How travel to Italy will be affected after Pope Francis' death aged 88

With the summer months finally coming up, you might have been planning a little getaway to Italy and perhaps in particular, to Rome.

But your travel plans could be looking slightly different now following the death of Pope Francis.

The Vatican confirmed earlier today (21 April) that the 88-year-old had ‘returned to the home of the Father’ as the world’s Catholics plunge into mourning.

That’s well over one billion people across the globe, with many followers likely wanting to pay their respects to the pope at some point too.

So, as the period of mourning begins, some parts of your travel to Rome may be affected, if not to Italy in general.

While tourists flock to the city to eat the food, see the Colosseum and throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain, another popular place to visit is the Vatican City.

The Vatican City is located in Rome. (Getty Stock)

Not just a place with the famous Michelangelo’s ceiling in the Sistine Chapel and the ancient sculptures throughout the Vatican Museums, the city-state surrounded by Rome is of course the Catholic’s HQ.

The home of the pope and the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican City will now officially enter a period of mourning. So, those hoping to walk the holy halls and see the art may have to change their plans.

Most of the museums remain open during the official mourning but the Sistine Chapel will close for periods of time and if you do decide to go there, be prepared for even longer queues. It's also likely that some various restaurants and shops will choose to close during this time as a mark of respect.

Overall, travel to Rome itself isn’t going to be directly affected but what you do there might be very different - with the vibe around the Vatican particularly different.

Plus, it’s likely the city will get busier with people wishing to pay respects to the pope. So, with that, accommodation may get trickier to book and people may be travelling across Italy and the surrounding areas to get there.

Tourists won't be able to go in the Sistine Chapel. (Getty Stock)

And, as plenty of us know, when demand for things like travel and places to stay goes up, it’s often that the prices do too.

Once the mourning’s over, there’s the historic process of the Conclave too when cardinals gather in the Sistine Chapel to choose the next pope. While that won’t begin for at least 15 days from today, the spot will close about a week before, and will be closed for the whole process.

Vatican Gardens will also likely have tours suspended while that’s going on and the access to St Peter’s Basilica also won’t always be possible.

Essentially, if you’ve already got a trip to Rome booked and weren’t really planning on going anywhere near the Vatican, then your travels should be completely fine. Just be prepared for things to be busier and perhaps, a little sombre.