Looking for opinions on "Skip the Line" tickets/tours for Rome

[WI Badger Fan]

First trip to Rome here. We are spending 4 days prior to our April cruise in the city and want to see the standard places. We are presently thinking of spending a day in the Vatican area (St. Peter's, Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel) and a day in the sites of Ancient Rome (like Colosseum, Parthenon, etc.). I am overwhelmed with the many tours out there and want to plan wisely.

 

1. Are "Skip the Line" tickets really helpful for these sites? Should they be purchased prior to our trip or when in Rome?

 

2. I'm thinking a guided tour would be very beneficial for Ancient Rome sites and that using an audio tour for the Vatican would be fine. Do you agree?

 

3. We have two days that have nothing planned for the moment. Any advice on things we MUST see while there? It might be nice to have some variety from ancient history since that will be the focus of most stops on the cruise.

 

Thanks again for any and all advice!

Jim

[LuckyStar]

Used skip the line at Vatican City when we were in Rome in June 2015. Totally worth it. The lines were crazy long.

[ElaineMarie]

We booked a cruise at almost the last minute for 5 adults out of Rome

all the sites i'm checking have nothing available for our 3 days in Rome prior to boarding the ship in May

the Vatican won't let us purchase tickets for the Sistine Chapel

two other sites have none available--what are our chances standing in line?

[CCJack]

We also stayed 4 days in Rome pre-cruise and it was the perfect amount of time. We also dedicated one day to Vatican area. Our hotel was close to the ancient ruins area, so we really didn't dedicate one day to that but rather spent most of the other times in that area.

 

I am sure I did something special to skip the lines at Vatican but I don't remember what. I thought I just went online before our trip and bought tickets. Vatican Museum was packed. Other ancient sites were not such a problem. If I remember right there was a line to buy admission tickets to the Colosseum, but if you went to the Palatine Hill area (short walk away) there is another ticket booth in which there was no line and you could also buy tickets to the Colosseum there. I assume that is still the case.

 

We downloaded Rick Steve's podcasts and those were very nice.

 

If you are walkers you can walk all the way to the Vatican from Colosseum area. Then we took a taxi back. Our only mistake was we got separated in the Vatican Museum and our phones did not work. Took 4 hours to find each other again ( I am not exaggerating). The place is like IKEA you walk with the flow, don't try anything else !

 

I hope you like Rome as much as we did, one of my favorites of all our travels.

[CCJack]

We booked a cruise at almost the last minute for 5 adults out of Rome

all the sites i'm checking have nothing available for our 3 days in Rome prior to boarding the ship in May

the Vatican won't let us purchase tickets for the Sistine Chapel

two other sites have none available--what are our chances standing in line?

 

Many times there will be vendors outside selling tickets through a 3rd party. I am sure they are marked up a little. I did not do that, but that may be an option.

[SupaGoo]

We booked a cruise at almost the last minute for 5 adults out of Rome

all the sites i'm checking have nothing available for our 3 days in Rome prior to boarding the ship in May

the Vatican won't let us purchase tickets for the Sistine Chapel

two other sites have none available--what are our chances standing in line?

 

Vatican tickets are only available 60 days before. I think you are on our cruise in May- correct? Try in 2 weeks.

[LEtue]

I wouldn't even consider the Vatican and the Colosseum without skip the line tickets. Then you still have 2 additional days to see the rest of the city independently. Trevi, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, and other monuments are easy to do on your own....

 

Are you sure that you have checked all of the tour options? Dark Rome and Walks of Italy are 2 that I have used. Others are Context, Overome , Once in Rome. Angel Tours and Whatalife. If you "google" Vatican Tours you will find many options. The Vatican also sells a guided tour option that will help you avoid the long lines.

 

Also, I have used http://www.tickitaly.com/ when booking the Colosseum underground tour which is also available as a skip the line.

 

Some companies will list tour space and issue tickets to you once they become available. At least this way you are guaranteed a quick entrance so I highly recommend booking a tour.

 

Enjoy Rome!

[cruisemom42]

I think there may be some confusion. You don't need special "skip the line" tickets for either the Vatican museum (Sistine chapel) or for the Colosseum. What you need is just a regular ticket purchased or reserved in advance.

 

With the Vatican, you can get the ticket via their official website. At the same site you could also book one of their guided tours if you like. Or you can just get the ticket if you want to do it on your own. Be advised, though, that there is not much signage or explanation, so I recommend that you either bring a guidebook, rent their audioguide, or take some sort of tour.

