bblount

I am trying to get tickets to the Forum without booking a guided tour. I was able to get them for the Colluseum on tickitaly, but I can't seem to find them for the Forum.
Any suggestions?
BB

KathrynT

Most of the Forum is free. I believe your Colliseum ticket will cover the part of the Forum that is not free (Palatine Hill.) Have a great trip!

quokka

Right. The Forum itself is free. No tickets needed, just walk in.

There is one ticket that covers the Palatine hill and the Colosseum and is sold at both places. To avoid the long lines at the Colosseum, go to Palatine hill first and buy the ticket there - there are hardly any lines. It's worth going up, though. Hardly anyone does, so it's not crowded and quite relaxing. Palatine hill offers the best views of the Forum and the Circus Maximus on the other side.

daveesl

Do you know if the Colosseum and Forum are open on Christmas day?

jabez

Why would you not want a guided tour. This is one place that REALLY needs a guide. You can do it inexpensively and you can get a tour at the ticket booth right belows Palatine hill.
Although it looks like you've already used tickitaly, I wouldn't recommend that others pay the extra fee. If they go to the booth that quokka mentioned, they can quickly have their ticket.

bblount

Everyone I've talked to and people on this forum have said that I don't need a guided tour of the Colloseum and the Forum.
Since I've already bought my tickets to the Colloseum (didn't know to buy the Palatine Hill tickets first), now how do I do that? I'm confused......

olympicgaym

BB
Your Ticket to the Coloseum should include admission to the Palatine.
Buying your ticket at the Palatine ticket office, is one way for people to purchase a ticket to the Coloseum without standing in the long lines there.
I used the Rick Steves guide for the Coloseum, Palatine and Forum.
enjoy, they are all spectacular!

tcreath

bblount, a guided tour isn't necessary but would be helpful, especially in the forum. Its a very large area and there are lots of very interesting buildings but there are no signs telling you what you are looking at. A guide would be able to provide you some great information, and keep you from skipping important sights. I think it would be very helpful and beneficial. I've been three times and have never had a guide, but I regret that. We usually use a walking tour out of a guidebook such as Rick Steves, which does help, but a live guide would be better.

I too recommend purchasing the combo Colliseum/Palatine Hill ticket at the Palatine Hill entrance. If you enter the Forum from the Colliseum area, you will see the ticket book for Palatine Hill on your left as you walk through the Arch of Constantine. Palatine Hill is also very much worth the visit, as there are some great ruins, and an interesting museum, up there.

I'm pretty sure the Forum would be open on Christmas, as I don't know how they would close it off. I think its pretty much always open.

Tracy

massagediva

Sure,you don't NEED a guided tour,but the Forum is absolutely loaded with buildings ,and it's wonderful to have someone knowledgeable and passionate to explain them to you and illustrate how the city as a whole worked.That you won't get from a guidebook.I've taken the Roma Antica walk with Context Rome a few times,and each time I go to Rome with a newbie,I strongly suggest it.We've always felt it was money extremely well spent.

olympicgaym

When(not if)I return to Rome,I would absolutely get a real live guide for the Forum. The insight a guide can give you would have helped me bring the ruins to life. The ruins are impressive and interesting on their own, but a deeper understanding is needed to realize what their former glory really was, and meant. I could appreciate the Forum as is but a guide would have added to my experience.

danlovesme

In the Collosseum there are a couple of gift shops that sell excellent guidebooks, and you'll have them as a great souvenir. We did this and were very happy with the choice. We visited during the first week in June and the lines for tickets looked awful but went very quickly--we waited perhaps 10 minutes--get a drink or a gelato at one of the vendors, and by the time you finish it you'll have your ticket!

FlyFish

One of the very best "guides" to the Forum and other areas in and around Rome posts right here at Fodor's. Do a search on "walter@paradiselost" and print out his detailed and informative writings on the Forum and elsewhere. Also, the definitive and indispensible guidebook to the archaeology of the area is Amanda Claridge's Oxford Archaeological Guide to Rome, which is readily available from online sellers and elsewhere.

jill_h

bblount - i would most definitely recommend Francesca Caruso (one of Rick Steves' guides). She makes the Forum (and Colisseum) come alive! She speaks flawless English and is very enjoyable to listen to. She does not rush through the sites and allows times for pictures. She can be reached at [email protected].

annhig

now you've bought your tickets, you probably don't want to pay for a tour as well - assuming that the tour includes admission of course.
IMO though, the Forum is the one place that a guide is very worth-while - it is the one place in Rome where I felt that we should have had one.
The colosseum was pretty easy to understand without one. THe only trick is to make sure that armed with your ticket, you go to the left -hand "group" entrance, brandishing your ticket, and by-passing the long queue on the right. THat gets you past security.
THen ignore the long queue again on your right, which is the ticket queue proper, and carry on right around the building til you get to the actual entrance.
The easiest way up to the upper floor is to use the lift!
Have a wonderful time.

jabez

Get the inexpensive tour that the Forum staff does. You can get this at the Forum booth previously missed. You may need to check on the time for an English speaking one.
I believe,in season, it leaves around 8:30am.
You can also get an audio or inexpensive tour of the Colliseum right outside it. If you get this one, they will offer a free Forum one that afternoon (looking to sell you on a Vatican one).
While guidebooks can be quite good, most every major site in Rome is better enhanced with some kind of tour (including audio).

Mimar

bblount, if there's any place I've ever been that needed a guide, it's the Roman Forum. It's a large stretch of ground, filled with broken columns, pieces of marble, fractured friezes, etc. There are no signs in any language. You have no idea what you're looking at.

We took a free tour that left from the west end of the Forum at 2:00. Don't know if they still have'em.

mjdtravelers

I strongly suggest having a guide through the Forum/Colliseum. Icon Tours "Ancient Rome" itinerary is amazing! (www.icontours.com) The groups are very small (5-8) and the guides are all art/history majors. We even had outsiders commenting on how great they were.