Scavi Tour & Vatican Tour ???'s

[tomkat50]

We have Scavi Tour tickets and are also planning on booking a tour directly with the Vatican for the museum and sistine chapel....do you tip these tour guides the same as private tour guides???? Also, someone stated that after the Scavi tour they leave you at or near St. Peters...can you then tour St. Peter's on your own/climb the dome, etc.???

[cruisemom42]

I can't answer for the Vatican tour, but I just did the Scavi tour earlier this month. Our guide made it fairly clear that he didn't want to be tipped, so no one on our tour tipped him anything.

 

Our tour ended in the crypt level right next to the tomb of John Paul II. From there, we could walk up a short flight of stairs and be inside the basilica where we were free to tour it on our own.

 

In order to do the dome, you have to exit the basilica and go to the left (or, if you are facing the basilica, it is to the right) and look for signs to the elevator.

[tomkat50]

Thanks for the info. Are the steps that go up to the dome located next to the elevator??

[cruisemom42]

Thanks for the info. Are the steps that go up to the dome located next to the elevator??

 

 

You take the elevator (for which there is a charge of something like 5 euro) up to the roof level, where you can walk around inside the bottom of the dome as well as look out over the colonnade. Then, if you want, you can pay more euro to climb to the very top of the dome.

 

I have only made it to the roof level, as I am not fond of heights.

[hylasgirl]

We have Scavi Tour tickets and are also planning on booking a tour directly with the Vatican for the museum and sistine chapel....do you tip these tour guides the same as private tour guides???? Also, someone stated that after the Scavi tour they leave you at or near St. Peters...can you then tour St. Peter's on your own/climb the dome, etc.???

 

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

[lambs2]

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

 

 

A word of advice: If you sent an email that long ago you may want to CALL the Scavi tour office. I had sent THREE emails AND a regular letter to the Scavi office for our January 09 cruise. No answers except the automated ones. So, early in December (we will be in Rome in late January) I called 011-39-06-6988-5318. A man answered in Italian. I said 'English please' and he immediately switched to speaking English! I explained my problem, he asked my name and the date I had requested tickets. Almost immediately he told me that I was on the list but there had been no response to the email they sent (I had not received any!). I asked if I could pay for the tickets over the phone and I did so right then. He gave me a reference number. Since paying this way we have no written confirmation to show the Swiss Guards, we made one up ourselves. I made a copy of the credit card transaction showing the charge to Ufficio Scavi Del Vat Ita

and then also typed in our confirmation (reference) number, names. and the date and time of our tour. I read recently that the Swiss Guards will only let you in to the Scavi office 5 minutes before the tour, but we will be there waiting at least 15 minutes before our scheduled time. Also be sure to have already checked any backpacks, purses or other bags.

[cruisemom42]

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

 

I've read that AOL is particularly bad about not allowing email through from the Vatican. You should be sure to add the vatican email address to your list to avoid having it blocked (even if not on AOL).

 

However, I also know from reading Tripadvisor that many people do not get notified more than a couple of months ahead of time.

[lambs2]

I've read that AOL is particularly bad about not allowing email through from the Vatican. You should be sure to add the vatican email address to your list to avoid having it blocked (even if not on AOL).

 

However, I also know from reading Tripadvisor that many people do not get notified more than a couple of months ahead of time.

 

I made sure to do just what you say above (double and triple checked!) but the email for our Scavi reservation from the Vatican STILL did not reach me, although the auto response ones DID!! Very strange...

[cruisemom42]

I made sure to do just what you say above (double and triple checked!) but the email for our Scavi reservation from the Vatican STILL did not reach me, although the auto response ones DID!! Very strange...

 

Unfortunately I've heard that from other people too, I don't know what the answer is....

 

I did just double-check all my emails from the vatican scavi office and they all came from the same email address: scavi@fsp.va

[lambs2]

Unfortunately I've heard that from other people too, I don't know what the answer is....

 

I did just double-check all my emails from the vatican scavi office and they all came from the same email address: scavi@fsp.va

 

 

Yes, it really was a frustrating experience for us. But I am SO GLAD I took someone's advise and CALLED the Scavi office!!!!! I was lucky and had a phone card with lots of minutes left on it. Even then, the international call only took about five minutes total! So right after that I called for reservations to the Borghese Gallery. Now we are all set for there, as well! :)

[Susan-M]

So right after that I called for reservations to the Borghese Gallery. Now we are all set for there, as well! :)

 

Hi Lambs2,

 

How are you planning to get to the Borghese Gallery? We went by metro and got off at the Spanish steps ... it was quite a hike across the B. Gardens to get there, and very confusing because we couldn't find signs. This was one place I wish we had taken a taxi to ... not that we mind walking, but we cut it a bit too short and although we probably did the walk in the 20 minutes that Rick Steves' mentions, we ended up 'sprinting' the last part of it to make it in time for our reservation. Just thought I would mention this in case you were planning on using the Metro to get there.

[lambs2]

Thanks for the word of caution, Susan! Here are some other directions I have:

 

Take bus #910 from Termini to Via Pinciana, then head up the road until you will see the entrance of the gardens on your left signed with Via dell'Uccelliera.After, we strolled through the gardens and walked through Villa Borghese (the bigger park outside of the Galleria) to Via Veneto. The Galleria is located is a very vast park, so be sure to give yourself enough time to get there.

