Tours in Rome

Has anyone booked Tours with one of the many companies that offer Full and Half Day English Speaking Tours in Rome. There are so many companies online. This is our first trip to Rome and only have 2 days before our Oct. TA cruise. Thanks for any help with this.

There is a huge thread just down the board on Rome in Limo, a wonderful and rightfully highly recommended company. So, yes, we have booked with them.

By the way, board rules say we can't recommend a provider if we haven't used them. So the MANY positive comments in the MANY threads on Rome tour providers here on the board are from people who have used those companies.

I second the rec of Rome in Limo. They are top notch. You can book a private tour or sign up for tour sharing. We opted for a private car for 3 of us and while it was costly, it was worth every cent.

I will definitely utilize their services again.

While RomeInLimo is undoubtedly an excellent service, they are primarily a driver service and I think they are most useful for folks with only a quick one-day port stop to see Rome. With two days in Rome prior to your cruise, I would consider other options (unless someone in your group has significant mobility issues). Rome's central area is very walkable and with a little planning there are many sites you can walk to and visit on your own (such as the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, etc.) Rick Steves' Rome guidebook offers several self-guided walking tours around the various parts of Rome.

Places where a professional guide may be useful are the Forum/Colosseum and the Vatican museum. Both of these offer official guided tours that are quite reasonable in cost. The Vatican tours can be reserved in advance and allow you to skip the long entrance queue. (Actually, even if you don't want a guided tour but just an entry ticket, you can book it in advance and avoid the line...) At the Colosseum, guides are available at the ticket booth and are good at gathering small groups together for a minimal charge.

There are also good small-group walking tours offered by various agencies. I have taken several of the Context Travel tours and they are excellent if you are really interested in learning a lot about a particular area or time period of Rome's history.

Stefano rome tours http://www.stefanorometours.com is owned by the same man who owns Rome Cabs. They have many set tours or will customize anything you wish. Can't recommend them enough

There are also good small-group walking tours offered by various agencies. I have taken several of the Context Travel tours and they are excellent if you are really interested in learning a lot about a particular area or time period of Rome's history.

Wow, I am thrilled to see your post! I just came across Context Travel today and am considering their Arte Vaticana Tour. Have you done it? It seems like the perfect way to enjoy the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's :)

There are many good tour companies in Rome and honestly many are just great. Some will recommend one over the other because that is whom they have been with and they are happy with them.

Make a list of the possibilities and then narrow it down based on the tour and then read reviews here but also on TripAdvisor.

And book early because some fill up.

Keith

I wont go with tripadvisor reviews, don't trust that site, but it's only me :)

Not sure why you wouldn't trust that site. By the way it's a sister site of Cruise Critic. Like most reviews, including on Cruise Critic, I look to see that many reviews have been written and I weed out ones that seem like one offs. In other words, I go with 80/20 rule. If 80% of people praise something or view something negatively I accept that as fact until I experience it myself.

Keith

There are many good tour companies in Rome and honestly many are just great. Some will recommend one over the other because that is whom they have been with and they are happy with them.

 

Make a list of the possibilities and then narrow it down based on the tour and then read reviews here but also on TripAdvisor.

 

And book early because some fill up.

 

Keith

Thank you Keith. I have already done that and was looking for feedback from CC members whose opinions I find more accurate. I thought I was booked already based on a pre-reserve I did through TickItaly and they came back this week and advised the tour time they included on their site - is not available for booking. So now I am searching for a replacement.

I wont go with tripadvisor reviews, don't trust that site, but it's only me :)

Thanks for the feedback. I have had some recent issues with TripAdvisor too - mostly with hotels though. I use them in a way similar to what Keith described paying closer attention to the average to lower scores and how recent they are.

LEtue, in addition to stefanorometours (which I have used) and RomeInLimo (which I am using next year) I have also used Joe Banana Limos and thought they were great too.

Their web site is"

http://www.joebananalimos.net

Take a look at each of these. See if the tours interest you and then try one at a time to check on availability.

Good luck with this.

Keith

LEtue, in addition to stefanorometours (which I have used) and RomeInLimo (which I am using next year) I have also used Joe Banana Limos and thought they were great too.

 

Their web site is"

 

http://www.joebananalimos.net

 

Take a look at each of these. See if the tours interest you and then try one at a time to check on availability.

 

Good luck with this.

 

Keith

Thanks again Keith. Fortunately, I am staying in Rome for a few day pre-cruise this time so, I am just looking for a great guided tour of the Vatican.

I am glad to have time to see the rest of the city at leisure too. My last visit was an excursion from Civitavecchia with RomeInLimo and they are awesome :D

__________________

Contact Many at Rome in Limo and see if they will provide a guide for the Vatican.

Wow, I am thrilled to see your post! I just came across Context Travel today and am considering their Arte Vaticana Tour. Have you done it? It seems like the perfect way to enjoy the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St Peter's :)

We booked a docent from Context Travel a few years ago. Our tour with her started at Palentine Hill. There were 5 of us, and we had a driver pick us up at Civitavecchia and take us back at the end. Context had also arranged the driver for us, this allowed him to be in touch with the docent if there were any traffic delays in meeting her.

She was fabulous, as much detail as you wanted. We walked from Aventine Hill, viewed the Forum, walked through Constantine Arch over to the Colosseum - no waiting in lines. Then she took us via subway to a place for lunch, back on to the subway for a tour of a couple of rooms in the Vatican Museum; followed by the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Again no waiting in line. Before we entered the museum, DH and I had to run out to buy some paper pants because he had shorts on. That is a very funny photo in our album now.

It was the best tour money we ever spent. Enjoy