Best way(s) to get around Rome?

Subway works well. Use the search feature on the upper right to see lots of info.

I walked everywhere. I did take the subway from the Coloseum to Stazione Termini once, but other than that I used my feet. It's not the easiest city to walk around, but it's do-able.

Walk! We took the subway from our hotel to the Colosseo stop, then walked everywhere, except the Vatican, we took the subway to that stop.

Walking will be easy, and fun...you can explore the side streets by foot and find neat places to eat, and shop!

There are big sections of Rome that are not well-served by the subway (Piazza Navona, Campo de'Fiori, Trastevere). When we were there we split our time between two locations - the first few days we stayed near the train station with easy access to the subway and the subway-linked sites (Vatican, Colisseum, Forum). Then we moved for our last few days right next to Piazza Navona and walked everywhere.

Rich, I found that a combination of Subway, Taxi and walking worked well for me. Although the Subway doesn't reach every part of town, it usually got me close enough that I could walk the rest of the way. A third line is currently being built, so Subway access will be better in future.

With regard to Taxis, I found that there are both metered Taxis and "flat rate" Taxis (who often charge a higher fee). On one occasion I was quoted a price for a Taxi ride (only a short distance), and I told them it was too high and started to walk away. I had only gone a few steps when one of the other drivers gave me an alternate price, which was about 30% less than the first one; I accepted that offer.

Walking is good if you're used to that. I tried to walk as much as possible, but ended up with "leg problems" and had to see a Doctor. I'll make sure to spend some time at the Gym before my next trip to Rome!

The Buses are good too, but beware #64 as it's a favourite of pickpockets.

Cheers!

We took taxis to an areas and then walked from there. I also took one of the hop on and off bus tours on my own because I have knee problems. Our second day I actually rode it one time around without listening the earphones provided and just took in the sites all around. The second time I used the earphones to hear the descriptions and hopped on and off. My husband choose to walk almost everywhere, but did use the taxi from our hotel to St. Peter's.

I usually just walk everywhere. The center of Rome isn't that large. The public transport system is actually pretty good. I didn't find the taxis to be expensive.

I use a combination of metro (subway), walking, and the bus system. The metro closes at night and buses run less frequently also, so that's where taxis can be helpful, although I must admit that I've never succumbed to the temptation.

I tended to walk when my destination was "downhill" (i.e. from my hotel near Termini to the Pantheon in the morning) and ride public transportation when the trip was uphill (back to my hotel at night). Didn't use taxis as buses and the subway were really easy to use; was careful but didn't notice the much talked-about pickpockets (though I guess if they were skilled they wouldn't be noticed).

Thanks to everyone who's contributed their experience and advice! I feel much better prepared for our trip in one week. -- Rich

By foot. Always the best way to explore when traveling. If you are physically not able to do this then use taxis, trams and subway. Rome is not a huge city.

Six nights in Rome and we walked everywhere.

My wife is 70 and I am 69 and we walked everywhere.From our hotel near the train station we walked to the Vatican in a little over an hour with stops on the way(window shopping) ,then walked to the Pantheon and then back to the our hotel.No problem wlking and every turn is a new adventure.The only riding I like is the front seat of a double deck bus.From there you see amazing things.

Depends on where you stay and where your destination is. Main transportation--Walking. If you stay in the historic center, walking can get you to where you want to go. Wear comfortable shoes! In Rome, I've stayed near the train station and then near the Pantheon. From the Pantheon we walked everywhere. The walk to the vatican was my favorite. When I stayed near Termini I took the subway to the Vatican (suggestion from my Roman friend), but was able to walk everywhere else. The last trip, we took a day trip to Ostia Antigua, (which is outside of Rome) so we caught a bus to the subway station by the Pyramid, then took the Subway to Ostia Anigua. It was a short walk from the Station to the ruins. The only time we used taxies was to and from the airport, and once when I was 10 years old, our family got lost and well, I was tired so we took a cab back to the hotel.

I'm experiencing my first trip to Europe next year 2008. Before my tour starts in Rome, I will have about 8 hours of my own time. My girlfriend and I would like to do some touring/shopping on our own. We arrive in Rome at 11:00 a.m. Once were settled in our Hotel, my concerns are bus, taxi, walking? Not sure. Any suggestions?

We used the Hop On, Hop Off busses that yor can get at a train or most of the stops. Goes to the key sights in Rome and runs about every 15 minutes from around 9AM until 11 PM, although the later busses are usually very 30-45 minutes. Cost around 22 Euros for a 24 hour pass and a couple of taxi rides will pay for it. Has four language recorded information with ear phones that tells you what you are seeing along the way. Caution...there are several companies, all of which are good, but they have different routes to get to the same places. Get them to show you the route map and you won't be disappointed. We did a 48 hour pass and used the first 1/2 day just riding around to see everything on the route. The rest of the time we used it for sightseeing and also for basic transportation to places in Rome where we wanted to go that were just a short walk from the stops, i.e., shopping, dinner, theater, etc.

Jim thanks for the useful information. I'm concerned about walking shoes. Will my Keds/sneakers be sufficient, or do I need to invest into some quality slightly expensive shoes? Is there anyone that would know how far away the Trevi fountain would be, if I were able to give the Hotel's address where were staying at? If I emailed directly to the Hotel, do you think I could get an honest answer as to how far the Vatican City would be, the Trevi fountain, and some other sites?

It's not so much a matter of the shoes as it is your own walking ability. If you can walk two or three miles in your shoes at home, you don't need anything special for Rome.

Doug - thanks. I thought I would need to shell out a lot of bucks for a pair of good walking shoes. I can walk a good mile in my sneakers, and then need to sit and relax a little. Appreciate the savings.

One thing I found about walking, is that I'm pain free as long as I'm not 'standing' for too long. Our first day had a lot more walking than standing (Colosseum, Forums, Palatine Hill, etc... (about 20 miles)). I was amazed that there was no pain.
Then the museum days I found myself aching and having to take advantage of opportunities to sit. The standing was what was hard on my legs - not the walking.
On a later day of much walking my feet and legs felt good again. I have a pair of Merrell Element shoes that I love. They don't sell them any more, so I bought this pair on ebay a couple of weeks before the trip to break them in.

Rich, are you back from your trip? How about a report? Did you have any trouble getting around? What worked for you?

Hi Michael -- We got back Wednesday evening. It was a great trip, and all the helpful suggestions here were invaluable.
In getting around Rome, we walked as much as possible. I was surprised at how close together things are, but it makes sense because when the old place was built, everybody was walking too. We used the Metro several times (I thought it was a reasonable price although it doesn't go everywhere), and used the train to get back to Fiumicino airport when we left. However, we never got up the nerve to use the bus system. We stayed at a hotel several kilometers east of the city center, and not on a direct bus route. Fortunately, it had a shuttle bus that ran back and forth every few hours to near the Termini train station. But next time we go, we'll learn to use the buses. We will also stay somewhere in the city center, so we can again walk as much as possible.
Again, thanks for all the great advice. We had uno viaggio molte buono!