jfcarli

I will be in Rome, for my first time, for one week starting on the 10th April/08.

I am probably asking for too much information, but... Any input will be most appreciated.

I just found these two bus tours in Rome, at the site of ATAC.

a)I wonder if it is not too much to be seen in just one single day.

b)Does anybody know those four museums listed at the bottom of this message. Are they worth the effort?

c)Are the prices all right?

d)Could the circuit referring to Linea 110 Open be done on foot, even if takes more than one day?

e)The archeological tour (the second) seems to concentrate around the catacombs. Would this tour be worth the effort?


TOUR NUMBER ONE

You buy a pass for the day ( from 08:00 to 20:00), works all days (regular and hollidays) with a frequency every 10 minutes and allowing "stop-&-go" as many times as one chooses during the day. Major stop is at Stazione Termini, but I believe one can board at any of the stops.

Seems like the whole circuit is comprised of 11 differente stops. This can be seen at this link:


http://www.trambusopen.com/index.cfm?Id=110_percorso

Bus stops at:

Termini
Quirinale
Colosseo
Bocca della Verità
Piazza Venezia
Piazza Navona
San Pietro
Piazza Cavour
Ara Pacis
Fontana di Trevi
Via Veneto
Termini



The illustrated pdf booklet can be found at this link:


http://www.trambusopen.com/pdf/completi/it/feriale.pdf


The one day pass is 14,40 euros.



TOUR NUMBER TWO:

There is also another line. The "Linea Archeobus"


Cirucit map at:

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

Bus Stops
Termini
Piazza Venezia
Colosseo
Terme di Caracalla
Porta di San Sebastiano
Sede Parco Regionale Appia Antica
Valle della Caffarella
Catacombe di San Callisto
Catacombe di San Sebastiano
Cecilia Metella
Sant'Urbano
Capo di Bove
Stadio delle Terme
Bocca della Verità
Circo Massimo


Buses circulate every 20 minutes, from 09:00 to 16:00, starting also at Stazione Termini.

Cost of this tour for adults: € 13,00.


Both tours combined, cost at: € 24,00 (in this case tickets valid for 2 days)



THE MUSEUMS (one must choose two of them)



There is also the possibility of including 2 museums in the package at the total cost of € 30,00.

In this case, the bus tickets are valid for 2 days,while the museum tickets are valid for 5 days.

One can choose two museums from the following list:

Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Venezia,
Galleria Spada,
Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo,
Galleria Nazionale di Arte Antica di Palazzo Barberini

kybourbon

I'm not sure what you are asking, but here's a link from the Rome tourism board about the 110/archeo bus and a third option, Christian Rome. I don't think you will use these buses much. Another option for regular trams/metro/bus is one of the Roma Passes. www.rompass.it

kybourbon

Opps here's the link for the tourism page.
http://www.romaturismo.com/v2/romati...utobus2_4.html

quokka

These tourist buses can't actually be called a 'tour'. The buses run along their circuit and stop at the places mentioned, some explanations are given (from a tape, I assume), and it's entirely up to you where you hop on and off. As soon as you leave the bus you'll be on your own. Of course one cannot do everything in one single day.

You can have the same (except the explanations) for a cheaper price if you get a 3 or 7 day pass for the ATAC buses and metro and enjoy the flexibility of a hundred or more different bus routes instead of just one.

Among the four museums listed, all I have visited is Castel Sant'Angelo, and yes that one is worth seeing. You explore the interiors of the castle, see some fine renaissance rooms, and the view from the top is stunning.

Vttraveler

The #110 bus makes a circuit of the major tourist sites in Rome. You would certainly find it hard and tiring to try to see everything on the route in one day. Most people try to see the Forum/Colosseum/Palatine area (combined ticket for these is now sold) in one day and the Vatican area on another, but the bus stops at both.

There are threads that talk about this bus--search for hop on/hop off. Our family did not use it but I think it could be a useful way to get oriented and see some of the areas that are not right in the central are.

We did take the archeobus on our trip to Rome last year. We found it a good way to see the catacombs, Via Appia Antica and the aqueducts leading into Rome. These places are reachable by public transportation, but I am not sure how you would get from one area to the other, and the bus was a convenient way to get to the various sites. We got a discount on the tour of the catacombs with the archeobus tour. There was some commentary on the way but it is definitely not a real guided tour.
I think the buses can get very crowded in the summer but probably not in April. (We took it in early March).

