The taxi apps that beat the airport queues, the scooter apps for the brave, and the one app that makes Rome's buses legible.
Last updated August 23, 2026
In a nutshell: Rome runs on walking, but when your feet give out the apps below cover the rest - white taxis bookable by phone or app, e-scooters by the minute, and a real-time bus planner. Ticket prices and metro and bus basics live in practical tips, airport transfer options in getting there, and short answers in the FAQ.
Rome's licensed cabs are white and carry a roof-top taxi sign. Fares are generally metered, with fixed rates to and from the airports. You can hail one on the street, but it is often easier to take one from a rank, call for one, or book through an app - the apps come into their own at the airport ranks, which fill up fast at peak times. You can usually pay by card, though a little backup cash is wise.
The official Roman taxi network - the same service you reach by calling 06 0609. Books the nearest licensed cab from any of the local taxi cooperatives.
A widely used taxi-hailing app that works with licensed Roman drivers - useful for comparing and booking cabs without standing at a rank.
A big European taxi app with solid coverage in Rome; hail, track and pay for licensed cabs from your phone.
Uber exists in Rome only in its premium forms, Uber Black, Lux and Van, so it is expensive - fine for a treat or when nothing else shows up, not for everyday rides.
Scooters crowd Rome's streets, rentable through a couple of apps. They are handy for short hops, but you will be sharing the road with Rome's ferocious traffic and bouncing over uneven surfaces, and dragging a scooter up or down a historic staircase is illegal - see practical tips for that rule.
One of the two big scooter networks in Rome; expect an unlock charge of €1 plus roughly 25 euro cents a minute.
The other major scooter network; similar pricing to Dott, an unlock charge of €1 and roughly 25 euro cents a minute of riding.
You do not need an app to ride the metro and buses: Tap & Go lets you ride with a contactless card - just tap the card on the machine inside the bus or on the metro turnstile; when the light turns green you are in. If you prefer a proper ticket, the operator ATAC sells them at tobacconists, newsagents and ticket machines. For live planning, one app stands out:
A route planner in English with live bus positions - the most useful companion for Rome's bus network, which runs from early morning until around midnight, with night lines carrying an n prefix in front of the route number.
For official service updates, route maps and lift outages, the transport company's own bilingual site, atac.roma.it, is the authoritative source.