Has anyone used the bus tour of the Old Appian Way? If so, was it worthwhile? And where can you board the bus? Are there any restaurants out there and if so, were they good? Any input would be greatly appreciated. You are all so knowledgeable.

Hi Bellini - For details of the Archeobus tour see:

http://www.romeguide.it/trambus/archeobuseng.htm

http://www.trambusopen.com/index.cfm?Id=archeo

Hope this helps ...

Steve

I've read complaints about the Archeobus. The most common one is that the bus doesn't run very frequently, leaving people stranded waiting an hour for a bus and that many times when the bus finally arrives it is full so you must wait for another bus if no one is getting off.

We did the trip on our own, our first full day in Rome. We didn't take the Archeobus because of what we heard about waiting times.

We took the Metro and the Bus. I used the Rick Steve's Book as a guide.
There appear to be some restaurants, but I didn't see anyone going into any.

We got off at San Callisto, a bit too early and walked from there to the Snack Bar Rick Steve's recommends.

We had a wonderful lunch. Sandwiches and Lasagne. They had pastries, ice cream etc, but we were too full. Then we rented bicycles.

Some beautiful picture opportunities.

We walked back to San Callisto and took the bus back into Rome at the end of the day.

Enjoy!

We took the archeobus in early March of this year. Caught it at the Piazza Bocca della Verita after waiting only a few minutes. It was supposed to be running every 20 minutes that day (a Saturday)
We got off at the catacombs then walked down to the Cecelia Metella stop (actually walked farther than that on the Appian Way, then back)
I think we had to wait about half an hour for the next bus, so longer than advertised but not bad
We rode the rest of the route to the aqueducts where the bus stopped for about 20 minutes before heading back to the city

I thought it was a good way to see a lot of the Appian Way plus the aqueducts which my husband really wanted to see. The route would be difficult to replicate on public transit and/or with multiple taxi rides.
The aqueducts really are impressive

I imagine the bus could get more crowded at peak tourist season.

The metro & bus directions to the Catacombs and part of the Appian Way http://tinyurl.com/j9w3d
Regards, Walter

I took the Archeobus on July 18, & would have tried public transport/taxis if I had known. I arrived at Termini (the starting point) for the first bus, but it pulled up, & the ticket-seller announced that it had no headset commentary working. Almost everyone waited (35 minutes) for the next one. That meant we were on board in the midday heat (it's an open-top bus). The commentary is helpful only if you really know nothing of the sights, and if you aren't getting off, you'll pass them VERY quickly. I got off only at 2 stops, and had to wait about 15-20 minutes for another bus. At the aquaduct (I think that's where) the bus stops for 15 minutes at a small park cafe-- I presume the company owns it, because there's really no reason to stop there. I really enjoyed the tour of St. Sebastian catacombs, but the bus tour itself wasn't a highlight.

In defense of the archeobus schedule, I believe the stop at the aqueducts is designed to let you get off and walk up to them. We would have been disappointed with just a quick drive past.

If you just want to see the catacombs and upper part of the appian Way there are definitely public transit options for that. Just don't try to walk the section of the road between the Porta San Sebastian in the old city walls and the catacombs except on Sunday when that area is closed to traffic. We made that mistake once and it was truly frightening.

I think the problem with trying to go out to this area by taxi is that it is hard to find a taxi for the ride back, so try to figure out the bus options as a back-up

You asked about restaurants. There aren't many. the Ristorante Cecilia Metella is one

Thank you all very much for the info. ParadiseLost, I really enjoyed your thread on the public transportation and copied it to take with us.
We are an "older" group of travelers and at least one of our group of 4 cannot walk very far without resting. For this very reason I, as the planner of our trip, am considering very seriously not taking any tours, i.e. Vatican Museums, etc., but rather taking all the advice on the best times of day to miss the lines and do it on our own. Any suggestions?
Again I need to thank you all. This Forum has been a fantastic learning site for me and has made the planning much more fun.
Our trip will be 6 weeks in October/November starting at Lago Maggiore and ending in Sicily. Can't wait.

For the Vatican Museums, I would urge you to reserve one of their own tours. It's the best way of getting in *without* having to stand in line.
You have to fax the request, and they will fax you a reply. Recently, they have been responding more quickly than in the past, when they only confirmed to your Rome hotel a day or two ahead of the tour.

It's a long, long distance - with or without a tour - from the entrance to the Vatican Museums. You can reserve a wheelchair for the person in your group who has difficulty walking long distances.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...o_Servizi.html

P.S. I suspect that the Cecilia Metella restaurant referred to above is L'Archeologia; it's 50 meters from the Catacombs of San Sebastiano and near the Tomb of Cecilia Metella. The Web site is in Italian, but the only thing you probably need to know is that it's closed on Tuesday. Be aware that this is very much a full-service restaurant and not inexpensive. The reviews I've seen have been mostly positive.

Bellini: My husband and I had lunch with out Italian friend at the Cecilia Metella after visiting the Catacombs. The restaurant is very pretty, we were on a terrace surrounded by flowers and trees. Although it was a little expensive, we felt it was worth it because the food and service were excellent! As far as the catacombs are concerned, we felt the Scavi at the Vatican was way, way better! But, the downside is, you need tickets in advance and I don't know if it's open now. I think it's worth for you to find out. Enjoy your trip!