Exploring Ancient Rome with a guide will most positively enrich your visit-that is of course only if you choose the right company. Although some tours can be more expensive than others the higher price may be worth it. It's important to compare different companies especially if this is a once in a lifetime trip. The quality of tours can vary greatly.
- Ask questions in advance and see if they are helpful from the beginning. Perhaps even make a phone call.
- Make sure to find out how large the tour groups are. You'd be better off to choose a group that can guarantee that your tour will not go over 15 people. Many groups are 30 people or more which makes the visit a bit impersonal and difficult to follow....but you need to ask in advance to find out the specific company's maximum group size.
- Make sure your guide speaks great English (or your preferred language) with little to no accent. This can be a major deciding point in whether you enjoy your tour or not.
- Find out if the company has tours that are catered to children or if the tour is recommended for children. (Also check for special child rates)
- Check to see what past guests have said about the tour company in the past. Tripadvisor is a great place to start.
- Don't choose a tour company whose main attraction is that they pre-purchase tickets. This will not help you at all as it only takes a a couple minutes to purchase your tickets with your guide and you won't have to pay any extra fee.
- If you or a member of your group has physical difficulty walking you may want to use a wheelchair. Believe it or not the Colosseum does have an elevator but it can be difficult to bring a wheelchair thru the Roman Forum. Oftentimes it is much easier to tour privately at the Colosseum. Check to see in advance.
- Have a wonderful time at the Colosseum and give yourself plenty of time to explore!
If you are not using a guide get there early, or pre book your tickets, otherwise you could have a long wait to get your tickets.