Hop on Hop off recommendation for Rome ?

[brockmom]

Appears that there are several that we could pre book for . Can anyone recall which buses are more frequent than others.

I want to make sure I purchase the preferred one.

I see one …Big red bus and there is another that sounds good but is not that company?

if anyone can share a recent experience I would appreciate it !

thanks

[CruiserBruce]

Hop on hop offs are NOT recommended in Rome. Their access to many sites are limited by narrow streets and protecting the sites. Many sites are in relatively close distances, so if mobility is not an issue, walking is better.

 

We have used Hop on Hop off in many cities in the world, but absolutely can't recommend them in Rome.

[slidergirl]

The only time I do a HoHo is when I'm not feeling well and just want to get out and around in the fresh air and I'm not worried about what I see/don't see.   I don't think one is better than the other in Rome - they follow each one it seemed.  The issue is finding an open bus when you go to get back on - sometimes you must wait for several to go past.  I remember long lines of people waiting at the Vatican City stop - more than could even fit on one bus.   And, as Bruce said, they don't actually get close to many of the sights that a tourist would consider a "must see".  

[brockmom]

Thank you both for your comments.

We have been to Rome before and took in all the tourist sites .We were really just wanting to just drive and refresh our memory and enjoy the views . A few of our favourites we will certain get off and visit but for the most part, it was the little tour we wanted.

I thought Rome had two loops, my memory told me that but it appears it’s only one now . We picked our hotel near our favourites as well so can be close to seeing them again without that worry.

appreciate your thoughts though

Brockmom

[Gracelyn]

Can I add a question to this. If your to purchase a HOHO  how close woul drop off be to the colloseum, Travis fountain and Pantheon? I have mobility issues and like the OP which pass do I get?

[brockmom]

On 9/22/2023 at 3:13 PM, Gracelyn said:

Can I add a question to this. If your to purchase a HOHO  how close woul drop off be to the colloseum, Travis fountain and Pantheon? I have mobility issues and like the OP which pass do I get?

I will report back after we use it.

We have booked the Big Red Bus.

Cheers

[Gracelyn]

6 hours ago, brockmom said:

I will report back after we use it.

We have booked the Big Red Bus.

Cheers

Thank you!

 

[ISABELLA]

On 9/21/2023 at 11:18 AM, brockmom said:

Appears that there are several that we could pre book for . Can anyone recall which buses are more frequent than others.

I want to make sure I purchase the preferred one.

I see one …Big red bus and there is another that sounds good but is not that company?

if anyone can share a recent experience I would appreciate it !

thanks

If you are staying in Rome, I will recommend to stay somewhere centered and you can walk to most all attractions. We stayed in very small hotel near Piazza Navona. We walked everywhere. 

[NoWhiners]

On 9/27/2023 at 5:01 PM, ISABELLA said:

If you are staying in Rome, I will recommend to stay somewhere centered and you can walk to most all attractions. We stayed in very small hotel near Piazza Navona. We walked everywhere. 

 

I'm not the OP but I was hoping you could say more about this? We are staying at Hotel Navona, right down the street from Piazza Navona. I have been staring at maps, wondering if we could walk to the Vatican and how long that might take? Same question for the Colosseum. They look sort of close on maps but maybe not?

 

Thanks for any help.

[CruiserBruce]

Yes, you can walk that, pending any mobility issues. It will be mostly flat. Google Maps will give you an exact distance, but its not far.

[NoWhiners]

1 hour ago, CruiserBruce said:

Yes, you can walk that, pending any mobility issues. It will be mostly flat. Google Maps will give you an exact distance, but its not far.

 

Great, thanks. We don't have any mobility issues and if it's flat, all the better. They both seemed sort of far away on Google maps, but I probably wasn't using the most direct route.

 

Thanks again.

[NoWhiners]

4 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

Yes, you can walk that, pending any mobility issues. It will be mostly flat. Google Maps will give you an exact distance, but its not far.

 

I just thought of this--any restaurants you can recommend on the way back from either of those places? Nothing overly exclusive, but representative of real Italian cooking?

 

Just a stretch goal, if you see (or anyone else) see this 🙂

 

Thanks.

[John Bull]

On 9/22/2023 at 8:13 PM, Gracelyn said:

Can I add a question to this. If your to purchase a HOHO  how close woul drop off be to the colloseum, Travis fountain and Pantheon? I have mobility issues and like the OP which pass do I get?

