Vatican Tours Accessible?

[kitty9]

I'm also going to post this on the Italy board, but I wanted to know if anyone has done a Vatican tour that's accessible? I'm particularly interested in knowing if there are any tours for the Sistine Chapel when it might be available for the disabled only? Also, is there any other way to get to the Chapel other than the stairs? When I was there a couple of years ago, I had to walk up and down those narrow stairs to get to the Sistine, and it was terribly difficult for me. With mom in a wheelchair, she won't be able to do the stairs.

[DEL67]

We did not do a tour, but we did go to the Vatican museum, including the Sistine Chapel while in Rome during a cruise a few years ago (we hired a car and driver for the day.) Both the museum and the chapel are accessible; however, if you do tour, it would probably have to be a private one because the wheelchair access to the chapel is through its exit.

 

There is an elevator from the main entrance up to the museum. Since there were no signs chapel exit, we had to ask several guards for direction. At one point there were a few stairs, but they had a stair lif and a guard posted to run it. From there we went down a narrow corridor (going against everyone leaving the chapel) to reach the chapel.

[Queenie2]

Cornelia Danielson of Barrier Free Travel Services in Florence can arrange for a private accessible tour of the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel. You can contact her at info@bftservices.it

 

Candy

[amstelveenscooter]

We've just returned from a cruise to Rome without arranging a special tour. Touring St. Peter's Basilica is no problem - just come underneath the columns on the right side of the square; that's the ramped entrance and the guards will admit you immediately and direct you to the entrance in the lower right-hand corner with lifts to the Basilica. (WARNING: Although they have a disabled toilet located behind the Audio Guide desk, it doesn't have a toilet seat -- apparently common practice in some European cities!)

 

The lines to enter the Vatican Museum are extremely long, but wheelchair parties can bypass them by either rolling down the street or being dropped off at the door, and gaining immediate entry directly at the door. Once inside, you'll need some form of disability identification to obtain a free ticket at the desks to the left, but then you'll be taken up two elevators to the museum area.

 

Once inside the museum, you need to go outside to the garden (WARNING - curbs without cuts) and into the temporary Sistine Chapel entrance. However, as there are stairs to the left, turn right and go all the way down the corridor to the right until it ends. There is a platform lift with a very accommodating operator there who will lower you to the Chapel entrance floor.

 

:eek: WARNING: Because of restoration activities, it's very difficult to see the Chapel; most of the areas are closed (including the main ceiling area), and the only open rooms are extremely crowded and very difficult for chairs to maneuver! It took us almost an hour to get through the lift line to enter the room, and we could only last about 5 minutes in the Chapel area before wanting to escape!

 

If you really intend to see the Chapel fully, the pre-arranged tour as suggested may be your safest bet.

[kitty9]

Thank you all so very much. Mom is soooo excited even though we don't go on this cruise until next May.

[pvmkmyer]

I just returned from Rome 2 weeks ago. My wife is disabled and uses an electric scooter.

 

Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel: There was no construction when we were there. We got there when the museum opened so it wasn't crowded yet. The line was several blocks long but they let us right in. We showed our California handicapped placard and got a reduced rate entrance fee. Since we've been here before we knew to go directly to the Sistine chapel and then work back to see other works, before it got crowded. We got to the handicapped entrance, the nice guard took my wife and her cart down the few steps with the stair lift, and then we went down the ramp to enter the chapel. You exit the same way. Then we saw other parts of the museums that we wanted to see. It's pretty much all accessible.

 

St. Peters: As a previous posted said, the handicapped access is on the right side of the colonnade as you're facing the basilica. Follow the colonnade and the guard will admit you through. Before you go past the guard look to your right. There are toilets there, including a handicapped toilet. If you need to go, use these rather than the ones inside. If your companion is carrying any sort of bag he/she will have to have it screened when you pass by the guard. He'll direct you. Once inside the basilica someone will take you up in the lift. You exit, turn left, and then right onto the portico of the basilica. The handicapped entrance will be all the way down -- the last doors on the left. All of the main floor is accessible.

 

For good information on accessibility in Italy, go to slowtrav.com. Search the articles for a series of articles written by a wheelchair user who has much detailed information about her many trips to Rome and getting around in a wheelchair.