Honeymoon in Italy...First timers need help finding a Tour

Hey All!

My wife and I will be taking a much delayed Honeymoon (see our much read Cruise wedding post http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1930867) and Cruise to Italy and Greece next year!!

We will be on a 10 night Celebrity Mediterranean Cruise...but first..we want to spend a few days in Rome!

Celebrity usually offers Cruisetours...but as of this post....nothing? So we are on our own....

...and our first trip to Europe (well...the Med).

We'd like to find a semi-private tour (i.e. small) That will show us around a bit..visit some LOCAL food spots..help us with the money exchange (if needed) etc.

We are not interested in being packed on a bus with 100 other people...or being dragged to one tourist attraction or the other (all day).

I guess we are looking for the type of tour a friend or family member would take you on (if you were visiting them in Rome).

We are not rich..but we are willing to pay for a good experience.

Can anyone help?

Dwayne & Kel

Hey All!

 

My wife and I will be taking a much delayed Honeymoon (see our much read Cruise wedding post http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1930867) and Cruise to Italy and Greece next year!!

 

We will be on a 10 night Celebrity Mediterranean Cruise...but first..we want to spend a few days in Rome!

 

Celebrity usually offers Cruisetours...but as of this post....nothing? So we are on our own....

 

...and our first trip to Europe (well...the Med).

 

We'd like to find a semi-private tour (i.e. small) That will show us around a bit..visit some LOCAL food spots..help us with the money exchange (if needed) etc.

 

We are not interested in being packed on a bus with 100 other people...or being dragged to one tourist attraction or the other (all day).

 

I guess we are looking for the type of tour a friend or family member would take you on (if you were visiting them in Rome).

 

We are not rich..but we are willing to pay for a good experience.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Dwayne & Kel

If you look a little farther down this page you will see a thread with over 2500 posts on it about a company called Rome In Limo. They are wonderful to work with and have quality drivers and guides, I would certainly contact them. We've used them for several tours/transfers in Rome & Naples and will do so again on our next visit.

There is a wide range of tours available in town, given that you're already in Rome I don't think you need to go for the expense of a car service.

Do you prefer more academic tours? If so, Context Travel may be your thing: http://www.contexttravel.com/city/rome

On the other hand, I've used III Millennia tours and been pleased with them. They're informative (but certainly not the academic caliber of ) yet fun. People I know have been on their wine tour of Rome and had a great time: http://threemillennia.com/semi-private-group-tours/

Once you are in Rome it is very easy to find the main attractions and it can be done on foot by most people.With a good map and some good walking shoes you will be able to save your self a lot of money and have a great time.The thing is with a few days you can see a lot of the A tickets and still have time to just get lost(in a good sense) in Rome .Our first time was a one day port stop took the train and in one day found 7 of the top 10 rome sights on my map, just by walking many are close to each other and will stumble on them just walking around(look for the little signs )We were affraid of not knowing any Italian but this was not a problem the people will help you and are very nice.What I mean by getting lost is the experence you wont get on a tour. Once whan we stayed in Rome overnight before we caught the train to the ship we woke up early and just walked down the street (totaly random) and found a wonderfull neighborhood with a stunning church were my D.W. went in and worshiped with the locals and then we just sat and had some coffee and some bread with the people of this church . If you study and do these things on your own you will have a much better travel experence.As far as money exchange it is very easy there are many great threads on this site to help you . Have a happy honeymoon.

Rome is very easy to DIY, we visited for 3 days as part of our European honeymoon and we just did it on our own. We just had a guide book, did some research before we left and walked most places, occasionally getting the subway.

Most people in Rome that work in the tourism industry speak English so there is no issue with language barrier. For money you just use an ATM like you would at home to get some Euros out, you will need to do this anyway for your cruise as you need to use local currency in the ports.

The places we visited during our 3 days included:

St Peters, Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel

Coleseum

The Forum

Trevi fountain

Numerous churches

The Pantheon

Spanish Steps

Castel St Angelo

And lots and lots of wandering around soaking up the atmosphere. We spent another 2 nights in Rome a couple of years ago before a med cruise and still found plenty of new things to see and do.

Purchase a copy of Rick Steves' Rome guidebook. Full of practical transportation information, walking tours and excellent site tours, particularly for art museums.

