Indecisive

Hi all
Firstly thanks to everyone for their help so far!
I am researching how best to plan my trip through the various threads but I would appreciate some help!

I arrive in Rome at 11.30am on Fri 25th May
I have organised a car to pick us up ( me and hubbie) and take us to our Hotel( Giardino) for €35 which seems like a good price

I am not quite sure how to plan out the next three nights

Things we want to do are:

1.Visit the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St Peters Bascilica & Borghesse Gallery

2. Visit the Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps & Collesum ( sp) & the Jewish Quarter.

3. Go to a Roma match on the 26th if we can get tickets.Its my husbands birthday and i have got a couple of recommendations for restauarants but if you have any more feel free. I want somewhere with good food , not too touristy but not so ' local' that we can't communicate/ etc!

And of course just enjoy walking around the city stoping off in shops/ cafes etc

I have a booking for the Scavi tour of St Peters for the Sat morning at 11.30am. I was hoping to get to see all the sights there on that day - sistine chapel, tour of the vatican etc?
I just read somewhere that the Vatican and St peters are closed all day Sunday - is this correct?

What do you think is the best way to structure our time ? - we get a train to Florence on the 28th...

Finally please forgive my ignorance but how is the vatican / sistine / St peters organised - are they all seperate tours?
Can I organise to get a tour of the Vatican & the Colleseum and if so which are best ( I would really like to avoid big lines)

Thank you so much
Deirdre

FlyingMaltese

When you go to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel, it takes a full day. You will not have time to go across town to the Borghese Gallery, which must be reserved ahead of time.

To avoid lines for the Vatican Museums (Sistine Chapel), go when the Pope says Mass in St. Peter's Square. We arrived on a Wednesday at 11:30 and there was no line. I have taken several tours of the Vatican Museums arranged by my hotel, but I enjoyed most the tour given by the Vatican Museum. You have to book via fax now ahead of time for the same tour. I would do this early because the Vatican is very slow in responding to requests.

After visiting the Vatican Museums, there is a passageway connecting the Sistine Chapel to the Vatican. While in the Sistine Chapel facing the Last Judgment, on the left side of the room in the back is the passageway. This passageway saves you a 40 minute walk. Allow 2-3 hours inside and around the Vatican to absorb everything.

Another good tour option is ContextRome. I took two to their tours while in Rome and enjoyed them immensely. They have tours of the Vatican Museums and the Vatican.

You could probably save the Borghese Gallery for after a visit to the Colisseum and Forum. Allow 4-5 hours to visit the ancient city. If you go to the Borghese on the day you go to the Forum, you might need to take a taxi because it is quite far. Again, you must reserve the Borghese Gallery ahead of time for a timed ticket; and, they only allow two hours within the Gallery. So, plan your visit wisely. I personally spent half my time gazing at the Bernini masterpieces.

I think the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps are more enjoyable at night when they are lit. Also, nearby are the Pantheon and Piazza Navona which are also lovely at night. Most Romans consider the Pantheon as the most important building in Rome, not the Colisseum. I like to eat outside at one of the outdoor cafes looking at the Pantheon.

I cannot help with the Roma Match.

Grinisa

You won't be in Rome on a Wed. so you can't avoid lines for the Museum by going during the Papal Audience (which is not a Mass). The Vatican Museum/Sistine is usually closed on Sundays but IS open on the last Sunday of the month, when it is free. I haven't checked the website (www.vatican.va) but the last Sunday in May should be no different. If it is open, it is going to be VERY crowded. I believe the on Saturdays, the Museum opens earlier than 10:00 am so maybe you can do that first, before your Scavi Tour. Remember to be at the Scavi office by 11:15. After the Scavi Tour, you can see the Basilica. That would be a lot for one day and I wouldn't add the Borghese on top of it. Try to do the Forum/Colosseum and Borghese on Sunday. You can visit the Jewish Quarter on Friday after you arrive. It would be a good way to get over jet lag by walking around the area and stopping somewhere (I like Sora Margherita) for lunch. See the Trevi, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Piazza Navona etc. after lunch and in the evening on Friday or on the other days.

Indecisive

Thank you so much for all your advice

Unfortunaltey I am not in Rome on a Wed just Fri to Tue so I guess I should
head for the Vatican and do the Scavi Tour first and the go do the Sistine Chapel and then take the passage way into the Vatican?

Does the Vatican tour ( operated by the Vatican guides ) cover teh Sistine Chapel and the Vatican or just the Vatican Museums?
Sorry i am a little confused as to the set up between 1) the Vatican 2) The Vatican Museums 3) The Sistine Chapel and 4) St Peters Bascilica. Are they all seperate tours?

thanks for the Advice on the Pantheon - that sounds like a lovely evening!

D

fmpden

Double check your car price. 35 seems a little low unless that is 35 EACH. Our experience has always been closer to the 60 to 70 euro level.

Grinisa

I've always just used the licensed taxis at the airport. Our fares between FCO to Piazza Rotonda have been between 29 Euro and 40 Euro for two people with several pieces of luggage.

fmpden

Grinisa, when was the last time you make that trip?

FlyingMaltese

Vatican Museum tours cover only the Vatican Museums, which is extensive. They usually cover the Laocoon, the Rafaelle rooms and other parts of the museum before entering the Sistine Chapel. I am not sure about tours of the Vatican.

