RomeInLimo questions

[SondraC]

Thanks for all the additional information that everyone has provided! We are very comfortable doing things on our own, no elderly or little ones. We will probably do a mix, some ports on our own and some hiring a car & driver.

[samavarcruiser]

Thanks for all the additional information that everyone has provided! We are very comfortable doing things on our own, no elderly or little ones. We will probably do a mix, some ports on our own and some hiring a car & driver.

 

Have fun, as "hylasgirl" said: Planning is one of the greatest parts of these trips :)

[hylasgirl]

All information is good information. One is no better than the other... which was my point:)

 

Planning these trips is incredible. It's sifting through all the information and deciding what appeals to you. I know what I like... because I've done many different types of excursions. Traveling is a very personal thing. I chime in on this thread often because I believe in this service from experience. Land trips are a whole other story... but this is the Cruisecritic... And when I cruise, for these certain ports, I love Romeinlimo.

 

In May I am going to Herculaneum with Romeinlimo. It's a site I've never visited. It should be interesting... but most of all I'm excited to spend the day with Raffaele (that has lived in Sorrento's old town all his life). I've toured with him on 3 different occasions, and now just spending the day with him is something I look forward to.

[TLCOhio]

All information is good information. One is no better than the other... which was my point. Planning these trips is incredible. It's sifting through all the information and deciding what appeals to you. I know what I like... because I've done many different types of excursions. Traveling is a very personal thing. I chime in on this thread often because I believe in this service from experience. Land trips are a whole other story... but this is the Cruisecritic... And when I cruise, for these certain ports, I love Romeinlimo. In May I am going to Herculaneum with Romeinlimo. It's a site I've never visited. It should be interesting... but most of all I'm excited to spend the day with Raffaele (that has lived in Sorrento's old town all his life). I've toured with him on 3 different occasions, and now just spending the day with him is something I look forward to.

 

Lots of good posts and thoughts are noted by Steph above, plus by Cynthia, etc. It's all personal!! You need to make things fit your specific needs, interests, etc. You can do lots on your own, but not everyone is a superstar scholar on these issues and complex places like Cynthia. If you can have a group of six or eight, as we did this last June RomeInLimo, things can work well on the costs compared to ship or other options. For most cruisers there in the Naples area, time is very limited and the options are so many and great that you need that logistical help that having a driver and good company can help so much. They can lessen your worries on how to make it all flow smoothly.

 

Since Steph is doing Herculaneum and for those considering that option in the future, below are some of my pictures from doing that part of our trip in June. Interesting historical area! Well worth the trip, as is Pompeii, etc., etc.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Did a June 7-19, 2011, Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 61,072 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

 

We are getting ready to enter Herculaneum's main market area and this is part of the overall view for this section of the super historic town.:

 

 

 

For the baths at Herculaneum, this view shows the arched roof that managed to survive the fall-out and coverage by the volcano ash.:

 

 

 

This is the interior of the temple or religious area at Herculaneum used by local residents there.:

 

 

 

For one of the most elite homes in Herculaneum, this was the view from the dining area out towards their enclosed gardens that had an overlook of the coast at that time before the volcano eruption.:

 

 

 

This picture gives more of the overall, cut-away view for one side of Herculaneum that would have faced the waterside area.:

 

 

 

This was a water supply area in the main market area at Herculaneum used by local residents there. The richer people had direct piping to their homes.:

 

[szdiver]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth into the frey.....we have used RIL three times now when we visit Rome. Trips to Pompii, Florence, Tuscany and Pisa....and every time we have had a knowledgable, professional driver. I like private tours just because they are more for our family and we don't have to wait for late people who always seem to hold up the bus. LOL....

[jesse]

Have used Romeinlimo for five years, and we have always had a fantastic experience, customized tours, ease of travel, plenty of information, and the best customer service anytime anywhere. I noticed a lot of people asking about customization-just say what you want, and if it is possible, it will happen. We have used Romeinlimo multiple times in Rome, in the surrounding countryside, Florence, Naples, Sorrento, Positano, Assisi, Orvieto--you name it, they take us! I have just booked five separate days with them for April and May, both from cruise ports and from Rome proper post-cruise. I am always looking for new ideas if anyone has any, but we do have a plan--or should i say a lot of plans! Cannot wait!

[hylasgirl]

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth into the frey.....we have used RIL three times now when we visit Rome. Trips to Pompii, Florence, Tuscany and Pisa....and every time we have had a knowledgable, professional driver. I like private tours just because they are more for our family and we don't have to wait for late people who always seem to hold up the bus. LOL....

