Vatican City
Visa: No separate visa. Entry is through Rome, Italy. Schengen Area rules apply. Free Visa Check
Language: Italian and Latin are official languages. English is spoken at ticket offices and during guided tours.
Currency: EUR, credit cards accepted for tickets and museum shops. The Vatican also mints its own Euro coins, which are collector's items.
Transportation:
Walking: You walk from Rome. The nearest metro stop is Ottaviano (Line A), about a 10-minute walk from St. Peter's Square.
Tickets: Book St. Peter's Basilica (free entry) and the Vatican Museums (paid, book online weeks ahead). An early morning guided tour is the best way to see the Sistine Chapel before the crowds arrive. Dress code: covered shoulders and knees for both men and women.
Post office: The Vatican post office is famous among collectors. Sending a postcard from here gets you a Vatican City postmark.
What To Expect
Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, and you can walk across it in less time than it takes to queue for entry. But what it lacks in size it more than compensates in cultural firepower. The Vatican Museums house one of the greatest art collections on earth, culminating in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo's ceiling makes people crane their necks until it hurts.
St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world, and climbing its dome rewards you with the best view of Rome. The St. Peter's Square, with Bernini's embracing colonnades, is a masterpiece of baroque urban design. On Wednesdays (when the Pope is in town), you can attend the Papal Audience. Sundays at noon, the Pope addresses the crowd from his window.
Vatican City is technically a separate country with its own post office, its own stamps, its own Swiss Guard, and a population of about 800. There are no hotels, no restaurants beyond the museum cafeteria, and no nightlife. It is a day trip from Rome, and a morning entry (booked well in advance) is the only way to experience it without the crowds.