There is one thing that catches out almost everyone who comes to Rome for a match: the Stadio Olimpico has no metro station. In a city with three metro lines, the ground that hosts Roma, Lazio and the Italian rugby team can only be reached by changing onto a second form of transport, or by walking the last stretch.
If you are used to the Aviva Stadium with its train station at the gate, or to the Principality Stadium sitting right in the middle of Cardiff, this takes a little adjusting to. It is not a problem, but you need to know it before you set off. The difference between arriving relaxed half an hour before kick-off and arriving out of breath in the 15th minute comes down to one decision made in the morning: which combination of transport to take, and what time to leave.
This guide covers both scenarios, a Serie A night and a Six Nations Saturday. The logistics are similar, but the timings, the atmosphere and the mood of the day are not.
Where the Stadio Olimpico actually is
The stadium sits inside the Foro Italico, north of the historic centre, in a bend of the Tiber at the foot of Monte Mario. As the crow flies it is just over 5 kilometres from Piazza Venezia, but the real journey covers 6 or 7 depending on the route.
The area is a sports complex, not a neighbourhood. Around the stadium there are other venues, tennis courts, the Foreign Ministry at the Farnesina, and not much else. Bars and restaurants start further out, towards Ponte Milvio or the Parioli district. It is worth keeping in mind when you plan the day: there is no point turning up two hours early for a drink nearby, because there is very little nearby.
The Tiber splits the area in two. On the stadium side you have Piazzale della Farnesina, Lungotevere Maresciallo Diaz and Piazzale dello Stadio Olimpico. On the opposite bank is Piazza Mancini, the terminus of tram 2 and of several bus routes. The two sides are joined by the Ponte Duca d’Aosta, a few minutes on foot. Working out which side you should get off on is half the job.
The route that works best: metro A to Flaminio, then tram 2
If you only remember one thing from this guide, remember this one.
Take metro line A to Flaminio station, on Piazzale Flaminio just outside the Porta del Popolo. Tram 2 leaves from there and reaches its terminus at Piazza Mancini in around 15 minutes. Get off, walk across the Ponte Duca d’Aosta, and 10 minutes later you are at the stadium.
Why it beats the alternatives: the tram runs on its own reserved track for most of the route, so it does not get stuck in the traffic that builds up along the riverside roads on match nights. It is the option that copes best with 60,000 people moving at the same time.
The drawback is that in the hour before kick-off tram 2 is full, and “full” in Rome means you might have to let one go and wait for the next. Services do run frequently on event days.
If you are coming from Termini or the via Cavour area, the full sequence is metro B to Termini, change onto metro A, four stops to Flaminio, then the tram. It looks long written down, but it is 45 minutes door to door, changes included.
Without the tram: metro A to Ottaviano and bus 32
Bus 32 links Piazza Risorgimento and Ottaviano station on metro line A with Piazzale della Farnesina, which is the closest stop of all to the stadium on the Tiber side.
It is the right choice if you are already staying near the Vatican, or if tram 2 does not suit your route. The risk is the one all surface buses carry: on match nights some streets in the area are closed for security reasons and routes can be diverted at short notice, with stops moved from their usual position.
There is a third option that Roman fans have used for decades: get off at Ottaviano and walk the last 2.5 kilometres. It takes about 30 minutes, but on busy nights you often get there faster than you would waiting for a bus stuck in traffic. In the rain, obviously, it is a different story.
If you would rather not change: the direct buses
Two routes are worth knowing if you dislike connections.
Bus 910 starts at Piazza Indipendenza, a short walk from Termini, passes Piazza della Repubblica and ends at Piazza Mancini. From there you cross the bridge exactly as you would coming off the tram. It is the simplest link for anyone staying between Termini, Monti and Repubblica: one vehicle, no changes, though the journey time depends on traffic.
Bus 70 starts on via Giolitti alongside Termini, climbs via Nazionale and terminates at Piazzale Clodio. Clodio is on the opposite side from Mancini, on the Monte Mario flank, about 20 minutes’ walk from the ground. It makes most sense if your seat is in the Tribuna Monte Mario or the Curva Nord.
Other routes serving the area, useful depending on where you are staying: the 280 from Piramide and Ostiense, the 301 from Lepanto, the 226 and 200 from the northern districts, plus the 628, 911 and 982. If you are in the historic centre, though, metro plus tram remains the most predictable combination.
Tickets, ID and what you cannot bring in
This is the section that causes the most trouble for visitors from abroad, so read it before you buy anything.
Tickets for the Stadio Olimpico are personal and named. Each ticket is issued with the personal details of the spectator who will use it, and at the turnstiles the stewards check that the name on the ticket matches the name on your identity document. So you need two things, every time: the ticket and a valid ID. Without the document you do not get in, even with a perfectly legitimate ticket. A passport or a national identity card from your own country is fine.
