Papal visit Wednesdays St Peter Square

Papa Francesco is famous for starting early, so do not take the 10:00 AM as Gospel. When I went he started about 9:30. I arrived before 7:00 so our group could get good seats. (Assume you have tickets for the seated area?) Get there early, settle in and defend your territory. :-) The whole thing is over by 11:00-or-so as I recall. You certainly could schedule yourselves into the museums in the afternoon, maybe 13:00, 14:00. Give yourselves time to get out of the square, find some lunch, and then to the museums.

Do you think doing a self guided tour in the Vatican Museum, Sistine
Chapel and Basilica makes sense? Reserve tickets ahead of time to
"skip the lines?"

Yes, absolutely make reservations in advance; as one of the two top attractions in Rome, the museums are mobbed during high and shoulder season. The basilica is free - you can't buy tickets to that one- and the museums and church have separate entrances and security queues. To avoid standing in line for St Peter's, you can book a 3-hour tour through the Vatican's website which accesses the church directly from the Museums/Sistine via a stairway reserved for tours. It's an efficient way of covering ground, and hits the highlights. After the end of tour - which winds up in the the basilica - you are free to wander around it on your own for a longer time, if you wish, but can't re-enter the museums.

For general tickets to the museums or tours of the Vatican:

https://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking

https://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=booking&codiceLivelloVisita=4&step=1

My cousin told me that when he visited the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, there was a door at the far side of the chapel and he was able to exit right into St. Peter's. I saw the doors, but they were closed when I was there. We had no choice, but to continue on to the original entry point, although we were able to first go out into a courtyard facing the Vatican Gardens where they have a snack bar and seating.

The crowds were really thick on that day in late April of 2015 so I would advise picking a quieter time of year or day if at all possible. It is hard to enjoy things when tours sweep through and jam the rooms, forcing you to the side. It was wall to wall people in the Sistine Chapel and pretty hard to linger long enough to really absorb it all.

Yes get there as early as you can to use your tickets in the blocked off area. We were there last May. If the seats are gone, you will still be in the piazza and will see Pope Francis greeting the people and then give his talk. The Basilica is closed during this time and opens after. Definitely get museum reserved ticket to skip line. Enjoy

My cousin told me that when he visited the Vatican Museum and Sistine
Chapel, there was a door at the far side of the chapel and he was able
to exit right into St. Peter's. I saw the doors, but they were closed
when I was there.

Rick, that door is reserved for tours only. Some independent visitors have been able to sneak through it but many others have not: it's at the discretion on the guards on duty, and reports are that they've become stricter than in the past. Security being what it is these days, I'm not surprised. The only SURE way to take that useful shortcut is to book a tour - which is why I made the recommendation.

Thanks for the replies! I have tickets for Wednesday to see Pope Francis. For a tour, I went to the website Kathy provided. There wasn't a tour for later that Wed, but I did book a tour for Tues morning to see the Museums and Basilica. Looking forward to it!
I can post any feedback I might have after I get back.

Great to hear that you're all set, and do let us know how your trip went! Enjoy Rome - it's a fascinating city. :O)

When you arrive for the general audience, keep in mind the best seats are not necessarily in the front.

When I was there last year, the seating area was set up in pen-like areas with small fencing, with passageways in between.

The Holy Father arrived before his address was to begin and made at least two trips around the gather crowd through those passageways. I was able to make amazing photos of this.

So if you cannot get absolute front, you might go to the rear of the front sections.

You might have an up close view of the Pope and you can see his address well enough on the various big screens set up for the audience.

Did you get your tickets through Prefecture of the Papal Household or Santa Susanna Church. Does anybody know the best or should I say the easiest way to get the tickets?

For the Wednesday Papal audience, all I did was go to the Pontifical North American College website and used the email link to request tickets. The PNAC replied back saying I had reservations on the date I requested, and come to the College the Tuesday before between 3 pm and 6 pm to pick up the actual tickets and learn about what to expect the next morning. Here's the link: https://www.pnac.org/visitorsoffice/audiences/

The College is next to Santa Susanna I think. When I googled the address with my hotel address it was a 10 minute walk away.

I have also heard that one really doesn't need tickets since there are thousands of people who show up and the tickets could never be checked. Am thinking those of us with actual tickets might get preferred seating; do not have to stand. Other comments say that line up near the balustrades, even next to a mom with cute baby because when the Pope arrives in his Pope mobile, he goes along the balustrade and is most likely to stop to touch the baby. And that, I think, is when the best photos happen! I'll have to report back on my experience.

I look forward to your report because I want to go in October but am not sure that I will be back in Rome by 6 pm to pick up the tickets.