# Three days in Rome, built on ticket releases

> Colosseum tickets open 30 days ahead and the Galleria Borghese runs 2 hour shifts. Three nights in one base, ordered by what has to be booked first.

URL: https://myitalia.it/itineraries/3-days-rome
Last updated: 2026-09-02

Three nights in one base, and two appointments that decide everything else: Colosseum tickets are released 30 days before the visit, and the Galleria Borghese admits you only in a booked 2 hour shift.

## Two bookings 30 days out, then the rest is free movement

Colosseum tickets go on sale 30 days before the date of visit, carry the buyer's name and a compulsory entry slot, and cap your time inside the amphitheater at 75 minutes on the standard 24 hour ticket.

The Galleria Borghese requires a booking for every category, including the free under 18 ticket, at a flat €2, and it runs in 2 hour shifts.

Nothing else in Rome needs a decision more than a day ahead. Prices on this page are in euros.

## Day 1: the €18 ticket is five places, not one

The €18 Colosseum ticket covers the first level, the second level with the panoramic terraces, the Colosseum museum, the Roman Forum and the Palatine, and it runs for 24 hours. EU citizens aged 18 to 25 pay €2 and Roma Pass holders €11.50.

The amphitheater opens at 8:30 am and the Forum and Palatine at 9:00 am (08:30 and 09:00 on Italian signs). From October 25, 2026 to February 28, 2027 last entry drops to 3:30 pm with closure at 4:30 pm, which is the detail that ruins winter afternoons.

Entry is free on the first Sunday of every month and on April 25, June 2 and November 4. Free is not the same as quiet.

## Day 2: €20 at the Vatican, €5 more to pick your hour

The Vatican Museums charge €20 for the full ticket, with €5 added if you book online to choose a time, and €10 reduced plus the same €5. The last Sunday of the month is free, and the ticket works only on the date printed on it.

The single official sales domain is tickets.museivaticani.va. Anything else is a reseller, whatever the name suggests.

Keep the afternoon in the center. The Pantheon went from €5 to €7 on July 1, 2026, with €2 for ages 18 to 25 and free entry under 18, open 9:00 am to 7:00 pm with last entry at 6:30 pm.

## Day 3: a two hour shift, and the 5:45 pm discount

The Galleria Borghese costs €16 full and €2 for ages 18 to 25, plus the €2 booking, and the final shift at 5:45 pm costs €11 because it is shorter than the others.

It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 9:00 am to 7:00 pm, and closes on Mondays, December 25 and January 1. The gallery states a ceiling of 180 people per shift; that figure comes from a single official page and has not been confirmed elsewhere.

Book this before the flight, not after landing. Two hours is the whole visit, and the shift does not move.

## Fiumicino to Termini: 32 minutes, €14, no stops

The Leonardo Express covers Fiumicino to Roma Termini nonstop in 32 minutes at €14 one way, leaving every 15 minutes and every 30 in the thinner bands. Trains run from 4:50 am to 11:05 pm out of Termini and from 5:38 am to 11:27 pm out of the airport.

Four tickets bought as a mini group cost €40, a carnet of 10 rides is €115, and one child aged 4 to 12 travels free with each paying adult. Under 4s always travel free.

## Do not rent a car for three days

Rome operates 5 limited traffic zones. The Centro Storico zone is live Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 6:00 pm and Saturday 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, holidays excluded; the Tridente zone around via del Corso runs Monday to Friday 6:30 am to 7:00 pm and Saturday 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Trastevere adds a morning zone Monday to Saturday 6:30 am to 10:00 am, and the night zones cover Trastevere and San Lorenzo Wednesday to Saturday 9:30 pm to 3:00 am and Centro Storico and Testaccio Friday and Saturday 11:00 pm to 3:00 am. Night zones are suspended in August.

The mobility agency puts the gate count at 50 plate reading cameras, a number taken from a descriptive page and never reconfirmed. Hours also move by temporary ordinance, so check the week you travel.

## What three nights cost before you eat

Rome's city tax runs from €3.00 per person per night in serviced camping areas to €10.00 in 5 star hotels, and it stops after 10 consecutive nights in the same property. A 4 star hotel is €7.50, a 3 star €6.00, a bed and breakfast or short let €6.00, a hostel €3.50.

Small properties often ask for it in cash on arrival, which is the one moment on this trip when euro notes matter.

## The Roma Pass, with the Colosseum caveat

The Roma Pass exists in 2 versions: 48 hours at €38.00 with 1 free museum or archaeological site, and 72 hours at €62.90 with 2 free entries, both including unlimited travel on the urban transport network for the life of the card.

The catch is that the Colosseum has its own Roma Pass rate of €11.50 instead of a free admission, so the card pays off on the other state and civic sites rather than on the one everybody buys it for. It comes as an app for iOS and Android or as a physical card from the Tourist Infopoints.

For the driving rules in detail, see [the Rome ZTL](/ztl/in-rome).

## FAQ

### How far ahead do Colosseum tickets go on sale?

30 days before the date of visit. The ticket carries your name and a fixed entry slot, the standard €18 version limits you to 75 minutes inside the amphitheater, and it stays valid 24 hours for the Roman Forum and the Palatine.

### Is the Roma Pass worth it for three days?

It depends on the Colosseum. The 72 hour card is €62.90 with 2 free entries and unlimited urban transport, but the Colosseum charges Roma Pass holders €11.50 rather than admitting them free. The 48 hour card is €38.00 with 1 free entry.

### Do I have to book the Galleria Borghese?

Yes, for every category, including the free ticket for under 18s. Booking costs a flat €2, visits run in 2 hour shifts with a stated ceiling of 180 people, and the last shift at 5:45 pm is shorter and cheaper at €11.

### How do I get from Fiumicino airport to central Rome?

The Leonardo Express runs nonstop to Roma Termini in 32 minutes for €14 one way, every 15 minutes, and in some bands every 30. First departure from Termini 4:50 am, last 11:05 pm; from the airport 5:38 am to 11:27 pm (23:27 on Italian signs).

### How much is the tourist tax in Rome per night?

From €3.00 a night in serviced camping areas to €10.00 in 5 star hotels, capped at 10 consecutive nights in the same property. A 4 star hotel is €7.50, a bed and breakfast or short let €6.00. Rates set on July 17, 2023 and applied from October 1, 2023.

