The Colosseum

1. Arrive with a pre-purchased or pre-booked ticket. You can book your ticket online before going. The commission is 2€ per ticket, but you can reserve your visit even if you have the right to free entrance or reduced ticket price. You can also book it by phone by calling the Colosseum’s call center: +39 06 399 677 00 (commission of 2€ per ticket will be applied).

2. If you really don’t want to buy it online, don’t buy your ticket for the Colosseum AT the Colosseum. The general Colosseum ticket gives access to 3 places: Colosseum, Palatino and the Roman Forum, and is valid for 2 consecutive days. So you can buy it at the Forum, where there lines are smaller, and get access directly to the Colosseum without queuing!

3. You can skip the line if you have the Archaeologia card. It costs € 23 and gives you free access to the following sites: Colosseo, Palatino, Forum Romano, Terme di Caracalla, Villa dei Quintili, Mausoleo di Cecilia Metella, Palazzo Massimo, Palazzo Altemps, Crypta Balbi, Terme di Diocleziano. The holders of this card will also be able to skip the waiting line in all the sites mentioned above. Good deal! You can purchase it in any ticket office of the touristic places it gives access to.

4. You won’t need to wait if you have the Roma Pass. Consider carefully whether this pass will save you money, as it gives free access (and line-skipping opportunity) only to 2 places for € 28 or € 38,50 and doesn’t include the Vatican Museums. You can find all the details here.

5. Buy a ticket at the Colosseum ticket office at a time when there’s no waiting line. During the low season (in winter) you can arrive about 10 minutes before the opening time to be one of the first visitors to enter.

Check special opening hours (when available) here, they are less popular than busy morning hours. From the end of April until the end of October, you can visit the Colosseum on Thursday and Saturday nights (it’s open till midnight). Prefer Thursdays, it’s less crowded.

6. Take a group tour. You’ll see dozens of guides when arriving at the Colosseum, that will offer you their services. Being in the group will let you skip the waiting line. You’ll be able to explore by yourself after the tour is finished.

7. Avoid visiting the Colosseum on the first Sunday of every month: the admission is free on this day, and you’ll see significantly longer queues.

This page will give you many tips to avoid crowds in Rome as well as crowd schedules for top tourist attractions in order to plan your visits.