Hi - I am leaving for a trip to Italy - mostly Rome and Florence this Saturday (down to the wire !) and am concerned about lines during Cultural week when museum tickets are free April 9-17. Where I can, I have made reservations. 1) However, reading Rick Steve's guide about avoiding long lines at he Colosseum involves purchasing a ticket / pass ahead of time. Since tickets are free during Cultural week, how can one avoid long lines if buying a ticket in advance is not relevant ? Should we pay for tour then, would that help ? 2) Also, I have read info about tours for the upper and lower levels of the Colosseum that implies it is a special tour to be booked at some travel agency's booking site. Is it ? And is it worthwhile compared to time spent elsewhere ? e.g. Star rating ? I'm not sure what is included in the standard Colosseum tour vs these upper and lower levels special tours. 3) I've also been unable to find much information about special activities during Cultural Week - April 9-17th. People have said there are special events and some exhibits / museums are open that are not normally accessible. Anyone know a good site for this kind of info ?
Thanks for the help !
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
You still need a ticket to get inside even during culture week. They give out tickets upon entry. If there is a line at the colosseum just go to the forum or palatine hill entrance to get your free ticket. It's good for all three sites. The tour for the upper and lower level is separate from any other tours of the colosseum. You can book the tour by calling 011-39-06-39967700. It's a great tour and if you have the chance you should do it. There is no standard colosseum tour but if you book a tour of the colosseum through a tour company it will not include the upper and lower levels, that is a totally separate tour. Donna
Posted by
Belleville, Ontario, Canada
58 posts
Please don't worry about long lines. The lines will not be any longer than usual and may even be shorter (I know they were virtually non-existent when I was there last year, but it was also a little grey and damp so I'm not sure how much of an effect the weather had).