 

 

Oh yea, been there :) I love the couple that is always the last to come back to the bus. It's always the same couple too!

[mom23guys]

I've used RomeinLimo on our previous trip two years ago for tours in Tuscany, Florence , and Amalfi. We'll be going again in October and I'm thinking of doing a tour on our way to the ship, outside of the city. Anyone have suggestions of a trip to take between Rome and the Ship?

[bobalink]

I've used RomeinLimo on our previous trip two years ago for tours in Tuscany, Florence , and Amalfi. We'll be going again in October and I'm thinking of doing a tour on our way to the ship, outside of the city. Anyone have suggestions of a trip to take between Rome and the Ship?

 

You may like the Etruscan Tour that is offered with Romeinlimo.

 

http://www.romeinlimo.com/rome-surroundings/tuscania-vulci.htm

 

We enjoyed our day very much. We had already spent 4 days in Rome and wanted to see something on the way to the port of Civitavecchia.

 

When I contacted Jany at Romeinlimo, she suggested the Etruscan tour and we connected with some folks on our Roll Call and shared the experience and cost.

 

Besides seeing the Etruscan tombs, we went to a roadside place where they had wine and olive oil. It was actually closed, but our driver saw the owner and he opened shop for us, gave us a wine tasting and we purchased some olive oil.

 

Our driver also took us to Bracciano Lake, which was beautiful.

 

Another fond memory, we went to a family run restaurant, with "mama" in the kitchen. The restaurant was great, it had a nice view, and they served one dish made with wild boar. Our driver said he had a surprise for us after lunch. He and the restaurant's owner, took us down to the wine cellar which was an actual Etruscan tomb. It was pretty amazing.

 

I can highly recommend the Tarquinia and Ceri tour with Romeinlimo!

 

Enjoy your visit!

[lawtyger]

I will echo the advice in Livorno. We used RomeInLimos in that port and it was handy to see the countryside which is one of the things we wanted to do. But for Florence we were mainly on foot. So if your emphasis is Florence, take the train.

 

I assume if you want to do Pisa in addition to Florence (even if only a quick stop), then a private tour/driver is the only way to go?

[CruiserBruce]

I assume if you want to do Pisa in addition to Florence (even if only a quick stop), then a private tour/driver is the only way to go?

 

Not the only way to go, but certainly a good way to be most efficient in your time usage.

[lawtyger]

My wife and I just finished a cruise of the Mediteranean on the Celebrity Solstice and used RomeInLimo in Florence, Rome, and Naples. IIt was more expensive than the shore excursions on the ship but we were able to see much more than others we spoke to aboard ship. Having a private car enbles the drivers to get much closer to the attractions and time is not wasted loading and unloading the bus. A few examples - in Rome we saw all the major attractions plus the Vatican Museum including the Sistine Chapel. In Naples we were able to visit Sorrento, the Amalfi coast including Positano, and Pompeii. The ship's shore excursion visited Sorrento and Pompeii only.

 

In both the Vatican and Pompeii we arranged for private guides and glad we did. Both were very knowledgeable and made both places come alive.

 

Yes, this was more expensive way to go, but worth every penny.

 

OK everyone, I have read several times comments like "it was more expensive than the ship excursion." I was confused in reading this until I realized that people must not be comparing their apples to my apples. For example, I am considering two tours with RIL in a group of 8 for each. By my calculations, going with RIL is CHEAPER than doing the cruise ship excursions that are similar site wise. I am assuming that what is happening is the people that say it is more expensive than a comparable ship excursion must be doing a 2 person, 4 person, or maybe 6 person tour.

 

If that is the case, it may be helpful to future readers if when comparing the cost of the tours in the thread everyone specifically says how many people were in their group because I'm not a math wiz but by my calculations there is no way that a group of 8 or more is the same expense, let alone "more expensive," than a cruise ship excursion. Throw in the other benefits of a private excursion and choosing a ship exclusion is pretty hard NOT to choose over a private tour like RIL or others in most situations.

 

p.s. - Let me just add that of the private tours I've contacted to compare services, this Jany person is amazing in her response time. That's not to say the others are not responsive, but it seems like RIL must have Jany dedicated to making sure responses are fast. When price and tour sites are equal among tour operators, little things like a really fast response can be an excellent tie breaker IMO.

