Colosseum

[petuniaflower]

Is the Colosseum something that you really need to enter/get ticket for, or can you experience it without?  Since we only have the day to experience so many things Im trying to figure out what can be done without a big commitment, though the Colosseum is of top priority.

 

Also, is the Colosseum and Trevi fountain and general roaming/pizzeria/gelato all within walking distance?

 

And, if we were to take the new express train in from the port, would it leave us close to the Colosseum/walking distance?

 

TIA

[nicoleinwi]

If you don't get a ticket you can't get inside and just see from the outside.  We did Rome on our own with the train and the stop was right outside the Colosseum, we took the main train into Rome then transferred to the Metro. 

 

Everything you want to do is totally doable.  This is what we did on our own in Rome; 

I can't remember the time we took the train (we were in port 6am - 7pm and I know we were off the ship right after 6am), we missed the first one we were going to take as got lost, so we had to wait a 1/2 hour.  We had Colosseum tix for 9:40 and we arrived around 9:30am incase that helps with the train time.  Did the underground tour at the Colosseum. 

After the Colosseum here is everything we did (all walking) in the order we did it

Circus Maximus

Palentine Hill

Roman Forum

Pantheon

lunch stop for pizza

Piazza Navona

Spanish Steps

After Spanish Steps we took the metro back the main terminal and train back

We did not do Trevi as it was all under construction but if it wasn't we could have easily fit it in. I would probably walk Piazza Navona to Trevi to Spanish Steps. 

 

We arrived back to the train station in Civitavecchia with time to stop for gelato on the way back to the ship and still were onboard around 4:30pm (departure 6pm). 

 

We made a google map of Rome and plunked in all the stuff we wanted to see and developed our walking plan with that.

 

Just be careful about pickpockets.  We ran into quite a few people who were pick pocketed and even saw someone right when we boarded the train back getting pick pocketed.   

 

[Luv2cruz1000]

Which station did you get off at and take local bus to the colosseum? Would it make any sense for the less adventuresome to take a taxi. (Recently did a do it yourself day that did not go as planned!)

[petuniaflower]

3 hours ago, nicoleinwi said:

If you don't get a ticket you can't get inside and just see from the outside.  We did Rome on our own with the train and the stop was right outside the Colosseum, we took the main train into Rome then transferred to the Metro. 

 

Everything you want to do is totally doable.  This is what we did on our own in Rome; 

I can't remember the time we took the train (we were in port 6am - 7pm and I know we were off the ship right after 6am), we missed the first one we were going to take as got lost, so we had to wait a 1/2 hour.  We had Colosseum tix for 9:40 and we arrived around 9:30am incase that helps with the train time.  Did the underground tour at the Colosseum. 

After the Colosseum here is everything we did (all walking) in the order we did it

Circus Maximus

Palentine Hill

Roman Forum

Pantheon

lunch stop for pizza

Piazza Navona

Spanish Steps

After Spanish Steps we took the metro back the main terminal and train back

We did not do Trevi as it was all under construction but if it wasn't we could have easily fit it in. I would probably walk Piazza Navona to Trevi to Spanish Steps. 

 

We arrived back to the train station in Civitavecchia with time to stop for gelato on the way back to the ship and still were onboard around 4:30pm (departure 6pm). 

 

We made a google map of Rome and plunked in all the stuff we wanted to see and developed our walking plan with that.

 

Just be careful about pickpockets.  We ran into quite a few people who were pick pocketed and even saw someone right when we boarded the train back getting pick pocketed.   

 

Thank you so much, great info!  So when you say you took the train and metro, does the train from the port not go directly to the Colosseum area?  Is it train to metro to Colosseum?

 

Is the Colosseum and the rest of your list walking distance, or Colosseum somewhere else, then to the rest of the places which are all walking distance?

 

Also, when you bought your tickets in advance, did you have to pick a specific time, no all day entry?

 

Were the rest of the things you did all extra entry tickets/fees?

 

Hope this all makes sense!

[John Bull]

I don't know about the new express train, but to get to the Colosseum using the regular regional train, you get off at Ostiense. This is linked (and very well-signed) to the adjacent Piramide metro station. Your BIRG train ticket from Civitavecchia gives you free travel on Rome's metro and service buses (not ho-hos).

 

Take the blue metro line (Line B) in the direction of Rebibbia or Conca d'Ora. The Colosseum (Colosseo) is the second stop.

Or get off at the first stop, Circo Massimo, if you want to see the chariot-racing oval (tho there's little to see) and walk down Via San Gregorio to Colosseum.

https://www.rome.info/metro/

Do buy your Colosseum tickets on-line in advance, then you can skip the loooooooong ticket line - but there'll likely also  be a security line at the entrance. Those tickets are combined Colosseum + Palatine Hill + Forum, but you won't have the time (or energy) for Palatine Hill. Unless things have changed, you don't have to specify a time - but you'll figure that with a dummy booking.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/JoDaGZ4rg3L2

This map shows a worthwhile walking route.

