My husband and I will visit Rome on Sep, we plan to reserve tickets for Vatican Museum and also reserve an audio guide.
Appreciate if someone can answer my questions about the audio guide:
1. Do we need to bring our passports and leave it with audio guide rental? I am thinking about keeping our passports in hotel safe while we are at Rome
2. Does the audio guide machine have 2 earphone plugs?
Thanks!
Yes, you will need to leave your passport or other I.D. in order to get the guides. You are required by law to carry your passport with you at all times if you are not from the EU.
No, each person must get their own guide or share the one they have.
Donna
"You are required by law to carry your passport with you at all times if you are not from the EU."
Does the law say "passport" or "I.D"?
A passport is the only legal form of ID for non-EU citizens.
This thread should be helpful:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/touring-italy-bbf0867f-89c2-456c-9e5c-ec44e44a912a
Oh, and your hotel will likely ask for your passports at check-in and may keep them for a short time as, by law, there's information about who is staying at their property that they need to collect. It's nothing to worry about, and they'll usually be ready for you to pick up once you've gotten settled.
I've always used my driver's license as security for audio guide rentals - at the Vatican and lots of other places. And I feel fine with carrying it around in my pocket. Whether I have my passport with me or not, I'd never leave it . . . if somehow it goes walk about, there'd be a huge problem in the middle of my trip.
I have a US driver's license that can probably be used for audio guide rental.
My main concern of carrying passport while walking around is theft....
I'm not a US citizen and use visa to work in US now, if I lose my passport, will have to go back to my home country to get new passport and get a new visa stamp from US consular.....
Will feel safer and enjoy the sightseeing better if I can keep my passport at a safe spot....
That's what money belts are for.
The law says "government issued" ID, which for Americans is a passport. If you are not from the US find out what type of government ID you need to carry. For most, it's a passport.
The safest spot for your passport is in a money belt worn under your clothing. A safe in a hotel can easily be broken into.
Donna
Most of the audio guides I have used in Europe have a standard 3.5 mm plug. You can purchase an inexpensive splitter that would allow two headsets to use one device. I've even seen these for sale in Walgreen's. Take the advice of others and use a money belt or neck pouch and don't leave it in a hotel safe. The safes are unsafe and in many trips to Europe, I've never used them.
Also, have you checked the Rick Steves Audio Europe App? It's free and has tours of both the museum and the Sistine Chapel. I haven't used the museum tour as I was on a guided tour through the museum. In the Chapel, no guides are allowed and I found the tour on the app to be excellent.
