We will get the ROMA PASS, which is good for 3 days public transportation (as well as some of the sights). I had THOUGHT of doing the Hop On Hop Off bus. Easy sightseeing, good orientation. I noticed the HO HO bus ticket is good for 48 hours. But then it is probably an overlap of the Roma Pass. Yes?

So, my question would be -- is there a specific bus route that 'mimics' the HO HO bus route? While it wouldn't obviously have an audio guide, it would be in the interest of sightseeing (rather than just transportation).

Also -- if you buy the Roma Pass online, do they ship the packet to you? Or can I buy it on arrival at the airport? Otherwise, we have rented an apt and I might ask the agency to purchase it for us to have upon arrival.

Thanks for any help

See below!

The HOHO buses in Rome are generally pretty weak. If you don't need the commentary, I'd not spend you money on them. They're quite limited in where they can stop due to new "traffic rules" implemented last October. For more info you might read: Hop On/Hop Off Buses in Rome,

The HOHO bus is a separate ticket than the ATAC bus pass that comes with the Roma Pass, So you cannot use your Roma Pass on the HOHO's. Thus, if you bought these two passes in the same time period, then yes, you would be overlapping.

You really do not want to pre-order the Roma Pass. They DO NOT send you a packet but rather a code with which you can pick up your "packet" at various designated locations, including Tourist Information Booths. The problem with this is your hotel or B&B may not be near any off these pick-up points and thus it becomes quite inconvenient. At the FCO airport, if you come in early, the P.I.T. (Tourist Info Booth) may not be open yet (It opens about 09:30). You can find the Roma Pass at many Tabacchi shops, newsstands, sites, museums, or tourist info centers. Some hotels even stock them... so better to wait and maintain your flexibility.

There are many buses you can ride that will show you the downtown area. The smaller electric buses are great - like Bus #116, or either #117 route: Bus 117 to Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano or Bus 117 to Piazza del Popolo.

The 492 bus will run you from the Vatican and up the Via del Corso to Piazza Barberini. The 81 bus runs from the Vatican to past the Colosseo. The 115 bus will take you up on Janiculum Hill for a great view. For more info on buses and bus routes, you might read this article: Riding buses in Rome - Good Luck!

We did not purchase the Roma pass until we arrived either. The best place to buy one happened to be at the Tabaccchi store in the Metro station across the road from the Colloseo. IIRC it's cash only, however. A word about the buses, everytime we rode/saw them they were packed! Fine for getting around but may not be the easiest to see sights from when they're jammed together like sardines in a can.

We arrive at a good time (mid-afternoon). Where in the airport do we find the P.I.T.? Otherwise, I might ask the apt rental agency to buy the Roma Passes for us and I can pay them for it maybe.

Thanks so much for the detailed bus info ^ I will add it to my travel notes

Are they any less crowded in off season (November)? I don't know if we will use them much, but 1. they'll be included in the Roma Pass and 2. Our Moms are older so we will want to save them some walking if we can.

Appreciate the help

We were in Rome the first week of November last year and yes the buses were crowded. I would recommend the Rick Steves guide book, a lot of good info was put to use from that book.

You'll see info on the P.I.T. at the FCO airport in this post, Terminal 3 Arrivals at Fiumicino Airport.

The buses are corwded during peak periods and on the more popular routes, like the 64 or the 40. (Or Anything headed to Roma Termini!). After a while, we just adapted to the crowds and bus riding was our primary mode of transport when we were not on our motorino.

RinR,

I used your excellent site for my last trip and took many buses as I was based up on Monte Mario. (Before reading your site I had been too intimidated to take the bus - but thanks to you I feel like an old hand now).

I have a question which I don't see mentioned on your blog - is there any difference between the buses, trams and electric buses regarding travel time? Or more to the point, are they all vulnerable to getting stuck in gridlock or do the trams and/or electric buses have their own dedicated lanes? (For instance the '8' tram has its own lane, right?)

I realize how ignorant my questions sound - pls forgive me, I'm a public transportation-challenged Angeleno! Thanks again RinR for posting here and for your excellent site.

