Uffizi tickets: buying online
 

I am trying to buy tickets for the Uffizi for myself and husband for May. The Uffizi's site says the tickets are €8.00 plus a €4.00 per ticket booking fee. But when I try to order online, it is showing a price of €16.50 per ticket and it is not clear if that includes the booking fee. It also will not let me order two tickets together. Am I missing something? This is the site I am trying to purchase from (official website):

https://webshop.b-ticket.com/webshop...k?language=en#

I also want to buy advance tickets for the Accademia Gallery online but I have a feeling the same thing is going to happen.

Okay, I can order two tickets. Only some of the times allow only one ticket. As for the price, there is a special exhibition going on when we will be there and the price for that is €12.50, which would explain the extra €4.00. So, am I correct in assuming that if there is a special exhibition, you pay for it whether you plan on seeing it or not?

I can't help you with that but why aren't you using the Uffizi's own website? I just tried and had no trouble, although I didn't complete the purchase of course. But had no trouble ordering two. This is the URL

http://www.uffizi.org/museum/admission-tickets/

Just click on the calendar for the date you want and go from there. It ended up being about 12.50 euro per person with ticket plus reservation fee, plus they automatically added in some special exhibition fee for the date I chose.

I am using the Uffizi's website. It brings you to the site I linked to.

Actually, no, sorry. I thought I was at the Uffizi's official website but apparently it is an official site for booking tickets to many museums and sites in Florence. In any case, the Uffizi's official site is going in circles not allowing me to input a time. I think the price will be the same though.

Buying tickets online is proving to be impossible. The Uffizi's site sucks, the site appears to be crashing when trying to buy tickets. I've tried 3 different browsers and my iPhone and cannot buy tickets. The site that I linked to above (which is the site that Rick Steve's website links to) refuses to empty my shopping cart, even after clearing the cache in my browser. That site will allow you to buy tickets for other museums so I figured I would buy for the Accademia Gallery at the same time, but I changed my mind about the time and now it just adds tickets. There does not seem to be a way to delete tickets from the shopping cart once they are there. No matter how many times I clear my browsing history and cache, all of the tickets are still there. So now it shows I want 8 tickets instead of 4! This is most infuriating.

Hi

You still have plenty of time before you leave. Give it a break for a few days and the site may have fixed up its hiccups. Otherwise try this site - http://en.firenze.waf.it/museo_dett/...a-gallery.html.

Thanks worldinabag. I ended up booking both the Uffizi and the Accademia through https://webshop.b-ticket.com/webshop...k?language=en#

I just hope I didn't throw out €66.00! I used a different browser that did not have my history so I was able to buy just the tickets I wanted. I originally thought it was the Uffizi's official site. When I Googled Uffizi tickets, it brought me to Rick Steves' site, which linked to the above site. I assume any site Rick Steves links to is okay, and I used a credit card that should protect me just in case (and has no foreign transaction fee). I decided to reserve both for the same day. The Uffizi at 9:00 AM and the Accademia for 3:30 PM. Hopefully that will leave enough time so we don't feel rushed.
When I lived in Siena, in 1980, I went to Florence and the Uffizi every Saturday. Although I know the Uffizi has changed since then, I think I allowed enough time, but not so much that my husband will get bored!

I also was lucky and able to get tickets to see the Last Supper in Milan. I really didn't think we would be able to see it, reading that you have to book months and months in advance. It wasn't cheap but I'm so happy to have gotten tickets (through a different web site that was a whole lot easier to deal with!)

Good news!

The procedure might have changed since but when we visited the Uffizi we assumed our "on line" documents were tickets. Luckily a tour guide in the queue informed us that we had to go to the booking office across the road and redeem the paperwork for tickets. Also even though you have booked tickets you will still need to queue. From memory it was approximately 30 minutes.

Just for future reference: The international phone line is a better, cheaper way to book.

The official sites (b-ticket is the booking engine).

http://www.polomuseale.firenze.it/en/musei/?m=uffizi

http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/

I find some Italian sites use older browsers, but they often list somewhere what you should use. This was on b-ticket.

**Please note that to make the log in you should enable cookie and pop up on your browser
For best results we advise you to use Firefox or Chrome.***

There is typically an exhibition with an extra charge once warmer weather starts (not just at Florence museums, but many museums in Italy. If you scroll down my first link, you will see the exhibition listed and dates.

