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If you’ve ever wondered what’s beyond the red velvet stanchions at some of the most impressive tourist attractions in Europe, there’s a way to find out. It’s possible to experience things in England, France, Ireland, and Italy that no other tourist can, but you have to keep an eye out. Only certain places will allow you to explore where no one else is allowed to go. So, where will you go beyond that red velvet rope?
Recording a Song at Abbey Road Studios
Instead of waiting for tons of Beatles fans to cross Abbey Road in busy London to recreate the classic album cover (and trying not to get hit by a car), going to the gift shop, and longingly staring through the gates at the building that housed the creative process for some of the most classic albums ever, you can enter Abbey Road Studios and record a song. Either individually or as a group, you can fulfill your lifelong dream and record your very own music with the help of professional recording engineers and vocal coaches to guide the way, making it a day you’ll never forget. Plus you’ll get to take home your song on a CD.
Get Past the Guards and See Where Only the Queen and the Prime Minister Go
Normally, you can only enter Buckingham Palace from July to October. During that time tourists are only shown through 19 of the State Rooms and the Palace's Garden. But you can tour the palace privately, enter through the Ambassadors’ Entrance, and meet with a senior curator from the Royal Collection Trust, the Assistant to the Surveyor of the Queenʼs Paintings. They’ll take you through the State Rooms privately and drinks and champagne are served in the Marble Hall after. You can also privately tour the Churchill War Rooms, where Prime Minister Winston Churchill stayed and operated the British army during World War II.
Roam the Halls of Versailles All By Yourself
You can tour the former King of France’s Paris residence, the Palace of Versailles, privately, without tons of tourists to dampen your experience. Imagine being able to take a walk down the Hall of Mirrors without having to wait for people to get out the way of your picture. Entering after everyone goes home, at the end of the day, affords you the opportunity to take all the best pictures and see all the gorgeous views at sunset. You’ll feel like you own the place.
After Hours At the Uffizi Gallery, the Duomo, and the Vatican
Imagine touring Italy’s biggest tourists attractions, including its most famous museum, the Uffizi Gallery, along with the Duomo and the Vatican after hours, without the massive crowds. At the Uffizi you’ll have your own guide to show you the masterpieces of Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, and Botticelli. In the Vatican, you can walk alone inside the Sistine Chapel as if you’re part of the Papal Clergy. It’s silent as a tomb but you can talk and take all the photos you want. The tour takes you through the Pauline Chapel, the Pope rooms, the Apostolic Palace, the Pope's official residence, the Papal Apartments, and the Holy See, all of which are exclusive to the after hours experience. All you need to do is wear something that covers your knees and shoulders.
It is possible to see some of the biggest tourist attractions on Earth privately! You just have to figure out which one to explore first. I can help with the rest.