V I S I T

GREAT NEWS!!! Until October 30 2011 it will be possible to visit the underground and the second and third floors of the Colosseum. The visit lasts 2 hours. Groups of maximum 25 people will be guided by specialized staff. There is the possibility of having English and Spanish speaking guides. It is compulsory to book and buy the tickets in advance through the Call Center +39(0)6 399 67700. Find more info on tickets and times on the site www.pierreci.it Click here for a description of my visit to the underground

THIS SITE IS NOT CONNECTED AT ALL WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE COLOSSEUM AND DOES NOT SELL TICKETS FOR THE COLOSSEUM, BUT SUGGESTS
-  FIVE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO IT
-  HOW TO SKIP THE QUEUE
-  HOW TO GET THERE !

The Colosseum, together with the Palatine (the ticket is valid for both) is the most visited monument in Italy, so it takes some time to get in the amphitheatre, especially during the tourist season. The picture below shows the locations of the services inside and around.

Opening hours: The ticket office closes one hour before the site closing time.
Closed 1 January and 25 December.
8:30 am - 4:30 pm from the last Sunday of October to February 15
8:30 am - 5 pm from February 16 to March 15
8:30 am - 5:30 pm from March 16 to last Saturday of March
8:30 am - 7:15 pm from last Sunday of March to August 31
8:30 am - 7 pm from September 1 to September 30
8:30 am - 6:30 pm from October 1 to last Sunday of October

Tickets can also be bought at the ticket offices of the Palatine Hill located in Via San Gregorio No. 30 and Piazza Santa Maria Nova No. 53 (200 metres from the Colosseum) and also allow entrance to the Palatine Hill and to the Roman Forum.

Full price: €12
Reduced Fee: €7 for European Union citizens between 18 and 24 years old and for European Union teachers;
Free Entrance: for European Union citizens under 18 and over 65 years old

Bookings:
1.50 euros for single entry,
21 euro for groups,
10 euros for schools.
Call +39.06.3996 7700 (Monday - Friday 9-13.30 and Saturday 14.30-17);

Additional services:
Audio guide, Bookshop, Guided tours

The ticket for the Colosseum is also valid for the visit to the Palatine and is valid one day for an entrance in each site. You can buy the ticket at the Colosseum and book by telephone or online; in fact there are FIVE different ways:

1. At the Colosseum ticket office

2. By telephone
CALL CENTRE FOR INFO AND BOOKINGS: +39 (0)6 399 677 00
To reserve entrance by telephone contact the Call Center  from Mondays to Saturdays 9 am-1:30 pm and 2:30 pm-5 pm (fee for services € 1,50 individuals, € 21,00 groups, € 10,00 schools).

3. Online
OFFICIAL SITES FOR BOOKINGS AND SALES
LINK TO THESE SITES 1, 2 OR 3 AND COMPARE THE PRICES
You can print your own ticket

CHECK PRICES AND CONDITIONS, THEY ARE DIFFERENT FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS!
The Soprintendenza Archeologica di Roma has introduced a new obliged groups booking service for the entrance in the Colosseo which includes a free service of radio-guide instruments, for groups without theirs own radio-guide. The service is compulsory for groups composed by a minimum of 14 to maximum of 50 visitors and the cost is € 21,00 (€ 1,50 each person from 15 to 50), also for the schools (max 50 pupils) there’s an obliged reservation of € 10,00.

4. Archaeologia Card
It is valid 7 days and gives access to 9 sites: Colosseum, Palatine, Caracalla Baths, Villa dei Quintili, Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella and the four sites of the National Roman Museum: Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Diocletian Baths. Price: € 23 (€ 12 discounted) if you buy it at any one of the above sites.
The discount is given to young (18-25) UE citizens and to teachers.THE CARD IS FREE for UE citiziens under 18 and over 65 years; at the cashier station they 'll receive a free ticket. All the discount prices are accepted if accompanied by I.D.; otherwise you must pay the full price.
You can also buy it online (€ 23,50 and € 12,50 discounted) but the Cards must be collected at the Colosseum.
The Card is valid 7 days from the day you select during the online purchase process, it is valid for one day-entrance per each museum. The Card also allows you a discount for a guided or audio guide tour. Online you can purchase a maximum of 11 online Cards per transaction; over 11 tickets you have to book a group access ticket clicking on the Group botton.

5. Roma Pass
ROMA PASS: the Colosseum is included in the Roma Pass circuit, a 3 days integrated ticket valid for the most important museums and archaeological sites of the city, and also for travelling on the transport network

Remember that this is not the official site of the Colosseum; the official address and telephone no. of the Colosseum (information from the site of Rome's Museums) is: Piazza del Colosseo - 00184 Roma - Tel. 067004261.

Call 06 399 677 00 also to book a guided tour with professional guides. In any case personal electronic guides (with earphones) are available for rent at the entrance, so one can wander around the ruins, together with the many cats that live there, while listening to the machine. One can visit the ground floor and the first (second floor used to be visitable but now seems to be closed). A part of the arena has been recently reconstructed, and I can tell you that the sight of the amphitheatre from the middle of the arena is amazing. In the past one was restricted to the edges of the arena, and it was a poorer perspective.

The Colosseum is rather accessible to people in wheelchairs, apart from some steps here and there. There is a lift to the first floor on the northern side. Toilets are on the other side, and there is also a shop of books, guides and souvenirs.** AUGUST 2011 UPDATE: THE LIFT HAS BEEN OUT OF ORDER FOR SOMETIME BUT NOW IS UNDER MAINTENANCE AND SOON (!) WILL BE WORKING.

How to get there: the monument is extremely central in the city of Rome: a few hundred yards from Piazza Venezia, and close to the Forums. On Sundays the motor traffic is forbidden and Via dei Fori Imperiali and the square of the Colosseum  are available to bicycles and strollers. Just outside the Metro station there is a taxi parking, a Bike rental and a bar with tables outside: you can sip your cappuccino in the shade of the biggest thing in Rome.