Roma Termini

 If you’re not connecting to the Metro or taking a taxi, exit the station by its front entrances - follow the signs for the taxi rank.

(Though obviously head in this direction if you DO want to take a taxi).

Outside the front/main entrance, on the opposite side of the road, is the main bus station - there is an information booth that gives details of the onward bus connections.

This area isn’t particularly crowded - in contrast to the constantly busy exits at either side of the main concourse on to Via Marsala and Via Giovanni.

Pick-pockets and beggars exploit these crowds at the exits to the Via Marsala and Via Giovanni Gioltti - particularly avoid being distracted by children asking for help and money, their elders are hoping to exploit the situation!

(1) At the front of the station, facing the street/taxi rank, is a huge and airy entrance hall.

It is the furthest part of the station from the platforms/binari that the trains depart from - so tends to be quieter - despite the fact that it only takes a minute to reach the access points to the trains from here.

It houses departure screens and ticket machines - so can be a good place to wait for a train, buy a ticket etc.

It is rightly also a global icon of post-World War 2 architecture.

(2) Behind the concourse at the front of a station is a shopping and food outlet area - and you have to pass through this to reach the main departure concourse, if you have used the entrances at the front of the station.

(3) The departure concourse is divided into;

(i) an area that is under the roof and houses the main entrance to/from the Metro – though there are other quieter Metro access points around the station.

(ii) An open-air area immediately in front of the platforms/binari - which the main line trains depart from

(4) However, ticket gates have been erected between these two areas of the departure concourse

Manned ticket checks are carried out at these gates - you can't reach the trains without passing through these gates.

(5) Queues will inevitably build up at these ticket gate - so allow a minimum of 10 mins to board a train, even if you don’t need to buy a ticket.

(6) Be at Roma Termini a minimum of 30mins before your train departs - if you do need to buy a ticket.

If there’s a long wait in the ticket office, use the Trenitalia branded ticket machines – they have excellent English translations, so are comparatively easy to use.

But at busy times you will have to queue to use a machine.

(7) There are no direct international DAYTIME trains from and to Roma/Rome.