Rome: Where All Roads Lead - Italy - page 42

The Question of Museum Reservations
If you've only got a short time in Rome, don't waste it in long lines, even
if that means paying twice the entrance fee to book a guided tour at places
like the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. During most of the year, and
especially around Easter time, the line to get into the Vatican Museums
starts forming at daybreak and the wait can exceed 3 hours just to get to
the ticket booth. You've got to seriously weigh whether it's worth the wait
when those 2 or 3 hours could be so much more rewarding—especially if
you are only in Rome for a day or two.
The best option is to make the worthy splurge, reserve ahead at the
Vatican Museums, and forgo the long wait. Unfortunately, you cannot just
reserve a ticket; instead, you must book a 2-hour guided tour (with audio-
guide). The cost is € 22 (regular admission is € 12) and you can reserve by
fax [phone]) at least 7 days and no more than 1 month before you
will be visiting the museums. You'll receive a confirmation fax that you
must bring with you to the exit gate of the Vatican Museums (right beside
the ticket booth) 15 minutes before your reservation time (Mar-Oct
Mon-Fri 10:30am, noon, and 2pm and Sat 10:30am and 11:15am; Nov-Feb
Mon-Sat 10:30am). It may seem like a lot of extra money to spend on a
ticket, but you will easily justify it as you walk past the massive lines that
snake from the entrance door all the way around the perimeter of Vatican
City. For more information on the tour, visit www.vatican.va.
Warning: Be wary of private companies that offer to get you these
reservations; some charge as much as € 75 for the service, but you can just
as easily reserve it yourself for a fraction of that.
Beating lines is a tough game elsewhere in Rome, too. It is generally
advisable to book ahead for the Colosseum, where the lines are often
torturous, especially in the summer months under the blazing sun. Both
the Domus Aurea (p. 54) and the Borghese Galleries (p. 75) require manda-
tory booking. Many of the other museums and galleries can only be booked
by faxing Rome's Cultural Ministry ( % 06-69885100), which handles the
Vatican Museums, Colosseum, and Roman Forum as well as Domus Aurea
bookings, and through Ticketeria ( % 06-32810; www.ticketeria.it), which
handles the Borghese Galleries.
If you are interested in seeing excavations in progress that are not open
to the public, call Ripartizione X ( % 06-67103819; fax [phone]). But
be aware that these tours are often expensive, depending on the site you
wish to tour. It usually takes 5 days to get a response for your request,
and you'll need to leave your hotel information with them so they can con-
firm your tour.