Necropolis and seeing the rest of Vatican
 

I have reservations for seeing the Necropolis but I was wondering if I need to get back in line to get tickets for the Bacilica and the Sistine Chapel or when the tour of the Necropolis ends are we already in the Bacilica?

When we were done with the Scavi tour, we were outside of the Basilica building, but still inside the secure perimeter of the Basilica. Here is the google map coordinate of where we got out (green arrow) http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.901786,12.454982. Even if you enter Basilica from outside, you do not need a ticket to get into Basilica. You need a baggage check. That is the long line you see on the right hand side of the square.

The Sistine Chapel, on the other hand, is in the Vatican Museum with a completely different entrance (for tourists) located here http://maps.google.com/maps?q=41.906872,12.453796 , about 1km away.

Scavi tour is about 1 1/2 hours and lets you out on the completely opposite side of the Vatican for the Vatican Museum (Sistine Chapel). I would also strongly suggest prepurchasing tics for the Vatican Museum. It might take you about 1/2 hour to 45 minutes to get around from the Scavi exit to the Museum entrance depending on the weather, houw fast you walk, how many in your party, etc.

so I should sign up for a tour to visit the vatican vs just doing on our own since we are going to still need tickets

I have been on the Scavi tour several times and each time it has ended at a different location (all a distance from the museum entrance). My most recent Scavi tour (Sept. 2011) the exit was from the grotto underneath St. Peter's to the area where you go up to the cupola (not where greg exited). It's possible you will still be in St. Peter's (no ticket necessary as mentioned above) when you finish your Scavi tour so you won't have to go through the security line if you want to visit St. Peter's.

The museums are a bit of a trek from the front of St. Peter's (see red arrow on this link - http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Pics/...n-area-map.jpg ).

http://saintpetersbasilica.org/vaticancity-map.htm

You can purchase entrance tickets or tours for the museums on the Vatican website.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

"so I should sign up for a tour to visit the vatican"

?????

There's no real alternative to prebooking a tour of the excavations underneath St Peter's. Outside peak tourist season there are sometimes tickets available if you just turn up, but you have to be guided around.

I'm not even sure there ARE tours of St Peter's: you certainly don't need a ticket to go round it.

You need a ticket to go round the Vatican Museums, and it makes a great deal of sense much of the year to prebook online to avoid queues - but that doesn't mean you need to book yourself onto a tour as well. The prepackaged tours cost more, and shepherd you to where the guide thinks you'll be most interested. The Museums are many, and collectively take up a HUGE amount of space: any tour - the one you take by walking round the Museums by yourself or the one they sell you - will ignore huge swathes of them. Personally I wouldn't dream of letting a stranger decide whether I'm more interested in modern religious art or classical sculpture: the world's full of proper guide books and part of the fun in planning a holiday is making decisions of that kind. But if you'd rather get shepherded around, and don't mind the extra expense, you might prefer to pay someone to make the decision about what will interest you. That's your decision - but don't blame the ticketing system for it.

>>>I'm not even sure there ARE tours of St Peter's:<<<

Yes, there are tours of St. Peter's which you can book on the Vatican website. It combines the museum tour with St. Peter's.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...zi_Visite.html

Snickles - You can also rent an audio guide if you don't want a tour.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-In...i_audio01.html

I understand there are also audio guides for St. Peter's, but I'm not sure of the location of the rental booth.
http://www.vatican.va/various/basili...audioguide.htm

Typically, you have to leave an ID when you rent so they are sure you will return the audio guide.

Here's the link for location of the audiguides for St. Peter's. You can book the guide or a tour.
http://www.voxmundi.eu/engl/official_audioguides.aspx

We do you catch the Necropolis tour? Also once we exit do you suggest going to the Bacilica or the Sistine Chapel first?