elaine

National Geographic Traveler magazine mentions that a company called Select Italy www.selectitaly.com lets you book a tour with them and avoid the entrance line for the Vatican Museum<BR><BR>I've been to the website thinking there must be a catch, but all they say is that they offer 2-hur tours twice daily during high season, once daily in the winter, &quot;with the incredible advantage of skipping the lines.&quot;<BR><BR>Any thoughts on this? I'm skeptical that they have a monopoly on what has been a long wished for advantage but maybe they're related to the Pope or something.

Jeanine

Check into that carefully. From my experiences with about 3 different Vatican tours, most tour companies advertise &quot;skipping the line,&quot; but that refers to skipping the line to buy tickets, etc. Your tour guide goes to a group sales window, gets tickets, and escorts you past the crowd through a selected entrance. You have all the same lines inside, following other tour groups, etc.

Ian

Ditto Jeanine<BR><BR>Best way to skip the lines: Get there early.<BR><BR>Last June we arrived just before 8 AM. We were 100 - 150 people back. It only took 15 minutes or so to get in once they opened the doors @ 8:45.<BR><BR>So, it took an hour . . .<BR><BR>Another advantage of early - the Sistine Chapel was not packed. We beelined there &amp; then doubled back to see other rooms &amp; galleries.

Sandy

Do you think lines would be one hour in March? Don't think my 82 yo mom could do the wait, then still have energy to see anything. Thanks, Sandy

Henry

Sandy,<BR> Been there the last two years in March. No wait at all to speak of. It's excellent!

Ian

Sandy<BR><BR>Be warned that once inside, it takes approximately 20 minutes of fast walking to get to the Sistine Chapel. The museum is immense so plan to take your time and enjoy.

Nan

Sandy, why not use a wheelchair for the vatican only, that way you would not have to rush or worry about long waits and walks. There is alot of walking when you enter the museums, then when you are in St. Peters and finally when in the S. Chapel you have only benches that line the walls and you cant sit any place else. Your mom might appreciate a &quot;chair&quot; of her own to enjoy the ceiling.