Ciao sk3,

Actually a great question! The trams are probably as oblivious to traffic and may get you there a tad quicker than a bus on the same route - because as you say, they have "dedicated lines!" Of course, the metro is the FASTEST alternative if it is going your way. I ride metro, tram, then bus (in that order) if I'm in a hurry. The electric buses are great but they often wind into smaller, narrow streets filled with pedestrians. I've seen both the 117 and the 116 stopped because of the foot traffic in front of them. They just get no respect!

In some parts of town there are dedicated bus lanes - You'll see that Via Tritone and Via Nazionale have bus only traffic in one direction. So does the Colosseo if you're coming from the San Giovani direction! Unfortunately many visitors driving in Rome find this out the hard way when they get ticketed for driving in the bus-only areas, or the bus lanes. In other more residential parts of town, there are segregated bus lanes... often marked by dividers in the road. I've been guilty of "borrowing" them when I'm on my motorino.

I did have a situation occur that exposes one of the weaknesses of the trams. I was on the #8 in Trastevere headed into town and we just stopped. It appears that someone in the tram in front of us had suffered a heart attack. So three trams were stopped, one behind another, as they tended to this individual. The driver opened the doors and ordered everyone off... and we started walking. The trams were shut down for about 30 minutes. So if a tram breaks down, has an accident, or an incident... well, the others can''t go around the issue and the line just shuts down... Same thing happened to me on the metro in Rome once also!

For newcomers to Rome, you might read these links on Riding the Buses and The Rome Metro. Good Luck!

Thanks RinR! (And thanks for writing in a way that makes me feel less of a dimbulb ) And your ordering of the Metro, Tram, Bus in terms of efficiency/speed is very helpful, as are the other traffic details of your post, grazie di nuovo!

I'm planning out some routes and the #8 will be very useful, so it's great to know that, barring accidents or pax with pulmonary issues(!), that the #8 would be relatively quick.

I actually have one more specific bus route question if anyone happens to know - regarding the #119 electric bus. On ATAC's Electric Bus Map it seems to show that b4 or during a holiday that it operates a different route and avoids the northern most parts of the Corso. Do I have this correctly? That on non-holidays the Corso is open in its entirety?

What's confounding me further is that ATAC doesn't show the time schedule like it does for other routes:

If I'm understanding this correctly here's the #119 non-holiday route: Corso/Popolo Circolare

And here's its route from 15:00 to 20:00 the day before a holiday and 09:00 to 19:00 on a holiday: Florida Circolare

Is there a way to find out what the time schedule is since ATAC doesn't show it (at least at this present time) - or does anyone happen to know by chance how often the regular #119 runs (Corso/Popolo Circolare)?

The 119 acts the same as the 117, as they start in the same place, Piazza del Popolo.

On Saturdays, or the days before a holiday (called prefestivi), the 117 bus does not operate from Piazza di Popolo because of the closure of traffic on Via del Corso between 15:00 and 20:00

These two posts on the 117 might describe this in more detail:
Bus 117 to Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano and Bus 117 to Piazza del Popolo

WOW! These entries are amazing and I hadn't seen them. Thanks for pointing them out. I'm running out of superlatives for you - but your site is stupendous!

Quick question - there's a new (to me) icon on ATAC's site that I'm clueless about. It's the small blue box with with something white and red in it. You can see it in your second link, next to the first 3 bus stops shown. And if you've explained this in the text of your posts I apologize. I just did a quick scan of them, thought BRAVO RinR and came here to post. (I've bookmarked your entries to study at length later, thanks again!).

I think you're referring to the symbol for a hospital... have not looked back at the site, but if it comes after the bus stop name, that's probably what it is - a light blue background with a white bed in the foreground and a red cross in the top right corner of the icon. R.

Aha! Thanks for solving the mystery. ^

Taxi question -- For a minivan/taxi in Rome to fit 5 adults and luggage, I would have to call and schedule it. Correct?

We would only need a 10 minute ride (from point a to b in central Rome).

Anyone have an idea of the ballpark cost of either two taxis or one minivan