Is Roma Pass worth it ? Should you get it ? My 2024 Review

Visiting Rome and wondering if you should get the Roma Pass? I feel you. One of the first questions most travelers ask is: “Is the Roma Pass worth it in 2024 ?”. Planning a trip to Rome can be tricky from choosing attractions to visit to figuring out accommodations and transportation.

In this Roma Pass review, you'll learn how it works and whether it's the best choice for your trip. Recently, they've changed a few things and not all the changes are great. I'll tell you all about it.

Also, if you're going to Rome in 2024, I will provide the latest on pricing and offer a comparison between the Roma Pass and other available passes for sightseeing. While some passes, including the Roma Pass, might not seem as appealing as before, I've discovered what I believe to be the most beneficial option for most visitors, which I'll reveal at the end of the article.

Join me and let's figure out the best way for you to enjoy your Roman holiday while uncovering opportunities to save money!

The Roma Pass prices mentioned in this article have been updated in April 2024.

Is Roma Pass worth it in 2024 ? Quick review to help you decide

Roma Pass is worth it only if :

• You're going to use public transportation a lot.
• You want to use the Roma Pass for its “skip the line” benefits (particularly at the Colosseum, where wait times can exceed an hour during peak season) and save time.
• You want to visit all main attractions offered in the Roma Pass (like the Colosseum and Roman Forum).
• Or if you love museums (like the Borghese Gallery) and see this card as a museum pass.
• You have a tight budget for visiting Rome and you want to buy the cheapest sightseeing pass in order to benefit from the associated discounts.

Roma Pass is not worth it if :

No Roma pass review is complete or trustworthy if it doesn’t mention examples when Roma Pass is not worth buying. Here are some instances where it may not be worth it.

• You are booking Rome guided tours which already include the admission fees.
• You fall into a category which qualifies for free or reduced entry. For example, all children and youths under 18 may visit state-run museums and archaeological sites for free. In addition, European citizens between 18 and 25 qualify for discounts at some attractions.
• In Rome for one day only, in which case it would be cheaper to buy separate tickets for the one or two sites you want to visit.
• You’re traveling on a budget and have time to stand in line for individual tickets.
• Visiting on the first Sunday of the month when admission to most state-owned museums is free (expect long lines though).
• It’s your second or third visit to the Eternal City and you already visited all the top attractions included in the Roma Pass.

What is a Roma Pass and what's included in the package ?

The Roma Pass is a city card that allows you to visit the main tourist attractions in Rome. It is the cheapest sightseeing pass for visiting Rome and enables savings not only on museum entries but also on your transportation.

With this Rome pass, you can (see last price on this page):

• Free entry to 1 museum/attraction (48 hours pass) or 2 museums/attractions (72 hours pass) (museums or archaeological sites)
• Save a minimum of 20% on entry fees to various attractions or museums (compared to separate tickets)
• Skip the lines at the Colosseum, Castel Sant’Angelo and the Capitoline Museums, thanks to the fast-track access included (valid for 2 attractions).
• Benefit from unlimited and free access to all public transportation in the city of Rome (transfer to the airport and regional trains are not included).

The Roma Pass is valid for between 48 hours and 72 hours and looks like a paper a booklet which contains :

• the Pass
• a public transportation card
• the official fold-out Rome City Map
• a metro (subway) map of Rome
• a list of sites included
• a list with current events, exhibits and services included

How much does the Roma Pass cost ? 2024 prices

Here are Roma Pass 2024 prices.

This Pass is the cheapest tourist pass available. Depending on the length of your stay, you can choose between two Roma Pass options.

• The Roma Pass 72 hours  is valid for 3 days and gives you access to 2 free activities.
• The Roma Pass 48 hours  is valid for 2 days and provides access to 1 free activity.

If you stay more than 3 days , I recommend getting the 72 hours Pass for 53€ (more details here).

If you are staying in Rome for 2 days only, choose the 48 hours Pass at 33€ (check if available here).

NOTE: The free entry is valid for only one museum – not two.

It's important to know that the Roma Pass does not cover the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel. If you want to visit these two must-see sites, we suggest choosing the Rome Tourist Card.

You also can't use this pass for transportation from the airport to the city center. For more information, depending on your arrival airport, consult our article on Rome airport transfers.

