Rome from Civi - best options for Vatican

[NalCruiser]

I'm trying to research this but having a tough time comparing apples to apples

 

my question is - what is the best way to see the vatican from Civi?

I dont' necessarily want to have a huge through through every nook and cranny of the museums - my focus are St Peters and of course sistine.

 

should I go with bus tour? Private tour? Buy a group tour online?

what's the best option to get to Vatican if not with a tour that starts in Civi?

for a first timer, should I go with a tour that starts from pier, or is it relatively easy to just do things on my own?

[buzzandjulie]

We recently did a repositioning cruise on Celebrity doing Rome before getting to start our cruise in Cinv. I would recommend doing whatever tour the cruise line offers, I am not normally one to take ship tours but was quite a distance maybe 50 miles to Rome, lots of traffic and traffic in Rome was crazy. I also was concerned about the language and pick pockets. Just my 2 cents

[dogs4fun]

I'm trying to research this but having a tough time comparing apples to apples

 

my question is - what is the best way to see the vatican from Civi?

I dont' necessarily want to have a huge through through every nook and cranny of the museums - my focus are St Peters and of course sistine.

 

should I go with bus tour? Private tour? Buy a group tour online?

what's the best option to get to Vatican if not with a tour that starts in Civi?

for a first timer, should I go with a tour that starts from pier, or is it relatively easy to just do things on my own?

It is very easy to DIY from Civi to Rome by train. The train station is only about a 10 minute walk from the port. You take the internal port shuttle (free) to Forte Michelangelo & then walk (with water on your right) about 10 minutes. Train station will be on your left. You can use google earth to see the exact location of the train station.

Take the R train to San Pietro station ... walk from there to St. Peters basilica is about 10 - 15 mins. You can also use google earth to plot your walk from the train station to the basilica & from the basilica to the entrance to the vatican musuems.

Rick Steves has some nice audio tours of both the basilica & Sistine Chapel that you can download (Free) to your MP3 player.

http://www.ricksteves.com/news/travelnews/0602/italy-audio-tours.htm

For the trip by train from Civi to Rome, you would purchase the BIRG ticket (good for r/t R trains & bus/metro/tram in Rome). I think the cost of the BIRG ticket is 12 EUR.

You can check the train times on the Trenitalia site at:

http://www.trenitalia.com/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=ad1ce14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD

jill

[Hlitner]

Regarding the OPs specific question we do not think there is a "best way" to see the Vatican. There are pros and cons to a cruise line bus tour, private tour, or simply doing it on your own. Much depends on your budget and how much you enjoy being part of a large group (we prefer to call it a cattle herd). We have actually have done it all 3 ways and personally preferred being on our own since it allowed us to go at our own pace.

 

Hank

[Markanddonna]

Hank is right. So much depends on your experiences as a traveler and if you have the predisposition to be an independent sort of tourist. Also, much depends on your budget.

 

If you have no money concerns, I would contact a reputable agency like RomeinLimo and have them drive you there and give you a private tour.

 

If you are on a budget, take the train and use Rick Steve's apps. Be sure to truly download them so they are on your device. Get your tickets to the Vatican online before you go and you will zip past the multitudes who don't seem to do any research. Rick's apps are for the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Use his tour book on Rome for the Vatican Museum. Read his book carefully to find the advice on how to exit the "secret door" in the Sistine. Don't get the audio tour because that will require you to take the "long exit".