Whether we need to show a reservation we made, find the perfect restaurant in our neighborhood, or check out the map, having easy access to WiFi in Rome is becoming always more essential.
There are several places where you can get free WiFi in Rome, from hotels, coffee shops, and museums that make it available to their guests, which is also a great way to save money. In this article, we guide you through all the ways you can get connected in the city while sightseeing, relaxing, or even studying and working if you need to.
Free WiFi hotspots in Rome’s Centro Storico and attractions
The local Roma Capitale municipality has made free WiFi available all around Rome with several hotspots in the historic center and around the most important Rome attractions. The name of this public service is DigitRoma and what you need to do to connect to their WiFi network around Rome is to register on their website by adding your name, last name, email address, and phone number.
You will have 4 hours of free WiFi through a network of hotspots available in Rome’s libraries, museums, schools, and public offices, in the Municipalities of Rome, around taxi stands, and on the Lungomare of Ostia. This service is currently available only if you have an Italian SIM card.
Alternatively, you can sign up for WiFi metropolitano also with your foreign SIM card through the form of the cittametropolitanaroma.it website. This will give you 2 Giga free data every day. Once you finish your data, the service will stop and start again from midnight. You can check here the map of the hotspots that include parks like Villa Ada and Villa Borghese, schools and universities, libraries, and hotels.
Finally, from all the Italian regions that joined the initiative, you can connect to the WiFi Italia app and browse unlimited data for free.
WiFi in Rome hotels
Whether you opted for a 5-star resort or a cheap accommodation, most hotels in Rome offer free WiFi to their guests. Usually, they will give you the network name and password at the reception when you check in and can use everywhere in the building.
This is very handy because you don’t need an Italian SIM card, so you can use your own without problems and connect at any time. Whenever I travel, I always choose hotels with free WiFi because I often carry my laptop and need to sort out some work. But even if you are on vacation, it’s ideal to have an internet connection in your hotel because you can easily prepare the itinerary for the day after and plan in advance where to stop and where to eat.
We found complimentary WiFi in Rome at Sofitel Villa Borghese and Hotel Lunetta, but by now most hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs provide it. Often, their connection is a private one that requires a password, but sometimes it’s open. In the latter case, I would suggest using a firewall to avoid attacks and scams.
WiFi in Rome’s museums
Many museums in Rome have an open WiFi network you can connect to. Important galleries such as MAXXI and MACRO or historical buildings like Villino Corsini inside Villa Pamphilj Park offer this service to visitors who want to study the displayed masterpieces more in-depth or if they want to work.
The MAXXI and MACRO museums have great coffee shops and gardens where sitting and working is a pleasure. In Villino Corsini, there is a public library where you can connect to the WiFi for free.
Free WiFi in Rome’s restaurants
Some Rome restaurants joined the Città Metropolitana di Roma free WiFi network while others offer their private connection to their customers for free. Actually, most restaurants that I have been to have their own WiFi and make it available to their guests.
Lately, I have been noticing an always more common trend in the Roman eateries where instead of paper menus, they provide you with the bar code to scan and access their digital menu. This obviously requires an internet connection so usually these restaurants offer it for free.
Even though I have my own Italian SIM card data, it has happened to me a few times that I didn’t have any signal and I asked for the local WiFi. So far, I don’t remember a Roman restaurant that didn’t have it available.
Free WiFi in Rome’s cafes and bistros
Similar to restaurants, many Rome’s cafes, bistros, and even bars have a private internet connection and make it available to their customers. Most coffee shops and bistros will simply offer an internet connection, while in other places you can actually take your time to study and work. This is very handy if you are renting an apartment that doesn’t have free WiFi in Rome and need to spend some time on your laptop or even need to use WhatsApp or any other calling apps.
Some cafes, in fact, beautifully combine co-working and relaxing in a literary environment. These are great places if you are looking for free WiFi in Rome because you don’t even have a limit of time, you can stay as much as you like.
Coffee shops like Ex.Circus (Via della Vetrina 15) near Piazza Navona, Caffè Letterario (Via Ostiense 83) in the lovely Ostiense neighborhood, and Giufà Libreria Caffè (Via degli Aurunci 38) in San Lorenzo area are fantastic places for working, browsing, and relaxing with a drink and a light meal.
Rome’s airports
Both Fiumicino and Ciampino airports offer free WiFi to passengers waiting for a flight. You can find it in most areas of the airports and can connect with your smartphone, laptop, or tablet.
To access it, turn on the WiFi on your device and select the Airport Free Wi-Fi network. Once the portal welcome page is open, select the “AIRPORT FREE WIFI” network and open your browser. You will be redirected to the home page and the connection will be free and unlimited for the whole time you stay in the airport.
The service allows you to access all types of multimedia contents and services, including streaming.