Nagle

Hi everyone, my girlfriend and I arrive in Rome tomorrow and we're there until Friday. Just wondering if anyone has booked museums, collaseum etc. online before? We really want to avoid the queues! Any tips would be helpful! Cheers, James

adrienne

Booking is required at the Borghese gallery and at the Vatican scavi. I've been to the Vatican Museums twice with tours so I didn't need to book ahead as that was taken care of. If you're not taking a Colosseum tour then definitely book ahead as there are long lines.

Nagle

Thanks, do you know any reliable sites where you can make the booking from?

adrienne

Go to the official web site for whatever you want to book.

denisea

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/einfo.htm

Here is the site for Galleria Borghese.

We used walks of Italy for small group tours for the Colisseum and the Vatican Museum which includes admission and allows you to skip lines....well worth it.

http://www.walksofitaly.com/

kybourbon

You can book tickets for the Vatican Museums directly with the Vatican. They also have tours that can be booked.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

For the tours, you want the ones designated individual visitors.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...zi_Visite.html

kybourbon

Tickets booked with the Vatican skip the lines also as do most tickets at most sites when you use the official booking.

For the Borghese, you need to allow time to retrieve your tickets and a separate line to check any belongings. You are not allowed to take anything in (not even a purse). They do give you a small clear bag at baggage check big enough to hold a wallet or small camera (no pictures allowed).

Nagle

Thanks everyone! Anything for the colosseum and Sistine chapel? I looked at 'walks of Italy' but that is a but expensive for us, any cheaper way to avoid queues?

denisea

The Sistine Chapel will be part of the Vatican Museum....don't need to book it separately. It is the last part of the tour.

I don't know what the official Colisseum site is...sorry Walks of Italy doesn't work for you.
This may work....
http://www.tickitaly.com/tickets/colosseum-tickets.php

worldinabag

Check this site out

http://www.romefreewalkingtour.com

kybourbon

The official website for the Colosseum is www.coopculture.it. Their booking engine is currently screwed up and you have to call to book. Entrance ticket is 12€ and is good for two days (includes Forum and Palantine). Tours run 5-8€ depending on tour. If you call and book, there is a separate entry line to pick up the ticket and you bypass the ticket purchase line. Tl walk up and skip the line without advance purchase, go to the entry at Palantine and buy the ticket.

Call Center
individuals: +39 06 399 67 700
groups: +39 06 399 67 450
schools: +39 06 399 67 200

Monday-Friday 9 AM-6 PM / Saturday 9 AM-2 PM

From 3 June to 31 August 2013, the call center will be open:
Monday-Friday 9AM-1PM and from 2PM to 5PM;
Saturday 9AM - 1PM

At the Vatican or the Colosseum, you can rent an audio guide if you don't want a tour, but tours don't cost much more than the audio guide.

Nagle

Thanks for the help!

greg

RE: Colosseum Underground Tour

I just called the Coopculture by phone to reserve the Underground tour for September at +39 06 399 67 700 as noted above. They admit they are having a web site problem and is getting a lot of calls. This was the process for the underground.

1. I called the number. As other noted, first time I was put on hold and the line dropped off after about 7 minutes, I called back again and stayed on the line for 18 minutes and finally got connected. So the total waiting time was 25 minutes. I used a calling card that cost me 6c/min.
2. The operator asked for which tour, which day, what time, what language, and how many people adults/children, your name, your email address.
3. The operator sent me a tentative reservation by email. I checked the detail and verified the proposal while still on the phone.
4. The operator then asked for a prepayment by credit card. This differs from the experiences mentioned by others. Perhaps because of the need for a guide?
5. The cost was €12 (entry) + €9 (underground tour) + €1.50 (reservation fee) = €22.50 per person.
6. I then received the receipt of payment which says "E' OBBLIGATORIO ESIBIRE IN BIGLIETTERIA LA RICEVUTA DEL PAGAMENTO E IL FOGLIO DI PRENOTAZIONE." MUST PRODUCE THE TICKET IN RECEIPT OF PAYMENT AND SHEET OF RESERVATION.
7. She then told me to go to the entrance for people with reservation 30 minutes before my scheduled time, pickup tickets, then at the ticket counter, ask where to meet the guide. The tour will take 90minutes. The Palatine Hill and Forum portion of the ticket is usable on the day of the tour or the day after.

The total booking time was 10mins, so the total time I was on the phone was 25min + 10min = 35min.

annhig

if the Roma Pass is still available, it will get you free entry to the first 2 sights you enter [eg colosseum/forum/palatinate which all count as one, and the Capitoline museums] and discounts on the rest.

it covers entry only so not the underground colosseum tour described above, and does not cover the Vatican [which includes the sistine chapel]

http://www.romapass.it/?l=en

kybourbon

>>>They admit they are having a web site problem and is getting a lot of calls. <<<

It's been a month. Did they say whether they intend to fix it and when?