Getting into Vatican Museum - Oops

OK. So we’re planning a trip to Italy, and learned today that the Vatican Museum is sold out for the week we will be there (late September). My wife is crushed.

Are there any Italy-experienced (or perhaps resident) Dopers who know if there’s a way to right this wrong? Is there a wait list, or some other way to get a ticket? Obviously hoping to avoid scams

Thanks!

Were you trying to book single tix directly from the Vatican museum? Maybe joining a guided tour would have openings?

Or spend a day in a queue on site for tix that might become available? no don’t do that!

When we visited on the special Friday night sessions (with limited people and lots of extra time) we got tickets right before they sold out. There were no additional tickets available after they sold out online. I think a guided tour would be your best option at this point.

Thanks All

The guided tour did it. We’re in and the marriage is saved.

Sounds like you found the way.

I was just going to mention my “it’s Italy!” version of this. I was in Italy for a meeting and decided I would take a couple of days and visit Florence after the meeting. So I booked a room the night before and took the train the next day from Rome to Florence on Sunday. I checked into a nice, but modest little hotel (chosen for relatively good reviews and proximity to the train station) for a two day visit (Monday and Tuesday, leaving Wednesday).

The hotel was a converted residence, so all the rooms were different and certainly not typical hotel rooms. I got to my room, unpacked, and got on the computer to map out my next two days. I knew I definitely wanted to see the David at the Accademia Gallery, so I went online to see about tickets and times. Oh no! The museum was closed Mondays and sold out on Tuesday. So I did a little more surfing to check out other places of interest (I can highly recommend the Galileo Museum), then went to the lobby to get a recommendation for a nearby restaurant.

The receptionist gave me a recommendation and as I was dropping my key off, I had a thought and mentioned how sad I was not to be able to see the David, since I was only in town for two days and the tickets online were sold out. The receptionist told me that when I got back from dinner to check with him, he would see what he could do to help me.

When I got back from (a very nice) dinner, the receptionist handed me a printout with a reservation at the Accademia Gallery for Tuesday afternoon and told me where I had to go to pay and pick up the actual ticket (right next to the museum). Visit saved! How? “It’s Italy”.

Yeah, I’ve been all over the world for work, and it’s interesting how some places just work… different.

We booked the hotel and I received an email confirmation which said the credit card would be charged at the time of booking. A week later, I still hadn’t been charged. But I have the confirmation?

So I asked someone I know from the German office (who happens to be Italian-born) to make a call for me and just make sure.

“Oh, they said you’re all set. They just haven’t got around to billing the card yet.”