How long is the wait to enter Rome tourist sites?

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samsnedecker

The Coliseum shares an entry ticket with the Palatine Hill, which is located right next to it. There is never more than a handful of people at the Palatine Hill so buy your tickets here. Once you're done at the Palatine Hill go to the Coliseum and since you already have a ticket you skip the line.

April-Oct the best time to visit the Vatican Museum is on a Tuesday or Thursday afternoon at 1p. Nov-March the hours are shorter so arrive about 11:30, again try to go on Tuesday or Thursday.

monorailgold

Hello,

It depends on the day, time of day, the attraction and the season. For the most part, the only places that have lines are the colosseum and the vatican museums. Sometimes the line for the vatican can be well over an hour long but if you go after 12 or 12:30 usually the wait is less than 15 minutes if at all. Mondays and Saturdays are busier than any other of the week and the vatican museum is closed on Sundays (except the last Sunday of the month,when it is free) For the colosseum, it is hit or miss as to how long the line can be. In the summer the line can be up to an hour long. If you go to the palatine hill ticket booth you can get your ticket for the colosseum without much of a line. This ticket is a combo ticket that is good for both sites. I would suggest going early in the morning or in the late afternoon. On Sundays they close down the via dei fori imperiali, which is the road between the foruma and trajans markets. This attracts a lot of foot traffic and the colosseum and forums seem to be busier than on other days of the week. As for other sites, there is never any line to get into the forum, the pantheon, piazza navona, trevi fountain, the spanish steps or any of the numerous churches in Rome. Also, I have never seen a line to get into any of the other museums around Rome.

rometourguide

Hi
I am an American tour guide living here in Rome, so i am there almost everyday. Basically as far as the vatican museums are concerned, 12:30-1 pm is THE best time NEVER go in the mornings as you will find a line that wraps around and goes all the way to st.peter's square. They open at 10am so people will get in line at around 8am even! not a good idea. Have an early lunch and then head over. You could see the basilica first and that line is not a problem even if it seems long sometimes as it is just the metal detectors. If you have a stroller or wheelchair you cannot go into the basilica with the stroller and must leave it where the bathrooms are after you pass the metal detectors. They are REALLY strict with dress codes there so keep this rule in mind: shoulders and knees should be covered. Should you be wearing something inappropriate, they sell paper pants near the metal detectors for 5 euro and shawls for shoulders at around 2 euro. You can take all the pictures you want inside the basilica as they are mosaics and the flash will not ruin them as they would ruin the frescoes in the museums where you cannot use it.
As far as the colosseum is concerned, I would buy the ticket along with the palatine hill ticket online even so as to avoid the line. However, if you are taking a group tour there is a different line where there is hardly any wait. They have elevators inside as well for wheelchairs. Let me know if you'd like other information about rome or tours which I offer too. Hope you have a great trip!

Veronica
rometourguide@yahoo.com
rome_tours@yahoo.it

samanthajanecaroline

If you plan to visit either the Vatican Museums or the Colosseum I suggest you get there early in the morning. If you arrive at the Vatican after around 9.30 in the morning you'll be waiting for a couple of hours. The Colosseum isn't such a long wait but if you go in the afternoon your wait will be around an hour usually.

Also, Veronica the tour guide forgets to tell you that on some day admission at the Vatican ceases at lunch and if you've stood in line for ages they'll just close the doors and you'll have waited for nothing.

Here's a link to the official website of the Vatican museums and as you'll see entrance on many days ceases a 13.30hrs

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Orario.html
Buona fortuna

razorsquiggy

I bought advance tickets to the Colloseum, the Vatican Museums, the Uffizzi, and the Acadamia. I just show up at the correct time and there will be little or no wait. If you don't show up at time you will forfeit your tickets so be sure of what you want to do. I used Select Italy and they were great to work with. Have fun!

Ale M

For the Vatican museum you have to expect about 1 hour in queue. It is always very busy, however you'd better pick a Monday, and go in the early morning.
For the Coliseum you don't get long waits.

For the vatican museum go at noon. I went at first hour in the morning and waited for about 90 minutes, when i left at noon wasn`t any line. (i heard it`s allways like that)
The same ticket that you buy for the colosseum includes the visit to the palatine hill. So you can buy the ticket at the palatine hill entrance (next to the tito`s arc). There is no line at all.
Good luck
(I hope you can understand my poor english)

Homey

The forum, coliseum, pantheon, and numerous other ruins are only a short walk from each other. The coliseum took about 45 minutes to get in. Most other attactions and museums I attended required only a very short wait, maybe 10 minutes. Central Rome near the tiber river is great for walking, there is so much to see.

smilies1998

It depends on the time of day. The line starts for the vatican museum about 6am and if you are not there by 7 or 730 you will not get in I know people that have waited a 4-5 hours and then the musuem closed for the day. They are only open from 10-3:30 most days some days 10-12:30. The line ususally wraps around the outer wall of the vatican. All days are busy but the busiest day would be the free days which are last sunday of each month. You can not pre pay your tickets so everyone has to wait in line even tour groups. The colosseum you can wait up to a couple of hours to get in. They do have people out side the colossuem that do do tours but you pay more but you get in right a way or with in 20 minuter or so.
The best time to go both of off peak travel season which makes the wait shorter but they are still always busy because everyone wants to see them

Tummi

I went to Vatican early morning and the line was already long and the wait was about 45 minute. The colosseum was not as bad.

lauren s

book yr reservation online before you go to the vatican so you don't have to wait in line. the colosseum has many entrances altho many people go to the main entrance & think the line is soooo long......walk around the colosseum to find the shortest line.

go the pantheon early in the morning & it will be empty!!!!!! it's a totally different experience than when filled w/ people

have fun!!!

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