One of your questions is whether you could walk to all of the places on the #110 route. I would say probably but you would probably want to take public transit at least some of the time. The metro circles the edge of the historic area and we found the buses more useful and quite easy to use.

daveesl

In our research on Rome we have taken both the 110 and the Archeobus. I am not a fan of either. I feel the cost is very high in comparison to what you get. In addition, there are cheaper and easier alternatives. Here are my reasons.

110 bus...You can choose either a one-trip or an "all day, hop-on, hop-off" ticket. The ride starts at Termini.

The one-trip is about 15 euros and takes you on a single circuit of the city. It doesn't really take you to many tourist spots, just near them. However, it can give you a good overview of the entire city in about 2 hours.

The all day ticket does cost more, and while it says "hop-on, hop-off", that isn't quite accurate. See, you buy the ticket and leave the bus at some stop. When you return to the stop to catch the next bus, they run about every 20 minutes, you may or may not be allowed on the bus. If it is full, then you must wait, just like a regular bus.

In addition there are only about a dozen stops. There are headphones provided, but in many cases these do not work.

The other option is to use public transportation. I prefer this. I can get a 3 day public pass for about the same price as a 1 trip 110 ticket. Using the 87, the 81 and the 492 buses, I can go to more places than the 110 bus.

As an example, take the metro to the Colosseo stop. From there, catch the 87 bus. These run about every 5-7 minutes and follow most of the same route as the 110. You have more frequent buses, far more stops and more choices for far less money.

Archeobus...Starts in Termini, takes you by some sites and then down the Appian Way. It stops in lots of places, but it is far more expensive than public transportation. Instead, take the metro to the Circo Massimo stop, then catch the 118 bus. It and the Archeo bus follow almost an identical route down the Via Appia, each making one stop different from the other.

I can't tell you the number of times that I have watched people standing in a drizzle for 20 minutes waiting for one of the private tour buses, only to be told the bus is full and they have to wait longer. Remember, the public buses run 3-4 times more frequently as the privates.


Just my own thoughts.

dave

miamidon

We used the 110 bus on the first day in Rome as we were jetlagged anyway and not up for any walking. It is a good way to orient yourself with the major attractions in Rome.
After that, you may want to avail yourself of a Museum pass which includes a transport pass for 3 days. It gets you free entry into certain museums and attractions, one of which is the Colosseum so you get to bypass the ticket line. Don't recall how much it cost, but thought it was good value when I bought it.

LJ

As far as one part of your query is concerned...I am always concerned about answering for othere if something is worth it or not for THEM, but the following (of the 4 you mentioned as options) were worth it for me.

The Castello St Angelo is fascinating, with great historical meaning and some terrifc views.(and, as I have mentioned elsewhere, some of the most glamourous public bathrooms anywhere, ever!!!!)

Very different experience is to be found at the Palazzo Barberini. Do some reading if you can about the family in advance (those famous bees)to truly gound yourself. But the art gallery is quite wonderful: Caravaggio and El Greco among others. And the decor is very revealing of how the upper classes lived.

Only you can decide if this is your thing.

jfcarli

Thanks a lot for the information and the trouble you all went through in posting your views.

Seems like I will pass those buses.

Thanks again.

JoanneH

The Hop on Hop off bus takes about an hour to do the loop of sites. You fly by them. If you choose to get off at a stop then of course the tour will take you more time. I think it is more useful to get an idea of what you want to take the time to see and what are just drive bys. It also is helpful in that you get a good idea of the distance between sites.

The Archeo Bus takes you out through the apian way, round about and I felt was worth the money. They stop at the long section of aqueduct so you have time to check it out. The loop is slightly over an hour if you stay on the bus longer if you stop at the catacombs, villas etc. I got out and walked quite a ways along the apian way then caught the next bus to the aqueduct. I figured it you walked the whole thing it would be over 10 miles so the bus is the only way to go. However you can also just take a city bus either the 660 or the 760 to the tomb of Cecilia Metella which is on the via Appia and go on from there