The Colosseum is one of Rome's most famous landmarks. It is centuries old (like most things in Rome) and a huge man-made feat. Originally it could hold 50,000 people to watch gladiator contests and other public events. Over the years it has been damaged by earthquakes and people(stone was taken for other projects, at least some of them government sanctioned).

It is a large structure to see, but there are very few signs inside explaining what you are looking at. As always, I recommend some sort of guide - either a book or a tour. We tried booking the audio tour for just one person (reasonably priced) and the one listened and repeated to our group. It wasn't very practical and if money is not an issue - everyone should get their own.

The cost is 15.5 Euro, which also gets you entrance to the Forum. Opening times vary during different parts of the year, but generally it is open just in the daytime. I recommend going on a nice day as this is mostly outdoors.

A picture of the Colosseum is a must for every tourist. You can even pay to have your picture taken with a "gladiator". Many of them can be found roaming around in front of the Colosseum.

What can be said about The Colosseum that you haven't already heard? Our experience was much like many others, but fortunately, thanks to a little bit of reading here and other travel sites, we went a little better prepared than others.

We were amazed by the difference in lines at Palatine Hill and The Colosseum itself. We followed the tips by many of the reviews here and picked up our tickets at the Palatine ticket booths. There were only about 3 couples purchasing tickets at the time. When we arrived at The Colosseum the line was enormous as expected, so the advice was definitely most valuable.

The interior of The Colosseum is interesting from a historic perspective, but for my money, the exterior is far more impressive. The one sight you absolutely do not want to miss before leaving Rome is The Colosseum lit up for the evening.

When we returned to The Colosseum for sunset on our last evening in Rome, there were a large number of wedding parties being photographed in front of the site. We couldn't even imagine having such a backdrop for wedding photos, but in a city of such history, this must be commonplace. It definitely puts everything in perspective.

After taking many photographs and taking a nice stroll through Palatine Hill, we decided to walk over to the Colosseum, which is essentially next-door! On the way to Colosseum, we saw quite a few gladiators walking up to tourists and asking them if they wanted a photograph. Don’t fall for this trick – they’ll con you in taking a photograph with them and after that, they’ll demand you to pay 5-10 euros just for that. If they approach you, just simply say "No thank you" and walk away quickly.

With our Roma Pass, we were able to bypass the endless lines and get direct entry. It is a bit overwhelming because this place is the most popular tourist sight. It wasn’t what I expected for I expected gleaming white marble columns and not brown crumbling posts. The Colosseum is much larger than you would think it would be and it was the home of brutal gladiator battles, public executions, dramas and athletic games. Even though the Colosseum is in a state of disarray, you can really step back in time to thousand of years ago and see what Rome was really about. We visited the Colosseum in the late morning, which wasn’t probably the greatest idea because the sun came out in full effect and we could definitely feel the heat. If you’re a shutterbug, you might want to check out the place during night time (of course, it’ll be shut down) to get great photographs of the Colosseum lit by surrounding lights.

It is worthwhile to visit both Palatine Hill and Colosseum in one day, or even a half-day. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water and lots of sunscreen. Both places are not shaded so you’ll be under the wrath of the hot sun. To get there by metro, take Line B and get off at station Colosseo. Another tip is to avoid any of the street sellers, especially food. They are ridiculously over-priced and not gentle on your pockets. Bring your own food and water if you expect to spend a good portion of the day travelling. If you can’t fathom the idea of bringing your own food, eat at a restaurant that is a good distance away from both places because the prices will be cheaper and more fulfilling.

One of the most recognisable sites of Rome is the Flavian Amphitheatre, or now as its known - the Colosseum. It is a feat of engineering and architecture especially as it was built in the first century. This arena is amazing enough on the exterior especially when lit up at night, yet take the opportunity to see the interior also.

Part of the distinctive architecture of the arena is the three levels of arches - each of a different style- Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian- which give a sense of the grandeur of the structure. Despite having been abandoned and stripped of many of its assets to be used in other buildings including much of its marble cladding, it still remains impressive - its size, design, and construction are breathtaking - to have stood the test of time is proof of the Romans ingenuity. The wooden floor of the arena has gone and the rooms that lay beneath, where animals were kept and gladiators waited, are now revealed, giving a glimpse into what was necessary to run this entertainment arena. It only takes a little imagination to see its former glory, with huge crowds cheering watching the many events that happened here including gladiator fights. Despite the association of Christians being thrown to the lions here, (including declarations by the Pope in mid-18th century and a large cross Colosseum) there is no evidence to support this theory, but Christians were killed at other sites in the city.

We missed the worst of the crowds by going in the late afternoon, and so we had space to wander unheeded and to consider the immense building this is. The sun was setting and the stone glowed a beautiful pink shade. The upper levels give a better view and tend to be less crowded, and there are also views out over the Arch of Constantine but take care with the very steep stone steps as they are lethal and slippy. It was worth taking time to sit and bathe in the awe of the building in a quiet spot, and to recall this emblem of Rome in its pagan days with its gruesome past.

If you buy a ticket for the Colosseum it also includes entrance into Palatine Hill - since we got tickets in the evening they were valid until noon the following day, and cost about 12 euros. Queues for tickets can be very long (except the group ticket queue) as there is only one entrance now compared to the original 80. The arena opens at 9am but closing times vary depending on the time of year. Take care of your possessions in the area outside of the Colosseum as there are pickpockets about.

Like most first-time visitors to Rome, I made it a point to visit the Colosseum. My previously dependable Wallpaper* City Guide, however, had little to say on the subject, so I decided to wing it, and perhaps this was fortuitous—the state of having no expectations produced one of my favorite memories of the trip, emerging from the dark of the Colosseo subway station and being suddenly and delightedly surprised by the iconic view of the Colosseum. To reach the Colosseum from the subway station you must cross a busy street, and more than anything else the proximity of the street is what interested me. The Colosseum’s history is obviously fascinating, but perhaps not as fascinating as the fact that this ancient arena still exists in the middle of a very modern city and the lives of thousands of Romans.

When you arrive at the Colosseum, you’re likely to find the line pretty long, so I wanted to mention that I discovered four options for getting in.

1. You can wait in the main Colosseum line. (You’ll have no problem spotting it.) This will take the longest and costs €9.

2. My brother told me you can go to the nearby Palantine Hill and get a ticket for both it and the Colosseum. The line there is apparently much shorter and the price is the same as at the Colosseum.

3. You can skip the line by getting a guided tour from one of the companies that hawk tours outside the Colosseum. Most of these tours cost about €20. In trying to sell one to me, however, the tour operator misrepresented the estimated time spent in line, so I decided to pass on her offer out of spite.

4. The final option is what I opted for, and that was waiting in a shorter line at the Colosseum that also required you to buy an audio tour. This added €4.50 to the €9 admission, but I think the expedited line was worth the extra cost.

I should note that if you do opt for the audio tour, the device that delivers the descriptions is a little awkward. It’s basically a large, wand-shaped cell phone, and it’s somewhat disconcerting to walk around an attraction as grand as the Colosseum while cradling a cell phone between your ear and shoulder. Perhaps it’s my own clumsiness, but trying to negotiate both the wand and my camera flustered me. That said, I think the audio tour was worth it for at least this one historical tidbit: during one particularly elaborate Colosseum spectacle, over 50 bears were released from the jaws of a mechanical whale. Fifty bears!