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Colosseum-free sunday-skip the line

My husband and I will be in Rome for Heart of Italy tour-getting there 1 day early. Hoping to see the colosseum on Sunday, Aug 31. Have read that the last Sunday of the month is free Sunday. Which to me means, long lines. I have gone on RoninRome.com and have found that you can purchase "Skip the Line" tickets. If it's free that day, do you still need to purchase tickets to be able to skip the line or do they not offer it that day? If you can't do that, what would be the best way to get to see it while avoiding the lines?

Posted by
4152 posts

You cannot purchase tickets for free Sundays. On free Sunday there is no way to skip the lines. You'll need to show up and stand in line with everyone else who wants to get in for free. The lines will be very long, just like at the Vatican museums on their free Sundays. I wouldn't bother with visiting that day as it will be overcrowded and I don't like waiting in long lines when I don't have to.

Donna

Posted by
2455 posts

Deb, the Heart of Italy tour visits the Colosseum on Day #3, no? Do you really want to also go on your first day in Rome? Might better pick some other visits not on the tour itinerary, such as the Borghese Park and Gallery (if you can still get reservations), or one of the neighborhoods like Trastevere, etc.

Posted by
4152 posts

Just double checked and it's the first Sunday of the month for Rome and the last Sunday of the month for the Vatican museums. If you'll be there August 31rst you'll pay full price entry as the free Sunday will be the following week.

Donna

Posted by
104 posts

It seems your question was answered, however, for anyone who may wish to know about that last free Sunday at the colosseum. There IS a way to skip the line on Free Sunday. If you have purchased a Roma pass you can use it on Sunday to skip the line. Also if you book the Colosseum Underground Tour (which is not free on any day) then you can skip the line to join your tour at your reservation time. Just show your tickets (or pass) to the guard at the front of the line. Book your Undergroud tour well in advance, for Free Sunday is popular and others may be looking to find ways to skip the line also, FYI.

Posted by
4152 posts

I was just in contact with someone at the colosseum and they have told me there are not tours on free Sundays. This is part of the email I received:

*******On the first Sundays of the month, there will be the free admission. In this
case, tickets cannot be reserved in advance; they are available on-site
starting from 8.30 a.m. and no guided tours are possible to book.

So if you want to go on that day, you cannot use the tickets bought on-line.*******

I'm still waiting to hear back from the romapass people but I doubt that you'll be able to use the pass to bypass the lines. I'll let you know as soon as I know.

donna

Posted by
4152 posts

I just received this reply from the romapass people:

the first Sunday of each month is free admission to state museums (and
therefore also to the Colosseum).
If you want to enter by skiping the line having dedicated access to the
dedicated card holders, you must use the Roma Pass "consuming" an entry. No
problem.
Best regards.
*

In other words, you can bypass the long lines on free Sunday using the romapass but it will cost you a free entry on the card, so it won't be free.

Donna

Posted by
15679 posts

Excellent information, Donna; I'm sure this question is going to come up a lot.

Posted by
10 posts

Larry, thanks for your reply. I pulled out the itinerary and saw that the Colosseum is included in the tour on Day 3. We will choose another site to see that day. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Posted by
7981 posts

good info. I was not able to use my Amici to skip the lines in Florence during heritage day free openings so this may be a Colosseum specific policy.

Posted by
4152 posts

The policy for free Sunday is that no one can skip the lines. You cannot use a romapass for free entry as it will take one off of your card and you cannot book tours or buy entry tickets. Everyone must wait in the same line.

donna

Posted by
104 posts

It is likely that if you book a private (local) guided tour of the Colosseum on the free day that you can bi-pass the line with your guide, because there is a separate entrance for tours. To know for sure you should contact the private guide and ask what is the procedure for getting into the site with the guide on a free day.

Posted by
4152 posts

Sara, are you sure there are tours being allowed on free Sunday? The email I received from the official site said there were no tours on free Sundays and the tours sites I've tried are not booking for free Sundays.

Donna

Posted by
1 posts

I tried to book a tour for free Sunday on tickitaly.com and the site said guided tours weren't offered that day. It did offer "a booking service (with a small booking fee) if you wish to avoid the normal queues. Please note that because the authorities have placed a limit of 1000 visitors at a time, you may still be subject to some delays. Please note that these tickets are can only be used on the Sunday booked and are not valid for the following day." Is anyone familiar with this? The cost was 4 euro pp and seemed to indicate skip the line access but the entries on this site seem to suggest that isn't possible. I'd like to know before purchasing. Thanks.

Posted by
4152 posts

The reply that I received form the official site was the only way to bypass the line is to use the romapass but that would still consume a use of the pass, even on free Sunday (so it really wouldn't be free). That was the only way they said you can bypass the lines. Everyone else must line up beginning at 8:30 and wait for their tickets.

Donna