RomeInLimo questions

[Bethany Beach]

soccerbobu9: It is an Igloo cooler that I have had for several years and always take on trips. It has a removable cloth outer with a nice shoulder strap that surrounds a hard plastic container. It is about 14"x7"x7" and fits nicely into a suitcase. It is so lightweight that I just pack things in it. It comes in handy when we take drinks to a beach, pack a lunch, etc. as it won't leak (unless you turn it on its side). On a cruise we often have the steward put ice into it each day to keep beer, etc. extra cold.

[notentirelynormal]

 

They are suggesting an 8 hour tour with a driver, and a guide for the Vatican. Do we need a guide for other sites? Or is the driver usually knowledgeable enough to provide info?

 

The guide will be with you the entire day not just at the Vatican. We did this and our guide, Julia, was worth every penny plus many more! She made not only the Vatican area, but the Colosseum, Pantheon, etc. come alive for us in a way a guide book never could have given! (She was tipped very well! 25%)

We had Julia for the day so she was scheduled in advance, but she knew the people inside, so she was able to get us through the lines quickly avoiding the backup of people who didn't have tickets or guides with connections. (Did I mention "worth every penny"?) You can visit all of the Vatican without a guide, but the lines are longer and you won't understand most of what you are seeing in a way that will make a lasting impression.

 

Ok, I guess I didn't understand before so I just want to clarify. I thought that when everyone talked about hiring Julia for a guide (for the 150EU) that they were talking about just the Vatican. But you're saying this she is an actual guide with you for the entire day? That would seem more reasonable then just for an hour or two.

[chipmaster]

Ok, I guess I didn't understand before so I just want to clarify. I thought that when everyone talked about hiring Julia for a guide (for the 150EU) that they were talking about just the Vatican. But you're saying this she is an actual guide with you for the entire day? That would seem more reasonable then just for an hour or two.

 

I can only speak from my experience that we had Julia for the Vatican only, and the price was 150 Euros for a group of 20-25 I think.

 

I don't think there is any need for an additional guide for the other sites as the drivers we had was very good. Beside the 45' in the colliseum I don't think a guide could have added much to the brief stops that the driver didn't share with us on the drive to each attraction.

 

Good luck

[cbowler]

Hi all - There's been a lot of discussion about the various places that RIL uses for lunch and the extended time spent at lunch. About how long are we talking for lunch? An hour? 2 hours? Just wondering. I wouldn't mind giving up an hour for lunch but more than that is pushing it and I want to plan accordingly as to what to tell our drivers.

 

Thanks!

[tz84kz]

We used RIL for 2 ports, Pisa/Florence, and Rome. In Rome we opted to have a Vatican guide, which I would highly recommend. I cannot say enough good things about our experience with RIL. We had Salvatore as our drive in Rome, and he kept us on schedule and got us to see what we wanted to see in Rome and then some. We even had a sing along on the way back to the ship. Our guide for the Vatican was Paula, and she was excellent. Our driver in Pisa/Florence was John. He was different type of driver than Salvatore, more laid back and easy going. But I think that drivers in Florence vs Rome needs different personalities. He listened to how we wanted to spend our day and planned accordingly. Lunches both days were great, and not too long or too short. And best of all, it was great food/wine that was priced right. As for tipping, we were with other cruisers that we had just met, so this was something that was a personal decision. I feel as though you need to tip people in a service industry to continue to receive a high level of customer service.

 

I will use RIL each and every time I am in Italy and in need of their type of service, and I would recommend them without any hesitation.

[bionicman97]

Ok, I guess I didn't understand before so I just want to clarify. I thought that when everyone talked about hiring Julia for a guide (for the 150EU) that they were talking about just the Vatican. But you're saying this she is an actual guide with you for the entire day? That would seem more reasonable then just for an hour or two.

 

Julia is just at the Vatican. We were with her for 3 hours. We split the cost 8 ways. Your driver is with you for the whole day (but he/she doesn't go into the site with you, he/she waits at the vehicle.) They do not have the appropriate license to tour inside (it requires another license)

 

Hi all - There's been a lot of discussion about the various places that RIL uses for lunch and the extended time spent at lunch. About how long are we talking for lunch? An hour? 2 hours? Just wondering. I wouldn't mind giving up an hour for lunch but more than that is pushing it and I want to plan accordingly as to what to tell our drivers.

 

Thanks!

 

Our stops for lunch were one hour max. Our driver asked us what kind of food we wanted, then made some calls at our first stop, when we showed up at the restaurants, appetizers and drinks were already waiting for us. We then ordered our main entree. We spent approx $15-18 Euro each at the lunches, including tips.

[SunFunCruiser]

Hi all - There's been a lot of discussion about the various places that RIL uses for lunch and the extended time spent at lunch. About how long are we talking for lunch? An hour? 2 hours? Just wondering. I wouldn't mind giving up an hour for lunch but more than that is pushing it and I want to plan accordingly as to what to tell our drivers.

