Colosseum Ticket

It's 30-days in advance, and they sell out quickly. So, that can mean getting up at a weird time in order to secure the tickets.

That's what I did. I can't comment on outside vendors, since I didn't use one.

So should I wait to buy our tickets to the Vatican so I can see what day I get for the Colosseum?

These previous threads should be helpful:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/forum-palentine-colosseum-tickets
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/rome-colosseum-ticketing

Would I be better off purchasing tickets from an outside vendor if I
see they are available on another site?

3rd-party vendors aren't assured of getting tickets either; they're just hoping that they will, We've seen reports in the past of cancelled 3rd-party tours because those companies couldn't get them. The coopculture "Full Experience with Underground access" and "The wonders of the Colosseum: visiting the Underground and the Arena" tickets are most difficult of all of Rome's attractions to get hands on, and it has been that way for some years now.

The vast majority of tourists are not going to be able to get them so have a Plan B...which would be pretty much anything you can get hands on that does NOT include the underground. You might also try getting the "COLOSSEUM BY NIGHT 2023 - ENGLISH TOUR" if the dates work for you and you don't mind that the ticket doesn't include the Palatine and Forum:

https://ecm.coopculture.it/index.php?option=com_snapp&view=event&id=2E4CF2E0-F5B7-7757-4241-0173584374D6&catalogid=06B97E06-CA46-981E-360A-017A9FE4C3F6&lang=en

Lastly, ticket release hours (See this page: https://www.coopculture.it/en/article/notice-for-colosseum-archaeological-park/) are ROME time so can be in the middle of the night here in the U.S. Honestly, I've been to the Colosseum twice in my past before the underground was even accessible to tourists and didn't feel like we'd missed much; you can see down into parts of the exposed lower level from areas above it.

Wow. I'll do my best when the time comes. Fingers crossed.

The Vatican Museums are selling out really early now. If you wait to buy that ticket until the Colosseum tickets go on sale 30 days out, there's a very, very good chance your only option will be to buy a tour of the Vatican Museums, which will cost substantially more. You should monitor the VM ticket situation by looking at ticket availability for your dates and the previous week every day--once they go on sale. That way, you'll have a bit of warning if you are running out of time and need to make a decision. Here's the website: Vatican Museum tickets. Regular admissiont tickets through June 12 have been put on sale. Every day from May 1 through June 12 is sold out; I assume the rest of April is also unavailable. From what I'm seeing now, I'd urge you to grab any VM ticket you can get and worry about the Colosseum later. Otherwise, you run the risk of having to pay for tours to both sights.

The recommendation here is to pay for an early-access tour at the Vatican Museums so you can experience the Museums and the Sistine Chapel in non-sardine-like conditions. I'm not trying to discourage that option; it's an excellent one if it fits in your budget. VM tickets offering early access don't usually sell out instantly, but they seem to sell out well in advance.

The other option is to forego the Museums if seeing them (and the Sistine Chapel) just isn't all that big a deal to you. The choice between miserable viewing conditions and an expensive tour (that requires you to wake up very early in the morning) is not a pleasant one.

I bought my Vatican ticket 3 months prior and chose the early entry called Prime Experience at 7:30 am that includes time before the museum opens and then breakfast, and after I can explore as I see fit. People on this forum recommend it highly. Then I had to wait to see what I could get for the Colosseum at 1 month prior--no point even thinking about the Underground part, I quickly realized that the day I wanted to go, 4/29 a Saturday, was sold out, so my chance to get inside the Colosseum at all (with Forum and Palatine Hill included) had to be the same day as the Vatican, but at 5:45 pm. I didn't bother with outside vendors for reasons already mentioned here. I really hope these highly sought after places find better ways to distribute tickets, seems like it shouldn't be this difficult.

Regarding the Vatican Museums:
Ordinary entrance tickets (no tour) go on sale 60 days out. I just ran through the booking calendar and they are completely sold out through June 14. June 15 hasn't gone on sale yet, and those tickets will likely disappear within minutes of becoming available.

They're booking the Prime Experience tour, mentioned above, through the end of the year so if your trip is some months out, you have some time there. Closer-in dates are selling out though; I only saw two dates in May that still had Prime tickets left for 2 people.

Krissy, when is your trip, and are you going to any other places in Italy that require tickets/prior reservations?

Thanks for all the wonderful insight. Two days ago, I purchased early entry/ breakfast passes for the Vatican and in my opinion it’s a great start. I will diligently watch for Colosseum tickets. Underground is really not essential. It would just be very interesting. We’re leaving NY the end of June, arriving into Rome and will stay for at least 10 days but that hasn’t been determined yet. After Rome we will head to the Pompeii are at for a few days and head north. I’m really considering renting a car. Our family has traveled a lot in the US with a travel trailer so we’re used to being I the roads.

Krissy, depending on where you're going, a car can be more hindrance than help in Italy. The Amalfi Coast area is one of those places where driving and parking can be a REAL headache during high season. Smaller villages elsewhere may be completely off limits to your vehicle: - you park outside and walk or take public transit into them - as are parts of larger cities. You'd want to read up on a thing called a ZTL plus get acquainted with road signage.

https://www.evz.de/en/travelling-motor-vehicles/motor-vehicles/limited-traffic-zone-in-italy.html
https://mominitaly.com/driving-in-italy/
https://italybeyondtheobvious.com. (scroll to bottom of page for the free "Driving in Italy" guide.)

As well, you don't want to leave anything of value in an unattended rental car, nor any luggage in plain sight.
Gas is much more expensive in Europe, and reports are that car rental rates are running very high lately.

If we have the Roma Pass which includes entry to the Coliseum, do I still need to buy tkts to get in? Is there a discount if I have the pass?

If not, why would anyone buy the pass if it’s not giving entry into the attraction. I’m sure the Coliseum is listed as one of the attractions.
Thanks!

Berry, you should to start a new thread with your question, and please refer to the Roma Pass website for info about advance reservations for the Colosseum...which yes, you do need to make if using the Roma. Pass. Specifically, reference the FAQ section under "Reservations:" and "For which museums it is necessary to make a reservation? How can I book?"

Again, the Colosseum is listed as one of the attractions covered by the pass BUT you still need to make an advance reservation. If you don't do that, you won't get in.

https://www.romapass.it/en/FAQ/

As a followup question, for the "TICKET COLOSSEUM, ROMAN FORUM, PALATINE_24H", it says that the ticket is valid for 24 hours from the first use. Is this literally correct so that I could in theory have a Colosseum entry time that I use for the evening of a Tuesday and then go to the Forum/Palatine Wednesday morning? I believe I can do this, but want to confirm with those with experience. (I do already realize that it can only be used once for Forum/Palatine entry.)

Thanks!