New rule: no daypacks in the Colosseum ?

Hmm, wonder if they were prohibiting gargantuan, 5000 cubic inch backpacks, or small rucksacks or day bags? Re-reading the original post, it appears any pack were being refused. Purses could be next ?!?

They said "women's bags" of "reasonable" size were being allowed in but no daypacks at all. I guess even professional guides were caught off guard.

Again, this could have been a one-day thing, and increased/unexpected security measures are no reason to worry. Actually, this could have been as much about the tourist who made away with a piece of the thing some months back - in their backpack - as anything else! :O)

Anyway, just wondering if anyone can confirm this rumored change in policy so it's not a surprise to anyone else.

Here is the story about the stolen brick a while back

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/teen-busted-steal-brick-colosseum-article-1.1725204

This is from the official booking site:

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

ATTENTION PLEASE!

We inform visitors that inside the monument it is strictly forbidden to enter with backpacks, handbags and luggage.

Donna

Even if just a temporary situation, it may be a good example of the sorts of unexpected security measures travelers may experience these days. Grin and bear it!

I won't be surprised if this rule remains in effect permanently as a security measure.

Years ago, when we visited Del Prado National Museum in Madrid, I was carrying a small backpack & I was not
allowed to leave it in the lockers that are provided mainly for coats & umbrellas.

Hmmm - there have been bogus gladiators around Rome, available for photos. I wonder if some enterprising person will now be selling used stone blocks on the street, advertising them as parts of the Colosseum? How about vials of "authentic Trevi Fountain Water?"

Thanks a million for confirmation, Donna! I went right to that site when I read the report but didn't see anything: guessing they made that update since I checked. My goodness, though, no handbags either? It's even more strict than I'd originally read. It's the rare tourist than has no sort of bag AT ALL.

Just looked and this rule applies to the Forum and Palatine as well.

Cyn, funny idea, but why would anyone want Trevi Fountain water? The point is to leave the money, not take the water! Although I guess there's a market for anything...

So, I'm wondering, do these places have secure locations to leave your bags? Or do they expect all tourists to show up empty-handed? I understand their reasons are for security purposes and may be a good idea, but if they're going to have a regulation like this it stands to reason they would give you someplace to leave your daypacks and handbags while you are there.

Oh, Nancy, I had to laugh at applying the principle "It stands to reason..." to Italy, my favorite country on earth. (^_^)

As for the new restrictions applying to "handbags" as it states on the English version of that page, if you look at the Italian version you'll find that they're banning "zaini, valigie e borse voluminose" which should have been translated to "backpacks, luggage and voluminous purses/bags". I'm guessing it will be left to the guards to define "voluminous."

Ah, the vageries of translation. That makes a lot more sense.

Michael, glad I could give you a good laugh. After 3 trips to Italy I couldn't agree with you more, logical and it stands to reason are two statements that don't apply.

These three archeological sites have never had any checking facilities and still don't, to my knowledge. The traveler whose report I saw said they ended up going all the way to Termini and using the left-luggage facility there.

They used to have security checks at the Colosseum some years back but did away with them at some point. If the rule is enforced to the letter (we'll see if it sticks) I would think they'd have to come up with something. This is a pretty big change to make with little notice except for the few lines on the website that the vast majority of tourists will not see.

It reminds me a little of the policy at some churches (such as San Petronius in Bologna) that won't allow backpacks in, but will allow purses of the same size. In those cases it was (ostensibly) because people wearing backpacks can be clueless about their actual size and end up knocking things over. And in those churches there is no "left luggage" facility. We had to take turns outside holding our small daypack.

Good point about the translation, Michael. The nebulousness (is that a word?) of that could make for a whole lot of confusion, though. One man's voluminous is another man's. er, not so voluminous?

I'm thinking this is an anti-terrorist measure, as all of Europe is on pins and needles right now.

I don't see an issue with this policy. People shouldn't be bringing luggage into the site anyway and I've, personally, never seen a need to carry a backpack with me while touring Rome. I carry the smallest of purses, if anything, so I don't really see that this will be a problem.

I guess it will be up the the guards at the front of the lines as well as the guards at the turnstiles to decide what can be brought in and what can't. For those traveling in the near future you should plan accordingly or face being turned away.

