I know that the Metro in Rome has had contactless payment for some time.
But what about the ATAC city buses? Does anyone know if buses and trams allow contactless payment by phone or credit card? Or do I still need to buy paper tickets that need validation?
All my online searches say contactless payment is planned for city buses and trams, but I don't know if they are actually working yet.
Thanks, Michael
Plenty of information on the ATAC Web site - contactless payment appears to be fully implemented.
https://www.atac.roma.it/en/tickets-and-passes/tap-go
They are also offering a rechargeable dedicated card - +Roma:
Thank you! That appears to be what I was looking for.
Michael
It worked once for me with my CC on the bus. Then it rejected my CC on the second trip on the bus. Didnt work at the metro turnstile, so had to buy paper metro tickets at the machine using the same credit card which worked to buy the tickets.. so be advised.
If for some reason you need to buy tickets from a newsstand, you'll have to use cash.
It worked once for me with my CC on the bus. Then it rejected my CC on the second trip on the bus.
Could you have been within the 100 Minute validity of your first scan? Even with tap, you get 100 minutes of validity, and the terminal will not charge you during that time.
If for some reason you need to buy tickets from a newsstand, you'll have to use cash.
Can't vouch for it, but someone commented that the Tabacs and news stands are ceasing to sell tickets.
I just got back from Rome, and can report on this.
As with many things in that wonderful city, it's not completely straightforward. At first I assumed the yellow box in the bus where you validate your paper ticket would be the same box to pay contactless, but that is not the case. In every bus I took, the contactless pay box that works with credit cards is on the opposite end of the bus from the yellow validation box.
From what I saw: red ATAC buses have the yellow validation box in the back, and the contactless pay box in the front. For the silver-gray buses, it is the opposite: ticket validation is in front, and contactless payment is in the back.
And although the entrance / exit doors are marked to restrict entrance and exit, from what I could tell, nobody paid attention, and just entered or exited wherever they wanted.
It's also a very good thing I figured this out, because on our last day, the ATAC police actually came though our bus and required proof of payment from all the riders. The inspection woman was very no-nonsense, and wouldn't accept the notification from the credit card company on my phone -- she actually took our credit card / phone, ran it through a machine she held, and verified that we had paid. I've heard travel horror stories about what happens if you can't prove payment, but we managed to get past that.
