Uffizi and Villa Borghese
 

I have a couple of questions. I have been trying to reserve Uffizi tickets online and their website gets frozen every time. I'm using uffizi.or and florecen-museum.com/uffizi. Any tips?

Also, we are returning to Rome and are pondering visiting Villa Borghese.....is it a great one?

<< Also, we are returning to Rome and are pondering visiting Villa Borghese.....is it a great one? >>

It's fabulous. I've been 3 times and the last time I booked back to back tickets since 2 hours was not enough. Museums don't get much better than the Borghese.

I can't even imagine that you're using that link for Uffizi tickets. Florence is spelled incorrectly and you have a . at the end of the URL.

Try this URL

http://florence-museum.com/

Use the official state museums of Florence website:

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/index.php

It will roll over to a booking engine (bticket).

Any other websites mark-up the prices.

Borghese:
http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm

I loved the Galleria Borghese! When I return to Rome, I will go back. The Bernini sculptures alone are worth visiting.

Do not use the website. Use the phone service.

The Bernini collection at Galleria Borghese will probably change your view of sculptures forever. The sculptures you have seen before probably felt static, cold, or heavy. Then, you come to the Galleria Borghese. You can even imagine the Bernini sculptures in motion with clothes flapping in winds.

Ah, ky, where were you when I (thought I) was buying tkts from the Uffizi "official" museum site? :) Live and learn....they have purposely misleading website names. I did manage to correct my error when I bought Accademia tkts!

kybourbon - I can't get the Florence site to work. When I click on online booking nothing happens, no matter how long I wait.

I just tried this and it opened right up,,,,,

http://www.uffizi.org/

I am assuming that the .org indicates it is the actual museum site, as .org indicates non-profit.

It's timing out on me too, but it should roll over to b-ticket for the purchase. Perhaps there is a problem with the website. Try back.

socialworker - The site you listed is not official. It's a reseller and marks up the price. The uffizi.org site is charging 21.50€ for a ticket. Actual official ticket price is 6.50 + an online booking fee on b-ticket(should be 4€). Currently there is an exhibition which must be added to the cost of the ticket (5.50). That makes a ticket 12€ + 4€ booking fee. Total 16€ on the official website. I don't know if the uffizi.org price includes the exhibition (mandatory when they have them) or if you will have to pay it at the entrance.

If you call and book using the official website (polomuseale), you don't have to pay until you pick up the ticket and you don't incur the 4€ booking fee (or you didn't in the past).

>>>I am assuming that the .org indicates it is the actual museum site, as .org indicates non-profit.<<<

Totally wrong assumption. .org is a US non-profit thing, not Europe. Many official Italian websites are .it although some are starting to shift to .com (haven't seen any that are .org).

Europe has a free museum week in the spring (Culture week). Sadly, Rome is not participating this year. I don't know about Florence, but it's usually late April or early May. All state museums free.

Well, ky, fool me twice..... :(

Thank you for setting me straight!!

I thought those prices sounded a tad high, but just figured that they had been raised. I really feel silly.

PS Now you have me wondering if I really *did* buy "official" Accademia tkts!!

Borghese Gallery was fabulous, do not miss. "Greg" above said it best, and of all the Bernini in Rome, this gallery was #1.

Another vote for the Borghese. TIP: You will need to check in bags due to security requirements so allow time to do this prior to entering. You only have a 2 hour time limit to tour the gallery - every minute matters :)

Uffizi Gallery: TIP: Pre purchased tickets need to be redeemed at the ticket office opposite the entrance.

A quick Google shows culture week cancelled for financial reasons. They felt spring was too busy and the museums were losing money. There is talk of having it in November. Usually the last weekend in September is free (called European Heritage weekend).