I have heard there are huge line ups in Rome to see the sights. Is it recommended that we buy the tickets beforehand or is there somewhere we can go to bypass some of the large lines to get into the Sistine Chapel and visit the vatician?

Jenny

Regarding the hotels and airport issue, there is only one hotel, The Rome Airport Hilton, which is actually located at the airport. The Hilton is actually connected to the terminal buildings via a very convenient covered overpass (you access it via an elevator about 10 feet from the front entrance of the hotel). Whenever we have a morning flight out of Rome, we always spend the night at the Hilton. This avoids any hassles with morning trains or taxis, and its pretty easy to get a luggage cart at the hotel so you wheel your baggage all the way to the ticket counter at the airport. It is a bit of a hike through the overpasses into the proper terminal, but its not a problem unless you have restrictions on your ability to walk. As to lines in Rome, things seem to vary depending on day of the week, time of the day, etc etc. But, the longest lines are usually to be found when trying to enter the Vatican Museums (this is the tour that includes the Sistine Chapel). It is sometimes possible to bypass this line if you are on an organized tour (such as the ones offered by the cruise ships). Some of the better private guides have been known to have schemes to avoid the line, but I have no personal experience with these guides. It is possible to buy a tour, in advance, from the Vatican which will bypass the lines. My understanding (we have never done this) is you have to send a fax to the Vatican about a month in advance and they will let you know if you can get on one of these tours. The info about this is on the Vatican website. You can try http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Servizi_Visite.html

for info.

Hank

Hi Hank,
I have just seen your post re Kiwis I must have missed it mind you I have been out of town a lot this past month.
I am not an official Kiwi though I have lived here 30 years and am a citizen. I am what they call a Pom which I understand is a nickname taken from the convict term Prisoner Of Mother England similar to the term Limey. Yes the Kiwis are great people. However, I digress. Thanks for your comments re the above we have now decided to fly into Rome and spend three days there. I feel it would be better (we are both 70) to order a limo to take us from the hotel in Rome to the ship. Would you agree? I think it will cost us about 130 Euros. (NZD260. But that's not too bad for the peace of mind that goes with it).
Thank you for all your excellent tips and the the others who have contributed this is a great site with many helpful suggestions.
By the way, if anyone reading this is contemplating a holiday in NZ then I will be only too willing to assist them in any way possible.
Cheers
Peter

Look at www.trenitalia.it for the best prices.

Ptur, I will certainly tip my glass of "lager" to the Pom's as well as the Kiwis. My wife has not stopped talking about wonderful NZ ever since our visit this past February, and we are already thinking of a future return trip when we would spend a month driving around much of South Island. I think you will absolutely love your 3 days in Rome. It is truly one of the great cities of the world, and I could spend 3 days just sitting at cafes people watching. As you have learned on this board, getting from Rome to the port is a major hassle. Taking a limo or taxi is a wise decision,,,assuming you can handle the cost. I have never liked the train option, because it can be a real problem with luggage. Its always a good idea to price-out the cruise line pre-cruise hotel packages, but generally its still less expensive to do your own hotel and transfers. By the way, the train from the airport (FCO) into the Rome Termini station (main station) is very convenient and only costs 9.5 Euros per person (the trains run every 30 minutes from a station right inside the airport terminal). The only problem is that once you arrive in Rome, its a pretty long walk from the train platform to the main station entrance which is where you find the taxi cues.

Hank