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The Colosseum in Rome :
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We deal with getting there, getting in, what it costs, books to read before you go, how to beat the queues, and how to enjoy a brilliant family day's entertainment - living as a gladiator.
The Colosseum in Rome : location.
The ancient Roman Colosseum may be one of the most famous places to visit in Italy and one of the things to do in Rome everyone wants to experience, but it's slightly outside the main city centre and it's not all that well signposted.
Your hotel will give you a local map, but for planning purposes before you go here's a guide to whereabouts you'll find it.
Left-click on the map and scroll to see the Colosseum in relation to the rest of Rome.
The Colosseum in Rome : how to get there.
- Walking is the easiest way to get to the Colosseum - and the advantage is the walk can take you through the ancient Roman Forum.
- Alternatively take Metro line 'B', alighting at the 'Colosseo' station. Taxis also stop in this area.
- Trams number 3 and 8, or buses number 60, 75, 85, 87,175, 810 and 850 also stop near the Colosseum in the Via Labicana (see map above).
The Colosseum in Rome : when to go.
The ancient Roman Colosseum is (obviously) an open-air attraction and has few places to shelter.
Whilst the rains of autumn and winter in Rome can bring their own problems (take an umbrella!), Rome's climate in summer is particularly gruelling in the Colosseum. The heat builds up in the arena, it can be sweltering, and once inside there is nowhere to buy drinks.
Make sure you take a water bottle for each family member, and have a look at our tips for how to keep cool in Rome.
Opening hours :
Every day apart from Christmas Day and New Year's Day, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; or one hour before sunset in winter.
Cost (2009) :
11 (+ 2 for temporary exhibitions); concessions 6.50.
Address :
Piazza del Colosseo 00184.
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The Colosseum in Rome - Top Tips :
- Queues for tickets to the ancient Roman Colosseum are always long and can be tedious in the heat of the summer. Rather than buy your ticket there, if visiting ancient sites is one of your top things to do in Rome, buy a combination ticket for the three main ancient sites : the Colosseum, Palatine Hill and Roman Forum.
- You can get this ticket at the nearby entrance to the Palatine Hill. It's valid for two days so you don't have to visit all three sites in one day.
- You can now buy your Rome Colosseum ticket on the internet using Tickets Online. Cost in 2009 when booked in advance is 10.50 per ticket, 1.50 for under 18s and over 65s. It includes admission to any exhibitions currently being shown at the Colosseum. There is no administration charge and you print your ticket at home. Tickets are transferable but a covering letter from the person named on the e-ticket must be shown.
- The audio tour of the Colosseum is worth taking as you can bypass the long queues and go straight to the 'Guided Audio Tour' window which is usually much less crowded. It is not a brilliant tour but helpful as a place to start - without some help it is easy to become overwhelmed and lose your bearings once inside.
- If you are staying in Rome for three days, the Roma Pass is good value. Costing 23 it gives you three days' access to public 'ATAC' buses plus free entrance to the first two monuments visited and discounted access to the rest. Available online in advance, or from any of the participating monuments and Termini railway station.
- The RomaPiu Pass costs 25 and additionally has access to the metro service and local Trenitalia lines - although it doesn't include the train to either of the airports.
Want your kids to have a slice of real life at the Colosseum in Rome?
Send them to Gladiator School!
Send them to Gladiator School!
Have a look at our detailed page about Rome's gladiator school for more information and a link to the booking site, or click on the picture below to be taken directly to book.
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The Colosseum in Rome : before you travel.
Books.
Part of the joy of planning which places to visit in Italy is reading about them before you go.
There are a huge number of guide books to Rome and to the Colosseum, and it can be difficult to know which will best suit you.
We have picked the following two books as our own recommendations - one for adults, one for children. We have found both to be the pick of the bunch when we wanted solid, basic information presented in a lively way.
Keith Hopkins and Mary Beard : 'The Colosseum'.
Published by Profile Books, 2005.
A hugely entertaining book full of interesting facts about the Colosseum rather than the usual rather dry information. Written by two leading historians, it is humorous and based on contemporary writings and images.
From its original purpose to its strange after-life, the authors trace the history of the building in a lively, engaging, readable format. Highly recommended.
Elizabeth Mann : 'The Roman Colosseum'.
Published by Mikaya Press, 1998.
If you're travelling with kids to Rome and looking for things to do, get them to read this book before you go and the ancient roman Colosseum will be high on their priority list.
Written for children between the ages of 9 and 12, it gives facts about the architecture of the Colosseum mixed in with lots of kid-friendly information about ancient gladiator schools styles of fighting, and use of ancient animals in the arena.
Clear, well written and an excellent introduction to the greatness and the brutality of the ancient Roman Colosseum.
Interesting facts about the Colosseum in Rome.
You'll find a lot of information in guide books about facts relating to the Colosseum - when it was built, how many it held and so on.
Whilst those are important to know to get an idea of the scale of the arena, if you're trying to get your kids interested in things to do in Rome related to ancient sites, bald facts and figures aren't likely to inspire them.
With that in mind, we have put together a list of ten strange facts about the Colosseum in Rome which your family will find easier to relate to and which, hopefully, will inspire them to want to have a look for themselves.
Our first five strange facts about the ancient Roman Colosseum includes its links with ostriches, the Taj Mahal and Paul McCartney.
Our next five strange facts cover its links with Beyonc้, the film 'Gladiator', - and whether the Romans ate too much.
Read, be astounded, and most of all - enjoy!
More strange ancient Roman facts.
More things to do in Rome.
Our choice of the best accommodation in Rome, Italy.
Colosseum in Rome to our home page about Italian culture.
