We are leaving next week for a 10 day trip to Tuscany with a quick visit to Rome first. We have booked the Scavi tour at 9AM and then was planning on booking an 11:30AM reservation for the Vatican museum. We will be quite pressed for time as we have a 3:20PM train going to Florence from Termini but I would like to get as much time as possible at the museum. One of the bigger challenges we have is what to do with our luggage that will allow us as much Vatican time as possible. We are thinking of either leaving our bags at the hotel (Hotel Smeraldo) and taking a taxi from the Vatican to the hotel and then on to Termini (will a taxi do this?) or checking our bags at Left Luggage at Termini early in the morning and then taking Metro to/from Vatican. Any suggestions on what our best option might be and how much time we should allow? I am worried about cutting it too close and have even considered arranging for a car service to pick us up at Vatican and swing by hotel for luggage on way to Termini. Any suggestions are most appreciated! - Ben
Posted by
Gettysburg, PA
1589 posts
" and have even considered arranging for a car service to pick us up at Vatican and swing by hotel for luggage on way to Termini. "
If you must do a "hectic " tour, this would be your best plan.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23666 posts
Respond to a few items --
The lines for the left luggage in Termini can be long and unpredictable so don't use it. Leaving your luggage at the hotel and picking up on the way to the train is much better idea. Using the taxi is probably the best idea and they will wait with the meter running while you get your luggage. You need to be getting out of the taxi in front of Termini at 3 pm. I would leave the museum at 2 pm.
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16895 posts
Another possibility: Both St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum have storage for large bags at their entrances. You could leave bags at the Basilica entrance, then later, you can take the shortcut exit from the Sistine Chapel back to St. Peter's to pick up; however, that shortcut exit is not always guaranteed to be open. Also possible to re-deposit bags at the Vatican Museum entrance, then return to that main entrance/exit, which is also where you return rented audioguides.
Posted by
Carmel, CA, USA
2456 posts
I did the "take a taxi and stop at the hotel for a quick moment to pick up the bags on the way to Termini" from the Borghese Gallery on a Sunday last fall, and it was very quick and worked like a charm. I agree that lines to leave and then claim left luggage can sometimes be long and slow.