Rome bus fares

http://europeforvisitors.com/rome/transportation/rome-metrebus-tickets-and-fares.htm

The tickets come in several basic versions:

• BIT is the standard ticket for one Metro ride (with train changes, if necessary), one commuter-train ride, or 100 minutes on public buses. It costs €1,50.
• Roma 24H is a 1-day ticket. It's valid for 24 hours of unlimited travel on the Metrebus network. The price is €7.
• Roma 48H is a 2-day ticket. It's valid for 48 hours from the time you first use it. The price is  €12,50.
• Roma 72H is a 3-day or 72-hour ticket. The price is €18.
• CIS is a a 7-day ticket. It's valid for one week from the time of stamping. The price is €24.

Rome Metropolitana trains, buses, and trams use "Metrebus" tickets, which are valid on all three modes of transportation. The tickets can also be used for commuter-train rides within the Comune di Roma (including the beach at Lido di Ostia but not Fiumicino Airport).

Unless you're riding the Metro (where you can buy a ticket in the station), you should purchase a supply of Metrebus tickets ahead of time, since you'll need to have a ticket before you board a public bus or streetcar.

Validating your ticket

You must validate your Metrebus ticket prior to travel. Riding without a stamped ticket can result in a fine of €50 on the spot, plus the cost of the ticket. Here's how to validate the ticket:

• When riding a bus or tram, stamp your unused ticket in one of the machines near the doors immediately after boarding. (Hold the striped side toward you and insert the ticket in the direction of the arrow.)
• When riding the Metro, insert your ticket in the slot on the front of the turnstile, and retrieve it from the top of the machine before going through the gates.
• When riding a commuter train, stamp your ticket in the yellow machine on the platform before you get on the train.

Where to buy tickets

Metrebus tickets are available from:

• Ticket counters in Metro stations,

• Ticket machines in Metro stations and at larger tram stops,

• Any newsstand, kiosk, or bar that is licensed to sell cigarettes. (When in doubt, look for a "Tabacchi" sign.)

However, I find myself walking much more than taking the bus, so I don't think they're all that useful, and likely not a savings, since you'd have to take at least four or five rides per day to make them more cost-effective than individual tickets (well, three rides per day—but every day—with the weekly pass).

Unless you happen to be heading to the area immediately around the Spanish Steps, the bus is a far better bet than the Metro, as Rome's subwaysystem doesn't really serve the core of the historic center but rather skirts its edges.

We'll start with the three neighborhoods at the very heart of the historic center, the area 90% of tourists want to spend most of their time in: TheTridente, Upper Tiber Bend, and Lower Tiber Bend.