If you are buying for a group, the details of every single person have to be entered at the moment of purchase. Passing a spare ticket to a friend is only possible through the official name-change procedure, which takes time and has to be done in advance. Handing over the ticket at the gate does not work.
Buy through the official channels of the clubs or of the Italian Rugby Federation. For matches classified as high risk, the authorities can restrict sales to residents of certain provinces, close sectors or ban away supporters, and those decisions often arrive only days before kick-off. Check for updates during match week.
On what you can carry, the list of banned items is the standard one for Italian grounds: no bottles, cans or rigid containers, no umbrellas, poles, helmets, blunt objects, lasers, noise instruments such as horns and drums, no spirits. Banners, drums and choreographies need advance authorisation. Large backpacks can be refused, and there is no left-luggage facility at the stadium: whatever does not go in stays outside. Keep your ticket until you leave and sit in your assigned seat, two rules the stewards genuinely enforce even when a sector is half empty.
Which stop to use for your sector
The stadium has four main sectors: Tribuna Tevere and Tribuna Monte Mario along the sides, Curva Sud and Curva Nord behind the goals.
The Tribuna Tevere faces the river, so if your seat is there the easiest approach is from Piazzale della Farnesina and the Lungotevere, meaning bus 32 or tram 2 with the walk across the bridge.
The Tribuna Monte Mario is on the opposite side, towards the hill, and is best reached from Piazzale dello Stadio Olimpico and viale dei Gladiatori, which means arriving via Piazzale Clodio.
For the two curve the difference is less clear cut, but you have to walk the perimeter of the stadium on foot, and on busy days there are barriers and one-way pedestrian routes in place. Picking the wrong side can cost you an extra 15 or 20 minutes on your feet. Check the sector printed on your ticket before you leave, not after you step off the tram.
What time to leave
For an evening Serie A match kicking off at 20:45, leave the centre around 19:00. You will arrive at about 19:45, with time to clear the checks without queueing and to find your seat calmly.
Rugby at the Olimpico is played on Saturday afternoons, and the flow of people is more spread out and more relaxed. Leaving 90 minutes before kick-off is plenty, and many people go earlier to spend time in the fan village.
Entry checks involve metal detectors and document verification, and for a 60,000-capacity event that means queues. The final 15 minutes before kick-off is always the worst possible moment to turn up at the turnstiles.
Getting back: the part almost nobody plans
This is the section worth the price of admission, so to speak.
After the final whistle, tens of thousands of people leave at once and head for the same three or four points. Tram 2 at Piazza Mancini builds long queues, buses are besieged, and taxis in the immediate area are essentially impossible to find.
Then there is a timetable detail that can ruin the evening. Rome’s metro closes early: on weekdays and Sundays the last trains leave the terminus at around 23:30, while on Saturdays the service runs until 01:30. An evening match ending at 22:45, plus 20 minutes to get out of the ground and 20 on the tram, puts you at Flaminio around 23:25. The margin exists, but it is thin. One long stoppage or one missed tram and the metro is gone.
There are alternatives. Once the metro shuts, night buses take over along the same corridors: nMA follows line A, nMB follows line B, nMC follows line C. The stadium area is also served by the n200 and n201 night routes.
The practical advice is simple. If your match is on a weekday or Sunday evening, decide how you are getting back before you leave. Walking to Piazzale Clodio and catching a bus from there, or planning a walk to Ponte Milvio where taxis are easier to find, will both save you more time than standing in the queue at Mancini.
Football and rugby are two very different days
Same stadium, completely different experience.
Serie A
Roma and Lazio both play at the Olimpico, so one weekend you may find one club at home and the next the other, with entirely different crowds. Kick-off times move around the calendar, anywhere from 12:30 to 20:45.
The atmosphere in the curve is intense and the security operation matches it. If you are coming from abroad without a strong allegiance, the calmest sectors are the Tribuna Tevere and the Tribuna Monte Mario. And if your visit happens to fall on a derby weekend, expect the whole city, not just the stadium, to feel different that day.
The Six Nations
The Six Nations is another thing entirely. Italy’s home matches are played on Saturday afternoons, supporters of both teams sit together with no segregation, everyone drinks together before and after, and families with children are the norm rather than the exception.
In 2027 Italy play three home matches at the Olimpico, all on a Saturday at 15:10: Ireland on 13 February, France on 6 March and Wales on 13 March. Those three weekends are when accommodation in the centre sells out first, along with the marathon weekend.
One coincidence is worth flagging if you are planning a trip. Italy versus Wales on 13 March falls the day before the Rome marathon on 14 March. With a single trip you can do both, which is exactly the kind of thing worth knowing six months in advance rather than six weeks.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a metro to the Stadio Olimpico?
No. The Stadio Olimpico is the only major sports venue in Rome without a metro station nearby, and there is no operational project that will change this in the near future. The closest stations are Flaminio and Ottaviano, both on line A, and both require either a second form of transport or a walk of around 30 minutes. The closest thing to a direct link is metro A to Flaminio followed by tram 2 to Piazza Mancini, which is also the combination recommended in the city’s official matchday communications. Visitors expecting something like the metro link to San Siro or the train to the Aviva are usually surprised: the model here is different and needs to be factored into your timings.
