Can someone please explain to me tickets for the "Vatican"

I just looked at the Vatican's website, thank you Steve, and was disappointed to find out that tours are fully booked for the days I will be in Rome in June! If the tours are booked this far in advance is there a possibility that just entrance tickets won't be available if I wait to purchase them??
General tourist site questions:
Do the historical sites that require an entrance fee give out a pamphlet that can be a 'tour guide'?
Is WC used in Italy as it is in England?

I just checked the vatican website for June and all the days have availability for tours. Not sure what days you are looking at.

just to clarify a few things. Vatican city is ALL the sites you mention. It includes the basilica, museums, sistine chapel, gardens and lot of other sites. The vatican museums, which includes entrance to the sistine chapel, requires entrance tickets. You can either book a tour or entrance tickets that will allow you to bypass the line outside. The link is

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?weblang=en&do

Entrance tickets are always available you will just have to wait in line to purchase them if you don't purchase them online.

Most of the sites give out a map with a few explanations but nothing that could give you any real info. A good guide book is a must for most of the sites.

Donna

I guess to break it down even simpler, for the Vatican:

St. Peters Square: Free, no waiting, just wander in.

St. Peters Basilica: Free, no tickets, but there can (usually is) a line to get in through the security check.

Crypt: Free, no tickets, but again, usually a line.

Climb the Dome: Requires a ticket, available only by standing in line.

Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel: Requires a ticket by one of several options mentioned above.

Scavi Tour: Requires a ticket and a reservation made well ahead of time for a specific time slot.

Vatican Gardens: Again a ticket and a reservation made ahead of time...many not overly impressed with this one.

Do you recommend the tours? It seems like a good deal to get oriented, and skip the line. the Vatican and sistene chapel is a 2 hour tour and it is 15Euro pp.

I don't want to spend more then 2 hours on a tour, I assume that we can wander around as much as we want after the tour is over?

thoughts?

Chantielle, the entrance tickets are 15 euros with a 4 euro fee if you book online. The guided tour will cost a total of 31 euros. It will allow you to bypass the outside like, lasts 2 hours and gives you the option of going back into the museums after the tour or exiting into the basilica.

Donna