I promised I would post a report about Nero's palace when I returned to let you know how it was. I thought this was definitely a worthwhile stop, but then I love ancient architecture. There is not a lot left of the decorations, just some bits of fresco here and there, so its not someplace to go for the art. But if you consider that it pre-dates the Colosseum, its really an extraordinary structure. <BR> <BR>We had advance reservations made about 10 days ahead. I think you could get reservations just a couple of days ahead, so you may be able to get your hotel to make them after arrival. They were definitely sold out for the day when we actually got there, so don't go without an advance ticket. <BR> <BR>We took the audio tour, its about 1 hour. They actually escort you through the Domus, but there's very little explanation from the guide (and what there was was in Italian), so you either need the tape or buy the guide book. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps you folks who were thinking of going make up your mind.

Where did you get the reservation 10 days ahead?

well, we were taking tours with Scala Reale while we were in Rome, so I asked them if they could get them for us and they did. However I think you can get tickets from this website: <BR> <BR>http://www.romeguide.it/domus_aureaeng/domus_aurea.htm

Beth, Welcome back and thanks for the info. RJD: I e-mailed my ticket reservations today to that site Beth gave you. The "click-ons" for the "E-mail Us" on their main page or their "click-on" to their e-mail address on the Information page don't work. So I just typed in their e-mail address. ([email protected]) and hope that's the only "gitches" in their system. HTH Regards, Walter

Beth, many thanks for the report. Guess we'll put it on our A list for November!

Walter, I should have mentioned originally, you definitely want to show up a few minutes before your reservation time. Basically they let groups start in every 15 minutes, and you go in at exactly the time on your ticket. Its not like in Florence where I had a reservation at 9, I could enter pretty much anytime between 8:50 and 9:15. <BR> <BR>One other thing, I took a taxi to get there. I told the driver where I wanted to go and he kept looking at me funny until I showed him the ticket, and then he said "ohhhh, Domus Aurea!". I was pronouncing Aurea like the English word "aura" with an extra long e (basically: awe'-ree-a). But you have to pronounce both of the first two vowels, its more like ah-oor'-ee-a. I learned soon after that to always have written down where I wanted to go, so the taxi drivers could understnd, it was much easier