We'll be in Rome the first full week in November with our grandson and are thinking of going to the Vatican Museums on that Monday. Is it likely to be crowded enough that I should reserve online? Or is November late enough to wing it?
Posted by
Pa and Italy
4152 posts
Even in the off season there is still an hours long line at the museums in the morning. If you plan to visit in the afternoon the odds are that there won't be much, if any, line but the mornings til about 1 will still have a line wrapped around the building. Donna
Posted by
OP
Philadelphia, PA, United States
174 posts
Thanks very much. I was afraid of that. Maybe we'll try after lunch in that area.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
7737 posts
RonInRome has excellent info on the lines at the Vatican. He lived in Rome for many years, so you can rely on what he says: Here's what he says, followed by a link: The best days to go... are Thursday, Tuesday, and Friday, probably in that order. If there's a holiday during the week you come, those "trends" go right out the window... You'll have to adjust accordingly. Days immediately before and immediately after closure days (Sundays and church holidays) are the busiest. If you're coming During Holy Week in Easter or at Christmas, it might be better to reserve a spot... Again, I've gone in the afternoons during both those periods and not waited in line! If you go in the afternoon MOST DAYS, you will have NO WAIT!
That's correct – NO WAIT! In the off season, you can get in the Vatican Museums after 11 AM on most weekdays with no wait. On a Saturday or Monday, the lines are often gone by 1 PM. During the summer, it's perhaps around 2 PM (or earlier) when all the lines die down. Lines at the Vatican - whether to pre-book