1. It starts at Circo Massimo, but as above you can start at the Colosseum.

2. I can't persuade googlemaps to do this, but when you leave the Colosseum, instead of walking up Via del Fori Imperiale  cross it and enter the Forum. Then walk up through the Forum, broadly parallel with Via del F.I., toward the big imposing white memorial, Vittorio Emanuele 11, aka "the wedding cake". There's a Forum exit (but not entrance) at that end, so you can walk round the memorial to the front and cross Piazza Venezia en-route to the Trevi.

3. You'll see that the Spanish Steps (Piazza di Spagna) is quite a distance - if you don't have time for it (you probably won't), re-trace your steps from Trevi to the Pantheon (lines at the Pantheon move quickly) then on to Piazza Navona.

4. It's a 20+ minute walk from Piazza Navona to the Vatican - for that you might want to jump on a bus (sorry, no details) or take a short taxi hop. 

5. From the Vatican it's a 15+ minute walk to San Pietro station for the train back to Civi. By the time the train gets to San Pietro it'll be standing-room-only, but everyone can get on.

Check the return train times before you go. Figure which is the latest to get you back to the ship in good time, and take the one before that (leaving the last-possible train in reserve).

 

If you're not interested in seeing the Vatican, after the Forum go Pantheon, Piazza Navona, Trevi, Spanish Steps.

Metro station under the Spanish Steps - take the metro to Termini for the train back to Civi.

NB the platform for the train to Civi is at the very far end of Termini station, a walk of over 10 minutes.

But you might get a seat on the train from there. 

 

Do keep an eye on the time as you go, and be prepared to skip a sight or two if you're losing the battle against time. 

 

JB 

  

Edited March 21, 2019 by John Bull

[John Bull]

Too late to add in an edit - perhaps nicole's timed tickets were for the Colosseum underground tour? 

Edited March 21, 2019 by John Bull

[nicoleinwi]

8 hours ago, John Bull said:

Too late to add in an edit - perhaps nicole's timed tickets were for the Colosseum underground tour? 

 

Yes mine were timed entry. Had to meet at 9:40 and they escorted us everywhere.

[petuniaflower]

Thanks so much everyone!  Is the train far from port?  Walking distance?

[nicoleinwi]

10 hours ago, petuniaflower said:

Thank you so much, great info!  So when you say you took the train and metro, does the train from the port not go directly to the Colosseum area?  Is it train to metro to Colosseum?

 

Is the Colosseum and the rest of your list walking distance, or Colosseum somewhere else, then to the rest of the places which are all walking distance?

  

Also, when you bought your tickets in advance, did you have to pick a specific time, no all day entry?

 

Were the rest of the things you did all extra entry tickets/fees?

 

Hope this all makes sense!

 

I see someone else posted great directions for the train..... 

 

For the other questions, we thought everything was in walking distance.  I had my Garmin GPS watch running and I just pulled up the route in my online account.  So total walking we did was 3.89miles. 

 

I only bought tix in advance for the Colosseum, as that was the only thing we thought we had to get tix for (since it was a guided tour).  Palentine Hill & Roman Forum were a combo ticket, that place is so large and just all outdoors that we didn't think you'd have to prebook.  Panetheon was the only other thing we had to pay for tickets to get into.  That had a little line, maybe 5 minutes. 

 

If you are up for the walk like we did, it was really neat to just wander the streets and see everything.  Stop into a shop here or there.  Or stop at one of the various plazas along the way.  The one I have listed, Piazza Navona, we just made a point to make sure to hit that one as it was in the movie Angels & Demons. 

[John Bull]

38 minutes ago, petuniaflower said:

Thanks so much everyone!  Is the train far from port?  Walking distance?

 

Free port shuttlebus to the port gate.

 

Then it used to be a pleasant 10 - 15 minute seafront walk to the station. 

Until they changed to a different gate.  

Now it's a longer walk (? 25 mins ?) but I believe there's now a payable (pennies) shuttlebus from that port gate to the station - so now it's a walk of 0,00 miles . But it will probably cost you time.

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No entry fee for the Pantheon (I just checked on the web, and I'm up-to-date).

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But I'm not up-to-date on Colosseum tickets.

It's still Colosseum and Forum and Palatine Hill on one ticket, but you pre-book a time for entry to the Colosseum  (do that or risk not getting entry when you arrive). 

There's a plethora of "beat the line" tickets, I'll leave you to wade through them. Or select a time based on pessimism about travel time to Rome & if you arrive earlier spend that time in the Forum.

https://www.rometoolkit.com/whattodo/colosseum.htm

 

I have a personal hatred of "beat the line by paying an extra supplement", because the result is that the line for those with standard tickets gets longer, so everyone eventually buys "beat the line" tickets. This results in the "beat the line" line being just as long as the regular line used to be and everyone is paying more than the advertised admission price with no benefit. Mickey Mouse take note.

(Rant over )

 

JB 

 

 

Edited March 21, 2019 by John Bull

[VMax1700]

If you do book tickets online for the Colosseum, then remember to print out the barcoded sheet to take with you to the ticket office (unlike someone I know, who shall remain nameless!!)