signit7

I am planning a 3 day trip to Rome before doing a Mediterranean cruise.
What is the cheapest and best way to get from the airport to Rome? Train or hire a car we have a group of 7.

Also I see the skip the line tickets for the Vatican, are the gardens worth it? Its $98 v.s $50 to do just the museums and the Basilica....
thanks!

benmia

I strongly suggesting hiring a private guide for the Vatican.

kybourbon

St Peter's is free. The Vatican gardens only have a few tours a day (some months only 1 a day) so times might not work out for you. Entrance to the Vatican Museums is 16€. If you purchase tickets in advance from the Vatican and not a reseller, all tickets are skip the line.

http://www.museivaticani.va/content/...ticani/en.html

Lexma90

Cheapest way would be some sort of shuttle. Best way, IMHO, would be to hire a van - a car hire would not fit any group of 7, especially with cruise luggage.

We've visited the Vatican Museums (never the gardens) several times. Once, we took a 2-hour Vatican tour. It was a bit cursory for our tastes. The most recent visit, we guided ourselves, at our pace, seeing what we enjoy most, using several guidebooks.

bvlenci

I suggest contacting www.romeshuttlelimousine.com or www.romecabs.com for the airport transfer. They will send a van large enough for your group and luggage. They will tell you the price up front, and you will pay on arrival at the destination. They will meet you in the arrivals hall and help with your luggage. Their prices are usually competitive with taxis and the Leonardo Express train.

You don't say when you're going to Rome. You might want to try for the night visit, because it's less crowded then. It's normally available just on Fridays, and not every month.

http://www.museivaticani.va/content/...i-singoli.html

If it's not available when you'll be there, maybe one of the early entry breakfast tours, which let you in ahead of the hordes, would suit.

bilboburgler

You will not want a car in central rome so take a car service as rec by bvlenci

Mimar

St. Peters, the Vatican museums and the gardens would make for an exhausting day. Especially if you're jet-lagged and sleepy after an overnight intercontinental flight. Just the museums are exhausting if you try to see them in any detail.

Are you trying to pack everything in? Don't, you can't, Rome has many sights. Be selective.

lindygirl

Do you want to visit the museum in Vatican City because it's Vatican City or are you looking forward to the museum? If it's the museum, I'd recommend considering the Borghese Gallery. It was easily one of my favorite museums I've visited in the world. It's in Villa Borghese inside an old villa and is simply stunning. They only let in a small number of people for 2 hour sessions making the experience even more memorable. You'll probably want to reserve or purchase tickets in advance.

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/it/mu...leria-borghese

I believe there's a bus but when we went, we couldn't figure it out so we just walked on the grounds for about a mile instead. If you have a map it's pretty easy to find (there are signs everywhere). The Bernini statue of Apollo and Daphne was incredible and they have at least 3 Caravaggio paintings. Well worth getting tickets in advance. It was easily the highlight of my trip to Rome.