If you go to the Palantine entrance just down the road from the Arch early, about 9.15 latest, buy your combined ticket for the Palantine Hill and Colosseum, then go to the Colosseum and pass all the early queues, it felt great! Then back to the Palantine Hill and walk past all the queues again, straight in, no messing. We... more

Although we were approached by tour guides offering all sorts of deals out the front, if you are English speaking you don't need to stand in the queue. Go to the front of the line and tell the staff you want the English speaking didactic tour. The queue is tiny and it's cheaper than the other offers - get a... more

The price of the ticket was well worth it. If you go to the Forum first you can buy tickets into both exhibits and possibly avoid a longer line at the Colosseum. The views are amazing and the audio guide was very helpful. There are elevators available, but if you're up for the challenge you can take the stairs- warning-... more

I must have been to Rome more than a dozen times and I've never been here, the crowds have always put me off. But being at a loose end on a recent late Sunday afternoon in Rome and thinking that the crowds might be less (and it's also cooler) I went along. The late afternoon light also brings out the... more

Most impressive but oddly fragile as I couldn't help but wonder how much longer it would stand in these times of global warming where it must be affected by erosion. Amazing to think of how old it is and that it is still standing. Keep away from the guys dressed up as Gladiators as they charge for the privilege of... more

This is probably the focus of Rome's visit. The Colosseum is large and from the outside is marvellous. Outside avoid the people dressed as soldiers and emperors - they will rip you of for a photograph. It is better to ask a passerby for a photo! We just passed the queue easily because we bought the Archaeologica card (28 euros... more

We enjoyed an informative and friendly tour guide named Frederica from Presto Tours. She was knowledgeable about dates and events, animated and articulate. Her English was very good. She took us to the Palantine Museum, as an extra. The directions for where to meet her were clear and we avoided the lines for tickets by going to the Palanatine Hill... more

The colosseum is a classic piece of history, and as others have said, whether you enjoy it or not depend on your expectations. But I will give you one tip I have not read on here yet--another way to avoid the long lines that my wife stumbled on. If you pass by all the people standing in line and go... more

We bought our tickets online before going, it was a great idea. The ticket also gets you into the Roman forum across the street, but the entrance is down the road a bit past the Giant Arch. We also brought our IPods along with a free audio guide of Rick Steves that we downloaded off his website, which was a... more