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Rome Colosseum question

Hello all: Going to Rome in October and am very interested in taking a tour of the Colosseum. I would like to get some information before hand as to what times the tours are ... does anyone know the website ...or know how often there are english speaking tours. Thanks very much patty

I was there in summer of 1998 and again in May 2001, so maybe you can get some additional, more current info. From my memory of those two visits, the tours, offered in English (I assume that you want this) are given at sporadic intervals as crowds dictate. In 1998, (June), out tour was provided by an independent "third-party" company - - "walksofrome" or something like that. Our guide was an entertaining Canadian (or was he Australian? I forget) and lasted about an hour. It seemed very worthwhile. In May 2001, there were no English speaking tours being offered for at least a few hours, so we didn't wait. I have never seen a reference to a website operated by the Colosseum itself mentioned here on this forum. There used to be some information on http://www.twenj.net/rometour2b.htm but I can't get that page open now. Best wishes, Rex

Patty, We choose a walking tour through Scala Reale (http://www.scalareale.org ), which included the Colosseum, the Forum & the Palatine Hill which was just outstanding. Highly recommend them. We did this last year (September). They are usually small (6ish) and offer various tours (i.e., Vatican, Antica Rome, etc.). Check out their website. These are historians/scholors, not just folks that "fancy themselves tour guides".

Scala Reale is widely recognized as a (but not necessarily the only) Cadillac class of those offering tours in rome. With a price to match.

Hi, last summer we rented the English tape/head phone and did our own tour. It was fine for me. My attnetion span is only so long. We did take a guided tour of the forum that was 45 minutes and after 1 hour and 20 minutes I was getting antsy. Therefore the head phone/tape situation is perfect for me.

We used the standard English tour offered by the Colosseum itself, and were very happy. I do highly recommend a tour. They offer several tours in English each day, but I'm afraid I can't remember what times. We showed up, and I think the next tour was in a couple of hours, so we just went down the road to a lovely cafe with a view of the Colosseum for lunch.

Patty: we did the american express intr tour, which included the colosseum, had a wonderful guide and we were very pleased with the whole tour, We'll be back in Oct and are booking the Scale Reale tour supposely a little more in depth.

I was just in Rome 3 months ago and the "Walks of Rome" tours are conducted inside the Colisseum all day, nearly every other hour. The tour guides are from either Britain or Australia and speak English. The "Walks of Rome" tours also cover different areas of Rome, including the ruins, nearby Circus Maximus and the Mouth of Truth. They also have tours that meet at the Constantine arch that go outside the city limits on the Appian Way and tour the San Sebastian catacombs. I took the above 3 tours with them and they were all very reasonably priced and informative.

Hi Patty The information you are looking for is on the following page: http://www.italywithus.biz/main_pages/travel_favorites_a.html You don't need a private tour really - the public tours are good and much cheaper.

Be very careful in Rome. 2 little gypsy girls grabbed my sister's arm as we were going underground to cross over to the colliseum. They shoved a paper in front of her. She didn't know what they were trying to do, but someone nearby saw what was happening. One of them had reached into her purse and pulled out what they thought was a billfold. It was only her camera case. They got the scare of their young lives when these Americans were screaming in their faces. In Rome, pregnant women and children cannot be arrested. Just a note of caution.

Why do you need a tour? In a place like the colosseum a tour is not going to take you anywhere you can't go on your own. So what you really need is just some information to make the experience more meaningful. Get a GOOD guidebook with some history, or better, read some history before you go. Then you can give yourself a tour, at your own pace and save money. If you do insist on a tour there were plenty of English speaking college age students wandering the lines of people waiting to buy tickets who offter tour and ticket for about 15 euro. Several people said they were the best. But a ticket alone (which includes Palantine Hill) was only 8 euro. That was last summer.

I ditto what Mari said. A good book is all you need. We were there in May this year amd were accosted by several people wanting to do a tour for us on the spot. But if you decide you have to have a tour -- I would suggest the Scale Reale -- I over heard one of their tours and it was excellent and would be worth the expense. M

I have been "the guy with the book" oftyen enough, and i think there is something to be said for having your eyes on the place you are visiting, instead of stuck in a book reading to others. In some places, audioguides are a welcome change of pace, and there are plenty of places where just following the signage in the place is fine. but affordable guided tours of some places - - and I count the Colosseum as one of them - - make some sense to me. If you have a family or group of four or more, then perhaps all the more worthwhile. It's nice to have the kids say "Look, Dad" some of the time, instead of all "Look here, kids"!

Almost forgot about having posted about THIS experience, at the Colosseum - - on the May 2001 trip: Author: Rex ([email protected]) Date: 05/12/2001, 11:45 pm Message: Just came back from Rome where I had my first experience in twenty trips to Europe, getting hit by a pickpocket. I don't think that I was lazy, ignorant or stupid. I simply let my guard down - - for maybe one, two or three seconds. As for the pickpocketing - - if it had not been for some other American teens nearby, I don't think I would have realized that I had been hit - - they were THAT slick. It was at the Colosseum. I had just stepped away from the ticket booth. In retrospect I virtually "announced" myself to the pickpocket(s). The tickets (for six) were 60.000 lire, and I handed over a 100.000 bill. The ticket seller asked me "do you have a 10.000 lire note to go with this?", and I pulled out a "paper wallet" (the kind that American Express provides), thumbed through it, and replied - - no, I have nothing but "fifties" (50.000 lire notes - - there were five of them in there). I stuck the "wallet" back in my (front) pocket, and stepped away to show my family the ticket. They (my family) virtually encircled me - - then I took a few steps forward towards the turnstile. Right then, an American teen said "Mister" - - I think you just got pickpocketed - - or at least they tried. I saw two boys run off that way. I felt my pants quickly - - my "real wallet" was still in my hip pocket, my passport (front pocket) was still there, and some loose smaller bills in both front pockets. I actually thought they had not succeeded, but then I realized that the "paper wallet" was gone. I was angry and irritated of course. But I was almost equally impressed in a weird way. I had not seen them, and no one in my family had seen them. I didn't feel a thing. I'm quite certain the American teens were not part of it. We continued to talk to them as we went onward with our visit in the Colosseum. I didn't notify the police. These were (I guess) slick operators, who were no doubt long gone in a minute. And I hadn't personally seen or really even experienced the crime committed against me. The only thing I would different in such a situation is to be very, very careful when you have out a "stash" of cash (and of course, this wasn't all THAT much) - - especially in the next 60 seconds.

I haven't checked this forum for a few days..it was a great surprise to see the responses. Thanks everyone for your suggestions and warnings. I think that we will do the tour offered at the Colosseum, if not available then we'll do the audio tour - I did not know that was available. I am also looking into "Walks of Rome" and Scala Reale for other available tours/walks Thanks again... patty

My 2 &euro-cent worth: The Audiotour is realy good. I made it myself last week, especially if you get there prepared with a good guide book As to the admission ticket: if you want to skip the line in front of the Colosseum (it will be *huge* as of mid-morning), go to the ticket booth at the entrance to the Palatine hill. It is located off the Forum's south side between the Arch of Titus and the Vestal's house. For 8 &euro you will get a bar-code admission ticket to the Palatine and the Colosseum which you can use at the tunstile entrance to the Colosseum right of its ticket booth. Hope this helps. Phil.