Hi, we are wondering if anyone can help us in getting from Piazza Risorgimento (near Vatican Museum) to the bus stop near the Colesseum (metro station). It looks like Bus 81 gets us there but it looks like a very long route? Does anyone know if there is a more direct bus that will get us there. Also, any idea how long it takes?
Thank.

Piazza Risorgimento is not that far from the Ottaviani/Vatican City metro stop. You could walk over there and take the metro to the Colesseum.

I would recommend taking the metro too-alot faster and less hassles.

I think subway would probably be fastest, but will require a change at Termini. For some reason, I can't get the transport website for Rome to load at the moment, but if you can get it to work, enter your destinations and it will calculate your route by various transport complete with maps, bus #'s, etc.
www.atac.roma.it/index.asp?lingua=ENG

Did go to the ATAC website. When I put in Risorgimento to Colosseo it tells me to take metro A to Manzoni, then Line No3 to Colosseo. I'm now confussed, I thought there was only 2 lines, A and B, what is line No3? Looking at the Metro map I would think that we would take metro A to Termini and jump on Metro B to the Colosseum Stop?

We're just back from Rome yesterday. We used the bus lines all the time and I recommend you use them instead of the metro. When you get to Rome, go to one of the information offices and get the Rome brochure that they hand out. The centerfold is a map (which you can pull out) with ALL the bus, tram, metro lines. You can see where to get on, what direction the bus line takes and even the point of origin. We took dozens of buses during the 6 days we were there. That map was our bible and it never let us down.
We bought all day tickets and so sometimes we jumped on a bus for 2 stops to get to another.To buy an all day ticket go to any newspaper kiosk or tabacchi shop. It costs 4 euros. When you get on the bus/tram/metro the first time, you have to validate it (There is a yellow machine on every bus). Afterwards, you just have to have it with you in case there is a spot check. (We were in Rome 6 days and it never happened, but I assume that without a valid ticket you pay a very high fine.)
The subway is very limiting as far as where you can get to (unlike LOndon or Paris), you don't see anything (part of the fun is sightseeing from the bus)and the bus ride is usually very fast (except around 4:30 -5:30 in the afternoon which must be rush hour.).
There are many bus lines that go from the Vatican/ St. Peter's to Piazza Venezia. It's a 5 minute walk from there to the Colosseum. If you get the map that I mentioned above, you can figure all this out easily.

Take bus 32 from Piazza Risorgimento (along the
walls of the Vatican City halfway between Piazza San Pietro and the entrance to the Vatican Museum) and get off at Lungotevere M.LLO DIAZ/DE BOSIS.You are at Colosseum. Many other buses from the Vatican area also get you close.
The metro subway is fine for longer trips, but there are tons of buses going to-and-from your area.

OOps! I gave you directions to Stadium not Colosseum.
Instead:
Tkae any bus on Via Fori Impreriali that heads towards the Colosseum that stop at to Largo Argentina and walk over.
Bus 81 from Piazza Risorgimento takes you straight to it. Both 60 and 64 on Via Fori Impreriali will also get you there.

Usually ATAC does a good job of plotting the route, but not in this case. I would take the metro from Ottaviano, change lines at Termini. The Colosseum is only two stops from Termini and when you exit the metro it's just across the street. IF you select a different option, it suggests bus 81.

Rome is not known for its brilliant public transport system...bus 81 is definitely your bus. Enjoy the drive to the Colosesseum!