Rome: Wheelchair Accessible Hotels, Airport Transfers and Local Transport
Planning a trip to Rome in a wheelchair? In this blog, I’m sharing my experience with a wheelchair-accessible airport transfer, accessible hotel, local buses, and getting around Rome as a wheelchair user.
These are based on my own experience, so keep in mind that accessibility can vary depending on your wheelchair, mobility needs, vehicle, hotel room and transportation route.
✈️ Airport to Hotel: Wheelchair-Accessible Taxi
For my arrival in Rome, I booked Samarcanda Taxi Services, which provides wheelchair-accessible taxis.
I arranged the transfer well in advance by email and provided all the information they needed, including:
My arrival details
Number of passengers
My wheelchair
Number of suitcases/luggage
They arranged a Volkswagen Caddy-sized wheelchair-accessible taxi to pick me up from the airport.
This worked well for me because I knew before arriving that I had an accessible vehicle waiting for me.
💡 My tip
When booking an accessible airport transfer, I recommend confirming the price and payment arrangements in advance.
In my case, the taxi had to be prepaid.
There may be other wheelchair-accessible taxi options available in Rome, but this was the option I personally used.
🏨 Wheelchair-Accessible Hotel: Mercure Rome Colosseum
For my stay in Rome, I booked the Mercure Rome Colosseum.
I contacted the hotel directly.
I asked them specifically about:
A wheelchair-accessible room
A roll-in shower
Availability of the accessible room
Pictures of the accessible bathroom and shower
The hotel confirmed that they had an accessible room available.
I then booked the room directly through the hotel's website and emailed the hotel again with my booking information, asking them to make sure my wheelchair-accessible room was reserved.
📸 Always ask for bathroom pictures
🚿 My Experience With the Accessible Bathroom in this Hotel
The bathroom at Mercure Rome Colosseum had a step-free shower, which was important for me.
However, the shower had a glass door/partition. Because of the way the glass was positioned, the entrance was somewhat narrow, and getting into the shower area could be a little tricky.
Personally, I would have preferred an open roll-in shower with a shower curtain instead of glass, because that would provide more room to maneuver.
There was also no built-in bench on the wall.
The hotel provided me with a shower stool, though, and with some assistance I was able to manage.
So, overall, the bathroom was usable for me, but it wasn't a perfect setup.
That's why I always recommend asking for actual pictures of the roll-in shower before your trip.
Accessibility is personal. What works for one wheelchair user may not work for another.
📍 Hotel Location
One of the things I really liked about the Mercure Rome Colosseum was its location.
The Colosseum was within walking distance, and as soon as you stepped outside the hotel, you could see it.
That also meant that even if you didn't have a major sightseeing plan, you could simply head outside and explore the area around the Colosseum.
I particularly enjoyed being able to go around the Colosseum area in the evening and see the views.
The hotel was also conveniently located near city bus stops, which made it much easier to explore other parts of Rome.
🍳 Breakfast
I also chose the breakfast option during my stay, and I really enjoyed it.
The breakfast was quite nice and was a convenient way to start the day before heading out to explore Rome.
🚌 Local Buses in Rome
Now coming to the local buses — the buses I used were wheelchair accessible, and they became a useful way for me to get around Rome.
There are bus stops close to the hotel, and the connectivity from the hotel was very good.
In roughly 15–20 minutes by bus, you can get to areas around attractions such as the Pantheon and Trevi Fountain, along with other parts of central Rome.
♿ Getting a wheelchair onto the bus
There is one important thing I recommend doing when you're waiting for the bus.
As the bus approaches the stop, make sure the driver sees you.
Let the driver know that you're a wheelchair passenger and need to use the ramp.
The ramp on the buses I used was manually deployed. This means the driver needs to get out of the bus and physically put the ramp in place.
So don't be afraid to signal the driver or ask for the ramp.
The ramp can be a little steep
The manual ramp is relatively short, so there can be a slight incline when you're going into the bus.
Depending on your wheelchair and your ability to maneuver on an incline, you may need some assistance.
If you're travelling with a companion, they may need to give you a slight push to help you get up the ramp.
If you need assistance, just ask.
♿ Dedicated wheelchair space
Inside the bus, there is a dedicated wheelchair space.
I found that people were accommodating and would make space for me when I got onto the bus.
