Questions on Roma Pass and Vatican museum

Ken First of all please do yourself a favor and pick up RS book on Italy - It explains in great detail all about the Roma Pass I will try to answer some of your questions. #1 Ask hotel if they have any passes and save them for you. We did this. I would suggest you do not need to buy them now online but if it gives you peace of mind to have them ahead of time do so but not necessary. No discount for students that I know of. #2 Yes there is a seperate entrance for card holders and if you ask the many people directing they will send you to the right entrance. #3 I do not think some of the hotels make a reservation for you for the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel - Do so on line and print out your tickets. There is a seperate line for advanced ticket holders around the corner from St. Peter's Square. Don't be discouraged as you will be in such a throng of people and pushing all the way to the Chapel it leaves little time to enjoy the artifacts. The first time we went there were very few people and last year my husband and I got separated due to the throng. Early morning is better as it will be hot later in the afternoon. Maybe post another question as to timing on this site. #4 Most railway stations do have restrooms. I can't answer for the subway even though we used the system but never had to look for a restroom. Be aware of pickpockets on the subway and hold your backpack in front of you.
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A1. I do not recall people saying they could not buy the Roma pass. It was the Roma and Piu pass that was no longer available even in Rome - the Roma and Piu pass gives access to Tivoli villas and the train/bus outside the Rome city boundaries and I was looking for it. The TI in Termini is supposed to be open at 8am - 8pm but the other TIs only open at 9:30 am. I saw the recommendation not to buy the pass online because then you are stuck with picking it up only from a pre-arranged location. Ask your hotel if they have any or and 7-11 type stores nearby if ask them to get some for you. I stayed at Giardino's and if I had only asked, they would have got my passes from the shop downstairs. When we arrived at 7:45pm all the Termini TI was supposed to be open till 8pm but they would not sell anything after 7:30. The shop downstairs from the hotel had sold out. So I kept walking on Via Nazionale and ended up finding them at a newsagents who stays open till 11pm. A2: I used the free entrances for 1) Borghese Gallery 2) Colosseum/Forum. The Colosseum entrance is the same for everyone - just facing the Metro BUT ... don't stay in the long line. Go to the entrance and the guard will direct you to the turnstile for Roma pass holders. The turnstile is inside the colosseum walls. We found no lines there even on a Sunday morning. By the time we got to the forum, there were no lines even for ticket buying - just swiped the pass and went through. I believe end of May/June is high season. Europeans may not go to a sweltering Rome in July or August. A3. No student discounts for my college going daughter in Rome or Florence. Venice Doge's palace and Campanile have student discounts. A4. Did not pay attention to see if there were any bathrooms - used bathrooms at all the museums.

Ken Just read a post on another Country and they said they had to pay for restrooms in Italy in the train stations. We've used the train system but I cannot recall having to pay. Maybe some stations do.

A3. On the Vatican museum, I followed RoninRome suggestion and went to the Vatican Museum at around 3pm without advanced purchase. When we walked by there around noon on the way to St Peter's - just to check the lines - there were long lines. At 3pm, there were no lines at all. This was a Saturday.
There was a crowd at the entrance - these were tour groups waiting for their guides. We edged through the crowd, went upstairs and got our tickets with no lines. Inside it was crowded. Tour group after tour group all walking towards Capella Sistina. We had to edge through and when we did get to the chapel, it was packed. Fortunately within 5 minutes I was able to find a spot on the bench lining the two long walls and look up at the ceiling leisurely. Since we were not with any tours, nobody rushed us to the next event and my daughter and I stayed there for a while seated comfortably admiring the ceiling. We did look at other paintings after the chapel but did not look at much else. Unless you get a private tour outside of normal hours, it is going to be somewhat crowded any hour.

A3. On the Vatican museum, I followed RoninRome suggestion and went to the Vatican Museum at around 3pm without advanced purchase. When we walked by there around noon on the way to St Peter's - just to check the lines - there were long lines. At 3pm, there were no lines at all. This was a Saturday.
There was a crowd at the entrance - these were tour groups waiting for their guides. We edged through the crowd, went upstairs and got our tickets with no lines. Inside it was crowded. Tour group after tour group all walking towards Capella Sistina. We had to edge through and when we did get to the chapel, it was packed. Fortunately within 5 minutes I was able to find a spot on the bench lining the two long walls and look up at the ceiling leisurely. Since we were not with any tours, nobody rushed us to the next event and my daughter and I stayed there for a while seated comfortably admiring the ceiling. We did look at other paintings after the chapel but did not look at much else. Unless you get a private tour outside of normal hours, it is going to be somewhat crowded any hour.

