Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Restoration:
The arena is being cleaned from top to bottom, given permanent lighting,
andoutfittedwithnewshopsandservices.Long-rangeplansincludebuildingafree-standing
ticket booth outside the Colosseum. These ongoing renovations, scheduled to last several
years, may affect your visit.
Warning:
Bewareofthe
greedygladiators.
Forafee,theincrediblycrude,modern-day
gladiators snuff out their cigarettes and pose for photos. They're officially banned from pan-
handling in this area, but you may still see them, hoping to intimidate easy-to-swindle tour-
ists into paying too much money for a photo op. (If you go for it, €4-5 for one photo usually
keeps them appeased.) Also, look out for
pickpockets
and con artists in this prime tourist
spot.
Getting There:
The Colosseo Metro stop on line B is just across the street from the
monument. Bus #60 is handy for hotels near Via Firenze and Via Nazionale. Bus #87 links
Largo Argentina with the Colosseum.
Getting In:
If you need to buy a ticket or sign up for a guided tour, follow the signs
for the appropriate line. With a combo-ticket or Roma Pass in hand, look for signs for
ticket
holders
or
Roma Pass
, allowing you to bypass the long lines.
Tours:
A dry but fact-filled
audioguide
is available just past the turnstiles (€5.50/2
hours).Ahandheld
videoguide
senseswhereyouareinthesiteandplaysrelatedvideoclips
(€6).
Official
guided tours
in English depart nearly hourly between 10:00 and 17:00, and last
45-60 minutes (€5 plus Colosseum ticket, purchase inside the Colosseum near the ticket
booth marked
Visite Guidate;
if you're lost, ask a guard to direct you to the desk).
Private guides
stand outside the Colosseum, looking for business (€25-30/2-hour tour
oftheColosseum, Palatine Hill,andForum).Ifbookingaprivate guide,makesurethatyour
tour will start right away and that the ticket you receive covers all three sights: the Colos-
seum, Forum, and Palatine Hill.
You can also download a free Rick Steves
audio tour
of the Colosseum; see
here
.
A 1.5-hour
behind-the-scenes tour
takes you through restricted areas, including under-
ground passageways and the third floor, which are off-limits to regular Colosseum visitors.
It's generally offered April-Nov only, and closes during and after bad weather, as the un-
derground passageways flood easily. While interesting, this tour certainly isn't essential to
appreciating the Colosseum. It's operated by Pierreci, a private company; to book, contact
thematleastadayinadvance(€8plusColosseumticket,
www.pierreci.it
,
call06-3996-7700
during business hours: Mon-Fri 9:00-18:00, Sat 9:00-14:00, closed Sun, no same-day reser-
vations). After dialing, wait for English instructions on how to reach a live operator, then
reserve a time and pre-pay with a credit card. Without a reservation, you can try to join the
next available tour (may be in Italian): Once you have your Colosseum entrance ticket and
