The Roma Pass: Skipping the Tourist Lines in Rome

Insider Tip: The Roma Pass

How to Save Time and Money with the Roma Pass

The Roma Pass was once a little-known trick of sophisticated travelers, but it has now become a must-have for anyone visiting Rome for the first time, especially during peak season. It saves you time and money and makes it easy to use Rome’s public transportation.

The 48 hour Roma Pass costs $34 (at the time of writing) and the 72 hour Roma Pass approximately $45. The price includes, most importantly, free admittance to 1 (48 hour Roma Pass) or 2 (72 hour Roma Pass) of Rome’s major sites and museums, discounts on all subsequent sites, and a three-day pass for Rome’s public transportation system, including buses, trams, and most Metro trains.

Where to buy the Roma Pass

The Roma Pass is sold in a number of different locations, including all participating tourist sites and museums, and all tourist offices.

I recommend buying the Roma Pass here before you travel and use the online voucher to pick it up at the airport or the train station upon arrival to maximize your use. You can also pick it up at most tourist information points across the city. 

This allows me to immediately take advantage of public transportation tickets (please note that the train from Fiumicino airport to Rome is not included). However, the lines at the train station or airport tourist office are usually shorter than those at popular sites and museums.

To activate your public transportation ticket, fill out the back of the ticket with your name and the date. To get maximum usage, make sure you don’t fill out the ticket until you are ready to use the public transportation system.

What is included in the Roma Pass

Please check here for all museums included in the Roma Pass. 

48 Hour Roma Pass:

• 1 Entrance to the first museum or archeological site visited (see exclusions below)
• Price reduction for at all other museums and archeological sites visited after and over 80 partnering exhibitions and events
• Free public transport 
• Direct access to Castel Sant’Angelo and Capitoline Museums, but reservations required for Villa Borghese, Borghese Gallery, Colosseum, and Palazzo Valentini
• A map of Rome with major attractions and tourist sights
• Valid on 2 consecutive days

Book your 48 Hour Roma Pass here>>

72 Hour Roma Pass:

• Free entry to the first two museum or archeological sites visited (see exclusions below)
• Price reduction for at all other museums and archeological sites visited after and over 80 partnering exhibitions and events
• Free public transport 
• Direct access to Castel Sant Angelo and Capitoline Museums, but reservations required for Villa Borghese, Colosseum, and Palazzo Valentini
• A map of Rome with major attractions and tourist sights
• Valid on 3 consecutive days

Book your 72 Hour Roma Pass here>>

What is NOT included in the Roma Pass:

• Leonardo Express Train from Fiumicino Airport to Rome
• Vatican Museums, but the Omnio Pass does include the Vatican, including skip the line at the Vatican
• St Peter (access to the church is free)
• Domus Aurea
• Special events and night visits at some attractions, such as Colosseum at Night or Vaggio Nei Fori

Omnia Pass

If you get the Omnia Pass, you get 2 Passes for one: The 72 Hour Roma Pass AND skip the line entrance (must make a reservation for time slots, when picking up the pass) to the following:

• Skip the Line Entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica
• Skip the Line Entrance to Vatican Museums
• Skip the line Entrance to Sistine Chapel 
• Free Guide Book
   

Book your Omnia Pass here!

Skip the Line at Colosseum with the Roma Pass

Perhaps the most important aspect of the Roma Pass/Omnia Pass is that it allows you to skip the line into the Colosseum. The line to get into the Colosseum is often very long and the wait can take over an hour if you do not have the Roma Pass.

The Ministry of Cultural Heritage has added a turnstile into the monument that is completely reserved for Roma Pass holders. It’s hard not to feel like a V.I.P. as you slip inside.

If you book the Colosseum Skip the line ticket with a tour and access to the Gladiator area,  you will pay more than for the Roma Pass (but you don’t have a guided tour and without access to Gladiator area). 

If you do plan on visiting the Colosseum, make sure to visit it using one of your two free admittances: After visiting two sites for free, the Roma Pass offers discounts on all further sites, however, you must stand in the usual ticketing line in order to claim them, negating the V.I.P. turnstile. Admittance to The Forum Romanum and Palatine Hill is included with admittance to the Coliseum (15.50€).

Remember that as of March 2019, even Roma Pass holders need to make reservations to visit the Colosseum. 

• Website ecm.coopculture.it (reservation fee 2€) 
• Call-Center at 0639967575 (reservation fee 2€)
• At the Roman Forum – Palatine ticket offices, only on the day of the visit (upon availability)- the ticket office will issue a free receipt with the admission time.

Specialty Tours at the Colosseum:

• VIP Night Tour with Ground Floor Access

• Gladiator’s Gate: Special Access Colosseum Tour with Arena Floor

Villa Borghese with Roma Pass

To take maximum advantage of your 72 hour Roma Pass, your second free museum should be Villa Borghese. as it is the most costly with 12€ + 2€ reservation fee. 

Please call here to make reservations for Roma Pass Holders:  +39 06 32810

Major Sites included in Roma Pass

The other major sites covered by the Roma Pass are the Baths of Diocletian (6.50€), Castle Sant’Angelo (5.00€), Capitoline Museum (6.50€), and the National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art (10.00€). Other discounts are offered for theater events, art openings, sight-seeing tours, dance performances, etc. 

Tips for Traveling Families: Please note that most attractions are free of charge for children under 18. Make sure to carry identification for them to prove their age when you buy the tickets. 

Is the Roma Pass Worth it?

To be honest, I am not sure if the 48-hour skip the line is worth it, as you only get one free museum included in the pass. If you have been to Rome before and seen all the major sights or plan to just wander the streets to soak up the atmosphere, it might not be worth for you either. 

If it is your first time in Rome and you want to visit the major sites and museums, I definitely think the 72-hour Roma Pass is worth it. Especially if you plan to visit multiple museums and archeological sites and prefer to use public transportation, this is one of the city passes that can save you money.

A 72-hour public transport card is 18€, so together with 2 museum/site entrances of 12€ each, you already made your money back and I am sure you will want to visit more than 2 museums or sites while in Rome. If you add in the costs for skip the line tickets at the Colosseum, it is already a no-brainer. 

Book your 72 Hour Roma Pass here>>

Additional Tips for Rome:

• Rome has so much history and culture, we highly recommend to join tours in Rome, at least for the main attractions, and then add a day or two where you just meander the city to soak up the atmosphere and explore on your own.
• If you visit in summer and during high tourist season,  skip the line tickets are a must. Otherwise, you spend hours standing in the heat of the day and waste a lot of time.
• Remember to book your hotel in Rome ahead of time, so you can get a good deal and the location you want. Take a look at our guide to the various Rome neighborhoods.
• Rome is one of the pickpocket capitals in the world. I highly recommend either a Money Belt or a slash-proof cross body purse or backpack. Always split up your money and credit cards, and make copies of your passport. 

How To Save Money and Time with the Roma Pass – Pin for Later: