We are visiting the Colosseum May 11th. We wanted underground + Level III guided tour. I believe these tickets were released just a day or so ago, and now they are already show as essentially 'sold out' (only 1 ticket available).
Will more tickets be released, or did we miss our chance? I know we can book through another tour agency, but we weren't planning on doing so. Thanks in advance.
You most likely missed your chance (they don't release more). I haven't booked for this in two years, but at that time, it was recommended that you press the purchase button at the exact minute on the clock Italy-time that the tickets open for your date. So we were up at midnight to buy ours. I know they've since switched to releasing 3 mos. at a time, but I bet the demand hasn't changed ...
You have another chance at the underground (although not 3rd level):
"Pre-sale of Full Experience tickets with scheduled entrance time to the Colosseum Underground, ONLINE ONLY
5 MARCH at 5:30 pm, in the monthly availability of APRIL
2 APRIL at 5:30 pm, in the monthly availability of MAY
7 MAY at 6:30 pm, in the monthly availability of JUNE"
All times noted are ROME time.
Tickets including underground or underground + 3rd level sell out very, very quickly for high and shoulder season. Only so many are available, and they're the most in-demand tickets in Rome. It's a long shot but you could also keep checking for the ones you want; purchases that were cancelled or rejected can make a few more available after they show as sold out.
When do tickets for July go on sale? I looked at the web page and did not see that,
Thank you
Kathy is right-on.
4 of us are going to be there in May. 2 of us wanted that same ticket. They weren't "on sale" at 10:33 Minnesota time but when I refreshed the screen at 10:40ish they were all sold out.
That may occur again at the date/time Kathy said. So have a backup plan.
I've read of people phoning to get tickets.
MAYBE - they phone prior to the release time and can get them 1) early or 2) stay on the phone with the CoopCulture person until they're available and get them "immediately"
Our friends just went with the "arena" type ticket, rather than hassleing with the above
The 2020 schedule for sales of ordinary tickets and tours is on the righthand side of this page. It doesn't show all of the text unless you click [++] sign to expand it.
Thank you for the advice! We ended up booking through the Roman Guy for a tour on the dates we need. Crazy pricey, but it is what it is.
Are there any horror stories of these 3rd party places overbooking, too, and canceling? I've seen rumors pop up on the internet.
Mary, not just 3rd parties but the management of the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine themselves can cancel their own tours due to strikes, weather, repairs or other complications. For instance, this just popped up on the coopculture website last week:
CLOSURE OF ARENA, UNDERGROUND AND THIRD LEVEL
Due to the complex setting-up and taking down of the Via Crucis during the Holy Easter, from April 1st until April 12th the access to the arena, the underground and the third level of the Coliseum will be closed to the public.
Last year, the Italian Ministry of Culture announced National Museum Culture Week, when entry to all state museums/monuments would be free, with such short notice that the museums themselves, as well as the tour companies, were caught out. As no tours are generally allowed during free-entry days, there was a lot of scrambling to refund bookings!
As well, 3rd parties have to acquire tickets same as individuals do. Sometimes they can't get them for a particular day or time so will offer an alternative to the day/time booked or a refund. Pretty much all of them I've looked at have disclaimers somewhere on their websites to cover that possibility. Here's Roman Guy's disclaimer (under the FAQs):
Can my tour be canceled or moved to a different day?
Yes. Obtaining reservations for this tour is a complicated process, but we are the best at doing it! However, sometimes we don't always secure reservations for every day. While this is rare, it does happen. We will let you know at least 7 days prior to your tour if this is the case for you. You'd be entitled to 100% refund and we would do our best to move you to another one of our incredible restricted access tours! We got you covered!
Is it possible The Roman Guy will change this tour time?
Yes! It is possible. This tour is highly coveted and the reservations are hard to get. This is an industry challenge for tour companies. Times often change by a few hours and we will almost always update you at least 7 days before your tour. We really want you to be happy as a traveler and will do our best to meet the needs of your schedule. That being said, we are limited by a very low supply from the Colosseum. If necessary, The Roman Guy will call the number you've provided or email you with the goal of informing you of this change. If you are nervous about keeping up with time-changes we recommend booking a different Colosseum Tour. If you want to make sure your Colosseum tour is going to run as scheduled please email or call +1 888 290 5595.
