rome colosseum and vatican tickets

[Shadus]

No choice. Else friends will be shocked why we visit Italy but no leaning tower

 

[bkmailsg]

Then you ask your friend is Italy equate to Leaning Tower?

No choice. Else friends will be shocked why we visit Italy but no leaning tower

 

[Shadus]

haha.... probably abt right, leaning tower + venice. probably some didnt know venice = italy too... haha.

 

[bkmailsg]

If you like something off the beaten track, try Cinque Terre. You will love it.

haha.... probably abt right, leaning tower + venice. probably some didnt know venice = italy too... haha.

 

[Alpha_Hippo]

pisa nothing to see actually. The tower is over-rated.

 

[seamonster]

No choice. Else friends will be shocked why we visit Italy but no leaning tower

Pisa is more than just seeing the leaning tower. Lovely walk from Pisa train station to the Field of Miracles. It is amusing watching all the crazy tourist trying to pose at the Pisa Tower. You will have a good laugh and part of traveling is having fun and not just seeing the Icon itself.

You can also do the trishaw thingy and pedal around Pisa for just 5 euro. Well worth it and so much fun.

 

[sugarkittyx]

Hope this is not too late and still relevant (I went 2 years ago):

For the Roma Pass, if you get it, the first attraction is free, while all other attractions are at ?% off. It makes it worthwhile to make the Colosseum your first stop, plus, since you have the Roma Pass, you can skip the ticket queue and just enter. Alternatively, you can just skip the queue by going to get the audio tour - there's actually a separate queue for that. The Colosseum ticket is the same as the Forum and Palatine Hill, so you can enter those for free too.

As for the Vatican City, you can buy tickets here (Vatican Museums - Official web site) and skip the queue. Definitely worthwhile - the tour is run by the Vatican guides and is very good. Not one of those sham tour guides hanging around the gate. I got the St Peter's Basilica and Vatican Museum tour for 36 euros. Book early, tickets run out fast. Be sure to wear pants and sleeved shirt!

 

[sugarkittyx]

Another tip is to check out Rick Steves' guidebooks. you can borrow them from the library, he gives a lot of tips on how to book tickets online/over the phone to skip queues.

 

[sugarkittyx]

From Pisa, there's a bus that goes to a nearby town 30min away called Lucca. The bus ride costs about 2-3 euros. Lucca is a small, walled town, and its walls are wide and have been converted into gardens by Napoleon's sister. It is beautiful, and makes for a great side trip away from the hustle and bustle of the tourist cities and can be easily combined with a trip to Pisa. You cant get lost cos it's so small, so you can just rent a bicycle and cycle aimlessly around the town.

 

[Assimilator]

Don't buy your ticket outside Colosseum. The ticket for Forum is also valid for Colosseum. So, buy your ticket at Forum entrance, where the queue is usually very short. There is one Forum entrance to the west of Colosseum, you'll see it if you walk towards Vittorio Emanuele II Monument from Colosseum Metro exit. When queuing to enter Colosseum, join the line reserved for people with tickets since the same Forum ticket is usable.

As for Vatican, if you're going on a normal day, just go in the afternoon. By then, the tourist crowd would have thinned up. I went there on a Friday afternoon in the middle of summer holidays (peak season hohoho) and the queue was less than 10 minutes, mostly due to security check.

There are a few reasons why you should get a Vatican ticket in advance:
1. You die die must go on "special days", like a Saturday morning, a special-opening Sunday, or the day when Pope is conducting a mass.
2. You want to engage tour guides provided by Vatican
3. You want an off-the-beaten path itinerary, like a tour of Vatican Garden.

Finally, check out this website. He has some good time-saving, crowd-avoiding tips when in Rome.
Ron in Rome! | Assistance, Coaching, & Thoughts on Visiting & Living in Rome!

 

[reksgwee]

Thanks guys for the helpful advice... just wanna check, is it safe to be traveling to places like rome, florence & venice alone? How are the people there like?

I'm planning to spent a week there, cramping the 3 different places, it that advisable? Rome 3 days, Florence 1 day, and venice 3 days.... any advice?

 

[tqx]

It is safe if you are talking in terms of threat to life, as long as you do not like go down dark alleys etc.

It is more dangerous in terms of monetary as there are various scams and pickpockets. I think there are more pickpockets in Italy than cows in New Zealand based on tour reports. The base strategy of beating pickpockets is simply to be less tempting than the person next to you.

 

[Alpha_Hippo]

just go to rome at the last stop then naturally you be out of money.

 

[sugarkittyx]

How bout Rome 3 Florence 2 (including Pisa/Siena) Venice 2 (assuming you only have these 7 days to spend in Italy)?

 

[kaisin82]

not sure about florence. rome 3 venice 2 is quite do-able.
venice, u can practically walk the entire city. rome day 1- vatican city, spanish steps, shopping
rome day 2- pantheon, trevvi fountain
Rome day 3- colosseum, roman forum, palentino

reksgwee>>safe lah, i think safer than paris. always put wallet and phone in front pants pocket and always check. don't go near those peddlers or do any survey forms

 

[bkmailsg]

I never recommend Pisa for a short and/or rush trip cos you made a detour just for the tower. But again, if the tower is a must, it will be probably a rush one.

How bout Rome 3 Florence 2 (including Pisa/Siena) Venice 2 (assuming you only have these 7 days to spend in Italy)?

 

[reksgwee]

hey all,

thanks for the reply and advice.. I am contemplating booking a tour or going by myself... The hassle free of transfer from airport/rail to hotel + booking of hotel of a tour is really attractive. But at the same time, i also know if I were to follow a tour, it will be pretty rush.. like getai like that...

Just want to check, its it easy to get from the airport to the city of rome? i heard taxi are extremely expensive.

 

[beanstalk6]

Taxis are usually prohibitively expensive in Europe. Go for the airport train. In my opinion, you do not have much time if you have 7 days. If my return ticket is with Rome, I will devote most of my time to Rome and perhaps visit a small place outside of Rome. Rome has a lot of offer, and besides, journeys to Florence and beyond take up a lot of time on the road, not to mention you have make your way back to Rome again. Italians are friendly enough and if one encounters crime, it is mostly the petty kind.

 

[misteel]

You can also opt for airport shuttle bus. These private bus which takes in a few visitors. It is a per-arrange price before the trip.

Rome Transfers & Ground Transport | Viator.com

 

[tanchoo1]

hey all,

thanks for the reply and advice.. I am contemplating booking a tour or going by myself... The hassle free of transfer from airport/rail to hotel + booking of hotel of a tour is really attractive. But at the same time, i also know if I were to follow a tour, it will be pretty rush.. like getai like that...

Just want to check, its it easy to get from the airport to the city of rome? i heard taxi are extremely expensive.

Most (all?) package tours originating from SG will feel like an episode of the Amazing Race; or if you are army-inclined, think "touching lamp posts".