Opinions of Hop On, Hop Off bus in Rome
Dec 6, 2016, 8:32 am
#1
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Opinions of Hop On, Hop Off bus in Rome
I've been considering the Hop On, Hop Off bus in Rome.
I did it in Sydney and Melbourne and found that it help me get oriented and helped me decide which places I wanted to return to.
What are your thoughts about the bus in Rome? Do you think it will be helpful or just a waste of time?
I did it in Sydney and Melbourne and found that it help me get oriented and helped me decide which places I wanted to return to.
What are your thoughts about the bus in Rome? Do you think it will be helpful or just a waste of time?
Dec 6, 2016, 8:52 am
#2
Join Date: Jun 2007
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We opted against using it when we visited Rome. The primary reasons we walked:
- we like to walk and (honestly) were in steps competition with friends/coworkers
- there is SO much to see, we wanted to be able to take it in and discover at our leisure rather than whizzing past to the main sites. We also didn't mind getting turned around and lost (most of the time). And frankly, Rome is not THAT big, so difficult to get hopelessly lost
- Of the things we wanted to see, nothing was really that spread out. If we had wanted to see sites farther afield, or go from one side of Rome to the other in a single day, then that might have made sense. Could also make sense if you're staying away from the center (farther to the east, or west of Vatican or something). We were right by the Pantheon, so very centrally located.
- There are some extras which come along with the buses, but not what we were looking for. We went as independent as possible, deciding not to do guided tours, purchasing audio tours, etc. This is definitely not for everyone.
- If you have any physical limitations or just don't want to walk 10+ miles per day, go for the bus.
- we like to walk and (honestly) were in steps competition with friends/coworkers
- there is SO much to see, we wanted to be able to take it in and discover at our leisure rather than whizzing past to the main sites. We also didn't mind getting turned around and lost (most of the time). And frankly, Rome is not THAT big, so difficult to get hopelessly lost
- Of the things we wanted to see, nothing was really that spread out. If we had wanted to see sites farther afield, or go from one side of Rome to the other in a single day, then that might have made sense. Could also make sense if you're staying away from the center (farther to the east, or west of Vatican or something). We were right by the Pantheon, so very centrally located.
- There are some extras which come along with the buses, but not what we were looking for. We went as independent as possible, deciding not to do guided tours, purchasing audio tours, etc. This is definitely not for everyone.
- If you have any physical limitations or just don't want to walk 10+ miles per day, go for the bus.
Dec 6, 2016, 9:01 am
#3
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There are 6 different Hop On Hop Off companies in Rome. They all basically run the same routes.
We basically used it for one loop just to get an idea of Rome and then the rest of the day just used it for transportation. But we spent a lot of time waiting for the bus from the company we chose at the stops.
Most of the stops weren't right at the things we wanted to see (other than the Colosseum). They were near to the stops but you couldn't see things like the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps from the bus itself.
We basically used it for one loop just to get an idea of Rome and then the rest of the day just used it for transportation. But we spent a lot of time waiting for the bus from the company we chose at the stops.
Most of the stops weren't right at the things we wanted to see (other than the Colosseum). They were near to the stops but you couldn't see things like the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps from the bus itself.
Dec 6, 2016, 9:41 am
#4
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Dec 6, 2016, 10:31 am
#5
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Perche, I saw that post about banning tour buses. I value your opinion - do you think I should not do the bus because of the bad that they cause?
Dec 6, 2016, 11:05 am
#6
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No, it's like spitting in the ocean. You're not personally going to make a difference. The bus will go anyway. I wouldn't change my plans. I think you should just be aware that they are cracking down on buses, and that those buses my not be running when you go.
It is like all of the cities around the world that are starting to rein in AirBnb, and now Uber. The buzz is that Rome is going to start making policy decisions to make it increasingly harder to drive in the city center, starting with buses, and then moving on to cars. The main concerns are pollution and congestion. I wouldn't be surprised if Rome doesn't crack down on Uber even harder than it already has. They don't want another 1,000 cars roaming around the historic city center to drive people around. They want cars out.
Last week I read an article that said NYC's last two mayors both made policy decisions with the specific intent of making it more difficult to drive in Manhattan, so that people would seek alternatives to cars. Last month I read a collection of essays by Joan Didion, and one essay was about why it is so congested and difficult to drive in LA. She did her usual in-depth research, and wrote that they made conscious and deliberate policy decisions to make traffic worse in LA in the hope that people would become less dependent on cars.
The Didion essay was probably written 30 years ago. The article about Bloomberg and Diblasio deliberately making driving in Manhattan more difficult was written last week.
The trend in Rome is that they are going to start reeling in transportation. I would buy the bus tickets if that's the way you like to do it. I posted that information so that people would know that it might not be wise to buy the tickets way in advance because the rules are changing, and they should have some just-in-case alternatives in mind, not to make a statement about values.
