Hi all,

I will be traveling with family to Florence, IT and we want to take a day trip to Rome to visit Vatican City. Travelocity has a tour that begins at 9:30 (have to be there at 9:15) that looks pretty good. My question is, if we take a train from Florence that arrives in Rome Termini at 8:30 is it possible to get there in time? Is a taxi better than the subway at that time? Does anyone have any other suggestions on a tour company or other insights that might help me.

Thanks and I look forward to your input.

LALOGLZ

What exactly does the tour cover? Maybe you can cover the same terrain on your own. I've been to the Vatican on two prior trips, and have got around pretty well on my own (museum and Sistine Chapel, hike up into the Dome, Popes tombs below St. Peters, let alone St. Peter's Basilica itself). The only thing I did book was the archaeological tour, and they had to call me back with a date and time for that after I was in Rome. The Vatican Museum does offer an audio tour in English that might meet your needs, as well as guided tours. Looks like the earliest tour there is 1030. You do need to sort out when the peak times are there. I was able to work around those and got right in. Seem to recall the Rick Steves book has some advice about working around those times, so maybe check the library for it, or just page through that section if you come across it.
http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

I'll let someone else comment on transit, as it's been a few years since my last visit.

I'd expect this thread to get moved out of Community in the near future.

Very prescient of you tom911

lalogz, I'm going to move your thread over to the Italy forum, to get some expert help for your question from the denizens there!

Jenbel
Co-moderator, Communitybuzz!

If you feel you must take a tour and that tour includes the Vatican museums (incl. Sistine Chapel) make sure in advance that they have a reserved entrance time. If not, then it is not run by legitimate company, rather it is operated by someone who simply decided to lead a tour.

An 8:30 am arrival at Termini will be cutting it close if you plan to reach the Vatican by 9:15. It is enough time for someone who knows the metro system well. If I were you, I would opt for the taxi. There will be a long line for cabs at that time of the am. Barring any major traffic problems, you should just make it.

Also, be sure to get very precise directions regarding your planned meeting point at the Vatican and have the cab take you as close as possible to that point. The entrance to the museums is at least a 15 minute walk from the entrance to the basilica.

There aren't subway stations immediately adjacent to the Vatican, you'll have to walk a few blocks. If you take a taxi, be sure to get one from the stands outside Termini and not one that just happens to be driving by -- there's are lots of fly-by-nighters. One hour seems tight if it's your first visit there.

If your Vatican tour starts at 9:30, that probably means you start standing in line for the Vatican Museums at 9:30. It's a long line but moves quickly. You can also do that on your own, audio guides can be rented.

St. Peters is accessible directly and is free of charge; the popes' tombs are one level down, also free. The 1st & 2nd centry tombs (excavations) are even lower and require prior reservations.

After the formal tour you might consider walking east back towards Termini, stopping at Castel San Angelo, Piazza Navona, Fountain of Trevi, Pantheon, ending a subway station a couple stops west of Termini, or you can walk on to the Colisseum.

Keep your hands on your wallets at all time. The bus from the Vatican to the Colisseum is known as the Pickpocket Express.

Rome in a day seems impossible ....

Even licensed tour guides with legitimate companies can end up waiting in line, but I agree if there's a way to bypass the line, that's a bonus.

Licensed agencies/groups should wait in the "tour" line - not the in individual visitor line.

There's a Metro stop (Ottaviano - Line A toward Battistini) not too far from St. Peter's - I walked it today. Lots of people were walking there from this stop. After two weeks in Italy my feet are almost on strike, but I made it just fine - not very far. There's also the #40 express bus from Termini to even closer to St. Peters (that's the last stop) - took that today also. I don't like long bus rides and my bus was full of noisy school kids, and even the express seemed to take forever, but it may have been the most convenient, least confusing way to get between Termini and St. Peter's. Exit Termini, find the array of buses, ask where the #40 is, it begins at Termini and ends at St. Peter's.

Our guide was from from this company and we certainly were in the tourist line. Maybe he knew something you don't?

And there's this bit of advice from TripAvisor:Our tour group consisted of only two families and the guide. The guide first assisted my wife in securing a new transit pass (stolen by a pickpocket on the way there, but better the transit pass than her credit cards & ID), then used to the time in line to talk about our backgrounds and interests. Once in the musuem, the tour was tailored quite a bit to our earlier conversation in the line.

I'm glad you enjoyed your tour. Indeed maybe your tour guide knows something I don't, of course the alternative could be equally true - that as an Italian I know something you don't

As for tripadvisor's thoughts on waiting in line, I like the positive attitude - when life gives you lemons, make lemoncello.

Thanks for the great information everyone. I love this community! I trust info here much more than any doing a google search ^

There are approximately 58,000,000 Italians. Most are unlikely to be experts in anything, so I don't see that as a particular qualification.

You are miscontruing TripAdvisor's advice. Their point was simply that the better tours are not necessarily the ones that skip the queue.

More than likely Travelocity is a broker of a tour company and you can book the same tour directly (for less money) with the tour company.
There are many good tours of the Vatican museums. I do not believe you will have time to make the 9:15 time without a taxi (about 25-30 Eu).
Because you are doing a day trip,I'd only book with a tour company that bypasses the line.
If it were me, I'd go straight to the forum/colloseum after arriving at termini. Then cab or bus to the Vatican to arrive around 12:30. You should be able to get in quickly. I'd then do an audio tour.

deleted -

Personally, I'd just take the # 40X bus from Termini to a couple of blocks from the Vatican. Its a snap and I've done it 5 times with ease. Perhaps 20 minutes in length.

And don't forget to get pizza to go from my favorite place across the street from Termini: Garden Pizza (with a green sign)

please see my posts in the linked thread below for info on booking the Vatican's own tour of the museum which allows you to bypass the regular entrance lines:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...eferrerid=9641

And mods, could you please move the above referenced thread into the Italy forum?