travel to a wedding and the charge was €200,00. Driver made the pickup at 1000 and we returned at 1900. The church and venue was an hour outside Rome. Yes we have a guy on speed dial.

MARCO

One of the nice things about living where we do is Marco, our doorman. We were adopted by his family the day we moved in. Cristina, his wife, is the one who does all the baking that shows up in the pictures on the retirement page. She also feeds David on a regular basis with real village cooking.

Marco will often drive Emma to the vet, drive at night for photo shoots around Rome, to the one regional mall about 45 minutes away to shop and even doctor appointments. Plus he can fix just about anything.

FOOT POWER and the ELECTRIC BIKE

One of the best and cheapest is by foot and now by the elecric bike. Yes we now have one for fun. It has a range of about 25km on a single charge and top speed is 25-32km/h. Great way too get around Rome running errands and taking photos at all hours of the day. Rome is a great place to wander around by foot. It allows you to find all the hidden gems missed by most.