Rome Travel Answers

I was there a month ago. To go to Vatican St. Peter Church ....looks like there is a line up of about two hours or more. No need for reservation, just wait online. Try to see the Vatican museum and don't ignore Castel St. Angelo just across the river. Good museum. For more contact me at rayvn5@yahoo.com

Thanks folks for the info. I had heard about the Wednesday morning as being a good time. What about the Borghese? Should I make the reservation now online or wait until I get there? Thanks!

We were at the Vatican last week and didn't have to make a line. Well, there were probably 7-8 people in front of us for the security check but that was because there were only 2 machines open. You don't need to make a reservation to visit St. Peter's church but you have to if you want to go to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (someone correct me on that). On Wednesdays you can participate in a Papal Audience by making a reservation to Prefettura della Casa Pontificia in writing (see the info about it on my Rome page). If a Papal Audience isn't of your liking, then try to get tickets to the tour of the Excavations under St. Peter's. To make a reservation, send an e-mail to the Scavi office. Tickets cost 10€ as of Dec 2008. Info about that on my Rome page too. Happy travels.

I think it is advisable to book online for your Vatican Museum tickets (yes, that includes the Sistine Chapel). I was there last Oct and the queue long, but I went straight ahead to a ticket booth dedicated to those with pre-booked tickets. Invest on the 10-euro Guide to the Vatican book as the collection is overwhelmingly enormous (better than the audio guide as you can keep it as souvenir). Yes, Wednesdays are the Pope's audience day. I was there, too, but I was lucky enough to see him without having to request (didn't actually plan it) since he held the audience day in public at the St Peter's Square itself. While at St Peter's, try to visit the cupola (dome), although it's not for the claustrophobic - great, great views of St Peter's Square and Rome.

Thanks all again.I will book the Vatican museums online. But what about the Borghese?

"but you have to if you want to go to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel (someone correct me on that)." As Mariel was wondering, you actually don't have to book a tour through the Vatican Museums - I never have...but then I lived there so I was able to go off season. Booking a tour does mean, as someone noted, going to the head of the line, but the line may be small or large. The worst time to go is on the last Sunday of the month, when the Museums are free. Otherwise, people have two strategies for avoiding the very long lines that can be there first thing in the morning: (1) go on Wednesday morning (as others noted), and (2) go some time around noon or early afternoon, then the lines are gone yet you still spend several hours in the Museums before they throw you out. Note that the audience is not every Wednesday - they are held only when the Pope is in town (most, but not all Wednesdays). Check vatican.va/various/prefettur... for the schedule (March is not up yet). Note that the Museums' hours have changed. Look at mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-I... and go to the section for "Musei Vaticani 2009". Note that on most days, the ticket office opens at 9:00 a.m. and closes at 4:00 p.m., but they don't close the Museums themselves until 6:00 p.m., meaning that if you went at 1:00 p.m., you would still have 5 hours in the Museums. Also note that if you are going on the last Sunday of March, that the times are different (ticket office open 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and exit from Museums by 2:00 p.m.), so this strategy doesn't work on Sunday. As for the Borghese (the "Galleria Borghese" is the Museum), you must make a reservation, although if they have open time slots, they might let you walk in - but don't count on it as it is a popular museum. Look at en.villaborghese.it/musei_e_... and you will find the links to how you get a ticket online. Bill

Thanks mccalpin. Out of curiosity, is there a better chance to have to stand in line longer if you go on a weekend than on a weekday? (Not counting when the museums are free or red non-working days).

To me, the lines could be just as long on a weekday or weekend, although I confess to have never made a scientific study of the question. Since the vast majority of people going to the Museums are tourists and since tourists aren't working and can be there any day of the week, my impression is that any day can be quite crowded. Other impressions are invited... Bill

Thanks for the great information. So I wil go on Wednesdays and look for when it opens and when the mass is. I'll also make reseravtions online if I can. I will also make reservations for the Borghese online.

We were in Rome April 2006. We booked in advance a 5-hour walking tour of the Vatican which was fantastic. We are American and the guide was an American finishing his PhD on Vatican history, and he personally walked about 20 of us in the group through the Vatican Museums and finishing with the Sistine Chapel. This included a 30 minute lunch stop in the Vatican Museum cafeteria, and actually the 5-hour tour turned into 6 hours. We had headsets and we could hear the guide through the headsets which really helped as we walked through the crowds in St. Peters and could still hear every word. The cost (2006) was 36 Euros per person and lunch was extra. It was well worth it if you have the time. I don't recall the firm we booked it with but can look it up if you email me at yerwan1@aol.com and would like the info. We booked 2 other tours in Rome thru a different company, Select Italy, and we were very disappointed with them. We got to the Colosseum for our guided tour and the Colosseum didn't have any record even though we handed them our Select Italy voucher so we got no tour of the Colosseum and Select Italy refused to refund our120 saying it couldn't possibly have been their fault. So, avoid Select Italy with your Rome plans, but the company we booked the Vatican tour with was great and I can find the name for you if you'd like. Other than the Select Italy fiasco, we had a great time and can't wait to go back to Rome some day. Have a great trip!

We were in Rome April 2006. We booked in advance a 5-hour walking tour of the Vatican which was fantastic. We are American and the guide was an American finishing his PhD on Vatican history, and he personally walked about 20 of us in the group through the Vatican Museums and finishing with the Sistine Chapel. This included a 30 minute lunch stop in the Vatican Museum cafeteria, and actually the 5-hour tour turned into 6 hours. We had headsets and we could hear the guide through the headsets which really helped as we walked through the crowds in St. Peters and could still hear every word. The cost (2006) was 36 Euros per person and lunch was extra. It was well worth it if you have the time. I don't recall the firm we booked it with but can look it up if you email me at yerwan1@aol.com and would like the info. We booked 2 other tours in Rome thru a different company, Select Italy, and we were very disappointed with them. We got to the Colosseum for our guided tour and the Colosseum didn't have any record even though we handed them our Select Italy voucher so we got no tour of the Colosseum and Select Italy refused to refund our120 saying it couldn't possibly have been their fault. So, avoid Select Italy with your Rome plans, but the company we booked the Vatican tour with was great and I can find the name for you if you'd like. Other than the Select Italy fiasco, we had a great time and can't wait to go back to Rome some day. Have a great trip!

Thanks Hitheroad for the info. I generally prefer to go by myself rather than on a tour, but it does sound like being organized is a good idea for the Vatican, so I certainly will consider a tour.

Galleria Borghese needs a booking. It is absolutely exquisite. Do not miss it! And make sure that you get an audio guide from the desk, it is really helpful (you need to leave a drivers license or passport as ID, just as in the Louvre. Don't worry, they are classy people). At the front of the Galleria is a stairway going up to the museum and another going down to the ticket office, cafe, cloak room and bookshop. They ask you to get there 30 minutes before the booking but I got there 60 minutes before and had a coffee and snack and avoided a queue. The surrounding gardens are very nice, though the vendor vans have been reported in the scam section. I don't go to street vendors.

PS has anyone been to the Galleria Barberini and the Galleria Borghese? How do they compare?

Hey HotCarpacio! Thanks for the info on the Borghese! I am very excited and don't want to miss it so will definately make a reservation. Sorry I don't know anything yet about the Barberini. Good Luck!