Also absolutely no need to exchange money. Just use the ATM machines like you do at home and Euros will emerge.

Hey All!

 

My wife and I will be taking a much delayed Honeymoon (see our much read Cruise wedding post http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1930867) and Cruise to Italy and Greece next year!!

 

We will be on a 10 night Celebrity Mediterranean Cruise...but first..we want to spend a few days in Rome!

 

Celebrity usually offers Cruisetours...but as of this post....nothing? So we are on our own....

 

...and our first trip to Europe (well...the Med).

 

We'd like to find a semi-private tour (i.e. small) That will show us around a bit..visit some LOCAL food spots..help us with the money exchange (if needed) etc.

 

We are not interested in being packed on a bus with 100 other people...or being dragged to one tourist attraction or the other (all day).

 

I guess we are looking for the type of tour a friend or family member would take you on (if you were visiting them in Rome).

 

We are not rich..but we are willing to pay for a good experience.

 

Can anyone help?

 

Dwayne & Kel

whether you take my earlier recommendation or Euro cruiser's I would most definitely recommend hiring SOME kind of guide. I would have no problem now doing Rome on our own but it would have been much harder the first time and I have no doubt we would not have seen anywhere near as much as we did.....it's worth the extra $$ the first time in my opinion....

whether you take my earlier recommendation or Euro cruiser's I would most definitely recommend hiring SOME kind of guide. I would have no problem now doing Rome on our own but it would have been much harder the first time and I have no doubt we would not have seen anywhere near as much as we did.....it's worth the extra $$ the first time in my opinion....

While this may be true for some, I don't think it is universally true. It depends on one's desire to do the research and legwork in advance. I've read reports here from a number of people who have had very successful "do it yourself" touring experiences in Rome (Virtual Rain's report springs to mind....) I know that in most places where it is relatively easy to get around on one's own, I've had a more fulfilling experience doing my own research and touring.

While this may be true for some, I don't think it is universally true. It depends on one's desire to do the research and legwork in advance. I've read reports here from a number of people who have had very successful "do it yourself" touring experiences in Rome (Virtual Rain's report springs to mind....) I know that in most places where it is relatively easy to get around on one's own, I've had a more fulfilling experience doing my own research and touring.

and I don't disagree with you but since the OP referred to this trip as their honeymoon did not know if they had the time necessary to do the research you mention....and if true then some kind of guide for a day or two would help them more fully enjoy Rome....I know we would have felt very intimidated on our 1st visit without the help we received....everyone's different though so good that there are "options" :)

There are many different tour operators in Rome. I think it really depends on your touring style, how much time you have, and all the places you want to see. My husband and I spent a week in Rome for our honeymoon almost a decade ago. We did research, were armed with a good tour book, and we enjoyed DIY and liked being able to go at our own pace and change our plans on the go. Fast forward to this past June, we were in port for one day with my parents, brother, and kids. To maximize our time - we opted with a private tour - Rome in Limo - and had a great day. There was just no way we could get around and see what we did in one day.

Personally if I had enough time pre-cruise, I would opt for DIY. Many attractions are close together and we had no trouble finding places etc. Many of our best memories were just walking and exploring the streets of Rome. But, you have to be willing to spend time doing some research.

It really does not take all that long to read one guidebook. Rick Steves is so comprehensive for the first-time visitor that you easily can focus on the chapters (sights) that interest you and ignore the rest. A few hours of work and then you are all set for a pretty good first experience of this wonderful city. Great public transportation, excellent food, good hotel options.

Enjoy!

I am firmly in the DIY crowd. For your honeymoon, especially, you do not want to be told where to go or what to see. Take in the ambiance of Rome. Stroll around. Find a great little restaurant (one without a menu in English!)

Rick Steves book is excellent because it clearly shows how easy it is to get around on your own. If you want to tour the Vatican Museums you should reserve your time in advance. The same goes for the Borghese Gallery.

We would also DIY now that we've been there.

Rome In Limo was WONDERFUL for 1st time visit for us. They certainly DO NOT tell you where to go, rather they will take you wherever you want and get you there quicker, with less lines than on your own. NO not everyone needs a tour company but for those that do it certainly is not fair to make it sound like they are doing something wrong by hiring one. We read Rick Steeves prior to our first visit too and yes, it was helpful, but our guides in the Vatican Museums, and throughout Ancient Rome on our walking tours made everything come alive for us very quickly and when you have VERY limited time that's important, at least it was for us. I hope the OP has a wonderful time whatever their decision.