 

With the Vatican, you have to choose a date and a time for your admission. For the Colosseum, you just have to pick a date. The regular ticket/admission entitles you to visit the Colosseum (regular levels), the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill. A lot of people take the tour that includes the lower level of the Colosseum and third tier but frankly I don't think it adds so much to the visit....

 

Of course, it's possible you may have to wait in a short line with either the Vatican or the Colosseum regular ticket. But if you have several days, it's not a big deal. More difficult for those who are only in Rome on a port day where every single minute counts.

[leongcpa]

As I recall, I pre-booked tickets online to the Vatican Museum, and was able to enter without having to wait in line... it was totally worth it. The details are in my Rick Steves book.... The museum was packed, and there was a huge line to get in....

[WI Badger Fan]

Thank you for the excellent tips that are coming our way! I checked out the official Vatican site and found that tickets, including options with audio tours or tour guides are much less expensive than using other sources. As a follow-up question to those who have been to the Vatican Museums, do you think it is better to go with an organized tour or an audio guide? I know the areas are typically very busy and I'm trying to decide if it would be better to go at our own pace with the audio guide or have a bit more personal touch with a live guide that goes to a limited number of areas in the museums.

 

On a separate note, I am also thinking we might purchase a Roma Pass that will help us with transportation around the city and includes admission to two museums. One of the included museums is the Colosseum. Does that serve the same as a "skip the line"?

 

Again, your advice is truly appreciated by these Rome newbies!

[cruisemom42]

Thank you for the excellent tips that are coming our way! I checked out the official Vatican site and found that tickets, including options with audio tours or tour guides are much less expensive than using other sources. As a follow-up question to those who have been to the Vatican Museums, do you think it is better to go with an organized tour or an audio guide? I know the areas are typically very busy and I'm trying to decide if it would be better to go at our own pace with the audio guide or have a bit more personal touch with a live guide that goes to a limited number of areas in the museums.

 

On a separate note, I am also thinking we might purchase a Roma Pass that will help us with transportation around the city and includes admission to two museums. One of the included museums is the Colosseum. Does that serve the same as a "skip the line"?

 

Again, your advice is truly appreciated by these Rome newbies!

 

For the Vatican, it truly is a matter of preference. I like to go at my own pace, so I'd prefer the audioguide. (You don't have to do everything -- if you see something you're interested in hearing about, you just 'dial in' the number.) The Vatican tours have a fair number of people, so they're not really that personalized. You do have a headphone so that everyone can hear well, but you won't have time to ask too many questions.

 

The Roma Pass can be good if you plan well, although it's unlikely that you'll actually save much over just purchasing the tickets separately. You're correct though in that one advantage is that it can serve as your ticket for the Colosseum.

[WI Badger Fan]

I really, really appreciate your advice on these tours! I think the audioguide is the right way for us to go in the Vatican Museums. Do you have recommendations for getting into St. Peter's? If we went there early in the morning are the lines shorter? Or would you do the museums first and try to get into St. Peter's after?

 

Also wondering if you have recommendations on getting a tour guide for the Colosseum and other sites of Ancient Rome. I'm thinking it would be more enjoyable to have someone giving us the background and anecdotes rather than reading from a guidebook, but perhaps I'm wrong.

[cruisemom42]

I would say it's best to go to St. Peter's in the morning, as early as you can reasonably get there. The lines (mainly for security) get longer during the peak hours. I suspect, based on my experience exiting St. Peter's later in the afternoon, that the line does die down at some point, possibly around 4:00 pm -- but you probably don't want to leave it that late.

 

Regarding the Colosseum, how interested are you in ancient Rome? There are tour guides that get groups of about 10 tourists together at the entrance and they will give you a basic tour for about 10 euro per person. The downside is that you have to wait while they get a group together. Many agencies in Rome have tours that include the Colosseum and Forum (and sometimes Palatine Hill or other ancient sites nearby). One I like is Context Travel -- they have small group tours of 6-8 people and their guides really know their stuff: https://www.contexttravel.com/cities/rome (Of course, they offer tours of the Vatican as well.) But perhaps these are more "in depth" than you want.

 

There are a lot of other options too -- on this forum, you're not supposed to recommend tours you haven't taken at least somewhat recently, so I can't recommend any others. But you can look in guidebooks -- for example, Rick Steves' Rome guide gives some options for tour providers, I believe.

