Almost every long-distance train in Italy either starts, ends or pauses at Roma Termini. It is the best place to begin a pass — the first travel day can carry you north to Florence or south to Naples for the same single day of validity.
Arriving
Stations
Roma Termini
The main station: Frecciarossa, Frecciargento, Intercity, regional and the Leonardo Express. Both metro lines, and the pass validation gates are on the concourse side.
Roma Tiburtina
Second high-speed stop, quieter, better for northbound Frecce if you are staying in the east of the city. Long-distance buses leave from here too.
Roma Ostiense
Handy for Testaccio and the Piramide metro, and the departure point for the regional line to Ostia Antica.
From the airport
Fiumicino to Termini is the Leonardo Express, 32 minutes, €14, and it is NOT covered by a rail pass. The regional FL1 to Trastevere or Tiburtina is €8 and IS covered — a free ride if your pass day is already active.
Onward
Connections
| To | Fastest | Operator | Reservation | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence | 1h 32m | Frecciarossa | €13 | 2-3 per hour |
| Naples | 1h 10m | Frecciarossa | €13 | 2 per hour |
| Venice | 3h 15m | Frecciarossa | €13 | Hourly |
| Milan | 2h 59m | Frecciarossa | €13 | 2 per hour |
| Bari | 3h 55m | Frecciargento | €13 | 6 per day |
Rome is the one city where a pass day almost always pays: any two of Florence, Naples or Venice on the same calendar day costs one travel day and two reservations.
See
Worth your time
The Colosseum and Roman Forum
Book a timed slot; the queue for on-the-day tickets routinely runs over an hour.
Galleria Borghese
Two-hour timed entry, strictly capped. The best small collection in the city.
Trastevere at dusk
Cross the river around seven and eat where the queue is Italian.
Centrale Montemartini
Classical marbles displayed in a decommissioned power station. Almost empty, ten minutes from Ostiense.
Eat
What to order
Testaccio market
Lunch counters rather than restaurants. Go before one.
Cacio e pepe in Monti
Walkable from Termini, so it works on an arrival evening.
Pizza al taglio
Sold by weight, eaten standing. The cheapest good meal in the city.
Day trips
Where the trains go from here
Ostia Antica
A Roman port town you can walk through almost alone. Regional train, 30 minutes, pass valid.
Orvieto
Cliff-top Umbrian town, 75 minutes on a regional train. Worth a travel day only if you continue north afterwards.
Naples and Pompeii
70 minutes each way on a Frecciarossa — long, but very doable in a day.
Book ahead
Tickets and tours in Rome
The sights below sell timed entry that genuinely runs out. Booking links are affiliate links.
Colosseum, Forum and Palatine timed entry
One combined ticket for all three sites, valid across 24 hours. The on-the-day queue routinely runs past an hour.
Check availabilityGalleria Borghese two-hour slot
Strictly capped entry every two hours. Bernini's sculpture is the reason to go and slots vanish weeks ahead.
Check availabilityTestaccio food walk
Market stalls and back-street counters in the old slaughterhouse district, well away from the centre.
Check availabilityBookshelf
Read on the way to Rome
Three books that make the window, and the city at the end of it, more interesting. Links are Amazon affiliate links and cost you nothing extra.
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome
Mary Beard
The one history to read before the Forum. Sceptical, funny, and it makes the ruins legible.
Find a copyThe Woman of Rome
Alberto Moravia
1940s Rome from street level — the city behind the monuments.
Find a copyRick Steves Rome
Rick Steves
Still the most practical walking guide for a two- or three-day stop.
Find a copyMore titles on the full city bookshelf or the Italian bookshelf.