Was thinking of getting two Roma passes, as we are staying in Rome at the front end and back end of our trip for 2 days. We were going to use this to go to the Colosseum and Borghese Museams. Anyone ever do this? Does the pass allow you to skip the lines?
Thanks.
All information about the passes is in RS' Italy book - he's got a page about the pass. You can use the pass but you still need reservations. And the pass is only good for the amount of time for which you buy it, so 48 and 72 hours? (I can't remember). It does not allow line skipping at Borghese. You schedule an entrance reservation by calling in Italy (google it), and once you enter with the pass, you go to the line where everyone else scheduled for that 2 hour slot is. The line took 5 minutes though. As for the Colosseum, I did not start my pass that day as I bought a coop culture tour of that included the underground and third tier, which the pass would not have covered (the pass just covers entrance to the main area). I believe you skip the ticket line but still wait in the line for security check, so probably much less time than the ticket line...
Kath, could you provide your complete itinerary for this trip? It's a little unclear just how long you are going to be in Rome on the front and back end. For instance, are you counting your arrival day in Rome as one of your two front-end days? And are you counting your return to Rome from Sorrento as one of your two days on the back end?
It matters as if you only have 1.5 days to use a pass, you don't want more than the 48-hr version, and it only allows "free" entry to one attraction + discounts on others. You also must make advance reservations for the Borghese, even if using the pass, so there no 'line skipping' at that one. You can skip the ticket line at the Colosseum but not the security queue (no one skips that one) and that line can be lengthy.
We will have a full 48 hours in the beginning of our trip before we move onto Sorrento, Venice and then back to Rome. Upon our return to Rome we will have another for 48 hours. Hence why I thought we should get to 48 hour Rome passes. We also will be needing transportation around the city as well as from the train station and the airport, which I believe is covered by the room past. Am I correct?
We also will be needing transportation around the city as well as from
the train station and the airport, which I believe is covered by the
room past. Am I correct?
If you're flying out of Fiumicino, I'm afraid not. The Roma Pass only covers transport within the city. A lot of questions about the pass are answered on the website (http://romapass.it/en/FAQ/). Regarding transport:
Q: Is transportation between the Fiumicino and/or Ciampino Airports and Termini Station and/or downtown area covered by the Roma Pass 72 Hours and/or the Roma Pass 48 Hours?
A: Connection to and from Fiumicino airport (Leonardo Express train, FL1 train, local urban services) is not included in the two cards.
You would be able to use public transit from Termini to your hotel if it's near a metro, urban train or bus stop.
Editing to add, the historic center of Rome is not huge, and the best way to experience it is on foot, IMHO. You'll miss a lot if you rely on buses and metro to get around.
To add to what Kathy said, both of these tickets can be purchased on line. You pay a €2,00 for doing so.
For the Colosseum you can also add tours to the upper and lower levels at the time of purchase.
Official site.
https://www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm
The Borghese must be reserved.
http://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en/visita/visit-the-galleria-borghese
Thank you. My host says that I can get from the airport by train using line A. I thought that I saw that covered in the Roma pass.
The only "A" I'm aware of is Metro Line A and it doesn't go to Fiumicino airport. There is an urban train which does but it's outside the area that a standard public-transport ticket or Roma Pass covers. You need to purchase a ticket for a bus, urban train, or the Leonardo Express airport train.
A map of the metro/urban trains is here:
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=385
The last station on any line which is covered by a standard ticket or Roma Pass is titled in RED, so Fiera di Roma is the last station on the FL1 urban train line TO the airport which you could access without a supplemental ticket. The FL1 also doesn't depart from/arrive at Termini, if that's the closest train station to your accommodations in Rome.
As the Roma Pass website states, "all connections to and from Fiumicino Airport are not included."
An inexpensive way to get between Fiumicino and Termini (or some other stations in Rome) is by airport shuttle bus: SIT, T.A.M, Terravision or AtralL-Schiaffni. Tickets are as little as 5 euro, depending on which one you choose. They take longer than the Leonardo Express train but are quite a bit cheaper. We've taken a couple and they're clean, safe and comfortable. The FL1 urban train is an option - again, not covered by the pass - for accommodations closer to the stations/metro lines it serves.
Links for the shuttle buses:
http://www.adr.it/en/web/aeroporti-di-roma-en-/pax-fco-to-and-from
A lot of RS posters like to use cabs or car services to/from the airport, and those can be very nice when arriving jet-lagged in an unfamiliar city, and for the convenience of being dropped off right at your hotel. Fixed taxi rate to the city center is € 48,00. That cost isn't bad when you have 3-4 people to transport, and worth the splurge if you're tired and not yet acclimated to city transport systems.
