Help with planning In Rome

Kathy

We are going in May and have been to the Vatican before- Allow at least 2-3 hours for the Museum and an hour for the Basilica. IMHO this should be done in the afternoon. In my readings, tours and long lines are there first thing in the morning. If you want to avoid these lines order tickets on line(vatican.com). Also read the bog of Ron In Rome on the Vatican for more information. He is an American who lives there and has very good advice.

I agree that its best to do it in the afternoon. St. Peters closes at 4:30 I think, so do it first depending on what time you get there. If you make reservations ahead of time (which you can do on the Vatican's website, within 60 days of your visit), plan to show up between noon or 1 and you'll be fine. Another option is to go on a Wednesday morning while the pope is giving an audience - do the museum part at this time, and then move over to St. Peter's after the audience has dispersed. I would avoid going really early as that is when most of the big tour groups go. If you will be in Rome on a Saturday, you can also schedule a Vatican-led tour for 36 euros which will take you through the museums and St. Peter's. I think the tour lasts 3 hours total.

It has been several years since we did the Vatican Tour. We joined a tour group of 12/15 people led by a Vatican employed guide and it was around 12 euros. We had audio guides and the tour would have been difficult without a guide. The crowds were huge but we saw everything we wanted to see in a few hours. The tour ended in the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's was on our own. On a recent trip we took the Scavi Tour which I would definitely recommend.

Kathy, good question. My husband and son climbed to the top of the dome. However, it was a bit of a crunch because we did an 1 pm organized tour with a private tour company. We still had to stand in line (this was two years ago, not sure if it's changed). After touring the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica they got in line for the dome. They made it just before closing. That was our experience for the afternoon when the lines are supposed to be shorter. I would suggest going earlier in the day. Hope this helps.

The Vatican tours have not opened up for either tour. I was wanting to know which tour to do first. I was thinking to do the Vatican one first and then St. Peter's. I just not sure on how much time to leave in between the tours.

If you are going to be in Rome on a Wednesday that is the day I suggest going to the Vatican. The pope makes an appearance in St. Peters Square on Wednesday mornings. Which means most everyone who is at the Vatican that day is there to see the Pope. That translates into shorter lines at the Museum. My wife and I did the Vatican on a Wednesday and cruised through the line into the museum in no time. By time you are done with the museum mass will be over and St. Peters will be open. However, I would not suggest going straight to St. Peters Basilica afterward. The usual long lines will have returned, so I suggest go eat lunch and come back around 2:30 or 3:00. The lines will have shortened considerably and you can hop in line to climb the basilica.

I will arrive in Rome on Sunday, late afternoon. We will be in Rome until Thursday morning.

I would highly recommend making a reservation for the Vatican Museum. Go to http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html to buy your tickets online. You can pay for them now and print the tickets to take with you. Having a reserved time and prepaid ticket will cut your waiting in line time from 3+ hours to maybe 15 minutes. Also, you cannot wear anything sleeveless, too slutty or casual at the Vatican. Khakis, dresses, sweater sets, etc. are fine. Jeans are ok, too – just not short shorts. I would also recommend bringing addresses of people you’d like to send a postcard to (including yourself) and buy some postcards at the gift shop. The Vatican has its own post office with its own special Vatican stamp so it’s kind of cool to get a postcard from the Vatican.

Also, I highly recommend the Roma Pass. You can get it at the main train station (tourism office) or airport. It is valid for 3 days from the time of “activation” and gets you into two museums for free, other museums at a discount, and unlimited trips on buses and metros. It's about $25 EU (about cost of two museum entrances) and you get the ease of being able to hop on and off a bus or metro anytime even for just one stop without having to buy a ticket every time. Keep in mind the metro part of the card and the museum part are completely separate systems and each have their own "clock" that starts at first use (valid for 72 hours). Additionally, the Roma Pass comes with a good map of Rome and a booklet that gives you a description of each museum, their hours, cost, and major sights. The best part is you could call the customer service number and ask the English-speaking attendant anything like "I'm trying to go from to . What's the best way to get there?" and they'll tell you exactly what bus/metro to take.

I have detailed tips covering transportation, accommodations, museums, shopping, etc. that I can send you if you'd like - just email me!