Rome Hop-on Hop-off Bus Tour

[drgcruise]

We just got back from a 11 day cruise on the Celebrity Equinox June 14 - June 25th. We spent 3 days in Rome before the cruise. I would not recommend the hop-on hop-off bus in Rome. We took it on Friday and spent over 1 hour in traffic while only making it through three stops. We ended up getting off and walking to the various stops

[daryleann]

Thanks for that comment. We were thinking of doing the complete tour on one of our pre cruise days, but think we will pass on it now. Someone also pointed out that it doesn't really go 'by' any sights, so it sounds like a real waste.

[shemp2000]

We had good luck with a HOHO bus in Rome October 2008.

 

It stopped near many of the sights and was a cheap way of getting around.

9We also did a lot of walking, with was even cheaper.......)

 

There is more then one company operating this type of bus, so be sure to research routes, etc......

[DrivesLikeMario]

Drgcruise-Which HOHO did you use? The 110 Trambus Open, the green one, the red one, which company? There are so many!

 

We planned to do this on our first morning in Rome after a very long flight. Thought it would be a good chance to just "veg" out and get an overview of the city. Now I'm second-thinking this idea...

[ibethenanya]

We did this last November when we were in Rome before our cruise. We bought the 48 hr pass and think it is one of the best ways to get aquainted with Rome there is. Yes sometimes the traffic can get bad but you will have the same problem in a private car or taxi. The worst traffic is in the late afternoon when everyone is getting off work so if you can be finished before 4pm you should be ok. We also bought the Roma pass and it gave us entry into the Coleseum and Borghese Gallery at no charge plus three days of public transportation on city busses, trains and metro for approx 25 eros each. One taxi can cost that much. We did the green bus but the red one goes the exact same route. The next time we go to Rome we will do it again.

[Bobal]

We did it in August 2008 on our first afternoon of a 3 day trip, as a way of getting a feel for Rome before exploring on our own during the rest of the holiday. We found it a really good way to get to know the city and didn't have any traffic problems beyond what you would find in any large city

[cruisemom42]

If you don't have any mobility problems, get a map from your hotel and just walk. It beats the HOHO hands-down as a way to see Rome, and it'll revive you after a long flight.

 

The last thing I'd want to do after sitting in a plane for 9 hours is to sit on a bus for 4 more hours in the warm sun. That would be a recipe for dozing off. But maybe that's just me.....:o

[KaththeTaff]

We took the red HOHO bus when we were in Rome for just a few hours. It was really hot, too hot to walk if, like us, you are not used to temperatures of 37 degrees celsius!

 

We though it was a great 9and cool) way to get to know the layout of Rome. We always intended to go bakc, and when we do it will be in October so we'll be able to walk around!

[cruisemom42]

We took the red HOHO bus when we were in Rome for just a few hours. It was really hot, too hot to walk if, like us, you are not used to temperatures of 37 degrees celsius!

 

We though it was a great 9and cool) way to get to know the layout of Rome. We always intended to go bakc, and when we do it will be in October so we'll be able to walk around!

 

I guess it's all relative. Where I live it has been around 35.5 celsius every day for the past couple of weeks. A little warmer than usual for June, but definitely common in July and August. :)

[DrivesLikeMario]

Now I'm torn. Cruisemom brings up a good point. DH tends to fall asleep standing up if we stay in one place too long!! :eek: After 18 hr.+ flights to Rome, he may well be fast asleep literally the minute we sit down.

 

We only planned to see the Piazza Navona, the Pantheon and the Trevi. I purposely planned a very "light" day so we weren't overwhelmed and could go to bed early. I guess we'll just have to see how we feel when we get there.

[CathyCruises]

Well if it helps, those are NOT on the tour route--you have to get off and walk a few blocks. If your hotel is anywhere close, it is nice to walk in the fresh air after the long plane ride. If not, you can hop a bus or the metro. It will save you a lot of money and you will see much more of Rome from street level rather than from the bus! Te only thing you can see FROM the bus, IIRC, is the Colosseum, Forum area, St. Peter's, and the train station!

[DrivesLikeMario]

Well if it helps, those are NOT on the tour route--you have to get off and walk a few blocks. If your hotel is anywhere close, it is nice to walk in the fresh air after the long plane ride. If not, you can hop a bus or the metro. It will save you a lot of money and you will see much more of Rome from street level rather than from the bus! Te only thing you can see FROM the bus, IIRC, is the Colosseum, Forum area, St. Peter's, and the train station!

 

Good info., Cathy, thanks. Yeah, I figured we'd get off at that stop, walk a few blocks to see those items, have a nice lunch, then back on the HOHO around the rest of the route to our hotel for check-in.

 

Is traffic typically bad on Sundays in Rome?

[Bobal]

Good info., Cathy, thanks. Yeah, I figured we'd get off at that stop, walk a few blocks to see those items, have a nice lunch, then back on the HOHO around the rest of the route to our hotel for check-in.

 

 

That sounds like a plan, if you know you have to walk to those places and are happy to do so. And incidentally you will see more of Rome than just the places mentioned above ;) You travel by the walled city, Castel San Angelo, over the river, Circo Massimo, Piazza Venezia and will see many churches, shopping streets and interesting architecture along the way.

[DrivesLikeMario]

That sounds like a plan, if you know you have to walk to those places and are happy to do so. And incidentally you will see more of Rome than just the places mentioned above ;) You travel by the walled city, Castel San Angelo, over the river, Circo Massimo, Piazza Venezia and will see many churches, shopping streets and interesting architecture along the way.

 

Bobal, that is exactly what I was thinking - it may be our only chance to do a "drive by" of Castel San Angelo and the Borghese Gardens (besides a few other places). We may not have time for a lengthy visit to some of those places. Thanks.

[Bobal]

Bobal, Thanks.

 

You're welcome :) I think sometimes people forget that you can also see what a city is like by just watching the people on the streets, the way people drive (particularly the mopeds :eek:), the street cafes, the shops, the windows above eye level etc. It's not all about ticking off the main attractions and saying you've seen a city and if you only have a limited time you can cover a lot of ground on the HOHO bus without getting all hot and bothered trying to walk from one place to another.

[DrivesLikeMario]

Isn't that the truth! Soaking up the atmosphere is priceless!! ;)

[samavarcruiser]

We just got back from a 11 day cruise on the Celebrity Equinox June 14 - June 25th. We spent 3 days in Rome before the cruise. I would not recommend the hop-on hop-off bus in Rome. We took it on Friday and spent over 1 hour in traffic while only making it through three stops. We ended up getting off and walking to the various stops

 

Thanks for sharing :)

[cruisemom42]

You're welcome :) I think sometimes people forget that you can also see what a city is like by just watching the people on the streets, the way people drive (particularly the mopeds :eek:), the street cafes, the shops, the windows above eye level etc. It's not all about ticking off the main attractions and saying you've seen a city and if you only have a limited time you can cover a lot of ground on the HOHO bus without getting all hot and bothered trying to walk from one place to another.

 

Believe me, I'm not a "tick off the sights" person; however, I think for first-time travelers it is important to let them know that they won't actually SEE some of Rome's main sites if they are planning just to sit on the bus and go around. It helps avoid disappointment.

 

I personally feel that you may "see" a city from a bus, but you won't EXPERIENCE it unless you get off the bus. ;)

[ActiveTraveler]

Believe me, I'm not a "tick off the sights" person; however, I think for first-time travelers it is important to let them know that they won't actually SEE some of Rome's main sites if they are planning just to sit on the bus and go around. It helps avoid disappointment.

 

I personally feel that you may "see" a city from a bus, but you won't EXPERIENCE it unless you get off the bus.

 

It depends on what you are looking for. If a HOHO bus passes the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and other famous structures or gardens (I am not saying it does), it is safe to say, "been there, done that," because the attraction was nothing but one object to look at. But if you are talking about the Colisseum, Borghese Gallery, and other buildings in Rome of historical importance, I agree passing by on a bus is not the same as actually seeing it because you are not really there.

When I travel, I get up early for a morning flight, so sometimes I want to sleep ASAP in my hotel room. Then it is time to eat because I can't have a real lunch on the plane and am not always hungry at the airport. So on my first day, I don't do too much. With little time left after all that I would probably just walk around with my camera and eat gelato. So for me, a HOHO bus would be a good first-day activity. After the first day, I agree no HOHO bus route is worth the time because you have to go in buildings to see them.

[cruisemom42]

It depends on what you are looking for. If a HOHO bus passes the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, and other famous structures or gardens (I am not saying it does), it is safe to say, "been there, done that," because the attraction was nothing but one object to look at. But if you are talking about the Colisseum, Borghese Gallery, and other buildings in Rome of historical importance, I agree passing by on a bus is not the same as actually seeing it because you are not really there.

 

When I travel, I get up early for a morning flight, so sometimes I want to sleep ASAP in my hotel room. Then it is time to eat because I can't have a real lunch on the plane and am not always hungry at the airport. So on my first day, I don't do too much. With little time left after all that I would probably just walk around with my camera and eat gelato. So for me, a HOHO bus would be a good first-day activity. After the first day, I agree no HOHO bus route is worth the time because you have to go in buildings to see them.

 

 

1) HOHO buses don't pass by Trevi Fountain. Well, they do, but you can't see it from the bus. The access is too narrow.

 

2) Don't you need to toss a coin in Trevi Fountain to have the full experience? Most people would say yes.

[Bobal]

I think for first-time travelers it is important to let them know that they won't actually SEE some of Rome's main sites if they are planning just to sit on the bus and go around. It helps avoid disappointment.

 

I personally feel that you may "see" a city from a bus, but you won't EXPERIENCE it unless you get off the bus. ;)

 

Agree, but if you read the whole thread it's been pointed out that they won't see all the sights from the bus and can easily (within a few minutes) walk to the fountains. Isn't that the whole point of a Hop on Hop off bus - hop off and have a walk around and see something - hop back on and go elsewhere ;). Since the route takes you pretty close to all the major attractions it's a way of getting around which appeals to some - OK we understand you're not a fan, but some people like the idea :)

[euro cruiser]

Isn't that the whole point of a Hop on Hop off bus - hop off and have a walk around and see something - hop back on and go elsewhere ;). Since the route takes you pretty close to all the major attractions it's a way of getting around which appeals to some

HOHO buses are a good idea in concept, as you've described. The issue is the application of the idea in Rome.

 

You've noted the appeal of a HOHO bus, the problem is that in Rome the bus doesn't provide the expected benefits of efficiency (because the historical center of Rome is so very small) or speed (because of the traffic and the distance from the stops to the actual sites).

 

I have walked around Rome with friends who previously took the HOHO bus - they were amazed at how close everything was to everything else. Riding the bus had given them the impression that the distances were far greater.

 

On the other hand, the HOHO concept applies well in larger, more spread out cities, especially those with difficult to figure out public transit.

[agabbymama]

My husband and I had been to Rome in 1998, so I was familiar with the landmarks/sites I wanted to show my friend and the layout of the city, when we went to the Med for Grand Princess cruise in 2008.

 

I had planned 3 days in Rome pre-cruise and 2 in Venice post-cruise. I purchased the 48 hour pass on the Ho Ho bus in Rome, and it worked out really well for us, then I also booked the 72 hour vaporetto pass for Venice (off viator.com so it was all paid for in US $ before we ever left home). Neither of us would have been able to walk the distances we saw with the Ho Ho pass. I planned (and stuck to the plan) to do the Northern area on day one. We got to the Vatican in time to see the Papal audience, then make our way through the Piazza to where the Ho Ho buses were located. We returned to the Vatican at around 4:00 pm, having seen Trevi, Spanish Steps, John Keat's House, etc up close and personal, then back on the HO HO around the loop (seeing Forum, Colliseum etc from the bus).

 

The 2nd day, we bypassed the Northern Section, to head straight to the Forum and Colliseum. We lunched on the lawn at the Colliseum after a rather long walk to find the Sabina Church on a hill overlooking Rome. Again, we returned to our hotel around 5:00 pm after picking up the HO HO by Circus Maximus.

 

Now neither of us had any interest in going inside museums (or the hours it takes to walk through them), the Colliseum or churches. Been there done that, and it was enough to stand outside the Colliseum and touch the wall.

 

The third day, it was pouring rain, so we really didn't anything, other than get packed and checked out of the hotel, have a cup of tea while waiting for our shared van (with other cc members) to transfer to Civitavecchia to the ship.

 

I have used HO HO buses in New York City, Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Athens, Budapest, Amsterdam, Brugges, Sydney Australia, Boston, Washington DC, Paris and Sitka Alaska. I really like them. I'm 64 and not able to walk the distances I used to when I was younger. If I feel like walking, I can, but the HO HO sure saves on your feet and your back. Even if you are dropped 5 or 6 blocks from the site, that beats having to walk 2 miles to get to the site. And so what if you have to sit in traffic, you can look at the city around you and people watch as someone else worries about fighting the traffic. (We did just that near the Forum, they were laying new cobblestones, I sat and watched the worker laying one stone at a time, it was fascinating to see how they laid the modern stones to mesh or match with the older stones).

 

Make your own decision as to what is best for you. There will be plenty of walking in Europe, believe me. Have a great trip!