We will be in Rome the first weekend in August and was interested in the catacomb tours. I found one...DarkRome.com...that includes bus transportation to the different sites, entrance fees and guide for 52 euros. Would love to hear your recommendations.

don't know about such guided tours but it's a snap to go on your own to the combs by bus the few miles beyond Rome's wall there are clustered in. And the group tours with guides are also good. Do it all for probably 20 euros or less.

Hope you don't mind very close quarters with other people in very close quarters. Underground in very close quarters......

We had heard that we should go to the catacombs and we could do it easily on our own by bus. I would never recommend it to anyone. Taxi there, easy. Bus home (no taxis anywhere), not so easy. Waiting for an English-speaking tour, not so bad. Being able to hear at all with a huge group in small tunnels, impossible. It was part of what we wanted to do but we both decided that a day spent in another venue would have been far better. Our favorites: Borghese museum, Capitoline museum, all the tours we took with Context Rome.

We just got back from our first trip to Rome. Day 1 we easily took the metro, then the bus. Make sure you get off at the right bus stop at the Catacombs. Easy to get an English speaking tour.

If you have the Rick Steves book, follow the map to the snack bar down the street and have a light lunch, then rent a bike. The time we road basically alone on the Appian way was one of the best part of the trip--beautiful scenery and quiet.