Travel by: [ Road ] [ Rail ] [ Water ] [ Air ]
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Motorways (autostrade) are prefixed by the letter ‘A’; European roads by the letter ‘E’ and state roads are prefixed by the letters ‘SS’ (strada statale). Over 85% of motorways have tolls. Road signs are international and traffic drives on the right. Undimmed headlights are prohibited in towns and cities but are compulsory when passing through tunnels and headlights must be switched on at all times on autostrade and strade statali. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Passengers are required by law to wear seat belts. The legal alcohol to blood ratio is 0.05%. Speed limits are 130kph (80mph) on motorways, 90/110kph (56/68mph) on country roads, and 50kph (30mph) in urban areas. Fines for speeding and other driving offences are on-the-spot and particularly heavy. All vehicles must carry a red warning triangle, available at border posts, and a yellow or orange reflective jacket (or two) which must be worn at night or in bad visibility if your car breaks down on a motorway. There is an on-the-spot fine for failing to wear it.
UK driving licences and EU pink-format licences are valid in Italy (UK green licences must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit) and a Green Card and motor insurance certificate are strongly recommended. A driving licence or a motorcycle driving licence is required for motorcycles over 49cc and the wearing of crash helmets is compulsory. Visitors should note that many petrol stations in town close between 1300 and 1500, though some now offer the self-service option payable by credit card.
The AA or RAC in Britain and the AAA in America have reciprocal agreements with the Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) (tel: (06) 49981; website: www.aci.it), who provide a useful advisory service as well as dealing with breakdowns.
Emergency breakdown service:
ACI (tel: 803 116).
Routes to the city: Rome is encircled by a network of motorways. The A12 leads into Rome from the west and the A24 from the east. Ciampino Airport is connected to the city by Via Appia Nuova (SS7). The A1 runs between Rome, Florence and Milan, while to reach Venice, drivers should turn off the A1 at Bologna and take the A13.
Driving times to Rome: From Florence - 2 hours 30 minutes; from Milan - 6 hours; and from Venice - 6 hours.
Coach services: Eurolines Italia (tel: 199 184 616; website: www.eurolines.it) runs international coaches, with connections to cities throughout Europe, such as London (via Paris). Be prepared for a 31-hour journey, however. There is no central coach station in Rome, so coaches depart and terminate in front of Tiburtina train station, Via Tiburtina (metro stop Tiburtina). Domestic coach services covering northbound routes terminate outside the metro stations of Lepanto, Ponte Mammolo and Tiburtina, while those covering southbound routes terminate outside the Anagnina, Laurentina and EUR Magliana metro stops. |
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The Italian State Railway, Ferrovie dello Stato (FS) (tel: 892 021; website: www.trenitalia.com), runs a fast and efficient service throughout the country. Tickets can be purchased by credit card online (and then either picked up at one of the automatic ticket machines dotted across Rome station or aboard the train if you choose the ‘ticketless’ option during the web transaction) or by phone at the number above.
Stazione Termini, Piazza Cinquecento, is Rome’s main station. Its extensive facilities include left-luggage, carabinieri (army) and police stations, a tourist information office, a hotel reservation point, an Internet point, money exchange, four banks with ATMs, a post office, car and scooter hire, a ticket agency selling tickets for concerts and sporting events, bars, restaurants and over 100 shops (including the department store Upim) selling everything from clothes to gifts.
Other important stations include Tiburtina, Piazzale della Stazione Tiburtina; Trastevere, Piazza F Biondo, at the end of Viale Trastevere; and Ostiense, Piazzale Ostiense. Automatic ticket machines are located in all main stations. Tickets must be validated in the yellow machines located on the station platforms prior to boarding, in order to avoid fines.
Rail services: Most long-distance trains run to Termini station, which is also the main hub for the local transport network (metro and bus). However, the importance of the less centrally located stations (Tiburtina and Ostiense) grows as the night draws on and trains cease to run to Termini station.
All international trains, including direct services to Paris (journey time - 13 hours to Gare de Lyon; 14 hours 20 minutes to Paris Bercy), Munich (journey time - 11 hours), Vienna (journey time - 13 hours) and Zurich (journey time - 12 hours), leave from Termini station.
Intercity or InterCity Plus (in some cases) trains run from Termini to all major Italian cities, including Florence, Naples and Milan. Venice can only be reached on the faster Eurostar service (journey time - 4 hours 30 minutes), or by taking a Eurostar train to Bologna and then an Intercity to Venice.
Eurostar trains are at least 20% more expensive but also faster since they only stop at major cities like Florence (journey time - 1 hour 40 minutes), Bologna (journey time - 2 hours 40 minutes), Milan (journey time - 4 hours 30 minutes) and Naples (journey time - 1 hour 50 minutes).
