7 tips for visiting the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum in Rome, Italy
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Destinations > Europe > Italy > Rome > 7 Tips for Visiting the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum
Getting Lost and Long Lines
Planning a trip to Rome and the Colosseum? Italy is one of the most traveled to countries in the world, and it’s no wonder with all the movies that it shows up in - like When in Rome or Eat, Pray, Love - but, if anything, it is lacking a sense of organization and logistics. As Rome is an ancient city, it wasn’t planned out like the cities of today.
Finding your way around this area - even though it is not a very massive area - can cost you a few hours in and of itself. Ask yourself how much time you have to spare, because you’ll likely need to factor in some extra time here.
While there are also many other blogs, articles, and travel guides that will tell you how to plan a day to the Colosseum – not all have been updated recently.
They give helpful hints like "buy your ticket at Palatine Hill so you can skip the line at the Colosseum" or "bring a hat because there isn't much shade at the Roman Forum."
The first hint might have been helpful in the past, but certainly not when it's the last day of Giro d'Italia - a massive event for cyclists! Perhaps this hint has become so commonplace that buying a ticket at Palatine Hill now takes just as long as buying it at the Colosseum. With all the people visiting Rome, the lines are going to be long, period!
The second hint was helpful for us. It definitely is sunny and there really aren’t many areas for shade apart from inside the hallways of the Colosseum itself.
Doing it on your own just isn’t worth it
Sometimes getting a ticket on your own is just too much of a hassle - waiting in a line in the scorching sun for well over an hour while tour guides try to convince you to go with them or sell you water and hats! So, occasionally, it’s worth it to buy a skip-the-line ticket and this is one of those occasions.
Read on to see our 7 Travel Tips for Visiting the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum!
7 Tips for Visiting the Roman Forum, Colosseum, and Palatine Hill
However, here are some tips on navigating the Colosseum area on a busy day. Do note that Rome receives about 29 million tourists and visitors each year, so it is going to be quite crowded - and busy - on almost every day and just about everywhere that you go!
1. Be alert
It's always good to remember to watch your pockets and bags in large crowds where you're likely to be bumped and jostled. Rome, like Paris and London, is a major European city and pickpocketing is COMMON!
Do yourself a favor and wear clothing that has zippered and/or buttoned pockets. Additionally, try not to put anything in your outside pockets or leave your inside pockets easily accessible (they can easily reach in there as well - it’s like magic!). If you are bringing a bag, make sure it is snapped on well and always latched onto you in some way. Keep your eyes open - it doesn’t hurt to be a little paranoid.
2. Stay focused
Peddlers and unofficial tour guides abound near the station and entrances. You don't need to be rude, but you don't need to engage them either. Most will leave if you ignore them completely or you tell them "No, grazie" VERY FIRMLY, but some will be persistent. You can say "No, grazie" again and then turn away.
Some will even offer you FREE things… only to tell you a sad story and ask for a donation afterward - while refusing to accept the free item back as it would be taboo. Just don’t interact with them unless you intend to give a donation to begin with - because you won’t walk away from a conversation with them without having made a bad deal.
3. Stay calm
The crowds and lines may look overwhelming, but they do move about as quickly as a popular line at a theme park - it could be upwards of 60 minutes. You could skip the lines with a guided tour - but, we wouldn’t recommend buying from the people approaching you in the line unless they agree not to take your money until after you’ve arrived at the ticket window.
If you're really adverse to crowds, try going later in the day and/or splitting up your visit into two days (see tip #6 below). The afternoon crowds/lines were much more manageable - and the Colosseum by Night option will almost completely eliminate the crowds if you choose to go that route.
4. Bring water and a hat - or even an umbrella - to provide shade
The tips we read about bringing a hat were correct. You'll be grateful for the shade a hat will provide - and we would recommend getting a light weight breathable hat that will also cover the back of your neck. Some sunblock and/or a shirt with UV-protection might not be a bad idea either! If you’re not a hat person, definitely check out these fashionable windproof umbrellas instead - they are amazing!
You'll definitely need water to stay hydrated - it gets really hot and you’ll likely perspire quite a bit. We recommend bringing a lightweight water bottle that is easy to pack and put away when it’s empty because there are some water fountains within the Colosseum and Palatine Hill/Roman Forum areas where you can refill it if you need to.
5. Know your floors
I overheard a lady ask a security guard how she could get to the second floor. He told her that she couldn't go to the second floor because it was only for tour groups. I was disappointed like that lady because I wanted to go to the second floor too!
Well, I later found out that we were able to go up to the second floor... except that in Italy, it's actually considered to be the first floor. The ground floor is floor 0 (zero).
So, technically, the security guard was correct: the second floor (which I would usually have considered to be the 3rd floor) was only for tour groups. So, if you want to see that floor, you’ll have to join one of the tour groups.
6. Be aware that Palatine Hill & the Roman Forum are THE SAME AREA
The ticket for the Colosseum/Palatine Hill/Roman Forum is good for two days, BUT you can only enter each area once.
The Two Areas Are:
The Colosseum itself
Palatine Hill/Roman Forum - this is considered ONE area.
You can't enter Palatine Hill one day and then the Roman Forum the next day on the same ticket, so plan accordingly and make sure that you see both the Roman Forum AND Palatine Hill at the same time.
7. Bring a snack or pack a lunch.
There is a restaurant just outside of Colosseo station and a sandwich shop within the station. However, due to the Giro d'Italia they were both closed. There are some restaurants and shops on the back street behind the Colosseum but if you're trying to do both areas in one day, they are slightly out of the way.
You can eat your snacks or packed lunch on benches in Palatine Hill next to the museum.
Your Day at the Colosseum
Now that you know how to prepare for your day at the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, and the Roman Forum, here are a few of the other options that you have:
Wait in the Line and get your Three-in-One Ticket on your own
Grab the standard Skip-the-Line ticket (which includes entry and a guide to save you time)
Add on Access to the Arena area for a tiny bit more
Upgrade your ticket to include the Colosseum Underground as well
Get the VIP Treatment with Access to the Upper Tiers, the Underground, and the Arena
Or avoid the need for most of our tips by seeing the Colosseum by Night!
After applying all of our tips, we are sure that you’ll have a magnificent experience in this area - regardless of what option you choose! Let us know how your visit goes and if you have any more tips to add!
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