help! i am looking for the simplest(and not too expensive) way to book reservations to the busier museums in italy this summer-specifically the uffizi and the academia (florence) as well as st mark's basicial, doge's palace(venice) and the vatican museum at the vatican...any suggestions? i teied the website: museionline.it-it'all in italian..
Posted by
Asheville, NC, USA
32 posts
http://selectitaly.com/museums.php
http://www.tickitaly.com/
http://www.italy.artviva.com/museum_reservations
These are some online reservation sites, and they are well worth it. Otherwise you can wait til you get there and see if someone at the hotel desk will make a call for you. The advantage of doing it yourself online is getting the reservation well in advance so you won't be disappointed. And it's one less thing you have to do once you get there. More time for cappucino or gelato.
Posted by
Portland, OR, USA
805 posts
Call the numbers listed in Rick's book. Reservations in Florence are free (I think).
Don't worry about Venice, just go either early in the morning or late in the day and you'll get in without a problem.
As for the Vatican, I think you have to book a tour (which I would highly reccomend as the Vatican is so big you need someone to point out the key things to you) if you want a reservation. Otherwise just show up a bit before they open with everyone else.
Oh and do be sure to book a reservation at the Borghese gallery in Rome. They are absolutely required but it is well worth it. There are few galleries that can match it.
Posted by
NY, NY, USA
67 posts
If you are staying in Florence, contact your hotel so they can make the local musuem reservations for you. you still have to pay for it when you get there but at least it is done. my hotel gave me a confirmation number for the date and time I requested. Very helpful. I stayed at Hotel Enza. http://www.hotelenza.it/
Posted by
Raleigh, NC, USA
42 posts
I tried the numbers in the book but never got through. I posted a similar question about a month ago and was given the following link:
http://www.b-ticket.com/b-ticket/uffizi/default.aspx
It's the official site for tickets and has an English translation. The site crashed on us a few times, but we kept trying and were eventually able to get our tickets.
Good luck!
Posted by
Seneca
60 posts
My farmhouse in Tuscany would not call and make my reservations for Uffizi and Accademia. I called myself and after a few tries, and 14$ later in phone bill, I have reservations. Next time I would use website, much easier and free!! I don't appreciate that my farmhouse people would not reserve my times but hopefully that will be my only disappointment from them.
Vatican won't take reservations over a month away, I tried by their website to book tour and others have posted this also. You can book a skip the line tour via Angel Tours. Good Luck!
Posted by
Huntington Beach, CA
94 posts
We e-mailed our Florence B&B from here and asked our host to make reservations at Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia for us. He was happy to do so, and emailed us back with written confirmation and a reservation number. Then we just paid the admissions when we arrived. Very easy !
Posted by
atlanta
16 posts
By all means make reservations ahead. We did for the Accademia, Uffizi and Doges Palace, well worth the trouble booked oline in just a few minutes. Walk right in at your appointed time.
Posted by
OP
san antonio, texas, united states
2 posts
Just to let everyone know-my family went to italy for 10 days-Rome, florence and Venice. We had a wonderful time, and found all the suggestions that Rick Steeves offered to be so helpful. By far, the best advice he gives is to buy your tickets for museums, etc ahead of time or make a reservation to save time and not stand in line. This was so true!!!
Even the Vatican has an on-line reservation system which allowed us to literally walk past the long line outside an join our reserved tour inside.
Just another FYI-beware of friendly train "employees" who help you load your luggage on the train! My husband had his suitcase stolen off the train from Rome to Florence-we thonk it was the guy who helped us load all our luggage on the train...luckily nothing valuable was in the sutcase, and he had his passport and other important stuff with him..we were so paranoid of pickpockets we didn't think about the luggage.
Ciao!!!