Edited February 5, 2012 by lawtyger

[lori450]

Forgive me if someone has already mentioned this, I haven't read the whole thread (it's 51 pages long now). We were on a tour of Italy last year. When we were in Pompeii, I had downloaded Rick Steves audio tour of Pompeii on my iphone, we popped the headphones in one of our ears and listened to the professional guide with the other. Rick Steves, was by far, superior. Perhaps, a ride of some sort to Pompeii and the audio tour would be sufficient. BTW, the audio tour for the Grand Canal in Venice was phenomenal.

[Turtles06]

p.s. - Let me just add that of the private tours I've contacted to compare services, this Jany person is amazing in her response time. That's not to say the others are not responsive, but it seems like RIL must have Jany dedicated to making sure responses are fast. When price and tour sites are equal among tour operators, little things like a really fast response can be an excellent tie breaker IMO.

 

When we were in the process of booking a tour with RIL in Rome a little more than two years ago (which was fantastic, btw), Jany was SO incredibly responsive to my emails and questions that I decided she either never slept, OR everyone responding to email at RIL was using the same name, Jany. :)

[wantocruisemore]

When we were in the process of booking a tour with RIL in Rome a little more than two years ago (which was fantastic, btw), Jany was SO incredibly responsive to my emails and questions that I decided she either never slept, OR everyone responding to email at RIL was using the same name, Jany. :)

 

 

Because Jany seemed to never sleep and was constantly responding, I asked our tour guide last summer if Jany really existed and was she just one person. She said Jany does exist, it is only her that responds and laughed and said she's chained to the computer.

 

I have to say Jany is AMAZING and I think the service she gives is another example of the superior service from Rome in Limo. So looking forward to using them again this summer.

[fabnfortysomething]

Hi

I'm planning tours for our July cruise and was all set to book Romeinlimo based on the rave reviews and how fantastic Jany is at addressing questions

 

However I'm now having second thoughts as email correspondence has been unsatisfactory.

My husband has walking difficulties and so I asked for recommendations as to which tours would have minimal walking-in return I was sent a standard response with a link to the most popular excursions.Is Romeinlimo getting to big to provide that personal service?

 

In contrast another 2 companies I have contacted have responded with suggestions for how my husband could get the best out of the day and am leaning towards booking with one of them instead

[Gracie115]

Hi

I'm planning tours for our July cruise and was all set to book Romeinlimo based on the rave reviews and how fantastic Jany is at addressing questions

 

However I'm now having second thoughts as email correspondence has been unsatisfactory.

My husband has walking difficulties and so I asked for recommendations as to which tours would have minimal walking-in return I was sent a standard response with a link to the most popular excursions.Is Romeinlimo getting to big to provide that personal service?

 

In contrast another 2 companies I have contacted have responded with suggestions for how my husband could get the best out of the day and am leaning towards booking with one of them instead

 

I never had a problem but if you are getting better responses from other companies, that have good reviews on Trip Advisor or some similar site then go for it. There are many good tour companies in Rome. I think RIL is very busy but they shouldn't be so busy that they can't answer your questions...

[NancyIL]

Forgive me if someone has already mentioned this, I haven't read the whole thread (it's 51 pages long now). We were on a tour of Italy last year. When we were in Pompeii, I had downloaded Rick Steves audio tour of Pompeii on my iphone, we popped the headphones in one of our ears and listened to the professional guide with the other. Rick Steves, was by far, superior. Perhaps, a ride of some sort to Pompeii and the audio tour would be sufficient. BTW, the audio tour for the Grand Canal in Venice was phenomenal.

 

Thanks for the reminder about Rick Steves' free audio tours (http://www.ricksteves.com/news/audio-tours.htm). We'll be in Italy in May, and I will be getting a new iPhone soon!

[lawtyger]

In contrast another 2 companies I have contacted have responded with suggestions for how my husband could get the best out of the day and am leaning towards booking with one of them instead

 

My research has showed that there are a lot of operations out there providing similar excursion services. If the other two companies you mentioned have great reviews then I would suggest you book with one of them if the tours they provide are what you want to do.

 

We plan to use RIL for Rome and Florence but were considering two other operations as well that had the same level of reviews. The tie breaker for use was the promptness of RIL's responses to my questions - and there were many and I am not the patient type. This was the tie breaker for me because although I truly believe I would have just as good of an experience with the other two companies on the day of the tour (based on the reviews) they were a bit slower in responding (one had an automated e-mail that said they would get back to me within 2 days - although they actually got back to me in one day).

 

In my case, RIL won my business for these two ports (unless there are any future breakdowns in communication) based on the timeliness and quality of their responses to my questions but there was certainly nothing wrong with the other two companies we were considering. It is unfortunate your experience with RIL was different then mine, but you sound like you have two other worthy options to choose from so just pick one of those that met your communication needs and have a great tour with them.

