How to get to the Colosseum, and which entrance to use

Short answer: take metro line B to Colosseo station. You come out of the exit facing the amphitheatre. Getting there is the easy part; the part people get wrong is which entrance to use, because one ticket covers three sites with separate gates.

By metro

Line B stops at Colosseo, directly across the road from the amphitheatre. From Roma Termini it is two stops. The next stop south, Circo Massimo, is closer to the Palatine entrance on Via di San Gregorio, which is worth knowing if you are starting on the hill.

Line C has been extended into the centre with a new station at Colosseo – Fori Imperiali. If you are coming from a line C neighbourhood, check that it is in service on your dates. From the Vatican or the Spanish Steps, take line A to Termini and change to line B.

On foot

From most of the historic centre, walking is the best option. From Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali runs straight to the Colosseum in about fifteen minutes, past the Imperial Fora, which are free to look at from the pavement. From the Trevi Fountain allow around twenty-five minutes; from Termini, about half an hour.

By bus or tram

Several bus lines and tram 3 stop around Piazza del Colosseo. They are useful if you are staying in Trastevere, San Giovanni or Testaccio, but traffic makes them slower and less predictable than the metro. Lines and routes change during road works, so check a journey planner on the day.

From the airports

From Fiumicino, the Leonardo Express train runs to Roma Termini in about half an hour; from there it is two stops on line B. From Ciampino, coaches run to Termini. Do not plan to come straight from the plane to an early time slot: one delay and the slot is gone.

By car

Do not. The centre is a limited traffic zone with camera-enforced fines, parking near the Colosseum is close to impossible, and the metro is faster. If you are driving into Rome, leave the car at your hotel or at a car park by a metro station.

Which entrance to use

The Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine are one park on one ticket, but they have separate gates and you cannot walk from one into the other inside the fence. The main entrances are:

• the Colosseum: its own entrance at the timed slot on your ticket, through security. Arrive a little early; the queue for the bag check is outside and unshaded
• the Forum from Via dei Fori Imperiali, at Largo della Salara Vecchia: the most convenient if you are walking from Piazza Venezia
• the Forum and Palatine from the Via Sacra, by the Arch of Titus: a few minutes’ walk from the Colosseum, the natural next stop after your slot
• the Palatine from Via di San Gregorio: quieter, and close to Circo Massimo station

Gates and their opening hours change over time, so check the park’s official site and what your ticket says. The usual plan that works: Colosseum at your slot, then walk to the Arch of Titus and go into the Forum and up the Palatine from there.

Before you set off

• Large bags and suitcases are not allowed in. If you are travelling with luggage, leave it at the hotel or at a left-luggage office at Termini.
• Bring your ticket on your phone and charged, or printed. Downloading it at the gate, in a crowd, with weak signal, is the most common way to miss a slot.
• Keep an eye on your bag on line B and around the square. It is one of the busiest spots in the city for pickpockets.

Updated 2026-10-08