***In conjunction with the exhibit "Gherardo delle Notti. Quadri bizzarrissimi e cene allegre", 10 February – 24 May 2015, full ticket price € 16,50, reduced € 10,25.***

It used to be calling the phone number on the official website was easiest to use and they didn't charge the booking fee (not open on Monday). I don't know if that is still the case. I know someone posted a couple of years ago they had their hotel book for them and avoided the booking fee. Later, they wanted to change their reservation day or time and discovered it wasn't allowed without paying a big fee.

I've never made reservations for the Accademia and have only waited in line 5-15 minutes, but I had cash. Much shorter wait if you had cash.

>>>So, am I correct in assuming that if there is a special exhibition, you pay for it whether you plan on seeing it or not?<<<

Yes, if you are buying entry tickets. Usually not if you are using a pass which seems strange to me (Firenze Card or Amici Degli Uffizi). The Friends of the Uffizi family card can be a good deal if you are seeing several museums (used to have a special entrance at Uffizi)as it's 100€ for a family (valid all year Jan-Dec). It's difficult to break even on the Firenze Card because it's expensive and only good for 72 hours.

http://www.amicidegliuffizi.it/diven...php?pg=8&ln=en

I used the polomuseale page yesterday, bought tickets for Uffizi and the Accademia for September with no problem. Both tickets were €16.50 each. Site is REALLY REALLY slow but works.

MY MISTAKE!!!! I used the b ticket site for tickets in September and the price was €16.50 each. I believe the b ticket site is the official museum site.

>>> I believe the b ticket site is the official museum site.<<<

The official museum site is Polo museale. If you want info about the museums (times, rules, exhibits, news), you use that site. If you click to buy a ticket on Polo Museale, it rolls over to b-ticket for the booking process. B-ticket is a booking engine they use (sort of like Ticketmaster in the US), not a museum website. As stated on b-ticket's website:

***The official site for Polo Museale online museum ticket sales.***

KYBOURBON: Thanks for clearing that up!! I was confused as always:)

I booked on the b-ticket site. I got the tickets and that is what counts, at least I hope I got tickets! It's really just a confirmation page with both dates and times on it. What is odd is that they have row and seat numbers! I have no idea what that is all about.

As far as calling to save the booking fee, I would end up paying for an international phone call. Maybe it would still be cheaper but how many euros would I really be saving? Actually, probably quite a few since it cost €16.00 in fees for the 4 tickets but that's okay. I just don't want to wait on a really long line. But according to worldinabag, we may still have to wait. It makes me wonder what the point of buying tickets in advance is.

The Last Supper tickets were €27.50 each I believe. I have no idea if that is the normal price. I felt lucky just to be able to get tickets!

I'm glad you posted this, laurieco, because I had forgotten about getting tickets in advance for the Uffizi and the Accademia until I read this thread. I bought ours last night, but I had to buy one pair, log out of the website and close the browser tab, then go back to the site and log in again to buy the second pair.

So far, we're out of luck on The Last Supper. I think we'll do what someone (bvlenci?) suggested and see if any are available during our day in Milan.

Lee Ann

Good luck Lee Ann. I hope you get tickets. I also hope that we will get close enough to see The Last Supper and not be 25 people deep! I'll never forget when I was a child and my father took me to the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in NYC to see the Mona Lisa, which was on loan from the Louvre for a special exhibit. All I remember is being so far away, behind what seemed like hundreds of people! Fast forward about 30 years when I saw Mona Lisa at the Louvre. I was with a friend and when we approached the room with Mona Lisa, I said we would spot it immediately because that is where the crowd of people would be. There was no one near it! I've been to Paris many times and only on one or two occasions did I ever encounter the crowds at Mona Lisa as there were at the Met. I sure hope we get to see The Last Supper up close and personal.

>>>As far as calling to save the booking fee, I would end up paying for an international phone call.<<<

I think people calling use Skype. It seems there is more time slot availability if you call, than online.