Previous shortages of the Roma Pass (last fall) seemed to be related to the fact that they were raising the price and reprinting. They are in abundant supply now. You can use the pass to skip the lines even after your free entries are used up. A wonderful way to see the Sistine Chapel in a less crowded state is to take Walks of Italy's "Pristine Sistine" tour. Worth every centissimi. You will be in a small group, enter early, and get to the chapel before the hoards. Bathrooms: pay toilets in train stations, museums are free. We often buy un caffe or a bottle of water in a bar and use that as an excuse to use the facilities, and that goes for anywhere in Italy. There are free bathrooms at the entrances to the Colosseo, Palatino and Foro Romano. It will be hot so always always always carry a bottle and make use of the very good "Nasone" around the city to refill and rehydrate. Hit the big outdoor sights early in the AM. By the noon the Forum, for example, is impossibly hot. Take advantage of evening hours. Many places are open until 19:30 or 20:00, so you can rest during the afternoon, "do" a museum or site between 18:00 and 20:00, then sit at an outdoor cafe for the evening.

A1: Clarification
Student discounts for students under 26 for the major sites in Rome and Florence were only for students attending EU universities. I asked at the Vatican Museum, Academia and Uffizi in Florence and Villa' Este and Villa Adriana in Tivoli but all said no to us. There might be an under 18 discount - I did not check if that was available or not since it did not apply to us.

People often confuse the fact that the romapass and the roma &piu pass are two different passes. The roma & piu pass has not been available for a few years now. The romapass is still available and has not been "unavailable" since last summer when they were changing over the cards. There is no need to buy online before you go or to even have your hotel arrange to get one for you. Just pick it up at any tourist information spot or at any of the site that honor the pass. There are different entrances at the colosseum for romapass users. Just go to the line on the left, you'll see what I mean when you get there. Once you've used the free entries you'll need to go through the regular lines in order to get your reduced price tickets but there won't be lines at any of the sites other than the colosseum so you don't need to worry. If your college student is 26 years old or younger and has a college I.D. they can get the reduced priced tickets for the Vatican museums. If your hotel makes the ticket arrangements ask if they will charge you a fee for doing this. some do and some just expect a nice tip. I have never had any issues just booking the tickets I want online at the official vatican website. It's very quick and easy. July is busy season so you may encounter a line even in the afternoons. I would just buy the entry tickets before going just to be safe. Donna

Hi, I want to thank all of you who responded to my questions for your quick, kind and detailed response as well as advice. Since it's very hot in summer in Italy, I am thinking of going to the Vatican Museum early in the morning. First of all, which website should I visit to purchase the advanced tickets? I went to http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html , and then went to http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?weblang=it&do , all written in Italian. But I am not sure how I buy the tickets online on this second webpage. Also can I bring in my backpack containing some food and drinks at the Vatican Museum? I have been thinking of eating my sandwich at the cafeteria because there will probably be a long line for ordering food there and I do not want to eat expensive and not so appealing food there. Thanks again in advance. Ken

Ken, you can use this link. http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?weblang=en&do It's the english link. Just click the option you're interested in. Donna

Hi Donna, I thank you for pointing me to the right webpage.(I almost got it right) Hi Nalayini, I will contact the museum if American students can be qualified for the reduced ticket. I have found out that backpacks, food and drinks are not allowed in the museum from
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Consigli.html . So I need to check my backpack at the cloakroom which is presumably located near the entrance. But I am not sure exactly where it is located. I think that we will take the exit from the Sistine Chapel and go right into St. Peter"s. Is it possible to retrieve my backpack from the cloakroom later even after we leave the back of the museum building ? Thanks, Ken

The Vatican website specifically states that if you are 26 or under with a student I.D. you get the reduced rate. # Q. Is it possible to buy reduced tickets?
A. Yes, it is possibile for children between 6 and 18 years of age and students up to 26 years of age with a student identity document (International Student Card to show on the day of the visit). http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/do?action=supporto You don't need to be an EU member to take advantage of the discount at the Vatican museums. You just need to be a student, 26 or under with a student I.D. I emailed them last summer to see if a regular student I.D. would be acceptable instead of the international one and they said yes, just bring a regular student I.D. Donna

Ken, unless you're on a tour they may not allow you to take the direct route to the basilica. That door is reserved for tour guides and their groups and most of the time the guards will point you towards the other door. If this happens just collect your backpack before heading to the basilica. It's probably easier this way anyway so you don't need to backtrack later. Donna

Ken, The only place that was strict about bags was the Borghese gallery. I carried a packsafe bag that was bigger than a handbag. I had my with camera, odds and ends, guidebook water bottle, cookies etc. My daughter had a fairly large cloth bag hanging from her shoulder with all her things. We did not check the bags. As long as the you carry the backpack like a bag - hold it in your hand instead of having it strapped to your back, you might be able to take it in. People were taking flash photography when flash was not allowed and all the guards did was shout no flash - without any effect. Donna - you are right about the student ticket. It is available with a valid student ID. Because of the other museums requirement of EU citizenship, I did not question the refusal at the Vatican.