Alexander Meddings
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Flexible TravelIt’s that time of year again — the Six Nations, where we brave five winter weekends in no more than jeans, brown shoes, and tight-fitting team shirts that barely fit us fifteen years ago.
(But why wear anything more when you’re already donning your beer jacket).
It's that time of year again 👖👞
Most of each match's 8 million or so viewers flock to the nations’ pubs (or bars as they call them on the continent) to get gradually hammered under the guise of watching 80 minutes of rugby.
But not you, if you’re reading this — you’re flying out to Italy. Because where better to watch Gli Azzurri get battered into oblivion than in Rome, where the nation’s sunshine comes at the cost of its scoreline.
From getting around the capital to what to do during your few hours of sobriety, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Rome during the Six Nations.
You’ll be flying into either Roma Fiumicino — sometimes known as Leonardo da Vinci — or Roma Ciampino — always known as Ciampino — and your options for getting into the centre vary depending on which.
If you’re landing in Fiumicino you have three options: train, taxi or bus.
Trains are the cheapest and most convenient way. The train station is situated a 5-minute walk from Terminal 3 Arrivals and is serviced by the Leonardo Express and the slower regional FL1 train.
The Leonardo Express runs directly from Roma Fiumicino to Roma Termini (and back) every 15 minutes from 6:38 a.m. to 11:38 p.m. Tickets cost €14 one-way and the journey time is approximately 32 minutes.
The slower FL1 Regional Train service runs from Roma Fiumicino to Roma Tiburtina, stopping at Roma Ostiense, Roma Trastevere, Roma Tuscolana and Roma Tiburtina. Regional train tickets cost €8 and the journey takes between 30-40 minutes depending on where you stop.
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The high-speed Leonardo Express train connects Fiumicino Airport to Rome’s central Termini station
Taxis from Roma Fiumicino to the centre of Rome are fixed at €48 euros for four passengers with luggage included. Your driver cannot legally charge you more than that, but that they will up the fare to €50 is as certain a thing as death and taxes.
Fifty euros is fine; but if they try to charge you more, show them this link to the law which establishes the fixed fee, pay the fare, drop the mic, and walk away.
If you’re landing in Ciampino, your best bet is to take a taxi. Fares are fixed at €30 from the airport to the city centre for four people and including luggage while a shuttle bus also runs between Ciampino Airport and Roma Termini which will cost you €6, a bit of a wait, and a journey time of 35-45 minutes.
If you're feeling adventurous—or you're doing it on the cheap through Ryanair and don't have any luggage—you can take a bus to the metro stations Cinecittà or Laurentina (the end of the A and B metro lines) and take the metro from there.
The most scenic way to reach the stadium is on foot, and if you don’t mind a four-mile (six km) walk from the centre of Rome, or a 1.5-mile (2.5 km) walk from the Ottaviano area, this is by far your best bet.
The fastest, cheapest way to get around Rome is the metro. From Termini station, which connects the A and B lines, take the A line in the direction of Battistini, getting out after six stops at Ottaviano. From there take Bus 32 Piazzale della Farnesina and walk the short distance to the stadium.
If you’re planning on taking an Uber or taxi to the stadium, leave yourself plenty of time. Rome’s road system isn’t fluid at the best of times and traffic can be particularly heavy on match days.
→ Download the FreeNow or Uber apps.
Sustainable transportIf you’re feeling particularly brave, you can download a car-sharing app like Enjoy or an electric motorcycle-sharing app like eCooltra and ZigZag. But be warned - driving in Rome is not for the faint-hearted, and if you’re planning on having even a little bit to drink, get a taxi or use public transport.
ECooltra Motor Scooter
Dott E-Bike
You’ll also see plenty of shareable electric scooters and bikes around by operators like Lime and Helbiz. Bikes especially are a good option as the stadium is close to a riverside cycle path and the stadium has nearby parking facilities for bicycles. Just make sure you park within the allowed zone or you’ll be landed with a hefty fine.
Rome might be a city of the past, but it’s slowly starting to adapt to digital innovation in its transport network. It’s worth downloading MooneyGo so you can buy all your travel tickets online instead of having to queue up outside barely functioning ticket machines every time you want to hop on the bus or metro.
In preparation for the Six Nations 2023, Rome launched its "Rugby and Culture" initiative in collaboration with Italy's rugby federation to promote Rome's rich cultural heritage to visiting rugby fans. The problem is the announcement was more of a whisper. And it was all in Italian, so hardly anyone has heard about it.
That’s why we’re filling in the gap to let you know what you can do in Rome during the six nations.
Ticket holders have free entry to the Capitoline Museums on the weekends Italy are playing at home (5th Feb, 25th Feb, 11th March).
The Museums are well worth checking out. Situated on a square designed by Michelangelo, they span most of the Capitoline Hill and incorporate the remains of the ancient Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus and the Capitoline Triad.
The Capitoline She-Wolf that raised Romulus and Remus
If you venture down into their lower levels, you’re treated to a sweeping view over the Roman Forum (which, for our money, is the best in Rome).
Their collection is equally impressive, comprising millennia-old marble statues, inscriptions, the original Capitoline Wolf suckling Romulus and Remus and portraits by the likes of Caravaggio.
Rome’s city centre is as stunning as it is small, and within a couple of leisurely hours, you can comfortably see the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona and the Vatican.
The problem is without a good guide, you won’t know what you’re seeing, and context is key when exploring Rome. Our reasonably priced, expert-led walking tours are the best way to do this, giving you all the context and content you need to make the most of your weekend break.
I stumbled upon Osteria dell’Angelo entirely by accident while my family were visiting a couple of years back, and I loved it for the portions, the authenticity, and the utterly unique rugby-themed decor.
Traditional Roman pasta dishes: carbonara, amatriciana and cacio e pepe.
Osteria dell’Angelo’s interior
Unlike most Roman restaurants, dell’Angelo offers a set menu based on a choice of antipasto (starter), primo (pasta dish), secondo e contorno (main, usually meaty dish and side) and dolce (dessert). But you can guarantee that a) what you’ll be eating is authentic, non-touristy real Roman grub and b) the portions will be so generous you’ll need to set aside at least an hour for rest and recuperation.
Osteria dell’Angelo is a bit of a distance outside the city centre, but is pretty close to the stadium in case you fancy a big dinner to soak up a boozy lunch.
Rome has its fair share of Irish pubs, but the best ones in the centre are Abbey Theatre near Piazza Navona, Scholars Lounge near Piazza Venezia, and Finnegans just outside the metro stop Cavour on the B line.
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