kwren

We'd like to see the dungeons, main level and third level of the Colosseum and think a guided tour would be more interesting for our two teenagers. There is so much info and such a wide range of prices that I'm having a hard time putting it all together and figuring out which to choose. We definitely want to be able to skip the lines.

I'm seeing recommendations for Walk in Italy tours for 79 Euros and Tickitaly tours for 33,50 Euros.

The difference I see is is that Walk in Italy has smaller groups (12 people) and includes the dungeons and 3rd level. Tickitaly has groups of 25 and I think it includes all 3 levels? Is that correct? Any other reason for the huge price difference?

Does anyone recommend either of these companies? Which one and why?

I see one can also book through Pierrici, the main booking site, and that is even cheaper. Does that include a tour or is that just tickets to go in and walk around on your own?

Is there something else I should consider?

Any help would be appreciated. Am I confused because it is late or am I missing something??? I'm thinking that if I book with any of these we skip the lines to get in - is that right?

Thanks for any guidance for us!

RJD

You should check out Context Tours:http://www.contexttravel.com/city/Rome
Excellent small group tours, based on my direct experience. They are pricey but unforgettable. They have an Underground Rome tour.

kwren

Thanks for the info RJD, but I need the basics first and am feeling very confused as to why there is such a wide range of prices for what seems to be the same tour of the dungeons and third level. Pierrici, walks of Italy, Tickitaly, private guides, Contextitaly???

How do we decide?

RJD

The differences are generally due to size of the group and the quality of the narration.

SpartanTartan

I highly recommend Angel Tours. Take a look at http://angeltoursrome.com/tours.htm#Forum. Although I don't remember if we went into the dungeons, we did see bypass all the lines. Our tour also included the Forum. We went on several Angel Tours in Rome and enjoyed them all. The Forum/Colosseum tour was the smallest - the guide, my husband, another man and me! We also used them for the Vatican and a city tour. Our guides were terrific and extremely knowledgeable.

spiceolife

Revealed Rome does a great breakdown on this on her recent blog post here:
http://www.revealedrome.com/2011/06/...avel-tips.html

She also had posted about what you can see in the basic Pierreci Colosseum underground visits here: http://www.revealedrome.com/2011/03/...geum-rome.html

I've done the underground, and have read a lot of information on these forums about it. It appears that all tours are in theory able to visit all three areas (all visit underground), some, due to time constraints, go to either the arena floor or the top tier. If I was to choose, I'd say the top tier was cooler, just because the arena floor you stand on is just a piece of it, and it's not original. Being under is way cooler.

Also, walks of italy posted a blog post about it their tour recently here:
http://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/rom...-rome-hypogeum

Hope that helps!

litefoot

I can give you my experience with Tickitaly. We went on the Dungeons and Upper Level tour (3 hours). It was very, very good. We saw all three levels of the colosseum, and our guide was very informative. I learned a lot. Though Ticketialy max's out at 25 the group can be smaller. We bypassed the lines and we were also given those ear/microphones so you hear the guide. You get a real sense of what the colosseum was like in its heyday, and the view from the third level, super cool. We were not rushed and were given time to take pictures. Our tickets included the Roman Forum (again bypassing lines) and we could stay and explore the Forum (there is more to the Roman Forum than just the center) after the guide left. Highly recommend them, this was one of the highlights of our stay in Rome.

jent103

I booked with Tickitaly for a tour a few weeks ago and ditto litefoot's experience - it was GREAT. We started in the dungeons, only spent a few minutes on the middle level, and then headed up to the upper level, so we weren't among the throngs for very long. Our group may have had 20-25, I don't know, but there was never a problem with the group size. They give you little walkie-talkie things you can hold by your ear or clip on a bag strap, so you can always hear the guide. Our guide was great, I thought.

(Just to clarify, because I know I was confused too! - the Tickitaly tour includes entrance to the Forum/Palatine Hill, but not a tour for those areas. The tour is only inside the Colosseum.)

Now, what I still don't know is whether we could have gotten the exact same thing booking with Pierecci and saved a few euro. But for me, the extra six euro or so was worth being able to do everything online, with email confirmations, rather than trying to coordinate time differences and navigate the Pierecci phone menus.

kybourbon

FYI -n A basic 12€ entrance ticket includes the Colosseum, Forum, Palantine so any tour ticket will include that. The Forum was free until a couple of years ago.

