Rome tour vs on our own

[balsam88]

We have 12 hours at Civitavecchia port in July. Our original plan was to do Rome on our own and pick either Colloseum or Vatican. My husband is interested in doing both and suggested we do a tour. My only area of confusion is how accurate those “skip the line” descriptions are? I read on some platforms that even with skip the line tickets that tour operators promise there is still a line u have to wait in, whereas if you buy a timed ticket directly from the vatican’s site or Colloseum site you won’t have to wait in any lines. How true is this? 

[euro cruiser]

Everyone waits on line to get through security, regardless of what kind of ticket you have or where you purchased it.  Usually the security line moves pretty quickly, but it can back up.

[CCJack]

Another option is to hire a private local tour guide to meet you in Rome (you get there on your own from ship) - and escort you for the day.  It will be pricey but if this is your only visit to Rome, then time is your enemy and you don't want to waste time.  A local could get you efficiently to both locations.   It is especially valuable to have a guide inside the Vatican Museum,  they would be able to get you to the things in the Museum that interest you, and bypassing the rest (It is massive).   I would think you could also swing by the Pantheon which is (roughly) between the two.  

 

Perhaps find another couple people on your ship to join you via roll calls and share the expense?

 

 

[fishiecrackers]

If you don’t do a tour, my not-asked-for suggestion would be the Coliseum over the Vatican. It’s closer to other major sites, and my entire family enjoyed it more. We may have had a skewed perspective since we had just come from Florence, but we didn’t enjoy the art as much as the Uffizi. It was also extremely, EXTREMELY hot in there (8:30pm tickets). There are other beautiful churches with gorgeous painted ceilings in Rome, and in retrospect I wish we’d just done that, I think.

[joehick]

I've asked this ?? before, but just trying to get a handle on it. Been to the Vatican a few times, but more than 10 years ago. We just walked right into the Basilica without any lines or waiting. I'm going in Sept. and I'm hearing of long lines and waits just to get in the church. We are not going to do the museum or Sistine Chapel. Do I need to buy tickets to get in and to avoid the wait in lines as I know entrance is free?

[marazul]

2 minutes ago, joehick said:

I've asked this ?? before, but just trying to get a handle on it. Been to the Vatican a few times, but more than 10 years ago. We just walked right into the Basilica without any lines or waiting. I'm going in Sept. and I'm hearing of long lines and waits just to get in the church. We are not going to do the museum or Sistine Chapel. Do I need to buy tickets to get in and to avoid the wait in lines as I know entrance is free?

It is a security line for the basilica. You can't avoid it. It is free admission so there are no tickets. Go really early. It's the only way to have less pf a wait. 

[ollienbertsmum]

I think that what you need to establish is when your DH says that he wants to visit the Vatican, does he want to visit the museum or St Peters or both.    On our first visit to Rome we took a ship tour, this included the Vatican but only St Peter’s basilica and square.  We were well happy.  I was just excited to be in the Square.  We also had Trevi fountain, a taster of the Roman forum and the Colosseum included.  
 

We have been to the Vatican museum in a subsequent trip, taking the train to St Peter’s station with early tickets.  That worked well with lunch in Piazza Navona which was a lovely way to spend an hour or so. 
 

 You can walk through St Peters Square and go on to visit a number of other iconic locations.  I don't think that nowadays you can avoid security in any of the big Basilicas but they do not all require the same queues as St Peters.  I recall being impressed with St John Lateran, I always try to fit in Santa Maria Maggiore before going back from Termini Station.   Santa Maria del Popolo is a wonderful church for art (I think it only opens in the morning) but takes out a smaller part of your day.  The Pantheon is also fabulous.   One of our days included a late lunch at a restaurant right opposite the Pantheon.  Sitting eating opposite an inscription that basically said ‘Marcus Agrippa built this’ is a memory I have forever.  We had two glasses of wine so went back to the station in a taxi and had ice cream at Civitavecchia.  

 

I enjoy Trevi fountain on every trip. 
 

What I am trying to say is that you cannot do everything in one port day, but you can do things that are a little off-piste and still enjoy the treasures of Rome.  
 

[joehick]

5 hours ago, ollienbertsmum said:

I think that what you need to establish is when your DH says that he wants to visit the Vatican, does he want to visit the museum or St Peters or both.    On our first visit to Rome we took a ship tour, this included the Vatican but only St Peter’s basilica and square.  We were well happy.  I was just excited to be in the Square.  We also had Trevi fountain, a taster of the Roman forum and the Colosseum included.  
 

We have been to the Vatican museum in a subsequent trip, taking the train to St Peter’s station with early tickets.  That worked well with lunch in Piazza Navona which was a lovely way to spend an hour or so. 
 

 You can walk through St Peters Square and go on to visit a number of other iconic locations.  I don't think that nowadays you can avoid security in any of the big Basilicas but they do not all require the same queues as St Peters.  I recall being impressed with St John Lateran, I always try to fit in Santa Maria Maggiore before going back from Termini Station.   Santa Maria del Popolo is a wonderful church for art (I think it only opens in the morning) but takes out a smaller part of your day.  The Pantheon is also fabulous.   One of our days included a late lunch at a restaurant right opposite the Pantheon.  Sitting eating opposite an inscription that basically said ‘Marcus Agrippa built this’ is a memory I have forever.  We had two glasses of wine so went back to the station in a taxi and had ice cream at Civitavecchia.  

 

I enjoy Trevi fountain on every trip. 
 

What I am trying to say is that you cannot do everything in one port day, but you can do things that are a little off-piste and still enjoy the treasures of Rome.  
 

This sounds exactly like what I want to do. Just the Basilica of St. Peter. I will than taxi to Trevi. Have done Rome a few times and just want to revisit a few places. Thanks

[ollienbertsmum]

4 hours ago, joehick said:

This sounds exactly like what I want to do. Just the Basilica of St. Peter. I will than taxi to Trevi. Have done Rome a few times and just want to revisit a few places. Thanks

and that will be easy.  If you like walking you could easily walk from St Peters to Trevi.  Don’t miss the Pantheon. 

[AstoriaPreppy]

On 6/12/2023 at 9:24 AM, balsam88 said:

We have 12 hours at Civitavecchia port in July. Our original plan was to do Rome on our own and pick either Colloseum or Vatican. My husband is interested in doing both and suggested we do a tour. My only area of confusion is how accurate those “skip the line” descriptions are? I read on some platforms that even with skip the line tickets that tour operators promise there is still a line u have to wait in, whereas if you buy a timed ticket directly from the vatican’s site or Colloseum site you won’t have to wait in any lines. How true is this? 

 

I'd caution that 12 hours in port seems like a lot, but doing both the Vatican and Colosseum in the same day (plus travel time to/from Rome from Civitavecchia) is going to be a lot on your own.

 

If you're going to St. Peter's, I would highly recommend the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel as well. The Museums have an almost incomprehensible amount of western art/history in them, and culminate with the Sistine Chapel at the end of the tour.