Hop on hop off Rome: Prices, tickets, routes & bus stops for Hop-on Hop-off Rome bus tours

on 7. September 2021   /   0   /  

Hop on hop off Rome. As in many other cities, a hop-on hop-off tour by bus is a great thing to do in Rome. In this article I will tell you which companies offer Rome bus tours, which routes they drive along and whether a hop-on hop-off bus tour through Rome is worth it.

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Hop-on Hop-off Rome: Tips and information about hop-on hop-off Rome bus tours

There is a wide range of hop-on hop-off bus companies in Rome. Not just one, two or three, but five different companies are present in Rome. These include Big Bus, Gray Line, Green Line, City Sightseeing and Roma Cristiana, making their way through the streets of the Eternal City. In addition to the hop-on hop-off bus tours you can also book a boat tour on the Tiber in Rome.

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Each hop-on hop-off tour company in Rome offers different options and additional services. Which is why I am going to tell you more about the most interesting hop-on hop-off bus tours through Rome.

Hop-on Hop-off Rome Bus: Worth it?

Whether a sightseeing tour with one of the many hop-on hop-off buses in Rome is worth it, only takes one answer: definitely! A hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour by bus is perfect to get to know the City on a first glance and find out where all of Rome’s attractions and famous sights are located. In addition you can use these buses to get from one attraction to another within the Italian capital, just as you would do by public transport.

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Basically, hop-on hop-off buses and buses of the public transport system complement each other. However, there are certain areas in the city center that you better explore by foot, bike or on a Segway.

You can find hop-on hop-off ticket sellers on every street corner in Rome. Be that as it may, you can’t always be sure that the products you are buying are official tickets. In addition there is a large variation of tickets. To be on the safe side and avoid confusion, you should buy your tickets on the Internet beforehand. Another advantage? Once you arrive to Rome, you have nothing else to do but getting on the bus and enjoy the ride!

To help you make a decision on all the different offers I will tell you more about the different companies and their most interesting offers. Hop-on hop-off Rome bus tours are free of charge for children under the required minimum age, as long as they don’t need an extra seat.

Bus stops and bus routes

The hop-on hop-off companies Big Bus, Gray Line, Green Line and City Sightseeing all use the same 8 bus stops:

To explore the city center of Rome, it is best to exit at the St. Angelo Bridge and head towards Piazza Navona, then on to the Pantheon, past the Parliament and the Government House, to the Trevi Fountain and then to the Spanish Steps.

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The bus station Barberini – Piazza Barberini is located between Via Veneto in Rom, the Dolce Vita shopping street with all its luxury hotels and the famous Hard Rock Café, and Via del Tritone which runs between the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps.

The company Roma Cristiana follows an entirely different route, with 15 different bus stops. Roma Cristiana is mainly focused on Rome’s beautiful churches. Buses of Roma Cristiana don’t stop at the Trevi Fountain, instead they stop at other points of interest such as Piazza Navona and Torre Argentina and then continue to St John’s Basilica.

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In summer the company City Sightseeing has a minibus going to the catacombs on Via Appia Antica three times a day (Catacombs of Domitilla). Big Bus offers a route with ten stops to San Sebastiano and the Baths of Caracalla once every hour (purple line).

1. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Big Bus in Rome

Big Bus runs on the red standard route with its 8 bus stops including Trevi/Spagna and Barberini. Since 2018 the hop-on hop-off company Big Bus offers the purple line going to San Sebastiano and the catacombs which I personally find very interesting.

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Yet, the purple line doesn’t pass the Vatican and doesn’t lead through the city center either. The route starts at Termini, and goes to Santa Maria Maggiore, the Colosseum, the catacombs San Sebastiano (this is where the most beautiful part of Via Appia Antica begins), on to Caffarella/Divino Amore, the Baths of Caracalla, Circus Maximus, Piazza Venezia  and ends once again at Termini. You can use both the red and the purple line if you buy the Big Bus Deluxe Ticket. The ticket for the catacombs include a guided tour through the catacombs and the possibility to rent a bike:

Adults Children Family (2 adults , 2 children)
One day ticket 27 euros14 euros68 euros
Discover ticket (1 day, red line with 8 stops) from 30,60 euros from 15,30 euros from 76,50 euros
Essential ticket (2 days, red line with 8 stops) from 37,80 eurosfrom 18,90 eurosfrom 94,50 euros
Explore ticket (3 days, red line with 8 stops) from 43,20 eurosfrom 21,60 eurosfrom 108 euros
Ticket Catacombs (1 day, purple line)from 45 eurosfrom 36 euros---

I really like the Big Bus Deluxe Ticket which lets you use both the red and the purple line for 48 hours. Like this you can visit the city center and the park at Appia Antica with the catacombs, a popular attraction in Rome. On the way back you pass the Baths of Caracalla. If you get off here you can also just walk to the next stop which is Circus Maximus and take a different bus line there.

