Purchasing B.I.T. in Rome

LOL, good question, Gerri! But if it's any reassurance, I just asked for X number (held up fingers) of biglietti (beel-YET-ee) BIT, per favore, at a random newsstands and tabacchi displaying the “T” sign and got them without any difficulties. Yes, I'm sure there's the longer form that's printed on the tickets (biglietto integrato a tempo) but if flustered... You could also just ask for eight, 100-minute integrated tickets as the English is printed on them and I'm sure you wouldn't be the first to ask for them that way. :O)

Eight is otto in Italian, sort of like "auto".

I usually had a couple tucked away in my pocket for if our feet gave out or we decided on a whim to hop the metro or urban train further field but otherwise took transport very little in Rome.

If you're not confident in your pronunciation, then just write it and the number on a piece of paper and show it to the seller. Saves time.

Gerri,

I assume the ticket you're looking for is the first one on the list on this website - https://www.rome.info/transportation/tickets/ .

You can get a fairly good idea of the pronunciation on this website - https://translate.google.ca/#view=home&op=translate&sl=auto&tl=en&text=Biglietto%20semplice . Click the small speaker icon on the lower left corner and it will "speak" the words. Click it more than once and it will speak more slowly.

You may find that a B.I.G. or B.T.I. ticket is a better value. You'll have to determine that based on how many times you plan on using transit whilst in Rome. NOTE that these tickets must be validated prior to first use. Failure to do so may result in hefty fines collected on the spot.

If you are in Rome, just go to a news stand or a tabacchi store and in your best english, say, "Do you speak english?" and then "I'd like to buy a bus pass . . . " for 1 day, 3 days, or 7 days. Whichever you need. With very few exceptions, they will know exactly what you want and sell it to you.

Rome caters to tourists and almost any of the shops or restaurants will speak english in the touristy parts of the city.

In Rome, you can just ask for X# tickets for the bus, like "otto per l'autobus, per favore" and they'll default to the single use BIT tickets that are also good for the metro. The passes tend not to be worth it unless you're going to use public transit more than three times in one day, which I have found to be pretty rare as a tourist. Be sure to say "per favore," or you'll be thought rude.

You may find that a B.I.G. or B.T.I. ticket is a better value.

Those two haven't been listed on the atac website for awhile. They changed from the former BIG 1-day pass, that expired at midnight on the same day validated, to a 24-hour pass, and the former BTI 3-day pass, that expired at midnight 2 days after day of validation, to a 72-hour pass.This is what's currently available:

https://www.atac.roma.it/page.asp?p=229

BIT - INTEGRATED TIME TICKET (€ 1,50)
CIS - INTEGRATED WEEKLY TICKET (€ 24,00)
ROMA 24H HOUR TICKET (€ 7,00)
ROMA 48H HOUR TICKET (€ 12,50)
ROMA 72H HOUR TICKET (€ 18,00)
ROMA-VITERBO DISTANCE-BASED TICKET
BIRG - INTEGRATED REGIONAL DAILY TICKET
BTR - REGIONAL TOURIST TICKET
CIRS - INTEGRATED REGIONAL WEEKLY TICKET

I'm not sure my link will bring up the page in English - the atac website has always been cranky - so if not try this..

https://www.atac.roma.it/?lingua=ENG

...and click "Tickets and passes" in the menu under the top picture. Then click on any of the options listed for details on each. It STILL might not come up in English but give it a shot?

Kathy,

The website I linked above was obviously an old one. Regardless of the new wording for the various tickets, my suggestion is still the same and a 24H (or longer) ticket may be a better value (depending on how much the traveller intends to use transit on a particular day). I've found that I often use the pass enough to make it worthwhile.

Thank you so much for all of your help. I am grateful to all of you!

Absolutely agreed, Ken, that a 1-day or multi-day pass may make sense if they intend to use public transit enough (we usually don't.) Just didn't want them asking for/looking for something by an identifier that isn't used anymore.

Also, the validity of BIT tickets, within the noted limitations if using the metro, is now 100 minutes and not 72, and the 110 Open and Archeobus that are advertised on that site ceased operations in 2014. Again, just so that the OP doesn't go looking.... :O)