Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
19
include the Bocca della Verità (p. 63), Baths of Caracalla (p. 79), Porta S.
Sebastiano and the Wall Museum (p. 76), the base of the Appia Antica (p. 76),
the Catacombs (p. 77), and tombs along the Appia Antica (p. 77).
Metro
Rome has two underground metro lines (see the map on p. 21),
Red line A
and
Blue line B,
which are somewhat limited and constantly impeded from expansion
by the multitude of protected ruins under the city. The metro system in Rome is
useful for straight shots across town, and it is generally efficient, but not as encom-
passing as the bus network. The cars on the red line are old and not air-conditioned.
In the summer, the red line in particular is best avoided because of stifling heat
and overcrowding. Pickpockets are also common, but less so than they used to be.
River Boat
An innovative addition to the public-transportation scene is the
Battelli di Roma
(
%
06-6789361; www.battellidiroma.it),
or Tiber Taxi, as most residents call the
river boats that glide through the muddy waters of the Tiber river. A 1-hour, mul-
tistop commuter trip is just €1 from Tiber Island down to the northern part of
Rome at Ponte Duca d'Aosta, with hourly stops at each docking point (which vary
depending on the season and water levels of the river). There isn't much to see past
the Castel Sant'Angelo stop. There are also seasonal options for guided tours on
the river boats, starting with a 1-hour guided tour for €10 that departs from Ponte
Sant'Angelo at 10, 11:30am, 3:30, and 5pm; or a 2
1
⁄
2
-hour dinner boat tour for
€43, which departs from Ponte Sant'Angelo at 8pm (reservations required).
Top-Down Buses
You can't miss the bright red convertible
110 Open
(Piazza dei Cinquecento
Termini Station;
%
06-46952252; www.trambus.com;
€
13; 9am-10pm)
tour
buses that barrel through the city. Get on or off at any of the stops (Termini,
Quirinale, Colosseo, Bocca della Verità, Piazza Venezia, Piazza Navona, Vatican
City, Piazza Cavour, Ara Pacis, Piazza Navona, Fontana di Trevi, or Via Veneto).
The Vatican and the city bus company also offer a joint bus tour called
Christian
Rome
(Piazza dei Cinquecento, Termini Station;
€
15; 9am-10pm),
which stops at
St. Peter's Basilica, Colosseo, Santa Maria Maggiore, San Giovanni in Laterano, St.
Pietro in Vincoli, San Clemente, and Santa Maria in Aracoeli. These tours are focused
on Rome's Christian heritage and are generally filled with religious pilgrims.
These stop-and-go bus tours come with an audioguide and can be useful if you
are in a hurry to get around town or are otherwise unable to navigate the cobble-
stone streets on foot. The drawback of bus tours is that ideally Rome should be
discovered by ambling through its streets and these buses don't allow any real
self-guided exploration.
