It is not a stereotype that Rome is a highly overcrowded and touristy city. People are always on run here, so it’s quite natural that a lot of visitors try to alleviate the heaviness of route planning, ticket purchase, and queue skipping – and buy a so-called Roma Pass card that gives its holder nice advantages.

From the very beginning, we want to underline that it can be a good deal for some people and a waste of money for the others. It all comes down to your travel style.

What types of Roma Pass exist?

There are two possible options:

• 72 hours Roma Pass, currently costs €38.5 (April 2018). It includes: visit any 2 museums; metro, buses & trams; discounts and reduced-price ticketing for events, exhibitions and tourist services.
• 48 hours Roma Pass, currently costs €28 (April 2018). It includes 1 museum; metro, buses & trams; discounts and reduced-price ticketing for events, exhibitions and tourist services.

What is the difference between them?

As you can see, they differ only in cost and in a number of museums you can visit for free. So, there is free entry to the first 1 (or 2) visited museums and / or archaeological sites of your choice; a concessionary ticket to all other museums and / or archaeological sites visited thereafter and free use of the city’s public transport network. Plus, at the Coliseum, Castel Sant’Angelo and Musei Capitolini Roma Pass holders have direct access to the security checkpoint, without waiting in the ticket window line.
All in all, there are around 50 museums that participate in the Roma Pass program.

It’s harder to save money with the 48-hour pass than with the traditional three-day pass. If you visit one of the most expensive museums, and make three reduced-entry visits, and also use public transportation frequently, the pass may save you money. It’s rather hard to fit all that into 48 hours, though.

Do I really need it?

Now, when you have a general idea of what all this buzz is about, let’s overview its value.

The Roma Pass can be a good deal if:

• You want to see the main sights of Rome and the Vatican in three days;
• You want to avoid waiting in long lines and you’re visiting in the busy summer;
• You want to do the extra activities (for example, Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus);
• You like audio-guides;
• You don’t want to bother with buying separate tickets;
• You will use public transport multiple times a day.

The Roma Pass may not be a good deal if:

• You’re only visiting a few sights;
• You don’t want to compress your main sightseeing into three days;
• You will not use public transport quite often (and you will probably not, as all the sights are located close to each other);
• You’re on a tight budget;
• You’re visiting in the off-season, so the lines will be shorter anyway;
• You don’t mind getting to sights super early to avoid the lines or you don’t mind waiting in line;
• You are planning to hire a MeetnGreeter in Rome (as they will surely book and plan everything for you and will not let you overpay).

How can I obtain one?

If you thought: “That’ it! I surely need a Roma Pass”, let’s find out the ways to buy one:

– Online. It seems like the easiest option but it has some peculiarities, so read them carefully: you can buy max 4 cards at once and make only one transaction a day from the same computer; all cards purchased online can be collected only 24 hours after the date of purchase; no refunds will be issued for online purchased cards which will be not picked up within the given time frame, that is to say, 6 months from the collection date indicated during the online purchase, or anyway within the date of a possible change in the selling price or in the services included in the card itself;

– By calling the Call Centre 0039 060608 (method of payment: credit card Visa and Mastercard);

– At the points of sale located in the city (see the full list here): at all participating museums and sites; Tourist info points; ATAC - Subway ticket office; Trenitalia Ticket Offices and FrecciaClub (located in other Italian cities).

And what about Omnia Card?

Yes, be aware that exists one more option – Omnia Card. Basically, it a combo pack of two different cards — the Omnia Vatican Pass and the Roma Pass. And instead of giving you entry to dozens of sights and museums, these passes only cover the most popular sights. This makes it ideal for first-time visitors who want to see the highlights.

With Omnia Card you will get: free entry to Vatican Museums & Sistine Chapel; free entry to your choice of 2 out of 6 top Rome attractions including The Coliseum, Roman Forum & Palatine Hill, Capitolini Museums, Borghese Gallery and National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo; fast-track entry to some sights; hop-on-hop-off bus tour ticket for 3 days; unlimited access to Rome’s public transport system; detailed Guidebook and discounted entry to another 30+ sights, attractions and museums.

As you see, there are different options to discover this city of Colosseum, gelato, and gladiators – so choose the one that suits you most.

In our turn, we remind you that our local concierges in Rome can always help you in an unknown city and suggest the right alternative. You are welcome to ask!