Rome

Posted on: November 18, 2008 at 12:29AM

We visited Rome in the summer and were distressed to see the long lines at the Vatican with hundreds of people standing in the heat. We found a "tour shop" about a block behind the Chapel exits. The windows advertised "Vatican tours" and we signed up for a Sistine Chapel tour the following day for 30 Euro for two of us. We were skeptical, but we met at the tour shop the following day, were escorted to the chapel exit, and our names were on a list held by the guard at the back door. We were let in and led to the inside tour window, where we met our "unoffical" guide and purchased our tour tickets. We had an English speaking guide and thoroughly enjoyed our afternoon. Apparently the tour company had an arrangment with the Vatican and/or its employees, and we were fortunate enough to have investigated the tour signs just offsite. report a problem