Naples can also be reached from Rome on the first completed section of Italy’s North-South high-speed rail line. The TAV (Treno Alta Velocità) between Rome and Naples takes 1 hour 30 minutes. Tickets for Eurostar trains are always accompanied by a reservation for a specific train; if you miss that train you have to go to the ticket counter and pay the booking fee again. |
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The port of Civitavecchia, located at Molo Vespucci, 00053 Civitavecchia (tel: (0766) 366201; website: www.port-of-rome.org) is run by the Autorità Portuale di Civitavecchia. Facilities include a waiting room, ATMs, left-luggage and a bar.
Ferry services: Ferry and hydrofoil services to and from Sardinian ports are run by a number of companies including Tirrenia Navigazione (tel: (199) 123 199; website: www.tirrenia.it), Moby Lines (tel: (06) 4201 1455 or (199) 303 040; website: www.mobylines.it), and Sardinia Ferries (tel: (0766) 500 714; website: www.corsicaferries.com).
Transport to the city: Trains from Civitavecchia to Rome run approximately every 30 minutes and the journey lasts about one hour depending on what sort of train it is. From Civitavecchia train station the port is a short taxi or (free) shuttle ride away. A first-class ticket on an Intercity train costs €9.30, while a second-class one-way ticket costs about €7. Taxis to central Rome cost about €100 – if there are no taxis waiting at the port, companies will come out on call (see Taxis in Getting Around). Some hotels send taxis to pick up their guests, which often works out cheaper. |
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Fiumicino Airport (FCO)
Tel: (06) 65951.
Website: www.adr.it
Rome’s principal airport (also known as Leonardo da Vinci) is located 26km (16 miles) southwest of the city centre. Fiumicino handles numerous domestic flights within Italy, as well as international flights to all major European cities and destinations further afield, including New York, Singapore, Buenos Aires, Cairo and Moscow. A free 24-hour shuttle service links the airport’s three terminals.
Airport facilities: Facilities include Banca di Roma counters, 24-hour bureaux de change, ATMs, left-luggage, a first aid facility and medical office for vaccinations, a pharmacy, a nursery, bars, restaurants, duty-free shops, post offices, APT tourist information (Terminal B, open daily 0800-1900), a chapel and prayer room, hotel reservation and car hire (Auto Europa, Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Italy By Car, Maggiore, Sixt, and Targa Rent).
Business facilities: An executive centre in Terminal A (open daily 0600-2200) provides meeting rooms, waiting rooms and offices with fax, photocopying and Internet facilities. There are also several airline VIP lounges with telephone, Internet and fax facilities.
Transport to the city: Ferrovie dello Stato (tel: 892 021; website: www.trenitalia.com) offers a frequent service of non-stop trains to Rome’s Termini station (journey time - 30 minutes). There is also a slower train service (destination Orte or Fara Sabina), which stops at local stations on the way, including the centrally located Trastevere and well-connected Tiburtina stations (journey time - 20 and 40 minutes respectively). Tickets can be purchased at vending machines located inside domestic and international arrival halls, and from ticket counters or vending machines located just before the train tracks. Trains run between the airport and Rome from early morning until late at night. During the night, buses run from the airport to Rome and from Tiburtina station in Rome (stopping at Termini station en route) to the airport. Taxis to the centre cost a fixed fee of €40 for up to four people including luggage. Alternatively, private bus company Terravision (website: www.terravision.it) provides a shuttle service from Fiumicino and stops at Lepanto metro station and Termini train station. The journey lasts 70 minutes and tickets can be bought online.
Ciampino Airport (CIA)
Tel: (06) 794 941.
Website: www.adr.it
Over 100 airlines use Ciampino, Rome’s second airport, located about 15km (9 miles) southeast of the city centre. In addition to charter flights and budget airlines, Ciampino is used as a military airbase.
Airport facilities: Facilities include a bank, a bureau de change, a bar, a post office, gift shops, information and car hire (Auto Europa, Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Maggiore, Sixt and Thrifty).
Business facilities: A VIP lounge (open daily 0700-2300) is located inside the General Aviation Terminal.
Transport to the city: Schiaffini (tel: (06) 791 9800 or 800 700 805; website: www.schiaffini.com) run a cheap service from Ciampino airport to Ciampino train station or Anagnina metro station (line A). From Anagnina, it is a direct 30-minute metro journey to Termini station; from Ciampino station, it is a direct 15-minute journey to Termini station. The bus runs from early morning until late at night, but there are also night buses from Ciampino airport to Termini railway station. Other options include taking an authorised metered taxi available from outside the arrivals hall (the fee is fixed by the council at €30 for up to four people including their luggage) or the Terravision shuttle service (website: www.terravision.it). Tickets can be bought from the arrivals hall in Ciampino or online. Many airlines also provide their own private bus service (for a fee) to the city centre; visitors should ask when purchasing their ticket.
Approximate flight times to Rome: From London - 3 hours; from New York - 8 hours 20 minutes; from Los Angeles - 14 hours 30 minutes; from Toronto - 8 hours; from Sydney - 23 hours. |
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