Is it better and/or easier to get tickets to the Basilica directly on their website or through with a tour group? We're only going to have 3 days to score tickets and it's one of our 'must see' places. We'll need to schedule Sept 12-14 but pretty flexible on time of day. Also, does anyone know how far in advance we can purchse on their official website, looks like no more that 3 months prior?
Slayton
The Basilica is free but they do offer a timed entry ticket that allows you to skip the very long line via a separate security line (nobody skips security)
It’s a few euros and includes an audio guide
Purchase on the official website
https://www.basilicasanpietro.va/it/
Thanks ChristineH - I have that link and that's where I started, just wondering if anyone knows how far out they start selling tickets. As of right now they have 'nothing available' that far out, looks like 3 months out is the soonest I can find but not sure that's always the case.
I know that time frame has been mentioned here- do a search- filter by Type and Date
ETA
10 days ago
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/how-early-can-you-purchase-timed-entry-tickets-to-st-peter-s
I'm seeing the same thing you are--tickets seem purchasable for the next three months. As of now. Ticket-release policies can change without advance notification, though I have no reason to think St. Peter's will be doing something different later this year.
I see no sign that St. Peter's entry tickets sell out instantly. They apparently have allocated a fairly generous number of entry slots to online sales. You can see how good availability is right after Easter, which is less than two weeks from now. I suspect many travelers don't yet know entry times can be reserved. That's a fairly new option, probably not reflected in printed guidebooks.
What I'd do is check the St. Peter's website at least weekly from now until about mid-May (four months out), and then ramp up to perhaps twice a week. By "check the website" I mean drilling all the way down to the list of entry times, because a date will appear to be available if even one entry-time slot has enough openings to match the number of entries you've requested. It's not unusual to see entries for popular sights available only for very late in the day, with all the earlier entry times sold out. Very late entry might not allow enough time for a good visit.
I'm confident my advice is serious overkill, but I don't want you coming after me if something truly strange happens with the sales policy and customer demand. When a city has multiple sights requiring time-specific tickets or reservations, as Rome does, you do have to be careful not to get boxed in.
I leave on Easter Sunday for Rome. Have my skip the line ticket but just wanted to mention to you about visiting the Scavi or Necropolis underneath St. Peter's. I was there in 2009 but doing it again next week. Very moving.
