Rome - How busy is the HOHO

[Shellzbellz]

We will be in Rome in mid August on a DIY tour and I was thinking about the HOHO. I was wondering whether it would be really busy in August and whether we would have problems getting on the bus when we got off it at the various stops. We had an experience like that before and it was very frustrating and took a lot of time which we probably won't have in Rome.

[nonrev1]

We used the HOHO when we were in Rome, also mid/late August. The only stop where it was very crowded and not everyone was able to board was the Vatican stop. There was a bus not too far behind that did pick up those that could not get on. Other than that - no problem and it was a great option for sightseeing.

[euro cruiser]

Really and truly, unless you are disabled and cannot easily get around on foot, the HOHO is not a great idea for Rome. The centro storico, where most things are, is a very compact area that the bus can't get into anyway. The few sites that are slightly more "outlying", the Vatican on one end and the Colosseum on the other, are well served by mass transit.

 

With more than two people, it would be cheaper and a whole lot faster to grab a cab to reach these two locations and walk (or use mass transit if you really don't want to walk) for the rest.

[RJHNorthyorks]

We found HO Ho really busy on time we used also mid August. On our last visit we walked or used underground.

[Hlitner]

We agree with Eurocruiser on the Rome HoHo...or we should say HoHo's since there are several different companies that have competing routes. For those capable of walking, the best way to see Rome is with a lot of walking and a few journeys on the metro. If you are on a port day you can buy the BIRG ticket for 9 Euros that includes round trip train (from Civitaveccia) and all days use of the buses and metro (not including the HoHo). A Hoho ticket generally costs about $25 and most of the companies run buses about every 30 min. With the HoHO you spend a lot of time waiting for your bus, and you still need to walk quite a ways to get to some of the best parts of Rome. We usually find that we might use the metro two or three times throughout a long day in Rome (as opposed to a shorter port day).

 

Hank

[Grandma Rambo]

Viator offers a two day pass that includes a one-day pass on the HoHo cruise around or throughout Rome. Has anyone used this? What stops are available? We'll be in Rome next week for three days before our May 15 cruise on Azamara and we can't wait.

 

Thanks for any help.

Jennie

[cruisemom42]

I completely agree with eurocruiser and Hank.

 

If you can walk, the HOHO is not worth it. Traffic is bad, the buses are slow and crowded, and not all sites can be seen from the bus itself. Getting off and getting back on is less than optimal and you'll spend time waiting.

 

Not to mention the one and only time I was on a HOHO in Rome, a large number of the audio jacks were not in working order.

[Shellzbellz]

Ok I think I need to scratch the HoHo in Rome and think about just walking. Will be with my 70 year old in laws who are not that mobile but if we take it slow we should be able to cope OK.

[Bobal]

Ok I think I need to scratch the HoHo in Rome and think about just walking. Will be with my 70 year old in laws who are not that mobile but if we take it slow we should be able to cope OK.

 

Well if you have 70 year olds who are not that mobile I would have to disagree with previous posters and say take the HOHO. It will be VERY hot and very crowded in Rome in August and the chance of a sit down, whilst watching the sights go by, every so often will be very welcome.

 

Whilst the HOHO doesn't go close to some sights (eg the fountains) you will still see a lot of the city and you can pick and choose which stops to get off at to walk to. We did the HOHO in August and never struggled to get a seat. Having said that we were there for 3 days and used it on our first day to get an overall view of the city before we then walked around.

[Nebr.cruiser]

We were just in Rome (April) and most of the time the HoHo buses looked very crowded. We were glad we weren't on them. We're both 64 but luckily able to easily walk everywhere, which we did, for 3 straight days, 8-10 hours a day.

 

We did notice another Hoho type bus that was yellow and had a logo something like "Christian Tours of Rome" (sorry, can't remember exactly) that seemed to do the same routes and never looked crowded at all.

 

I would think that the buses would be even more crowded (and hot!) in August. We had 80 + plus degree days the end of April.

[D4]

It sounds like you're only in Rome for a day. With two 70 year olds in the horrible August heat and crowds, I'd recommend taking taxis to get everywhere. With 2 couples, the cost shouldn't be too bad and it will save a lot of time and exhaustion. Taxis are near all the main attractions. Have a good map with you so you can mark and show the driver where you want to go so you don't have communication problems.

 

Yes Rome is walkable for those that have the energy. However, if your time in Rome is limited, and/or if you have mobility problems, and/or if you're there when it's super hot and crowded, I think walking wastes your precious time and energy.

[ronnie64]

We will be in rome on a port day in July. Would anyone recommend just doing a private tour to get to see the most of Rome in just one day?

[DrivesLikeMario]

...Having said that we were there for 3 days and used it on our first day to get an overall view of the city before we then walked around.

 

That's what we plan to do after a long flight from the West Coast. Figured we'd be dazed and a bit overwhelmed and it would be a good chance to just "veg" out on the HOHO, getting a view of some of the sites and the city itself. We'll probably just get off at 1 stop and back on at the same stop after a nice lunch.