Transportation in Vatican City

Vatican City is walked, not ridden, the entire state is smaller than most city parks, and every point of interest sits within a few minutes on foot. The real transport question is how you get *to* the walls, and for that you're using Rome's system. Metro Line An is the workhorse: Ottaviano station drops you a short walk from St. Peter's Square, while Cipro station is closer to the Vatican Museums entrance. Both are well-signed and inexpensive relative to a taxi. Don't make the mistake of taking a cab from central Rome to the Vatican, the distance is short but traffic around the Tiber can turn a cheap ride into a slow, expensive crawl that a metro trip would have beaten by twenty minutes. From either of Rome's airports, you're connecting through the city. The Leonardo Express train links Fiumicino to Roma Termini, where you transfer to Metro Line A toward Battistini and ride to Ottaviano, the whole chain is straightforward and a fraction of what a direct airport taxi would cost. If you're arriving at Ciampino, bus shuttles run to Termini as well. Whichever route you take, avoid the unlicensed drivers who approach you in the arrivals hall. Stick to official taxi ranks or the train. Once you're inside Vatican City, comfortable shoes are the only transport that matters. The Vatican Museums enforce a one-way walking route that can stretch for hours, and St. Peter's Basilica involves stairs if you climb the dome, there are no shuttles or shortcuts. Plan to arrive early, for the Museums. The queues build fast after mid-morning, and no amount of clever routing through Rome will buy back the time you lose standing in line at the entrance.