[Preacherman46]

I would say it's best to go to St. Peter's in the morning, as early as you can reasonably get there. The lines (mainly for security) get longer during the peak hours. I suspect, based on my experience exiting St. Peter's later in the afternoon, that the line does die down at some point, possibly around 4:00 pm -- but you probably don't want to leave it that late.

 

Regarding the Colosseum, how interested are you in ancient Rome? There are tour guides that get groups of about 10 tourists together at the entrance and they will give you a basic tour for about 10 euro per person. The downside is that you have to wait while they get a group together. Many agencies in Rome have tours that include the Colosseum and Forum (and sometimes Palatine Hill or other ancient sites nearby). One I like is Context Travel -- they have small group tours of 6-8 people and their guides really know their stuff: https://www.contexttravel.com/cities/rome (Of course, they offer tours of the Vatican as well.) But perhaps these are more "in depth" than you want.

 

There are a lot of other options too -- on this forum, you're not supposed to recommend tours you haven't taken at least somewhat recently, so I can't recommend any others. But you can look in guidebooks -- for example, Rick Steves' Rome guide gives some options for tour providers, I believe.

I will also check into this company for our 2018 time in Rome as we hope to spend a week since it will be our 50th anniversary year. Thanks!

[slidergirl]

We booked a cruise at almost the last minute for 5 adults out of Rome

all the sites i'm checking have nothing available for our 3 days in Rome prior to boarding the ship in May

the Vatican won't let us purchase tickets for the Sistine Chapel

two other sites have none available--what are our chances standing in line?

 

You cannot buy tickets for the Sistine Chapel; you must buy tickets for the Vatican Museums which will put you in the Sistine Chapel at the end (the Chapel is part of the Museums).

You can send in line - but you could be there for hours (I've heard - I did the Friday night tour), standing in the open without shade. If any of your days are a Friday, I'd certainly look into doing the Friday Museums visit. Not crowded and you aren't swept along with the massive herd - you can stop and view as long as you want. And if you are at all claustrophobic, being ensconced in a mass of people in rooms and hallways where there is no air conditioning, well...

Usually, those Fridays start the first Friday in May - check it out.

[leongcpa]

As I recall, there is a shortcut that you can use exiting from the Sistine Chapel that grants you immediate access to St. Peter's Basilica. Rick Steves talks about it in his book. It's usually reserved for tours, but not well enforced. When we went (in 2009), the guards didn't care. I suppose if you were really cautious, you could book a tour through the Vatican website and use the shortcut without problem. Here are some discussions about it:

 

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/vatican-shortcut-exit-from-sistine-chapel-to-st-peter-39-s

 

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/vatican-visit-shortcut-to-st-peters-basilica-through-sistine-chapel.cfm

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k4766162-Rick_Steve_s_Sistine_shortcut-Rome_Lazio.html

[cruisemom42]

As I recall, there is a shortcut that you can use exiting from the Sistine Chapel that grants you immediate access to St. Peter's Basilica. Rick Steves talks about it in his book. It's usually reserved for tours, but not well enforced. When we went (in 2009), the guards didn't care. I suppose if you were really cautious, you could book a tour through the Vatican website and use the shortcut without problem. Here are some discussions about it:

 

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/vatican-shortcut-exit-from-sistine-chapel-to-st-peter-39-s

 

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/vatican-visit-shortcut-to-st-peters-basilica-through-sistine-chapel.cfm

 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g187791-i22-k4766162-Rick_Steve_s_Sistine_shortcut-Rome_Lazio.html

 

The only problems with this shortcut are that 1) you cannot always count on it not being enforced, and 2) if you rent the audioguide, you have to backtrack to the front desk to return the device at the end of your tour. (In which case it doesn't make sense to go back to the Sistine again....)

[leongcpa]

The only problems with this shortcut are that 1) you cannot always count on it not being enforced, and 2) if you rent the audioguide, you have to backtrack to the front desk to return the device at the end of your tour. (In which case it doesn't make sense to go back to the Sistine again....)

 

Don't rent the audioguide; just download Rick Steve's audio tour instead:

 

https://www.ricksteves.com/watch-read-listen/audio/audio-tours/italy

 

Yes, there's a chance the guards might object, but I like the odds... especially if there are alot of people using the exit... just tag along.

[cruisemom42]

I mention the audioguide because that's what the OP was leaning toward. And it's got a lot more info than the Rick Steves podcast, if that matters....

