Only a few hours in Rome

So do you mean St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Galleries? Get a ticket online for the galleries and then after you are through there you will exit into St. Peter's and can explore there. http://www.museivaticani.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

Roma San Pietro station is the closest train station to your destination. Regional trains take one hour from the airport, with a connection at Roma Trastevere (schedules available through DB). This station might not have a left-luggage office. There are baggage checks at the front entrances of both St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museum.

Alternative transportation option (assuming you are landing at Fiumicino)
-Leonardo Express to Termini (30 min). Leave Bags at Termini.
-Take Metro A line to Ottaviano (10 min) and then walk (10-20 depending on how fast you walk and where you stop) or just take a cab (a little more variable time but less walking).
-Sightseeing galore then back to Termini (another 20-30 min)
-Pick up your bag. Take Metro B to Tiburtina (15 min).

I think this is extremely ambitious but it's also just not my travel style. Are you flying in from the states that day? Would this be your first time in Rome? You may get out of the airport by 1230 but sometimes it can take more than 2 hours. Or your plane could be late. And with the travel times I listed above, I am not including the time it takes to store your bags, walk around Termini, etc. From the minute you step on the Leonardo express, I think you have to subtract at least 2 hours from your sightseeing time for all of that.

You will be able to see St. Peter's square and the outside of the basilica. If the security line is moving quickly, you may be able to see the inside of St. Peters. But I wouldn't even bother with the museums.

What is the reason you don't want to see them on Friday or on the weekend? The Colosseum is not that far away from Vatican City.

Good luck!

Kristen,

This is my first time in Rome. I wasn't sure about doing it on the Friday or Saturday cause I'm not there for a complete day. I'm leaving Venice Friday morning and taking the train to Verona for a few hours and then hopping back on the train and coming back to rome, but I'm not sure what time I'll be landing back in Rome Friday night. I'm in Italy for a wedding and my sister and I are doing Venice and Rome before meeting up with the rest of the wedding guests who fly in Saturday morning. My cousin (the bride to be) is having transportation pick us up at the airport at 3pm Saturday to head out to cortona for the week (where we will be doing day trips to Florence, Pisa and a few other non weddings things)... I was hoping to do the colosseum, palatine hill and the roman forum when they open Saturday morning as I want to spend the majority of my time there.

I'm a really fast walker and I'm more interested in history versus art and religion. I mainly want to go to the Vatican museum/St. Peter's basilica area to do the Sistine chapel

Your play by play of how to get to the Vatican is exactly what I was looking for when I asked my question. I had kinda figured out the route but wanted to double check

Well good luck! At the Ottaviano stop, after you walk up the stairs, look around the corner and you will see the giant wall that surrounds Vatican City. Just head in that direction. A warning about the Vatican museums- they are ginormous. Even if you just want to go to the Sistine Chapel, it is at the "end" of the museum. You have to walk through a lot of the museum to get to it. I just don't want you pay for a ticket and then decide you don't have time to use it!! At least the basilica is free. Have a great trip!