What are the attractions included in the Roma Pass

Here's the list of best attractions included in the Roma Pass :

• Colosseum – timeslot needs to get reserved online, last minute availability might differ- It is
  recommended to book 2 weeks in advance, to be sure to find availability
• Palatine Hill and Roman Forum
• Fori Imperiali
• Borghese Gallery – you must book time slot in advance to guarantee fast track entry
• National Museum of Castel S. Angelo
• Musei Capitolini
• Museo Dell'Ara Pacis
• National Gallery of Modern Art (Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna)
• Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica – Palazzo Barberini/Palazzo Corsini
• Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica
• Accademia Nazionale di San Luca
• Galleria Spada
• Museums of Villa Torlonia
• Museum of Roman Civilization
• Museum of Casal de' Pazzi
• National Museum of Palazzo Venezia
• Mercati di Traiano – Museo dei Fori Imperiali
• Mausoleo di Augusto
• Balbi Crypt
• Palazzo Altemps
• Palazzo Massimo
• Domus Romane of Palazzo Valentini
• The Baths of Diocletian
• Circo Maximo Experience
• The Baths of Caracalla
• MAXXI – Museo nazionale delle arti del XXI secolo
• Journeys through ancient Rome
• Many others listed here

What is excluded from the Roma Pass?

The Roma Pass doesn't cover free admission to :

• Vatican Museums
• Sistine Chapel
• Colosseum night visits
• Hop-On Hop-Off tourist buses,
• Leonardo Express (express train between Roma Termini and Fiumicino Airport)
• No transport connections to Fiumicino Airport
• Colosseum Hypogeum
• St Peter’s Tomb
• Rome Catacombs
• Viaggio nei Fori light shows (at Forum of Augustus and Forum of Caesar)

Additional tickets or entrance fees are required for these attractions, with no reduced prices available through the Roma Pass.

Where to buy Roma Pass ?

Where are the Rome tourist infopoints ?

Wondering where to collect your Roma Pass ? I have listed the main tourist information points below.

TERMINI Tourist INFOPOINT

• Termini Station
• Via Giovanni Giolitti, 34, Inside Building F – Platform 24
• Every day from 8:00 to 18:45

MINGHETTI Tourist INFOPOINT

• Via Marco Minghetti (Via del Corso)
• Every day from 9:30 to 19:00

CASTEL SANT’ANGELO Tourist INFOPOINT

• Piazza Pia
• Every day from April to October from 9:30 to 19:00
• Every day from November to March from 8:30 to 18:00

SONNINO Tourist INFOPOINT

• Piazza Sidney Sonnino (Trastevere)
• Every day from 10:30 to 20:00

FORI IMPERIALI Tourist INFOPOINT

• Via dei Fori Imperiali
• Every day from 9:30 to 19:00

NAVONA Tourist INFOPOINT

• Piazza delle Cinque Lune (Piazza Navona)
• Every day from 9:30 to 19:00

SAN PIETRO Tourist INFOPOINT

• Info Point ORP (Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi)
• Largo del Colonnato 1 (Piazza San Pietro)
• Every day from 9:00 to 18:00

CIAMPINO AIRPORT Tourist INFOPOINT

• International Arrivals
• Every day from 8:30 to 18:00

FIUMICINO AIRPORT Tourist INFOPOINT

• Leonardo Da Vinci Airport- International Arrivals – Terminal T3
• Every day from 8:00 to 20:45

NOTE:

• Only debit cards or credit cards are accepted as method of payment for the Roma Pass when bought at one of the INFOPOINTS.
• No children’s version of the Rome Pass is available. The reasoning is that children under 10 already have free access to state-owned museums and public transport.

How to use the Roma Pass?

Are you wondering how the Roma Pass works?

The Pass is an electronic card that activates upon its first use, whether that be entry to an attraction or a metro ride.

It comes in 2 versions: valid for either 72 hours or 48 hours. The card automatically deactivates after your selected duration expires. For maximum benefit, I recommend activating it in the morning.

Regarding transportation, it will be valid until midnight on the last day.

Once you have your pass in hand, you will need to fill it out with your personal data, and then you can start your visits.

• For free visits, you can go directly to the entrance of the museums/attractions without going through the ticket office.
• For paid visits, you will need to go to the ticket office and present your pass to benefit from the discounts.

Roma Pass benefits

This Rome Pass is the cheapest (check the latest price on this site) option compared to other sightseeing tickets in Rome.

