Hop on bus in Rome?
 

Hi Everyone! My boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Italy this June. What is the best hop on hop off bus in Rome? I read online that some have stopped their services? Any advice is appreciated :)
Thanks!

I wouldn't recommend any of these buses. First of all, many of the places people want to visit are in the little narrow streets of the medieval center, where no large bus can go. Second, the city cut down on the number of stops these buses could make, as a way to alleviate traffic congestion and pollution. Third, the best service was the Open 110, also called Trambus Open, which was run by the city's public transportation agency, the ATAC. Earlier this year it was discovered that the ATAC (which has been involved in nepotism scandals in the past) had let the contract without competitive bidding. So now there are many services, none of which has a stellar reputation. Perhaps the best is Roma Cristiana, which, in spite of its name, makes most of the same stops the others do.

All in all, the hop-on, hop-off buses aren't the best way to see the city, and not at all the best way to get around.

There are some little electric buses, which are not tour buses but regular buses designed for the narrow streets of the center of Rome. These go near many of the well-known sights of Rome, and the city has printed out route maps in Italian and English.

http://www.atac.roma.it/files/doc.asp?r=9

If you get a 24-hour (€7) or 48-hour (€13.50) transportation pass, you can use these buses as if they were hop-on, hop-off buses. You wouldn't have the audio tour, but one of the big complaints about many of the tour buses is that the audio sets don't work. You can use the pass on the metro, trams, and all other buses as well.

Since the center of Rome is very compact, a walking tour is not a bad idea instead of getting a transportation pass. There are audio walking tours available on the internet, some of them free. There are also walking tours for tablets that use the GPS to give you turn-by-turn directions. Or you can join an organized walking tour. Some of these are also free, but the guide expects a generous tip. Also, my feeling is that you get what you pay for.

Thank you so much for the info! I really appreciate it! I think I will go with the transportation pass instead. It's my first trip to Europe, so all the assistance I can get is very appreciated!

I concur with the transportation pass - it's fantastic. You may find you don't use it often as Rome's compact historic centre is easily navigated by foot and you can come across something that takes your interest and stop, whereas if on a bus, you can't do this.
Do avoid the HoHo buses. Each time I'm in Rome I see them stuck in traffic and the reviews are not very good.

We just went on a walking tour with New Rome Free Tour, which we enjoyed. It is tip-based, so you can give your guide as much or as little as you think the tour was worth. It covers a number of sites in the historic center of Rome.
www.newromefreetour.com

Lee Ann