Can I Buy a Ticket On The Bus In Rome?

Times are changing and Rome is realizing that people do, in fact, want to buy tickets on board

Prior to 2023, I would have said "no" and that you can only buy tickets at edicole, tabacchi, and in the Metro stations.

The new card readers on buses and trams.

However, in the past year, ATaC has put contactless card readers on each of their buses, trams, and Metros (at the turnstiles) so you can now pay by card on board.

What to know about buying a bus ticket on board?

When you get on a bus in Rome (ideally the middle of the bus, not the front or back), you can go left to validate a paper tickets (or a rechargeable ticket) and right to use your card.

Your card will act as your ticket for the ride. This means that you can only use one card per person. It doesn't work to use one of those bank-generated temporary cards on your smartphone. A better way to think about it is: one bank account per person riding.

If you're stopped by a ticket inspector (likely) and you only used a single card for multiple people, they will tell you what the machine told you, "The card is only valid for one passenger."

So it's still helpful to have a physical ticket, just in case (of course, is the physical ticket isn't validated, then you're still out of luck, legally speaking).

For more on ATac's transportation systems, you can find my article here.