AllyG3

Need some serious help with a few questions....

1) I'm leaving for Italy in a couple weeks and I don't know what to do....I have a Scavi tour reserved for 3:30pm and we also wanted to do a Vatican Tour (by booking it through the Vatican), but the only Vatican tour left is at 12pm. The Vatican Tour takes approx. 3 hrs, would this allow enough time for us to get to the Scavi office? I think I read that we HAVE to be at the Scavi office 10 mins prior to the reservation time, but I'm not sure how far we'd have to walk to get there?

My only other option is to book a morning tour with an outside tour group, but I would prefer not being that they are all double the price!

2) What's the best way to get from the hotel to the Vatican? I will be staying near the Trevi Fountain

flanneruk

You'll never do the walk in 20 mins, especially in the heat of a typical Roman midday. There's a fast route out, from the Sistine Chapel to inside the St Peter's secure area, but that's supposed to be for groups only and even if you know your tour will be using it, it's still going to be tight.

The real other option is not to bother with a tour. Never seen the point of them myself. The place is far too huge for there to be any chance a guide's criteria will match yours. Just get a decent guide book (my preference is the Blue Guide to Rome) and decide what to see.

kybourbon

If the tour you are planning to book is the one that includes St. Peter's and the museums(the museum only tour is 2 hours), you should have time to get to the Scavi office as long as you don't have big bags that would have to be checked (baggage check office is on the opposite side). They don't even allow you to go back to the Scavi office until 15 minutes before your tour. You should also be able to leave your tour in St. Peter's early if you are running out of time.

Another option is to just get entrance tickets to the museums and rent their audio guide. There are also audio guides available in St. Peter's. I seem to recall there used to be one free daily tour of St. Peter's also, but it might not be convenient.

AllyG3

Thanks for the responses! I was planning on doing the tour the Vatican offers with St.Peter's. That one last 3 hours and I was hoping they could show me the shortcut to get to the Scavi office.

kybourbon

I doubt there will be a shortcut to get to the Scavi office. It sounds as if all their tours start in the museums so you will end in St. Peter's unless they expect you to return because of headphones. I would e-mail and ask.

If your tour ends in St. Peter's, the current Scavi security screening is outside the piazza at #3 on this map. Once you exit the piazza there is a security line to go through before going to the Scavi office (#28). You don't re-enter the piazza. It's possible, since you should already be in St. Peter's and had security screening (at the museum entrance) that the Swiss Guard (there are also Vatican employees there) will allow you through between #'s 18 & 21. As you start down the steps on this side of St. Peter's the area is screened and you are still in the secure area. There are Vatican employees making sure people don't come in that way. Don't exit. Explain to them you have been on a tour, have been through screening and have a Scavi appointment. They may let you through that way.
http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Exter...quare-Area.htm

AllyG3

kybourbon- thanks so much for the details! That is a great help! I ended up booking the 12pm St. Peter's tour with the Vatican and like you suggested before, maybe I could leave 5-10 mins early. Also, I'm hoping that maybe my tour guide would be able to let us know the best possible way to go about this.

Thanks again! I appreciate the help!