Italy Tickets to purchase prior to going?

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We are hearing that we should pre buy our tickets to what we want to see. Problem is I do not know what I want to see and if I do. How do I Pre buy my tickets from here?

We are leaving in a week so I have to move on this.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Frank,
Check out this site, it is called SelectItaly and you can get museum tickets etc. there ahead. I don't know too much about them, but, know one person who purchased some of their tickets for Florence there (got in to see David without waiting a long time in line). Don't know how there prices are or if there is enough time for you now, but worth a look at the site.
It is http://selectitaly.com/index.php

Have a great trip...

[wandering gnome Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wandering gnome]

Frank, I really enjoyed the "Let's go" travel guide series (edited by Harvard college students.) and Rick Steve's travel guides for planning my europe trips. Rick also has Mona Lisa winks-a self guided tour of Europes top museums. I believe there are 3 in Florence in it. It has photos and a "guided plan" so you see the note worthy items and skip the less significant items. For instance, the Sistine Chapel is at the end of a large art museum. Using Mona allows you to spend "quality" time there rather than rushing through at the end of the tour.

Rick hosted the "Europe through the back door series on PBS and some of specific country trips are available on video, maybe at your library or at his web site.

[Rene McDaniel Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Rene McDaniel]

We are hearing that we should pre buy our tickets to what we want to see. Problem is I do not know what I want to see and if I do. How do I Pre buy my tickets from here? We are leaving in a week so I have to move on this.

Frank, if you are planning to see Florence it would be worthwhile to book tickets for the Uffizi Art Gallery and the Accademia (Michaelangelo's famous David) before going. The earlier poster is right on about checking a guidebook for info -- I think the Rick Steves guides could definately tell you how to do it. Or just hit your local bookstore, and write down the information you need. Probably it would just be a website address.

The Uffizi reservation would be the most valuable. We waited and called after we arrived (this was before DaVinci Code), and there was nothing until 7 days out. There is a "standby line" .. but who wants to risk 3 or 4 hours standing & waiting in long lines.

For the Accademia we were able to get the same day we called, so that was not as much of a hardship -- but if you are doing it as a daytrip, get your Uffizi reservation as your FIRST PRIORITY. I don't recall having to do any reservations in Rome, other than the underground Nero's House -- which was not worth the expense.

Hope you have a GREAT TRIP!!
--- Rene McDaniel

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

My wife just bought the Rick Steve's Italy 2006 book. She has a lot of reading with not much time to do it in. I hope I will have enough time to pre purchase my tickets online. A few things that we want to see is the Sistine chapel's, St Peters, The Vatican, Coliseum.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Frank,
Check out this site, it is called SelectItaly and you can get museum tickets etc. there ahead. I don't know too much about them, but, know one person who purchased some of their tickets for Florence there (got in to see David without waiting a long time in line). Don't know how there prices are or if there is enough time for you now, but worth a look at the site.
It is http://selectitaly.com/index.php

Have a great trip...

Ken we ended up booking all our tours with Select Italy. Thank you for the link. BTW my cousin had used them also about 6 months back and she got in to see what ever she paid for in advance. What was funny was I had everything I wanted in my cart but I had not purchased it yet. My wife's cousin sent her an email saying that she used the same company. My wife's shows me the email and tells me to go to the Select Italy site. Well as she said it she saw it was already up and everything was in there cart already.

We ended up booking a room in Pisa for 1 night figuring that we can go from Assisi to Siena then to Pisa for the night and then spend the entire day in Florance. I only booked to see the Statue of David. We were not to sure what else to book so we figured that was the main attraction to see there.

[gophish Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close gophish]

Ken we ended up booking all our tours with Select Italy. Thank you for the link. BTW my cousin had used them also about 6 months back and she got in to see what ever she paid for in advance. What was funny was I had everything I wanted in my cart but I had not purchased it yet. My wife's cousin sent her an email saying that she used the same company. My wife's shows me the email and tells me to go to the Select Italy site. Well as she said it she saw it was already up and everything was in there cart already.

We ended up booking a room in Pisa for 1 night figuring that we can go from Assisi to Siena then to Pisa for the night and then spend the entire day in Florance. I only booked to see the Statue of David. We were not to sure what else to book so we figured that was the main attraction to see there.

Frank, glad the link helped. Hope it works out good for you. Hope that you have a wonderful trip. We are planning a trip to Italy for next year so will be looking for you comments when you get back.
Again,have a great time, there is so much to see there.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

Frank, glad the link helped. Hope it works out good for you. Hope that you have a wonderful trip. We are planning a trip to Italy for next year so will be looking for you comments when you get back.
Again,have a great time, there is so much to see there.

Basicly every bit of information is here on this thread. The only thing I left out was that I rented a Cell Phone from Auto Europe. They gave me 1 week free but I had other charges that I am sure they made there money up for.


BTW To Jackie My lovely wife. I caught you reading this thread this morning. Glad that it helped.

[Larry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Larry]

My wife just bought the Rick Steve's Italy 2006 book. She has a lot of reading with not much time to do it in. I hope I will have enough time to pre purchase my tickets online. A few things that we want to see is the Sistine chapel's, St Peters, The Vatican, Coliseum.

You don't need to purchase tickets before getting there to see any of these. We just went and the lines moved fairly quickly. I'm not even sure if tickets are sold in advance for any of these. Florence museums are a must to get tickets in advance. Both the Academia ( David is not to be missed ) and uffizi gallary had lines of about 3 hours. We got our tickets reserved on line and we just went right in and watched the crowd standing in the rain waiting to get in. We also got tickets for the borghesi (not sure of spelling) in Rome and that was the only museum tickets we purchased before going in Rome.

Have a great time in Italy Frank and we can compare notes when you get back !!!!!!!

[wombat Member Find all posts View Profile Close wombat]

I've been to the Accademia without reservation, but not the Uffizi ... the lines are super long and I still haven't been able to see it. If you try to make a reservation while in Florence, you'll often get one for a few days' later.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

We are thinking about the Uffizi museum., Is it worth seeing. We really are not into seeing the art but would rather look at the shops.

BTW I was told to get an International License. I just got it from AAA. I figured it was worth the money if I should get pulled over.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I received my tickets for the Colosseum and to see the Statue of David. I was not guaranteed to see the Vatican unitll the night before. I was told that my name was at the bottom of the list since my date is under two weeks away. So we decided to take the private tour of the Vatican, Sistine Chapels and St Peters. This tour is pretty much a 95% shoe in guarantee to get in. I also paid triple the price but I am getting so much more.

[wombat Member Find all posts View Profile Close wombat]

I didn't realize you needed a reservation to get into the Vatican, or that there was a long waiting list. Each time I went, it was very easy .. no queues to enter, and you don't need to arrive early either.

[bigfrank Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close bigfrank]

I didn't realize you needed a reservation to get into the Vatican, or that there was a long waiting list. Each time I went, it was very easy .. no queues to enter, and you don't need to arrive early either.

It is a combo with the Vatican, Sistine Chapels and St Peters. I was told that there are 3 to 5 hour waits to get in at this time. My friend just came back 2 weeks ago and he could not get in.

[ArtsieAng Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close ArtsieAng]

Frank,

Your trip is sounding more and more exciting.....There is just so much beauty and culture to experience, not to mention the food, and people.

Being Italian, and never experiencing Italy really makes me sad. I am planning a trip for 2008.

Make sure to take lots of pictures and notes for us all to see.....