Driver in Rome Review - June 2005

We used Driver in Rome for our Rome and Naples tours.

 

 

 

On the morning of our Rome tour (June 8), we were surprised to be greeted by a bright blue-eyed man whom I recognized as Remo, the owner of the company. He would provide narration for the 12 of us as we toured the city with a driver (Renato) in a 20-passenger minibus. (He’s not a licensed tour guide, so I’m not referring to him as one.) Remo told jokes, played the accordion and even sang for us during the day. We toured so many sights that I have to view the video to recall them all, but some were Capitoline Hill, St. Peter's in Chains, the Coliseum (from the outside), Constantine's Arch, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica. There are a few places we missed because we used a minibus rather than a van, such as the Spanish Steps and St. Peter's Square during the Pope's Wednesday morning audience. We stopped for pizza for lunch (they charge by the kilo, so be certain to ask for small slices if you don't want to overeat or overpay) and for gelato at the end of the day (very reasonable and excellent). Remo arranged for a tour guide for us at the VaticanMuseum for 120 Euros plus the entrance fee (12 Euros), and it was well worth the price. He pointed out many things that we would have missed had we done it on our own, and we were very lucky that we had 2-1/2 hours to tour the Museum, Sistine Chapel and Basilica. Also, since we were a group, we were able to take the shortcut from the Chapel to the Basilica. It was a very busy but fabulous day.

 

We enjoyed Remo so much we wanted to know how to secure his participation in our Naples tour. He advised that if we gathered at least 10-12 passengers (I had eight at the time), he would get us another minibus and go along with us. Our group managed to find six more passengers, so we were a bit disappointed when Remo showed up in Naples (June 15) with a 14-passenger van. It was a bit of a squeeze and there was nowhere for Remo, who was coming down with a cold, to sit other than the floor, so I eventually gave up my seat for him and shared a single with my husband. The tour took us up into the mountains for a view over Naples, then down the other side to Ravello, where we had 20 minutes to view the town. We then spent about 30 minutes at the Hotel San Pietro, where we had to tip the "doorman" 1 Euro each on the way out. We had lunch at da Constantino, perched above Positano. For 20 Euros each including tip, we enjoyed bruschetta, marinated anchovies, grilled vegetables, and three types of pasta, along with bottled water (still and with gas) and jugs of house red and white wines. (If you are hungry enough, you can also have a main course of fish or grilled meat for an extra charge.) It was followed by marinated oranges, almond cake, and type of flan. Since it was now about 2:15, we headed for Pompeii, where Remo arranged for a guide to meet us. We arrived just before 3:00 and went into the site (10 Euro entrance fee). The guide showed us some of the main sights during a 90-minute tour (120 Euros for the group), but we missed quite a bit. You would need at least three hours to do this area any justice, in my opinion. From there we headed back to the ship, took a group photo, and said goodbye to Remo and Luigi, our driver.

 

Overall, I was pleased both with Driver In Rome’s service and price. While there were a few disappointments on the Naples tour (I would have skipped the hotel and spent some time in Positano instead), I would strongly recommend this company. However, I would limit groups to 12 passengers so there is a little breathing room in the vehicle, and I would have at least 10 so I had a better shot of having Remo accompany us. While an 8-passenger van can reach more places within the city of Rome, I would find it distracting to have our narrator drive as well (which is what Remo’s son, Daniele, did with the group in Rome). Please note there is little to no time for shopping during these tours. If you wish to shop, let the driver or narrator know so the agenda can be adjusted.

Karen,

 

I've been reading your reviews, and I want to thank you for sharing all your information. I have booked Driver in Rome for 3 of our tours; Florence/Pisa, Rome & Sicily. In Rome, I don't think we have a seperate guide set up for the Vatican. Did you pre-arrange this with Daniele before the tour? I will email him and set this up if you think a guide is needed for the Vatican. Also, was there a reason you did not go inside the Coliseum?

 

Thanks so much!

You're welcome. I hoped they helped!

 

Remo asked us in the morning if we had prebooked a tour guide, which I hadn't since I had no idea when we would arrive at the Museum and how many people would want to participate. He called ahead from his cell phone (which rings quite a bit!) to arrange the guide, but I assume it would be easier if you let them know in advance that you want one. I suppose if all the guides that Remo uses were booked, we would have had to make due without one. As I mentioned, I definitely think the guide was worth it, especially since it was only an extra 10 Euros per person for our group of 12 (my husband tipped the guide 5 Euros).

