Vatican City Tourist Traps

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Tourist Traps
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Tourist Traps
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collonaded entrance to the Vatican City
by June.b
on our way to Vatican entrance
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waiting at the entrance.
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Sistine Chapel

by CandS

We mainly went into the Vatican Museums to see the famous Sistine Chapel... We expected to be able to see a few things on the way and spend maybe an hour in the museums... Instead we had to walk through the whole thing to get to the Sistine Chapel - every five minutes or so there was a sign "Sistine Chapel -->" so we expected it would be soon... Haha! If you don't have much time and want to only see the Sistine Chapel just beware that you will have to go through the whole museum first... :)

The Pope's Blessing

by maykal

Avoid Wednesdays unless you want to share the piazza with a few thousand blessing-seekers...the Pope addresses the public every Wednesday morning, a laughable affair where long lists of names are read out, and the Pope says in a croaky voice 'I bless you' to ecstatic cheers from the crowds below. Go on a miserable day, preferably with rain, otherwise the place will be crawling with people like you. As someone once said, "Hell is other people". While everyone flocks to see the Pope, head off to other parts of Roma where you might find things a little less crowded. You can always come to the Vatican on an alternative day.

Basilica rooftop shopping mall

by maykal

Ever wanted a teatowel which has been blessed by the Pope? How about a glow-in-the-dark crucifix, or a chocolate lollypop in the shape of a nun? Or maybe you have always wanted to buy your very own Papal blessing written on cheap notepaper and splashed with holy water, your name scrawled along the bottom as an afterthought? Well, all this and more can be bought in the rooftop souvenir shops from grinning nuns who will be only too happy to wrap your gifts in an array of gaudy paper while draining you of your last Euro. Why doesn't the Vatican go the whole hog and open a branch of Starbucks Coffee by the lifts? Or even a revolving MacDonalds in the Basilica Gallery? I'm counting the years before bungee jumping is offered from the rooftop.... If you really are desperate to purchase that wind-up musical Popemobile for your dearly beloved, then I'm sure it is much cheaper at the classy...

Tourist Trap?

by jgemini65

Well...there are so many tourists here! And there are many opportunities to help finance the local industry! I guess in many aspects St. Peters is a tourist trap...But isn't it beautiful! I wouldn't give up my un countable number of visits to this marvelous structure for anything in the world!! It is defiantely worth the 5 or so euros to walk to the top of the Cuppola! I loved it...and what a workout! A lift is available for the weaker folks!!

On the left in front of...

by globetrott

On the left in front of St.Peter's you will find the Vatican-postoffice. -Vatican has great stamps and if you post your mail in one of their postboxes, it will also be delivered much faster than by italian mail. - They sell also plenty of Vatican-coins, but do not expect to get any Vatican-EURO there as change.They still sell their old Vatican-LIRE-coins.

Sadly, the Sistine Chapel is...

by James63

Sadly, the Sistine Chapel is something of a tourist trap. Not because Vatican officials have made it so, but because tourists treat it that way. Officials routinely ask visitors to whisper in the chapel - which they do for all of 10 seconds before they begin braying again. For the faithful, this is both distracting and distressing. For others, the level of disrespect is such that you want to leave rather than be embarrased by your fellow tourists. Unfortunately, the dignity of the Chapel is not matched by those who visit it.

The Vatican giftshop There...

by chrissyalex

The Vatican giftshop There are some very nice things in the giftshop such as rosaries,medals and books BUT there are some VERY tacky things too for example....a Blessed Mother nightlight or a Pope snowgobe!

From the metro stop, you must...

by PartyRambo

From the metro stop, you must walk a couple of blocks to get to the Vatican - there are a number of cafes & gift shops along the road - avoid them like the plague, is my suggestion - I found nothing original in the gift shops (an autographed photo of JP2 would have caught my attention!), and the cafes are naturally overpriced.Despite the various clergy wandering in & out, I didn't see anyone buying anything...

If you decide to climb to the...

by ellenron

If you decide to climb to the top of the dome at St. Peter's, don't go by the elevator. It's more expensive than climbing on foot, but what's really annoying is that it only goes half the way, so you still have a lot of climbing to do.

Dress properly

by lotharscheer

You need to cover your legs and shoulders, long trousers or dress, short sleeved shirts

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