We willl be in Rome the last week of March. I understand that the Vatican Museum have free admission the last Sunday of the month. I have two questions: Does the free admission include the sistine chapel? and, How busy can it be in March even with free admission? Thanks.
Billy
Yes, the Sistine Chapel is the last stop as you wander throught the Vatican Museum.
The last Sunday in March is also the Sunday before Easter. The Vatican Museum will be extremely crowded. I strongly recommend paying for tickets and making a reservation. Most tour guides don't offer tours on the free Sunday because it is too crowded to enjoy a visit. If the guides are turning down money you know it's bad!
The Sistine Chapel is considered part of the vatican museums. Because they are part of the museums they are included in the free Sunday. March is still a busy time of year and it being the week before Easter will mean very large crowds. I would not even consider going to the vatican museums on free sunday. You will be herded along like cattle from one room to the next without being able to enjoy the incredible artwork within the museums. I would suggest going on another day if you can. The 14 euros is not worth the aggravation.
Donna
The LAST place to be is at the Vatican on free day--the Itialians claim "it's the day of the barbarians--Itialians!
In case you are not yet convinced about the inadvisability of such a visit, I'll add my experience. We had to visit the Uffizi on the free Sunday, because it was our last day in Florence. (We had been misinformed by our guidebook, and tried the afternoon before, when it was closed.) The crowds were so dense that if you stepped back to get a better view of a painting, the space was immediately filled; and you could see nothing. This was in late December. I can only imagine it would be a zillion times worse in Rome near Easter. Actually, having been in Rome the week before Easter, and having visited the Vatican Museum then, I can tell you that the crowds will be pretty bad even at times when you have to pay.
Thanks again for your valuable input. You guys convinced me. I am staying clear of the Vatican Museums on March 28. That will actually be my last day in Rome as we head north to the Tuscuny.
Sounds like you have made up your mind, and correctly, for that exact Sunday. But whenever you go to the Vatican, take a tour. We did and I am certain that the tour guide was a retired professor of religious history. No one else could have possibly given us so much information in such a short time, and handled questions so well. Cannot remember which tour guide to use, but maybe some others have ideas. I will look through my receipts and emails. We went in June of 2009.
Barbara, thanks for your insight. This will be our second time in Rome and we do plan to get on a couple of tours. We are considering the Vatican and the Colosseum. we are also doing the Scavi tour.
Any other suggestions or recommended tours will be appreciated.
