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Make an informed choice - 6 ho-ho bus lines in Rome compared
At the moment there are no less than six hop-on hop-off tour (ho-ho) sightseeing buses operating daily throughout the year in Rome.
Choosing the best hop-on hop-off bus
All of Rome's ho-ho buses at first study offer a very similar product. In terms of coverage and vehicles used they are very similar.
Especially around places like Termini Station and the Vatican there is a very high chance you will be approached by a tout in the street selling one of Rome's hop-on, hop-off sightseeing tours.
The last thing you want to be is hustled into a hop-on hop-off tour by a tout that loiters around the main pick-up points or purchase the tour from your hotel or agent pushing the tour paying most commission.
This page attempts to explain the basics so the Rome hop-on hop-off tour you choose is an informed choice.
Comparing hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses in Rome
All the operators use very similar double deck open top buses. Each passenger will get a disposable audio device for commentary along the way with a choice of at minimum 6 languages.
The main stops are at Termini Station and the Vatican, in terms of where the routes start and finish and where most staff are located with some companies having offices. Most buses have their first bus departing Termini around 9am with the last bus leaving at around 5 pm or soon after, in the summer months around 7 pm.
On Sundays there are often road closures that may affect routes and availability of stops to all operators. Most operators will operate a slightly different route at the weekends to the route during the week.
Most operators will sell you a ticket of 24, 48 or 72 hours duration from the time you start. Big Bus being the exception whose tickets are calendar days. You can board at any stop showing your ticket either paper or on your mobile.
If hop-on hop-off buses are an attractive way for you to get around the sites in Rome, you may also be interested in combined tickets that bundle hop-on hop-off sightseeing buses with public transport passes.
Choosing the right Hop-on Hop-off bus in Rome
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Big Bus is the most complete operator in terms of what is included in your ticket. Big Bus offers a programme of walking tours daily and used to offer a separate service to the south of the city visiting the Catacombs of San Sebastiano, Via Appia Antica and the Baths of Caracalla. Unfortunatley this is not in operation currently. We offer our own exclusive 10% discount code in addition to a 10% discount for booking on-line.
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Roma Cristiana is operated by an organ of the Vatican - the tour is orientated towards those with a religious interest and is the only operator that goes out to San Giovanni Basilica south of the city centre.
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I Love Rome offers a myriad of cheaper ticket options with restrictions. The cheapest option is for 1 lap of the circuit after 3 pm without getting off the bus (no hop-on hop-off), others include a one calendar day (as opposed to 24-hour) ticket and a 5 hour ticket.
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If you do not need a the hop-on, hop off facility and just want to ride the bus one lap of the tour route you can save money by buying one lap tickets without hop-on or hop-off from I Love Rome and Roma Cristiana.
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If you have a full day to sightsee you can save money by buying a one calendar day ticket rather than a 24-hour ticket available from I Love Rome, Panoramic and Roma Cristiana.
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If you have kids it is worth looking at age bands for child fares, the different operators have significant differences in rules for age bands for children.
Our reference benchmark hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus route
All of Rome's hop-on, hop-off sightseeing operators offer a very similar core bus route, stopping at Rome's must see attractions.
We use the City Sightseeing operator as the reference route. In the text below we highlight if any operator offers anything beyond this core sightseeing bus route..
City Sightseeing reference tour stops
1. Via Marsala (Termini station)
2. Santa Maria Maggiore (Basilica)
3. Colosseo (Colosseum and Ancient Rome)
4. Circo Massimo (Circus Maximus)
5. Piazza Venezia (Capitoline Museums, Pantheon)
6. Vaticano (Vatican City)
7. Fontana di Trevi (Trevi Fountain)*
8. Piazza Barberini (for Spanish Steps, Villa Borghese)*
*At weekends the bus skips the Trevi Fountain stop and stops above the Spanish Steps. Walk to Trevi Fountain from Piazza Barberini or Spanish Steps in around 10-15 minutes.
Big Bus Rome tour bus
Route coverage over benchmark route: Coverage similar to City Sightseeing, with separate weekday and weekend routes around Trevi Fountain area. 10 stops
Free walking tours: A programme of free walking tours will take you on informative walking tours of some of the city's most famous landmarks. These walks are exclusively reserved for Big Bus Tours Rome guests and are included free with your Big Bus Tours ticket.
The Panoramic Night Tour: this tour is included as part of the 3-day ticket.
There used to be a Purple Tour - Catacombs Line which included the following: Separate service included in tickets (except 1 day ticket) city centre. Main stops outside the city being the Catacombs & Church of San Sebastiano, Via Appia Antica and the Baths of Caracalla. Unfortunately this route has been removed from the Big Bus Rome options currently.
Ho-ho ticket options: 1, 2 or 3 days. 10% on-line discount + 10% discount code from this web site
Redeeming your ticket: On boarding first bus. Ticket valid any day 6 months from purchase.
Child ticket age-bands: 5-15 years
First departure: 8:30 am - 9 am (Termini Station) depending on season
Last departure: 5-7 pm depending on season
Frequency: Every 10-20 minutes
Audio languages: English, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin, Arabic and Russian.