 

We didn't go into the Coliseum simply because of time. There were 12 of us and only one or two really wanted to take the time to go inside, and Remo nicely but firmly discouraged us from doing so. As it was, we were originally going to see several other sights and have a longer lunch break, but we hit traffic in several places so he had to adjust our schedule several times. Since we started late (9:30 rather than 8:00) we really should have had another hour on the tour, but we arrived back at the ship only 30 minutes or so later than originally scheduled (about 5:30). I was exhausted, so I didn't complain, but a few members of our group would have preferred the allotted time.

 

Karen

I should have included the e-mail address, which is info@driverinrome.com, as well as the website address: www.driverinrome.com.

 

Karen

Thanks, Karen. I'm emailing Daniele right now to set up a guide for us. We have only 6 in our group, so I'm hoping we'll be able to see everything.

Hi All - We were also on the cruise with Karen. However we had a group of 8 with Daniele as our driver. It was in absolutely no way distracting to have Daniele as a driver and a narrator. In fact of all of the driver/guides that we had, Daneile was by far our favorite. He was able to get us to Saint Peters Square while the Pope was still there and one of the couples on the tour with us was able to capture a wonderful photo of the Pope as he passed through te crowd. Daniele was able to also get us into the Vatican with absolutely no wait. By the time we came out, the crowd stretched around the corner and down the street. I would HHIGHTLY recommend Daniele. We were able to see all of te major sights including places that Remo was unable to access due to the size of his van. As an added bonus, Remo met us when we returned to the port and entertained us with his accordian. It was a wonderful way to end the awesome day that we had with Daniele. I think that you are in for a treat if you are able to secure either Daniel or Remo as your guide.

Thanks Karen, I have really enjoyed your reveiw & On board reports. We orginally were booked for the June 5th cruise but had to push it back to July 23 for kids schedule. I have also booked Driverinrome for Rome & Florence.

 

We have 8 in our group and in Rome only 4-5 want to visit the Vatican so I was considering reserving the Vatican tour I read on another thread, I believe it was approx 22 Euro each to make sure we had no line. What time did you get to the Vatican? The others don't mind wondering & people watching while we tour but since we will have teens with us I don't know if we should just do a preview of walking thru as quickly as we can(which I know will still be about 2 hrs) or having a guide. If the line is long I am sure we would skip rather than make the rest of our group wait even longer.

 

Ms B. - I was assured I probably would get one or the recommended guides since we booked early(But not Promised) I was hoping we would get in without a wait at the Vatican but they couldn't guarantee that either. What time did your group reach the Vatican?

 

3 dogmom - let me know what you hear from driver in rome & decide to do. I am still up in the air.

 

Since we have 5 in the family and are doing quite a few private tours, I am trying to watch my spending a little, but I don't mind paying if it maximizes our time and makes our visit more enjoyable.

 

Thanks

3dogmom, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time and having the tour guide will given you an added insight into other art and sculptures you'll see throughout Italy.

 

CruisingFLFamily, we arrived at the Vatican Museum around 1:15 and at that time there was no line. I don't know if that's because everyone who had attended the pope's address had been there and left or because it was lunchtime. I believe most of the tour companies have ways of getting their groups past the line because they bring business to the tour guides, but I don't know how they do it.

 

Karen

Thanks for the review, Karen.

 

We will bw using D.I.R. too for Pompeii, Pisa & Florence and Rome. We only have a party of 4 so far, but was hoping for another couple.

 

Bob

CruisingFLFamily - I sent DIR an email requesting them to book a guide for the Vatican and I did get an email back from them that one has been reserved for us for 2 hours at a cost of 110 euros. I think it's very well worth the extra money to have a personal guide. Without explaination of what you're seeing, I think you do miss out.

Hi, We are leaving for our Med Cruise on 8/27. I would appreciate an email of the review, also. My email is "Bombmom39@aol.com" Thanks in advance~ Lori

Hi everyone,

 

Olliekl: I have a couple of questions about Daniele and your tour. We are interested in doing a tour of the Vatican in October after we disembark our Med cruise. We will arrive back in Rome by midmorning. Does anyone know how long it takes to disembark? We have a van picking us up & dropping us off at our hotels. So we probably couldn't do a tour until after around noontime.

 

Daniele's tour sounds great! Does he pick you up at your hotel for the Vatican tour? We have 8 people interested in a Vatican tour and we are staying at 3 different hotels in the Vatican area.

