One of the most common ways locals use to face the city traffic in Rome is to go around by motorbike. I can’t say I love motorbikes when I drive my car in Rome because I always wish they stuck to their lanes, but I understand them. Renting a scooter in Rome is a great solution to get around quicker and can be ideal if you don’t want to use local public transport.
Even though the Rome metro is fast and avoids traffic, it doesn’t reach everywhere. So, depending on where you want to go and also what time, whether it’s peak hour or at night, a motorbike is often one of the best ways to get around Rome.
In this easy guide, I’m going to walk you through everything you need to know if you are thinking about scooter rental in Rome or hiring an e-bike. I hope this will help you decide whether it’s good for you or not and how to do it.
Bike, Vespa, or scooter rental in Rome – Differences + costs
Scooter, e-scooter, or bike?
To get around Rome independently you can choose among a few 2-wheeled vehicles and your pick really depends on what you feel more comfortable driving.
In Rome, you can rent a scooter, an electric scooter (monopattino in Italian), a bike, and even an electric bike. A scooter has a motor, while e-scooter and bikes are meant to be more sustainable options.
There are companies in Rome you can rent different types of mopeds and bikes for as long as you like, and they are a good option if you don’t want to rely on public transportation and don’t mind darting back and forth through the city’s traffic.
Apart from a scooter rental in Rome, you can also join a Vespa tour. In this case, you will drive the Vespa for the duration of the experience.
Hiring a scooter in Rome in 4 steps
These are a few things to keep in mind if you are looking into scooter rental in Rome, such as requirements and local regulations.
Pick a company
Once you know which moped or bike you want to rent in Rome, sift through the companies that rent each of them. There are some agencies that rent only motorbikes, some only bikes, and some more than one type of vehicle. Here, I will give you an overview of the different companies mentioning what they rent and what their rates are.
- Cooltra. With Cooltra, you can book your scooter rental online and if you change your mind the cancellation is free with 48 hours notice. When you are booking, you pick the shop, the date, and the eventual extra services you need such as a top case, an extra helmet, or scooter delivery/pick-up services. Rates range between 50 and 65€ per day.
- Onmovo. This is another scooter rental agency in Rome with stores all around the city center and convenient locations such as Termini, Ostiense, and Tiburtina train stations, the central Via Vittorio Emanuele street, and Ciampino and Fiumicino airports. During the warm season from mid-May through October, you can also rent it from Ostia Lido, one of the beaches near Rome. The rates depend on the scooter you book and range between 40 to 90€ per day. Renting by the hour costs 6€ for one hour, 19€ for 4 hours, 29€ for 24 hours, 29€ for 36 hours. Prices include basic insurance, anti-theft lock, helmet(s), and other fees.
- BikesBooking. This is not an agency but more of a comparison site where you can compare the different offers, rental companies, rates, and services.
Check-in
When you picked your company and your scooter, check in with them and enquire about pricing and terms and conditions. Many of these agencies make it very easy and you will only need to download the app through which you can do pretty much everything, including finding the closest scooter from where you are standing and unlocking it to start riding it.
Check requirements and regulations
Before hiring a scooter in Rome, you must adhere to local regulations so I suggest checking them prior to embarking on such an adventure. Do you need a driver’s license? Do you need insurance? While renting an old-fashion motorbike in Rome is not new, electric scooters have been around for only a couple of years so rules and requirements are being added as we speak. Here are some of the rules:
- Driver’s license and documents. To drive a scooter in Rome you need a valid driving license and the vehicle’s registration document, which is provided by the rental agency. The license needs to be of type A or B for up to 125cc bikes or mandatory type A for higher than 125cc scooters. You also need to have EU insurance. If you are coming from a non-EU country, check with your insurance provider if scooter rental in Rome is covered.
- Helmet. Wearing a helmet is mandatory for both the driver and the passenger. Helmets must be European standard and must be worn correctly at all times.
- Driver’s age. To rent a scooter in Rome, you need to be at least 18 years old.
- Passenger. Moped riders can carry a passenger once they are 18 years old. However, it depends on the motorbike, because it needs to be clearly stated in the circulation documents whether that specific scooter features the passenger’s seat.
Park it properly
Just like for car sharing, also rental scooters in Rome have their devoted parking lots and you need to follow them. Keep in mind that your name is associated with the vehicle you rented, so if you don’t park it properly, you are going to get a fine.
Renting an e-scooter in Rome in 4 easy steps
If you want to rent an e-scooter in Rome, remember that in Italian it’s called “monopattino“. You will see them pretty much everywhere but don’t make mistakes, you need to pay extra attention when driving one of those in the city because the traffic is mental most of the time.
Compare the e-scooter agencies
Due to the always higher demand, there has been a surge of companies offering e-scooter rental services in Rome, including Uber. All the agencies work through their apps that apart from unlocking the e-scooter, give you tips on how to drive it, where you can or cannot go and where are the parking spaces, and some even the areas where you need to go very slowly because very crowded with pedestrians. Here are the most popular agencies for electric scooter rentals in Rome.
- Dott. One of the most popular companies providing scooter rental in Rome, these are their rates: 1€ to unlock it and €0.26 per minute.
- Lime + Uber. Lime has recently signed an agreement with Uber to rent e-scooters in Rome and they are all over the place. Their rates are the same as most: 1€ to unlock it and €0.25 per minute. They also have a weekly pass of €2.99, saving you the unlocking fee.
