Rome: Which Excursion?

[Loops05]

Hi

 

We are looking for some guidance on choosing a P&O led excursions to Rome in October. There are 3 contenders that are of interest to us. However, from the very brief overview, they all sound (& are priced) fairly similar.

 

Classical Rome

Introduction to Rome

Roam around Rome

 

Any reviews, recommendations, advice etc on value of tour & what sights are included would be very much appreciated.

 

Like many Rome newbies, we would like to see & learn about as many sights as possible, preferably on foot as opposed to 'on wheels'.

Those we are keen to see include, (exteriors of) Colosseum & Forum, Trevi fountain (restoration to be complete?) & Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, Vatican + (interiors of) St Peter's Basilica & Sistine Chapel

 

Many, many thanks

Loz

[BigMac1953]

Hi Loz

 

May I suggest an alternative that will allow you to take in EVERY place of interest?

 

Three time we have used http://www.discoveryguidedtours.com/

 

Gilberto Stanzioni is the owner (since 1995) and although a native of Rome, has lived in London and NYC, so speaks perfect English, and is quite humorous.

 

The beauty of using him, is that not only is he extremely knowledgeable, but can tailor make your trip so that you can have as long or as little time at each site as you wish with no waiting for the missing old buddies that have gone off to find the loo.

 

He uses Merc Vianos that can seat 8, but 6 is more comfortable.

 

During traffic hold ups, which are very frequent, unlike the tour buses, he just scoots down the back lanes.

 

Stop for lunch? stop for a drink? no problem, he'll just wait outside.

 

The cost for the full day is €600, but does not include entry fees.

 

He also arranges entry tickets in advance to save queueing.

 

It works out cheaper and better than the official tours if you can get 6 in total.

 

Good luck

 

Stewart

[Alan & Giselle]

We had been to Rome before with other cruise lines but when we went with P&O we did the Roam around Rome.

We thoroughly enjoyed it, there is a lot of walking, we took in the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain amongst other things and we ended up at the Vatican City.

We would definitely enjoyed and it was a beautiful sunny day as well which helped with the mood of the group.

[larrythelabrador]

Few weeks ago did the Glories of the gladiators tour, took us to the Mouth of truth, coliseum & then to the Forum before leaving us at Plazza Navona with 3 hours free time, it was a good trip & we walked straight past the huge queues at the coliseum as we had pre booked places!

[Bacardi..]

The other option was to grab a taxi. We were just there and prices were €20 - €30 for a trip. You can tailor it to suit you needs and not be on a coach so long

[jaceyar]

Our first time we did the ship's "Rome on your own" trip. They dropped us off at the Vatican and then the time was our own. We saw everything we wanted to and left the Vatican tour for when we had more time. The metro is easy to use, Spanish Steps and Trevi very close to each other. I hate organised "follow me" tours and would always prefer to explore on my own. I researched online and found that Forum and Coliseum tickets can be purchased at Palentine Hill without queuing - then you can just go in. We grabbed slices of pizza for lunch and glugged water - didn't want to waste time sitting in a restaurant - enough of that on the cruise! Rome is great, you'll love it.

Edited July 7, 2015 by jaceyar

[boogybaby]

Hi, we either get the train which is quick and easy (see port guides or trip advisor) or we jump on a coach tour guides were selling return tickets at the port they stopped beside the Vatican again a cheap way to travel.

Try to see the pantheon it's free and very interesting, it's my favourite place to visit,

Enjoy your visit

[Loops05]

Many thanks to you all for sharing your experiences/recommendations.

 

There are so many options from which to choose. We are a party of four that agree on the places of interest yet we each prefer a different method to see them!:confused: It may be a case of putting all suggestions into a hat! However, I think either an independent guide or a P&O guided tour that allows some free time to explore on one's own are looking favourable.

 

Thanks again....whatever we do, it will be a fantastic trip.

 

Loz

[bee-ess]

In the past we have always caught the train which is has been very easy and cheap. Get the free shuttle to the port gate and 10 min walk to station - about 10 Euro return train inc use of Metro.

However last year they moved the shuttle drop off point to further from the station and it is now not quite so easy. I believe that there is now a Private train excursion that P&O do that drops off at the Vatican station and gives you the rest of the day as 'on your own' time. It is a bit of a halfway house between DIY train and organised trip. Maybe worth considering.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2199022&highlight=rome+private+train#

Edited July 9, 2015 by bee-ess

[LondonTowner]

Very rarely take the overpriced cruise excursions. Have a look on the Italy Forum as there is plenty of information of tours in Rome. You may want to put a message on the Roll Call for your cruise.

[Mysticalmother]

In the past we have always caught the train which is has been very easy and cheap. Get the free shuttle to the port gate and 10 min walk to station - about 10 Euro return train inc use of Metro.

However last year they moved the shuttle drop off point to further from the station and it is now not quite so easy. I believe that there is now a Private train excursion that P&O do that drops off at the Vatican station and gives you the rest of the day as 'on your own' time. It is a bit of a halfway house between DIY train and organised trip. Maybe worth considering.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2199022&highlight=rome+private+train#

We did the P&O "shuttle and Roma train" excursion in May and were very pleased with it. The private train was very comfortable, there was an excellent tour guide on the train who gave us loads of useful info. We arrived at the Vatican at around 9.15 and met back there at 3.45 so we had a fair bit of time to do our own thing. Expensive - yes - but gave us that peace of mind whilst not being stuck on a coach all day. Had a really good day.

[Munchkin1982]

If there's a group of you Rome By Limo is a fab option - you get picked up from the ship by an air conditioned Mercedes with English speaking, local driver/guide. You will see all of the key sights in a day, you can adapt on the day to suit you and it works out excellent value for money - approx 500 euro for the day which is comparable with a lot of the ships trips. We had a fabulous day in Rome using this option and were the "smug" passengers the next day listening to everyone else complain about how rushed they'd felt on the ships tours. This option is especially good if any of your group have mobility issues as the driver will drop you right next to the venues if needed eg 20ft from the pantheon, just outside the Vatican etc.

[Clodia]

I've done the Classical, the Roam Around Rome and On Your Own. I enjoyed the Roam Around Rome tour most because we had a fantastic guide who made it so interesting! We had headsets so no problem hearing her, and a good break for lunch where we wandered away from Piazza Navona into the back streets to find a little pizza restaurant where the locals went, very reasonably priced! It covered all the main sights mentioned.

I wouldn't do the train alone as on every cruise I've been on calling at Civitavecchia for Rome someone has missed the ship because the train suddenly stops. They are very unpredictable so if you're lucky you'll save a lot of money, and if you're unlucky you'll miss the ship!