smtran978

Hello All-

For our last leg of our Italian trip we will be training to Rome from Florence on a Sunday. We will need to buy the 3 day tourist pass for the bus/metro once we get to Rome Termini. Would anyone know if the offices are open on a Sunday? If not, are there ticket machines I can purchase from? I would be getting to Rome at 5pm.

Thank you in advance

Rastaguytoday

It should be, everything else is open.

http://www.grandistazioni.it/cms/v/i...003f16f90aRCRD

Here's a picture of the ticket machines and lots more.

http://www.rometoolkit.com/transport...ravel_pass.htm

kayd

If the ticket vending machines intimidate you, the tabacchi (news & tobacco vendors) in Termini should have the passes you want.

smtran978

Oh, thank you! For some reason I thought that they would be closed on Sundays...

Ackislander

We bought ours in a tabachi just around the corner.

annhig

hi smtran - just a note of caution - are you sure that you need the passes?

they are relatively expensive, and i know that lots [possibly most] of the people who post here tend to walk a lot in Rome - i know that we did.

you can buy individual tickets very cheaply - €1 each.

the 3 day pass is €11 each. you would need to make 4 single journeys each per day for it to work out cheaper than buying them individually.

when we knew that we were going to need the tickets, we bought enough individual ones for the day from a tabac.

lots of good info about buying them here anyway:

http://www.rometoolkit.com/transport...ravel_pass.htm

or try the incomparable roninrome.com

smtran978

Hi Annhig-thanks for the info. I didnt realize you can buy individual tickets. We are only in Rome 3 days and will probably only have time to see a few touristy attractions. We plan on just walking around and dining near our B&B (Althea Inn). Its the last of our trip so we really just want to relax.

Thanks again everyone

smtran978

Correction: I guess I knew you can buy individual tickets, I just wasn't smart enough to think of it LOL

Frances

Beware if you are out of the city centre and want to rely on Tabacchi on Sunday- many close in the afternoon. We had to resort to asking staff in an ice-cream parlour ( the only place open) to sell us their own tickets!

annhig

Frances - good point.

but the OP is arriving at Termini so could pick up a few tickets there, or if s/he doesn't need them then, leave it to the next morning when s/he does.

i love the idea of you buying the staffs' tickets off them - only in Italy.

BTW smtrm, how are you getting to your accommodation? the hotel website says to get the metro Line B to Piramide, so you will need tickets for that [and they wouldn't be covered by your 3 days pass which I infer you wanted for the 3 full days of your stay].

if you're going to do this, just buy some extra tickets [say 4 each, which will cover you for 2 return trips] when you get your tickets for the metro journey to your hotel.

if you are getting a cab to your hotel, just pick them up the first time you need them from piramide station, which is not vey far from your hotel.

smtran978

Hi Frances and Annhig- I am arriving at Termini and looks like from the link that Rasta sent, they should (hopefully) be open Sunday when I arrive. If not we will just take a cab and hope it doesn't cost too much.

I will forego the pass since it looks like the single tickets will work better for our budget.

@Frances, I would have never thought to buy tickets from the ice cream. Great call

kybourbon

There are ticket machines at the entrance to any metro. Just have some euro coins for the machines if you want to buy a few tickets and not a pass.

Your hotel is not very well located and you will need transport to most sites. A pass may payoff since you aren't really in the center.

This is the transport website for Rome.
http://www.atac.roma.it/

I would plan on using the nearby tram stop also. You can get on (tram 3) at the Porta S. Paolo stop to Trastevere and switch to tram 8 to Argentina. That will put you in walking distance of Piazza Navona.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=5

The electric buses that run through the center are handy also.
http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=9

smtran978

Thank you Kybourbon! You suggested:

"I would plan on using the nearby tram stop also. You can get on (tram 3) at the Porta S. Paolo stop to Trastevere and switch to tram 8 to Argentina. That will put you in walking distance of Piazza Navona."

Do you think this would be quicker than taking Metro Line B and getting off at the Pirimide stop for our hotel?

kybourbon

No, not on arrival to get to your hotel. The metro would be easiest. You want line B, direction Laurentina. Piramide is the 4th stop. It will probably be very crowded until after the Colosseum stop. Watch your wallets/purses.

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=4

Your tickets/pass are good until the stops listed in red on any of the lines above.

I would use the tram to go from your hotel to Trastevere (lots of restaurants) or Campo dei Fiori, Piazza Navona, Jewish Ghetto areas.

On ATAC, you can enter your location and destination, to get which transport to take. Buses may be a little more complicated for you to figure out than the trams, metro or little electric buses.
http://www.atac.roma.it/index.asp?lingua=ENG

Frances

Don't overlook what I was saying, it doesn't only apply to leaving the city. We hit the problem trying to return from the Villa Borghese which you may very well want to visit. I understand that the ticket booths in Termini are open on Sunday. Just make sure when you leave central Rome that you each have a ticket to get back.

kybourbon

>>>Don't overlook what I was saying, it doesn't only apply to leaving the city. We hit the problem trying to return from the Villa Borghese which you may very well want to visit. I understand that the ticket booths in Termini are open on Sunday.<<<

You seem to be confusing manned ticket booths with ticket machines. There are ticket machines in every metro entrance, not just Termini (many have manned ticket booths also). It really should not be a problem if you have a few euro coins in your pocket. There are also ticket kiosks at major bus stops and some buses have ticket machines on board.

The self service ticket machines in Termini are down a level from the trains (follow the metro signs) so don't confuse this with the self service train ticket kiosks on the main level. Here's a picture and some directions on how to use them. Rome had applied for a rate increase and that seems to be going into effect May 25th. One ticket will be 1.50€, a day pass 6€ and the 3 day pass is 16.50€.
http://www.roninrome.com/%20transpor...-metro-tickets

PalenQ

There are ticket machines at the entrance to any metro. Just have some euro coins for the machines if you want to buy a few tickets and not a pass>

if things are unchanged from a few years ago have exact change - I was perplexed that ticket machines would not make change one Sunday because they were out of change and weirdly they could not round up - like not give you change but just rejected the transaction - carry exact change if that is still the case.

annhig

if you decide to get a cab from termini to your hotel, make sure you get one of the official ones out the front of the station, and ignore anyone who offers you a cab.

also, ignore anyone who offers to help you buy your metro tickets - they will want a tip.

dutyfree

Tabac stores are the best places to buy tickets. If you buy train tickets or metro tickets at Termini station out of the machines,do be careful of the gypsy women who leap at your tickets when they come out at the bottom of the machine. One of my girlfriends lost 2 RT $70 train tickets because we didn't realize the tickets came out of the very bottom of the machine rather than the usual area.

smtran978

Wow....gypsies jumping at you?! I will make sure my husband is close by and be careful.

I will definitely make sure to have exact change. Had I planned better, I would not travel on Sunday but I feel I should be ok. My last resort will a taxi/cab and I will make sure it's official. Thank you all, this has been really helpful. It will be my first time traveling thru Italy (Venice, Tuscany, then Rome).

I'll try to write a report after...