 

There's a ho-ho stop at the Colosseum

But ho-hos don't go close to the Trevi Fountain or the Pantheon for the reason mentioned by @CruiserBruce

 

JB 🙂

Edited October 3, 2023 by John Bull

[marazul]

13 hours ago, NoWhiners said:

 

I'm not the OP but I was hoping you could say more about this? We are staying at Hotel Navona, right down the street from Piazza Navona. I have been staring at maps, wondering if we could walk to the Vatican and how long that might take? Same question for the Colosseum. They look sort of close on maps but maybe not?

 

Thanks for any help.

You can walk. The route to the Colosseum is mostly on twisty narrow streets with LOTS of traffic.  If you change your mind, a taxi is 10-12 euros.

Edited October 3, 2023 by marazul

[ISABELLA]

On 10/2/2023 at 6:52 PM, NoWhiners said:

 

I'm not the OP but I was hoping you could say more about this? We are staying at Hotel Navona, right down the street from Piazza Navona. I have been staring at maps, wondering if we could walk to the Vatican and how long that might take? Same question for the Colosseum. They look sort of close on maps but maybe not?

 

Thanks for any help.

Here is info about hotel in Rome

Residenza Zanardelli is situated in the heart of the historic city centre near Piazza Navona. All sites of tourist interest in Rome and the institutional buildings are within easy walking reach.
 

 

Residenza Zanardelli, situated in the heart of the historic centre, offers you a wonderful stay amidst the wonders of Rome. The most famous tourist attractions of the Capital being only minutes from this boutique hotel.
Only 350m from the hotel is the most famous of all the Baroque squares of Rome, Piazza Navona, which features the works of fine artists such as Bernini (the 4-river fountain), Borromini and Rainaldi (the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone) and Pietro da Cortona (the frescoes of Palazzo Pamphilj). In the ancient Roman era, it was the Stadium of Emperor Domitian, which he had built to host the Greek athletic games of which he was particularly fond.

From the other side of the Tevere, it is also possible, in only minutes, to reach Castel Sant’Angelo. This outstanding example of the historic and artistic heritage of the city, has changed its purpose several times. It originated as a funeral monument (Adrian’s Mausoleum) commissioned by the same emperor, to then become an impregnable stronghold as from the time of the Gothic-Byzantine war. Then in the Middle Ages, when Giovanni Gaetano Orsini was elected Pope under the name of Nicholas III the famous Passetto del Borgo was built, that physically and ideally connected the castle to the Vatican. It was under Pope Urban V that the destiny of the castle was intrinsically linked with the papacy, that adapted it to act as a residence in which to shelter in times of danger. Thanks to its solid and fortified structure the Castle houses the Vatican Archives and Treasury, although it was also adapted to act as a court and a prison.
Due to these numerous changes in function, the appearance and plan of the castle, was subject to ongoing conversion work, throughout the course of four centuries.

Near Castel Sant’Angelo, and only 1300 metres from Residenza Zanardelli, we find the Vatican City, papal seat of “Pope Francis”. Here it is possible to visit the Basilica of Saint Peter with the Dome and the Papal tombs , the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel .

The important historic buildings such as Palazzo di Giustizia (Palazzaccio), Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Montecitorio, which today house important government headquarters, are only minutes from Residenza Zanardelli therefore making this boutique hotel the perfect location for those coming to Rome on business.

The world famous shopping streets such as Via Condotti, where it is possible to find the leading Italian-designer names, and not only Italian names, and Via del Corso are within easy strolling distance, along the Tevere or along the quaint cobbled streets of the historic city districts.

