I read Rick Steve's book that recommends this trick - exit the Sistine Chapel via tour exit by blending in with a group, this will avoid having to exiting the Vatican museums and going around to enter St Peter's.
Has anyone tried this lately? Was it successful?
Thanks!
The reports are (no recent personal experience) that they read Steves' recommendation and are cracking down on those trying to use the tour exit. And the better question - how well can you blend?
We did this both times we viewed the Vatican - once on our own with our RS audio guide and once when we were on an actual tour.
Are they really stopping this ? You would think they would prefer you to exit !
Hi Frank:
We are retired couple, pretty average looking, so I guess we can blend in quite well, LOL.
Just curious, where did you read the report of crackdown? I was considering getting a tour from Vatican official site, but they don't seem to got to all the museums that I am interested in, that why we are considering going by ourselves using Steve's audio guide.
I noticed that you are from Highlands Ranch? I used to live there too, now I am in Larkspur, CO :-)
Thank you Carla!
Seems we got Colorado gang going here, LOL
I have seen a tour guide let the guard at the exit know that two people were not with her group; they were not permitted to use the shortcut.
Outabout, there is a thread on the forum with the title "Travel Ethics" thatbyoy many find interesting.
Zoe:
Thanks for the tip.
Norma:
I assume that you don't approve such an approach as a matter of "ethics". Like I said, I would join a tour if the tour could fit my needs, like going into less popular museums. If a travel expert (Rick Steves) recommends this approach, one would think it is an accepted behavior. If your conscience doesn't permit this, by all means don't do it.
As for WHY Vatican allows only tours to use this shortcut, one could argue is not "ethical". I assume the reason is to promote the tours and to generate more revenue. It surely is the provocative of any private organization, but I would happily pay extra if they provided this option for people not wanting to go on a tour.
I can see no reason but hosing tourists for this rule and thus would have no hesitation to exit if it suited me and I could get away with it. They were checking tour tickets and policing it fairly closely the last time I was there so I suspect it is at least sporadically enforced.
We took the tour exit in April 2016 with no problem. There were large groups leaving that way, and we just blended in. Try it - all they can do is stop you!
Thank you Janet and Kathy.
I knew about this and when we left the Cistine, we went with the hoards! No one was stopped and I didn't see anyone even watching the area.
I was there in November with a tour. So many groups were crowding through that door that, practically speaking, there would be no way to enforce a rule. If 3 groups are going through at once then no one knows you're not a member of the other group. This was at about 10-11AM on a Tuesday.
Quick story. In Paris, after a gluttonous lunch of steak au poivre at Bistrot Paul Bert, we took the Metro then walked to Pere Lachaise cemetery to see the graves of Frederic Chopin, Edith Piaf and Jim Morrison, among others. My wife wanted to sit for awhile so I was searching for their headstones and decided to glom along with a tour group. Just standing at the back, the old, long-grey-haired guide immediately pointed me out and started screaming at me in French. I was going to still stay and hang out with them--what were they going to do--but just decided to go off and wander on my own instead.
Found all the graves, thank you very much...
Was there two months ago and again two weeks ago and both times they were checking tickets of everyone going through the door, or trying to. They turned away a lot of people trying to "blend in". Also, the people in the tour groups were pointing out people who weren't on their tours. I think everyone knows people try to cheat the system like this and those who pay for the benefit are tired of those who try to take it without paying. Unless you're prepared to be publicly embarrassed I wouldn't try it.
Donna
Jay I find that mildly hilarious since tour groups are notorious for rudely planting themselves in front of things and making it difficult for others to see the statue, or painting or grave or whatever. It is so bad in the Hermitage where they often block corridors and camp out one after another in front of particular paintings that we are no longer even very polite about it. We go up to the front, look at the picture, or walk between the bloviating tour guide and the picture when she has not made sure a path is clear for other museum goers to pass by.
If you wanted to see X then the fact that tour guides have claimed X continuously should not block you out. (I do understand that just joining the group would be an affront to the guide.) At Chartres everyone has earphones and so you can't join Malcolm Miller without have paid as you won't be able to hear the lecture. This is done at quite a few museums for guided tours as well so that the guide is not disruptive and the people in the group can hear.
To me it just seems like a logical path ! I want to see St. Peter's !
Why would I have to go all the way back through the Museum (granted, you could see new things) and around the entire building to stand in line, maybe again, to get into St. Peter's ?? If you are cleared/scanned/checked to enter the Vatican, you should be able to go right into the Church.
I guess too many people have attempted this shortcut !!
Carla, because that is the normal way to exit the museums and to go into the basilica. If the tour groups didn't pay for this benefit they would need to exit through the regular exit door as well.
Donna
Is it bad to still wish to do it even if it's wrong ? That sounds like a song...
We are rule followers. When we walked through the door, I truly thought it was something that was allowed, but few people knew ...
Thank you everyone.
I just wish that Vatican would allow EVERYONE to use this exit, even if they charge a few euros for it. Visitors in the tour groups are not any more vetted security wise than individual visitors,
so this appears to be the result of tour industry's lobbying.
Charging to exit a museum??! Like no one would complain about that!
I think tour groups get to use that exit because many tours combine the Museums and the Basilica.
If you want to use that exit, buy a tour, folks.
Note: if you check anything that must be retrieved at the Museum, you will have to pay to get back in (after waiting in line...) if you exit through the Special Door.
