Meeting the Colosseum
Tank || Similar Skirt || Sandals || Clutch || Sunglasses
There are no amount of books or pictures in the world that can get you ready to see some things in person. The Colosseum is one of those places. I remember looking through books about ancient Rome when I was in middle school and saying to myself, “someday, I’m going to go there.” Seeing this architectural marvel up close and personal was one of the most lasting memories from our entire trip to Italy.
My biggest piece of advice is this. Get there as early as possible. When we arrived at the Colosseum for pictures at around 6:30 in the morning, there was hardly anyone else there. We were able to walk around at our pace, finding all of the magical angles for some great shots. I’ve said once and I’ll say it again, Roman sights take on a whole new life when you can see them before the hustle and bustle from the tourists.
To get into the Colosseum, you’ll need to buy tickets. There are so many tour options to choose from, but I recommend grabbing tickets straight from the Colosseum’s official website. They are a fraction of the cost and you can still get access to Audio and Tour Guides. We even bought our tickets just the day before and had no issues. Because we bought our tickets straight from their official website, we are able to practically skip the entire line and got into the Colosseum in under 10 minutes. I honestly think it was the biggest secret we learned on our entire trip.
Your ticket to the Colosseum also includes a ticket to the Roman Forum right next door. Do not skip this! It is acres upon acres of ancient Roman ruins that are just dying to be explored. We spent hours wandering and admiring all of the details of the many buildings that are still perfectly intact. Be warned though, because the space is so big, it’s pretty easy to get lost. It’s good thing there are maps everywhere to help you find your way. As we were exploring, we even walked by the occasional dig where archeological students were working.
The neighborhood around the Colosseum is just rich for visiting. Unfortunately, we didn’t make the time to do this and we sincerely regret it. From the outside looking in, it looks as quaint and picturesque as you could hope for.
Love from NYC,
Katie
As always, thanks for stopping by! To keep up with all things about the Sunshine State, be sure to visit my exclusive Florida page, here.