Family journeysHow do we take our elderly parents to Europe properly?
Take parents aged 65 to 80 to Europe privately: two bases over 9 nights, short walks, hotels with lifts, a driver, and free airport wheelchair assistance booked 48 hours ahead.
Answered · checked 11 November 2026
Which private and after-hours experiences in Europe are worth planning a trip around?
The short answer
Four are worth building a route around: the Vatican key-keeper's dawn opening of the Sistine Chapel, from about €799 per person through private-tour resellers; Versailles outside public hours; a private hour with the Last Supper in Milan at €5,708.50 for up to 30 on the museum's 2023 guidelines; and Villa del Balbianello on Lake Como to yourselves, €24,500 plus VAT for six hours on the FAI's 2025 tariff. Book them three to six months ahead.
- Vatican key-keeper
- From about €799 per person, resellers
- Last Supper, private hour
- €5,708.50 for up to 30, Tuesday to Friday
- Balbianello for the evening
- €24,500 plus VAT, six hours
- Summer truffles
- Piedmont, from late May
- Book
- Three to six months ahead
The private moments, at a glance
| Experience and where | When | Published price and basis | Book ahead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clavigero key-keeper opening, Vatican Museums, Rome | Early morning, year round | From about €799 per person via private-tour resellers, about ₹84,000 | 3 to 4 months |
| Versailles outside opening hours | Before opening or on closed Mondays | Prestige Tours on request from the Château; a full private day about €2,850 through specialists | 3 months |
| The Last Supper opened for you, Milan | From 19:30, one hour | €5,708.50 for up to 30, Tuesday to Friday; €6,183.50 Saturday to Monday | 15 days minimum; aim for 3 months |
| Summer black truffle hunt, Langhe, Piedmont | From late May through summer | Private hunt with a trifulau and dog, quoted on request | 1 month |
| Champagne cellars, Reims and Épernay | Weekdays, by appointment | Dom Pérignon by invitation only; Bollinger rarely, on request; Krug does not open to the public | 3 months |
| Villa del Balbianello exclusive hire, Lake Como | After 18:00, on FAI calendar dates | €24,500 plus VAT for six hours (FAI 2025 tariff), about ₹25.7 lakh | 6 months for a June weekend |
The Vatican and Versailles before the crowds
The Clavigero is the Vatican's key-keeper. On the dawn opening you walk with him as he unlocks the galleries, then stand in the Sistine Chapel with a handful of people instead of thousands. It is sold through private-tour resellers rather than as a standard Vatican ticket, so prices vary; group versions of around 20 people cost less.
Versailles closes to the public on Mondays and opens at 9:00 on other days. The Château itself offers Prestige Tours outside public opening times on request, which is how a family sees the Hall of Mirrors empty and the King's private apartments that are normally shut. Guests of Le Grand Contrôle, the hotel inside the estate, have their own exclusive tours.
The Last Supper: how tickets are released
Ordinary Last Supper tickets go on sale in blocks of three or four months, at noon Italian time, and every ticket must be reserved. The September to December 2026 block went on sale on 23 June 2026; the November 2025 to January 2026 block on 30 September 2025. The block covering May and June 2027 had not been announced on 11 November 2026, so watch the museum's news page from January.
The private opening bypasses all of that. Under the museum's published guidelines it costs €5,000 in state fees plus €708.50 for staff, for up to 30 people, from 19:30 to 20:30. The organiser must carry €1 million of event insurance and a guide is extra. Apply at least 15 days ahead; three months is safer.
Truffles and Champagne
White truffles belong to autumn, but the summer black truffle is hunted in Piedmont from late May. A private morning in the hazelnut woods of the Langhe with a trifulau and his dog, then lunch with Barolo, suits every generation and needs about a month's notice.
In Champagne, the most famous names are the hardest doors. Dom Pérignon receives guests by invitation only; Krug, Louis Roederer and Pol Roger do not open to the public, and Bollinger takes private visits rarely, on request. Pair one arranged house visit with a small grower in the Côte des Blancs for a fuller day.
Anniversary moments that can actually be booked
- Villa del Balbianello: the whole villa and gardens after 18:00, arriving by private boat, €24,500 plus VAT for six hours on the FAI's 2025 tariff.
- Piz Gloria, Schilthorn: the Crystal Lounge taken privately for up to 22 guests, with the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in the glass; quoted on request.
- Le Jules Verne, Eiffel Tower: Le Comptoir's eight counter seats facing the chefs, 125 metres up, reached by a private lift.
- Le Louis XV, Hôtel de Paris, Monaco: Alain Ducasse's dining room, dinner Tuesday to Saturday, jackets required.
- Galimard, Grasse: a private perfume studio for two hours from €289 on its current listing, best in May when the rose harvest is in.
Indian and Jain food in Paris, Switzerland and Italy
Our research found no Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Paris, Zurich, Milan or Rome; London is far stronger, but needs a separate UK visa. Reliable options exist: Jugaad in Paris, Chandra at the Hotel Terrace in Engelberg, Mango in Gstaad and Hiltl, the vegetarian institution in Zurich since 1898. The Moulin Rouge dinner show offers a vegan menu.
For villas and long stays, a travelling Indian cook can join the family. For Jain meals, confirm in writing with each hotel kitchen that dishes carry no onion, garlic or root vegetables.
Questions, answered
Also asked.
What is the Vatican Clavigero tour and what does it cost?
You join the Vatican's key-keeper as he unlocks the museums at dawn and enter the Sistine Chapel before the public. Private versions are sold through resellers from about €799 per person (about ₹84,000); book three to four months ahead.
Can you visit Versailles privately?
Yes. The Château offers Prestige Tours outside public opening times on request, including the empty Hall of Mirrors. The Palace closes to the public on Mondays; a full private day through specialists costs about €2,850.
When do Last Supper tickets go on sale?
In blocks of three or four months at noon Italian time. The September to December 2026 block opened on 23 June 2026. The May and June 2027 release had not been announced on 11 November 2026.
How much is a private viewing of the Last Supper?
The museum's guidelines set €5,708.50 for up to 30 people for one hour from 19:30, Tuesday to Friday, and €6,183.50 Saturday to Monday, with €1 million event insurance required. Apply at least 15 days ahead.
Can we hire Villa del Balbianello for an anniversary?
Yes, for an exclusive evening. The FAI's 2025 tariff is €24,500 plus VAT for six hours after 18:00, about ₹25.7 lakh. Allow six months for a June weekend and reconfirm the 2027 rate.
Is there good Indian or Jain food in Paris and Switzerland?
We found no Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Paris, Zurich, Milan or Rome, but Jugaad in Paris, Chandra in Engelberg, Mango in Gstaad and Hiltl in Zurich are dependable. Confirm Jain meals in writing: no onion, garlic or root vegetables.
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