Vatican Advanced Ticket Purchases, and other Questions :)

[jmedelman]

Hi, all!

 

We are going to be visiting Rome on the Celebrity Equinox on Saturday, November 16th. Based on recommendations in this forum, we are planning on taking the train on a roundtrip ticket from the port and will most likely walk from the Roma San Pietro station to the entrance on Viale Vaticano.

 

I have seen in multiple threads that buying a ticket in advance allows you to skip the long lines.

 

Is it still true that we can skip the lines if we get the tickets ahead of time?

 

Should I buy my tickets from this site?

 

How much time should we allow ourselves from getting off the boat until our entry time?

 

What happens if we miss our entry time?

 

Where can we grab lunch around or in the Vatican that is good but not too pricey?

 

Thanks!

 

-Jake

[euro cruiser]

Yes, you can skip the line by purchasing your Vatican Museums tickets in advance, and that is the site to buy them from. You can be a few minutes late and still use your reservation.

 

There is a decent cafeteria inside the museums, on the lower level near the entrance.

[1josh777]

I will be in Rome for a few days and I'm planning to purchase my ticket on site a day or two days prior to my Vatican museum visit. Is this possible or do the tickets have a date stamped on them. In other words, do I have to use the ticket the same day that I purchase at the ticket booth, or can I purchase and come back another day.

 

 

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[D4]

Josh: I recommend buying your ticket online in advance. They sell a limited amount of reserved tickets, so you might be out of luck if you wait until you're there.

 

We only reserve the first time slot of the day. All my pictures are just us in the huge long hallways and in the courtyard. We can wander back and forth anywhere and spend time looking at everything we want. Whereas when it is crowded, the hallways are one way and you have to move in a massive crowd of people.

[CupKayke]

Advice:

 

Plan for double the time you think you need/want in The Vatican.

 

You will miss your entry time. Don't worry about it. Everyone does.

 

The lines, even for advanced purchase, are EXTREMELY long and it will seem almost overwhelming to even start the process of going through the museum... be prepared. :confused:

 

From the time you start walking through the museum until you are out of St Peter's Basilica it will take you at least two hours (??) and I don't remember there being anywhere to stop and eat or drink anything but I faintly remember reading about a café somewhere - I just don't remember seeing it anywhere.

[aamechs2]

We just got back and we planned to take the train from port to Rome but a taxi driver offered to take us to St Peter's for E20 each for the adults and E15 for the kids, there were 6 adults and 2 kids. This was an excellent deal as we got to Rome in less than an hour. We were early for our Vatican museum time but they don't seem to even look at the time. Very crowded and there is nothing to eat or drink until the end of the museum.

[CathyCruises]

We just got back and we planned to take the train from port to Rome but a taxi driver offered to take us to St Peter's for E20 each for the adults and E15 for the kids, there were 6 adults and 2 kids. This was an excellent deal as we got to Rome in less than an hour. We were early for our Vatican museum time but they don't seem to even look at the time. Very crowded and there is nothing to eat or drink until the end of the museum.

 

So if I understand correctly, it was 150 euros for the group? The train takes about the same amount of time, and for one way would have been 48 euros--was it worth the additional 100 euros?

[cruisemom42]

So if I understand correctly, it was 150 euros for the group? The train takes about the same amount of time, and for one way would have been 48 euros--was it worth the additional 100 euros?

 

....and the train gets you to San Pietro station in under an hour as well. Of course, you still have to walk to the Vatican. But for 100 euros, I would hoof it.

[cruisemom42]

We just got back and we planned to take the train from port to Rome but a taxi driver offered to take us to St Peter's for E20 each for the adults and E15 for the kids, there were 6 adults and 2 kids. This was an excellent deal as we got to Rome in less than an hour. We were early for our Vatican museum time but they don't seem to even look at the time. Very crowded and there is nothing to eat or drink until the end of the museum.

 

There is a cafeteria and a coffee shop near the museum entrance -- I guess you missed them. From the Vatican's official website for the museum:

 

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi.html

 

It sounds like you only found the coffee bar near the Sistine chapel....

[YoHoHo]

So if I understand correctly, it was 150 euros for the group? The train takes about the same amount of time, and for one way would have been 48 euros--was it worth the additional 100 euros?

Could be. How many pax from how many ships all at that little train station that day?

It could take perhaps 45 minutes more for the train than load and go with taxi at the port - 10 min walk to the station, 15 min in line for tickets, find a stamping machine that works, wait for the next train, load your group and hope a least a couple of them don't mind standing. Or if the train is packed, wait for the next... then the walk to the Vatican

So for E15 each they saved 1/2 -1 hour & travelled comfortably (assumed). Now while I would take the train, esp. for the two of us, that is not bad cost per person per valuable vacation hour.

[slidergirl]

For grabbing some lunch, I'd heartily recommend going to Pizzarium. It's only about half a mile *800 meters* from the Museum entrance and exit. A wide variety of toppings on the pizza (you order from the pizza you see on the counter), from the familiar to the extreme. You buy "al taglio" - by weight - the server will take the cutter to the rectangular and keep moving it until you say "stop". They also have some supli - fried rice balls with some sauce and mozzarella on the inside. You gotta have at least one of those! It's a tiny hole-in-the-wall joint, but it is run by arguably the best pizzaiolo in Rome. Hey, if it was good enough for Anthony Bourdain to visit and rave about, it's good enough for me. Warning - you'll be standing while eating unless you snag the one bench outside. But, for that pizza, it was worth it!!!

 

To get there: About a 10 minute walk.

1. when you exit the Museum, turn left (west) on Viale Vaticano

2. after about 400 feet, turn right on Via Pisani Vittor (part of it is down a stairway)

3. after 200 feet or so, turn right on Via Angelo Emo. Where you can, cross to the other side of Via Angelo Emo.

4. after 200 feet or so, turn right onto Via della Meloria. Pizzarium is on the left side of the street, almost at Via Cipro intersection.

 

If you want/need to take the Metro back, the Cipro station is right there across the street!