The Vatican is well connected by most modes of transportation, including the metro, bus, tram, taxis, and even airports.
Here’s everything you need to know about getting to the Vatican Museums.
Metro
There are two metro service points on Line A (Orange/red line) that offer you easy access to the Vatican.
The most important of these is the Ottaviano-San Pietro metro station, which is a 7-minute walk from the Vatican Museums’ main entrance.
Most tourists alight at Ottaviano-San Pietro because it offers a direct route to the Via Della Conciliazione, from which they can access both St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums.
The other option is the Cipro metro station, which also puts you close to the Vatican Museums. It’s a 9-minute walk from here to the Museums.
Bus
The closest bus stop to the Vatican Museums is the V.Le Vaticano/Musei Vaticani stop. It’s opposite the Museums’ main entrance. Catch Bus 49 to alight at this stop.
The second nearest bus stop to the Vatican Museums is the Piazza del Risorgimento. Buses 32, 81, and 982 stop here. It’s a 7-minute walk from Piazza del Risorgimento to the Museums.
You can also take buses 40 and 64 that stop at St. Peter’s Square, Terminal Gianicolo, or Holy Spirit Hospital.
Planning a visit to the Museums? Here’s all you need to know about the attraction’s dress code, its three entrance lines, opening and closing hours, the amenities within the Museums, how to reach the Vatican, and special tours like the Vatican Museums early morning and late evening tickets, Castle Gandolfo, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Gardens, and Vatican Grottoes & Necropolis tickets.
Train
A train travels from Rome’s main station, Roma Termini, to the Vatican every 30 minutes.
The Vatican has its station, too—St. Pietro, which is a 10-minute walk to St. Peter’s Square.
If you are boarding from Roma Termini, hop on RE 12524 towards Civitavecchia, or RE 4134 towards Pisa Centrale, and alight at St. Pietro.
If you have booked an accommodation or room in the Vatican and are planning to check in early, the first train to the Vatican departs from the Roma Termini at 5.35 am. The total travel duration between the two stations is 36 minutes. The last train leaves Rome Termini at 10.35 pm.
Tram
If you prefer traveling by tram, board Tram 19 (it starts from Piazza dei Gerani) and get down at Piazza del Risorgimento, a 7-minute walk to the Museums.
Car
If you are traveling by car, just turn on your Google Maps and get started! Once you’re near the Vatican, opt for paid parking at Viale Vaticano for a stress-free time at the museums.
There are several parking facilities available near the Vatican Museums. These include Parking Prati, Garage San Pietro, and Vespasian Garage.
Air Travel
Rome has two international airports, with over 40 million passengers passing through the city annually.
The Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport is the largest airport in Rome and Italy, and 43 million passengers use its terminals yearly.
The Rome-Ciampino Airport (CIA) is Rome’s second-most important international airport. It is located 7.5 miles from the city center and moves nearly 6 million passengers a year.
There are shuttle bus services from the Fiumicino airport to the Vatican and vice versa every 30-40 minutes. If you are at the airport, board a bus from Terminal 3. It takes nearly an hour to reach either destination—courtesy of Rome’s notorious traffic snarls, so we strongly advise you to board as soon as possible.
Colosseum to the Vatican Museums
Tourists often visit the Colosseum and Vatican Museums on the same day. If you are looking for the best ways to travel between the attractions, you can opt for the following:
- Subway train: A train departs from the Colosseo station to the Vatican’s Cipro station every 10 minutes and vice versa. You need to make a train transfer from the Termini station to Cipro on the way
- Bus: Line 87 and Line 81 head from the Colosseum to the Vatican
Pantheon to the Vatican
If you are traveling from the Pantheon to the Museums, you can board bus no. 64 during the mornings or any night bus heading in the direction of the Vatican. The total journey time from the Pantheon to the Museums is 12-17 minutes. Once you board from the Pantheon, you need to alight at the LGT SASSIA/S. Spirito bus stop, which is a 15-minute walk to the Vatican.
Castel Sant Angelo to the Vatican
Outside the Vatican, Castel Sant Angelo is the nearest attraction to the Vatican Museums. You can either take a 15-minute walk from the Castle to the Museums or opt for a 10-minute bus ride (Line 64). Make sure you deboard at the Cavalleggeri/S. Pietro bus stop if you are visiting the Vatican.
Recommended Reading
# What’s Inside the Vatican Museums
# Things to Know Before Booking Your Vatican Museums Tickets
# Last-Minute Vatican Museums Ticket
# Sistine Chapel Ticket
# Vatican Museums Guided Tour Ticket
# Floor Map of Vatican Museums
