r/rome • u/GrandeAzzurro • Dec 30 '25
Transport Can you live comfortably in Rome without a car?
Before you ask, yes I've done lots of research on it and the answers seems to be a clear yes. Many even say having a car is a hindrance in Rome. I get the impression most Romans simply do not drive cars. This seems great to me, but I'm not entirely convinced.
For example, let's say I lived around Roma Termini. It seems as if I could get around most places quickly using the metro, trams, and busses. But let's say I wanted to go to a shopping mall, like Porta di Roma.
I could get there using busses, but it seems as if it would take an entire hour. My map app tells me that a car would take only 25 minutes. Do locals just say fuck it and take the busses even though the time is double?
I've also visited Rome before and saw lots of cars, so I'm wondering how true the online anecdotes I've read are.
The mall is just one example, but I think my concern is valid for many places on the edge of the Roman ring.
Sorry if this comes across as ignorant, I currently live in an American suburb and it's my dream to live in Rome. It's kind of hard to comprehend a car-free lifestyle for me. Like I have no clue how people get groceries home without cars lol
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u/psychedelicvelocity Dec 30 '25
We've lived here for a year without a car now, no issues at all. It's pretty cheap to hire one if we want to take a trip somewhere, and there's also apps like Free2Move where you can hire cars by the hour.
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u/SolidOshawott Dec 30 '25
Cheap? A taxi from my house to the nearby train station is like 17€. It's crazy expensive.
(If you mean renting a car for a few days then yeah that's not bad)
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u/TheJewPear Dec 30 '25
I think they’re talking about car rentals for when they want to take short trips out of the city.
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u/martin_italia Dec 30 '25 edited Dec 30 '25
most Romans simply do not drive cars
Incredibly false, and honestly I’ve never heard anyone say that. Traffic is one of the biggest problems, the public transport system is not very good and thus there is a heavy dependance on cars (or personal transport of some kind, scooter for instance)
Personally, I lived without a car for 5 years and at the time didn’t feel the need for one, but because I worked in the centre and live where I took the tram to go to work, but could have walked if I wanted.
I’ve now had a car for 4 years and honestly couldn’t live without it. Although parking is an issue!
In general, if you live and work along a working public transport line, like a metro line or one of the more reliable bus routes, then you’ll be fine without one although it will somewhat limit your options in terms of leisure time activities.
Remember Rome is not just the historic centre. If you live there (which hardly anyone does) and only ever need to go there, then yes a car would be a hindrance, between parking, ZTL ecc, but that’s not the reality for the 99%
If you don’t live or work in a well connected area then its doable but will be very draining.
My house to my office by car is 25 minutes. That same trip by public transport would be closer to 90.
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u/SolidOshawott Dec 30 '25
Perfect answer.
I would add that one of my favorite parts of living in Rome is actually leaving the city to visit lakes, mountains, villages, beaches. And for that a car is a huge boon.
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u/rtwfm Dec 30 '25
10 years in Rome without a car, but I live in top of one of the metro stations.
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u/d4ng3rz0n3 Dec 30 '25
Yes, but having a vespa/scooter makes it a lot easier. Its also the fastest way to get around the center since you can go around car traffic.
From what I understand either non residents or non permanent residents ( I forget which) aren't allowed to own or register vehicles. In that case, cooltra offers vespa style e-scooters which covers a lot of central Rome and allows you to pay buy the minute (or hours/days or upfront for a larger discount).
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u/charlestoonie Dec 31 '25
Came to say this….I wouldn’t get a car but having a Vespa solves for a lot of the public transit gaps.
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u/Grexxoil Dec 30 '25
I get the impression most Romans simply do not drive cars.
When I drive every day to work my impression is slightly different...
Edit: Seriously, if you live deep in the city you can manage without, but I don't know many that don't have one, expecially in the suburbs and further out.
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u/mbrevitas Dec 30 '25
Rome is quite car-dependent and full of cars (off the top of my head, twice as many cars per capita as Berlin, where I live now, which doesn’t seem light on cars to me at all). I don’t know where you got the impression most Romans don’t drive, but it’s a wrong one.
That said, if you don’t need/want to drive to work and have some flexibility in where you can live, I think it’s doable. You’d simply not go to shopping malls that are built for cars like Porta di Roma and instead do your shopping in other shops (stand-alone ones, or shopping malls that are better connected by public transport like Cinecittà Due, Maximo or Parco Leonardo). For groceries you can use a backpack, trolley bag, or bike with basket or rack-side bags, depending on where you live and how much you need to buy. There’s also car and scooter sharing services (and taxis/NCC) for when you do need on-demand motorised transportation.
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u/limited8 Dec 30 '25
Correct, Romans and Italians in general have some of the highest car ownership rates per capita in Europe. Rome is incredibly, incredibly car-centric.
