My husband and I will be visiting Rome for about 5 days in August and we would definitely like to see the Vatican-ean earlier message suggested going through the Vatican website to help bypass the long lines. Another suggested to look into Selectitaly.com. I looked up the latter and the tours looked good-smaller groups of people 4-8, but the price seemed kind of steep-$120 pp plus the entrance fee. I would welcome any advice or experiences! Thanks

Not sure what you mean by the Vatican. Are you talking about WSt Peter's? Or the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel? Of the private Vatican tours (excavations, gardens etc - which must be ticketed in advance by the Vatican)?

We did the two former on our own with a guide book and did just fine. (Better than some of the tour groups we overheard). The others naturally you have to do through the Vatican - ufficio scavi.

My family visited the Vatican on a recent trip, with a tour guide for around 4 hours. She was kind of expensive, but an expert on the history and the art, so I did enjoy the perspective she provided. That said, I think you could enjoy it very much without a guide, just read a good guidebook before you go.

As far as the line to get in, the advice we received was to go at mid-day, as the line to get in is often much shorter at this time. We went at 12:30 (after eating an early-ish lunch) and only waited 40 minutes on line to get in , and the line moves pretty quickly. We met some families during our trip who never did get in to the Vatican, because they encountered a 3-4 hour line, so perhaps the time of day we went made a difference.

$120 is a ridiculous amount of money for a tour - they really shouldn't cost you any more than 40 euro or so plus the entrance. Have a look at www.wheninrometours.com for an example of a comprehensive Vatican tour at 40 Euro.

If you search this site, I previously posted the exact information on how to reserve directly with the Vatican. It is the least expensive way to go, and the only way to get a confirmed entrance time. You have to fax to and from the Vatican for your confirmation.