roma pass review

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

5/5 - (7 votes)

Heading to 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 can be tricky with all the cool places to see and things to figure out, like where to stay and how to get around. But don't worry, I'm here to help you understand the Roma Pass.

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 about the Roma Pass, and not all the changes are great. I'll tell you all about it.

Also, if you're going to Rome in 2024, I've got the latest updates on prices and other Rome passes you can use to see the sights. Some of these passes, including the Roma Pass, might not be as cool as they used to be (But I recently found the best option for most visitors, and I'll explain all about it at the end of the article).

So, let's figure out the best way for you to have an awesome time in Rome – and save money !

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

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

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Roma Pass worth buying if :

  • You're going to use public transportation a lot.
  • 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 Roma Pass card as a museum pass.

Roma Pass is not worth it if :

No Roma pass review is complete or trustworthy if it doesn’t mention examples when it’s 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.
roma pass trevi fountain by night rome
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What is a Roma Pass and what's included in the package ?

The Roma Pass is a discount card that allows you to visit the main tourist attractions in Rome. It is the cheapest 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):

  • Access 1 or 2 attractions for free, depending on the option chosen (museums or archaeological sites)
  • Save a minimum of 20% on entry fees to various attractions or museums (compared to separate tickets)
  • Skip the lines 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
roma pass booklet

How much does a Roma Pass cost ? 2024 prices

Here are Roma Pass 2024 prices.

The Roma Pass is the cheapest tourist pass available. Depending on the length of your stay, you can choose between 2 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 Roma Pass for 53€, valid for 72 hours (more details here).

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

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

ROMA PASS 48H ROMA PASS 72H
COST €33 €53
FREE FAST-TRACK ENTRY 1 attraction 2 attractions
TRANSPORT Free metro, buses, trams Free metro, buses, trams
OTHER Discount to more attractions, events, exhibitions + free map, travel guide Discount to more attractions, events, exhibitions + free map, travel guide
BOOKING Check prices Check prices

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.

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What are the attractions included in the Roma Pass

Here's the list of top 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 (last minute availability might differ)
  • 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
  • Mercati di Traiano
  • 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
  • Balbi Crypt
  • Palazzo Altemps
  • Palazzo Massimo
  • The Baths of Diocletian
  • Circo Maximo Experience
  • The Baths of Caracalla
  • Many others listed here

Where to buy Roma Pass ?

There is 6 ways to pick up your Roma Pass.

1.   The most convenient way to buy the Roma Pass in online (on this website). After selecting your date, entering the number of tickets you want to buy, and especially choosing the duration of the pass (48h or 72h). You can pick up your pass at any of the collection points in Rome within 24 hours after the time of purchase.

I recommand to buy your Roma Pass as soon as you have booked your stay (check availability here), as this will help you better prepare for your trip and reserve certain attractions.

For example, since the Colosseum's capacity is limited to 3,000 people, you need to make your reservation as soon as possible.

The steps to book the Colosseum and other attractions are indicated in the order confirmation email. You will receive a link to make your reservation online.

NOTE : you will have to pay an additional 2€ (this is the disadvantage of this pass: you need to make this Colosseum reservation online and pay this extra fee).

2.     By calling the customer service centre on 0039 060608. Keep your Visa and Mastercard, which are accepted as the payment method, close to the phone.

3.     All participating museums and sights. However, keep in mind you are bound to specific opening hours. This can also turn out to be very time consuming on busy tourist days.

4.     Rome tourist INFOPOINTS. If you’re unsure where to buy the Roma Pass when already in the city, these kiosks are all over the city and also serve as collection point for the Roma Pass when purchased online. Find the one closest to you with this useful list:

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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 Roma Pass is available. The reasoning is that children under 10 already have free access to state-owned museums and public transport.
tourist infopoint roma pass

5.     The ATAC subway ticket offices. You’ll find them at:

  • Metro A – Anagnina, Battistini, Lepanto, Ottaviano, Spagna
  • Metro B – Laurentina, Eur Fermi, Ponte Mammolo, Termini
  • Metro B1 – Conca d’Oro
  • Ferrovia Roma-Viterbo – Piazzale Flaminio
  • Roma-Lido – Porta San Paolo

The opening times are Monday to Saturday from 7:00 to 20:00 and Sundays and public holidays from 8:00 to 20:00.

