Rome, Italy Sistine Chapel
 

Hi there,

Has anyone done the skip the line tickets through the Vatican museum website. It looks like they allow you skip the queue, but for what? Skip the queue for buying the tickets? Skip the queue for getting in to the actual museum? Or both? If they only give you vouchers that allow you pick up your tickets, then don't you still have to stand in line to pick them up at the ticket booth?

I have been to the Sistine Chapel twice before, so I know that once you get in it is crowded and there are lines, etc. But I have never done the "skip the line" advance ticket purchase, so I was wondering what it actually allows you to do. If anyone has any experience with this I would appreciate the input. I thought I had found an informative forum on the subject, but I can't seem to find it again. Thanks in advance....

Lizzie,

it would be helpful if you posted a link so that we can see what you're talking about.

You skip the line full of people who haven't pre purchased tickets - this line wraps around the block, down the road and can stretch almost back to St. Peter's.
You walk to the front of this line and go in a separate door. You still need to line up for security screening and once inside, exchange your voucher for a barcode ticket which enables you to access the turnstiles into the museum. These lines are only a few minutes, if that.

Blue eyed is right on! I was there last May for the Vatican garden tour. Our ticket skipped the long lines of people without pre purchase tickets. We were inside thru security in less than 5 minutes leaving all the people outside,wrapped around the block.

Thank you both Blueeyed and Natbug. So with my voucher (no tickets yet) I do not have to stand in the ticket line to pick them up.....I go to the front and a separate entrance and the voucher lets me? Then once in I pick up my tickets? Is the entrance easily identifiable? Thanks in advance...

You will be inside the museum when you get your tickets.

Yes it's easily identifiable - you walk past all those people in the massive long queue to the entrance of the museum. They are all shuffling in one door - you're going in the door beside it - you can't miss it. A security person with a scanner gun will pass it over your voucher and direct you to the revolving door where you go inside and line up for the metal detector and bag screen (just like an airport). Once through you go to your left to the ticket windows and get your Vatican museum admission ticket and then head up the stairs, up the escalator and through the turnstiles.

On Wednesdays you can see the pope! He holds a Papal Audience in St. Peter's Square. Check his calendar on the Vatican web site. However, it requires some planning. You need to write the Vatican asking for tickets. They are free. You will hear back in less than a month. At least that was our experience! It was so awesome! I never expected to see the Pope on our first visit to Rome.