Now you really can do Rome in a day

Michelangelo started work on that ceiling of his in 1508, and beavered away on it for four years. It felt like I queued for that long to see the blessed Sistine Chapel the first time I visited the Vatican.

This time though, with only a twinge of guilt, I glided past a line of grumpy tourists and joined a much smaller group of wiser, far less weary sightseers.

It was all thanks to a beauty called the skip-the-line ticket.

Attraction Tickets Direct offers such tickets for tours and attractions across the world. It has just added Rome and the Vatican to its portfolio, so you can pre-book tickets to all of the most popular attractions.

The Best Of Rome tour, for example (€76 for adults and €47 for children) includes skipthe-line tickets for the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum and access to the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, as well as a 48-hour hop-on/off bus ticket and free 48-hour public transport pass.

There’s a brilliant food tour too, called Eat As The Romans Do, which costs €84.

We met our guide, Roberto, near Largo di Torre Argentina, and nibbled vast quantities of scrummy cheeses, meats, pizza and pasta of assorted varieties, all washed down with wine.

Our stay was at the Navona Palace Residenze di Charme, in Via della Pace. This splendid little boutique hotel is just a few minutes from Piazza Navona and its bars and restaurants.

The Sistine Chapel is also nearby and a tip when you visit is to move to the back of the room to enjoy the experience.

Even with the hot crowds, it is well worth the wait – especially when it’s a short one…