Booking Tours in Advance

Yes, if you want to visit the Vatican Musuems and Borghese Gallery in Rome; Uffizzi Gallery and Academia Museum in Florence; and Last Supper in Milan, either with or without a guided tour, then you should book them now. Opinion seems to be changing regarding whether booking ahead or on short notice leads to a shorter line for Rome's Colosseum. See booking info in Rick's Italy guidebook, or scroll through more threads on the same topic in the Italy section of this Travel Forum. Same goes for the Eiffel Tower, which is the main thing to book ahead in Paris, if you really want to ascend it; I've never bothered.

Christine, note that the word "tour" doesn't make it clear whether you are interested in private touring with a local guide, or whether you want to book with a bigger provider for a group tour - small, medium, or large. This forum tends toward completely independent travelers or those who book a few private guides during their trip.

As one reply noted, there are a few attractions that must be booked well in advance for individual tickets. I suppose some private guides have "the fix" in, for their unlimited-price customers! But many independent travelers are disappointed about the Borghese or The Last Supper. Even more attainable crowded places, like the Uffizi, are a much pleasanter experience with a timed, pre-booked ticket.

You didn't "complain" about having a fixed appointment at a strange place, far in the future. But that's the trade-off.

June is high season so for those top sites I'd definitely book tours in advance.