Vatican Museum Question
 

When you enter do you receive a map of the Vatican Museum or can you purchase one in the lobby? I was there five years ago, and I cannot remember.

ttt

I can't remember either i_am_kane. I know I have seen one on the web, maybe go on Google and see if you can find one just to have as a backup, or to study before you get there.

I was there 10 years ago, I don't remember to be given anything...I thought they asked for money for everything there :)

My DIL asked me this question because she thinks she is carrying too much "paper information" with her for our June trip.

It's time to start culling the good information from the unnecessary information to lighten her load.

It seems like you can only take just so much information with you before you end up on "overload."

It is true i_am_kane, information overload can take away at times from enjoying your trip. I was just thinking, if I had ever had a map I would have kept it so I am assuming (without saying for a fact) that there aren't any..or none that we ever saw.

I also did not see any hand out maps when I was there last year. Given that the visitor has few degrees of freedom at the Vatican Museum the need for a map is less than at most other large museums.

LoveItaly,

I'm with you on this one...if I had a map of the museum, I would have kept it as a souvenier and it would be in my photo album.

Gavin...good point about "few degrees of freedom" the visitor(s) have at the museum.

I thought they gave you a map with a choice of routes depending on how much time you wanted to spend. I remember 2,4,8 hour tours, but maybe got the map elsewhere. Here's the map from the Vatican website.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Musei.html

I definitely know the answer to this because my husband and I were really annoyed during the whole Vatican Museum experience. The admission price is expensive and then you do not get a map. You can buy a book if you want for even more Euros. But then you are herded through the Museum like cattle and have no idea where you are going, what you are looking at (because the kiosks with the descriptions on them have people five deep trying to read them). Vatican Museum a once in a lifetime experience .... because I never want to go there again!

Hi ! well i was in Rome February this year and DEFINATELY didn't get a map !!!
luckily our guide book had a good run down on the museum and a small map of the place :) if you go on the Vatican website you could print onre off ? it's a good site with lot's of info :) (or Google the Vatican and find the site with the most info?) We didn't do a guided tour so didn't feel like the other poor "SHEEP" that were hearded around !!;) it is i felt a place to wander and look at in your own time ...we wandered at bit too much as we missed a lot ..Never mind it means i'm having to go back nxt year again (shame) ;)
Enjoy your trip !
XxEm