 

Also, having 'been there, done that' at the Sistine at least five times, I can tell you first hand that sometimes the short cut doesn't work.

Edited March 14, 2017 by cruisemom42

[Giantfan13]

we are going to be in Rome, 4 1/2 days pre cruise at the very beginning of November. Will lines and tourists be less at that time of the year? Personally, I hate line so I would do whatever needs to be done to avoid them. And, are weekends more crowded than week days?

We always try and do most cities on our own, but it probably would help to book some sort of tour in some of the venues to learn the history of what you are seeing.

Things sire have changed for me. As I said in another thread, I was in Rome about 50 years ago, when I was in the Service. At that time, there were no lines, no tickets, no big entry fees. You basically walked up, bought a ticket if needed and walked in. Even got to see the Pope on one of his weekly gatherings inside St Peters.

Thanks for any help

Cheers

Len

[dogs4fun]

we are going to be in Rome, 4 1/2 days pre cruise at the very beginning of November. Will lines and tourists be less at that time of the year? Personally, I hate line so I would do whatever needs to be done to avoid them. And, are weekends more crowded than week days?

 

We always try and do most cities on our own, but it probably would help to book some sort of tour in some of the venues to learn the history of what you are seeing.

Things sire have changed for me. As I said in another thread, I was in Rome about 50 years ago, when I was in the Service. At that time, there were no lines, no tickets, no big entry fees. You basically walked up, bought a ticket if needed and walked in. Even got to see the Pope on one of his weekly gatherings inside St Peters.

 

Thanks for any help

Cheers

Len

 

We were last in Rome in late October (7 days) and it is now my opinion that there is NO time in which the must see sites (Colosseum, St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican Museum) are not teeming with tourists (same with Florence). It seems to me that since the early 2000's, tourism in Italy has exploded. There are many sites that are wonderful to visit with hardly a soul around - not the case with the Vatican, Colosseum/Forum. If you want to avoid queues, make certain that you book your Colosseum and Vatican Museum tickets online. No matter what, you will still need to queue in order to go through security at the Colosseum & St. Peter's Basilica (free but security lines can be long - the earlier you arrive in the morning, the better). Also, you must book a reservation in order to visit the Borghese Gallery.

[cruisemom42]

we are going to be in Rome, 4 1/2 days pre cruise at the very beginning of November. Will lines and tourists be less at that time of the year? Personally, I hate line so I would do whatever needs to be done to avoid them. And, are weekends more crowded than week days?

 

As dogs4fun says, the lines at the "major" attractions (Colosseum, Vatican) are difficult to avoid. There are fewer tourists than in the crazy summer months, but there are still going to be some lines. Some research will help you avoid the worst. Get tickets in advance when possible.

 

Avoid the Vatican museum on Mondays when most other museums and sites in Rome will be closed -- the crowds all show up at the Vatican on that day. Also if there is a "free Sunday" admission to the Vatican while you're there, avoid it.

 

It's probable that there are more tourists on weekends, but most times it's not a significant enough change to be very noticeable UNLESS it's a weekend that's part of a holiday.

[30Cruzes]

I really, really appreciate your advice on these tours! I think the audioguide is the right way for us to go in the Vatican Museums. Do you have recommendations for getting into St. Peter's? If we went there early in the morning are the lines shorter? Or would you do the museums first and try to get into St. Peter's after?

 

Also wondering if you have recommendations on getting a tour guide for the Colosseum and other sites of Ancient Rome. I'm thinking it would be more enjoyable to have someone giving us the background and anecdotes rather than reading from a guidebook, but perhaps I'm wrong.

 

St. Peter's is free, but you have a secirity line. If you end your Vatican tour at the Sistine, you can enter direct to St Peters wikthout the security line since you did that prior to Vatican Museum tour.

 

Colleseum underground tickets are available the third Monday the month prior. So for April the tickets become available on 3/20. This is purchasing direct and not thru a tour company.

[30Cruzes]

Avoid the Vatican museum on Mondays when most other museums and sites in Rome will be closed

 

I missed that tip! I have already purchased my Vatican tickets for Monday morning. But we are planning on spending the bulk of the day there on our Garden tour followed by the self-guided audio tour.

[Giantfan13]

Thanks so much for all the great tips and ideas. So, I guess the days of walking right up to the gate are over? :D:D:D

I thought I read some where that all museums offer free admission on the first Sunday of the month? We will be there on that particular Sunday. Is this for all museums or just some?

Cheers

Len