- Voi. This is one of the most common e-scooter-sharing companies in Rome. It costs 1€ to unlock and €0.28 per minute. There are also subscription plans that you can check on the app.
- Bird. This is also very popular. Their rates are similar to others: 1€ to unlock it and €0.27 per minute.
- Helbiz. Helbiz is one of the most popular e-scooter rentals in Rome probably also because of its very convenient rates: €0.50 to unlock it and 0.15 per minute. There is some tolerance on where you park the e-scooter but you will be charged extra.
All the apps are free to download.
Check documents and local rules
- Documents. Your ID and a credit card are needed to start using the monopattino in Rome.
- Passengers. Unlike regular scooters, if you are renting an e-scooter in Rome, carrying passengers is never allowed regardless of the distance or the age of either driver or passenger.
- License plate. Owners of e-scooter in Italy don’t have the obligation of a license plate for an e-scooter, but those that you rent have their own code that identifies the user. There are however talks about enforcing the license plate also for the owners.
- Driver’s age. To drive an e-scooter monopattino in Rome, you need to be at least 14.
- High-visibility jacket. Mandatory at night.
- Helmet. Mandatory.
- Speed limit. The speed limit is 20km/h.
Download the app
Each e-scooter rental agency in Rome has its own app that you need to download and register for before hiring one. You can use the app to find the closest e-scooter to where you are. Once you reach it, scan the QR code to unblock it from its parking and start driving.
Drive safely
By this I mean drive safely for you and for others! When you are riding an e-scooter, you are not considered a pedestrian, so please don’t ride it on the sidewalk.
To be on the safe side, make sure you keep the right and don’t just throw yourself in the middle of the road when you need to change lanes or take a turn. As a general rule, you must follow the street code, meaning traffic lights and giving right of way when you have to.
Park it right
There are specific parking spaces for e-scooters in Rome. Stick to them to avoid fines. The app you use to rent your e-scooter will also tell you where are the parking spots when you are done driving. If you leave your electric scooter in the wrong space, the app won’t let you close the ride and you will keep paying for the rental.
This is a very sensitive topic because at the beginning, the e-scooters were dropped wherever the end of the ride was, so in the middle of the sidewalk, in a piazza, on the side of the road, or just thrown in the space of a car without any type of common sense. Pedestrians and drivers started a protest and this has been gradually addressed to keep the roads more organized.
This being said, I’m not sure how it’s possible, but I keep seeing e-scooters just thrown out everywhere in Rome and it’s quite annoying.
Renting a bike or an e-bike in Rome
Choose the company
Apart from e-scooters, these are the apps that you can use also to hire e-bikes. For most of them, the rates are similar to the monopattini: 1€ to unlock it and €0.25 per minute.
- Dott
- Voi
- Lime
- Bird
- Helbiz
Drive safely
If you are renting a bike or electric bike, there are the same rules as for a scooter rental in Rome. So, follow the traffic lights, keep the right, don’t drive on the sidewalk, park it properly and in the devoted spots.
Best Vespa tours in Rome
Do you want to feel the dolce vita Audrey Hepburn so much enjoyed in Rome?
- Rome: Half-Day Tour by Vespa with Driver. This is one of the favorite Vespa tours in Rome. By joining this experience, you won’t have to drive the Vespa yourself because your guide will also be your driver. This way, you can better observe and turn your head at any sight you want to enjoy Rome from a Vespa perspective.
- Rome: Self-Driven Sightseeing Tour by Vespa. This experience is halfway between an independent Vespa rental in Rome and a guided tour because you will have the support of a local guide but you will drive your own Vespa. You will visit all the most important landmarks of the city center but obviously, you will have to stop to listen to your guide’s explanation and to actually enjoy the sights.
- Rome: Highlights Vespa Sidecar Tour with Coffee and Gelato. In this Vespa tour, you will have the yummy addition of stopping for coffee and gelato in a typical Italian style.
- Rome: Nighttime Vespa Rental. This is not a tour but a Vespa rental in Rome at night. You won’t have a guide so you can visit all the sights independently and stop wherever you feel like. The services include the Vespa rental, the helmet, and the lock.
Hiring a scooter in Rome – FAQ
Is it safe to drive a scooter in Rome?
Well, given the chaos and the recklessness all around, I can’t really safe that driving a scooter in Rome is very safe. There are, however, a few things you should keep in mind if you decide to rent a scooter in Rome.
First of all, follow the street code and signs. Romans drive fast, so don’t even think of cutting off the road of other cars. When you need to give right of way, give it. When you have right of way, take it but double check that they are actually giving it to you. Better safe than sorry.
Don’t run red lights. Just like cars, you have to abide by the street code and signs, so stop when you have to. Even if you see cars that do that, don’t mimic.
If you are renting an e-scooter in Rome, you will also need to follow the street code. Many people rent an electric scooter in Rome because it’s faster than walking and you don’t get tired. I understand that it can be scary and intimidating to ride it in the city’s traffic, so consider everything beforehand, if you are scared, don’t rent it and rely on public transport, but don’t ride it in the sidewalk because this is not allowed and sidewalks are for pedestrians.
Can I rent an electric scooter in Rome?
If you are brave, at least 14 years old, and didn’t drink, yes, you can rent an electric scooter in Rome.
Can anyone rent a Vespa in Rome?
To rent a Vespa in Rome, you need a valid driver’s license, to be at least 18 years old, your ID, and a credit card. If you are coming from outside of the EU, you might need an international driving license.
