I've seen several messages on this board that mention trams as a way to get around in Rome. Exactly how do these operate, where do they run, and where do you buy tickets? Better than buses or taxis? Thanks for any help.

While we didn't take any, I presume they operate the same way as buses (i.e. using the same tickets, etc.) And I don't think there are many tram lines; in fact, the only one we saw while there ran from Piazza Argentina (sp?) south across the Tiber through Trastevere.

Trams saved us miles of walking, or taxi rides, last summer in Rome when we had to visit a doctor in a rather distant part of the city. We kind of took to them and used them fairly extensively thereafter. We bought tickets at a booth at a major tram intersection near the Vatican and used the tickets thereafter. But I do think you can just board and pay (don't quote me on this). I'm not an expert on this subject, but they seemed to work well for us and got us around the city faster than the metropolitana did and with far less hassle. I know nothing about buses and wouldn't hazard a guess as to how they compare.

An handful of the Atac bus lines are run instead by trams. <BR>These lines are in no other way differentiated from the ordinary Atac bus lines: you don't need special tickets, neither you are subject to any special restriction (like the metro where the ordinary 90 min. bus ticket is valid for just one run). <BR>And no, you cannot buy your ticket on board since at least 15-20 years (human collectors on board are a prime raget for cost cutting measures ...) <BR> <BR>Once upon a time there were a few more tram lines. Since they are quite at disadvantage compared to bus when having to share the road with other traffic, they where for the most part either replaced by bus service or requalified -when possible- as a sort of very light metro running in a separated location for most of the course. <BR> <BR>The 8 line from Largo Argentina to Monteverde and the line from Piazzale Flaminio to Piazza Mancini (whose number curiously escape me, though I've worked on a low cost pilot project on that line for displaying real time cars location at the stops, which sadly ended nowhere) are 'requalified' tram lines. <BR> <BR>The 30 (the old 'circolare' which once truely does a ring road all around the inner city) which goes from the Piramide Cestia to the Parioli, and an handful of lines going from the Termini station to the eastern suburbs along the Casilina are pretty much all that is left. <BR> <BR> <BR>Marco

there are ticket machines at some of the main stops. also some news stands sell daily passes which can be used on trams, buses or the metro all day as many times as you like. i think the daily pass costs about $3. get a bus map when you get there, it has all the routes for bus, tram & metro. mass transit is good but can get crowded at rush hours.

Interesting info Marco! <BR>will look for them when we are there. <BR>I like the way trams look, and they always seem more fun to ride than buses..

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Marco et al., thanks for the good info! Appreciate all the help I've gotten on this site. I'll write a brief report when we get back. We leave May 3, return May 17.