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Colosseum Tickets Question

I'm on the Coopculture site, trying to purchase tickets. I've gone through the post re: colosseum tickets, but the info is overwhelming.
I'm purchasing these: Colosseum-Roman Forum/Palatine > Full Price+Reservation
When I go through the steps to buy, no where does it ask for me to supply a date/time reservation. Is that because they are validated once I pick them up? Does that mean I will still have to wait in line?
Thanks for any help.
Jenny

Posted by
8 posts

Jenny,

I copied pasted below the information I got back when I emailed Coopculture regarding the Colosseum-Roman Forum/Palatine > Full Price+Reservation tickets. And once I paid on line I printed out my e-tickets at home. I hope this answers your questions.
Sheila

Dear client,

you can purchase your tickets on our website www.coopculture.it

The cost of the full ticket is 12 euro + 2 euro for the reservation fee.

I suggest you choose "print at home", so you can print at home all the tickets. In this way, you can go to the Coliseum turnstile with the tickets already printed, without queuing.
Print at home is possible only with full tickets
Reduced or free tickets (those can be booked selecting only the booking fee of 2 €) can be reserved only with the voice “collect on site”.

The reduced ticket is 7,50 euro + 2 euro for the reservation fee

Free ticket is 0 euro + 2 euro for the reservation fee.

In this case, you have to go to the ticket desk of the Coliseum, without waiting in line, with the reservation code and they will give you back the tickets.
From May 30, 2013, free tickets are granted to children under 18 years old of all nationalities in all the Museums and Archaeological Sites of the Archeological Superintendency of Rome. To get free tickets is required a document showing the date of birth.

Tickets are without time and date and are valid two days in a row from the first usage till December 31st 2015; it means that you can use them on the day you prefer to visit the Coliseum and on the same day or on the day after to visit the Roman Forum and the Palatine.

Regards

Stefano R

Posted by
78 posts

Sheila, thank you! That was so helpful!!!
Jenny

Posted by
4152 posts

You can only use the print at home option for full priced tickets, so anyone traveling with children will need to pick up their tickets at the colosseum.

Jenny, just show up with your confirmation email and the guards will show you which line to take to get to go directly to the special events desk or, if you printed your ticket they will put you in the line to go directly to the turnstiles and security check point. You won't need to wait in the regular ticket line if you have either printed tickets or a confirmation email but you must go through the security check and there may be a short line for that.

Donna

Posted by
12 posts

Hmm, I'm going with 2 kids. How long is the line to pickup the free kids' tickets? I'm wondering if we'll be better off just paying for the tickets to save time.

Posted by
203 posts

Don't bother paying. Either way you line up for the security check - which was about 30-35 min when I was there last week.

Posted by
4152 posts

49er, buy two adult tickets for pick up on site. Once at the site you can go to the special events window to pick up your ticket and get the two free tickets for the kids. Remember to bring their passports for proof of age.

The security line can be long at times but most of the time it's 10 minutes or less.

Donna

Posted by
2 posts

I'm trying to purchase Colosseum tickets from the Coopculture website but the drop down menu for nationality does not give me an option for US citizen. What should I do? Please help!

Posted by
4152 posts

It does. It's in Italian which is the language the site is based off of. Try Stati Uniti.

Donna

Posted by
2 posts

Thanks so much Donna! I guess it makes sense now that you tell me.

Posted by
251 posts

I actually selected "Isole Verging (USA)" because I couldn't find where to select "American". Wish I knew to select Uniti Stati before!

Posted by
12 posts

I posted the question about how best to buy tickets if we're visiting the Colosseum with kids; basically, I'm willing to buy the kids tickets online ahead of time if that saves me time over getting the free tickets on-site. I'm confused by the responses I received. One response suggested I buy the tickets for the adults then pick them up along with the kids tickets in person; I don't understand why I would buy them ahead of time in that case. Maybe I should ask more specific questions:

1) How much time (estimate) does it take to get the free kids tickets onsite? We will be visiting on either June 13 or 14 (Saturday or Sunday); I can adjust timing to optimize for less crowds/less wait time.

2) Other than the security line -- which I presume we'll have to wait in whether we buy and print our tickets ahead of time or not -- what are the other lines one would have to wait in?

Posted by
15678 posts

One response suggested I buy the tickets for the adults then pick them up along with the kids tickets in person; I don't understand why I would buy them ahead of time in that case.

49er, read Donna's detailed response again: you want to purchase the adult tickets in advance - to be collected AT the Colosseum - because the benefit is NOT having to stand in the looooooong ticket-purchasing line. While EVERYONE MUST go through security, you are able to skip that other line. As she said, you are able to go directly to the Special Events desk to pick up yours and the children's tickets.

Yes, this WILL save you time, and you won't have to wait in any other line except security check unless the site is full to capacity. As noted on the Coopculture website:

http://www.coopculture.it/en/the-colosseum.cfm

"Please note that for safety reasons the Coliseum can accommodate up to 3.000 people at once. This could lead to delays in access to the site, even for pre-booked visitors ."

The Colosseum is, along with the Vatican Museum, Rome's top tourist attraction so it's very busy all the time, and especially so during high season so I don't think it makes a huge difference what time you choose - although, Donna, do you have other thoughts here?

Posted by
4152 posts

If you buy tickets for the adults online and use the print at home option then you'll have tickets in hand but the kids won't. You'll need to wait in the regular ticket line to get the free tickets for the kids. This line can be hours long depending on the time and day.

If you buy tickets online for the adults and choose to pick them up onsite then you bypass the ticket line and go to the special events desk to pick them up. At that point you can just get the free kids tickets. This will save you 4 euros in booking fees for the kids tickets.

You can purchase all tickets online but you'll still need to pick them up at the special events desk because free or reduced price tickets cannot be printed at home.

The easiest, cheapest and quickest way is to buy the adult tickets online, picking them up at the special events desk, ask for the free tickets and then go through security.

Donna

Posted by
506 posts

Pick up your tickets at the Forum ticket booths, they are a lot easier to get this done, the Colosseum is very crowded unless you get there very early. If you can afford a little more you might considered adding on the tour because it is still a long long line at the Colosseum even if you have pre bought tickets. Those tickets are good for two days, we did the Forum and Palatine Hill on one day and the Colosseum in another. If you are going this summer prepare for hot sun and humidity, not a lot of shade in either place.

Posted by
4152 posts

If you buy tickets online to pick up on site you cannot pick the. Up at the forum entrance. You need to pick them up at the colosseum.

Donna

Posted by
4152 posts

Kathy, you're right.. Both sites are busy all day long during high season so it doesn't make much difference what time of day you visit.

Donna

Posted by
14 posts

I'm curious why no one mentioned the Roma Pass. It offers access to two major attractions (no queue) plus access to public transportation. It comes in 2 flavors 2day and 3day passes. The time starts when they are validated and go for full days, not partial days.

http://www.romapass.it/p.aspx?l=en&tid=2

The pass also allows fast access to "free" museums...or so they say.

The pass does not include the Vatican or any of their museums.

Posted by
15678 posts

orakle, the pass was not mentioned because it wasn't part of the question. The cost of the pass for the benefit of the transport option is also not what every tourist wants or needs to have. We've used public transport very little in Rome so the Roma Pass was not a benefit for us. Tickets to the sites we wished to see which involved long lines could be pre-ordered or otherwise obtained without buying the pass.

Donna, thanks much for weighing in on the time issue!!!!