Have a look at the bus lines’ schedule:

1st ridelast rideHow long?How often?
red lineTermini: 9 am / Vatican 9:42 amTermini: 5:50 pm/ Vatican: 6:44 pm 1 h 30 min every 20 min
purple line Termini: 9:35 am/ Circus Maximus: 10:35 amTermini: 4:05 pm/ Circus Maximus: 5:05 pm1 h 30 minevery 80 min

2. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with City Sightseeing in Rome

The hop-on hop-off company City Sightseeing operates on a line former known as ATAC line 110. Just like Gray Line, Green Line and Big Bus, City Sightseeing also runs on the red standard line with its 8 already mentioned bus stops. Though a bit confusing: there are three different bus stops at Termini. Some buses leave from Via Marsala, where the SIT Bus airport shuttle arrives from Fiumicino and Ciampino.

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Other buses stop on the opposite side of the train station at Piazza dei Cinquecento or between Piazza dei Cinquecento and Piazza Repubblica next to Largo di Villa Peretti. Anyhow, all other bus stations are the same for all buses and you can exchange your printed ticket version for an official ticket voucher directly on the bus.

In summer City Sightseeing offers an additional minibus that takes you to the Domitilla catacombs. The bus goes there three times a day, except on Tuesdays when the catacombs are closed. Admission to the catacombs and a guided tour are already included in the ticket price.

City Sightseeing in Rome offers:

One day Ticket 24h - ClassicTicket 48h - PremiumTicket 72h - Deluxe
Adults 16+from 22,10 euros from 28,05 eurosfrom 33,15 eurosfrom 39,10 euros
Children 5-15 yearsfrom 11,05 euros from 13,60 eurosfrom 16,15 eurosfrom 19,55 euros
Family (2 adults, 2 children) from 55,25 euros from 69,70 eurosfrom 82,45 eurosfrom 97,75 euros

The operating hours are:

1st ridelast rideHow long?How often?
Standard routeTermini: 9 amTermini: 6 pm1 h 40 minevery 15 min

From Wednesday to Monday the minibus leaves three times a day for the Domitilla catacombs from Largo di Villa Peretti:

Termini ColosseumSan Sebastiano catacombsBath of CaracallaCircus Maximus
First bus 9:35 am9:55 am10:09 am10:19 am10:25 am
Last bus 14:20 pm14:48 pm15:02 pm15:14 pm15:20 pm

3. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Gray Line in Rome

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Gray Line is yet another company in Rome on the standard route with its 8 bus stops. Gray Line offers reduced ticket rates for children between 5 and 12 years. There are numerous different offers at Gray Line, therefore I will only tell you about the most important here:

Adults 13+Adults 13+Children 6-12 years
one round (without stops) 14,45 euros10,20 euros
Day Ticket18,70 euros12,75 euros
After 1 pm20 euros11,90 euros
Half day (4h) 20 euros11,90 euros
24h25,50 euros13,60 euros
48h28,90 euros17 euros
72h32,30 euros22,95 euros

Gray Line runs from April to October from 8:30 am until 6:40 pm from Termini. And from November until March from 8:30 am until 4:55 pm from Termini as well.

4. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Green Line in Rome

The special thing about Green Line Bus, another company is that besides the 8 bus stops of the red standard route, once an hour buses also stop at Piazza Risorgimento underneath the Vatican museums. According to Green Line buses come every 10 min in summer and every half an hour in winter. Green Line offers reduced tickets for children between 6 and 12 years.

Adults +13Children 5-12 years
3 tickets 18 euros13 euros
1 Tag24 euros15 euros
1 Tag + Meal at Hard Rock Café43 euros33 euros
24h27 euros16 euros
24h + Meal at Hard Rock Café46 euros34 euros
48h34 euros20 euros
48h + Meal at Hard Rock Café53 euros38 euros
72h39 euros26 euros

The first Green Line bus leaves from Termini at 9 am, the last one at 6:30 pm.

5. Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour with Roma Cristiana in Rome

Roma Cristiana is the tour company of the Roman pilgrimage, Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi. Hence, the bus line mainly connects Roman churches. Since most Roman churches are located at interesting places, this yellow bus line is just as worth it as the other lines are.

Roma Cristiana has the following operating hours:

1st ridelast rideHow often?
Terminal A (via Marsala, 7)9 am5:30 pmevery 10-20 minutes
Terminal C (Piazza dei Cinquecento9 am5:30 pmevery 10-20 minutes
Terminal "Jubilee Line" (Piazza dei Cinquecento9:20 am4:20 pm every 10-20 minutes

Children under 9 years and people with a disability can ride the bus for free. To ride on the bus you need the Omina Card. The Omnia Card for 72 hours also includes the Roma Pass and preferred entry to the Vatican Museums and St Peter’s Basilica.

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The Omina Card must be picked up in an office of the pilgrimage. You can have a free ride on the bus to the office as long as you show your booking confirmation. One of the offices is right on St Peter’s Square. It is open from 8:30 am until 5pm. Sundays from 9 am on. The other office is located between the Torre Argentina and the Pantheon at Via dei Cestari 21 and is open daily from 10 am until 5 pm.

6. River cruise on the Tiber

For a few years now some companies also offer river cruises on the Tiber. There are two boat landings: one on the opposite side of Castel Sant’Angelo, the second is on the Tiber island and easily accessible through the ramp which leads from the Garibaldi bridge down to the Tiber shore.

The cruise starts at the Tiber island and passes the Vatican and Castel Sant’Angelo. It then goes up the bridge Regina Margherita and back again to the boat landing at Castel Sant’Angelo. The cruise take about 75 minutes and offers nice views on all the Tiber bridges.

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