Your budget, travel plans and how you like to travel determine if this pass is good for you.

Here are the Roma Pass benefits to help you make an informed choice :

Priority access with skip the line tickets

The Roma Pass offer one skip the line access at the included attractions. I recommand to use it for the Colosseum.

You can choose between 45 museums, monuments, and archaeological sites to visit with your City Pass alone.

Free public transport

The Roma Pass gives free public transport.

You can travel as much as you want on Rome's buses, trams, and subways. This is a great feature.

To give you an idea, here are prices for single and multi-day tickets with ATAC, Rome's transport system:

• single ticket costs €1.50, good for 100 minutes
• 24-hour ticket is €7
• 48-hour ticket is €12.50
• 72-hour ticket is €18

Access to Public Toilets

This might seem minor, but it's useful when you're out all day.

The Rome Pass gives you access to clean, monitored toilets from P.Stop network.

These places are located in big squares in Rome (full list here) and have water and WIFI.

Free Entry for Under 18s to Colosseum, Borghese Gallery, and the Baths of Caracalla

This can save money for families.

If you are under 18 you can save your free entries for other attractions.

It's a special feature not available with other Rome passes.

How to book Colosseum tickets with Roma Pass ?

Since November 2019, the Colosseum has reduced the number of admissions per day through its offer of standard tickets.

Even Roma Pass holders have to reserve a date and time at Colosseum. If you don't do it this mean you won't be able to access it. Even less in high season.

You wondering if you can use Roma Pass for Colosseum ?

The answer is yes but to ensure entry, you must book a time slot online, ideally two weeks in advance.

If you book the Pass online before your trip (on this website), you'll be asked to pick a date.

This ensures that you have your visiting slot reserved for the Colosseum. It is not the case when buying the Roma Pass.

What to do if I have a Roma Pass but I can't get a booking at the Colosseum ?

Since the Colosseum started asking people to book a specific time to visit, a lot of people who got the Roma Pass but didn't book their Colosseum visit right away are finding out that there aren't any times left to use their city pass to get into the Colosseum.

That's why I suggest getting the Rome Tourist Card (see last price on this page).

It's a great way to fix this problem because when you book it online, you have to pick a date and time to visit the Colosseum. Sure, you might have to choose your time a month before your trip, but this way, you can be 100% sure that you'll get to go into the Colosseum.

How to use your Roma Pass for the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum visit ?

When you use your pass for complimentary access to the Colosseum, it also automatically provides free entry to the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum. This combined access is considered a single use of your pass.

Your entry to the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum isn't timed, but you must visit these sites on the same day as your Colosseum entry. Your ticket is valid for the entire day, with the entry time for the Colosseum being the key to your visit's scheduling.

It's important to remember that there's no re-entry to the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, or Roman Forum once you've exited.

Visitors typically spend around 1 hour in the Colosseum and at least 2 hours exploring the Palatine Hill and Roman Forum, immersing themselves in the ancient wonders of Rome.

How to reserve Borghese Gallery with Roma Pass ?

Yes, even Roma Pass holders need to reserve a spot for the Borghese Gallery.

The Borghese Gallery is a popular attraction in Rome, but they limit the number of people they let in each day to only 360 at a time.

Visitors enter in groups and can stay for two-hour time slots. These start at 9 am and usually end at 7 pm, although sometimes they stay open later.

During the very low season, it might be possible to just show up without a reservation, but it's always safer to book in advance no matter what time of year.

If you have a Roma Pass, this reservation is free. You can make it be email (info@tosc.it) or by phone (number is +39 06 32810).

Real Life Examples

Take a look here and try to recognize your needs and decide if this card is worth it for you.

Reminder before we start: With the Roma Pass, there are no guided tour options. And with the 48-hour Roma Pass, you pick 1 attraction, while with the 72-hour pass, you pick 2 attractions. For a list of attractions you can choose from, click here, choose Roma Pass card, and scroll down to “Full description”.

👍 Example 1: You are a first-time visitor, planning to spend 3 days. You want to have skip-the-line entrance tickets for the Colosseum (worth €18), Borghese Gallery (worth €13), and will use public transport for 72 hours with no limits (worth €18). In total, worth €49, and the Roma Pass for 72 hours costs a few euros more at €53. But in this case, it's definitely worth it! Not in terms of money because you will lose a few euros, but it also saves you time and makes it easier not to worry about getting separate tickets online and public transport.