• 
  
• Palazzo Madama 290m - 3 minutes walk
• Piazza Navona 350m - 4 minutes walk
• Palazzo di Giustizia 400m - 5 minutes walk
• Pantheon 550m - 6 minutes walk
• Palazzo Montecitorio 700m - 9 minutes walk
• Castel Sant’Angelo 700m - 9 minutes walk
• Campo dei Fiori 700m - 9 minutes walk
• Via Del Corso 850m - 11 minutes walk
• Ara Pacis 850m - 11 minutes walk
• Via Condotti 900m - 11 minutes walk
• Trevi Fountain 1100m - 13 minutes walk
• Vatican city 1300m - 16 minutes walk
• Trastevere 1300m - 16 minutes walk
• Piazza del Popolo 1300m - 16 minutes walk
• Piazza Venezia 1400m - 17 minutes walk
• Piazza di Spagna 1700m - 23 minutes walk
• Vatican museums 2000m - 26 minutes walk
• Circus Maximus 2200m - 28 minutes walk
• Colosseum 2400m - 30 minutes walk

[marazul]

1 hour ago, ISABELLA said:

Here is info about hotel in Rome

Residenza Zanardelli is situated in the heart of the historic city centre near Piazza Navona. All sites of tourist interest in Rome and the institutional buildings are within easy walking reach.
 

 

Residenza Zanardelli, situated in the heart of the historic centre, offers you a wonderful stay amidst the wonders of Rome. The most famous tourist attractions of the Capital being only minutes from this boutique hotel.
Only 350m from the hotel is the most famous of all the Baroque squares of Rome, Piazza Navona, which features the works of fine artists such as Bernini (the 4-river fountain), Borromini and Rainaldi (the Church of Sant’Agnese in Agone) and Pietro da Cortona (the frescoes of Palazzo Pamphilj). In the ancient Roman era, it was the Stadium of Emperor Domitian, which he had built to host the Greek athletic games of which he was particularly fond.

From the other side of the Tevere, it is also possible, in only minutes, to reach Castel Sant’Angelo. This outstanding example of the historic and artistic heritage of the city, has changed its purpose several times. It originated as a funeral monument (Adrian’s Mausoleum) commissioned by the same emperor, to then become an impregnable stronghold as from the time of the Gothic-Byzantine war. Then in the Middle Ages, when Giovanni Gaetano Orsini was elected Pope under the name of Nicholas III the famous Passetto del Borgo was built, that physically and ideally connected the castle to the Vatican. It was under Pope Urban V that the destiny of the castle was intrinsically linked with the papacy, that adapted it to act as a residence in which to shelter in times of danger. Thanks to its solid and fortified structure the Castle houses the Vatican Archives and Treasury, although it was also adapted to act as a court and a prison.
Due to these numerous changes in function, the appearance and plan of the castle, was subject to ongoing conversion work, throughout the course of four centuries.

Near Castel Sant’Angelo, and only 1300 metres from Residenza Zanardelli, we find the Vatican City, papal seat of “Pope Francis”. Here it is possible to visit the Basilica of Saint Peter with the Dome and the Papal tombs , the Vatican museums and the Sistine Chapel .

The important historic buildings such as Palazzo di Giustizia (Palazzaccio), Palazzo Madama and Palazzo Montecitorio, which today house important government headquarters, are only minutes from Residenza Zanardelli therefore making this boutique hotel the perfect location for those coming to Rome on business.

The world famous shopping streets such as Via Condotti, where it is possible to find the leading Italian-designer names, and not only Italian names, and Via del Corso are within easy strolling distance, along the Tevere or along the quaint cobbled streets of the historic city districts.

•  
• Palazzo Madama 290m - 3 minutes walk
• Piazza Navona 350m - 4 minutes walk
• Palazzo di Giustizia 400m - 5 minutes walk
• Pantheon 550m - 6 minutes walk
• Palazzo Montecitorio 700m - 9 minutes walk
• Castel Sant’Angelo 700m - 9 minutes walk
• Campo dei Fiori 700m - 9 minutes walk
• Via Del Corso 850m - 11 minutes walk
• Ara Pacis 850m - 11 minutes walk
• Via Condotti 900m - 11 minutes walk
• Trevi Fountain 1100m - 13 minutes walk
• Vatican city 1300m - 16 minutes walk
• Trastevere 1300m - 16 minutes walk
• Piazza del Popolo 1300m - 16 minutes walk
• Piazza Venezia 1400m - 17 minutes walk
• Piazza di Spagna 1700m - 23 minutes walk
• Vatican museums 2000m - 26 minutes walk
• Circus Maximus 2200m - 28 minutes walk
• Colosseum 2400m - 30 minutes walk

1mile = 1609 meters

[Damo74]

We did it once and never again, It was the height of summer and the heat and traffic were horrendous. You'd be quicker walking at a lot of places and you can seek shade and escape the heat and the fumes from the traffic