I hope the OP has a wonderful time whatever their decision.

We certainly all can agree on that wish!:)

We would also DIY now that we've been there.

 

Rome In Limo was WONDERFUL for 1st time visit for us. They certainly DO NOT tell you where to go, rather they will take you wherever you want and get you there quicker, with less lines than on your own. NO not everyone needs a tour company but for those that do it certainly is not fair to make it sound like they are doing something wrong by hiring one. We read Rick Steeves prior to our first visit too and yes, it was helpful, but our guides in the Vatican Museums, and throughout Ancient Rome on our walking tours made everything come alive for us very quickly and when you have VERY limited time that's important, at least it was for us. I hope the OP has a wonderful time whatever their decision.

I can read the frustration in your post and I don't mean to argue with you, but it is very easy now to reserve tickets in advance for the most crowded sites, so you don't have to wait in any long lines whether you choose to go with a tour or not.

Also, I would just point out that the wonderful guides apparently provided by RIL are not part of their "basic" cost, which only covers transportation -- not entry fees or guides to actually visit the site with you.

While I'd rather go it alone, I can certainly understand the desire for some to use a guide on their first visit to the Vatican museum and basilica. However, that can be arranged on one's own without having to purchase the car/driver services that RIL excels at.

I frankly don't see the sense in having a car and driver UNLESS one is mobility impaired and/or only has a few hours. For someone able to walk or use public transport and who doesn't have to rush back to the ship, there are better options. (IMHO, of course....;)) The original poster doesn't have "very limited time" but plans to spend several days in Rome.

I can read the frustration in your post and I don't mean to argue with you, but it is very easy now to reserve tickets in advance for the most crowded sites, so you don't have to wait in any long lines whether you choose to go with a tour or not.

 

Also, I would just point out that the wonderful guides apparently provided by RIL are not part of their "basic" cost, which only covers transportation -- not entry fees or guides to actually visit the site with you.

 

While I'd rather go it alone, I can certainly understand the desire for some to use a guide on their first visit to the Vatican museum and basilica. However, that can be arranged on one's own without having to purchase the car/driver services that RIL excels at.

 

I frankly don't see the sense in having a car and driver UNLESS one is mobility impaired and/or only has a few hours. For someone able to walk or use public transport and who doesn't have to rush back to the ship, there are better options. (IMHO, of course....;)) The original poster doesn't have "very limited time" but plans to spend several days in Rome.

I guess my frustration is because while we did hire RIL for transfers and some tours(mostly in Naples) we ALSO hired them for their wonderful walking tours which are also done by the same guides you would have in the Vatican, I know this because we did it. I am not in any way saying you can't DIY, you certainly can but I think a proper picture of both options should be given and my frustration came from the post that stated a tour would NOT allow you to pick and choose where you go and what you see...certainly a tour sponsored by a cruiseship does this but if you personally hire a company, RIL or someone else YOU direct the tour...that's one of the plusses of doing so....

We had 2 1/2 days in Rome on our first visit and we will forever be grateful for the money we spent with our walking tour guide through Ancient Rome AND our Vatican Museum guide(who turned out to be the same person on two different days). It was our 1st overseas visit anywhere and certainly helped us feel more comfortable, if/when we return we will be much more confident in a DIY approach. Of course perhaps the OP has extensively travelled but he/she DID ask for tour information not DIY info. I just tried to answer their question.

Hey All!

OP here....

As usual...GREAT responses!! Now, at least, my wife and I are armed with a lot of information.

I am honestly not sure which way we will go. I'll discuss it with the "Boss" and let you all know!

Thanks again for the great information!!

Dwayne & Kel

Been to Rome a bunch of times. Going again next April/May.

Rome is best walked. Too many areas that are pedestrian only. If you need to get somewhere quicker than walking there - taxis are plentiful and NOT expensive.

For some sights ( Vatican museums - Coliseum ) it is easy to book a guided tour.

IF you really need help getting around - perhaps a walking tour would work best for you ?

BTW: I have done Rome: walking, taxi, bus, and even on a golf cart (with mother in law with mobility issues) and if you can walk its most enjoyable.