 

Apparently the villa is quite a walk from the road, too. So even going by taxi one must allow sufficient time for the walk through the park.

 

We were planning to go see the St. Peter in Chains church with Michelangelo's Moses sculpture, then going near Circo Maximo to see the Mouth of Truth and/or The Maltese Garden Keyhole to view St. Peter's through it before going to the Borghese, so were concerned about timing and transport to the Borghese already as we have the Scavi tour reservations for the afternoon (1:45). We will probaby have to do some of these AFTER we finish at St. Peter's.

 

 

Marguerite

[cruisemom42]

If you take a taxi, they CAN drop you off closer to the entrance than going all the way through the park. They like to let you off at the bottom of the park because IIRC there is a taxi stand there..... Tell them you want to be close to the entrance. (Try saying: "Prego, all'entrata di Galleria Borghese")

 

I did this with my mom who had some knee trouble after 12 solid days of sightseeing on our Med cruise. Our driver dropped us off so that we had a minimal walk.

[lambs2]

I am going to print out

Prego, all'entrata di Galleria Borghese

in big font to give to our taxi driver!! I know, from experience, that I will butcher the phrase if I try saying it!!!:D

 

Grazie!!

 

Marguerite

[Susan-M]

Hi Marguerite,

 

The Borghese Gallery is very close to the Via Pinciana entrance, so if a taxi dropped you off there, it would mean a very short walk ... we walked out this way.

 

I should have paid more attention to the "getting there" instructions beforehand, but looking at Rick Steves book now, he does say #910 is the best public transportation service, from Termini to Via Pinciana, dropping you within a few steps of the villa. Finding #910 is another matter, so that's worth allowing a bit of time for (we used busses successfully a few times there, but it usually involved some luck and not being in a hurry.:)

[lambs2]

Hi Marguerite,

 

The Borghese Gallery is very close to the Via Pinciana entrance, so if a taxi dropped you off there, it would mean a very short walk ... we walked out this way.

 

I should have paid more attention to the "getting there" instructions beforehand, but looking at Rick Steves book now, he does say #910 is the best public transportation service, from Termini to Via Pinciana, dropping you within a few steps of the villa. Finding #910 is another matter, so that's worth allowing a bit of time for (we used busses successfully a few times there, but it usually involved some luck and not being in a hurry.:)

I so agree! The only way we found the right buses in Rome was to ask other English speaking tourists!!

[Susan-M]

I so agree! The only way we found the right buses in Rome was to ask other English speaking tourists!!

 

We took the bus from our hotel at Piazza Navona to the Termini to catch the train to Civitavecchia ... it was a circuitous route (but no transfers) and the only way I could tell where we were was to highlight the route on my street map as we went ... even then, I was still confused about when we would reach the Termini, but fortunately a kind person on the bus told me when we had two stops to go before getting off. That was another time we should have just taken a taxi, LOL!

[sea-explorer]

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

 

I waited almost 7 months. :D

 

For lambs:

 

The little electric bus 116 also goes right into the grounds of Villa Borghese. It passes by Piazza Navona, the Pantheon & Spanish Steps. If coming from the Vatican it can be picked up if you cross the Ponte Umberto.

[hylasgirl]

Thanks so much... yes, I have emailed them through my AOL account. I will make sure I add them, and also to call. Thank you so much for posting the phone number. That will help a lot!:) I hope my party gets on the list.

[Pushkin]

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

 

 

About a month ago I read about the Scavi tour and used a link on cruise critic to request tickets. I received a response from the Vatican within a few days granting my request. I then had to respond back with payment within 10 days I think. If you haven't heard back yet, I would try again.

[luvz2run2000]

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

 

I e-mailed a request last week for the end of June. Received an auto-response the same day. Today I received a confirmation e-mail with instructions for making the payment.

 

We have tried to get this tour on all three of our trips to Rome but this is the first time we have been successful :)

[jpthomas27]

Just a few days ago I emailed my request for August 3rd, which will be our last day in Rome after sailing the Ruby from Venice on 7/27. Anyway, like you, I recieved confirmation the very next day.

 

I was worried because so many people seem to get confirmation at the very last minute, or not at all. Some have been successful having requested it months in advance and some at the last minute. From what I've been reading it just seems that there is no rhyme or reason to when and if confirmations are sent.

 

Just figured I would go for it and keep following up if neccessary and it happened much easier than I had anticipated!

[hylasgirl]

I e-mailed a request last week for the end of June. Received an auto-response the same day. Today I received a confirmation e-mail with instructions for making the payment.

 

We have tried to get this tour on all three of our trips to Rome but this is the first time we have been successful :)

 

WOW! really??? I may have to call soon, then... I did receive that auto response, but no other emails. :(

 

Congrats!!!

[luvz2run2000]

I was shocked when I got the confirmation e-mail, especially in less than a week. We were prepared to wait months and hear nothing like in the past. I guess the travel gods are smiling on us right now. Or maybe dh said a special prayer during the Papal Audience last time we were at the Vatican :)

[tomkat50]

Just curious... how long did you wait before you were told that you secured an entry to the Scavi tour? I have put in a request for May, but haven't heard anything yet.

 

Thanks :)

 

I e-mailed them back in May 2008, and then again in July 2008 with my hotel confirmation. Waited a couple more months and e-mailed them again...the end of September...then received confirmation a couple of days later. Good luck...hopefully something will work out for you!