>>>The Last Supper tickets were €27.50 each I believe. I have no idea if that is the normal price. I felt lucky just to be able to get tickets!<<<

They are hard to get. Normal price is 6.50€ plus a 1.50€ booking fee. People get up in the middle of the night to try to get them and many simply aren't able so you end up buying elsewhere (don't know how all the websites have access to tickets). Part of the problem is the limited number of people allowed in at a time (you go through airlocks, etc.). Just not very many tickets available as a result. Viva ticket is the official booking engine for them. Many people resort to booking tours that take them in (tour companies must have an arrangement for entry I guess).

http://www.vivaticket.it/index.php?nvpg[evento]&id_show=63954&idt=744

Be sure to go early as you have to pick up your tickets at the museum office. The website says you must be there at least 20 minutes in advance or you will not make your entry time.

It's been years since I saw The Last Supper. It was funny going through high-tech airlocks, then stopping in the bathroom by their bookshop to find a low tech Turkish toilet.

>>> But according to worldinabag, we may still have to wait. It makes me wonder what the point of buying tickets in advance is.<<<

Make sure you don't get in the regular line at the Uffizi (there will be a long line of people wanting tickets).

>>I think people calling use Skype.<<

Nope. There's an international number that works fine. Operators speak excellent English. No surcharge. No prepay.

Post a link vin.

"It makes me wonder what the point of buying tickets in advance is."

Laurieco, wait until you see the queue for those that didn't pre buy!! :((

ky: I had to look in my travel file. The number is 011-39-055-294-883 from the US and 055-294-883 in Italy.

The last time I used it, there was no fee, but someone told me they've added one. I can't verify that. However, there still is no prepay AFAIK. You book a timed ticket, show up and pay for your ticket, and go in. If you're a no-show, there's no charge for the ticket. (If there is a fee, I'm guessing they added it because they were getting a lot of no-shows.)

>>>>The Uffizi's site says the tickets are €8.00 plus a €4.00 per ticket booking fee. But when I try to order online, it is showing a price of €16.50 per ticket and it is not clear if that includes the booking fee.<<<<

That does include the booking fee. Found this on the event page.

***Ticket prices

Full Price: € 12,50
Reduced: € 6,25
Hours
Tuesday – Sunday
8.15 am – 6.50 pm;
last tickets sold at 6.05 pm
Closed Mondays and 1 May***

vin - I misunderstood your post. I thought you meant you knew a cost free number to call from the US. Here's the info about calling (they don't make the info easy to find).

****Tickets and Booking
How can I buy tickets?

Tickets can be purchased directly at the ticket offices of the museums that are part of the Polo Museale Fiorentino. For some museums the ticket can be purchased online. On the website, select the museum you wish to visit and consult the section Info, where you will find all the necessary information for visiting the museums of the Polo Museale Fiorentino. Alternatively, you can consult the Opening hours section, which specifies which museums offer the option of buying tickets online. Otherwise you can phone 055 294883.

How can I book the visit?

Booking is not obligatory, but it is recommended for some of the museums of the Polo Museale Fiorentino, such as the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery.

To make the booking, you can phone Firenze Musei on 055 294883, or you can book online on the Firenze Musei website.

The cost of booking varies depending on the museum. For information about ticket prices and the cost of booking select the museum you wish to visit and consult the section Info****

If anyone uses the phone number, please report back if you were charged (or didn't have to pay until entry) and whether a booking fee was charged.

Well, I may have really overpaid for the Last Supper tickets, but at least I know we will get to see it. A €21.00 booking fee per ticket. That's steep!

ky: Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear about it.

>>>A €21.00 booking fee per ticket. That's steep!<<<

Maybe not. There is also a tour fee (audioguide? - it's 3.50€). Your price might include the audioguide. You pretty much have to pay market price for this as tickets on the official site are so limited.

>>>What is odd is that they have row and seat numbers! I have no idea what that is all about.<<<

The seat ID is a widget that you can activate the service (by a link on the booking engine), log in from either your Facebook or Linkedin. Then you can see any if any of your friends (that also activated the widget) will be attending the event also.

We have been to the Uffizi and have had our hotel book the tickets for us; on a couple of occasions we paid the hotel directly and a couple of times they simply made a timed entrance reservation slot for us and we went to the ticket window and completed the transaction.

I just found this old post. I just purchased tickets for the Uffizi at b-tickets praying that the website was legit. I feel relieved now after reading the above comments. We paid 34 euros for two people. I think it includes an exhibit, but I'm not sure. It's all an adventure! Thanks for the comment about arriving early to pick up our tickets.