Need help with Vatican and Colosseum Info. PLEASE!
 

Hello,

I need help with booking tickets to see the Vatican and the Colosseum. We would like a guided tour and skip the line tickets. Does anyone have info on what websites to use for this? any tips on visiting these two? (Best day/time).

Thanks everyone!!

The official website is Coopculture.

http://www.coopculture.it/en/colosseo-e-shop.cfm

romewalks.com
contextrome.com
walksofitaly.com

KYBourbon has given you the official website for the Colosseum. Here is the official website for the Vatican Museums:

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/...?weblang=en&do

Both websites sell guided tours as well as skip-the-line tickets. You can skip the lines without a tour, so unless you really want a tour, there's no reason to pay for one just to skip the lines.

If you buy tickets on the Colosseum site, you need to buy the tour separately. There are two types of tour. One takes you to the 1st and 2nd levels, and this you have to call to reserve. (I was there the other day, and there were signs saying you could join a tour on the spot, but to be sure of getting a place, I would reserve it by calling.) They have English speaking operators. The other tour takes you to the underground areas of the Colosseum, and to the 3rd level, which are both off limits unless you've taken the tour of these areas. This tour can be bought online, but's not always available. Most private tours don't include these areas.

I'd just like to warn you that both the Vatican area and the Colosseum area were more insanely crowded than I had ever seen them last Friday. I would hate to spend my whole time in Rome shuffling along in a crowd of fellow tourists. There are lots of hidden gems in Rome that might be much more enjoyable for you. If you really must go to these two hyper-popular places, you might want to consider the night visits that both have.

I think a guide for the Forum & the Colosseum is a very good idea.I have never had a problem with lines at the Vatican Museums because I arrive around 1PM. Their audio tour is quite good.

Jabez, I don't know when you last went to the Vatican Museums, but in recent years, except in the off season, the queues have been long all day.

You can buy skip the line tickets for the Vatican Museums at the tourist desk in the Vatican Post/souvenir (#6 on map link)on the left side of the piazza S. Pietro (when facing St. Peter's). I've done that when someone traveling with me decided they wanted to go while we were at St. Peter's. They do charge the 4€ booking fee though. We bought the tickets, walked to the museums, passed the very long line and walked in. YMMV.

http://w2.vatican.va/content/vatican/it/info.html

Thanks everyone for the helpful information!!!

I haven't been at the Vatican for 3 years. Surprised to here the late day/ lunch time isn't an easy time to enter.

Highly recommend Walks of Italy.