6.    Trenitalia ticket offices and FrecciaClub.

where to buy roma pass

How to use the Roma Pass?

The pass is activated from its first use, either by an entry or a metro trip. It is valid for 72 hours or 48 hours. I advise 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.

Is Roma Pass worth it ? Let's check the 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 details to help you make an informed choice and see if the Roma Pass worth it for you :

Priority access

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 Roma Pass alone.

Unlimited Public Transportation

The Roma Pass lets you 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 Roma 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.

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roma pass Roman Forum
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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 Roma 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 for the paper version of 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.

roma pass hop on hop off bus
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How to reserve Borghese Gallery with Roma Pass ?

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

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).

Comparison with other Rome City Cards : which is the best to buy?

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

In my honest opinion, no.

Roma City Pass (from Turbopass)

Take the Turbopass for example, if you add up the cost of individual tickets plus all the add-ons like public transport it comes to less than the price of the city pass. There is always the convenience factor of priority access, but is it worth €15 or more? You decide.

A good point, however, is that the Rome Turbopass is 100% digital and is delivered by email. No need to collect it on tourist info site like the Roma Pass.

Roma Pass

The Roma Pass was by far the cheapest and the easiest to collect or even buy when you’re already in Rome. But honestly, it isn't a good deal anymore.

The price increase is not really justified, especially since access to the Colosseum is no longer guaranteed. The Rome Tourist Card is, in my opinion, a better alternative.

While it only includes free fast-track entrance to one or two attractions over two or three days, you should seriously consider if you’re going to have time to see more anyway.

Omnia Vatican and Rome Pass

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 Card is an option (check here for more details).

It 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 it worth getting the OMNIA Vatican & Rome Pass ?

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.

Rome Tourist Card vs Roma Pass – the most interesting

The Rome Tourist Card (check last price here) is the only card which is serious competition for the Roma Pass. Since the latter's novelties, the Rome Tourist Card came first in our recommendations and Roma Pass review.

The free Colosseum tickets options are much more interesting:

  • you'll be sure to find availabilities at the time you want to visit the Colosseum
  • and there is a real added value to your visit if you benefit either from the comments of the audio guide, or from an expert's narration
  • it is the best option if you stay more than 3 days in Rome

Moreover, it’s a digital pass which can be scanned by all participating attractions and service without the need of a physical card.

In option, Vatican Museums can be included for less than the Omnia Rome and Vatican Card.

The only negative thing to say about the Rome Tourist Card is that it doesn’t include free public transport.

Roma Pass VS normal entrances price comparison

ATTRACTION OR SERVICE REGULAR ADULT TICKET BUY TICKETS
Colosseum, Roman Forum, Palatine Hill €18 Check prices
Castel Sant’Angelo €19

(with online booking priority access)

Check prices
Roman National Museum €16 Check prices
Capitoline Museums €17
Borghese Gallery €13
Caracalla Baths €8

(+€2 for booking skip-the-line ticket online)

National Gallery of Modern Art €10
Circo Maximo Experience & Caracalla 4D €12 + €9
48-hour travel card €12,50 Check prices
72-hour travel card €18,00 Check prices

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 the 2024 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.

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1 Comment

  1. avatar
    Posted by Martin Powell| |Reply

    Thanks for a really helpful review. It’s helped us to make up our minds that none of the passes on offer are worth the expense.
    As an aside, we last visited Rome in 1976 and were thrilled by the experience. Returning this week we are shocked at how visitors are so poorly catered for, the crumbling infrastructure and antiquated public transport system. A bus journey we endured today was easily the worst we have ever had the misfortune to experience.
    We walked for some distance to find the Tourist Information Centre closed for several days (surely the week after Easter is a peak time as elsewhere) and despite lengthy online research could find nowhere else.
    Your city leaders need to travel to other European cities where visitors and the locals are not so badly taken for granted.
    Here’s to our return in another 47 years (!) when we sincerely hope Rome will be the experience offered by London, Paris, Berlin, Madrid etc.

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