This is actually a correction to the guidebook, but I can't figure out how to do that. Our teenaged grandson wanted to climb the dome, so we took the elevator from the north side of the basilica and found a fenced-off area of the roof with no views. My husband went with him to the start of the climb, and then he and I walked around the inside of the dome. After waiting back outside a while we went in again, and discovered that the exit from the climb comes out at a different elevator on the other side of the roof (also fenced off) which goes down to the SOUTH side of the basilica and comes out inside the church in all the crowds. We were panicky about losing him. Luckily, he had the sense to go back to the place where we had taken the elevator up and we found him after 45 minutes of stress. There are NO signs telling you that the up and the down elevators are in different places, nor does Rick mention it. (Granted, cell phones would have solved the problem, but ours had stopped working the previous day.) I hope this saves somebody else the stress we had.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Katherine, exactly why my kids and I have always had a "if we are seperated" meeting point at any large crowded site. At least your grandson was a teenager, I am sure he thought it was a great adventure and wasn't half as fearful as you!lol. I also made sure both my 11 yr old and 13 yr old always carried the hotel card from where we were staying and 20 euros for a taxi if need be.
Posted by
victoria, Canada
11507 posts
Also,, in Paris the Catacombs is another place you need to accompany your kids, as the entrance and exit are several kilometers away from each other ( so you can't sent a person down and say you will wait for them by entrance, they will surface many streets away in another area of town!) I almost sent my 13 yr old down on his own as I am mildly claustrophobic, luckily the ticket taker heard us talking and explained the exit was far away, so I went with son. I was however able to accompany him up the Eiffel Tower to the second level, then I waited there while he went up to the top level, there is only the one elevator( and it only goes from the second to top and back ) Good to know that about the Dome.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
To add your guidebook comments, corrections, etc. use this page here on Rick's site.
Posted by
OP
Philadelphia, PA, United States
174 posts
Thanks, Harold. I think it's important. Pat, we did have a designated meeting place: the problem was that he couldn't get to it. He also knew right where our apartment was, a 10-minute walk, but we still wouldn't have known where he was.