Practical travel guide
To the Colosseum with Mechthild
In September 2024, I took a short trip to Rome with my friend Mechthild Kreuser, an adaptive yoga teacher and mindfulness coach from Germany. This is the story of our morning at the Colosseum, where we tried the lift!
- Author
- Eleonora
- Published
- Location
- Rome, Lazio, Italy
- Accessibility topics
- Mobility and physical access
- Reading time
- About 6 minutes
Update note: This article describes the visit Mechthild and I made before its original publication in August 2025. The accessibility observations reflect what we experienced at that time and should not be considered a new accessibility audit. Ticketing procedures, contact details, transport information and official reference links were checked and updated in August 2026.
In September, 2024 I took a short trip to Rome with my friend Mechthild Kreuser, an adaptive yoga teacher and mindfulness coach from Germany.
Mechthild is the founder of (opens in a new tab)Inklusive Achtsamkeit (opens in a new tab), where she offers accessible yoga, mindfulness courses and activities that bring together people with and without disabilities.
We had previously visited Apulia together and had a lot of fun there. This is the story of our morning at the Colosseum, where we were very excited to try its famous lift.
Our improvised visit
Disclaimer: our visit was not particularly well organised.
We had checked the website, understood that free admission was available, and thought we could simply turn up. We improvised the rest and discovered how everything worked once we arrived. (That was our experience at the time. The ticketing procedure has since changed, so please consult the updated information at the end of this article before planning your visit.)
We travelled by car and, after a few minutes of searching, managed to park relatively close to the Colosseum and continue from there. Parking in Rome is quite complicated, but there are various reserved parkings that you can use by showing your country's disabled parking card, or the EU one.
Once we reached the entrance of the Coliseum, with a huge line of people waiting to go in, we simply signalled to the staff at the entrance and they let us in. If you are a wheelchair user or have a visible disability, they just let you in immediately, in other situations you will need to show your EU Disability card or national document showing your disability status, but either way you skip the line. The ticket is free for you and an accompanying person, so if you are travelling with a group, you will need to pre-book online.
A lift inside a 2,000-year-old monument
The accessible lift was one of the highlights of our visit.
How many times have we heard: “We cannot make it accessible because it is a heritage site”? Well, the Colosseum has lifts, and the monument has survived the experience.
At the time of our visit, we discovered that different lifts served different parts of the monument.
The lift included in the standard visitor route took us to the second level, where we had an excellent view across the interior of the Colosseum.
A panoramic lift, inaugurated in 2023, provides access to the upper levels and the attic. This requires a specific "Full Experience Attic" ticket and advance booking.
There is also lift access associated with other itineraries, including parts of the underground route, but access depends on the ticket and itinerary selected. So if you want to do all the elevators, you need to get booking!
What worked well for us
The upper level
We found the upper level comfortable to move around. The floor surface allowed for relatively smooth movement and the lift provided access to a broad panoramic area.
The viewpoints were designed so that we could see across the ground floor of the monument. This made a considerable difference because some of the surrounding walls are high when viewed from a seated position.
The bookshop
The bookshop was somewhat crowded, but it was located on the upper level and offered a wide selection of souvenirs and books—including several possibilities for anyone wanting to move beyond Gladiator, which we strongly recommend.
Drinking water
Rome can be extremely hot. We appreciated being able to refill our water bottles at a drinking-water fountain on the upper level.Bring a refillable bottle, particularly when visiting during the warmer months.
What was difficult during our visit
The exit route
We found the exit itinerary confusing. To leave, we had to cross parts of the ground floor with coarse, uneven paving and several short ramps and changes in level. Some visitors may require assistance along this section.
Once outside, we encountered particularly difficult cobblestones, puddles and rough sections of ground. In our experience, the wheelchair exit route could have been shorter, clearer and more comfortable. However, during these past two years, the whole area around the Colosseo was renovated, and now the exit area is perfectly nice and flat!
The accessible toilet
We used the women’s accessible toilet available during our visit.
There was only one, reached using a narrow and relatively steep ramp shared with other visitors. We had to ask people to move so that Mechthild could pass. A person using a wider wheelchair might have found the available space particularly restrictive. The same ramp was used when leaving the toilet area.
We also found that the toilet layout and grab-bar arrangement could have been improved.
Our very practical suggestion at the time was to reserve the ramp for people who needed step-free access and direct other visitors to the steps. This would have kept the route to the accessible toilet clearer.
Updated ticket information
The current official procedure is different from the one we followed during our visit.
A timed entry reservation is compulsory for the Colosseum, and tickets normally become available 30 days before the visit. People with disabilities are entitled to free admission under the applicable Italian regulations. The concession may include a family member or another accompanying person who meets the conditions specified by the regulations.
Free tickets must now be reserved through the official ticketing website and supporting documentation must be presented.
Special itineraries—including the arena, underground areas and panoramic lift—have limited availability and require the corresponding advance reservation.
Use only the official booking platform:
Official Colosseum ticketing website (opens in a new tab)
Colosseum contacts
For assistance with ticket reservations:
Email: helpdesk@ticketcolosseo.com
Same-day admission problems: +39 06 21115843
Accessible public transport information
When we made this visit, the new Metro C station was not yet open. The station serving the area at that time was Colosseo on Metro Line B.
Since 16 December 2025, visitors can also use the new Colosseo–Fori Imperiali station on Metro Line C.
The Line C station is situated beneath Via dei Fori Imperiali, between the Colosseum and the Basilica of Maxentius. It connects underground with Colosseo station on Line B.
The new station has lift-equipped entrances. ATAC also states that Metro C stations are accessible to passengers with mobility disabilities and include features such as tactile routes, visual information displays, Braille lift controls and audio announcements.
This makes Line C an important option for reaching the Colosseum, particularly when travelling from areas served directly by that line - which might actually influence your choice of accommodation..
The older Line B station involves the use of a stairlift operated with the assistance of station personnel. If you need to change between Lines B and C, check that the complete interchange route and all necessary lifts are operating.
ATAC accessibility assistance: +39 06 46954444
Email: assistenza.prm@atac.roma.it
ATAC WhatsApp: +39 335 1990679 (opens in a new tab)
About Mechthild
Mechthild Kreuser is a mindfulness trainer, accessible yoga teacher and certified MBSR trainer based in Cologne.