## Sources

| Fact | Source | Confidence | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Parco archeologico del Colosseo il biglietto e' nominativo e con fascia oraria di ingresso obbligatoria: le vendite online si aprono 30 giorni prima della data di visita e con il biglietto ordinario 24h la permanenza all'interno dell'anfiteatro e' limitata a 75 minuti (2026). | [Parco archeologico del Colosseo](https://colosseo.it/orari-e-biglietti/); [doc 2](https://colosseo.it/biglietti/colosseo-foro-romano-palatino/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Il Parco archeologico del Colosseo apre alle 8:30 (Foro Romano e Palatino alle 9:00) e chiude il 25 dicembre e il 1 gennaio; nel semestre invernale, dal 25 ottobre 2026 al 28 febbraio 2027, l'ultimo ingresso e' alle 15:30 con chiusura alle 16:30. L'ingresso e' gratuito la prima domenica di ogni mese e il 25 aprile, il 2 giugno e il 4 novembre. | [Parco archeologico del Colosseo](https://colosseo.it/orari-e-biglietti/) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| La Roma Pass esiste in due versioni: 48 ore a 38,00 euro con un ingresso gratuito in un museo o sito archeologico, e 72 ore a 62,90 euro con due ingressi gratuiti; entrambe includono l'accesso illimitato alla rete di trasporto pubblico urbano per la durata della card (2026). | [Musei in Comune Roma - Sovrintendenza Capitolina](https://www.museiincomuneroma.it/it/infopage/roma-pass); [Turismo Roma - Roma Capitale](https://www.turismoroma.it/en/page/roma-pass) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| Alla Galleria Borghese la prenotazione e' obbligatoria per tutte le categorie, compreso il biglietto gratuito per i minori di 18 anni, e costa 2,00 euro fissi; la visita si svolge in turni di due ore con un tetto di visitatori per turno, e l'ultimo turno delle 17:45 ha durata ridotta (2026). | [Galleria Borghese - Ministero della cultura](https://galleriaborghese.cultura.gov.it/visita/info-biglietti/) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| I Musei Vaticani, che si trovano in territorio della Citta' del Vaticano ma dentro il tessuto urbano di Roma, costano 20,00 euro di biglietto intero, ai quali si aggiungono 5,00 euro se si prenota online l'ingresso 'salta la fila'; il ridotto e' 10,00 euro (+5,00 euro con prenotazione) e l'ingresso e' gratuito l'ultima domenica di ogni mese (2026). | [Direzione dei Musei Vaticani](https://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/it/organizza-visita/tariffe-e-biglietti.html) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| L'ingresso al Pantheon e' a pagamento e dal 1 luglio 2026 il biglietto intero e' salito da 5,00 a 7,00 euro; il ridotto per i 18-25 anni resta 2,00 euro e i minori di 18 anni entrano gratis. Apertura tutti i giorni 9:00-19:00, ultimo ingresso 18:30. | [Ministero della cultura](https://cultura.gov.it/luogo/pantheon); [Pantheon Opera - Diocesi di Roma](https://www.pantheonroma.com/) | high | 2027-06-30 |
| Il Leonardo Express collega Roma Termini all'aeroporto di Fiumicino senza fermate intermedie in 32 minuti, con partenze ogni 15 minuti e un biglietto di corsa semplice da 14,00 euro; le corse vanno dalle 4:50 alle 23:05 da Termini e dalle 5:38 alle 23:27 da Fiumicino (2026). | [Trenitalia](https://www.trenitalia.com/it/regionale/collegamenti-regionale/leonardo-express.html) | medium | 2027-06-30 |
| Roma ha cinque Zone a Traffico Limitato; quella del Centro Storico e' attiva dal lunedi' al venerdi' dalle 6:30 alle 18:00 e il sabato dalle 14:00 alle 18:00 (festivi esclusi), mentre la ZTL del Tridente e' attiva dal lunedi' al venerdi' 6:30-19:00 e il sabato 10:00-19:00 (2026). | [Roma Servizi per la Mobilita' (Roma Capitale)](https://romamobilita.it/infomobilita/ztl-orari-citta/); [doc 2](https://romamobilita.it/it/servizi/ztl) | medium | 2027-03-31 |
| A Roma il contributo di soggiorno, in vigore con le tariffe deliberate dalla Giunta Capitolina il 17 luglio 2023 e applicate dal 1 ottobre 2023, va da 3,00 euro a persona per notte nei campeggi a 10,00 euro negli alberghi a 5 stelle, per un massimo di 10 pernottamenti consecutivi nella stessa struttura (2026). | [Roma Capitale](https://www.comune.roma.it/web-resources/cms/documents/Nuove_tariffe_contributo_di_soggiorno_dal_01.10.2023_logo.pdf); [doc 2](https://www.comune.roma.it/web/it/informazione-di-servizio.page?contentId=IDS1083852); [Roma Capitale - S.U.A.R.](https://www.comune.roma.it/web/it/scheda-servizi.page?contentId=INF1088067&stem=suar) | high | 2027-06-30 |

## Image

https://media.myitalia.it/media/city.roma.1600.jpg
Author: Till Niermann. License: CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0).
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Piazza_San_Pietro_Panorama_from_basilica.jpg

## Other languages

- it: https://myitalia.it/it/itinerari/3-days-rome.md
- es: https://myitalia.it/es/itinerarios/3-days-rome.md
- fr: https://myitalia.it/fr/itineraires/3-days-rome.md
- de: https://myitalia.it/de/routen/3-days-rome.md