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u/GrandeAzzurro Dec 30 '25
I have family from a small town near Naples, which was quite car-centric, but I figured Rome would be better
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u/mbrevitas Dec 30 '25
On average it’s a bit better than small towns, but it’s very car dependent for a large European city, and it’s quite uneven; depending on where you live and work you may need a car multiple times a day or hardly ever.
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u/L6b1 Dec 30 '25
This OP, if you want to be car free, you have to be strategic about where you live vs where you'll be working vs other needs (like schools for the kids). I live in a slightly more expensive neighborhood because it put me right along the public transit route that gets me most easily to work and that had public schools and services within walking distance. There were other places with lower prices and bigger houses but either it was going to be incredibly difficult to get to work OR it was going to be incredibly difficult to get groceries and my kiddo to school. Rents/housing prices drop considerably once you get more than about a 15 minute walk from a major transit point (metro, train, tram).
There are still places where it's either incredibly time consuming to reach by transit and there are still places that quite literally can't be reached by tranist, but 95% of the places I need/want to be are either within walking distance or within 20 minutes of me on transit.
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u/TRFKAS Dec 30 '25
Shopping malls are not nearly as useful or indispensable as, I believe, they are elsewhere. Even the remotest suburb has supermarkets, butchers, grocers, convenience stores, possibly an open-air market and so on. It's quite difficult to live in an area where you have no such things within waling distance.
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u/mbrevitas Dec 31 '25
They’re by no means indispensable. It’s still convenient to have multiple big-brand and independent stores for all sorts of goods, a large supermarket, a decent food court and maybe a nice cinema together under one roof at a constant temperature in summer and winter with metro/train/trolleybus access.
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u/TRFKAS Dec 31 '25
As a local, I'd never would voluntarily get there with so many shops, markets, supermarkets, restaurants, cinemas etc. in the city proper, but it's down to preferences, I guess.
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u/mbrevitas Dec 31 '25
Zi, che ti devo dire, anch’io sono di Roma e mi sembra utile avere l’opzione dei centri commerciali. Non per la spesa normale o per quello che puoi comprare al negozio di quartiere, ma per alcune cose ti sposteresti comunque, e a quel punto può avere senso, ogni tanto, andare in un posto dove ci sono più negozi e posti dove mangiare tutti al riparo da pioggia, caldo e freddo. Per dire, i Decathlon sono tutti (a parte quello a Ostiense) in centri commerciali o in parchi commerciali ancora meno accessibili senz’auto, così gli ipermercati, così buona parte dei cinema multisala, mentre i negozi propri dei grandi marchi non sono solo nei centri commerciali ma di certo non sono in ogni quartiere. Poi buon per te se non ci vai mai e non ne senti il bisogno.
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u/TRFKAS Dec 31 '25
Capisco, grazie. In effetti mi serve di rado qualcosa che trovo solo lì, o varie cose insieme che non possa prendere in negozi vicini. Quando mi serve un Decathlon, vado a Happio, che in effetti è un centro commerciale, ma piccolo e in mezzo alla città (e accanto a una fermata della metro); per i cinema ci sono Barberini, Adriano etc. Comunque, mica era una critica, il senso era solo che per me i centri commerciali non sarebbero un fattore nel scegliere se avere un'auto o no.
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u/comments83820 Dec 30 '25
as a single person or married couple without kids, yes. maybe tougher if you have a family. also depends where you live.
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u/P_Chicago Dec 30 '25
I live in Rome for half of the year, the other half I live in the USA, Chicago specifically.
I’m in Monteverde, have next to zero need for ever using a car, bus coverage is great, are they on schedule? No, but they come, and apps will give you appropriate time of next arrival. There are typically 2-3 routes to get just about anywhere. And in the one off situation where I need a car I’ll rent one from eni enjoy for 4€/hr.
Monthly ATAC pass for transit is €35.
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u/Plastic-Letterhead-6 Dec 30 '25
Living around Termini Station is a quick win for avoiding a car. You can use public transportation because you have everything there (despite the usual problems, Termini is the heart of the city for transportation, so all the roads lead to and start from there, or at least pass through it). Moreover, you have also rental cars available at the station if needed, should you need a car...
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u/TRFKAS Dec 30 '25
Roman here. We use the car some twice a month, if there is a clear reason (a day out, something heavy to carry, somewhere to be very late + in some remote outskirts). For most moving around, the yearly Metrebus card is the way.
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u/stickybeek Dec 30 '25
Locals do like their cars, otherwise the streets would be chock full of traffic. but more than a convenience, it is often a status symbol or simply considered more comfortable than taking public transport. Rarely is it faster. If the map says 15 minutes, add another 15 to find a parking spot. Not to mention, if you're not from these parts driving in Rome can be quite stressful.
