Does anyone have any suggestions about getting into the Vatican Museums without having to wait in the line for, what I hear, is hours?

Wrong forum. However, get there about half an hour before it opens. The lines then shouldn't be too bad. Note when I went I thought I would rush through to the Sistine Chapel and then back track. However, they don't let your go back so I missed a lot of the artworks.

jmjo..please repost this at the Europe forum. You're more likely to get a response.

We are in Rome next month and have booked a Context Rome tour for Vatican Museums.

European chat mentions taking tour as alternative to long lines. Go to Europe forum and search on "vatican museums".

Have fun! Ciao!

Go offseason.

I believe tour groups have their own "line" (don't ask how I know

As others have said, posting this on the Europe forum will get you much better information. there are lots of other threads about this same issue on that forum--how to get in early with tours, etc.
If you are going on your own most people seem to find that lines are shortest at mid-day. Certainly when we visited in early March we stood in line for a long time before the museums opened but saw almost no line entering around lunch time (12:30 or so) after we had battled the crowds at the sistine Chapel and Raphael rooms

we went in Oct, 2005 after 12 noon...no line. Just walked up and got the tickets and entered.

What time of year are you going? We were there on a Monday in July 1998 (long story how I remember so particularly); arrived mid-morning and the line was hours long. We aren't early risers so I don't know what time the line started to form.

Thanks everyone!! I did repost on the Europe forum and got some other responses (next time I'll have to double check that before I hit the post reply button...)

dmlove,

I'll be going in October... not soon enough!