Hi. I am heading to Italy on Monday and the last thing I am still trying to sort is timed tickets to St Peters Basilica. I researched this a few months back and found I could book 2 tickets through Vox Mundi. Easy I thought, apparently not any more. Now when I go back to do it the website seems to have gone. The last couple of weeks it just says "site under construction". I found Vox City, not sure if this is a replacement but it does not seem to offer quite the same thing. Can anyone suggest a website for this? I know you can queue up for free but I wanted to lessen queuing time if possible. I have Vatican Museum tickets for 8.30 and wondered if it would work to do that in the morning, go have lunch and a break and return to the Basilica, however it is starting to look altogether too hard when I cannot even find a ticket buying option now. Would like to see if but not keen to queue with no tickets really. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.
Posted by
Italy
3812 posts
There are no tickets to Enter St. Peters, it's a church and it's (still) free. There is a security line and nobody skips it.
Posted by
Chicago
3189 posts
I’d suggest visiting St. Peter’s at 7am when it opens to avoid the long security lines in the afternoon. I was just there last week and the line was crazy long in the afternoon. We returned in the morning and got right in.
Posted by
Minnesota 🎒
16624 posts
Julie, Vox Mundi is the official St. Peter's/ Vatican-related website, not the other one you mentioned. No Idea why their website is under construction or how long it will remain so but as the other's above have said, the basilica is free. There are multiple TA reviews which mentioned that the V.M. tours of the basilica did not skip the general security queue; they had to meet their guide inside. Lifted from just one of those:
"Be warned there are NO skip the line tours. When you arrive you have to go through the lines (long) outside... pass a security check and then you go inside to check in with desk for the tour or just go in and see on your own."
I wouldn't personally buy "Skip the line" tickets from any 3rd party advertising them. Go at 7:00 (be in line before the opening hour) but give yourself plenty of time to get over to the museum entrance for your 8:30 entrance slot.