So once you get onto the bus, there is a designated area where you can position your wheelchair.
📱 Planning Your Bus Route
For planning my journeys around Rome, I used Google Maps.
It was very useful for figuring out:
Which bus to take
Where to catch the bus
Where to get off
How to get to the attraction from the bus stop
For example, if I wanted to visit the Pantheon or Trevi Fountain, I would simply put the attraction into Google Maps and check the available bus routes from the hotel.
💡 My tip
Don't just check the bus number.
Check the entire route:
Hotel → Bus Stop → Bus → Destination → Final route to the attraction
As a wheelchair user, the journey doesn't end when you get off the bus. You also need to consider how easy it will be to get from the bus stop to your destination.
🚕 Wheelchair Taxi for the Train Station
My final transportation experience in Rome was a little different.
I wasn't actually heading to the airport on my last day. I was checking out of the hotel and continuing my trip to Naples, so I needed a wheelchair-accessible taxi to take me to the train station.
I asked the hotel staff to help me find one.
I approached the hotel about one hour before I needed to leave, giving them some time to find and arrange an accessible taxi.
Luckily, they were able to find a wheelchair-accessible taxi and book it for me.
💡 What I would do differently
Although the hotel was able to arrange the taxi, I would recommend giving them even more notice — ideally one or two hours in advance.
Accessible taxis aren't necessarily as immediately available as regular taxis, so giving the hotel more time can make things easier.
📱 Another option: FreeNow
Another option is to request a wheelchair-accessible taxi through the FreeNow app.
However, in my experience, the accessible taxi booked through FreeNow was prepaid, so keep that in mind when choosing this option.
📌 Useful Contacts & Links
🚕 Samarcanda Taxi Services
I used Samarcanda Taxi Services for my wheelchair-accessible airport transfer.
Phone: +39 06 5551
WhatsApp / Telegram: +39 329 498 5551
Fiumicino airport: +39 06 5528 2892
For a wheelchair-accessible vehicle with a ramp, Samarcanda recommends contacting them in advance, so I would suggest arranging your transfer well before your arrival.
Samarcanda Taxi Services – Official Website
📱 FREENOW
Another option for booking a wheelchair-accessible taxi in Rome is FREENOW. Their Rome service specifically lists wheelchair-accessible taxis, and taxis can be booked through the app. FREENOW currently lists Rome among its available Italian cities.
FREENOW – Official Website & App
🏨 Mercure Roma Centro Colosseo
This is the hotel where I stayed.
Address: Via Labicana 144, 00184 Rome, Italy
Phone: +39 06 770021
Email: H2909@accor.com
The hotel's official Accor page lists accessible rooms, so this is also the best place to get the hotel's current contact information and accessibility details before booking.
Mercure Roma Centro Colosseo – Official Accor Website
My recommendation: Before booking, contact the hotel directly, explain your specific accessibility requirements, and ask them to confirm the room and bathroom setup. If possible, ask for pictures of the accessible bathroom and shower.
♿ My Rome Accessibility Tips
After my experience, these are the things I'd recommend to another wheelchair user visiting Rome:
✈️ Airport transfer
Book your accessible airport taxi in advance.
Provide your flight details, number of passengers, wheelchair information and luggage requirements.
💳 Confirm the price
Ask about the price and payment requirements before booking. My airport taxi required prepayment.
🏨 Book the accessible room directly
Use sites such as Expedia to research hotels, but once you've found a suitable property, contact the hotel directly and confirm the accessible room.
📸 Ask for bathroom pictures
Don't rely only on the words “accessible” or “roll-in shower.” Ask for pictures so you can determine whether the bathroom will work for you.
🆓 Consider free cancellation
A free-cancellation option gives you flexibility if the accessible room doesn't meet your needs.
🚌 Get the driver's attention
When using an accessible bus, make sure the driver knows that you need the wheelchair ramp before the bus leaves the stop.
♿ Be prepared for the ramp
The manual ramp can be somewhat inclined, so depending on your wheelchair, you may need assistance getting onto the bus.
📱 Use Google Maps
Google Maps was very useful for checking bus routes, stops and connections around Rome.
🚕 Give yourself time for an accessible taxi
If you need an accessible taxi from your hotel, ask the hotel staff one or two hours ahead of time rather than waiting until the last minute.
