The Absolute Most Valuable Purchase (Really!)

I changed my mind!  The most valuable purchase we made for this trip was picked up in a tabaccheria soon after we arrived.  It is a transit map that includes a booklet describing the stops on each route.  It has been invaluable!  If you are coming to Rome for more than a few days, we highly recommend getting something of this sort.  Ours cost €8 and it has been well worth the price.  We have really gotten our money’s worth out of our €30 monthly transit passes, too.  Even if we did not quite use the full value (and we probably have at €1 per trip) the convenience has been terrific.  If you are in Rome for a shorter period of time, I believe there are also seven day passes.  Or, just buy a handful of tickets from a Tabaccheria each morning for the trips you think you will take.  Now there are even ticket machines on the busses and trams but you need exact change.