vatican tour

[bapaleg]

I was just wondering if it is necessary to order tickets ahead of time for the tour. We will be in Rome in October. Are the lines very long if we don't order them on line?

[CintiPam]

I was just wondering if it is necessary to order tickets ahead of time for the tour. We will be in Rome in October. Are the lines very long if we don't order them on line?

 

Yes.

 

Definitely order on-line. I only wish this option had been available to us on our last visit to the Vatican Museums in October almost three years ago.

[CrucianGal]

We ordered the "skip the line" tickets from Viator before we visited and even with those tickets had to stand in line with a group for close to 45 minutes. The people without tickets probably had a 2 hour wait. We even witnessed a shoving fight between two tour leaders, because one group cut in line. It was a bit unsettling. We were there in May, but I would imagine that October would be the same. Once you get inside the security line does move quickly. Patience is definitely required when visiting the Vatican. We never made it to St. Peter's Square because it took much longer than we had expected visiting the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel.

[CoralReef]

We were there at 11:05 AM Friday May 29 2009, and there was no line at all. There were about 20 people between us and the security scanner. Other than that, we walked right in.

I had worried about not making a reservation, but we didn't know what time we'd get off the ship and get our bags dropped off at our hotel. Plus, I read on TripAdvisor that lines are not much of a problem since the reservation system was implemented. The TA Experts say the lines are now a factor mostly first thing in the morning, on free Sundays, and on Mondays following the free Sundays.

Not having a reservation worked out well for us because we didn't have to wait for even a minute. If I’d made reservations, they would have been for 11:30 or later, and we would have had to wait. If you know for sure when you will get there, there's no reason not to make a reservation.

[oceanview585]

Also interested in this topic/ anyone know if we reserve tickets a head of time can we pick up a private tour outside first? Are there booths around to sign up for a tour on the spot if not purchasing the tour provided by the Vatican itself?

[cruisemom42]

Also interested in this topic/ anyone know if we reserve tickets a head of time can we pick up a private tour outside first? Are there booths around to sign up for a tour on the spot if not purchasing the tour provided by the Vatican itself?

 

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking.....sounds like two different things? If you reserve tickets ahead of time, you can go right in but (unless you reserve the Vatican tour) you will be on your own.

 

There are guides outside the Vatican that will try to get groups together from folks standing in line and waiting at the entrance. (No booths.) If you go with one of these guides, you will use the group ticket line which is (presumably) shorter. However, the new pre-reserved tickets have eliminated a lot of waiting except during the most crowded times, so I don't think it's necessary to go with a guided tour JUST to avoid the wait in line.

[awdcruise2009]

I'm not exactly sure what you are asking.....sounds like two different things? If you reserve tickets ahead of time, you can go right in but (unless you reserve the Vatican tour) you will be on your own.

 

There are guides outside the Vatican that will try to get groups together from folks standing in line and waiting at the entrance. (No booths.) If you go with one of these guides, you will use the group ticket line which is (presumably) shorter. However, the new pre-reserved tickets have eliminated a lot of waiting except during the most crowded times, so I don't think it's necessary to go with a guided tour JUST to avoid the wait in line.

Do you think a tour is really necessary? or is it doable on your own without missing out on the experience?

[nparmelee]

The tour can be worthwhile, especially with a good guide. There are also audio guides available for rent, they were ok. If you just want to enjoy the art in the museums, then you are probably fine on your own, if you want some of the history and more in depth information, a tour can be a good thing.

[cruisemom42]

Do you think a tour is really necessary? or is it doable on your own without missing out on the experience?

 

It's a very individual choice. There are several different types of Vatican visitors:

 

1. Casual visitor, not much into art but will look at a few things as long as they are on the way to the Sistine chapel. If you fall into this category, I would recommend buying tickets in advance, skipping the tour, and downloading the Rick Steves podcast for the Sistine chapel (or bring a small guidebook with similar information).

 

2. Somewhat interested in art; does not know a lot about the collections in the Vatican but would like to learn more. For people in this category (probably the majority), I think a guided tour is probably the best for a first visit. You will get the most out of your experience, especially if you only have limited time.

 

3. Knowledgeable about art and history and/or has been to the museum before and has a good idea about what they want to see. For this category, skip the guided tour and wander on your own with help from a good guidebook. The Vatican sells their own guidebook which is a pretty good reference. Or you can use their audioguide (serviceable but not my favorite...)

[awdcruise2009]

It's a very individual choice. There are several different types of Vatican visitors:

 

1. Casual visitor, not much into art but will look at a few things as long as they are on the way to the Sistine chapel. If you fall into this category, I would recommend buying tickets in advance, skipping the tour, and downloading the Rick Steves podcast for the Sistine chapel (or bring a small guidebook with similar information).

 

2. Somewhat interested in art; does not know a lot about the collections in the Vatican but would like to learn more. For people in this category (probably the majority), I think a guided tour is probably the best for a first visit. You will get the most out of your experience, especially if you only have limited time.

 

3. Knowledgeable about art and history and/or has been to the museum before and has a good idea about what they want to see. For this category, skip the guided tour and wander on your own with help from a good guidebook. The Vatican sells their own guidebook which is a pretty good reference. Or you can use their audioguide (serviceable but not my favorite...)

Thank you for the great breakdown. I will show this to my mom and sister (traveling companions) and see where they fall in!

[samavarcruiser]

I was just wondering if it is necessary to order tickets ahead of time for the tour. We will be in Rome in October. Are the lines very long if we don't order them on line?

 

Yes, order tickets on-line :)