Scavi Success and Question
 

I sent in a request for a Scavi tour on 1/16, for any time during the time between 2/25-3/6. Received the reservations today, 2 weeks after the request, which is excellent, I understand.

Now, the question. Because we are traveling with 2 small children, we have to stagger our tours. My teenage daughter and I have been put on the 9:15 tour and my husband is on the 10:45 tour. Is that enough time for us to trade children? Anyone know?

It ought to be. The tour I took came in at less than an hour and a half.

Thanks! That helps a bit. Do you go into the tour the same place you go leave?

We went in through the side of St. Peter's and ended the tour inside St. Peters. Not sure if this is the case for everyone though.

My tour in Sept took about an hour and fifteen minutes. At the end of the tour, you can go into St. Peter's, but if you don't do that, as I didn't, you come out the same place you went in, so it would be very easy to exchange the kids. Should be no problem.

Did you fax or e-mail for your reservations? I've heard the fax is better, but not sure.
We also will arrive in Rome on Feb 25, with small kids in tow! We will be there until March 21, so I may be too late in requesting a reservation, we'll see!

Andalusia - Congratulations on your reservations! We loved our Scavi tour. Our tour last May lasted less than an hour and a half. We started and ended the tour in the courtyard to the side of St. Peter's.

AngiePM - We e-mailed our request in and got a response within a couple of weeks.

When we took the tour, we had already been to St. Peters so we ended up exiting the same way we came in. You shouldn't have any problem trading your children.

Tracy

I picked up on the "small children" remark. Andalusia-- are you aware of the age restrictions for the Scavi Tour? How young is your son?

Hey Angela - It's Amy from the Slow Travel board!

I did it all via email. Sent in the request, received immediate confirmation that they had received it, and then got the reservation 2 weeks to the day, I think.

Viajero: As the original post stated, my teenage daughter and I are going first, then my husband. We will trade children because, of course, children under 11 are not allowed on the tour at all.

Hey Amy - I thought it might be one of you guys! I don't know what I would have done without either board...so much great info!
I just e-mailed my reservation request, so we'll see!

Honey-- your original post talked about a "teenage daughter" and "small children". Hence, the comment/curiosity on your other kid's age. By the way, kinda of confusing to include a teenage daughter as "small children"..... and let's not even go into the trading children part (your daughter will be taking the tour twice.....??)

Viajero2, I didn't really find the post confusing at all. I'm assuming (maybe I'm wrong...) that the OP is traveling with her teenage daughter and two younger children. Her husband will keep the two younger children while the OP and her teenage daughter take the tour. Afterwards, she will take the two younger children and her husband will take the tour.

Tracy

Tracy, that's exactly how I read it too, not at all confusing.

I thought the post was pretty clear too!

My daughter (then 18) and I took the tour last summer and LOVED it, in large part due to our wonderful guide. Wait 'til you see the "first Roman graffiti" (you'll see LOADS of it in prsent-day Rome) according to our guide, on the tomb, that translated as "I was here." BTW, a friend took the Scavi with his two teenagers a month later ,and was a bit disappointed. Although he speaks fluent Italian, he could barely understand their group's English-speaking guide's heavy accent. It will be interesting for your two groups to compare, Andalusia.

However...here's a different idea for you. (Shhhh...a secret.) The men at the office where you check in were very flexible and accomodating about times/ group changes within that day. As long as you arrived, and your name was on the list for that date, you got on a tour, even if you were late. There was a large two-family group with us, and they ended up all being together on the tour, despite a situation similar to yours. I suggest arriving a bit early, if possible(I think 9:15 is the first group of the day?) and asking very sweetly if you can all be on the same tour!! It just might work.
Have a wonderful trip to Rome!

She is taking the tour with a teenage daughter. Her husband is taking the next scheduled tour. She wonders if she will have enough time to "TRADE children" with her husband. "Trade children" as in "I take the small children, you take the teenage daughter". Hence, 1) is Andalusia referring to a teenage daughter as "children", 2) is the teenage daughter taking the tour twice (as in going with her father on his 10:45 tour section).

Bottom line, I believe she will have plenty time to take hold of the smaller children.