multiple options, can't decide which to do. Do i need the full experience ticket? The arena ticket? The underground and level 3? Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
Posted by
Minnesota š
15803 posts
Michael, you don't "need" a tour at all if you just want to see the general areas of the interior. As I believe you may be in Rome right now, you may have to buy whatever is still available for tours at this late date: it was recommended back at the beginning of the month to purchase tickets in advance, and that was already late in the game. Just mentioning that for others who may not understand just how FAST these tickets are snapped up once available!
"Full experience" tickets can mean a tour which includes the underground + 3rd level or the arena. If wishing to see the underground, then choose either of these tours IF still available, although both appear to be sold out for the rest of Feb; tickets for these VERY popular tours went on sale quite some time ago.
Other options for guided tours are available as is an audio tour. I haven't checked for remaining tickets so again, you may have to choose whatever is still available, or just a timed-entry "ordinary" ticket if all tours are sold out for your dates. For a significantly higher price, you may be able to snag last-minutes tickets with a 3rd-party operator if intent on seeing more than the general areas. Let us know if you want to try that and we can make some recommendations.
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Apologies, I meant just which ticket to buy. I've been checking regularly over the last month and there is good availability for tickets, so no worries there. Iām planning on doing ricks audio tour regardless. Just not sure which ENTRY ticket I should purchase. Should I get the ticket with underground? With level 3? Or just the basic 16 euro ticket?
Posted by
Minnesota š
15803 posts
Ah, gotcha!
As you cannot access the underground or 3rd level at all without a guided tour, you just want the ordinary entry ticket (ā¬ 16.00 + ā¬2.00 reservation fee.)
Posted by
OP
6 posts
Should I go for the underground and third level? It looks like there is also a separate option with just the arena? In which case I'll purchase the tour.
Posted by
Minnesota š
15803 posts
As above, you'll have to check to see if any coopculture tours which include the underground/3rd level are even still available for your dates (doubtful.) Yes, there's an option for the arena floor and I don't feel confident enough regarding whether you can or can't do that one without your own human guide to advise you. It used to be that you couldn't but the way it is currently worded indicates otherwise. Let's just say, given that nebulous wording on this site has tripped up visitors before, I wouldn't assume independent access without getting written confirmation from Coopculture first.
To be honest, I'd take a look at the 3-hour guided tour of the Colosseum, Forum and Palatine:
While it doesn't do the underground/3-tier, the benefit of having a human guide for the Forum and Palatine is well worth the extremely economical ā¬ 33.00 pricetag (ā¬ 31.00 + ā¬2.00 reservation fee.) The Forum and Palatine are much more complex sites than the Colosseum so a human guide to explain them + be available for questions is a plus, IMHO.
To add: whatever you do, don't book this tour as it's only for people bringing their own licensed guides:
https://ecm.coopculture.it/index.php?option=com_snapp&view=event&id=D36B17ED-8EE9-E7C6-39F6-016ED55DF189&catalogid=FBC810DF-454C-1B93-6796-016F37949DF8&lang=en
Posted by
Colorado
471 posts
We have a different perspective on this. The "tour" we purchased for our trip to Italy last year was very disappointing. Although, I had been watching for tickets through CoopCulture, they went fast. We settled on a timed entry with a tour of the upper level because that was what was available.
It ended up being a scam. When we went to the special entrance, we were told our tour had been cancelled and they'd refund our money for the tour part. From there, we were flushed to the Colosseum, on our own, on the backside, without even being able to get an audio guide. We had waited outside for our tour time when we could have gone in at any time. We wandering around on our own and it was fine. We saw plenty and feel like we've had our fill of the Colosseum. However, they took our paper ticket and we couldn't continue the second half of seeing the Palatine.
Personally, this non-tour and the Pristine Sistine tour have led us to decide to be very carefully about booking any tours. We don't want to be part of a herd experience and remember which umbrella or stick to follow. They walk too slowly and there are too many people. We'll do our research and download audio tour before we go. It's saving us a ton of money.
This is our choice but you do you.
Posted by
Minnesota š
15803 posts
CT, I remember your previous post about your Colosseum experience. It's most unfortunate (!) that your tour was cancelled but it wasn't a "scam" being that the tour fee was refunded. The Belvedere level was closed unexpectedly to damage/needed repairs at some point last spring (it's still closed) and ALL tours, not just coopculture's, of that area were affected. Such things can happen with very, very old and fragile relics! Your timing likely happened to fall into that period when they had just closed that level.
I do agree that your ticket should have been returned so you could have used it for the Palatine/Forum. Should similar occur for anyone else, ask for it to be returned or have your emailed copy handy.
For sure, "Follow The Leader" guided tours aren't everyone's preference but if intent on seeing the Colosseum's underground + 3rd tier, a guided tour is the only option. Same for some others of Rome's attractions, such as the catacombs. Not sure what the issue was with your "Pristine Sistine" tour other than it may have moved along too slowly for you? At least that one gets visitors into the Sistine before it REALLY gets crazy in there! Ugh.... :O(
PS: hope all goes well for your upcoming Scandinavia trip! š¤
Posted by
Prior Lake, MN, USA
393 posts
4 of us (were?) are going to Italy in late April.
I tried to buy the UNDERGROUND and 3rd LEVEL tickets the moment they went on sale and they were gobbled up for the only day we'd want them. (gone in less than 10 minutes - I was at work and could only refresh the screen periodically).
Blessings on you if you have that option.
The Full Experience title gets you access to the SUPER Sites of the Palatine (maybe one in the Forum).
They are good sites. Look at the Rome Wise YouTube channel for info (videos) on them.
Posted by
Minnesota š
15803 posts
From coopculture's page on the Forum Super Ticket:
https://ecm.coopculture.it/index.php?option=com_snapp&view=event&id=58F0AAFA-B612-8756-5508-016F239CD865&catalogid=16456708-A48B-3BAE-0FA2-016F571E656F&lang=en
"Visitors who already have the ticket Colosseum, Roman Forum-Palatine and Imperial Forum can buy on site a SUPER ticket that will allows access to the aforementioned places.
Full entrance fee ā¬ 4,00
Reduced entrance fee ā¬ 2,00 (european citizens between 18 and 25 years old)"
The SUPER sites included in that ticket are listed below, and access is subject to daily maximum visitor capacity.
Neronian Cryptoporticus - maximum capacity 150 pax
Palatine Museum - maximum capacity 150 pax
House of Augustus - maximum capacity 23 pax
House of Livia - maximum capacity 23 pax
Domus Transitoria - maximum capacity 12 pax
Aula Isiaca/Loggia Mattei - maximum capacity 15 pax
Santa Maria Antiqua with the Oratory of the Forty Martyrs and the Domitian Ramp - maximum capacity 60 pax
Temple of Romulus - maximum capacity 30 pax
Free timed-entry pre-reservations are possible for 3 of the sites with limited capacity: House of Augustus, House of Livia and Domus Transitoria.
Posted by
Colorado
471 posts
True Cathy, not really a scam but not really nice either. I understand that Coopculture is notoriously user-unfriendly but they could have emailed us with the information. They could have told us that we could come in at anytime but we'd be on our own. Since this tour was not just the Belvedere, they could have provided a tour for the rest of the Colosseum and we would have been happy. The customer accommodations were nil but there are, of course, no shortage of customers. I am fully aware of the fragile nature of this historic site and there were way, way too many people there.
On the bright side, the experience helped us to evolve our travel model. We've decided we're going to wing it, on our own from now on. We'll see how it works but everybody can do it their own way.