|
| |
|
CITY TRANSPORT |
| |
|
|
| |
Like most Italian cities, even the larger ones, the best way to get
around Rome is to walk - you'll see more and will better appreciate the
city. The city wasn't built for motor traffic, and it shows in the
traffic jams, the pollution, and the bad tempers of its drivers. That
said, its bus service , run by ATAC, is, on the whole, a good one -
cheap, reliable and as quick as the clogged streets allow. Remember to
board through the rear doors and punch your ticket as you enter.
To sidestep the traffic, Rome also has a metro , which runs from 5.30am
to 11.30pm, though it's not as useful as you might think, since its two
lines are more directed at ferrying commuters out to the suburbs than
transporting tourists around the city centre. Nonetheless, there are a
few useful city-centre stations: Termini is the hub of both lines, and
there are stations at the Colosseum, Piazza Barberini and the Spanish
Steps.
When the buses and the metro stop around midnight, a network of
nightbuses clicks into service, accessing most parts of the city through
to about 5am; they normally have conductors so you can buy a ticket on
board (but keep spare tickets handy just in case); they are easily
identified by the owl symbol above the "bus notturno" schedule. During
the day there are also a few tram routes in operation, one of which -
the #8, connecting Viale Trastevere with Largo Argentina - is brand new
and very quick.
Travellers with disabilities
Only two stops on Line A have accessibility for disabled persons (Cipro-Musei
Vaticani and Valle Aurelia) but bus #591 does the same route and can
accommodate those with disabilities. Also, be advised that on Line B,
Circo Massimo, Colosseo and Cavour do not have accessibility but bus #75
stops at those sights and has new buses that can accommodate those with
disabilities (although you may have to wait for a few of the older buses
to go by).
Maps, tickets, passes
Metro maps are posted up in every station, and we've printed one at the
end of this book. If you're going to use the system a lot, especially
the buses, it may be worth investing in the excellent detailed Lozzi
transport map (L8000), available from most newsstands, or getting hold
of the official ATAC map - free from tourist information offices, and
from the ATAC information office in the centre of Piazza dei Cinquecento
- although this can be out-of-date and somewhat unreliable. There is a
toll-free enquiries line (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm & 2-5pm; tel 167.431.784) for
information on COTRAL services in Rome and Lazio.
Flat-fare tickets cost L1500 each and are good for any number of bus
rides and one metro ride within 75 minutes of validating them. Buy them
from tobacconists, newsstands and ticket machines located in all metro
stations and at major bus stops. You can also get a day pass , valid on
all city transport until midnight of the day purchased, for L6000, or a
seven-day pass for L24,000. Finally, it's worth knowing that there's a
L100,000 spot fine for fare-dodging, and pleading a foreigner's
ignorance will get you nowhere. BIRG tickets (regional transport passes)
for COTRAL and ATAC services, available from machines in the metro,
tabacchi and newsstands, are well worth buying if you are going out of
Rome for the day; prices range from L3500 to L15,500, depending on the
distance you intend to travel.
Taxis
The easiest way to get a taxi is to find the nearest taxi stand (
fermata dei taxi) - central ones include Termini, Piazza Venezia, Piazza
San Silvestro, Piazza di Spagna and Piazza Barberini. Alternatively,
taxis can be radio paged (tel 06.3570, tel 06.4994, tel 06.4157 or tel
06.5551), but remember that you'll pay for the time it takes to get to
you. Only take licensed yellow or white cabs, and make sure the meter is
switched on; a card in every official taxi explains - in English - the
extra charges for luggage, late-night, Sundays and holidays, and airport
journeys. To give you a rough idea of how much taxis cost, you can
reckon on a journey from one side of the centre to cost around L10,000,
if the traffic isn't too bad, though the supplement after 10pm is L5000,
L2000 on a Sunday.
Car and bike rental
Car rental is only worthwhile for trips out of the city, but renting a
bike or scooter can be a nippy way to negotiate Rome's clogged streets.
Useful bus routes
#23- Piazza Clodio-Piazza Risorgimento-Ponte Vittorio Emanuele II-Ponte
Garibaldi-Via Marmorata-Piazzale Ostiense-Basilica di S. Paolo.
#64 Termini: Piazza della Repubblica-Via Nazionale-Piazza Venezia-Corso
Vittorio Emanuele II-St Peter's.
#492 Stazione Tiburtina-Termini-Piazza Barberini-Via del Corso-Piazza
Venezia-Largo Argentina-Corso del Rinascimento-Piazza Cavour-Piazza
Risorgimento.
#660 Largo Colli Albani-Via Appia Nuova-Via Appia Antica.
#714 Termini-Santa Maria Maggiore-San Giovanni in Laterano-Baths of
Caracalla-EUR.
#590 Same route as Metro Line A but with accessibility for disabled;
runs every 90 minutes.
#910 Termini-Piazza della Repubblica-Via Piedmonte-Via Pinciana (Villa
Borghese)-Piazza Euclide-Palazetto dello Sport-Piazza Mancini.
Night Buses
#29N Piazzale Ostiense-Lungotevere Aventino-Lungotevere De'Cenci-Via
Crescenzio-Via Barletta-Piazza Marina-Via Belle Arte-Viale Liegi-Viale
Regina Margherita-Via dei Marruccini-Via Labicana-Viale Aventino.
#40N Same route as Metro line B.
#55N Same route as Metro line A.
#78N Piazza Clodio-Piazzale Flaminio-Piazza Cavour-Largo di Torre
Argentina-Piazza Venezia-Via Nazionale-Termini.
Useful tram routes
Trams
#8 Viale Trastevere-Largo Argentina.
#19 Porto Maggiore-Viale Regina Margherita-Viale Belle Arti-Ottaviano-Piazza
Risorgimento.
#30 Piramide-Viale Aventino-Colosseum-San Giovanni-Viale Regina
Margherita-Villa Giulia.
|
| |
|
