jerrylee

We are headed to Rome and only there for a few days. Our perfect itinerary puts us at the vatican on Wednesday. I think we have decided not to do a tour but do it on our own. I have heard mixed things about Wednesdays since that is the day the pope may hold audience and st peters is closed. Some say just avoid it. But other say it is a good day to hit vatican at 10 in the morning, because everyone is at st peters, then by the time you are done and ready to head to the basillica it is open. If we do this, since it will be the end of july i will definintely get tickets in advance on line. Any suggestions on Wednesdays?

kybourbon

I would check the Pope's schedule. He may not be in Rome the end of July.

joannyc

"The Pope will have audiences in St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro) on the Wednesdays of June, plus July 7. There will be no audiences for the rest of July. There will be audiences in August, but tickets will not be required."


http://www.santasusanna.org/popeVati...peVatican.html

jerrylee

Thank you. That was a huge help. And the web site helps. I looked all over the vatican site and could not find it anywhere.

joannyc

Happy to help, Jerrylee.

Rick Steve's website has a podcast that you can download for free of the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel. Use it instead of renting the audio guide from the museum... allowing you to avoid going back to return it... and better yet, exiting the Sistine Chapel through the Group Tours exit that is so much closer to St. Peter's Basillica.

And, if you're inclined and have the time, I highly recommend trying to get tickets to the Scavi tour, the excavations below St. Peter's (where the bones of St. Peter supposedly are located... it was an excellent tour with only about 200 people per day allowed!)