Is it best to buy tickets online for places like the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum online before I leave on my trip or should I buy tickets in Rome, and where?
Posted by
341 posts
I think it depends on how felxible you are - and how flexible your schedule is. If you've only got a day here and two days there -- and you want to see a specific site, I think you should lock it in.
Some sites have limited access. The Borghese Gallery, for example, limits the number of visitors (to 200 at a time in this case). DaVincni's The Last Supper in Milan only allows a couple of dozen people in for a few minutes at a time -- and only releases tickets every couple of months. Those tickets go within an hour.
For such sites during a one-, two- or three-week itinerary, buying in advance means you know you'll see them -- and avoid the ticket-buying lines, too.
The Rick Steves guidebook effectively details what sites' tours you should buy in advance, and how to buy them.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, US
1005 posts
The Colosseum has a new ticket system that requires advance reservations, though it may be possible to get a ticket the day of your visit if they haven't all been sold out. Don't take that risk; it often sells out weeks in advance. Buy your tickets online at www.coopculture.it. Also, while you can buy tickets at the entrance to the Vatican Museums, you will have a long, long line to wait in. Smart travelers buy them online in advance of their visit, see www.museivaticani.va.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16741 posts
Wise words above from both T. and gbrennan! Rome's #1 and #2 tourist attractions (Colosseum and Vatican Museums) are seriously overrun these days - ESPECIALLY during high and shoulder seasons - so unless you want to waste a lot of time in long lines or risk not getting in at all, buy your tickets in advance. For both of these attractions you will have to choose a specific day and time slot from what's still available.