Hello everyone!
I need additional help, please. Most of the Vatican tours I've checked online does not accept guest with disability. I got tired surfing the net so I am asking your help again.
My hubby and I have decided to do the tour on our own (with the help of a guidebook). The Vatican website - I understand provides wheelchair to visitors with physical disability and we can obtain one as long as we show a valid I.D. Anyway - we will be taking a cab from our hotel (center) to the Vatican. My only concerns are the following:
[*] How far is the taxi's drop-off, pick-up from the entrance hall?
[*] By any chance do you know any affordable tour company that caters to disabled guest?
[*] Do you know any place in Rome that has wheelchair that we can rent for a day?
Any information that you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance.
VATICAN & SISTINE CHAPEL TOUR
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A taxi can drop you at the entrance to the museum.
The Vatican's own tours should have handicap accessablity.
Here's the musuem's info on wheelchairs.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi.html
Here's the Vatican tour selection. The gardens are not accessible so you would not be able to book the garden tour.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html
They only book about two months in advance. I'm sure you could e-mail them if you have other questions.
http://www.handyturismo.it/modules.php?name=Infohandicap
This trip report is a few years old, but has a lot of good info about getting around Rome with a wheelchair.
http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/accessible/rome/wheelchair.htm
You might find this trip report useful too although much of it is Spain.
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/i-shouldnt-be-alive-spain-italyin-augustin-a-wheelchair.cfm#last-comment
Thanks kybourbon - This is very helpful information. I checked the website but right now they are only taking reservation through the month of April 2013.
I will check back again next month to reserve the tour. I also sent an email for additional info regarding wheelchair.
Thanks again. Cheers!
UPDATE: Below is the response I received from the Vatican museum. Unfortunately we are unable to join the tour. I guess we will have to do it on our own with the help of an audioguide. Thanks FODORITES for your help!
"Dear Madam,
we inform you that at present it is not possible to reserve for the month of May. Tours are vailable "on line" on sale starting on 60 days before the date you require.
We furtermore inform you that tours with the Basilica are not allowed for people on a wheelchair.
Also for the tour of the Museums yo'll find problems during the visit since wheelchairs annot go through all the narrow corridors of the Museums.
Anyway, just showing up a the main entrance aour staff will lwet you in without standing in line. As sson as you enter you can ask for 2 free tickets and then my advice is to rent an audio guide and visit the Museums on your own."
For further details visit our website:
www.museivaticani.va
I would reserve a wheelchair with them for the date you want as soon as they allow reservations. The audio guides are 7€ and I'm sure they will instruct you on which parts of the museum are accessible.
Here is a route for visiting St. Peter's in a wheelchair. The prices for renting wheelchairs (from companies in Rome) on this link will be out of date (they are several years old) so don't expect the rates listed.
http://saintpetersbasilica.org/People/Accessible/AccessibleStPeter%27s.htm
St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums are separate and it's a good 15 minute walk from the entrance of the museums to St. Peter's. This link is not an official Vatican link, but has a lot of good info about St. Peter's.
http://saintpetersbasilica.org/People/Accessible/AccessibleStPeter%27s.htm
This link has a video and shows how to enter. They also state they provide the only accessible tour of the Vatican (and other parts of Rome).
http://www.sagetraveling.com/Vatican-St-Peters-Wheelchair-Access
St Peter's has its own audio guides for rent. I don't know about wheelchairs there or if you can get the wheelchair at the museums and return to St. Peter's. Perhaps e-mail back and ask.
http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/it/basilica/audioguide.htm
Another option is to hire a private guide as they will know where the access points are at each site. We've had a long thread about private guides in Italy (with reviews).
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/private-guides-in-italy-master-list.cfm