Do buses in Italy take contactless?

You have to purchase your tickets before you board any public transport in Rome. Most people will have a pass of one kind or another. From January 2023 contactless payments will be accepted across the ATAC network. These work in the same way as tickets, just using your card or device to tap in and out on your journey.



Yes, as of 2026, contactless payment has become the standard across nearly all major Italian urban transit networks. In cities like Rome (ATAC), Milan (ATM), and Florence, you can simply "tap" your physical credit/debit card or digital wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay) on the green readers when boarding buses, trams, or entering metro gates. This "Pay-as-you-go" system automatically calculates the best fare for your journey, often capping at the price of a 24-hour pass if you travel extensively. Even regional operators, such as Busitalia in Veneto and various lines in Tuscany, have moved to 100% contactless systems. It is important to remember that you must always use the same card/device for every tap to ensure the daily fare cap is applied correctly. While you can still buy paper tickets at "Tabacchi" shops or kiosks, the convenience of contactless has significantly reduced the need for physical tickets. However, in very remote rural villages, you might still find older buses that require a pre-purchased paper ticket, so carrying a few Euros in change remains a wise "back-up" for off-the-beaten-path travel.

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You have to purchase your tickets before you board any public transport in Rome. Most people will have a pass of one kind or another. From January 2023 contactless payments will be accepted across the ATAC network. These work in the same way as tickets, just using your card or device to tap in and out on your journey.

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Starting today, in Florence it will actually be possible to buy an urban public transport ticket on board buses, using a contactless payment card that, when brought close to the green validator, means that an ATAF&Linea ticket, that is valid for ninety minutes, can be bought at the normal price of 1.50 euros?.

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Missed Tap Off Cost If you don't have a default set on your card and you forget to tap off at the end of your trip, you'll be charged the fare to the last stop on the train line or bus route and with your fare type and any applicable loyalty discounts applied.

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You should always try to find the local ticket vendor—if there's no office, it's invariably the nearest newsstand or tabacchi (signaled by a sign with a white T), or occasionally a bar—but you can usually also buy tickets on the bus. (this only applies to regional buses not the orange city buses).

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A single-use bus ticket costs €1.50. We recommend buying the ticket in advance at a machine not only because it's cheaper but also because sometimes machines on the bus don't work. The machines also only accept coins and don't give change.

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There's the fact that some popular destinations in Italy are only accessible by bus or train. And most often than not, the train system is actually cheaper, more efficient, and more convenient than riding a plane or renting your own vehicle. So don't be intimidated by commuting in Italy!

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Travel by metro Always use the same device or contactless card to touch in and out at the orange ticket gates (even where validation to exit is not required). If one reader doesn't work, try another one. Every station is equipped with at least two gates enabled for contactless payments.

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And even on the European level, Italy is statistically one of the safest countries in terms of bus travel.

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With Trainline you can buy tickets for the main Italian bus companies as well as, some international bus companies like Flixbus and Eurolines, that offer cross-border connections to and from Italy.

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Why have I been charged 10p/£1? If you use a Mastercard, your bank statement may show a “pending” 10p or £1 charge for your first tap (10p for UK Mastercards, £1 for International Mastercards). This is just a temporary charge to check the card is valid – we do not collect the payment.

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You will be charged the single fare to the end of the route, so always remember to tap off in order to pay the correct fare. If you do forget to tap off please contact customer services. To find out more about Tap On Tap Off Contactless visit our FAQ section on the Contactless Portal.

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