Rome Contactless Public Transport

It is supposed to work on the buses and trams as well. Early on there were some reports of some buses not being outfitted with the pay units, but have not heard reports of that lately. Note that the unit for contactless is separate from the old one for validation.

If not aware, Rome's system is time based, once you validate or tap, you're good for 100 minutes. During that time, if needed, you can transfer to another bus, tram, or metro. Probably more than other systems, Rome does aggressively check tickets and payment with roving officers.

Hi Paul
Many thanks for that. We fly into Ciampino and are staying near Spanish Steps, so bus 520 to metro A and from there to Spanish Steps will certainly be cheapest option and won't be much slower than other options, provided that we don't have to hang around trying to buy tickets in the airport etc.

We were just in Rome for 4 days and used the bus a few times. This may not be relevant to your situation, but there were four of us adults (plus two kids) traveling together and every adult had to use their own credit card or phone to beep the machine. On a very crowded bus, and not knowing this in advance, it was a struggle for each one of us standing wedged-in or sitting in various parts of the bus to extract a card from a secure place or to pass over their phone to our one Italian-speaker so that he could budge his way slowly to the machine and use it. Makes total sense that the system is one person/one card or phone, but without giving it much thought, we assumed one person could pay for all four of us, like buying train tickets. So, actually, for the next few buses, we just bought and validated paper tickets. On an uncrowded bus, we would have done it contactless payment.

Google Maps is your friend for using the Rome bus system, both for finding the right bus and the right bus stop, and then for following along as you travel so that you are ready to get off at the right stop (which some buses announce ahead of time but some don't).

I have to add that the Rome buses are 100% better and easier to use than any I've used at home in the States.

Hi Nancy
Many thanks for that. Do i gather that there buses that you travelled on all had tap and go it's just that you didn't use it?

Yes, every bus we used had the tap machines and also the paper ticket validation machines. We used paper after our first crowded bus problem just in case the next bus was crowded and they were all pretty well packed so we were happy with our paper tickets.

Great. There's only the two of us. We'll give it a go !

Quick question: When you scan your phone (rather than credit card) for contactless boarding on buses in Rome, what app are you using on your phone?

Hi
I ended up buying a paper ticket at the tourist information at ciampino when we arrived as a fall back if needed, but didn't need it. Contactless worked really well on buses, trams. Metro and trains. Just used it for the last journey. As for the app i had a fitbit watch that i used, but saw plenty of people using google and iphones to tap in and out. Just remember whatever you do to use the same one all the time so that the limiter is correctly applied by the system.

Quick question: When you scan your phone (rather than credit card) for contactless boarding on buses in Rome, what app are you using on your phone?

Just using using Apple or Google Pay, with one of your loaded credit cards selected.

I was just there in October, and used the buses extensively. I was able to figure out how to use credit card or phone for contactless payment, but it was NOT obvious. I give a full report on how to do it at the end of this link: https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rome-is-contactless-payment-working-on-buses-yet

Have a great trip!

To use contactless on buses and trams its the black reader with the big shiny screen at the front of the bus/tram. To use contactless on the metro and suburban trains, there are three different 'readers' on the barriers [I think] but for contactless its the one at the top, i.e. the one the furthest away as you approach the barriers. Hope this helps.

We fly into Ciampino and are staying near Spanish Steps, so bus 520 to
metro A and from there to Spanish Steps...

You didn't mention when you'll be taking this trip but a head's up on the Spagna metro station as it's scheduled to close later this spring/summer:
https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/rome-spagna-ottaviano-metro-stations.html

No firm dates on this closure yet that I've been able to find.