Looking for bus tickets? Try on your phone first!

Getting tickets for the bus and the subway system in Rome has been one of the greatest hassles for visitors coming from abroad – most of them don’t understand what type to get (single ride tickets? weekly passes? a Roma Pass??) and where to get them, as it’s not immediately straightforward to go look for them in tobacco shops, as it’s the rule here. Plus, ticket machines are really not tourist-friendly, if we say so ourselves!

Bus tickets for the 21st century tourist!

What many travelers ignore is that there are simpler ways to travel within the city, and they don’t imply talking in broken Italian with employees who… talk broken English. If you’re an introvert, are unsure what to do or who to ask, or quite simply put you’d like for Rome to be more modern, you can now use a number of apps and contactless services to move through Rome.

At From Home to Rome, we tested them all and detail the major ones below.

The SMS&Go system: text and get your ticket!

This is the latest system devised by bus/subway company ATAC to make it easier on locals as well as expats who may be having a hard time locating physical tickets. The only catch: you’ll need to have an Italian SIM card by one of the major operators (TIM, Vodafone or Windtre) on your phone to use this.

The SMS&go option is super easy: just text “BIT” (no brackets) to the number 48018. You’ll get a link to a QR code – at this point you will need to specify where are you riding on – bus, train or subway. To pass the turnstiles in the subway, just bring the QR code closer to the scanner there.

The price of the ticket will be deducted from your phone credit. The only type of ticket for sale at the moment is the single ride, 1.50 EUR one, so keep in mind that should you need a longer lasting type of pass, this is not ideal.

PROS: Easy as pie if you don’t have a smartphone or are not familiar with contactless technologies.
CONS: The phone companies will charge you a fee for the service.

MyCicero: ease of use for a multi-purpose app

This is a regular app that can be downloaded for free from major stores such as the AppStore for iPhones or the Google Play Store for Android phones.

Depending on which city of Italy you are at the moment you might find there are several local services you can pay for through MyCicero, including for parking your car, so we recommend you explore its different functions.

In Rome, specifically, and for the purpose of this blog post, MyCicero works with ATAC for buying bus/subway/tram tickets, with Trenitalia for train tickets (including local trains) and with several other public transport companies.
You will find the app comes with an English menu as well, so no worries there!

Because of the amount of things MyCicero does, it takes a while to find the tickets you need, so make sure you open the app in advance and get familiar with it: you will notice how bus/subway/tram tickets come in many different types – you can buy several types of passes, including monthly and yearly tickets! The only catch – they only work within Rome’s city limits (so no getting to Fiumicino airport with this!).

Tickets can be paid for by using your credit card, or pre-purchasing credit within the app for faster use (this is the preferred way at the office, BTW).

As with the SMS&Go system, after buying the ticket itself, you’ll get a QR code that will need to be validated: choose where are you traveling on (subway, local train, bus) and a counter will appear to tell you how long you can still ride with that ticket for. That’s it!

PROS: Lots of services in one place – extremely convenient!
CONS: takes a while to “understand” the app. And don’t forget to validate your e-ticket, or you’ll be fined in spite of having paid for one!

Tap&go: for all of you contactless lovers out there!

Finally, Rome is no stranger to the use of contactless cards and mobile payments such as Apple Pay, and this reflects on the turnstiles of the subway, which all come with their own scanner device. Use it by bringing your contactless debit or credit card close to it, or do the same with your phone (as long as there is a contactless card paired with it): turnstiles will open, and you will be able to carry on with your Roman commute!

PROS: No external apps or software required, all you need is your smartphone or credit/debit card.
CONS: To use the tap&go system you have to begin your commute at a subway station – readers on the bus/tram network are not enabled as of yet. Local trains belonging to Trenitalia won’t accept this type of ticket so in the event you’re boarding a train to move within districts, you will need to buy a different ticket (either a physical one or through another app, such as MyCicero or Trenitalia itself).