Vatican Museum

Go on a Wed, when the Pope is usually in town and holding mass. Most folks go there and the Vatican Museum lines are smaller in the am, during the event.

Ron, who lives in Rome and answers most of these Qswill no doubt have even better insight.

Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for your reply! We are arriving in Rome on a Friday morning and leaving right after Pope Benedict's audience the following Wednesday so I don't think this will work for us. I hope we can go at another time without too much trouble.

Thanks, Karen

We just got back from 3 wks. inItaly (6 days in Rome). We took a tour on a Thurs. morning and bypassed a 2-3 hr. line of people, and the inside was very crowded. Friday afternoon we were near the Museum and thought it was closed since there was no line, but it was open so we went in again with no crowds inside! Maybe we just got lucky that afternoon.

Early June is at the height of the summer crush in the Vatican Museum (VM). If you are going on your own, without pre-purchasing a "skip the line" feature - which you CAN buy instead of a tour for about 29E - I suggest you go on the Tuesday you are in Rome.

If you do not buy the "skip the line" option, go after 2 PM. Currently the last entry time is 4 PM and the VM chases everyone out at 6 PM.

Saturday and Monday are very busy days and the VM is closed on Sundays except the last Sunday of the month (FREE but huge lines and limited hours). So based on your schedule, I'd shoot for Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully it will be clearing out by the time you're coming in...

Also, if you want to see the Pope, again based on your schedule (and his!), he usually does a blessing at 12 noon on Sundays from his study window, top floor, 2nd window from the right. Usually lasts less than 15 minutes...

Ciao,
Ron

Thanks, Ron, for helping! Yes, we want to see Pope Benedict so we will plan to go Sunday for the blessing. Do you know if there is mass at St. Peter's on Sunday? We may also stay for the Wednesday morning audience, then take the train after for Florence.

How would we buy the "skip the line" tickets and what is the cost?

As for the VM, we are going on the Scavi tour Tuesday morning and would prefer to pace our activities throughout the 5 days we're there. We may try to get in later in the day as you suggested, and hope for the best. If it's too crowded, we'll try for the next day and wait.

We also plan to visit the Palatine Hill, Colosseum, and Forum. Do you have any thoughts on when to visit these sites?

We will be staying in an apartment in Ostia for 5 nights and commuting in by train everyday.

Karen, there are "multiple" opportunities to see mass on Sunday at St. Peter's. Here's a link with a schedule:

http://www.santasusanna.org/popeVatican/basilicas.html

The Wednesday AM audience will start at 10:30 AM, and if the weather is GREAT (should be!), it will take place in St. Peter's Square. The "audience" is usually over a little after 12 noon.

There are multiple websites that sell the "skip the line" tickets at about 29E - One is http://www.myvaticantour.com/

Palatine Hill, Colosseum, and Forum open around 9 AM and I would go early before it gets too hot. Also, the House of Augustus is now open @ Palatine - don't miss that. Tickets are 11E for all three - go to the booth on Via di San Gregorio (Palatine Hill Entrance) for shortest lines!

Have fun!
Ciao,
Ron

We just got back from Rome. We did St. Peter's first and went to the museum at 1:00 p.m. or 1:30. Waited 1/2 hour.

Thanks again to all! We will take our chances and go to the VM on the afternoon we arrive. And we'll go to the forum, Colosseum, Palatine Hill in the am as Ron suggested. Many thanks, Karen

Karen,

Rode by the Vatican today at 1:45 PM... no line to get into the Museum... on a Thursday!

Ciao,
Ron

Thanks again, Ron! That's encouraging news....my family will be excited to hear this. And we leave next week.........

Karen

We just came back from our week in Rome. We booked a tour of the Vatican with Angel Tours and it was great. Our guide Ken was well informed, funny. Our 3 1/2 hour tour took almost 5 hours. No rush, no lines. It was great.