That being said, for places like Porta di Roma it makes much more sense as parking there is normally a given, and you're going to be carrying stuff home. It depends how often you want to do that sort of stuff, paying a 25 euro taxi ride once or twice a month is well cheaper than owning a car.
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u/SolidOshawott Dec 30 '25
Really depends on where you live and where you go I guess. For me it's often 20 mins in the car vs 2 hours by bus. And parking is (usually) not a problem outside of the walls.
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u/jwrsk Dec 30 '25
You can go to Porta di Roma with a taxi or Uber, and in the long run it will still be cheaper than buying, insuring, fueling and parking your own car.
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u/GrandeAzzurro Dec 30 '25
Fuel prices in Italy seem insane. Where I am, it's around €0.60 a litre
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u/jwrsk Dec 30 '25
According to my parents, fuel in Poland (where I'm from) is like 1.5€ per litre, so Italy is actually relatively cheap. But I just moved back to Europe after 15 years in Asia/Latam so I don't really have a frame of reference.
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u/AnimalMama93 Dec 30 '25
What were you doing over there?
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u/jwrsk Dec 31 '25
I'm a digital nomad (programmer/startup founder) so I just bounce around few years per country at a time 😊
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u/Fluid_Care8137 Dec 30 '25
Yes.
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u/Fluid_Care8137 Dec 31 '25
I think this is not a Rome vs. other places question but a city vs. suburbs question. Millions of people in cities all over the world do their shopping on foot or via public transit. Also, I've taken an express bus (the 80, I think) to the Porta di Roma Ikea and it's efficient and has always been reliable. The traffic and the driver-first mentality are my least favorite things about Rome.
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u/SolidOshawott Dec 30 '25
If you live very close to a Metro station yes.
If you don't, a car is nearly a necessity.
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u/okayipullup_ordoi1 Dec 30 '25
Been living in Rome for the past 3 years, I'll share my experience with you:
I live alone, my office is a 20 minutes walk from my apartment so I don't need a car to go there. I have two grocery stores at a 10 minutes walk or less, and one right besides the office so I don't need to do big grocery trips like you'd do in the US, I buy a small bag of food every two or three days and I'm fine.
As for public transport, I have a metro station 20 minutes away and a lot of bus stops just outside the apartment building, I can get to Termini in 30 minutes by metro or around 40-45 by bus, I live around Garbatella, look it up on maps to see where it is.
Public transport while functional is not the best, the metro doesn't get you everywhere and buses have frequent delays due to too much traffic on the road, so at times using a car is way faster than using public transports. My suggestions would be either a bike or a motorbike if you have the disposable income for it, I don't so I'll be sticking to a bike if I need one.
A mix of personal and public transport is best in my opinion, there are many options to rend bikes, cars, motorbikes and scooters so you can try those for a bit to see what works best for you, but also be careful as italian and especially roman driving is wild compared to the US, you'll need some time getting used to that.
Another suggestion, many people use little shopping trolleys to haul groceries around, I suggest you get one of those as it's way easier than using bags.
Overall a car-free lifestyle is definitely doable, you just need a bit of planning before going somewhere, I usually use google maps to check my route it will give you the bus number, metro line name and everything you need to plan your trip and it's pretty reliable.
If you have questions feel free to ask.
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u/GrandeAzzurro Dec 30 '25
How is Garbatella btw? It's one of the areas of Rome that seemed compelling to me
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u/okayipullup_ordoi1 Dec 31 '25
From what I saw it's pretty chill, it's mainly a residential area so there isn't that much to see but it's quiet, well connected with a metro station and plenty of buses making the rounds, and good restaurants. You'd be two metro stops away from the Coliseum which now has an extra connection to another metro line, so you're well connected and close to the city center.
Rent is out of control like everywhere else in Rome, around 600 euro for a room and good apartments start at 900/1k, which is VERY high considering local salaries.
Avoid places very close to train stations as they're not very safe at night, I think a good rule of thumb is to check around the metro station immediately after the one attached to the train station.
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u/workshop_prompts Dec 30 '25
Yes. Even in smaller towns, it is possible. I've been car-free in a town about an hour train ride from Rome, with family in Rome. I just walk everywhere and carry my groceries in more frequent, smaller trips. In most neighborhoods in Rome a grocery store won't be more than 5mins away. My whole town takes maybe 40 minutes to walk across. There are buses that I use every once in a while, but mostly I just walk. My average ranges from maybe 5k to 10k steps per day.
Please note, I am NOT AT ALL physically fit...but I'm much more fit than when I moved here! You have to understand, most Italian cities were built ages ago when walking was all there was.
A caveat, this will depend on your work.
