BUS

The bus network is very extensive and will cover most of your needs. Tickets are not sold on buses. In rare occasions, you'll find a machine at some bus stops. A better solution is to buy tickets at tobacco stores, cafès, and newspaper stands. Even so, non everyone sells them, so you might want to ask around. The city bus company is ATAC and most of the main buses terminate at the bus station outside Stazione Termini (where you can get a map of the bus routes). For 1 euro you can travel for 75 minutes with any mean of transportation.

There are hundreds of bus lines, running from 5:30am until midnight . All buses run in both directions.

The most useful are:

* 40 Express: Termini (Viale Einaudi) - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Argentina - Chiesa Nuova - Piazza Pia (for Castel S. Angelo and St. Peter's)

* 64: Termini (Viale Einaudi) - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Argentina - Corso Vittorio Emanuele - Stazione S. Pietro (basically the same route as the 40 Express except it's smaller, more crowded, and makes many more stops)

* H: Termini (Viale Einaudi) - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Largo Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Viale Trastevere - (then continues into the western suburbs, ending at Via Capasso)

* 8 Tram: Connects the historic center with Trastevere. Largo Argentina - Ponte Garibaldi - Piazza G.G. Belli - Piazza Mastai - Piazza Ippolito Nievo - Stazione Trastevere - Monteverde - Casaletto

* 492: Stazione Tiburtina - San Lorenzo - Termini - Piazza Barberini - Piazza Venezia - Corso Rinascimento - Piazza Cavour - Piazza Risorgimento (for the Vatican Museums)

* 23: Piazzale Clodio - Piazza Risorgimento - Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II - Lungotevere - Ponte Garibaldi - Lungotevere - Via Marmorata - Piazzale Ostiense - Basilica di S. Paolo

* 170: Termini - Via Nazionale - Piazza Venezia - Via del Teatro di Marcello - Bocca della Verità - (then south to Testaccio and EUR, ending at Piazzale dell'Agricoltura)

* 714: Termini - Piazza S. Maria Maggiore - Piazza S. Giovanni in Laterano - Viale delle Terme di Caracalla - (then south to EUR, ending at Piazzale P.L. Nervi)

* 660: Largo Colli Albani - Via Appia Nuova - Via Appia Antica (near the Tomb of Cecilia Metella).

* 910: Termini - Piazza della Repubblica - Via Piemonte - Via Pinciana (Villa Borghese) - Piazza Euclide - Palazzetto dello Sport - Piazza Mancini

* 590: Handicapped facilities. Same route as Metro Line A, but it runs every 90 minutes (schedule posted at the bus stop).

Night buses

(from 12:30am to 5:30am )

There are over 20 night bus lines. The main terminal stations are Termini (Piazza dei Cinquecento) and Piazza Venezia. From these two piazzas buses leave for all directions every 30 minutes. You can recognize bus stops for the night buses by signs with an owl on the top.

The most useful night bus routes:

* 78N: Piazzale Clodio - Piazzale Flaminio - Piazza Cavour - Largo di Torre Argentina - Piazza Venezia - Via Nazionale - Stazione Termini. A good bus to know if your hotel is near Termini but you plan to be out late in the historic center.

* 40N: Same route as Metro Line B. Good connection between Testaccio (use the stop at Piramide, in Piazzale Ostiense) and Termini, or if you need to catch a night train from Tiburtina station.

* 55N: Same route as Metro Line A.

* 29N: Piazzale Ostiense - Lungotevere Aventino - Lungotevere de' Cenci (across the Tiber from Trastevere) - Via Crescenzio (Vatican area) - Via Barletta - Piazza Marina (Flaminio) - Via Belle Arti - Viale Liegi (Parioli) - Viale Regina Margherita - Via dei Marrucini (San Lorenzo) - Via Labicana (Colosseum) - Viale Aventino - Piazzale Ostiense

Useful bus lines

Vatican

* From Termini, 40 Express or 64
* From the Colosseum, walk 5 minutes to Piazza Venezia, then 40 Express or 64; or J4
* From Trastevere, 23 (across the river at Lungotevere de' Cenci); or J4 from Ponte Sisto

Spanish Steps & Trevi Fountain

* From Termini, 492 or 175 to Via del Tritone; or J2
* From the Vatican , 62 or 492 to Via del Tritone
* From Trastevere, Tram 8 to Largo Argentina then 62 to Via del Tritone

Colosseum

* From Termini, 40 Express, 170, or 64 to Piazza Venezia, then walk for 5 minutes
* From Vatican , 40 Express, 64 or 62 to Piazza Venezia, or J4
* From Trastevere, Tram 8 to Largo Argentina , then bus 87; or J4 from Ponte Sisto

Pantheon, Piazza Navona & Campo de' Fiori

* From Termini, 40 Express or 64 to Largo Argentina
* From the Vatican , 40 Express, 64 or 62 to Largo Argentina
* From Trastevere, don't be lazy--cross the bridge and walk for 5 minutes!

Trastevere

* From Termini, 40 Express or 64 to Largo Argentina , then Tram 8 to Viale Trastevere.
From the Vatican , 23 to Ponte Sisto, Ponte Garibaldi, or Ponte Cestio, or J4 to Ponte Sisto.