I have read, I believe, nearly all the posts on purchasing tickets for the Vatican Museum, however, I am still confused on the following. If I purchase tickets online for 14 euros + the 4 euros booking fee, do I still stand in line with the masses who have not pre-purchased tickets? Do I get into the museum somewhat near the scheduled time for which I purchased my tickets? If I pay the extra for the vatican tour tickets, does this allow for a quicker entrance than if I buy them individually without the tour? We have a very short time in Rome before flying home, thus the time concern. Thank you for addressing this topic again.
Posted by
Paris, France
81 posts
Hi,
if you just bought a standard ticket, chances are you still have to line up to exchange it for a real ticket. Some tickets come with a "skip the queue" privilege. (Note: in the UK and Europe we say queue instead of line). Most guided tours do get you in faster. If time is the concern I would seriously think about a guided tour. I have used isango.com to compare guided tours for London (but not Rome). Another site which could help you is city-discovery.com.
Posted by
Seattle, WA
1317 posts
Both the reservation fee (the online one you purchase personally), and a guided tour, get to use a separate line on the right side of the museum. This line is typically shorter/faster than the regular masses line. Note: the line is NOT due to ticket purchases, but to the security detectors right at the entrance.
We purchased reservations (no tour), but this was in November and there was no line. We just walked up to the museum guard outside and showed him our reservation and he waved us right in. Then we went upstairs (all the way to the top) to the ticket counters to get the actual tickets. There was no line, but again, this was November. With a tour, your guide will likely fetch the tickets for you.
So if I understand your question correctly: Yes, purchasing a reservation time should let you get past most of the line outside the security detectors, leading to a quicker entrance. It won't really affect you one way or the other at the ticket counter. For maximum time benefit, you may actually want to sign up for a guided tour--simply because a tour will move you through the enormous museum more effciently and quickly than you probably could on your own.