Italian museums are the best in the world — and the most crowded. Uffizi 2.5M/year. Vatican 6M. Colosseum 7M. The right strategy saves 3 hours and €30. 25 best museums →
1. Pre-book timed entry: Colosseum (parcocolosseo.it). Uffizi (uffizi.it). Borghese (MANDATORY, sells out weeks ahead). Last Supper (MANDATORY, 2-3 months ahead). 2. GYG/Viator: Higher price but available when official sites show "sold out." 3. Go at opening (8:30-9:30am) or 2pm. AVOID 10am-12pm.
First Sunday: ALL state museums FREE (but crowded). EU under 18: FREE. EU 18-25: Reduced (€2-5). Disabled: Free + 1 companion.
Audio guides (€5-7): Worth it at large museums. Photography: Usually allowed (no flash/tripod). Sistine: NO photos. Strategy: Pick 5-10 masterpieces. Walk directly to those rooms. Skip the rest. You'll remember 5 works you REALLY SAW.