goingtobeijing

I will be in Rome in October. I will be travelling around in September and will have limited internet access/access to fax machines, etc.

I am interested in booking the Vatican Museams tour, but they do not take reservations until four weeks in advance according to their website.

Has anyone been sucessful in booking the tour before four weeks? Is it worth me trying to book this tour in August?

If not, are there any reasonably priced tours that I can book? I have looked at Context tours but I find then too expensive (70 Euros).

I'd like to have my travel plans arranged before I leave home.

Thanks in advance.

genabee6

I was just in Rome this past May and stood in the LONG line for the Vatican Museum for about 2-3 hrs. After this long line, my friend and I got inside and started looking around.

I then noticed that the place was FILLED with tour groups. Everyone had those little ear pieces and walkie talkie looking things. I'm not kidding when I say the place is over run with them. I seriously felt like I was a cow and I was being herded with the rest of the people. There's no room to freely roam about and look at stuff on your own.

I'm glad I wasn't with a tour group when I went, but that's my personal preference. If you really want to learn about what's in there, then go with a group. Also, if you go in October, maybe it will be less crowded for you.

Sorry I can't be of any help with a tour group service and any of that information!

anna_roz

Check into Rome Walks.

Ultimately, you will get what you pay for.

Anna Roz

directions

Hi, went went to Italy in March and used Presto tours for 3 of their tours including the Vatican, it was awesome. The maximum people on each tour is 15. You can book months in advance and they have a US office. All the guides are ex-pats and most teach there.

They are very reasonable and well worth it. We found them as a result of other recommendations from writers to Frommers and in trip adviser, in their site they are listed as the # 1 tour company.

Our guide for the Vatican was Maya and she was funny, extremely knowledgeable and encouraged questions.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me.

Check out their web-site at WWW.prestotours.com.

Phone # 1-617-642-7082.

goingtobeijing

Thanks for the feedback.

I will be in Rome for four days,(but the Vatican will not be open all four days I am there) so it is important that I get a touring/sightseeing schedule organized before I leave.

I cannot see myself standing in line for 2 or 3 hours, I have looked at Rome Walks and Presto Tours.

anna_roz, you make a good point...you get what you pay for.

I have seen private tours to the Vatican for as much as 250 Euros per person. I am definately not in a position to spend that much. Both Rome Walks and Presto Tours are within my budget.

randknew

i was just in Rome last week and had the most awesome private tour of the Vatican/St.Peters.

I have done the quickie, large group tour with the headsets also, and of course there is no comparison to it vs. the private tour. In either case we did not stand in any lines, so that is a benefit to all the tours.

The tour guide is named Chris, he has a website and is very anxious to do more. He was actually referred to me by Helen at Italy with Us, which is a great tour firm, however, Helen totally dropped the ball on our tour time. she scheduled us for an after hours tour on a date that she didn't plan to do one. Lucky for us, she put us on to Chris. He will do 4-6 persons, its 4 hours long and he will take you whereever you want to go. You can spend more time in one place vs. the other, whatever.

His knowledge is amazing, he is a theology doctorate student at the Vatican and does private tours on his own. I will find his card & post his website for you. You will love him! I think he charges less than $200 euros for the group. And i doubt you will have any trouble with scheduling.

I just need to find his card, think my DH has it with him in his briefcase!

Therese

I also took a Presto tour of the Vatican earlier this year and quite liked it. I didn't want to have to plan ahead too much (I was with my mother, and our plans depended on her stamina), so booked it just one day beforehand on line (at an internet cafe in the neighborhood). . We both enjoyed the tour and found the guide very knowledgeable and easily understood, as he was a native English speaker.

harvey

Check out http://www.contexttravel.com/home which used to be called Scala Reale. It was worth every euro. I saw references to it in previous posts some time ago.

anna_roz

Go with the Rome Walks. They have been around for some years now and I am yet to hear one negative comment.

Anna Roz

randknew

here is the website for our tour guide last week, he also has walking tours of Rome.

http://www.sacrasorgente.blogspot.com

goingtobeijing

Once again, thanks for the feedback.

Randknew, thanks for taking the trouble to look up Chris' website and posting it. Now I have three choices, a tour with Chris, Rome Walks and Presto Tours.

suz123nj

Just booked the Scavi tour for September via their website [email protected];

They need to know # of persons, Language for Tour and date you wish to go.