Donna

Well, no, they shouldn't be bringing luggage and I doubt that has been a problem. But many younger travelers do use backpacks/daypacks of various sizes, and many women have somewhat sizable bags. My own is not enormous by any means but large enough for the guidebook, my camera (which is not pocket-sized), sometimes an umbrella and a light jacket, wet wipes, water bottle, etc. People traveling with young children also tend to have larger bags for all the things needed to keep them tidy, fed and watered.

Anyway, it'll be interesting to see how strictly and how consistently this is enforced. It would be helpful to have a number of reports from recent visitors, thus my original question.

I'm sorry but I just don't see the need to carry all of that stuff around, but we're all different and have different ways of traveling. I guess with these new rules people will need to start paring down what they carry on certain days.

Donna

I agree with Donnas comments , this is a rule put in place due to the recent events in France and yet to come events world over, I think we should be relieved as travellers to know that measures are being taken to keep us protected. You can bet (though I havent checked yet) that the vatican will have higher than usual security , again a good thing. So we will all have to figure out how to deal with not having our bags for that time being and not let it ruin our vacation.

This is just a thought, but bringing the very things they say not to, on an offchance they would let you through, will inevitably tie up the admission lines which are already long, in this situation even with a pass... I would hope everyone respects the rule and not create a bottleneck at these sites on account of bags. Having said all that, I do feel for you with little ones as your right they do need their bottles and diapers etc...it is unfortunate...but the rule still necessary. ..

I'm also with Donna on this. When I see the lists of stuff people carry "just in case" I am befuddled. My husband carries nothing except what's in his money belt and a cell phone in his pocket. I am now to the point of only a small purse and could make do without it if I wore a neck wallet in addition to the money belt I always wear. Pants with pockets aren't pickpocket proof even if they have zippers or buttons, but they can help with the little things that add up in a bag, like tissues, gum, cough drops, lip balm, emergency chocolate...

We haven't been on a trip anywhere yet where we constantly carried a water bottle. We much prefer stopping and taking a break, preferably in a cafe, but just buying a cold bottle of water from a vendor and sitting on a bench for awhile to drink it is a help. If it's rainy or cold, we dress appropriately. If it warms up or dries out, we tie the jackets around our waists or shoulders. If we are out without jackets and it starts to rain, we get a little damp before we make it to the closest cafe. We never, and I mean never, use an umbrella.

There are many enjoyable ways around carrying bags full of stuff.

i only carry a small messenger bag. (about 7x7 and 3 inches thick fully stuffed. holds a pop up hat, camera, everything I truly need. its too small for a water bottle, but really, I would rather have a petite bag. art museums in Florence made my friend check her daypack.....but it seemed like a secure set up. same thing at Tower of Pisa.....had a left luggage place.

emergency chocolate...* I never thought of that!!! What a great idea!

Donna

Yes, we all travel differently! Not a thing wrong with that.

Regarding water bottles: we carry our own as it's not only inexpensive to do so but because it's unnecessary from a waste perspective to buy it - unless the local tap water is undrinkable. It's a personal decision, and one which has also become necessary in places where the sale of water in plastic has been banned altogether. Again, my own bag is small enough that it only needed checking once when abroad, and that was at the Borghese where, at the time, everyone was required to check almost everything on them.

We only carry umbrellas when the forecast is for rain - and been glad to have them when it poured for hours on end.

But my point here is less about whether one should/should not carry a bag of any particular size but simply awareness of a change which hasn't been widely communicated yet, and hasn't been communicated clearly on the single website where it has been posted.

There hasn't been much of any chat out there though, and I would expect that there would be quite a lot of that if the rule as stated in ENGLISH (without that significant word "voluminous") is being strictly enforced so we'll see if recent visitors can provide some clarity.

One visitor posted that she went this morning and they were denying entry to those with large bags and backpacks. Her husband was denied entry with his backpack and had to take it back to their hotel before they would allow him entry for their tour.

I'm not really sure how you think this information should be communicated. It's written clearly on the official booking site and tour companies are sending out emails to their clients with this information. It's too late for guide books to include this information for the 2015 versions so I'm not sure what else you would have them do.

