booking with the colossem

Mina you can book your tour of the Colosseum here http://www.tickitaly.com/tours/colosseum-rome-tour.php
It includes admission to the Colosseum, Roman forum, Palantine hill and museum, it is good for 2 days. You dont have to wait in line, you go directly to the tour reservation desk. we took the 70 min tour of the dungeon and upper level, it was enough for us. You can spend as much time as you want in the areas open to the general admissions. The dungeon(lower level) and third floor can only be visited with a guide. The tour was 24,50€ per adult, less for kids depending on their ages.

Tickitaly is a third party vendor. The official site is: http://www.coopculture.it/en/ticket.cfm?office=Colosseo&id=2 If you just want tickets use the print at home option. To book a tour of the main areas or of the underground just click on the buy single option, agree to the terms then the date you want. All the tour options will come up. The underground tour in English is listed as "underground tour". The regular tour is listed as "colosseo- Eng". Both tour tickets or entry tickets allow you to bypass the lines. Tour tickets will include entry into the colosseum, forum and palatine hill. The cost for the underground tour will be 22.50 each (no reduction for non-EU kids) and the regular tour will cost 18.50 each (again, no reductions for kids). This includes the admission price. Donna

Thanks Donna Now if I want a tour of the Forum, that's not included Correct
the entrance fee is for all 3 places but that's it.

That's right. Tours of the forum are not included in the entry price. Entry into the colosseum, forum and palatine hill are included but not tours of the forum. You can book tours of the forum onsite. I have not done one yet as they are fairly new but plan to take one this summer to see how they are. There are some good audio guides online if you don't want to book a guided tour. Donna

Donna You mention a tour of the colosseum and an underground tour
If I do only the underground tour would that be enough or do you feel its complete with the aboveground tour as well Also through the colosseum website do they offer a tour of all 3 sites

Mina, the information on both the underground and regular tours is much the same, the history of the building, so doing both tours would be redundant. I would choose one or the other. No, the colosseum booking website is only set up to book tours of the colosseum and not the forum and palatine hill. You can book a tour of the forum at the site. For a tour of the palatine hill you would need to use a private company. You might want to consider audio tours for the forum and palatine hill. There are several really good ones on the internet. These allow you to go at your own pace, stopping and starting when you wish and spending more or less times at sites as they hold your interest. Donna

ok I think I would pick the underground tour and I guess after the tour we are free to look around right and so for 22.50 x4(husband and 2 teen boys) I will skip the lines, get entrance to the other 2 sites(no tour) and should I print the ticket or not? I have read that people have paid 9 euros for a ticket on some other postings
whats this?

The tour costs 9 euros if you book it separately from the entry tickets. Entry tickets cost 12 euros and there is a 1.50 booking fee if you book tickets online. Your tour ticket will include entry to the three sites and the tour of the underground colosseum. Your ticket is valid for 2 consecutive days giving you one entry into each of the three sites. You cannot visit each site more than one time per ticket. As for printing the tickets, if you purchase a tour you cannot print the tickets at home. You need to print the confirmation email you will get but the tickets for the tour must be picked up at the colosseum. IF you wish to visit the forum and/or palatine hill before visiting the colosseum you can buy your tickets online using the print at home option. This way you'll have the tickets in hand and can visit the other sites first. If you do this you will need to call to book the underground tour. You cannot book just the tour online but the phone call is quick and easy to do. This will give you the most flexibility with your tickets as the guards have not been letting people in the colosseum before the start of their tour. Donna