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Original poster

Rome what to book in advance

44 replies

Sunse · 24/08/2022 04:49

We are going to Rome in October half term. Could people who have been there please tell me what sites/tourist attractions do we need to book in advance?

I would be grateful for any advice reg visiting Rome too.

Thank you

OP posts:
AdriannaP · 24/08/2022 04:53

Following

Slothmomma · 24/08/2022 05:49

Definitely pre book Vatican if doing that- the queues are massive but prebooked gets to enter a shorter queue

FurCoatNoNickers · 24/08/2022 05:58

Following

hockeygrass · 24/08/2022 05:58

Colosseum and forum should be booked in advance.

Callmecordelia · 24/08/2022 06:02

When we went many years ago we rocked up to the Villa Borghese without a prebooked ticket and wouldn't have got in. A lovely American lady's teenagers hadn't made it out of bed, and she sold us theirs.

You're wise to be thinking about this!

Camesawconquered · 24/08/2022 06:26

Definitely recommend prebooked tours for the Vatican (we did 6am and walked through Rome to get there which was fantastic to see and missed a lot of crowds), colosseum (did this at night which I would also recommend) and the forum - worth it for the guide alone!

Whataretheodds · 24/08/2022 06:35

We went in April and loads of things needed to be prebooked. The one we missed out on was Villa Borghese - definitely book that.

Agree with the earliest slot you can get for st Peter's /Vatican.

We booked coliseum and forum tour only the day before, i think.
On one Sunday per month certain museums are free - you'll definitely need to book if you're there that day - including Parthenon which isn't normally bookable i think.

You might want to book some restaurants but leave a bit of flexibility.

In Rome you walk A LOT. I'd recommend planning your itinerary even loosely by area so you don't cover unnecessary ground.

How long are you going for?

AnnaMagnani · 24/08/2022 07:02

Everything!

OK maybe not but if it is going to be vaguely warm/wet/you have sore feet from cobbles not standing in a queue is priceless.

Definitely the Forum, Colosseum, Villa Borghese, Vatican.

And I totally agree with PP about making sure you are in one area each day or your feet will be very unhappy.

NegroniNonna · 24/08/2022 07:25

I agree with previous posters.

We also booked this a few years back after a recommendation on Mumsnet- it was brilliant!

www.palazzovalentini.it/domus-romane/

Sarahconnor1 · 24/08/2022 07:26

Yes the early morning Vatican tour, breakfast in the gardens then the tour before it gets too busy.

Blahblahblab · 24/08/2022 07:29

If your kids are the right age to enjoy it, I really recommend this: www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g187791-d11447395-Roman_Gladiator_School_Learn_How_to_Become_a_Gladiator-Rome_Lazio.html

Mine were about 8/9 and loved it.

RampantIvy · 24/08/2022 07:36

Take comfortable shoes to walk in. You will walk for miles.

Have a cross body bag and keep your hand on it all the time. Rome is notorious for pick pockets. I wore trousers with front zip pockets and kept my card and most of my money in the pockets.

Bellini12 · 24/08/2022 08:43

We are thinking of going to Rome too so this is very useful.

UrsulaPandress · 24/08/2022 08:45

There’s a general ticket you can book that gets you into different things.

I’ll try and remember

UrsulaPandress · 24/08/2022 08:48

Think it’s viator but crikey they’ve gone up.

lemons44 · 24/08/2022 08:52

We didn't prebook the colosseum and forum, we just turned up and there were lots of tour guides outside selling tickets along with their tour. I really recommend having a tour guide for it as you learn much more (although some tour guides give a lot of the violent details making it a bit more grizzly than other tour guides).

humanwinginglife · 24/08/2022 19:20

Colosseum, Vatican & Forum would be ideal to book in advance. When I was there in April, you could only book online for the Colosseum anyway unless you or someone you are with are disabled or elderly.

Also, I would super super recommend the open top bus tours, you can buy a ticket on the road outside the Colosseum (look out for people wearing red jackets/throw overs). Very cheap and you get to see all the sights and have headphones which explain everything! You can hop on and off at every site also, just be sure to get the bus time table so you can hop back on and continue! Disability and kids are free.

poppy1973 · 24/08/2022 19:24

Hi, we just got back from Rome, initially we walked every where until we discovered their Metro. So easy to use and cut down on the walking. It only costs 1.50 euro per person and you can jump off and on the metro lines (up to 100 minutes per ticket). We are going to use the metro again when we go and we loved Rome so much. Have fun !!!

gogohmm · 24/08/2022 19:29

Colleseum. Use the official Italian cultural ministry site because kids are nearly free up to 19 - tourist resale sites don't discount!!!

Didn't prebook anything else except opera

autumn1610 · 24/08/2022 19:29

100% recommend a tour of the Colosseum and forum there is barely any information around the two sites. We pre booked tickets but ended up doing a tour which was a bit of a faff sorting out. I just tried to see if I had done a review on trip advisor as it was really good, I think it was a bit of a smaller company, but well worth the money. We also went for the day in May this year and you had to have tickets for Parthenon which you didn’t have to book before. Vatican we booked an early entry and would recommend doing that. We went in October it was absolutely beautiful weather

Paul85 · 24/08/2022 19:30

Good month to go as it will be much cooler by then.I went in August a few years back and the heat was unbearable underneath the Vatican.Dont make the school boy error i made and eat in the restaurants near the Vatican..over priced bland food!

stillvicarinatutu · 24/08/2022 19:37

I went to Rome in March for my 50th - my lovely daughter organised everything bless her .

We pre booked the Vatican museums. So glad we did the queues were long .

We stayed in the barberini region and everything was in walking distance- the trevi fountain, Spanish steps , the metro there is so easy too - it goes left or right ! You can't get lost !
It is my favourite city ever . Beautiful. And the people are lovely .

I guess it depends on time of year and how busy it is re booking in advance- the only thing we booked was the Vatican museum and that's well worth a visit . Amazing place .
I'd love to go back it was fabulous.

QueSyrahSyrah · 24/08/2022 19:37

We were there in July and pre-booked the colosseum but only a day or two in advance. Recommend first entry when it opens so you can nip in and get some photos while it's almost empty.

We did the audio tour rather than a guided as it was so stinking hot we couldn't face having to move around packed in with a group and the audio allowed us to find each stopping point and then retreat into the shade nearby to listen. Probably more comfortable in October!

Depending on your budget and the age of DC we did a Vespa Sidecar tour and it was one of the best holiday activities we've ever done.

pawkins · 24/08/2022 19:41

I was in Rome 15 years ago and the only thing we queued for was the Vatican.

We didn’t book one thing in advance and there were no queues at all.

Im shocked reading this thread that it has changed so much.

Original poster
Sunse · 24/08/2022 22:10

Thank you very much. Got work to do this weekend to sort out the bookings

OP posts: