Roma Pass worth it during Covid time?

Posted by jas3150 on 06/07/21 02:57 PM

I was reading through the Roma pass FAQ and there seems to be a new question about skipping the line during this summer due to covid restrictions. I will try to do more research for each site we want to visit but would also like to hear opinions on the pass in general and the current line restrictions if anyone has experienced them first hand in recent weeks. Specifically for the Colosseum, Capitoline Musuem and Borghese.

Can 72h and 48h Roma Pass holders avoid lining up?
During the post-Covid-19 period, in order to protect visitors' and workers' health, every visitor must respect the access procedures of the spots you wish to visit. Therefore, the direct access for Roma Pass holders is temporarily suspended. It is highly recommended to check the access/booking rules and the opening hours of every spot.

Posted by ChristineH

Gettysburg PA

06/07/21 03:31 PM

6047 posts

Roma Pass has never been a really good deal
You must have prebooked timed entry to Borghese and Colosseum anyway and that’s been the case even before COVID
IOW no skip the line benefits at all

Posted by Dario

Italy

06/07/21 05:01 PM

3812 posts

ALERT: The only line you can skip is the line to buy tickets. Then there is a single security line for everybody and nobody skips it. After the security line, you are in. Even if re-sellers will try to make you believe the opposite: there isn't a mysterious third line to skip.

To skip the tickets line, You can get tickets in advance on the official site of each attraction and book a time slot, if required. Otherwise you can buy the Roma Pass and book a time slot on the official site of each attraction, if required : the result is the same regarding queues.

The Roma Pass is worth it depending on which attraction you are going to visit and on the number of bus/trams/metro rides you are doing.
You can always get a couple of "BIT" ticket that can be used on all means of transport in any direction for 100 minutes, transfers included, and that costs only € 1.5. Unused BITs are the cheapest souvenir one can bring back from Rome.

Posted by Kathy

Minnesota 🎒

06/07/21 06:38 PM

15807 posts

Just voting with Christine and Dario: not a good deal, IMHO. Unless you've changed it, this is what you'd scheduled for Rome:

Day 3 Vatican, St. Peter's, Dome, maybe a walk
Day 4 Visit the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon
Day 5 Heart of Rome walk. Borghese Gallery

You're adding the Capitoline somewhere in there. You are also traveling with a husband and two children ages 12 and 11. While your children would be technically free at the Colosseum/Forum/Pantheon, ALL of you would need a timed-entry reservation for the Colosseum, even if the adults are using the Roma Pass. There's a 2.00€ reservation fee for "free" tickets: children under 18 + Roma Pass holders. I'm only referencing the "ordinary" ticket here. Details are on the coopculture website:

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

The same applies to the Borghese.
https://galleriaborghese.beniculturali.it/en/visita/info-biglietti/

Your children will not be free at the Capitoline; you'll pay the concessions price for non-residents ages between 6-25 for them. I don't expect long queues at this one but I won't swear to that! :O)
http://www.museicapitolini.org/en/informazioni_pratiche/biglietti_e_videoguide

As well, if you'd planned to use your passes to cover transport within central Rome (transport to/from the airport is not covered), you'd still need to buy tickets or transport passes for your children as they're over the age of 9. So in the end, IMHO, it's really more messing around to try and use the card than to just make your required reservations for ALL of you + pay the fees in advance. The 72-hour pass would also only fully cover base entry fees for the two adults for 2 of the 3 attractions you've listed.