Metrebus Rome Transit Pass: Your Complete Guide to Getting Around

In a nutshell

Metrebus is Lazio's integrated fare system: one ticket or pass covers buses, trams, the metro, peripheral Roma TPL buses, COTRAL regional coaches, and Trenitalia's FL commuter rail lines — all in one. A monthly pass for Rome costs €35, an annual pass €250. You can get one online using SPID (Italy's digital identity for accessing online public services) or CIE (Italian electronic ID card), or in person at ATAC (Rome's public-transport operator) ticket offices.

At a glance

Cost	Single BIT ticket (100 min): €1.50. Monthly Rome pass: €35. Annual Rome pass: €250. Rome 24h: €7. Rome 72h: €18.
Timeline	Single ticket: immediate. Metrebus card (first time): 5–10 working days by post; immediate in person at a ticket office.
Where in Rome	ATAC ticket offices at 11 metro stations. Authorised newsagents and tobacconists displaying the ATAC sticker. Online at atac.roma.it or via the MyCicero app.
Documents	Valid ID, Codice Fiscale (Italian tax ID — your personal 16-character code), digital passport photo.

What a Metrebus ticket covers

A Rome Metrebus pass gets you onto all public transport within the city boundaries:

• The 3 metro lines (Line A red, B/B1 blue, C green)
• All trams (lines 2, 3, 5, 8, 14, 19)
• Over 350 urban bus routes operated by ATAC, including night services
• The urban rail lines: Roma–Lido, Roma–Viterbo, Termini–Centocelle
• All Roma TPL peripheral bus routes

If you add Lazio-wide coverage (a Metrebus Lazio or Roma–Lazio pass), you also get COTRAL coaches to the Castelli Romani, Tivoli, Civitavecchia and the rest of the region, plus Trenitalia's FL1–FL8 commuter rail lines.

Note: the Leonardo Express (Termini–Fiumicino Airport, €14) is not covered. Frecce, Intercity, and Italo long-distance trains have their own separate fares.

Tickets if you don't have a pass

If you only use public transport occasionally, the BIT (Biglietto Integrato a Tempo — integrated time-based ticket) at €1.50 is valid for 100 minutes from the first validation on all ATAC and Roma TPL services. On the metro it covers a single entry: once you exit, you can't re-enter on the same ticket, but you can continue on surface transport until the time expires.

For short stays there are also unlimited-travel tickets:

Ticket	Validity	Cost
Rome 24h	24 hours from first validation	€7.00
Rome 48h	48 hours	€12.50
Rome 72h	72 hours	€18.00
CIS (weekly)	7 calendar days	€24.00

Buy these on the day you plan to use them: validity starts at first validation, not at purchase.

Does a pass actually save you money?

The break-even point versus single BIT tickets is surprisingly low. If you take just 12 return journeys a month (24 single tickets at €1.50), you spend €36 — already more than the €35 monthly pass. Use public transport even 3 times a week and the monthly pass wins.

The annual pass at €250 works out to €0.68 per day for the whole year — roughly the equivalent of just over 7 monthly passes. If you know you'll be using public transport regularly from October through June, the annual pass is the smarter buy.

Getting your pass for the first time

To hold a monthly or annual subscription you need a Metrebus card — a free electronic smart card with your photo and personal details, which you top up as needed.

Online (easiest option): go to ATAC – Abbonamenti, log in with SPID or CIE, fill in the form, upload a digital photo and your ID. Pay the first month (€35) by card via PagoPA (Italy's public-sector payment platform). The physical card arrives by post in 5–10 working days. In the meantime you can download a temporary ticket so you can travel straight away.

In person at an ATAC ticket office: bring a valid ID and a passport-style photo. Staff scan your photo and issue the card on the spot. Pay the first €35 at the counter. The most convenient offices are at Termini (level –1, metro concourse) and at the main terminus stations.

Documents required:

• Valid photo ID
• Codice Fiscale
• Recent passport photo in digital JPG format

Topping up each month

Once you have your card, recharging is straightforward. You can do it online at atac.roma.it, through the MyCicero app (the most convenient option — also handles single tickets), at any ATAC ticket office, or at any authorised newsagent or tobacconist.

Monthly passes run on calendar months: if you load January, it's valid from 1 to 31 January. Top up by the 25th of the previous month so you don't end up with a gap in coverage.

Where to buy single tickets

• MyCicero app: fastest option — the QR code on your phone replaces a paper ticket. Also handles parking payments (see the parking guide for details).
• Ticket machines at every metro station: accept coins, notes, and contactless cards.
• Newsagents and tobacconists displaying the ATAC sticker or logo.
• ATAC ticket offices at the main metro stations — Termini, Lepanto, Anagnina, Battistini, Ottaviano, Cornelia, Laurentina, Rebibbia, EUR Magliana, Conca d'Oro, Ponte Mammolo — generally open Mon–Sat 7:00–20:00.

Mistakes to avoid

1. Buying tickets from street touts. Around Termini and San Pietro, counterfeit tickets circulate. Use only official channels: ATAC, authorised newsagents, the app, or ticket machines.
2. Riding without a ticket because "nobody checks." ATAC inspectors — some in plain clothes — board regularly, particularly on Metro A/B and bus 64. The fine is €104.90, reduced to €54.90 if you pay on the spot within 5 days.
3. Not validating a paper ticket. On buses, trams, and urban rail you must stamp your ticket at the start of your first journey. Having an unvalidated ticket in your pocket counts as no ticket at all.
4. Jumping the metro turnstiles. CCTV cameras record everything. Heavy fines and a possible criminal report.

Special cases

Lost your Metrebus card? Block it immediately by calling 06 57003 or through the ATAC online portal. Then request a replacement for €10: any remaining subscription is transferred to the new card — you won't lose it.

Got a fine but you have a valid pass? If you boarded without your card on you, the fine is €52.45, but you can have it cancelled by bringing proof of your valid subscription to an ATAC ticket office within 60 days.

Commuting from outside Rome? Look into the Metrebus Roma–Lazio integrated pass: it covers ATAC, COTRAL, and FL rail in one subscription. Prices start around €80/month and vary by zone. A commuter from Frascati, for example, typically pays around €100/month for the FL4 train plus all Rome urban transport.

Children under 10 travel free when accompanied by a fare-paying adult (maximum 2 children per adult).

Official sources

• ATAC – Tickets and passes
• ATAC – Subscriptions
• ATAC – Metrebus system
• COTRAL – Tickets
• Regione Lazio – Mobility and Transport
• MyCicero

Legal references: D.Lgs 422/1997 (local public transport reform), Legge Regionale Lazio 30/1998 (TPL reorganisation), Legge Regionale Lazio 16/2003 (integrated Metrebus fare system), DGR Lazio 441/2012 (Metrebus fares), Contratto di servizio Roma Capitale – ATAC.