what tickets to pre purchase for Rome and Venice

[flcruiser3]

We will be in Rome 2 days pre-cruise and Venice 2 days post-cruise. We plan on DIY touring and hope to see most of the "main' attractions? What tickets should I buy ahead of time on-line to avoid lines?

 

Also, if I wanted a private guide for the Vatican do I need to arrange that ahead of time with a private company, through the vatican, or are they available at the site?

 

Thanks!

[Chloe1500]

You can buy combination tickets to the Coliseum at the Palatine Hill entrance where the line is not as long as the main entrance, or if you plan to visit at least one other museum, such as the Borghese Gallery, as well as using public transportation, you may want to consider the Roma Pass which covers the metro, buses, the Coliseum and many of the museums. The Borghese Gallery requires advance reservations either way.

 

For the Vatican Museums, buying advance tickets is a good idea. I can't make a suggestion regarding hiring a guide (I'm sure others on here will be able to help).

 

In Venice, if you plan to visit the Doges Palace, advance tickets are also a very good idea. I did not have long to wait in line at St Mark's Basilica, so did not buy advance tickets, but some will advise that. There is a pass in Venice for the museums on St Mark's Square, but the usefulness depends on whether you plan to visit most of them.

[hansolosmom]

We leave in about a week.

 

I've preordered Vatican tickets for the night opening. I've also booked a Morning tour too (maybe a little overboard but we're super excited to see it :p )

 

We're doing the Roma pass for the other museums around town. As Chloe said if you want to do Borghese you need to reserve that one even if you have the Roma Pass.

[CathyCruises]

We leave in about a week.

 

I've preordered Vatican tickets for the night opening. I've also booked a Morning tour too (maybe a little overboard but we're super excited to see it :p )

 

We're doing the Roma pass for the other museums around town. As Chloe said if you want to do Borghese you need to reserve that one even if you have the Roma Pass.

 

You should do the math on the Roma Pass. We were there for 5 days and couldn't make it pay. . .

[Tiger Cruiser]

We did a Rome Highlights tour with RomeInLimo (highly recommended), and we booked a private Vatican guide at their suggestion and they made the arrangements. It was money well spent (150 Euro), our guide had grown up with the Vatican. Her parents had been Vatican guides and her husband was an alter boy there. She worked us past ALL the lines with a wink and a kiss on the cheek to the security guards and was very knowledgeable. We felt like the time we spent at the Vatican sites was well worth it.