A week in Rome. Looking for the Right pass to ride transit all over once the dogs start barking!

Bill, there is no pass that will allow you to just walk into all attractions; some of them, like the Colosseum and Galleria Borghese, require advance, timed-entry reservations even if using a pass. As well, most of the biggies will have security-check lines that can't be skipped.

The most popular pass is this one:
https://www.romapass.it

It does include public transit within the city EXCEPT for transit to/from Fiumicino airport. As well it only includes a 'free' entry to one of the included attractions with a 48-hour pass, or two with a 72-hour pass. If two, those must be visited FIRST and consecutively. There are discounts, usually small, on others if using the pass. It does not cover anything at the Vatican Museums.

The discounts are here, unless using the pass for your one or two free entries:
https://www.romapass.it/files/doc/museums_price_of_tickets_eng.pdf

READ THE FAQ SECTION CAREFULLY FOR DETAILS, such as how to make reservations at the museums that mandate them.
https://www.romapass.it/en/FAQ/

I'm not personally a fan and we haven't purchased them. Rome is such a great walking city that we've used public transit little enough not to need a pass; I've just bought a few BIT individual-ride tickets and tucked them away for cases where we might want to hop a metro or other form of transit. These must be validated before boarding the transport.

Tickets for the Vatican Museums; order them in advance to avoid a really long ticket line, and they will be timed-entry:
https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en.html

Pantheon tickets...or get into the line at the church for onsite cash payment; I hear that one is pretty short:
https://www.museiitaliani.it/en/museums/33f77159-0acd-40c4-8524-701f33aae108

Yeah, I would echo that. What you need to figure out, is something like the Vatican Museum, what does the pass get you? A reserved time? On a specific date? Just a place in the "has tickets" line? or in the scrum with everyone else that failed to buy tickets ahead, you just do not need to pay.

Something like the Vatican Museum and the Colosseum, it might be best to have prearranged tickets or tours. Beyond that, figure out what the value would be, and if you get a payback. The Borghese also needs advanced tickets, but there are lots of lesser attraction that a pass gives you entry for, that are worthwhile.

Also, if you are only in town for two days, then skip the pass. 4 or 5 days, then the daily cost of a pass makes more sense. But, I would not place high priority on including public transport, Rome is a walking city, the few transit rides you need can easily be done by "Tap to pay", or a daily pass.

Anyone use the CIS 7 day pass? Will it work from Fiumicino airport, seems to indicate it might not. But it may be getting screwed up by the translator. @$24 euros it seems reasonable.

Bill, there's a BIG difference between a pass that includes entry to some of Rome's attractions and one that's only for transport. Here's the info on the CIS card and no, it definitely does NOT cover transport to/from Fiumicino.

https://www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes/cis

There are economical means of getting into Rome from Fiumicino airport. What are you trying to do?

Righto, I assumed you hadn't read the subject of my original post.

I did read your whole thread, title and question too, and I don't see where the problem with dogs comes in.

Maybe because I am European and don't see the problem with dogs.

If you are looking at the CIS, one of several ATAC time period tickets, that doesn't include entry anywhere.

Maybe instead of sending people back to the question you could be a bit more clear of what and where, and when, you want to visit. Is there one of you, or are you a party of more?

Honest, I did read your original post and it seemed to be about two different things?
A. A week's pass for public transit (Roma Pass only covers transport for the 48 or 72 hours of pass life)
B. A pass for line-skipping attractions.

I'd made mention of Rome's walkability as it's entirely possible not to need to use transit at all most days. It's a city best seen from the sidewalks whenever possible.

The reference to barking dogs went over my head; what did I miss there?

Regarding line-skipping, it's a marketing ploy from 3rd-party or indy websites to have people think they're getting some sort of extra benefit - usually for more $$ - than just buying timed-entry tickets from the official websites of attractions which mandate having them. No one ever skips security-check queues with a pass or tickets.

Is this the trip you're taking with other couple you RV with in the US? So there's 4 of you? Do you need options for getting from the airport into central Rome...or are you not staying in central Rome?
(I remember you from your prior catacombs post.)

Barking Dogs are a reference to your feet are telling you to get off them ASAP. (not the As Slow As Possible form) AKA, your feet hurt. We spent 7 days walking in the heat of NYC in July last summer and toward the end of the day the subway and ferry rides back to the RV were very much appreciated! (It also could have been the AC in the subways)
The post was mainly about transit and if there was one with an added bonus of skipping the lines to places it would be nice, they just all seemed like pseudo legit scammers. Sound like the roma pass might be Ok for transit, and it only has 2 or 3 day lengths. But there is a 7 day pass called CIS that might be better @$24 euros. I have not determined what the buses, metro or trams cost yet so I don't know if its close to cost effective or not.

