Can we book tickets in advance, as I can bear standing in line with fed-up children?
Q We are going to Rome for three days at half-term with our two boys, aged eight and five. The elder has just studied the Romans and wants to visit the Colosseum. We also want to see the Sistine Chapel. We are staying in a small hotel in Trastevere, and apart from visiting those two sites, we just want to wander around and eat ice cream. The only problem is: I’m obsessive about avoiding queues! Can we book tickets in advance, as I can’t bear standing in line with fed-up children? J Thomas, London A You have set yourself quite a task. Both crowds and queuing are as integral a part of visiting the Vatican Museums (00 39 669 884 947; www.vatican.va/museums) as marvelling at Michelangelo’s spectacular ceiling in the Sistine Chapel, the climax of any visit to the museum. The restricted opening hours mean there is almost always a scrum. For a start, the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays. On other days, at this time of year (December to March) the place opens from 8.45am-12.15pm; for the
