A practical guide to Rome with no fluff: Colosseum and Vatican tickets, transport, airports, the tourist tax, dress code and the things guidebooks leave out. We check prices and rules by hand.
Checked: September 2026
| What | How much |
|---|---|
| Colosseum + Forum + Palatine (24h) | €18, booking required |
| Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel | €20 on site / €25 online |
| St Peter’s Basilica | free (dome is paid) |
| Pantheon | €5 |
| Trevi Fountain (basin area) | €2, from 2 February 2026 (free from the square) |
| Metro/bus, single ticket | €1.50 / 100 minutes |
| From Fiumicino airport | Leonardo Express train €14 |
| Tourist tax | €4–10 per person per night (at your hotel) |
| Drinking water | free, ~2,500 nasoni fountains |
| Single emergency number | 112 |
Rome’s two headline sights don’t let you walk in during peak season.
Tickets are nominative — you’ll be asked for ID at the entrance. Book officially and ahead.
Rome has two airports: Fiumicino (FCO), the main one, and Ciampino (CIA) for low-cost flights.
| How | Price | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Fiumicino — Leonardo Express | €14 | ~32 min, direct to Roma Termini, every 15–30 minutes |
| Fiumicino — FL1 regional train | ~€8 | cheaper, but goes to Trastevere/Tiburtina, not Termini |
| Fiumicino — taxi | €50 | flat fare to the centre (within the Aurelian Walls) |
| Ciampino — bus | ~€6 | to Termini, ~40 min |
| Ciampino — taxi | €31 | flat fare to the centre |
What we do. We arrange a private transfer from the airport to your hotel; a meet-and-greet in arrivals on request.
Rome has no “access fee” like Venice. But staying overnight incurs a tourist tax (contributo di soggiorno).
Roughly €4–10 per person per night depending on the type of accommodation (the higher the star rating, the more), usually for up to 10 consecutive nights; children under 10 are exempt. It’s paid at the hotel, separately from your booking.
A single ticket (BIT) is €1.50 and lasts 100 minutes: one metro ride plus buses and trams within that time.
Single and multi-day tickets
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Single (BIT) | €1.50, valid 100 minutes |
| 24 hours | €7 |
| 48 hours | €12.50 |
| 72 hours | €18 |
| Weekly | €24 |
Roma Pass
| Duration | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| 48 hours | ~€33 | 1 free museum + transport |
| 72 hours | ~€57 | 2 free museums + transport |
The Roma Pass is worth it if you plan several museums.
Metro and buses run roughly 05:30–23:30 (Fri–Sat the metro runs to 01:30).
Rome’s historic centre is a ZTL (limited-traffic zone): entry is camera-enforced and driving in without a permit brings a fine.
Leave the car outside the ZTL and use the metro and your feet.
Free days at the state sites (Colosseum, Forum) fall on the first Sunday of the month; but with no online booking and long queues.
Rome is a city of working churches, and entry is policed.
Bring a light scarf — it covers your shoulders against the heat and at the basilica door.
Rome has around 2,500 free drinking fountains — the nasoni (“big noses”).
The water is clean and cold; bring a reusable bottle rather than buying water on every corner.
Rome is a safe city; the main threat here is pickpockets in crowds and on transport, not crime.
Yes. The Colosseum admits only on a named, timed ticket, and booking at colosseo.it is required all year; for the Vatican Museums, booking online saves a lot of time. In peak season slots sell out days ahead.
€18 for the combined ticket (Colosseum + Roman Forum + Palatine, 24 hours). The Full Experience is €24 and adds the arena and underground (SUPER sites).
€20 on site and €25 online (including a €5 booking fee). The Sistine Chapel is included in the ticket.
No, entry is free, no ticket needed. But the security queue on the square can be long, and “skip-the-line” doesn’t remove the check; the direct passage from the Vatican Museums into the basilica is available only to guided groups. The dome climb is paid (~€10 on foot, ~€15 by lift). A dress code applies: covered shoulders and knees.
From 2 February 2026 entry to the close-up basin area is €2 for tourists (daily 9:00–22:00). The fountain is free to see from the square; only the area by the water is paid. Residents, children under 5 and people with disabilities go free.
From Fiumicino — the Leonardo Express train, €14 (~32 minutes to Termini), or a taxi at a flat €50; from Ciampino — a bus at ~€6 or a taxi at €31.
A single ticket is €1.50 (100 minutes), a day pass €7. A Roma Pass (~€33 for 48 hours) is worth it if you plan several museums.
No. In Rome you only pay the overnight tourist tax (€4–10 per night via your hotel); there’s no separate fee to enter the city.
Yes, it’s a safe city. The main risk is pickpockets on the metro (line A), bus 64 and at Termini station. Keep your bag in front.
Yes. The water in the roughly 2,500 nasoni fountains is clean, cold and free.
Covered shoulders and knees are required, and flip-flops aren’t allowed; the Vatican is especially strict.
No. The centre is a limited-traffic zone (ZTL) with camera enforcement and fines; the metro and walking are easier.
In English, Italian and Russian.