Planning to visit Rome and don't want to stand in queues for hours? This is a list that will save you time and nerves. For some sights, you'll be lucky to get in without a reservation - or at all.

I know a thing or two about that. I myself have not gotten into some museums or galleries at all during several stays in Rome precisely because I underestimated booking tickets in advance.

• Our tips.
• Public transport in Rome: what I got for my tickets

The 10 best hotels in Rome

💬 Do you know of another place to book in Rome? Let me know in the comments below the article. I'm happy to update the text according to your recommendations. Thanks!

Where you can't do without a reservation

Here's a list of places where you should book a few weeks in advance - ideally right after buying your tickets.

Colosseum + Forum Romanum + Palatine

Rome's biggest tourist magnet - and it looks like it, too.

All three monuments are accessible with 1 ticket.

💡 You can walk through the Forum and Palatine any time of day, but you must have a fixed time ticket for the Colosseum.

• Colosseum - tickets are also available on site, but always for a fixed time only and may be sold out for the day
  • the risk is especially on weekends between April and October
  • I recommend buying tickets on the official website as soon as you know the date of your visit
  • I describe the experience in detail on the Colosseum page
• Forum Romanum + Palatine - you can buy tickets on the spot without a specific time
  • with an online ticket you can usually save yourself 20-30 minutes in line
  • I describe the detailed experience on the Forum Romanum and Palatine page

Vatican Museums + Sistine Chapel

It's practically not worth going here at all without a reservation.

Queues on the spot can take 2-3 hours. More in high season. I gave up just looking at the line that wound through several streets.

• Entry is for a specific time (even if you buy on the spot, so you may find yourself standing in a 3-hour line and the next free entry will be in a few days)
• online booking required at least 2 weeks in advance, otherwise there will be no seats available
• museivaticanitickets.com is the official website and I describe my experience in my article on the Vatican Museums

Villa Borghese Gallery

One of the best galleries in Europe - and the most limited.

• Entry for 2-hour slots only
• limited number of people
• virtually impossible without a reservation, book on the official borghesegallery.com website
• usually sold out 3-4 weeks in advance

Book this one first of all right after buying your ticket.

Where is the gallery and what will you see there? We write in the article about Villa Borghese.

Passetto di Borgo

I didn't get here precisely because I didn't book my entry in time.

This is an elevated walkway that connects the Vatican and the Castel Sant'Angelo and is only open twice a week to a limited number of visitors.

• Reserve your entry through the official coopculture.it website
• ideally at least 3-4 weeks in advance

Where booking makes sense but is not necessary

St. Peter's Basilica

We'll be staying in the Vatican.

The world's most famous church is free to enter without a reservation, but that's why lines form for more than 3 hours during the day.

If you book entry, you'll pay a small fee, but you'll save yourself a lot of time.

• Book only through the official website and not from scammers on the spot
• it is worth booking if you want to visit the basilica and the dome between 9:00 and 18:00
• before 9:00 the queues are minimal
• the booking queue is only for the security check (approx. 20 minutes)
• details of how and when to book entry are described in the article on St Peter's Basilica
• I recommend booking online at least 2-3 days in advance

Castle of the Angels

Not as extreme as St. Peter's Basilica, but lines do form.

• Reservations are not necessary
• but saves up to 1 hour of queuing time in high season.
• Reservations just need to be made 1-2 days in advance for the exact time

I describe the details in the article about Castel Sant'Angelo.

Galleria Colonna

The beautiful interiors of the Colonna Palace are only open twice a week: on Fridays and Saturdays.

I managed to make a reservation on the day of my visit, but especially in summer and especially on Fridays, when there are only guided tours, I would recommend booking 5-7 days in advance.

I write about how I liked it and where I booked tickets in my article about Palazzo Colonna.

What did I find convincing?

The best strategy is a combination:

• book the key sights I definitely want to see in advance (for me, next time it will be the Vatican Museums + the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, I'd also like to get to the Galleria Borghese at some point, but you really need to book well in advance there)
• leave the rest flexible
• program to be composed according to the time slots of the reservations

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How to save (and not overpay for entries)

Official sites are often cheaper than resellers. The only exception is when:

• you want skip-the-line packages
• or combined entries
• very common through GetYourGuide

While I often use GetYourGuide to book trips (most recently to Koh Samui in Thailand or Cancun in Mexico, for example), I've only booked everything in Rome through the official sites that list places to see.

Where to stay to save time

Location in Rome decides more than anything else.

The ideal is:

• The historic centre (more expensive, but maximum time saved)
• Trastevere (better prices + atmosphere)
• metro area (compromise)

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