It is like all of the cities around the world that are starting to rein in AirBnb, and now Uber. The buzz is that Rome is going to start making policy decisions to make it increasingly harder to drive in the city center, starting with buses, and then moving on to cars. The main concerns are pollution and congestion. I wouldn't be surprised if Rome doesn't crack down on Uber even harder than it already has. They don't want another 1,000 cars roaming around the historic city center to drive people around. They want cars out.
Last week I read an article that said NYC's last two mayors both made policy decisions with the specific intent of making it more difficult to drive in Manhattan, so that people would seek alternatives to cars. Last month I read a collection of essays by Joan Didion, and one essay was about why it is so congested and difficult to drive in LA. She did her usual in-depth research, and wrote that they made conscious and deliberate policy decisions to make traffic worse in LA in the hope that people would become less dependent on cars.
The Didion essay was probably written 30 years ago. The article about Bloomberg and Diblasio deliberately making driving in Manhattan more difficult was written last week.
The trend in Rome is that they are going to start reeling in transportation. I would buy the bus tickets if that's the way you like to do it. I posted that information so that people would know that it might not be wise to buy the tickets way in advance because the rules are changing, and they should have some just-in-case alternatives in mind, not to make a statement about values.
Last edited by Perche; Dec 6, 2016 at 12:35 pm
Dec 8, 2016, 5:00 pm
#7
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"The trend is that they are going to start reeling in transportation."
Today the news is that much of Italy, from Torino in the north to Naples in the south, is under an air pollution emergency. It is most extreme in the north, especially places like Torino, Milan, and even Venice, where they don't even have cars, and the problem is cruise ships.
It is illegal for a city to go over a certain amount of air pollution, as measured by the number of particles in the air. They are only allowed to exceed that amount for a certain number of days per year. These cities and more are above the legal limit.
When that happens, the government is supposed to ban cars and trucks for a certain number of hours per day. Older models and diesel are not allowed on the roads at all. The government was going to impose an emergency ban in Milan tomorrow, but decided to wait until Monday because all pubic transportation is having some sort of demonstration against the government tomorrow anyway.
So, given the crisis in air pollution throughout much of Italy, I wouldn't be surprised to see tourists busses getting the boot.
Today the news is that much of Italy, from Torino in the north to Naples in the south, is under an air pollution emergency. It is most extreme in the north, especially places like Torino, Milan, and even Venice, where they don't even have cars, and the problem is cruise ships.
It is illegal for a city to go over a certain amount of air pollution, as measured by the number of particles in the air. They are only allowed to exceed that amount for a certain number of days per year. These cities and more are above the legal limit.
When that happens, the government is supposed to ban cars and trucks for a certain number of hours per day. Older models and diesel are not allowed on the roads at all. The government was going to impose an emergency ban in Milan tomorrow, but decided to wait until Monday because all pubic transportation is having some sort of demonstration against the government tomorrow anyway.
So, given the crisis in air pollution throughout much of Italy, I wouldn't be surprised to see tourists busses getting the boot.
Last edited by Perche; Dec 8, 2016 at 5:25 pm
Dec 8, 2016, 7:19 pm
#8
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Just got back from Rome on Monday. Spent a week with Mrs. pa3lsvt. Stayed at Hotel Indigo (St. George) and walked everywhere. I agree with the poster above - if you are capable of walking up to 10 miles per day, just walk everywhere. We saw everything we wanted to see since the majority of attractions are within a relatively small radius.
With Google Maps (download the local area in advance so you aren't constantly using data) and a willingness to make about 20 wrong turns per day (wrong turns = discovering the unexpected!), Rome is a very walkable tourist experience.
With Google Maps (download the local area in advance so you aren't constantly using data) and a willingness to make about 20 wrong turns per day (wrong turns = discovering the unexpected!), Rome is a very walkable tourist experience.
Dec 9, 2016, 9:18 am
#9
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I realize that Rome is very walkable. My thought was to use the bus to get oriented, then walk to every place. I'm there for 10 days so spending my first day (jet lagged and tired) on the bus is appealing to me. Thoughts?
Dec 9, 2016, 9:22 am
#10
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I'd actually recommend you just walk around the first day. Exercise can help with jet lag. We did a Vatican tour the day we arrived in Rome. I almost fell asleep on the bus there, but once we were walking around the Vatican I perked up - and didn't have any issues with jet lag the rest of the time. I think being relatively sedentary (i.e. just sitting on the bus) just makes it easier to give into the jet lag.
Dec 9, 2016, 9:34 am
#11
Join Date: Nov 2012
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You will spend more time sitting stuck in traffic on a tour bus then you will seeing the sites. I 2nd wrp96's recommendation to walk around on your 1st day. Take a stroll and explore the area around your hotel. Stop for a coffee, stop for some gelato.