I understand that for most people traveling this week and next week that it will come as a surprise but it's not the end of the world. The termini station is only a few blocks away and can be reached by metro or on foot if someone needs a place to store their bags. Also, if they can easily get back to their hotel that's another option. If they don't have a tour booked then it's not even an issue as entry tickets are not date or time specific.

Donna

I rarely carry a purse when touring a city but rather wear clothing with pockets that allow me to carry the minimal things that are needed. Scottevest and Magellan and other travel oriented companies market clothing with hidden inner pockets that are both fairly secure and make travel without being a pack animal possible. I can't tell you how much more pleasant travel is without a huge weight on your shoulder with all those things you 'might need' but almost never do. I have a small camera bag for times I am carrying a large DSLR, but most of the time I travel with a point and shoot in a pocket.

In my experience, women's purses tend to get less scrutiny than men's backpacks and bags. Whenever we are going to a place with heightened security, I and not my husband carries the bag if we are using one for umbrellas, water or whatever -- we always use a messenger bag or smaller bag rather than a backpack and have not yet been turned away.

Well, it's hard to say if you will or won't be turned away now since they have just instituted these new rules. I'm hearing that a lot of the guards are being very strict with large size purses and are not letting any backpacks inside at all.

Only time will tell.

Donna

"...hasn't been communicated clearly on the single website where it has been posted."
Donna posted the exact wording from the official website -
"...strictly forbidden to enter with backpacks, handbags and luggage."
It just does't get any clearer than that."

Phil, if you read the entire thread there IS ambiguity about the rule. The Italian warning includes a word (voluminose) which indicates that only LARGE bags are not permitted. The English version does not include that word so as written implies that NO handbags of any size are permitted AT ALL. The entire reason for this post is to try and gather and provide some clarity about exactly what is and is not permitted. In an earlier post I'd said that I'd read that they were allowing some lady's handbags through but of what size was in question. How "voluminose" is "voluminose"?

"tour companies are sending out emails to their clients with this information. "

OK, that's NEW information that SOME people are actually being informed by something other than a single website. But if they are NOT going with a tour and so have no one to help them, why not spread the word?

For the nth time, this is NOT about what any of us prefer to carry or not, nor to complain about how we feel about a rule but to provide CLARITY about a new and ambiguous requirement for the benefit of travelers to Rome so there are no unpleasant surprises. Why is that so hard to understand? Why are some of you so hostile about a genuine effort to help and inform? Isn't sharing information what passionate travelers do?

Couldn't agree with you more Kathy about your last post. Some people seem to have a need to promote their way of traveling as superior. I have kids and in order to keep costs down I do carry water and snacks in a small backpack where possible. If that makes me inferior to the 'I have no need to be weighed down with unnecessary food/water/jackets' brigade then so be it.

The whole point of this thread is to clarify the rules, not give people a platform to feel morally superior about the way they travel!

Thanks, mph. I've no idea how a well-meaning effort kicked such a wasp's nest. It appears there's only one "right" way of doing things, and if you're uninformed, confused, or simply travel with different preferences/requirements, you're of no consequence. Sad.

OK, as I know many RS members either have used or recommend "Walks of Italy", this is what has been posted on their website:

"Important Note:
NOTE: There is a new rule at the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Palatine Hill that backpacks, large handbags and luggage are forbidden for security reasons and may not be carried inside. As there is nowhere to store these items during your tour, please do not bring them with you."

http://www.walksofitaly.com/tour_bookings/importantnote/151

They've included the all-important word "large" in regard to handbags versus coopculture's omission on their English page. Short story: smaller handbags are allowed. As there are no formal dimensions for "large", assume the smaller, the better.

Whew! Thank YOU, Kathy!

Yes, but isn't "large" just as ambiguous as "voluminous"?

My information and posts were in no way to say how one should travel, in fact, I pointed out that we all travel differently. The point of my posts was to inform people that there are new rules and that the rules are so new that no one is sure as to what sizes will be allowed and what won't. The safest thing to do is to carry nothing or to carry a small bag. I would hate for someone to arrive with a bag and then have them denied entry because, while they didn't see it as being "large" or "voluminous", the authorities at the colosseum found it that way.

