The early bird gets into the Colosseum

For which Rome museums, monuments, and sights do you really need to reserve admission tickets ahead of time?

In the age of the Internet, many sights across Italy offer the opportunity to book your admission tickets in advance for a set entry time...usually for a nice little booking fee of €1 to €5.

But are reserved tickets strictly necessary? Well, for most attractions, no. You can usually waltz up to the door and get right in—maybe you'll have to wait all of five minutes in line. In that case, I recommend you don't book ahead, as it can cramp your travel style, locking you into too many scheduled events and leaving little room for spontaneity. Plus, you can avoid paying that superfluous $2.

However, for a select few major museums and monuments, reserving an entry ticket ahead of time can save you a wait of one, two, or even three hours in line—well worth the paltry booking fee.

In some cases—especially if it's a sight that allows only a limited number of visitors in at a time—reserving ahead may make the difference between getting in and getting turned away at the door.

It's true; frequently I see people arrive at the ticket window only to discover that entry to the Galleria Borghese has already been sold out for the next two or three days.

Now, there are dozens of admissions you can book online, but here are the sights in Rome for which I truly recommend booking admission tickets before you leave (or at least a few days in advance from on the road).

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This material was last updated April 2010. All information was accurate at the time.

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