How long does it take from central Rome to the Stadio Olimpico?
From the historic centre, allow 40 to 50 minutes by public transport including changes. Starting from Termini, Monti or via Cavour, the typical journey is metro B to Termini, metro A to Flaminio, tram 2 to Piazza Mancini and roughly 10 minutes on foot across the Ponte Duca d’Aosta. By taxi, in normal traffic, it is 15 to 20 minutes, but before and after a match those times stretch considerably and some streets are closed. Plan on at least an hour from walking out of your door to reaching the turnstiles, especially if your sector is on the opposite side from where you get off.
Do I need ID to enter the Stadio Olimpico?
Yes, and it is compulsory. Tickets are personal and named by law, and stewards at the entrance check that the printed name matches the document you show. Without valid ID you will be refused entry, even with a legitimately purchased ticket. This applies to everyone, Italian or foreign: a passport or your own country’s identity card is accepted. If you have bought tickets for a group, remember that each person’s details must be entered at the time of purchase, and that names cannot be changed at the last minute. An official name-change procedure exists, but it takes time and has to be done in advance.
How do I get back to the centre after the match?
The same way you came, but expect longer waits: the exit flow concentrates tens of thousands of people at the same stops within a few minutes. Tram 2 from Piazza Mancini remains the most efficient option despite the queue. Watch the timetable: the last metro trains leave the terminus around 23:30 on weekdays and Sundays, while on Saturdays the service runs until 01:30. After closing, night buses nMA, nMB and nMC follow the routes of their respective metro lines, and the n200 and n201 serve the stadium area. For a weekday evening match, decide on your return before you leave the house.
Can I walk to the stadium from the centre?
In theory yes, but it is not a stroll: from the Colosseum to the stadium is about 7 kilometres, so well over 90 minutes on foot. A compromise that works nicely is to take the metro or a bus to Piazzale Flaminio and walk from there along the Tiber: roughly 4 kilometres of tree-lined riverside, 45 to 50 minutes, and on rugby days it is a pleasant walk that plenty of supporters do together. If you get off at Ottaviano instead, 2.5 kilometres remain, about 30 minutes. On very busy evenings, walking the final stretch is often quicker than waiting for a bus stuck in traffic.
Is a taxi worth it?
On the way there it can make sense if there are three or four of you and you want to avoid changes, bearing in mind that traffic around the Foro Italico slows badly in the hour before kick-off and that some streets are closed by the local police during the arrival phase. On the way back, finding a taxi near the stadium immediately after the match is very difficult: cars cannot enter the barriered area and demand is concentrated into a few minutes. If you want to return by taxi, the better strategy is to walk 15 or 20 minutes towards Ponte Milvio or Piazzale Clodio and book from there, once the bulk of the crowd has dispersed.
When does Italy play rugby at the Olimpico in 2027?
Italy have three home matches in the 2027 Six Nations, all at the Stadio Olimpico and all on a Saturday at 15:10: Italy against Ireland on 13 February, Italy against France on 6 March and Italy against Wales on 13 March. Each of those weekends brings tens of thousands of travelling supporters to Rome, Irish and Welsh above all, and they are among the weekends when accommodation in the centre disappears first. If you want to be at one of these matches, book your stay several months ahead, well before you buy the match ticket. Worth noting too that 13 March, the Wales match, falls hours before the Rome marathon on 14 March.
Should I stay near the stadium or in the centre?
In the centre, almost always. The Foro Italico area is a district of sports facilities and offices: accommodation is limited, and once the match is over there is nothing to do around there, nor anything to see the next day. Staying in the centre costs you 40 to 50 minutes of travel on matchday, but leaves you walking distance from everything else for the rest of your trip. Given that virtually nobody comes to Rome for a match alone, the maths is straightforward. What really counts when choosing an area is being close to a metro A or metro B station: everything else follows from that.
Where to stay for a match at the Olimpico
If the match is what brings you to Rome but it is not the only thing you want to see, the sensible choice is the historic centre, and specifically the area around via Cavour and the Rione Monti.
From here, Cavour station on metro B is two minutes away, which means Termini in one stop and the whole of line A, the one that takes you towards the stadium, one change away. In the other direction you have the Colosseum 450 metres away and the Imperial Forums 400: you can walk among the ruins in the morning and be at the Olimpico in the afternoon.
The Roman Empire Guesthouse is at number 275 via Cavour, on the piano nobile of a historic building in the heart of Monti. Five bright rooms with high ceilings, each named after a woman of ancient Rome, and a luggage storage that comes in handy when you arrive on the morning of the match and your room is not ready yet.
If you are planning a trip around a league fixture or a Six Nations weekend, get in touch. We know exactly how long it takes to reach the Olimpico from here, and we can help you make the timings work.