how to buy game tickets

This is for the benefit of the many tourists who come to Rome hoping to see a game, only to be put off by the seemingly mental ticketing system. It's actually really easy to get a ticket to most games, just don't expect to get it in an orderly or sensible way.

There's a few things worth noting. The Stadio Olimpico is operated by the Italian Olympic Committee, not by AS Roma. As a result, Roma are not allowed to sell anything at the venue. That means no official flags, jerseys – or tickets. Also, unless you use online touts, which are for the most part bad news, you won't be able to book tickets months in advance. Don't worry: you don't need to. Tickets generally go on sale a few weeks before the game, so just keep an eye on the ticket section of the official site.

When buying Serie A tickets, the first thing you need to do is to just accept the mystery. Things work a little differently here. The second thing you need to do is bring your passport or ID card. They won't always ask for ID in the shop, but the ticket you buy will have your name on it, and this will be checked at the gate.

To get tickets, there are the obvious spots like the official team stores and the online vendor listicket.it. These are both OK ways to get tickets, so we'll call 'em Plan A. Listicket is in Italian and English, but it's not a great site to deal with and it only offers the more expensive seats – but maybe you're loaded, what do I know? If you do choose to do it online, some advice: this may sound silly, but if the site doesn't want to process the request in English, try the Italian version and vice-versa. The Roma stores are probably the best place to get your tickets, assuming you come to Rome in plenty of time for the game. They don't open on Sundays (the shop itself might, but the ticket desk won't) and may close for lunch. And they might tell you a section is sold out when it's not. If that happens, try plan B.

Plan B is to buy your ticket from a Tobacconist. Weird as it may sound, these guys sell everything. EVERYTHING. Football tickets, train tickets, stamps, lottery tickets – some will even take sports bets. The one pictured above is in the Monti area of the city, which is a nice place to hang out, but there's probably one within spitting distance of your hotel. All Tabacchi will be marked by a big "T", but not all "T"s were created equal. Some Tabacchi will just sell smokes. Look for the ones with loads of other stuff written on the sign, like the one above.

I'm not going to recommend any unofficial ticket sites, because to me they're just digital touts. Listicket is OK, because it'll just charge a few euros handling fee, but I've seen some ticket sites out there that charge prices inline with Premier League – Serie A tickets are a lot cheaper.

the price list for the 2011-2012 Roma vs Cagliari game

The prices in the yellow boxes are for fans with the Roma Privilege card, which is just a nice name for the controversial tessera del tifoso. So, for most, it's the numbers in the white boxes that count.

From a fan's point of view, the prices do not correlate to pitch proximity, visibility issues or overall experience. In fact, seats in the Curva Sud or the Distini Sud offer offer by far and away the best atmosphere.

Tales of fan violence and safety issues are wildly exaggerated, but if you don't feel safe going to the Curva, then I'd say buy the cheapest ticket you can get for the Tevere stand. Romans pay scant attention to seat numbers, so once you're through the turnstile you can sit wherever you like in that section anyway.

the Sud section, in red, is best for atmosphere. Flares are optional

If you're desperate, Plan C is a tout, but I'd strongly advise against this route. Considering the hassle – remember, the ticket you buy from a shop will have your name on it and you'll need photo ID, so you might not even get in on a touted ticket – it's not worth it.

The Stadio Olimpico is vast, so be aware that for some of the smaller games it will seem quite empty (40,000 or even 50,000 people doesn't look like that much in a 73,000-seat stadium). For these ties, it will be the curva and distini that fill up with fans first.

Please get in touch with any questions or comments. I'm always happy to be of help.

how to get to the stadium

Here's a handy map with all of the public transport links clearly marked (click on it). I've circled the Stadio Olimpico. Piazza Mancini, on the other side of the river, is well-connected to the city centre and to Termini train station with buses and trams. It's also just a short tram ride from the Flaminio metro stop. This is an easy option, as the tram route starts and finishes right by the metro station. Alternatively,  the 32 bus from Piazza Risorgimento (beside the Vatican) is a popular option too. Buses, metros and trams all cost €1 for a 75-minute ticket that's valid on all three services for the period. Or you can buy a daily or weekly option. These are available from the stations and – you guessed it – the tobacconists. Taxis are a no-no; the traffic is crazy and they'll cost a fortune. It's about 30 minutes walk from the centre/the Vatican.