What is Best Day for Colosseum Area in June - Sat,? Sun.? or Mon.?

Barb,

I don't know which of those days will be most busy in June, but I'd probably lean towards going on Monday.

Regarding how much time, I'd suggest allowing at least three hours even for a brief visit. The time allocation will probably work out something like this....

• Colosseum: If you're going to take one of the official tours inside, you'll spend at least an hour on that. If you want to look around on your own or take the Underground tour, more time will be required.
• Palatine Hill: I've found that it takes about an hour to wander around there. As I recall, there's a Museum there (Museo Palatino) so if you want to visit that, add more time.
• Arch of Constantine: that's fenced off, so all you'll be able to do is look at it. That shouldn't take more than 5-10 minutes.
• Forum: probably at least an hour, depending on how long you want to dwell in that area.

I tend to spend as much time as needed when touring various sites, but of course YMMV.

Happy travels!

Barb,

This is an area for which I encourage people to use a private guide. You can ask the guide to tailor the tour to your interests and time available. With a guide you can get your head out of the tour book, ask questions and get smart answers, and enjoy this very complicated area of ancient Rome.

Some guides I recommend: Tony Polzer at 3 Millenia Tours , Sonia Tavoletta [email protected], and Francesca Caruso [email protected]. I have used all three and been delighted. A private tour is not cheap: €50-60 per hour, but for a small group you get bang for your euro because the tour is tailored to YOU not the hoards. Many tour companies charge €50-60 per person for 2.5 to 3 hours, so if you have to pay €150 for 3 hours for 2 people, I think it is worth it.

3 hours is enough with a guide, 4 hours is the extent of most people's ability to absorb, IMO.

With a lot of museums and galleries being closed on Mondays it's usually one of the busiest days at the colosseum area as well as at the Vatican museums. I would go on Saturday but at that time of year it's going to be crowded no matter when you go.

I don't believe you need to pay for a private guide in order to get the most out of your trip. All three sites offer tours which are quite cheap. You can also download or rent audio guides which will give you lots of information. You can purchase entry tickets online which allow you to bypass the lines at the colosseum. You can also book a regular tour online or book the underground tour by calling their call center.

As for how much time is need per site, it really depends on your interest. I would allow at least an hour per site (the arch of constantine not included) if not more.

Donna

Hi There Again!
I'm going to get a Romapass. I believe the entry is included. Donna - you stated that there are "cheap" tours one can join once there. Do you have to reserve a time in advance? Or, can you just pick up a tour once there. Also, the Underground tour sounds interesting. Can we "hop-on" to an underground tour once there? Barb

You don't need to book ahead for the tour of the forum or palatine hill but be sure to check the times. I believe there are only two or three a day in English. You book those at the forum and palatine hill entrances.

For the underground tour you'll need to book that in advance. This is a very popular tour and tends to sell out quickly. You'll be going during high season so I wouldn't wait until the last minute to book this tour. You can book the tour and entry tickets by calling: +39 06 399 67 700

Donna