Vatican lines, timing, advance tickets
Apr 28th, 2011, 08:44 AM
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Vatican lines, timing, advance tickets
Really more of a timing question, I think. We (two) have the Scavi tour booked for a Monday at 10:45. This will be our first full day in Rome after flying from the US, so I doubt we will be up and moving in time to see St Peter's before our tour. So, the plan is to take the Scavi tour, then visit St. Peter's, then the Vatican Museums (we are aware that this will be a long day, and that's okay - we have other things planned/reserved for the rest of our time in Rome).
We've thought about just taking some granola bars or something and skipping lunch in order to go straight to the Museums, but knowing the two of us and how we deal with low blood sugar
, we'd prefer to have some sort of light lunch at least. My question is - will it save us much time, on a Monday afternoon, to prebook our museum tickets? If so, what time should we plan for - would 2:00 be about right? Or are the lines usually short enough in the afternoons that we could visit the church, grab a bite and then go to to the Museums without worrying about making a certain time? We're not <i>huge</i> museum buffs, so I don't expect us to need six hours in the Vatican Museums or anything, but I don't want to feel rushed either. I think three hours should be about right - after that I'll be at my museum quota!
I know the Museums have a cafe, but haven't been able to figure out exactly where it is. If we wouldn't have to go all the way through the Museums to get there, that could definitely be a good option for us.
Thanks for any assistance!
We've thought about just taking some granola bars or something and skipping lunch in order to go straight to the Museums, but knowing the two of us and how we deal with low blood sugar
, we'd prefer to have some sort of light lunch at least. My question is - will it save us much time, on a Monday afternoon, to prebook our museum tickets? If so, what time should we plan for - would 2:00 be about right? Or are the lines usually short enough in the afternoons that we could visit the church, grab a bite and then go to to the Museums without worrying about making a certain time? We're not <i>huge</i> museum buffs, so I don't expect us to need six hours in the Vatican Museums or anything, but I don't want to feel rushed either. I think three hours should be about right - after that I'll be at my museum quota!I know the Museums have a cafe, but haven't been able to figure out exactly where it is. If we wouldn't have to go all the way through the Museums to get there, that could definitely be a good option for us.
Thanks for any assistance!
Apr 28th, 2011, 02:04 PM
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When I was in Rome - it'll be two years in June - I walked by the Vatican Museums around 3pm. There was no line so I decided to walk in and visit then. There were no crowds except in the Sistine Chapel and even that wasn't too bad. The only disadvantage was that the museums closed at 6 so I only had three hours.
Apr 28th, 2011, 05:21 PM
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Hi jent, what I usually do is aim to arrive at the Vatican Museums at noon, when most visitors take lunch. There are rarely lineups at that time, so I just walk in and often head straight down to the main cafeteria and grab a bite and/or something to drink before I begin to visit the exhibits.
The main cafeteria is at ground level, just like the entrance to the museums and probably below the main foyer of the museums. The way it works is, you enter and go through security, then up the stairs to the ticket offices; through more security, and up an escalator to the main foyer. Once you're at the very top, you can go down some stairs to find the cafeteria and washrooms. After a busy morning with the wonderful Scavi tour, you'll likely need a bathroom break and a bite to eat! When you leave the museums, you go down quite a distance on the beautiful spiral ramp/staircase (the double helix) that you've probably seen photographed.
There is another small cafe much futher into the museums, almost at the Sistine Chapel; however, it takes quite a long time to reach that end of the museums and you'll likely need to eat and drink before then!
Pace yourself, and have a wonderful time!
The main cafeteria is at ground level, just like the entrance to the museums and probably below the main foyer of the museums. The way it works is, you enter and go through security, then up the stairs to the ticket offices; through more security, and up an escalator to the main foyer. Once you're at the very top, you can go down some stairs to find the cafeteria and washrooms. After a busy morning with the wonderful Scavi tour, you'll likely need a bathroom break and a bite to eat! When you leave the museums, you go down quite a distance on the beautiful spiral ramp/staircase (the double helix) that you've probably seen photographed.
There is another small cafe much futher into the museums, almost at the Sistine Chapel; however, it takes quite a long time to reach that end of the museums and you'll likely need to eat and drink before then!
Pace yourself, and have a wonderful time!
Apr 29th, 2011, 05:39 AM
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sacc, thank you so much! That's extremely helpful. I doubt we'll make it to the Museums by noon (I think the Scavi tour is 90 minutes, plus time in the basilica - maybe we'll be there around 1:30?), but this sounds like a good plan.
