Rome’s very own ATAC, that is to say the company running most of the public transportation network in the city has gotten with the times and introduced the Tap&Go scheme: when visiting Rome, you will be able to use your own contactless credit card to access the local subway system.

With the new project, Rome follows in the footsteps of Milan, New York and, of course, London, in an effort to provide locals as well as visitors from both Italy and abroad with a new tool to visit the city in a much more convenient way! Indeed, we’ve been hearing of faulty magnetic strips on traditional tickets, and of more and more tourists getting fined for failing to stamp their ticket once aboard a bus. With this new arrangement, that ends!

Tap&Go will be particularly useful for those in a rush, for the foreign tourists who are feeling self-conscious about speaking to an ATAC employee at a ticket office, but also for those having a visual impairment who would love to feel more independent when they move about in the city.

How does Tap&Go works?

By placing the contactless card on the Tap&Go symbol on any turnstile your credit card issuer will be pre-authorized for an amount of a few Euros. The pre-authorization is a standard procedure that is carried out to make sure your credit card is indeed a valid one.

After 48 hours the amount will be reimbursed to your bank account, minus the actual price of the ticket you’ve used by accessing the subway.

The price of the ticket itself will be calculated automatically given the number of times you’ll have actually passed through the turnstiles. So, for instance, if you’ve entered the subway five times over a, say, eight-hour period, the system will charge you automatically for a 1-day pass ticket rather than for a number of single ride tickets: it’ll save you money. The same applies for multiple entrances registered over the course of a week, or a month – Tap&Go will calculate the best possible fare for you!

Can I use Tap&Go anywhere?

Not yet! While the subway turnstiles have all been fitted with the new card readers, trams and buses have not. However, tickets (whether single ride ones or passes) bought with the Tap&Go system will be valid on the whole public transport network in Rome, including city trains operated by Trenitalia (for instance those connecting the Vatican with Trastevere). Trenitalia itself is not yet participating in the Tap&Go scheme, but read on to know how to get their e-tickets!

Inspectors will be able to check if you indeed have used the Tap&Go program by scanning your credit card on their ticket readers.

Other paperless tickets you can get in Rome

Of course Tap&Go is not the only paperless option when you need tickets to travel through Rome: e-tickets for city trains (again, operated by Trenitalia, like the ones to the airport in Fiumicino) can be bought through the official Trenitalia app, while ATAC e-tickets are available through MyCicero, the popular app which also lets you pay for parking spots.