Prices:
COLOSSEO/FORO ROMANO and PALATINO valid 2 days:

ADULTS € 12,00
REDUCED FEE € 7,50 for European Union members between 18 and 24 years old, more details: info
FREE ENTRANCE for persons under 18 and over 65 years old from the European Union, more details: info

spiceolife

kybourbon, that's not quite the case anymore because when you do a group entrance with the underground, with tickitaly for example, unless someone physically brings you into the Forum after the underground/third tier tour then you don't have a ticket to enter. I not aware of whether or not tickitaly's tour enters the forum at the end, but jent103 makes me think yes. However, not all tours that are being sold out there allow you to enter the forum, since a group entrance ticket is one ticket for the whole group. Just make sure, wherever you buy the tour, the forum is included otherwise that will be a separate fee again. ;-)

kybourbon

>>>>However, not all tours that are being sold out there allow you to enter the forum, since a group entrance ticket is one ticket for the whole group.<<<

I've never been on a group tour in Italy where I wasn't handed my individual ticket.

Connie

Just another piece of info for anyone buying a group ticket just to get past the lines (as many people do for attractions)........

You can buy your ticket at the entrance to Palatine Hill/Forum where there is usually no line and go back to the Colosseum either before or after and walk right past the LONG line. Walk to the left of the line until you get to the turnstiles and walk right in with your ticket. You will feel like you are doing something wrong but it works.

monkeybutt

Im book marking this for my october trip! I heard great things about touring the downstairs and the third level! thanks everyone

jent103

spiceoflife, sorry if I wasn't clear - our tour guide did <u>not</u> take us to the Forum after our tour. Our Colosseum entrance ticket was all we needed to enter the Forum. Each "family" (for lack of a better word) had their own ticket - for example, since I had booked mine and my friend's together, we had one ticket for the two of us. But we were not required to go over there with the rest of our Colosseum tour group. Once our Colosseum tour was finished, we were free to do whatever we liked.

kybourbon

spiceolife - From what I see on tickitaly website, they are not doing anything except booking your tickets/tours from Pierreci. They are signing you up for the Colosseum's own tour (unless you book tickitaly's private tour which is quite expensive and you must have a group) whether you just book the Colosseum only or book the underground also.

If you booked it yourself you would pay 12€ entrance plus 5€ for the Colosseum tour. You can either pay 17€ and book it yourself or pay tickitaly 23.50€ to book it for you. For the Colosseum + underground if you book with Pierrcei you pay 12€ + 8€. Tickitaly is combining that with the 5€ Colosseum tour so it's really not that much more. Tickitaly is making less booking both tours at 27.50 than the Colosseum only tour although I'm sure they are getting some kind of discount on the basic entrance tickets as a group. Pierreci charges a 1.50€ booking fee so you would likely pay close to the same buying tickets plus both tours from Pierreci.

spiceolife

kybourbon - exactly, which is why I wonder why so many people are recommending to book with them, considering you can do it yourself. They call, make the reservation for you, and you join their tour. I'd suggest just doing this if you want a Colosseum guide.

jent103 - that's good that they're doing that. The reason I brought it up is because some companies I've heard are buying one "group" ticket, not everyone get's their own ticket but the total number of people on the tour are accounted for in that one ticket. Therefore, make sure whichever way you end up going you see that the entrance to forum/palatine areas is included, otherwise you would have to pay again.

kybourbon

I noticed that tickitaly is charging 41€ for the Vatican Garden tour (only the Vatican does this tour - no outsiders) which you can book yourself on the Vatican website for 31€. Silly to click order on tickitaly when you can just as easily click order on the Vatican site and save 10€ per person.

For the underground Colosseum tour it might be worth it to use tickitaly since they seem to making less than a euro off that and it saves you the hassle of trying to call Pierreci. They are charging 27€ for entrance (12€)+ underground tour (8€)+ Colosseum tour (5€). You would have to pay 12+5+8 (25€)on Pierreci plus their booking fee (1.50€) and the price of a phone call to Italy to book the underground.