Is the cost of tours in Rome cheaper to buy there than shown online?
 

I am looking online at the cost of tours in Rome and they seem rather expensive. Based on trips to other places, the cost of the tours once there are generally less that the online prices. I am seeing online a half day Rome city tour, for example, for 31 Euros. Does anyone know what this type of tour would normally cost if purchased when in Rome?

Richard - Do you mean bus tours?

If yes, that's a fairly typical price with the main tour companies like Vastours, Appian, Carrani, Greenline ...
The price you see online is the price you would pay in Rome.

The cheaper tours are the hop-on hop-off tours, e.g

110
CSR
Ciao Roma
Archeobus

www.romavision.it/110citytour.htm
www.romecitytours.com (CSR - Consorzio Sightseeing Roma)
www.romeguide.it/TROLLEY/Troll.htm (Ciao Roma)
www.romavision.it/archeobus.htm

Steve - yes I was referring to bus tours. Thanks for the links to the hop-on hop-off tours, which cost much less than the traditional bus tours I was looking at online. Can anyone comment on these kind of tours in Rome?

We went on the 110 hop-on hop-off bus in March and got a pretty good idea of the places to explore on our own and a drive-by on the places that were secondary on our list. Most of the big sights are in a pretty central area bounded by the Vatican, Termini Train station and the colliseum. I like the idea of a bus tour to give me the lay of the land when I am in a new place.

we did the hop on tour in Florence and it was about that price... we got to see a lot of the city that way.

For what they are IMO the hop-on hop-off tours are quite expensive (- €13 to €20).

I always think a Rome bus & metro pass is a better investment. They cost:

€ 4.00 One day (BIG)
€ 11.00 Three day (BTI)
€ 16.00 One week (CIS)

To get to the main sights you really only need to use 2/3 buses as most sights are so central they're within walking distance of each other.

Just a personal opinion ...

Steve

I found the hop-on-off buses to be overpriced and overrated.
The info they give (through speakers)is limited and if you miss one,you'll have a half hour or so to get the next one.
You can basically take city buses everywhere they go. Get on and off as you please and follow some good guidebook.
It's not terrible, but not like paying for good guides. Maybe okay, if the first day. But, once oriented to Rome, get daily or a longer time frame passe.