Below is a summary of the new policies and prices, effective from 9 January 2007 for the Vatican Museums. It is an English translation of the Italian letter issued by the Vatican Museums to the president of Provincia di Roma tour guiding union in late November. The new plan promises to be a nightmare and has enfuriated, among others, the tour guide union, theologians, art historians, teachers and professors, and me! This is their new policy:

 

Access to the museum at 8am and 9am will be limited to groups booked by or through tour agencies registered at Italian chambers of commerce. Such agencies will have deposited a large sum of money with Vatican Museum authorities (6000 euro) and will have made reservations for entrance at least 30 days in advance.

 

Most foreign tour agencies and even Rome's authorized guides will be

excluded form this scheme

Those wishing to enter the Vatican Museums independently (without a tour agency) will have access only from 10am onwards.

 

The price of tickets will rise from 12 euro to 13 euro & those booked through tour agencies will pay another 2 euro reservation fee atop the 13 euro entrance.

 

The cost of private, after-hours visits will also rise. For groups of up to 30 people, the cost will be 2,500 euros for a two hour visit, plus a 15 euro ticket for each member of the party (as against the present 1,800 euro plus 12 euro)

 

Very large groups (several hundred) making a private visit will pay 20,000 euro (rather than the present 7000 euro) plus the individual ticket price.

 

It's hard to understand how this policy can possibly improve things for the independent visitor who will likely face absurdly long lines. When giving tours of the Vatican, my solution will be, as always, to arrive early and wait in line for my clients who will meet me later. In the end, it seems as though there is still no way to guarantee a line-free no-nonsense tour in the Vatican. In 2006 I took clients to the Vatican for an after hours tour (They payed nearly 2000 euros for it!) and there were 10-12 other unrelated small groups with us.

 

I guess we will just have to see how things pan out in 2007.