👎 Example 2: You are a first-time visitor, planning to spend 3 days. You want to have skip-the-line entrance tickets for the Colosseum, Borghese Gallery, and will use public transport for 72 hours, but you want guided tours. Then this card is not worth it for you because the Roma Pass does not offer guided tours.

👍 Example 3: You are a first-time visitor, planning to spend 2 days. You want to have skip-the-line entrance tickets for the Colosseum (worth €18), Borghese Gallery (worth €13), and will use public transport for 48 hours with no limits (worth €12.50). Definitely worth it! In total worth €43, and the Roma Pass for 48 hours is €33. But in this case, it's definitely worth it! Both in terms of time and money.

👎 Example 4: You are a first-time visitor, planning to spend 2 days. You want to have skip-the-line entrance tickets for the Colosseum (worth €18), Borghese Gallery (worth €13), and will use public transport for 48 hours, but you want guided tours. Then this card is not worth it for you because the Roma Pass does not offer guided tours.

👍 Example 5: You want to spend 2 days in Rome, and you have already been to the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery, etc. Now you want to see the National Museum of Castel S. Angelo (worth €15), The Baths of Diocletian (worth €8), and will use public transport with no limits (worth €12.5). Definitely worth it! Because that is worth similar to the Roma Pass, and with the Roma Pass, you have one pass instead of searching for 3 different ones, so you save time and hassle.

👎 Example 6: You have already been to Rome and seen the Colosseum, Roman Forum, Borghese Gallery, etc. All the top attractions. Now you want to see the National Museum of Castel S. Angelo, The Baths of Diocletian, and will use public transport 2 days with no limits. However, you want a guided tour of these places. Definitely not worth it because the Roma Pass does not offer guided tours.

Omnia Card vs Roma Pass  : which is the best to buy in 2024 ?

Figuring out which Rome pass to buy can be very confusing. The different providers all claim to offer the best value for money. But are all these Roma passes really money's worth ?

In my honest opinion : yes.

However, the decision isn't solely about cost. It's more about convenience and saving time in queues.

The one drawback of the Roma Pass is that it doesn’t include the Vatican Museums with Sistine Chapel.

In this case, the 72-hour Omnia Rome and Vatican Pass is an option (check here for more details).

The Omnia Vatican Card includes all the benefits of the 72-hour Roma Pass with the added convenience of priority access tickets to the Vatican Museums (including an audio guide of St Peter’s Basilica) as well as tickets for a hop-on-hop-off Rome sightseeing bus.

Is the Omnia Card worth it ?

At €149, the Omnia Pass doesn’t come cheap.

You may be better off buying only the Roma Pass and book your skip-the-line tickets for the Vatican Museums separately.

Roma Pass vs regular entry ticket price comparison

With the 48-hour Roma Pass, you might save some money or just break even if you visit one of the big attractions, but not the Colosseum. But, if you also think about the free map and travel guide you get, and cheaper tickets for other cool places, the Roma Pass is still a good deal.

With the 72-hour Roma Pass, you get to skip the line for free at one big attraction and also visit the Colosseum. You'll end up saving a bit of money with this city pass.

If you were to buy normal tickets for places like the Colosseum, Capitoline Museum, Borghese Gallery, and a travel card for 72 hours, it would cost €69.

But with the Roma Pass, you save €16.

That's enough to buy a pasta meal at a real Italian restaurant!

Tips to get the most out of the Roma pass

• Choose the most expensive attractions to see with your free priority access benefit. Good choices are the Castel San Angelo, Borghese Gallery and Capitoline Museums. If you do it this way the Roma Pass worth it.

• All the Rome city passes are hour-based passes.  This means you should only activate it once you are ready to start using it.

• Rome gets really busy in the peak season. Prioritize your sightseeing by starting with the one you want to see most and go there early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Final word on this Roma Pass Review

Before buying a Rome Pass you must do your research on what value you’ll be getting for your money. This Roma Pass review should help you decide which one you are likely to benefit from most.

Remember that while staying within your budget is important, saving time by skipping the lines in Rome can be just as valuable.

If you only have two or three days to explore the city the Roma Pass worth it (must you need to visit more than just the first free attractions).

If you stay more that 3 days I recommand to look in the Rome Tourist Card (more details here) that is a good deal.