 

The website says the prices includes the tickets to the Vatican. Does he purchase them prior to the start of the tour? How long is his tour? His website says the price is E370.00 for 8 people and includes admission ticket. This seems very reasonable to me.

 

Does he do the tour or have someone else do it?

 

Thanks for your help.

 

Mary

Mary, we did the excursion from the port, so the logistics would be a little different. Remo did our tour in the minibus and Daniele did a minivan tour. Remo told us they had 17 tour groups out that day, so obviously they have quite a few drivers.

 

In our case, the tickets to the Vatican Musuem were not purchased in advance. Remo arranged for a guide to take us through the Museum (we had two hours, but I believe Daniele's group only had about 45 minutes) at an additional cost of either 110 or 120 Euros, I can't remember which. Remo is not a licensed guide (neither is Daniele) so he cannot accompany you into museums or places like Pompeii. The amount of time you have at the Vatican depends on what else you do that day and what your priorities are. We wanted to see a little of everything, but we spent the longest amount of time at the Vatican.

 

I would contact them at info@driverinrome.com and pose the questions you asked here. Daniele or his fiance, Monia, usually answer e-mails within 24 hours. They both understand and write English pretty well so you shouldn't have any communication problems.

 

Good luck and have a great time!

 

Karen

Thanks, Karen. I appreciate your info. Will check it out w/ DIR.

 

Mary

We used Driver in Rome for our Rome and Naples tours.

olliekl, I have some questions for you regarding these tours. I have similar plans for next summer. Would you mind emailing me so that I can ask you these questions offline? Just add "at hotmail dot com" to my user id. Thanks in advance.

RIchYak, you have mail.

Karen, thanks for all your help.

For Florence, we used Drivers in Rome (I think) for 8 of us. We did have problems hearing our driver being our guide as he sat front due in our 8-person van. In the back, we could never hear him well and maybe if he'd had a mike, it would have helped. As it was, any questions or commentary were shouted out. However, the small van was able to get very close to all the sites and our driver reserved us tickets to see David at the Accademia so no line. Our total cost (including a shortened stop at Pisa on the way back) was 600 Euros, not including the 11 Euros each for the Accademia entrance fee or his tip. This tour did not include any meals and included about 2 1/2 hours free time in Florence and 30 minutes free time in Pisa.

 

In Rome, we did an expensive ship's tour called "Eternal Rome" ($189/pp) which included the Vatican and the Colliseum with a tour guide for both and lunch. We had about 40 on our giant bus and were each issued wireless headsets so that we could all hear the guide - they were great because they didn't require the guide to shout or our group to all crowd around to hear her commentary. We had one guide on the bus from the port and picked up our second licensed guide at the Vatican and she stayed with us through the Colliseum. We arrived at the Vatican around 9am and waited in a huge multi-block line which surprisingly only took 30 minutes. We then followed our guide through the Vatican and hideous crowds but she was wonderful. Lunch was good and included an appetizer of ziti and sauce followed by veal picatta with vegatables followed by chocolate cake. All were accompanied by jugs of red and white wine. The Colliseum was in the afternoon and we took a full inside tour (again, no line) which was interesting but I'd be willing to give it up to see more of Rome. We passed the Vatican around 1pm and there were NO lines in front of it as it closes at 3pm.

 

We enjoyed both tours but found pros and cons for each type of tour:

Pros

1. Ship's tour is guaranteed to get you back to the ship on time - we never really encountered traffic so this was not a factor. Ship's tour is also much easier to arrange than a private tour and is charged to a credit card, beforehand or on board. We had to pay cash for our private tour. Also, the ship's tour price included everything - lunch, entrance fees, etc. Private tour only included transportation around the city.

2. Private tours can be quite a bit less expensive than a full-blown ship's tour with far less people and customized itineraries. A good tour guide can add immensely to the tour and private tours are typically in smaller vehicles that can get around better.

 

Cons

1. Ships tours can be quite expensive compared to private tours and since they cannot be customized, can be quite disappointing. Also, they tend to have a minimum of 40 people on them in a large bus.

2. Private tours can be quite expensive with less people - our 600 Euro tour for 8 would still have cost 550 Euros (or something close to that) for just 4. Also, the ship will not wait on passengers returning from a private tour. Again, they also may require a large cash payment at the end and some groups want a credit card on deposit and finally, you will only deal with private tours on-line and hope that word-of-mouth will keep you from being ripped off.