Getting around in Rome

We just got back from Rome. It is very easy. There are Taxi stands in many areas around the key sights in Rome and accross the river into Trastevere. Use your Google maps and type "taxi stands" and you are all set. Also it was easy getitng an Uber. Have fun and good luck.

the only uber in Rome is uber Black, an expensive limo service.

Walking is great, there are loads of buses going pretty much anywhere all the time (my fav is the wonderful 492. The 492 starts at Metro (A) Cipro, winds around the walls of Vatican City, then through the Prati, crosses the river around the Ara Pacis, winds down Piazza Navona and Campo dé Fiori, past Largo Argentina and near Termini station and then finishes at station Tiburtina. I can't count the number of times I have used it.

Or there are regular metred taxis.

The uber app has a deal with regular taxis to call them for you (for a fee). But you don't get an uber like you are used to.

hmmm, my daughter said she used "regular" Uber when she was there in summer 2023. Anyone else have info on ride sharing apps they have used? We do plan to walk, but I want to have understanding of ride share options when are feet are too worn out.

Easiest is to go to a taxi stand
They are near every main site
You cannot flag them down

There is no “ regular “ Uber in Rome

We have always managed just walking and using the subway.

Two popular apps for summoning taxis in Rome:

FreeNow

ItTaxi

As suggested above, it may help to research bus lines that run near your lodging, and locate the nearest taxi stand.

I just looked up where you'll be staying (Piazza della Rovere) and it isn't really convenient to a Metro station so you'll likely be using buses or taxis from/to 'home' if wanting public transit assistance. On the plus side, you'll be an easy walk from the Vatican and across the river into a dense area of attractions such as Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain (will be undergoing a cleaning during your Nov. visit), Sacra di Largo Argentina umpty great churches, etc).

Depending on your stamina and shoes, I'll recommend sightseeing on foot whenever possible as Rome's traffic can make getting from A to B a more time-consuming trip than just hoofing it! We've also stayed north of the river, in Prati, even further away than you will be from all but Villa/Galleria Borghese, Piazza del Popolo, Of course, a very wet day will play into the choice but I'll cross fingers you have nothing but dry ones! You are going to have a wonderful time! :O)

Uber service like you are used in America, whereby a regular guy comes and picks you up with his own car is illegal in Italy as courts decided in 2015 that type of service can only be provided by licensed and registered taxicabs and limo service.

Uber is therefore available only with the Uber Black and Uber Van service, whereby they summon a regularly licensed Black Limo car or van to come to you. It’s a service that is more expensive than regular taxicabs.

You can summon taxicabs with ItTaxi cab, at no extra fee, since that app is owned by the Italian Radio Taxi association.

You can also use the FreeNow app to summon regular taxicabs, but unlike ItTaxi, there is a fee of 3€ per ride paid to FreeNow.

Since 2022 Uber has a Joint Operating Agreement with ItTaxi, therefore you can summon a regular taxi also using your Uber App. However, like with Free Now, there will be an extra fee of 3€ going to Uber on top of the price of the ride.

So the cheapest option is to use ItTaxi or even better to walk to a Taxi stand, because when you summon a taxi via app or phone call, the meter starts from the moment the taxi is called and comes to you, whereas if you pick the taxi at the stand, the meter starts when you get inside the taxicab and the taxi starts rolling.

Do not hail taxicabs from the curb, they don’t stop. When a taxi is traveling it is either going to pick up someone or has already a customer on board. In all other circumstances, the taxi cabs stay parked at taxi stands. Gasoline is too expensive in Italy for taxi drivers to go around hoping to be hailed.

Oh my goodness----this is all such wonderful information. Thanks for sharing your insights w/ me. Kathy, I do plan/hope to "hoof it" as much as possible. I do find it easy and exhilarating to walk in a city. I am just wanting a plan B (especially when we need to be somewhere for a 9 am start time and we are an hour's walk away).
Roberto, I have downloaded the 2 apps you mentioned. I did do some "test requests" on my Uber app yesterday just to see and I did see "taxi avail" came up. I had no idea there was an added charge and, especially, that the meter started upon requesting a cab. THANKS for that info.
I have looked on google maps and it looks like our AirBnB is about a 5 minute walk to a taxi stand. It doesn't seem to be near any big tourist site so I wonder if there will be cabs parked there waiting for riders. I guess the worse case is we summon a taxi while we are at the stand!
Do you know how early taxis are available in the morning?

Thanks again for all the info. VERY helpful.
Joanne

Is there some interactive map that shows where taxi stands are located in Rome? Thought I had one but can't find it now......
tx

I just got back from 2 weeks in Rome. We took busses most of the time because they are so cheap (tap to pay with your smartphone, no Tix needed)
But we also used Uber. it was a bit more expensive than getting a taxi, but the advantage is you don't have to go find a taxi stand! And I like knowing the price beforehand and having the driver already know the address you're going to.
Good luck!

Google search: Rome taxi stands
https://www.archeoroma.org/taxi/stands/

Christine,
THANK YOU