It is our first time in Rome. We will stay in rome for 3 nights. November 13-16. I was thinking to get a hop on hop off bus tour on first day, What do you think? Is it a good idea? If yes where is the best place to buy it? Any coupon code available?
Our kids are 11 and 13. I like to know what are the must see in Rome? Which ones have entrance ticket? Is it cheaper to but them in advance?
Please advise.
Thank you
The hop on hop off bus is an OK idea. By first day do you mean the day you arrive in Europe from the US/Canada? If so, I don't love them on that day because sitting on a bus under jet lag puts me to sleep. Ideally you would be up and walking a lot to keep alert. However, the busses can be an ok way to get an overview of the city. I haven't done the one in Rome so can't help with specifics.
Must sees are up to you. I'd say Colosseum/Forum, Pantheon, and the Vatican (museum and St. Peters). Colosseum has book ahead tickets which will save you time in line and the tickets also get you into the Forum. The Pantheon doesn't have an entry fee (or at least did not as of last summer). The Vatican museum is extremely crowded and booking a ticket or tour is pretty much essential. St. Peters is free. There are plenty of other great things to see, depending on your interests.
Those are the top SIGHTS. Other must-dos are just spending time walking around - a loop from Campo di Fiori, Piazza Navona, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain is lovely, especially in the evening. Get gelato or pizza. Enjoy the fountains. Let the kids run around the square.
I don't like the HO/HO buses in Rome. There are tons of pedestrian zones that the buses cannot enter so you won't get close to sites such as the pantheon, Piazza Navona, trevi fountain or spanish steps, to name a few.
As for "must sees", that's really up to you and your family. I suggest having the kids read through a good guide book and making a list of what they want to see and do. This is really the only way to be sure you're not wasting your time on something that may not be of interest to you.
If you are going next week you may not be able to get entry tickets online for the more popular sites. Let us know what you wish to see and we can help you with booking.
Donna
I would buy the Rick Steves Rome Book ASAP, it will give you everthing you need to explore Rome, where to eat, how to travel, and how to avoid long lines, etc. I am not a fan of the Hop on Hop off buses but many people like them, I tend to decide where I want to go for the day and map out a plan the evening before. I try not to be to rigid and allow for changes if something interesting presents itself, I hope you have a great trip, the "best" gelato stand is across from the Vatican Museum entrance, when you see a line of nuns there you know it has to be good!!!
Wear a money belt and leave the wallet at home.
Buon viaggio,
Echoing Donna here: I don't think hoho buses are a good way to explore Rome for the very reasons she has provided so I wouldn't waste the time or the money on them. Rome is a great walking city and you'll experience more of it from the sidewalks than from a bus. It can actually be MORE efficient to hoof it between certain attractions than to use a hoho.
No, advance tickets to the attractions are not cheaper in advance, and yes, there are some attractions which benefit from advance reservations/tickets. As she has suggested, you should spend some time with a guidebook to choose what appeals and then we'll try to help you with best ticketing options at this late date.
Hi arezou_bk,
Perhaps you can use this list as a guide:
Vatican City - Be in line very, very early - Unless you schedule a guided tour. The gift shop in the Vatican Piazza have "local guided tours" available or if you can get lucky, I think the Vatican has their own too. Check the website for accuracy.
There is a security check, no "big" backpacks or bags or large umbrellas. Don't bother with the coat room - you would waste time. Head right to Saint Peter's entrance. If you are not with a guide, you may have to wait in line for His church.
Saint Peter's Basilica - Free to enter. Much more doable compared to Vatican. More breathing space, more time to view altars, statues, paintings, absorb the whole aura.
Stay away from those "offering skip the lines" tix.