Yes, there are 4 of us. I believe I have figured out the trip from Fiumicino to Roma S. Pietro, which is a 5 minute walk from the apartment we rented. Fiumicino FL line -> Trastevere then change to line going toward Civitavecchia -> S. Pietro station. $8 euros each. Was sort of hoping the pass would cover that to use 1/3rd the cost of a pass right away. Apparently its a non starter, and wasn't lost in the translation as I had hoped. -Bill

-Bill

Barking Dogs are a reference to your feet are telling you to get off
them

Doh!!! Silly me.

But there is a 7 day pass called CIS that might be better @$24 euros.
I have not determined what the buses, metro or trams cost yet so I
don't know if its close to cost effective or not.

A single-ride ticket (BIT) is € 1.50. That does allow you to change from Metro Line A to B (or vice versa) at Termini as long as you don't go outside the turnstiles. It's good for 100 consecutive minutes of bus or tram use after validation. Details here:

https://www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes/bit

On our last 6-night stay in Rome we used exactly 3 of these apiece: one for an urban train to a jumping-on point for the Appia Antica out near Torricola, and two involving a complication with a shoe. Yes, you might take transit a bit more than we did; that was just to give you an idea. I'd never buy a Roma Pass simply for the transit piece, or not if staying a week, anyway.

I think you'll find that central Rome isn't nearly as spread out as NYC, depending on how much ground you covered on foot there. Depending on where you're going, it can be faster from A to B on foot than by bus/tram/metro. :O)

Hello! I am in Rome right now and can report that ATAC (local transit) has adopted tap to pay. So no need to stress over which transit pass will best suit your needs. Just use the same card and you’ll automatically get the best rate. I’ve noticed it takes about two days for the payments to post to my Visa, but it’s been $3.16 for a round trip in late January 2025. Very economical, but also crowded, and it can be quicker to walk if you’re not going far. https://www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes/tap-go

Hi Julie -
Hope you're having a great time in Rome! Maybe worth mentioning that some posters have reported having issues with Tap-and-pay cards, mostly concerning getting to the validation machines on very crowded transport, and each adult user having to have their own credit card. They would have had the same validation problem with individual paper tickets but a multi-day paper pass only has to be validated the first time it is used.

Anyway, that issue is mentioned in this thread, along with links to a couple of other threads where that problem was reported.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rome-a00dec50-49b7-4491-82cc-47238d0ad641

Also be aware that public transportation in Rome may not be the best way to rest your feet. Buses especially can be standing room only (or sardine tins, depending on your perspective ). I agree with those who mentioned that Rome is a very walkable city. And it’s often easy to find a quiet church where you can stop for a brief respite from the walking and the heat. Or enjoy a drink and pastry as you people watch at a cafe.

We were in Rome for 6 days in 2024 and never took public transportation. We were based in campo de Fiori and walked almost everywhere quite easily. We took a cab to Borghese Gallery (easy and quite reasonable) but walked all the way back, via the Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona (with stops for pizza and dessert)—a delightful afternoon. We also took a cab to Testaccio for an Eating Rome tour (highly recommend!) but again walked back — via the orange grove, rose garden, circus maximus, and St Peter in Chains Church. Another great walk with plenty of opportunities to stop along the way. Finally, we walked both to and from Vatican City. Honestly a lot more pleasant than being crammed in a bus or traveling underground and missing all the little places we saw!

I was just going to say that I have never managed to get a seat on a bus in Rome!
I have visited there seven times.
The buses are very crowded and not that pleasant, with the possible added risk of pickpocketing.
If you need to rest your feet, a cafe or church pew is your best bet!
Sit at a cafe and watch the wonderful Roman world go by for an hour or so.

https://digitalcultures.net/slang/pop-culture/my-dogs-are-barking/
I didn't know about the connection to Hush Puppies shoes!

Bill, I had to chuckle when I saw the title of your post. My first thought was "How many people are going to know what he means by dogs barking?"

The link in SJ's response fits what I remember; my uncle who was in WWII used to say, after a long day on his feet in his butcher shop, "My dogs are barking; I need to sit down."