HOHO bus in Rome

Has anyone had experience with the pink HOHO bus in Rome ( the I love Rome one) ?

Have you experienced that it is full when it gets to a stop, so that you wouldn't be able to get on ?

Is there only one pink bus that makes the loop, or do they have more than one. (I know there are other buses, but I'm specifically asking about the pink one, since it is the only one I see that crosses the river for a view of St. Peter's and the Vatican

Thanks

Ho-Ho buses in Rome aren't the best idea. Yes, you may have problems getting back on. Plus, many of the major sites are close together, and if mobility is not a problem, walking is pretty easy.

Also, due to narrow streets, frequently the bus doesn't stop particularly close to many sites.

From your other thread I gather you're only in Rome for a very limited day from port.

I don't recommend the HOHO buses -- if you want to stay on them, you won't see a lot of monuments from the bus itself, you'll have to get off and get back on. This is due to Rome's traffic issues, one-way streets, or piazzas that just aren't accessible to large vehicles (like the piazza where Trevi fountain is located....)

And if you get off the buses, you may wait a while for another bus to come along. (And if that bus is full, and no one gets off, you won't be able to get on until another one comes, and so on.) This eats up a lot of time.

As mentioned above, most of historic Rome is walkable. The outlier is the Vatican; however, a taxi ride from the Colosseum/Forum area to the Vatican will only cost about 10-12 euros, give or take.

I'm a great fan of ho-ho's for most cities.

But I have to agree with Bruce & Cruisemom that in Rome they're a waste of time and money.

They can't access the narrow streets, they can get screwed-up in traffic, and they spend a great deal of time just sat at Termini station and by St Peter's.

We used them when we had several days in Rome so time wasn't important, but I'd not recommend them to anyone - especially those with a single port-of-call day in the Eternal City.

JB :)