Until they post specific dimensions I would suggest that people carry as little as possible or run the risk of being turned away, and that is not me trying to impose the way I travel onto anyone else, it's just trying to offer solutions.

Donna

You're very welcome, Darcy!
Hope this is useful information for lucky travelers with Rome on the itinerary. :O)

As previously stated:

"As there are no formal dimensions for "large", assume the smaller, the better."

Pretty much covers it, I think?

*** Short story: smaller handbags are allowed. **, *"As there are no formal dimensions for "large", assume the smaller, the better."**

No one knows this for sure. You are assuming that because the official wording says "voluminous" that they will allow "smaller" handbags. The fact is that until we hear from the officials no one knows for sure what will or won't be allowed inside. We should all wait until we have the dimensions before telling people what will be okay.

Donna

sigh
I've no idea why this is so hard. Good heavens, the tour operators aren't telling their clients any different, and aren't saying NO bags - which was the original concern - but no LARGE bags. Ambiguous? Sure, but I guess we'll have to trust that people can use some common sense?

But here's a possible solution? I wonder what the guides for RS tours will be telling clients? For instance, I might wonder about this sentence on the current R.S. FAQ packing and luggage page for these trips:

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-help/tours-faq

"On days that we visit these sites, your guide will warn you to dress accordingly. Many find that a light pair of pants they can pull out of their daypack and slip on, or pants with zip-on/off legs, provide an easy, quick cover-up. Women could also pull on a light, non-wrinkle skirt over shorts and use a scarf to cover their head and shoulders."

Given that daypacks appear to be out, maybe the nice people from RS tour services can fill us in on how they'll be communicating the new guidelines?

I have to say that this is very disappointing. We plan to travel to Rome from a cruise and will have no place to store our daypacks. Yes, I do need everything I plan on carrying since we have such a limited time in the city. I'll also be with kids and having our own water, snacks and emergency medical supplies is something we have always done. We use the RS daybacks which are not large but apparently too large for this site. If this is going to be standard going forward then they should be providing a place to store bags like the Leaning Tower does or the d'Orsay or any other reputable historic site that does not want you to carry a bag.

Marcella, cruisers on independent day trips from Civitavecchia were some of the first people I thought of when I saw the new guidelines.

I imagine you're coming by train to Termini from the port? If so, there's left luggage services on the lower level of the station: you could see the Colosseum/Forum first and then go back to retrieve the bags. Not ideal, I know, but one solution if you want to see the interior of these sites.

But another thought? It's not ideal either but would it break your heart if you didn't see the interior of these sites? There is a lot to see in Rome in a day, and so what if you were able to admire that iconic view of the colosseum from the outside and then moved on to some other wonderful things? I believe we could come up with a great spot to peer into the forum from the outside as well. One of the best of those is from the top of the Vittorio Emanuel monument: great view of Rome from there that I'm betting you'd all enjoy.

Actually it would break our hearts not to see the one site we really want to experience in Rome. We have no desire to go to the Vatican. We will just have to wait and see. We may bypass Rome and do something else. Let our travel dollars speak for themselves.

OK, just a thought. There is still the luggage storage option at Termini, and you can always buy water and snacks in Rome after your visit. Tuck a few bandaids in your pocket. Are your kids very young?

Could be that they'll come up with an alternate arrangement in the future but a process/space to handle belongings for thousands of visitors every day would take time. I'm sure they felt that they needed to make this security change very quickly, and can absolutely understand the reasoning - inconvenient though it may be for some.

Don't let it spoil your trip, OK? Abrupt security changes are, I'm afraid, nothing new and not going away anytime soon. Shoot, they closed the Eiffel twice in one week the last time we were in Paris!

Kathy, I think that paragraph from RS was meant for churches. I understand what you're saying about the backpacks now being an issue. It's just too soon to tell. Even RS hasn't caught up with this new guideline.

I agree that with the new guidelines tour companies, websites and booking agents will need to update the information they are giving their clients. Perhaps they are not being specific about what is or is not allowed because it hasn't been clarified yet.

