GETTING AROUND ROME

We made use of Rome's Metro system during our visit to the city.

We found it easy to use and a good value means of travelling between the city's many sights.

There are only two lines on the network:

Line A (shown as the red line on maps) runs from Battistini in the north-west to Anagnina in the south-east and includes useful stops for the Vatican (Ottaviano San Pietro) and the Spanish Steps (Spagna).

Line B (shown as the blue line on maps) runs from Rebibbia in the north-east to Laurentina in the south-west and includes useful stops for the Colosseum (Colosseo) and the Circus Maximus (Circo Massimo).

The two lines intersect at Termini train station and each line also connects with other railway stations throughout the city.

The cost of a single journey on the Metro is 1.50 Euros (as at October 2012).

Journeys that involve a change of Metro lines at Termini are still classed as a single journey.

A single journey ticket is valid for 100 minutes from the time of validation. The first time we purchased tickets we mistakenly thought that they were for unlimited journeys within the 100 minute timeframe, rather than for a single journey. We took a short journey on Line A from Lepanto to Spagna, spent a while visiting the Spanish Steps, and then returned to Spagna station to carry on our journey to the Colosseum, thinking that we could use our original tickets. They were rejected when we tried to access the turnstiles and we then realised our misunderstanding.

Tickets can be purchased from manned kiosks or from ticket machines at every station. The ticket machines are easy to use, provide instructions in several languages, accept coins and notes and give change. If you intend to make extensive use of the Metro, you will likely find it cheaper to purchase all-day tickets rather than a series of individual journey tickets.

Tickets are validated as you pass through the turnstiles on the way to the platform. You don't need the ticket to operate the turnstiles at the end of your journey; you simply pass through them.

Platforms are well signposted; each platform will display the direction of travel (the final station on that line) and provide a map showing all the interim stations along the route. There are route maps displayed throughout the insides of the trains and announcements are made at each stop. It really is very easy to get to wherever you plan to go on the Metro – don't be phased by it!

Trains run every few minutes from early morning until late evening. Neon displays on the platforms inform passengers of the time until the next train. We never waited more than 5 minutes for a train.

In many cases, the trains were very busy (standing room only – and not always very much of it!), especially around the central stations close to Termini.

Note: At Spagna station, there are entrances to the Metro station both at the foot and the top of the Spanish Steps. You can alight at the bottom, climb the Steps and then take a lift from the top station back down to platform level.