Roma Pass
 

I was wondering if anyone had advice about the Roma pass? I understand you can use it for 2 museums. Can I use this pass to go to the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill? Can I avoid the long line ups with this pass? Do I need to book tickets for the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill before I go in Sept? I was thinking of using Viator Tours (viaor.com) to book all my tours but if I could go to a couple of these places free I wouldn't need to spend a bunch of $$$. I thought if I used a tour company I could skip the long lines and have some free time to explore. Any advice for skipping long lines?

Anyone know of a good cheap tour company in Rome.

Also I am going to Florence for about 4 days. Do I need a tour or can I get around and see the sights myself?

Thanks bunch
Alabrash

Look at www.romapass.it.

Yes, it lets you skip the line. Yes, it includes Roman Forum/Colosseum/Palatine Hill. No, it does not include Vatican Museums; book online to skip the line.

Yes, you can get around Florence without a tour. Book entry times to skip the line at Uffizi and Accademia - by phone (it only takes a minute or two and is *much* more reliable than doing it online).

You will skip the long ticket lines with the Roma Pass, but it's not free. The cost for the pass is 25€. Your first two entrances are free with the pass, after that you get discounts entrances for three days. The Colosseum/Forum/Palantine count as one entrance and you can revisit over the three days. You also get a three day transport pass.
http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2

To bypass museum ticket lines in Florence, you can book directly with the museums.
http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/english/Default.asp?

The Colosseum, Forum, and Palatine Hill are considered one admission, one ticket. Since this ticket would be one of the higher-priced sightseeing tickets in Rome, it is good to use your Roma Pass to pay for it. So you could count this admission as one of you two free Roma Pass admissions. With Roma Pass in hand, you jump the entry lines for these sights—no need for reservations.

The Roma Pass is also good for all types of public transportation. I think it is worth the 25 euros.

Thanks for all the advice. Should I buy the Roma pass now or wait till I get to Rome?