Hop On/Off Buses in Rome

[Bags4r]

I'd like to use the hop on/off buses in Rome to visit sites I missed.

 

Does anyone have a comprehensive list of places it goes to? Also any tips you may have are appreciated.

[Hlitner]

You might want to consider that Rome has a terrific public transit system with many bus routes and a great metro system. It is possible to buy a BIRG ticket in Civitavecchia for about 9 Euros that includes round trip trains to Rome plus all days unlimited use of all buses and metro in Rome. With a simple tour book (such as Rick Steves, Frommers, etc) one can easily make their way around Rome to various spots. In comparison, the HoHo buses cost a minimum of about $35 pp and can cost a tourist valuable time while waiting between buses. In some cases it might take you 40 min to get from one part of Rome to another via HoHo where you could do the same thing on the Metro in 10 min. We are not anti- HoHo, but think that in some cases they are not the best option.

 

Hank

[GRAMMYTAN]

If you google Rome Hop on Hop Off Bus you can find a lot of information on the service with stops, prices etc.

[Wildblue]

Thanks for the great advice, Hank!

[cruisemom42]

I've just been in Rome and lost count of the number of different HOHO buses there are. They range from public (bus number 110) to Christian-focused to archeological (Archeobus), and so on. However, I'm not a big fan of them as I think there are better ways to see Rome unless you have significant mobility issues.

[kitigonkukoo]

I agree with the other advise posted, if you are able, I would recommend that you take the subway around, and walk the difference... The HoHo Bus can be frustrating, on top of the coast.. as they will sit and wait for quite sometime at some stops, while the driver chats with friends, or any other of a number of reasons. So, if you aren't getting off there, you are literally just sitting there until the driver decides to go again...

[Chemistry Teach]

There is a website (rometoolkit.com) that I used to find information about the various HoHo buses and routes. We are planning to use the HoHo the first day we arrive in Rome as among other things we will be arriving about 7:30am and my DH does not have much luck sleeping on planes. Once we get to the hotel and drop off our luggage we will have some time before we can check into our room I suspect. Last year we had the same situation in London but went instead to the science museum and had lunch lugging our carryons with us. We were just tired and thought that perhaps this time we would try a different approach. Do you think that they'll wake us up if we fall asleep?? ;)

[Traveling Library]

We like doing the HoHo for the first time we are in a city so we can get oriented. We find after flying over night to Europe that this is a good way ease into a city and allows us to decide what we really want to see the next day.

There are a bunch of HoHo buses. They all seem to go to the same places. We just picked the red one which stopped right outside of our hotel door because it was convenient (and we were tired).

[janina]

We took the Ho Ho bus all the way around and got some fantastic pictures, from the open top deck. With that being said, at many of the stops it is very crowded, and you may have to wait for another bus, or sit below.

[taznremmy]

There is a website (rometoolkit.com) that I used to find information about the various HoHo buses and routes. We are planning to use the HoHo the first day we arrive in Rome as among other things we will be arriving about 7:30am and my DH does not have much luck sleeping on planes. Once we get to the hotel and drop off our luggage we will have some time before we can check into our room I suspect. Last year we had the same situation in London but went instead to the science museum and had lunch lugging our carryons with us. We were just tired and thought that perhaps this time we would try a different approach. Do you think that they'll wake us up if we fall asleep?? ;)

 

Thank you for posting this website name. Rometoolkit is filled with all sorts of helpful information. Thanks again, and Happy New Year!

[pete_coach]

I have used the RomeToolkit and found it very helpful.

http://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/rome_hop_on_tour_bus.htm

I have also gotten lots of use out of from Ron In Rome site. He has a great website with tons of information on everything from sites to transportation to food.

***************************/ roninrome dot com (in case Cruise Critic strips it)

I always found city guides useful and here is one that I have used for Rome.

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/rome

[agabbymama]

I purchased my Ho Ho 48 hr pass from viator dot com long before we ever left home, paid in US $. I also looked at City Sightseeing, as they offer a 10% discount if you use them in multiple cities (just save your ticket and show it at subsequent cities). I see they now let you buy tickets on-line, so not sure how the discount would be applied.

 

http://www.city-sightseeing.com/?command=search&clear-search=true&destinations=Rome

 

City sightseeing has a PDF flyer, and a route map on their website. We are two older ladies with mobility issues, and the HO/HO was a great way for us to get an overall view of Rome and get a little closer to the sites of interest, rather than walking all over Rome, as my husband and I did 20 years ago. I broke it down and did the Northern Route on Day 1 and the Southern Route on Day 2. We stayed near the Vatican, so just had to get there to catch the HO HO. They all line up in front of the Piazza. There were only 2 stops where we had waits of about 20 minutes (Termini and the Vatican). All the other stops were made quickly.

 

As Hank stated in his post, YOU CAN DO LOCAL TRANSIT FOR A LOT CHEAPER, but I felt a little safer on the HO HO (from transients/pick pockets, etc) as I didn't feel they would be as likely to pay the $30 pp to be able to ply their trade. They certainly also know that the local transit at 9 EUR is a lot less to pay than the 50 EUR. JMO

[CathyCruises]

Just a word of caution: previous posters have said that during peak tourist times, the wait to reboard at the popular stops can be quite long--upwards of 30 minutes. The buses come by but they are so full that no one else can get on. Potential for loss of valuable Rome time.

[pete_coach]

Just a word of caution: previous posters have said that during peak tourist times, the wait to reboard at the popular stops can be quite long--upwards of 30 minutes. The buses come by but they are so full that no one else can get on. Potential for loss of valuable Rome time.

I agree whole-hardheartedly but, have to add some perspective.

All of Rome is packed and full and long waits for everything during peak tourist times. City buses, subway, streets, trains and all the sites will be full and with long waits.

I suggest that the Ho Ho be used for a "once around" the City to give you a perspective of distances between the sites, then begin the "what shall I do first" choices LOL. A few hours on the HoHo the first day will be well worth it.

[cruisemom42]

I am not a huge fan of the regular Rome buses either, during peak times. The Metro is faster, but unfortunately it is limited in the places where you can reasonably take it.

 

All in all, the best way around Rome is on foot. For me, I get a much better sense of direction and perspective on foot than when riding somewhere anyway. And in Rome you can easily pass buses (HOHO or regular) stuck in traffic and get somewhere faster on foot. I've done it, more than once.

[CathyCruises]

I totally agree with this--by far the best way, and if you plan your day carefully, you can cover a lot of territory this way. We only use the buse if we need to get a long distance with no interesting sites along the way.

[taznremmy]

I have used the RomeToolkit and found it very helpful.

http://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/rome_hop_on_tour_bus.htm

I have also gotten lots of use out of from Ron In Rome site. He has a great website with tons of information on everything from sites to transportation to food.

***************************/ roninrome dot com (in case Cruise Critic strips it)

I always found city guides useful and here is one that I have used for Rome.

http://www.worldtravelguide.net/rome

 

Pete - Thank you so much for this info. This is a great website and I love Ron's writing stye! Lot's of useful info. Now I just need to make the time to read it all!!! Thanks again! Hopefully he will start a new blog for Denmark.