Car, scooter, electric scooter and bike sharing in Rome

All Roads Lead to…. car, scooter and bike sharing in Rome

According to some, all roads lead to Rome. But you may have noticed Rome’s roads are far from eternal (and in serious need of a revamp), reason to why romans often chuckle when they hear the phrase and comment on how the current state of the roads lead more like nowhere rather than Rome. 

As the city is slowly working on improving the conditions, new car sharing services have risen to the occasion. The services allow users to hop on and off their chosen transportation device, and help reduce pollution thanks to one leaving his/her personal car behind by opting to share one instead. By sharing one mustn’t worry about paying for parking, insurance, or for gas–it’s all included. Not to mention, the sharing factor comes in really handy when you are in a hurry and no public transport or cabs are in sight. 

The sharing isn’t limited to cars, and also includes scooters, e-scooters and bikes. All services are paid for and reserved through easy and ready to use apps. Each service has a different pricing range, its own app, and different vehicles to choose from. Sharing is caring, so make sure you leave the transport as you found it after you finish scurrying around Rome. Other than that, your carriage awaits!

CAR SHARING IN ROME

Share Now

The first car sharing service to land in Rome, Share Now was recently born from the fusion between Car2Go and DriveNow. The service has different types of cars to choose from, the most popular being the white and blue, two-seater Smart car. Also available are the Citroen C3 and the Fiat 500X. At Fiumicino Terminal 1 and Ciampino P5 they also have a reserved car park where you can leave your car (additional fee of € 9.90 for Fiumicino and € 5.90 for Ciampino).

Enjoy

You can’t miss these red Fiat 500s with the catchy “enjoy” written on their side. And get rid of your parking nightmares, you can park your vehicle free of charge on blue parking spaces and access (with some restrictions) ZTL areas. With Enjoy you can also book the Fiat Doblò van (€ 29 for the first two hours) convenient for moving or transporting large packages. Like Share Now, Enjoy also has its own parking lots at Rome’s airports.

E-BIKE SHARING IN ROME

Lime

The famous white and green bikes and e-scooters are now in Rome! Uber’s electric assist bikes are now managed by the renowned mobility sharing company, Lime. Just download the app Lime and select the bike option, scan the QR code on the bike, put your helmet on, and zip away. You can also book these vehicles via the Uber app.

Uber in Rome

Dott

Dott offers a national, eco-sustainable option, with e-bikes (as well as e-scooters) in most neighbourhoods of the city. Their vehicles are constantly maintained, repaired, and recycled and are a great, safe way to get around.

Tier

Finally, Tier, has introduced as many as 800 e-bikes on Roman roads, giving citizens and tourists yet another cheap option. Find the nearest bikes, unlock them using the QR code and start riding. Tier also has e-scooters for who is not into pedals.

SCOOTER SHARING IN ROME

Ecooltra

These electric scooters are perfect if you’re looking to get somewhere quickly. With over 9000 electronic scooters around 6 cities, it’s no wonder it’s the leader in scooter sharing in Europe.

Acciona

Another electric scooter for you to get on and enjoy your Roman holiday brought to us by Spain. Download the app and book your scooter in just three clicks! Acciona has different driving modes: Standard (up to 50km/h – €0.32/minute), Custom (up to 80km/h – €0.36/minute), Xtra (up to 90km/h – €0,40/minute). Stopovers are €0.15/minute.

E-SCOOTER SHARING IN ROME

Helbiz

Helbiz has introduced its HelbizGo electric scooter. Download the app, locate the nearest scooter, scan its QR code and unlock it. Once you’re done with your ride, park the scooter curbside and end your rental! You can also get the monthly subscription of €39.99 that allows you to have an unlimited number of daily rides of up to 30 minutes.

Lime

Download the app, scan the QR code and unlock your scooter. When you’ve reached your destination, follow the instructions on the app to end your rental and park your scooter responsibly. You can also opt for various subscription plans which make the overall riding much cheaper. The Lime e-scooters are advanced vehicles that swiftly get you to your destinations.

Bird

Bird is a new electric scooter sharing company in the capital. Once registration is complete, you’ll find a map displaying the closest scooters to you. You can reserve your e-scooter up to 30 minutes before unlocking it.  Once you’ve reached the scooter, scan the QR code and zip away. At the end of your journey you’ll have to take a picture of the position of your vehicle. If you don’t park it correctly the “Bird watchers” operating in the area will intervene and move it.

Link

These electric scooters have been introduced during the pandemic. They are a product of the company Superpedestrian, deeply devoted an urban planning which prioritises citizens’ needs.

Dott

These electric scooters boast the most advanced safety features; including larger wheels with excellent road holding and a double braking system. The booking procedure is the same as all scooters. Just in case you forgot – taking another person is not allowed!

USEFUL APPS FOR URBAN MOBILITY

Urbi

What if you don’t know which one to use? Or whether you feel like riding a scooter one day, a car the next, and topping it all off with a bike ride on the banks of the Tiber river? No worries. With the Urbi app you will be able to see almost all available shared vehicles around you, letting you pick the one you’re feeling the most, or just the closest one to you!

HOW CAR/SCOOTER/BIKE SHARING WORKS

If you choose cars and/or scooters, you will have to validate your license through the app and have a secondary ID (like your passport) on you while driving. Once you reserve the vehicle, you have an allotted amount of time (usually 20 minutes) to reach it. Once reached and you confirm your presence in the vehicle, your ride and payment begin. Make sure to check the map beforehand to verify that you will be driving through the allowed area, as Rome is big and not all areas are covered by the sharing services. Parking is taken care of, but do make sure to park in an orderly fashion, because let me tell you from personal experience: you pay the fines should you park incorrectly. 

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