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There are few days out in football quite like a Serie A matchday in Rome. Buying Stadio Olimpico tickets puts you inside the shared home of two of Italy’s most passionate clubs — AS Roma and SS Lazio — who turn the same great bowl on the banks of the Tiber, in turn, into a wall of banners, flares and non-stop noise. With the 2026/27 season kicking off the weekend of 22–23 August 2026, there’s no better excuse to build a Roman city break around a game.
This guide is in two halves. First, the matchday experience: how to reach the Stadio Olimpico from the city centre, how to buy tickets safely for both Roma and Lazio, and how to survive the Italian ID rules that catch so many travelling fans out. Then, the trip around the game: where to stay, how to get in from Fiumicino Airport, and the best things to do in Rome between kick-offs.
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Part 1: The Serie A Matchday Experience
The Stadio Olimpico holds around 70,000 people and, on a big Serie A weekend, it feels like every one of them is singing. Roma’s ultras fill the Curva Sud, Lazio’s the Curva Nord, and the atmosphere — smoke, drums, choreographed tifo displays — is worth the trip on its own. Whichever side you’re there to see, the practicalities are the same: get out to the Foro Italico, get through the gates with a valid nominative ticket, and give yourself plenty of time.
Getting to the Stadio Olimpico from the City Centre
The stadium sits about 6 km north-west of central Rome and isn’t on the metro directly, so nearly every route involves a tram or bus for the final stretch. The good news: it’s an easy, cheap journey once you know which line to take. Here are the three best options, plus taxis.
Tram 2 — the local favourite
The simplest route. Board Tram 2 at Piazzale Flaminio (right beside Flaminio metro station, just off Piazza del Popolo) and ride it about 15 minutes to the last stop, Piazza Mancini. From there it’s a short walk across the Ponte Duca d’Aosta bridge to the stadium. Frequent, scenic and the way most locals go.
Metro A + Tram 2
If you’re staying near Termini or along the Metro A line, take Metro A towards Battistini and get off at Flaminio, then switch to Tram 2 to Piazza Mancini as above. The neat all-public-transport combo from most central hotels.
Metro A + Bus 32
An alternative that drops you a touch closer: take Metro A to Ottaviano (near the Vatican), then bus 32 to Piazzale della Farnesina, and walk the last few minutes to the ground. Handy if you’re basing yourself around Prati or the Vatican.
How to Buy Roma & Lazio Tickets
Serie A tickets can be tricky for visitors: club sites sometimes restrict sales to fan-card holders, sell out early, or throw up language and payment hurdles. The straightforward route for travelling fans is a verified resale marketplace like Ticombo, which lists tickets for both Roma and Lazio home games at the Olimpico and backs every purchase with a 100% money-back guarantee (its TixProtect program) if a ticket is invalid, wrong or never arrives.
Before you pick a seat, it helps to know the layout. The Curva Sud (Roma) and Curva Nord (Lazio) are the ultra ends behind the goals — loud, partisan and atmospheric. The Distinti are the curved corner sections, the Tribuna Tevere and Tribuna Monte Mario run along the two sidelines (Monte Mario is the covered, premium side), and the Primo/Secondo Anello tell you lower or upper tier.
AS Roma — Serie A tickets at the Stadio Olimpico
Roma fill the Curva Sud and bring one of the most spectacular ultra displays in European football. For a first visit with a good view of the choreography, the Tribuna Tevere or a Distinti section opposite the Curva Sud is a great shout; for the full ultra experience, aim for the Sud itself. Prices for a regular league game typically start around €30–40 and climb for bigger opponents.
Check AS Roma Tickets on Ticombo →
Best for: Fans wanting the Curva Sud atmosphere and the giallorossi tifo.
SS Lazio — Serie A tickets at the Stadio Olimpico
Lazio’s home base is the Curva Nord, with the historic Tribuna Tevere and Monte Mario stands running the length of the pitch. The biancocelesti bring their own colour and history, and tickets for mid-table fixtures are often the most affordable way to see a live Serie A game in Rome. As with Roma, seats behind the goal are the atmospheric pick and the sidelines the comfortable one.
Check SS Lazio Tickets on Ticombo →
Best for: Fans after the Curva Nord experience or a good-value Serie A day out.
