I have heard that the Colosseum has instituted a new security measure - a metal detector - which everyone must pass through - even those who purchased "skip the line" tickets. Due to this new security measure, some tour companies have reported extremely long lines to get in. So much so that they even are giving people on their tours the option of foregoing the Colosseum (with a rebate on that cost) if the lines are going to impact how many other sites that can be visited during the rest of the day's tour.
Has anyone been to the Colosseum since the metal detectors have gone into effect? What was your observation of the lengths of the lines (and the time wasted in them)? Are the tour companies being overly cautious or will this really negatively impact the day? I'm going to be on a Med cruise with a 1-day stop in Rome on 8/31. It's my first (and quite possibly my only) visit to Rome and wanted to do an "ultimate Rome tour" to see as much as possible in the one day I will have there. The Colosseum is site that I definitely want to see, but if it means seeing it will make me unable to see 2 or 3 or 4 other of my "must see" sites, maybe I should just skip it. Thanks for your input!
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16752 posts
I don't know as there's any exact way to predict the length of the security lines. Yes, they've had security checks in place for some time, as does the Vatican and many other other big tourist magnets in Europe. NO one can 'skip' them.
Looking at the most recent reviews on Trip Advisor, people who complained about queues didn't have pre-purchased tickets or tours so ended up in the looooooong TICKET line. I'm not seeing any complaints about the security check queue at all, although I remember some problems earlier this spring.
This is good news, though: The Coopculture website (official for the Colosseum/Forum/Palatine) is announcing the opening (tomorrow) of an additional intake entrance for tours/large-group tours with accredited guides. It's a 4-month trial through the end of October, and should ease some congestion problems - although probably not for the regular ticket line.
http://www.coopculture.it/the-colosseum.cfm
One unavoidable issue: the arena can only hold a certain amount of visitors at a time so there may be a short wait for some to leave so others may enter. Not sure how often this happens but again, I'm see no recent complaints about lengthy waits for security checks.
Do you already have tickets or are you signed up for a tour?
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
The long lines have really only been reported around holidays such as Easter. All the recent reports I've seen have been very positive with people encountering little to no lines. The tour companies I've seen have all advised their clients to be at the site 30-45 minutes before the tour in order to get through security and get to the meeting point. I don't think this is an extreme amount of time given the number of visitors the colosseum has every day.
I would stop by the colosseum to see what the lines look like. If they're too long for you then skip it and visit other sites. If it's not that long, then go inside and enjoy.
Donna
Posted by
Phoenix AZ
635 posts
Get there before it opens at 8:30 AM! Here's the general-admission line at 8:30 on a Wednesday morning in late May 2015. We were in the Roma Pass line and had just a very short wait once the gates opened. The tours start arriving closer to 10 am, then it's really crazy.
Posted by
Abruzzo Mountains
1090 posts
...or go later in the afternoon. We were there around 3:00 10 days ago, and there was no line at all. We didn't go n, as we had a reserved tour with Coliseum After Dark at 8:00. I highly recommend that, as tours are limited to 20 people and run every ten minutes. We only ran into one other group the whole time and the guide was great. If you can stay a bit into the evening, that would be a great option.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16752 posts
Just don't confuse a apparently long line with the ticket line. Really, the best way is to just pre-order your tickets before you go, or see what the ticket line at the Palatine looks like. They are usually infinitely shorter there, and once you have the ticket in hand, you can skip all but the security queue at the Colosseum (one ticket covers Colosseum/Palatine/Forum.) You do not have to visit the Forum/Palatine if you don't have time: just grab your tickets and go directly to the Colosseum.
Posted by
1970 posts
After 3 pm is good. Just get in the security line if there is one, if you already have your ticket. The entrance faces the sidewalk between the Roman Forum and the Colosseum. The above poster is correct about buying your combo. ticket at Roman Forum first. There is a ticket station off of Via Fori Imperiali at the side of the Roman Forum. You have a couple of days to use your combo. ticket. So, you can do forum one day and colosseum the next if you wish.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16752 posts
Barb, they only have one day, and have a lot other things they want to see in Rome.
"I'm going to be on a Med cruise with a 1-day stop in Rome on 8/31. It's my first (and quite possibly my only) visit to Rome and wanted to do an "ultimate Rome tour" to see as much as possible in the one day I will have there."
What concerns me is what time they need to be back on the ship...which I assume is in Civitavecchia. You don't want to mess around with boarding time. JFC, it would be nice to have a response from you?
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks for all of your suggestions. Would love to have an additional day in Rome, but I don't think I will be able to talk the ship's captain into staying longer! In reading everyone's posts, I might be over-reacting just a bit. (I hope that's it!) We do plan on getting to the Colosseum between 8:30 and 9 am, so, hopefully, we'll beat the really long lines. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. I've found this thread and everyone's questions/answers both interesting and informative.