Essential Apps for Rome: 5 Apps I Use All the Time
As you might have already guessed, the main purpose of this blog of mine is to make your life as easy as possible when coming to Rome. Of course, I also want to inspire you and make your trip as fun as possible, but helping people and sharing my Roman wisdom has always been my top priority.
After living in Rome for several years, I wanted to share a list of the apps I use the most and genuinely find helpful. Whether you are staying in the city or planning to take a day trip from Rome, these apps will definitely make your time in my favorite place a little easier.
Google maps
When coming to Rome, I highly recommend downloading and using the Google Maps app. It allows you to find your location at all times and easily navigate between all the monuments. Google Maps has many useful features, such as planning routes from A to B, showing estimated travel times, checking the opening hours of restaurants and shops, and saving your favorite locations.
If you are interested in discovering my favorite spots in Rome, I also sell a self-designed Day Trips from Rome Guide here on my blog. It includes links to all of my custom Google Maps, where I have organized my favorite places in Rome and beyond. From restaurants and cafés to parks, monuments, and neighborhoods, you can find everything on my maps using the Google Maps app.
Moovit
Next on the list is the unmissable, but sometimes infuriating, app Moovit. This orange-logo app is a staple in Rome, although the many ads might make you want to throw your phone across the street every now and then.
Moovit is a public transportation app that allows you to plan your journey from A to B using buses, trams, and the metro. What makes it so useful is that you can search for individual bus lines and see their exact arrival times. When the number is displayed in green, it usually gives a very accurate indication of how many minutes you have left until your bus arrives.
Since I don't drive in Rome and rely on public transportation, especially the buses, Moovit is one of the apps I use almost every day. Sometimes you need a little patience, but overall I think downloading Moovit is absolutely worth it.
Trenitalia
As someone who enjoys taking frequent day trips from Rome, the Trenitalia app has a special place in my heart. Ever since I downloaded it, I have never had to stand in line at a ticket machine again, and as someone with very little patience (which is also why Moovit drives me crazy sometimes), that makes me incredibly happy.
With the Trenitalia app, you can book train journeys all across Italy, with regional train tickets starting from as little as €1.80. Once you have purchased your ticket, it is stored in the app as a QR code, which you simply show to the conductor if your ticket is checked.
It is such an easy and convenient app to use that I always recommend downloading it before visiting Rome. If you are traveling from the airport to Roma Termini by train, for example, you can also buy your train tickets directly through the app. It can save you a long wait at the ticket machines and make your journey a lot less stressful.
Acquea
The next app on this list is especially important during the summer months. With the Acquea app, you can easily find all the public drinking fountains and fresh water stations throughout Rome and the rest of Italy.
If you have been to Rome before, you probably know that the city is full of free drinking fountains, known by the Romans as nasoni. The curved tap of these cylinder-shaped fountains resembles a long nose, which is exactly where the name comes from.
When temperatures reach almost 40°C (104°F) in August, staying hydrated is incredibly important. I can highly recommend downloading the Acquea app so you can always find the nearest drinking fountain and refill your water bottle for free while exploring the city.
ItTaxi
Last but not least is the itTaxi app. Hailing a taxi in Rome can sometimes be difficult, and the itTaxi app makes the whole process much easier. With just a few taps, you can book a taxi directly from your smartphone. While it is especially useful in Rome, the app also works in many other cities throughout Italy, making it a great app to have during your travels.
Conclusion
I hope these five apps will make your stay in Rome a little easier and much more enjoyable. I personally use every app on this list, and some of them are part of my daily life here in Rome, so I recommend them for a reason.
If you need any more help during your stay in Rome, feel free to send me an email or explore my blog for more inspiration and useful tips.
I hope to see you soon!
With much love,
Juliette
