I will be traveling to Florence and Rome during Christmas. I am wondering if I should reserve tickets online for museum or just wait till I get there. Are there any passes to buy that are worth the money either in Rome or Florence. We will be staying in both places for 4-5 days each.
We thought that buying advance tickets for the Uffizi and Accademia was one of our smartest travel decisions, confirmed by being able to walk past long lines of folks waiting to buy same-day tickets.
Same experience as Warren. Waited ten minutes with a reservation and heard people complaining that they had been there for hours. If they had only read the book.
If you want to go to the Borghese in Rome, reservations are mandatory. Reserving online for the Vatican museums will also save you tons of time. Ask your Rome hotel to make a reservation for the Borghese and your Florence hotel for the Academia and the Uffizi. There is almost always a line for the Uffizi. Sometimes, especially in the late afternoons, there's no line for the Academia - if you haven't paid for the reservation, you can skip it and just buy the regular tickets at the window, saving a few euros.
Thanks for the help everyone! I made reservations for the Uffizi and Academia this morning over the phone and made online reservations for the Vatican. So excited! Now, any recommendations for restaurants in either Rome or Florence?
Restaurant - Trattoria Nella in Florence. Great family owned small restaurant. In Rick Steves Tuscany guide. Loved it and the father-son who operate the restaurant.
Probably a little late since the OP was going to be in Rome over Christmas. She is probably home now and maybe we will get a follow up report.