I dutifully sent my single email and a month later received a confirmation number and request for payment. I email the information back. I received the same "we have your request" standard response that I received for my original request.

Do they send back an acknowledgement of payment? I want to make sure nothing happens because I didn't do something right.

Thanks all - this time next week I'll be on the plane!

Check your credit card charges - you could check online or phone the number on your credit card.

I faxed them my payment info last week, and didn't receive an acknowledgment, but the 10 Euro charge showed up on my credit card statement within a couple of days.

The Scavi office did send me a receipt five days after they put the charge through on my credit card.

If you don't get the receipt before you leave, bring a copy of the first message with the reference number of the reservation.

What is the secret to getting Scavi tickets....I tried two years ago and did not get tickets. We are going to Rome in October, tried again about 6 weeks ago, automatic response but no confirmation. Is it too early for October. Should I try again or wait and hope. Anyone have any advice???

I'm starting to wonder if maybe when you make the request is not the key to timing, but when the tour would be. For instance - I requested a spot in April and it took a month to receive confirmation that I was being allocated a spot on the tour, which was also a month before the tour date. So... is it possible that they don't neccessarily allocate people to the tours until a month before the tour itself? Patience is necessary. I don't know how many languages they conduct the tour in, but availability of your language will also be a critical factor. I suggest that once you receive an email confirming your reservation number that you fax back the credit card information. Emailing that information just seemed to confuse the issue.

Coco, Just to let you know I got an email confirmation today. I sent CC details on May 24th. I was concerned too, because I didn't get a quick response, so I checked my CC transactions earlier this week, and they had charged it a while ago. I think it just takes them a while.

I got my payment confirmation today also (via email)...my CC was charged on May 25. See you on the tour cantsitstill, and see you in Piazza Navona Coco!

Today must have been the day to send out confirmation of payment. I received my confirmation this morning that they had charged my credit card on the 28th of May for our June 24th tour. We can hardly wait!
DeAnn

I am also hoping that the tour confirmation is issued about one month in advance. I requested a tour mid-April and received an auto reply. But my tour dates are between July 11-15th. Other posters here who also requested tours mid-April, but for tours in June have already received their confirmations.

My patience wears thin but I am still optimistic.

Geralny

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Geralyn,

I have e-mailed twice (yes, I know they ask you only send one e-mail)for September dates. I received the auto-reply for both, but nothing else. I hope you are correct that I may not hear until July or August. I was hoping to plan my other sight-seeing around this tour!!!

We took the Scavi tour this past April 4th. After the tour was over, my daughter and I went into the Scavi office to buy a postcard and a book about the necropolis. We spent quite a bit of time talking to the man in the office, as the pope had just died the Saturday before and our 9:15am Monday morning tour was going to be the last tour for a week. We were asking questions about the booking process as our friends were going to Rome in June and asked us to book the tour for them while we were there.
The gentleman was not particularly friendly, but he seemed to warm up the longer we talked to him. He told us that they generally do not book people's visits until approximately 1 month before their requested time, since their schedule is very changeable depending on the number of people included in a request and the language spoken. He showed us his log - it is handwritten - not on the computer!! He also stressed the fact that duplicate emails do NOT help and only clog their system. He also said that it was unusual for them not to accomodate people if they have their requests in a month ahead of their visit.
I am not sure how much of what he told us is "gospel", but thought I would pass it along.

Thanks, Mom
That is perhaps the most valuable information I have received re the Rome portion of our trip.

Of course we also have appreciated your input on the Palazzo Costaguti apartment and parking in Piazza Mattei

Thank you,
Geralyn

I requested reservations in January and just received the confirmation email last week.

July 14, 2005 at 10:45am. Anyone else on this tour?

Just another confirmation of the above info: I requested our Scavi Tour reservations in late April and gave them dates during the week of July 11th. Received an autoreply with a couple days.

TODAY we did finally receive our notice that we have reservations on July 15th at 10:45am !

So we can depend on the insider information from mom83, that in fact, the Vatican notifies you about one month in advance of your tour date, no matter how early you put in your request.

Geralyn

Congrats Geralyn, we are missing you by one day(see above). Enjoy yourself!

We just got back from the Scavi tour a couple of weeks ago. When we arrived at the desk they told us that my credit card didn't go through but they still had our reservations though. We just paid the were off our way on the tour. It was fascinating.

MaBuona
Yes, I saw that we will just miss each other. Probably because I made reservations for 6.
I emailed my CC info, but will also take a copy of our reservation confirmation, just to be sure the reservations are there and we can pay on the spot like chil.

Geralyn