Grinisa

Last summer. We go to Italy once or twice a year. The fare hasn't changed in several years and the 11 Euro difference is usually due to traffic congestion or a slightly different route to get to the center. And we we call for a driver to take us to the airport to catch an early morning flight and leave the hotel around 5:30 am, we have never paid more than 60 Euro for that.

Indecisive

Gosh I better check if that price is each or in total - I assumed it was in total - its with Rome Shuttle Limousines.....

I just tried to fax the Vatican as per the number on their website which is
06 6988 5100

From Ireland I dialled 00 39 6 6988 5100 and it keeps saying the number is not in service???Anyone got a differnet route/suggestions?

So I need to take a tour of the Vatican ,A tour of the Vatican Museums, a Scavi Tour and a St Peters Tour - WOW that seems like a lot .

Would we be msising out if we only did the Scavi & the Museums ( Sistine Chapel) tour and just walked around the Vatican & St Peters ourselves??

Thanks again everyone . I really just found it hard to get a grip on exactly the set up .....

FlyingMaltese

You probably will want a break from tours after the Scavi and Vatican Museum Tours. Get a good guidebook ahead like Rick Steves, Eyewitness Guides, or Michelin Green Guide ahead of time to break it down.

Btw, you are looking at three sites that day, St. Peter's, Vatican Museums, and Scavi.

Nikki

The Vatican is the area that contains the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica. Touring those two areas is a tour of the Vatican.

The Sistine Chapel is in the Vatican Museums. Any tour of the Vatican Museums will include the Sistine Chapel. Many tours include both the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's.

The scavi tour begins at St. Peter's. You can walk around St. Peter's before or after the scavi tour.

Indecisive

Nikki

Thank you ! Now I am finally clear - Gosh I feel so silly - I thought the Vatican was a seperate church to St Peters.. cringe.. ( and I a good Irish Catholic!)

Thank you - think I will aim to get their about 10 - walk around St Peters, do the Scavi at 11.15 and then hopefully get on a Vatican Museums tour after that.

Then chill out that evening at a nice restaurant somewhere central

I'll do teh Jewish Quarter the afternoon I arrive ( we are only flying from ireland so no Jet lag)
and then Sunday do The Colleseum, Pantheon etc
Monday I might get lucky with my new husband and get some handbag shopping done!

Grinisa

I just checked the Vatican Museum website. Sunday May 27 is indeed the free day. The Museum opens at 10:00 am on Saturday and the last entrance is at 1:30. So, if you plan to visit the Museum/Sistine after the Scavi Tour, which will end about 1:00 pm, you need to run over to the Museum entrance and either have a reservation for a tour starting at 1:15 or 1:30 or hope there is no line and you can just get in. There is no need for a private tour of the Basilica in my opinion. Just get a good guidebook.

ekscrunchy

35 Euro is the correct price for a car and driver from FCO to the hotel from Rome Shuttle Limousines. There is no extra charge for luggage. The driver will meet you in the arrival hall holding a card with your name on it.

The price is the same for the ride from hotel to FCO at the end of your trip.

Indecisive

I'm kind of stumped then for touring anywhere else the same day as the Scavi Tour ?

Not enough time to do it before and I guess I will be lucky to get a 1.30 slot which would work out just fine?

Are there any tours past 1.30 or is that time that the Vatican stops their tour? I amy be able to get a tour later with a differnet tour company
It just makes sense to do all those sites the same day really....

Grinisa

The Museums do not admit anyone after 1:30 that day; that's the last admission time. Sure, there are after hours private tours of the Museums/Sistine but they are extremely (around 1,000 Euro or so a couple) expensive. As for your wish to take your husband to a Roma match, they play on Sunday afternoon at 2 pm and tickets at one ticket broker start at 145 Euro a piece.

Indecisive

WOW - 100 a couple
We just got married in Dec and had a pretty nice honeymoon - this is just a little 7 day trip before we start a family so I don't think we will be stretching to a €1000 tour!!!( We also have 2 nights in Florence and 3 nights in Venice) But thanks. Hopefully I can work something out..

Match tickets sound expensive too. Is anything not expensive in Rome!! Only joking its a beautiful city and I look forward to seeing it ...

Just wish I could arrange it so we avoid Q's for hours...

FlyingMaltese

I think that the Colisseum is closed on Sunday afternoons. This is quite a few years back, but I was there on a Sunday afternoon and the Colisseum and Forum were closed. I believe that the Borghese Gallery is open on Sundays.

rickmav

You might see if your hotel would book the Vatican Museum tour for you. I know the Nicolas Inn in Rome was prepared to do this for us.

My understanding was if you had the confirmation fax from the Vatican re: their tour of the Museums, you didn't need to wait in line. You actually enter through the exit gate of the Vatican Museums on Viale Vaticano. (I can't confirm this for you because we didn't get to Rome when we were there last year, but I took this information off the Fodor's website). When the tour ends in the Sistine Chapel, slip through the connecting passageway into the Basilica.

If the timing doesn't work to do the Scavi tour and the tour of the Vatican Museums, I think you may have to drop one or the other or come back another morning. Or, perhaps you can leave the Scavi tour a bit early to get the last tour of the Vatican Museums.