It is possible that they will build some sort of left luggage area in the future but right now there are no plans for that. For those coming in from the port, they may need to store their bags at the termini in order to get inside. It's not a good situation for anyone, especially those in Rome right now who didn't know about the new rules before leaving home. At least now everyone has a heads up and can try to make alternate plans.
Donna

Donna, yes that paragraph was meant for churches but when you look at the itinerary for the Best of Rome tour, they visit 2 churches AND the colosseum and forum on the same day so it really applies to both.

The ban on backpacks/daypacks is clear - we can agree on that! - it's what IS allowed that's the question, and a RS guide could probably tell us what they're going to suggest as tours start in just a few weeks? And yes, as I said above, Termini left-luggage storage is the closest storage option we know of right now, and we'll sure hope for a better arrangement down the road!

I just heard back from officials at the colosseum and there are no specific dimensions that they can tell us yet. They hope to have more information soon but they are still in the process of deciding what's going to be allowed and what isn't. Right now it's up to the discretion of the guards at the gates as to what they will allow and what they won't. Keep checking the website for more information. They hope to have something posted soon.

Donna

"Soon" is a hopeful and very good thing! :O)
I'll bet the guards will welcome concrete guidelines just as much as anyone else, poor things? Pretty sure they're dealing with some surprised and unhappy campers.

You're right and I bet they'll take a lot of grief for the situation which is not their fault. I hope people can realize that this rule is meant for security and not to "inconvenience" anyone.

I've been told that most people are just emptying their backpacks and leaving them outside the colosseum. I don't know if they are going back for them after they exit or not, I forgot to ask.

The good thing is that now the security checks inside should be much faster.

Donna

These issues vary with every visitor site in Europe as well as with the staff enforcing the rules. There is no update to our tour preparation advice. Your guide will warn you on any day when the usual, small daybags may not be allowed. Most museums provide bag check areas, usually for free. When we stop for a visit on a bus travel day, you can leave unneeded items on the bus. Otherwise, the smaller your daybag the better; remember that you may be carrying it all day in a big city. (Once nice feature in Italy is that free water fountains are widely available, so you can carry an empty, disposable water bottle, instead of a heavy one.)

Just bringing this up again as coopculture has put a bag-size limit of 30x30x15 cm (abt 12 x 12 x 6") or smaller for visitors to the excavations at Pompei, Herculaneum, Oplonti, Stabia and the Museum of Boscoreale. No backpacks. Larger items/luggage can still be checked at Pompei and others of the sites which provide that service.

That's actually a pretty generous size. It's very possible that they'll use the same guidelines for the sites in Rome (would make sense to avoid confusion) but we'll have to wait and see!

I just went there today and I saw people with backpacks. It's totally fine now. I was behind a group of high school kids. I personally took in a small (purselike) one. They just ask you to open it and wave a metal detector over it and presto. No security on the way out either. So must have realized it was losing them too much money. Also there isn't a baggage hold of any kind. Not that this helps here but the Vatican museum does. Also a fast way to avoid the lines and NOT pay extra for a fast track is get your ticket by the forum entrance and do it that way. The ticket is good for both and actually I liked it more because it was like a build up to the main thing. Also yesterday I went to the Vatican museums in the morning and the line was terrible (luckily I did get a fast track for that) but by the time I left about 1- 2 and the line was half.

Another tip is Rome is not as big as you think so Google map where you're going and you might find you can walk it. Plus you get to see more that way. And save buying one of the various travelcards. Last time I was here and figured it out that it would have been cheaper to just do single trips for €1.50.

Good luck and happy travels. Oh and if it helps I stayed at Hotel Julia. Great prices, centrally located, right next to the metro and friendly staff. Also ate at Taverna Flavia, really really good, not expensive and friendly staff. Plus Liz Taylor and some other famous people have eaten there if it matters.

I do not recommend sneaking in to the Vatican Museums pretending to be part of a tour group risk a lot more than waiting in line. It's also against the Community Guidelines of this forum to suggest it.

Agreeing with Zoe here: trying to sneak in with people who paid extra for tours is neither a good idea nor a way to make any friends. And it'll be embarrassing if caught out besides.

It does look as if they've taken the bag restriction notice off the colosseum's webpage - although it's still there for the Forum, Palatine, Pompeii and some others of the archeological sites around Naples.

Just prepurchase your ticket online for the Vatican museums and then there is no need to wait in the general entry queue OR resort to underhanded tactics.