Visitors to Vatican City enter through St. Peter’s Square.  For all sorts of transportation maps providing more than adequate visual explanation of how to get to and from this smallest of the world’s countries, check the official site’s offerings .

Coming and going from Rome’s runways are relatively easy endeavors, though if you visit in the summer you should expect lots of fellow tourist congestion.  Ticket prices will also be more expensive for visits during this time of year.  Flight times from New York to Rome are only eight hours, ten from Chicago, and about twelve from Los Angeles.

Rome is a small enough city that you may wish to just walk from attraction to attraction to the Vatican, though the heavy foot traffic makes for much aggravation and pick-pocketing.  The Metro makes for easy getting around, as do buses and trams, which can take you to just about anywhere in Rome, including the Colosseum and the Vatican.  Beware, however, pickpockets prey on tourist-trapped buses as well.

If you wish to move about the city by cab, call for one, as hailing can sometimes prove rather difficult, and when in Rome do not always do as the Romans do; instead, why not avoid brutal rush hour traffic (which includes an afternoon lunch rest-up).