Help...I'm trying to figure out how to get around by bus in Rome. I've been out to the atac website and can use it to map routes between places. My problem is...How do I find out an approximate time from point A to point B? All I can see is the times it leaves the starting point. I know that the times are heavily dependant on traffic but...I still want to know if it takes 10 or 30 minutes in optimal conditions. We have Borghese Gallery reservations for 9:00 am and I want to know how long it will take to get there (we are staying in campo di fiori). I have a similar problem knowing when to leave to get to the colosseum for an underground tour and to the vatican for reserved tickets. Thanks for any help.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
I know, right? We had the exact same problem when we were there last month. It seems as if it would be simple to include on their website.
Posted by
The Hague, NL (AMS)
2207 posts
Yes, the bus arrival times (by stop) in Rome are not "published" - perhaps by design! All you can get from the the ATAC site, as you've mentioned, is the starting time of the bus route. You could also see the "minutes" between each departure to give you an idea of how long in between buses or number of buses per hour... but unfortunately, not specific bus stop arrival times unless you're online through the "ATAC mobile" system on your smartphone. To get to the Borghese from the Campo Area, ride the 116 bus. See a step-by-step guide here! I'd give myself at least 20+ minutes. To get to the Colosseo, walk down to Largo Argentina and catch the 87 or 571 bus directly to the Colosseo. Perhpas 10-15 minutes at most. If you're going to the Vatican Museums, ride the 492 (15-20 minutes) and if you're going to St. Peter's, try the 64 or 62 buses... perhaps 10-15 minutes.
Posted by
Huntington Beach CA
1116 posts
Also, try to sit or stand by a window where you could see the bus stops because the bus doesn't always stop at each stop. We learned this lesson on the way to Borghese from Termini. We knew we had to get off at the 6th stop, unfortunately the bus didn't stop at one stop and wouldn't you know it, we got off at the 7th stop instead of the 6th. Luckily, we figured it out, got out at the 7th stop and backtracked our way to the Borghese. I notice the busses we got on didn't have the route maps on them so it was pretty tough to figure out where you were. My suggestion is to know the name of the bus stop before yours so that when you see it go by if the bus doesn't stop there, you know the next stop will be yours! Other than that, the bus system is really easy to use.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
Brilliant suggestion to stand on the passenger side of the bus so you can see the bus stops as they go by. Some of the buses have display monitors inside that tell you what stop is coming up, but a lot of them do not.
Posted by
OP
Spokane Valley, WA, USA
34 posts
Thanks everyone for the help. I appreciate knowing I wasn't just missing something, but it sure makes it hard to figure out what time to leave. Thanks for the suggestions on making the ride easier. I've traveled public transportation in many cities and don't usually have problems, but I have to admit I'm a little apprehensive about the stops and time. All your suggestions have been very helpful. Thanks for the approximate times.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
And be sure to have a ticket or a valid pass on you. Our bus was stopped right before Termini and was boarded by four agents checking for tickets. They ended up busting a nun (seriously). It's a 50 euro fine payable on the spot. The reason you won't see people validating their tickets is that most Romans have weekly or monthly passes that don't need validating. Excellent info at Ron in Rome, in case you haven't checked it out already: http://www.roninrome.com/%20transportation/bus