Rome hop-on hop-off tour buses have several operators with different prices but similar routes. The 24-hour ticket costs from 20 to 30 euro per person. Moreover, any of Rome City Passes allow the use of buses free of admission. This is one of the best options to enjoy the sightseeing tour in the Eternal City with the visit to the main sites while listening to the audio commentary in one of the open-top buses.

Overview

Isango Company provides Hop-On Hop-Off buses across 300+ destinations with more than 10 thousand experiences to choose from. Moreover, Isango assures its clients that they choose the right experience for them in any chosen city. According to the reviews from the clients, hop-on hop-off bus operators are definitely helpful to explore the city in a short period of time. For example, talking about Rome, the route of buses is great, and they actively pass through the historical center of the city, but since buses are big and some streets are tiny, they do not go to several sites like the Pantheon. However, there is a short walking distance from the tour bus stops to the most famous monuments, fountains, and squares of the Eternal City.

Rome Tour Buses

Rome hop-on hop-off tour offers open-top buses for a better city sightseeing experience. You can choose a seat on the double-decker tour bus and listen to the audio commentary offered in at least 6 languages. There are several kinds of tickets: for 24, 48 and 72 hours. Moreover, special offers include a tour bus ticket + entry to the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, Roman Forum, Colosseum, and more. Overall, there are eight-nine stops. The price on average is from 20 to 30 euro per 24-hour ticket.

• Website: www.hop-on-hop-off-bus.com

What to Expect

With hop-on hop-off bus, you can admire the sights of Piazza Venezia, which is the central street of Rome, or enjoy the architecture and ancient ruins. Each time you will have to show your ticket when you board the tour bus. Also, the full loop lasts for around 2 hours, with audio commentary for each sightseeing provided. There is free onboard WiFi.

48-hour Pass goes with Skip-the-Line Tickets to Palatine Hill, the Roman Forum, and Colosseum

All operators of hop-on-hop-off have the main stops at Termini Station and the Vatican, in terms of where routes start and finish. Most buses have their first bus departing from Termini around 9 am, while the last bus usually leaves at 5 pm. Moreover, routes are changed during the weekend since there are road closures that sometimes happen on Sundays. Also, if you have children, take a look at child fares because different operators have various age bands for kids.

City Sightseeing Tours

City Sightseeing provides services all over the world. Also, they have noticeable red buses. Here’s the map of their route:

Tours Route

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)*

*On Saturday afternoons after 3 pm and Sundays, the bus will go to the Spanish Steps.

• Tickets: 24, 48 & 72 hour tickets, plus attraction combos;
• HoHo ticket options: HoHo and attraction combo pass available combining a 48-hour ticket with entrance to the Vatican Museums or the Colosseum or St Peter’s;
• Child ticket: for children from 5 to 15 years old;
• First departure: 9 am (Termini Station);
• Last departure: 7 pm (Termini Station) 7 pm April to October;
• Frequency: Every 10-20 minutes;
• Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, and Japanese;
• Free wi-fi.

Tickets

City Sightseeing tickets are included in the Roma Pass.

• 1-Day Ticket: 28 euro for Adults (16 and up); 14 euro for Children (5-15) and free for 4 and under;
• 2-Day Ticket: 31 euro for Adults; 15 euro for Children and free for 4 and under;
• 3-Day Ticket: 35 euro for Adults; 17 euro for Children and free for 4 and under;
• Purchase tickets for a discount: www.city-sightseeing.it

Big Bus Rome Tour Bus

The coverage of Big Bus is similar to City Sightseeing operator, where routes for weekdays and weekends are separate. There are eight stops.

• Free walking tours: Big Bus tour guides offer free walking tours to some of the city’s most famous landmarks;
• Ho-ho tickets options: 24, 48 hours, 48 + deluxe (includes Catacombs and Caracalla walking tours), and Classic + Civitavecchia port transfers and walking tours;
• Child ticket age bands: 5-15 years;
• First departure: 9 am (Termini Station);
• Last departure: 7 pm;
• Frequency: Every 10-20 minutes;
• Audio languages: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Mandarin, Arabic, and Russian;
• Free wi-fi.

Tickets and Routes

All tickets include 4 free walking tours

• 1-Day Ticket: 27 euro for adults; 18 euro for children (5-15) and free (kids 4 and younger). Or 80 euro for a family (2 adults with 2 children);
• 2-Day Ticket: 31.50 euro for adults; 20.70 euro for children or 93 euro for the family;
• 2-Day Deluxe Ticket:50 euro for adults; 27 euro for children and 120 euro for the family;
• Purchase tickets for a discount: www.bigbustours.com

*The Deluxe Ticket includes the Purple route with stops at Catacombs and Terme di Caracalla.

Hop-on hop-off with Attraction Ticket Bundles

Since Saint Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Colosseum are must-see sites for any visitor of Rome, you can purchase entry to all these destinations along with the tour bus ticket. There are several kinds of  48-hour hop-on hop-off bus tickets:

• + audio-guided tour of St Peter’s Basilica;
• + skip-the-line entrance to the Colosseum and entrance to the Roman Forum;
• + Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel;
• + tickets for all 3, St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museum, and Colosseum.

I Love Rome Panoramic Tour Bus

This hop-on hop-off bus offers nine stops with the main attraction of Rome. It also has a similar to City Sightseeing route, but with an additional stop.

• Child ticket age bands:11-18 years;
• Frequency/ departures: every 25 minutes from 8.30 am to 6.40 pm Monday through Thursday; through 8.45 pm Friday through Sunday;
• Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Korean, Russian, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic, and Dutch;
• Free wi-fi.

Tickets

The I Love Rome Tour is included for free if you have Roma Pass or any other Rome City Pass

• 5-hour Ticket: 15 euro for adults; 10 euro for youths (6-11) and free for kids under 10;
• 24-hour ticket: 22 euro for adults; 13 euro for youths and free for kids under 10;
• 48-hour ticket: 29 euro for adults; 17 euro for youths and free for Kids Under 10;
• Discounts are available on all tickets after 1:15 pm.

The Roma Cristiana Tour Bus

This tour is different from others because Roma Cristiana is part of Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi (ORP). The operator is very much targeted at visitors with interest in things religious, especially pilgrims. Moreover, it is solid on the Vatican, and you would suspect with their ownership.

• Route: it is the only operator that goes out to San Giovanni Basilica;
• Ho-ho ticket options:24, 48, 72 hours;
• Child ticket age bands: children under 10 free for admission;
• First departure:9 am (Termini Station);
• Last departure:6 pm (Termini Station);
• Frequency: Every 10-15 minutes;
• Audio languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, and Russian;
• Free wi-fi.

Tickets

• 24-Hour Ticket: 25 euro per person;
• 48-Hour Ticket: 28 euro per person;
• 72-Hour Ticket: 32 euro per person;
• Availability: Daily from 9 am – 6 pm.

I would definitely recommend the option with hop-on-hop-off buses because it will make your Roman holiday better and you can save a lot of time and money on it.