Getting around Rome on a bicycle or e-bike

The Metro and trams serve the area near the Vatican quite well. Where, exactly, are you staying?

We lived 5 years in Rome and I would never consider biking in the city with it’s insane traffic, rough streets (the famous cobblestones are a hazard for two wheels), and masses of people walking where you want to ride. Maybe a ride out on the Appian Way but certainly not in the city, IMO.

Yes, there are a number of bikeshares and bike tours in Rome, but I agree with the other poster, the streets with traffic are not really bike friendly, and the streets without much or any traffic are a problem due to pedestrian traffic. I saw a number of bike tours, and them getting around seemed to be a problem, if we saw one we usually headed the other way to avoid.

So as general transportation, bikes have their issues (Also security, places to "park" them near sites), however there are some trails and places to bike, but more parks and the Appian way.

I guess I would make your own judgement once you get there.

Oh my goodness! Traffic on foot or in a car is already frightening in Rome! I might reconsider the bike plan.

Rome is not a good city for biking, it is dangerous due to a lack of bike lanes and uncomfortable because of the cobblestones. There are Jump share bikes around in some places but the few people I see riding them look like they are not enjoying it. Pedestrians kind of rule on the narrow streets of Trastevere, for example, which are also 100% cobblestone and not well-maintained. You really should expect a fair amount of walking, but can supplement it with public transportation. As far as buses not being on schedule, they are pretty frequent as most Romans do not own cars and depend on them. Bus number 64, for example, runs continuously between the Vatican and Termini Station, covering the central core and it comes about every ten minutes or so days and evenings. If you download an app such as Citymapper you can figure out a walking/bus route to all the main sights. Have fun!

The people above have pretty much covered all the reasons biking the historic center is not for sissies. I wouldn't do it either, and I rode some 150s on and alongside some pretty busy roads/streets when my knees were a bit (cough) younger.

Traffic in Rome is nuts. I've not biked the city but have been there a couple of times, including a long trek on the Appia Antica, so am reasonably familiar with the territory. And Laurel, of course, is more intimately acquainted with it than any of the rest of us!

If intent upon getting on two wheels, I'd think your best bet is not to try it for random sightseeing. The tours know the best routes; the ones less likely to completely freak their clientele out. You'd be riding "cold" with no idea what you could stumble into or onto. You might, however, look at some pre-determined routes, mapped by other bikers who've done them, that are out there in the web? Just doing some looking about, there's this one:

https://www.komoot.com/guide/54794/cycling-in-rome
https://www.komoot.com/guide/54793/road-cycling-routes-in-rome

There are details on each if you click on them, including cautions about sections where you'd have to walk the bike, and others where you'd have to carry it up or down stairways.

Just a thought. As an additional note, I see on one of your other posts that you're planning on visiting Pompeii (and your trip is in early August) ? If already worried about walking Rome in the heat, you're likely to have issues spending several hours (or more) on foot in the mostly shadeless scavi. 🥵

The summer heat makes anything other than a short distance unwalkable.

Wow! Thank you all for your invaluable info. I'm every shade of grateful, impressed, humbled...and now well-informed. Isn’t it funny how plans look peachy and fantastical in our heads, and a helpful soul donates a spoonful of reality. Thanks to all of you, truly.

I’m staying near Fragrance Hotel St. Peter, which by all accounts is a short walk to the Vatican. I’ll familiarize myself with Bus 64 and give Citymapper a whirl.

As for Pompeii under the sun, we want to hike up Mt Vesuvius afterwards. We’re now rethinking that as we watch the heatwave batter Europe.

Ciao e grazie mille!

I saw plenty of electric scooters 🛴 laying around that were part of some sharing scheme, but not too many bikes (lots of hills in Rome). I would not consider biking a conventional bike on the hills of Rome in the heat of summer. People were using those scooters on sidewalks a lot. I would use those shared e-scooters if you feel up to it. Once you have reached your destination you would leave them there. I saw so many laying around in the most unlikely spots. I did not use them while there but lots of locals did. I also saw some American families of tourists using them.

From that location the 64 is really the only game in town. The station S Pietro isn't too far, but you need to use footpaths as well as the hilly roads, and the 64 starts/ends at that station, the other side of the tracks.

The buses nearer are all suburban and end just across the river.

are you familiar with the ATAC (they run the Rome buses) website? https://www.atac.roma.it/en/utility/maps

Agree with others that Rome is not a good place to bike (traffic, cobbles, potholes in roads, bike theft, etc).

If would also be wary of the scooters if you don't have experience with them. There have been quite a few accidents with them (family in Italy says), and not just tourists... locals too.

Previous poster's mention of bike tours is a good idea.

Biking in other parts of Italy is excellent. If you're cyclists you should check out Tuscany or the Dolomites (if you like hills and mountains) or even Puglia and Umbria.

In 2016 we stayed at the starhotels michelangelo which appears to be very near to your hotel. We stayed in july and while it was very hot, we were able to navigate the city center by foot and did most of our site seeing that way. We did use a cab a few times if we did not want to walk entirely to the opposite side, but in most cases going say from our hotel to trevi fountain or down to the colosseum was not a major deal if we made stops along the way for food, coffee, shopping and/or other sight seeing.

We did do bike tours of the city which I highly recommend. The tour guides know which areas have less traffic or no vehicle traffic. But I would not bike the city on my own.