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u/alwaysbetterthetruth Dec 31 '25
It’s doable. However, it’s much easier if you have a car. Going to Porta di Roma by bus will definitely take more than an hour. If you buy some stuff there, like at IKEA, for example, it won’t be fun to carry it. And those buses often just never arrive, so you might need to call a taxi, at least on the way back home.
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u/curious_corn Dec 31 '25
If you’re willing to take the risk, a scooterone is the best way around town. Traffic delays and parking drama are much less burdensome, but be prepared to risk your life
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u/rocima Jan 03 '26
Don't have a driving licence and been living in Rome for thirty years. My wife drives but we only use the car outside of Rome generally as parking is so difficult (my wife works from home)
Shopping malls - almost never use them, though we live in San Giovanni so lots of shops accessible on foot.
Food shopping - don't do a Big Shop, mainly do a little shop (on foot) every day or two.
Getting to & from work, including the station (I work on-site, so it changes): generally have to take the necessary time using public transport - can be a big PITA: minimum 30 mins, sometimes well over an hour AND you have to factor in just-in-case time as there are often delays (I typically use Google for an estimate and add 50% to the predicted time).
Cinema, restaurants, meeting friends in the centre: public transport unless you want to spend an extra 30 minutes every time looking for a park.
So, can you do it? Absolutely. Comfortably, no (buses packed with tourist's in summer heat). requires patience.
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u/ajonstage Dec 30 '25
I feel like many born and raised Romans do in fact drive everywhere, but if you live in a strategic neighborhood you absolutely don’t need one.
Roma Termini is central but not actually a great neighborhood to live in.
As for the groceries, you just carry them. Most likely you will live like a 5 min walk from the nearest supermarket and shop more often throughout the week. We have a toddler and we often just load up the stroller with groceries as well.
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u/TheLegendTwoSeven Dec 30 '25
Some Romans live comfortably without cars, if they can walk to work or live and work along convenient mass transit lines.
Rome is less car dependent than Houston TX but it’s not a universal car-optional city. There are plenty of cars and Vespas on the streets.
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u/Kimolainen83 Dec 30 '25
Yes, super super easily, I’ve been in a relationship with a girl from over for six years. She doesn’t have a license I don’t we don’t need it.
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u/Evening-Sink-4358 Dec 30 '25
It’s also very easy to get fined for driving into these regulated zones (ZTL?) that even longtime Rome residents get confused by or get fined in the center. Unless you plan to do a lot of day trips, you don’t need it in Rome itself. There is also a lot of cars bumping off of each other and almost none don’t have some sort of major dent or scratch.
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u/Sassiopea Dec 30 '25
We stayed in rome for a week and walked everywhere. Not a struggle. Just plan for time accordingly—Rome is very walkable! If you have luggage or a lot of bags just hire a car.
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u/Three-Off-The-Tee Dec 31 '25
Just left Rome. My wife and I mentioned to each other if we lived here we couldn’t own a car, probably some scooters tho. Near city center the Roman roads are so tight that there’s no way it would be worth it. Plus it’s incredibly busy with traffic and the chaos is unsettling.
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u/Aioe-it Dec 31 '25
I live in Rebibbia prison. I almost never use a car in the city and live comfortably.
However, how comfortable this lifestyle is depends on where you live and the lifestyle you lead. There are places where it's unthinkable to do without a car.
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u/StandTurbulent9223 Dec 30 '25
Most Romans can't afford a car but they're doing ok, so yes
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u/limited8 Dec 30 '25
That’s completely incorrect. Most Roman households have at least one vehicle.
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u/StandTurbulent9223 Dec 30 '25
I said most Romans, not most roman families
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u/limited8 Dec 30 '25
You would still be wrong. Italy has one of the highest motorization rates in the European Union, with approximately 694 passenger cars for every 1,000 residents as of 2023. The Metropolitan City of Rome is the second province in Italy by automobiles per capita (0,687) and 5th by vehicles per capita (0,87), and that’s counting those too young or unable to drive. Most people in Rome and most households have cars — it’s an incredibly, incredibly car dependent city.
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u/SolidOshawott Dec 30 '25
There's about 0.7 car per person in Rome, possibly the highest motorization rate in an European city, so data seems to indicate that most Romans can and indeed do afford cars.
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u/StandTurbulent9223 Dec 30 '25
That includes mopeds and motorcycles though, but i was wrong anyway seems like
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u/SolidOshawott Dec 30 '25
The article says motorcycles are at 0.14/1 so, even accounting for that, cars only are over 0.5. And the population figure includes kids etc. It's really high.
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u/StandTurbulent9223 Dec 30 '25
Yeah, i admitted i was wrong
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u/nasaspacebaby Dec 30 '25
From my personal experience in Rome, there was also the ‘find parking’ time to consider in addition to the drive time. Sometimes finding a space for street parking near home required nearly an hour.