[Grandpaul]

Hi

I'm planning tours for our July cruise and was all set to book Romeinlimo based on the rave reviews and how fantastic Jany is at addressing questions

 

However I'm now having second thoughts as email correspondence has been unsatisfactory.

My husband has walking difficulties and so I asked for recommendations as to which tours would have minimal walking-in return I was sent a standard response with a link to the most popular excursions.Is Romeinlimo getting to big to provide that personal service?

 

In contrast another 2 companies I have contacted have responded with suggestions for how my husband could get the best out of the day and am leaning towards booking with one of them instead

Just my point of view. I have dealt with several tour companies in Europe but since I dealt with RIL and Jany I have used them exclusively over the last several years. I have never had a problem working with them. I live in the US so there is a significant time difference and have always received a prompt and courteous response from Jany that answered any questions I had. I have recommended them to quite a few friends of mine and they all say the same thing. Did you e-mail her directly?

[fabnfortysomething]

Just my point of view. I have dealt with several tour companies in Europe but since I dealt with RIL and Jany I have used them exclusively over the last several years. I have never had a problem working with them. I live in the US so there is a significant time difference and have always received a prompt and courteous response from Jany that answered any questions I had. I have recommended them to quite a few friends of mine and they all say the same thing. Did you e-mail her directly?

 

Hi

 

yes have had several email communications with both Jany and the other companies.She has always been fast with responses but just not the type of helpful advice I was expecting.I think that was why I was disappointed and wondered whether this was a recent trend

 

as has been said when there are several well reviewed companies you just have to go with your gut instinct as to which is the best for you

[superlearner]

A good tip is always appreciated

[ZZROX]

used romeinlimo for 3 port stops 5 yrs ago. We were 9 people. The cost was much less, than the cost of the ships tour for 9 people. The drivers were all wonderful. At each port they showed up with a huge bus for 16 people. We will be crusing again this summer. We will be using them again.

[FinelyRetired]

Hi

I'm planning tours for our July cruise and was all set to book Romeinlimo based on the rave reviews and how fantastic Jany is at addressing questions

 

However I'm now having second thoughts as email correspondence has been unsatisfactory.

My husband has walking difficulties and so I asked for recommendations as to which tours would have minimal walking-in return I was sent a standard response with a link to the most popular excursions.Is Romeinlimo getting to big to provide that personal service?

 

In contrast another 2 companies I have contacted have responded with suggestions for how my husband could get the best out of the day and am leaning

booking with one of them instead

Hi:

 

 

I am currently in the process of planning/researching with Jany another 2 tours with RIL and your post caught my eye. In my experience RIL has had little difficulty adapting their tours to all types of mobility problems. I'm a solo, older lady cruiser and over several years I have booked 7 different tours with RIL utilizing 7 different driver guides.

 

I rely on the CC Roll Calls to add 5-7 people to my tour to help with cost. Often this has resulted in some folks with mobility issues that have ranged from simply being slower (like me!), to limited walking or difficulty with stairs, to wheelchair bound. RIL's drivers have handled them all seemlessly, made suggestions along the way and everyone has had the fullest possible day. This has meant as little as using the extra step in the van, directing us to the corner elevator in the Colloseum (which BTW we all used & loved), door to door service at some venues, to separately transporting the wheelchair bound passenger to another entrance or once even to a museum so they didn't wait idly by while others of us crawled around the Estrucan necropolis. If I've emailed Jany with add'l specific "how will this be done"-type mobility questions she has always answered promptly with the add'l info I needed to re-assure me.

 

You raise an interesting point about the size of a tour company like RIL. For me, RIL’s personal service from booking thru tour has been consistently excellent over the years. Whether I’m solo or with my less mobile friend, I can tell you that in a large overseas city, far from home.......size matters to me! Though I’ve never encountered a problem, I’m always more comfortable (esp when on a cruise) just knowing there is back-up if the company has a number of cars out at the same time (for both shore trips & business clients). BTW, those other drivers have come in handy for alerting each other re: major traffic jams(London), when the lines are short at a particular site(Rome), etc.

 

Have a wonderful trip.

 

Martha

 

 

　

　

[corvettelover]

You can't go wrong with Romeinlimo. We used them for our tour in Rome last time, and I'm planning on using them again when we land in Rome this May.

You'll want a guide for the Vatican, and your driver can arrange that for you....they'll get your admission tickets as well, so you don;t have to wait in line.

 

Enjoy! You'll have a great time!