Matchday Tips: ID Rules, Timing & the Derby
The nominative ticket rule
This is the single most important thing to get right. Italian football tickets are nominative: the buyer’s full name is printed on the ticket, and stadium staff check it against a matching passport or national ID card at the gate. Buy the ticket in the name of the person who’ll use it, carry the matching photo ID on the day, and you’ll walk straight in. Get it wrong and you can be refused entry.
Arrive early
Gates open well before kick-off and there’s airport-style security screening on the way in. For a normal league game, aim to be at the turnstiles 60 minutes early; for the derby or a marquee European-style occasion, give yourself 90 minutes. It also means you catch the build-up — the banners going up and the curve filling — which is half the fun.
The Derby della Capitale
If your dates line up with Roma v Lazio, you’re in for one of the most intense derbies in world football. Be warned: it’s the toughest ticket of the season, prices jump sharply, and segregation between home and away ends is strict. Book as far ahead as you can and stick to your allocated section.
Part 2: Building a Trip Around the Game
A Serie A fixture is the perfect anchor for a long weekend in one of the world’s great cities. Here’s how to sort the rest of the trip — a base to stay, a smooth run in from the airport, and the sights to fill the days either side of kick-off.
Where to Stay in Rome
For a football-and-sightseeing trip, you’re balancing two things: easy access to the Stadio Olimpico and easy access to the historic centre. A few neighbourhoods do both well:
Prati & Della Vittoria — the closest handy districts to the stadium, near the Vatican and Ottaviano metro, and an easy hop to the ground on bus 32. Elegant, walkable and well connected. Flaminio & Parioli — leafy and quiet, sitting right on the Tram 2 line that runs straight to Piazza Mancini and the Olimpico. Historic centre & around Termini — best for transport links (every airport option lands here) and for being on the doorstep of the Colosseum, Trevi and the rest; it’s a 30–40 minute tram or metro ride out to the stadium.
Use the interactive map below to compare hotels and apartments across these neighbourhoods and find something near both the sights and the stadium:
Getting from Fiumicino Airport to the City
Most visitors land at Rome Fiumicino (FCO), around 30 km south-west of the centre. There’s an option for every budget, from a €14 express train to a fixed-rate taxi to your hotel door.
Leonardo Express — fastest to the centre
The Leonardo Express is a non-stop train from the airport straight to Roma Termini in about 32 minutes, running roughly every 15 minutes for €14. If you’re staying anywhere central, it’s the quickest, most reliable way in. Book your ticket in advance below to skip the machines on arrival:
Airport shuttle bus — cheapest
Shuttle buses (Terravision, SIT and others) run from Fiumicino to Termini in around 50 minutes for roughly €7 one-way when booked online — the budget-friendly pick if you’re not in a rush. Book your seat here:
Book a Fiumicino Airport Bus Transfer →
Taxi & regional train — the alternatives
Official Rome taxis charge a fixed flat rate of €55 from Fiumicino to anywhere inside the Aurelian Walls (the central zone), fees included — confirm it’s the flat rate before you set off. Alternatively the FL1 regional train is just €8 but skips Termini, stopping instead at Trastevere, Ostiense and Tiburtina — handy only if you’re staying near one of those.
| Option | Journey time | Approx. cost | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonardo Express | ~32 min | €14 | Fastest route to central Termini |
| Shuttle bus | ~50 min | ~€7 | Budget travel to Termini |
| Taxi (flat rate) | ~40–50 min | €55 | Door-to-door with luggage |
| FL1 regional train | ~30–45 min | €8 | Stays near Trastevere/Ostiense/Tiburtina |
Top Things to Do in Rome
Between kick-offs, Rome is one giant open-air museum. The Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain — you could fill a week and still miss things. If you’ve only got the days around the match, pre-booking skip-the-line tickets for the big sights saves hours of queuing. Here are three of our favourite experiences to build your non-football days around:
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore More of Rome
Planning the rest of your trip? These guides cover more of the Eternal City’s must-see sights and neighbourhoods:
Rome Travel Guide — Neighbourhoods, attractions, food and practical tips for planning your Rome trip.
Colosseum Tickets 2026: Best Options & Time Slots — How to visit ancient Rome’s greatest sight, including the best ticket options and skip-the-line tips.
Vatican Museums Tickets — Everything you need to know to see the Vatican and Sistine Chapel without the queues.
By Ben Farr