Castel Sant'Angelo - "Bridge Of Angels" - A lovely walk down on the bridge. (No reservations)
Piazza del Popolo - "The People's Square" - Large, urban. (No reservations)
Spanish Steps - "Piazza di Spagna" - A "great climb to the top of the stairs" - Historic Church at top - Trinità dei Monti (No reservations)
Trevi Fountain - Gorgeous. Beautiful baroque fountains. Water pooling is very mesmerizing. A little "touristy" for food/gelato pricing. (No reservations)
The Pantheon - A beautiful (active) Church (there may be a small euro fee to enter now - it was talked about a few months ago. Maybe? €2 or €3 each. Be prepared just in case. (No reservations)
Piazza Navona - Home to "Fountain of the Four Rivers" (No reservations)
The Colosseum - You "might" get lucky be able to purchase tickets to enter (from coopculture.it) (Need tickets to enter for Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palantine)
Campo de' Fiori - "Open Market" in the mornings. Area & little back streets have cute shops/eateries all around. (No reservations)
If you can, click on each Roman attraction to get a feel of what you and your family may want to visit:
https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/italia.html
Rome is a walking city and a walking museum as I always say. The city buses (if you tire and want to ride one, costs €1.50 each for 100-minute ride (must be validated on the bus - machine is near driver) Tickets can be bought at most gift shops or tabacchi shops. A "bus/metro pass" may not always be worth it in terms of cost vs usage. If you don't use your bus ticket, it won't expire.
With each attraction or interest, it may be best for you to search each one and see what it/they have to offer you and your family in terms of time, interest and valuable memories. Have fun!
arezou,
I also want to add that since you have your young children, just be aware of the "Roman Gladiators - Soldiers" at The Pantheon and especially at the Colosseum.
Of course, kids want to run up and take a picture with the "soldier." They smile but when all is said and done, they want money - and not just €5. There have been situations where it sort of got "uncomfortable" and the traveler just obliged at their "demand."
Rome is not a good place to ride a HOHO bus, too many arwas cannot be accessed by one of them.
Vienna is a good city to view through it's available transit options, Rome on the other hand is not. Rome is a walking city, you will walk more here than just about anywhere else, get a rotation of shoes ready.
If you're just lookin to take in some sights and get your bearings after landing, there's a handful of overlooks that will provide you some perspective. The top of the Spanish Steps is an easy one. Villa Borghese in the gardens. Aventine Hill in Trestevre. Visit the Forum and go to the top of the Palatine Hill, and of course take the elevator to the top of the nearby Victor Emanuele II monument or, the Monumento Nazionale a Vittorio Emanuele II.
With 3-nights in Rome, consider purchasing a Roma Pass. There's plenty of opinions on this forum about the usefulness and value of the pass, considering this is your first time and you're looking to hit the highlights, the Roma Pass may suit your needs. Biggest value we found was the free public transit usage with the pass, remember the traffic...the subway system helps bypass all that traffic. Oh, and pick-up and read RS book. There's a lot of useful information in there.
Like the others, I'd skip the HO/HO buses.
If you think you can get your money's worth, the Roma Pass might be good instead.
You get free entry to two sites, then discounted entry into several others.
And it's good for the city buses and metro system.
Otherwise, regular bus fares are cheap.
I found Google maps to be very helpful in using the buses in Rome last month.
I just asked for directions from my current location to the place we were going, and tapped the icon for 'public transit' and Google directed us to the bus stop we needed and specified which bus to board.
It was much easier than navigating the official bus website and deciphering their schedules.
Here's the Rome Pass site. If nothing else, it will give you skip the line privileges.
The key is to use the most expensive sites first, then use a few of the discounted sites. Doing this you'll break even.
http://www.romapass.it/en/FAQ/
List of discounted sites.
http://www.romapass.it/files/doc/SitiAderentiCostoBiglietti201809_eng.pdf
Even with a Roma Pass you won't be able to visit the Galleria Borghese without prior telephone reservation several weeks ahead. It will be a shame to miss the magnificent Bernini sculptures, but as long as you know you won't pin your hopes on that.