Other comments: Free Wi-Fi
BIG BUS HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS ROME
• Choice of 3 different fares • Free walking tours • Free Wi-Fi • Audio commentary in 9 languages • 10% online discount
City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus
Tickets: 24, 48 & 72-hour tickets, plus attraction combos (see below)
Child ticket age-bands: 5-15 years
First departure: 9am (Termini Station)
Last departure: 5pm (Termini Station) 7pm April to October
Frequency: Every 15 minutes
Redeeming your ticket: On boarding first bus. Both printed and electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) accepted. If you travel with a mobile device, simply show your Photo ID and present your e-voucher on your Smartphone or tablet on the day of travel.
Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Japanese
Other comments: Free Wi-Fi
CITY SIGHTSEEING ROME HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS SIGHTSEEING TOUR
• Free Wi-Fi onboard bus • 1-day, 24, 47, or 72-hour tickets • Onboard audio guide in 8 different languages • Mobile free app • Official St. Peter's Basilica audio-guide lasting 1hour and 15 minutes
I Love Rome Panoramic Rome tour bus
The extensive hop-on hop-off Panoramic route comprises nine stops and encompasses must-see attractions all around Rome. The tour is tape-recorded and individual earphones are at your disposal.
Route coverage over benchmark route: Very similar to City Sightseeing, 9 stops
Ho-ho ticket options: As well as the classic 24,48 and 72-hour options there are a myriad of cheaper options. The cheapest option is for 1 lap of the circuit after 3 pm without getting off the bus (no hop-on hop-off), others include a one calendar day (as opposed to 24 hour) ticket and a 5 hour ticket.
Child ticket age-bands: 6-13 years
Frequency/ departures: every 10-15 minutes from 8.30am to 6.40pm April to October, 4.55pm in the winter months.
Redeeming your ticket: On boarding first bus. Both printed and electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) accepted. If you travel with a mobile device, simply show your Photo ID and present your e-voucher on your Smartphone or tablet on the day of travel.
Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic and Dutch.
Other comments: Free Wi-Fi
I LOVE ROME HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS
• Wi-Fi available • Choice of several departures throughout the day • Audio headset in 13 different languages • Map of route
GreenLine Tours Panoramic tour bus
A budget offering, the service covers all the main sightseeing icons of Rome with 9 stops.
Ho-ho ticket options: 24 and 48-hour tickets. As well as the classic 24 and 48-hour options there is a cheaper one calendar day option.
Child ticket age-bands: 6-12 years
First departure: 9am (Termini Station)
Last departure: 6.30pm (Termini Station)
Frequency: Every 10-20 minutes
Redeeming your ticket: On boarding first bus. Both printed and electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) accepted. If you travel with a mobile device, simply show your Photo ID and present your e-voucher on your Smartphone or tablet on the day of travel.
Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese and Japanese
GREENLINE PANORAMIC HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS, ROME
• Wi-Fi available • 24- or 48-hr ticket options • Recorded commentary • Affordable choice • Ideal for families
IoBus
The last service to open in 2022, IoBus covers 9 stops, like GreenLine. Stops include all the major stops you'd expect to get on and off at in Rome,such as the Colosseum, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia, the Imperial Forum, and Renaissance Rome.
Ho-ho ticket options: one day, 24, 48 and 72-hour tickets. Family 5-day ticket.
Child ticket age-bands: up to five children travel free. 6-15 years, children pay 50% ticket fares.
First departure: 9am (Termini Station)
Last departure: 6pm (Termini Station)
Frequency: Every 20-30 minutes
Redeeming your ticket: On boarding first bus. Both printed and electronic vouchers (e-vouchers) accepted. If you travel with a mobile device, simply show your Photo ID and present your e-voucher on your Smartphone or tablet on the day of travel.
Audio languages: Italian, English, French, Spanish, Russian.
IOBUS SIGHTSEEING BUS
• Choose from 1-day, 24 or 48-hr sightseeing bus ticket • Free Wi-Fi on board every bus • Onboard Audio Guide and Earphones • Children's Commentary via app • App and Walking Routes via app
Roma Cristiana tour bus
The Roma Cristiana Tour is the most “different” of the main operators. Roma Cristiana is part of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (ORP), a branch of the Vicariate of Rome, an organ of the Holy See, directly overseen by the Cardinal Vicar to the Pope.
Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi offer a range of specialist tours for pilgrims and reflecting their ownership focus on the needs of the pilgrim.
Roma Cristiana Bus - full details
Route coverage over benchmark route: Roma Cristiana has 14 stops. Operated by an organ of the Vatican the tour is orientated towards those with a religious interest and is the only operator that goes out to San Giovanni Basilica.
Ho-ho ticket options: 24, 48, 72 hour, 1 day and one circuit tickets
Child ticket age-bands: Under 10 free, no child ticket.
First departure: 9am (Termini Station)
Last departure: 6pm (Termini Station)
Frequency: Every 10-15 minutes
Redeeming your ticket: You need to take the voucher with you and exchange for tickets on boarding the bus.
Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Russian
Other comments: Free Wi-Fi
ROMA CHRISTIANA HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUS, ROME
• Choice of 1-day, 24, 48 or 72-hr tickets • Children under 10 free of charge • Audio guide included • Free Wi-Fi
MOST POPULAR ROME TOURS 2024