 

Thanks!

 

It's really up to you. We spent a bit over an hour in Sorrento, but in Rome we opted not to stop for any lunch. I only grabbed a quick slice of pizza for my son. You really set the rules, it's your tour. They will have a plan, but also ask you what you think or how you want to fit things in YOUR day! They are very flexible.

[chipmaster]

Hi all - There's been a lot of discussion about the various places that RIL uses for lunch and the extended time spent at lunch. About how long are we talking for lunch? An hour? 2 hours? Just wondering. I wouldn't mind giving up an hour for lunch but more than that is pushing it and I want to plan accordingly as to what to tell our drivers.

 

Thanks!

 

In our case it was between 45' to an hour

 

The longest was in Florence where we were on our own in the Plaza near St. Croce.

 

In Rome and Naples we went to what I think is their standard stop. Food was suprisingly reasonable in price and also in selection/taste for what I was expecting. I had no expecation that I was going to get "real" local food nor a deal, but all around happy with the experience and the efficiency.

[BigGuy25]

It's really up to you. We spent a bit over an hour in Sorrento, but in Rome we opted not to stop for any lunch. I only grabbed a quick slice of pizza for my son. You really set the rules, it's your tour. They will have a plan, but also ask you what you think or how you want to fit things in YOUR day! They are very flexible.

 

This is exactly correct. RIL is working for you and will do anything, anyway you want to. Many people, maybe even most people, just say "you know best ... just give us a great day!" And they will. But, it's totally up to you what you want to do, when you want to do it, and for how long!

[eandj]

If you are sharing a tour (using ANY company) with people you meet on a roll call here, make sure that you are ALL on the sme page as far as what you want and expect from the tour. If some want long lunches, at some spots it may not work out if the other group wants to skip lunch and move to the next stop. Also know that some tourists might want to stop for pictures at every stop immaginable. Others might not be interested in photography to that extent. It can use up time and alter the "route" for the others. That I heard caused a stir on a group tour.

 

Email back and forth if booking with "strangers" and make sure you all can blend. We had wonderful groups to share with. All of us had the same expectations.

[BandBinPA]

I would agree with everyone on Romeinlimos. Used them in Naples and Rome. Best company ever! We were the first in line to get in Pompeii in the morning without the crowds. They arranged the tour guide who was excellent. They stopped everywhere we asked along the Almafi coast and then some. Stopped at an excellent restaurant for lunch on the hill up to Ravello. Our driver was Jovannie (? sp)

 

For Rome we had Manuel, funny and knowlegable. One day is certainly not enough time to do Rome but he got us around little side streets to avoid the traffic. We had the pre-paid Vatican tickets and guide. Well worth the extra money. Walked right in!

 

I would use them again in a minute.

[kandd]

I would agree with everyone on Romeinlimos. Used them in Naples and Rome. Best company ever! We were the first in line to get in Pompeii in the morning without the crowds. They arranged the tour guide who was excellent. They stopped everywhere we asked along the Almafi coast and then some. Stopped at an excellent restaurant for lunch on the hill up to Ravello. Our driver was Jovannie (? sp)

 

For Rome we had Manuel, funny and knowlegable. One day is certainly not enough time to do Rome but he got us around little side streets to avoid the traffic. We had the pre-paid Vatican tickets and guide. Well worth the extra money. Walked right in!

 

I would use them again in a minute.

 

We have used "Rome in Limo" on preveious trips both for tours & transfers. We have already contacted Jany for our up coming trip in Nov of this year.

 

Only positive remarks can be said about any of our dealings with Rome in Limo, from fast replies to questions asked of Jany or the knowledge, humor or help from the drivers/guides. Give them a chance & you'll be pleased.

Karen & Don Bergander

happy travels all.

[Bethany Beach]

Since I neglected to read the rules for posting, my post about RIL from last week was removed. So, I’m rewriting it and adding it to end of this long thread because I wanted to be sure to add my recommendations for this professional company.

 

We used RIL for three ports. I really had no reason to doubt my decision; but it was a difficult one to make as I had decided to just book these tours for the two of us and that was expensive. This was our first trip to Europe and maybe our last, and I wanted to be sure that we would be able to see just what we wanted to see and be able to dictate how long to spend at each site.

 

As everyone else has stated, at each port the drivers were there before we got off the ship. In each case, we quickly discussed what we wanted to see and off we went. In each case, my husband sat up front and I settled comfortably into the back seat. We enjoyed chatting away with the drivers learning a lot about Italy, the sites we were to see, and about them. In all three cases, we packed a lunch of sandwiches, etc., from the ship buffet as having a special dining experience is not on our list of priorities, particularly since we don’t drink wine. For each day, we found a pretty place to stop, got our food out of the cooler, and enjoyed a 15-minute lunch break. It worked perfectly for us.

 

From Livorno, we had Alberto, who took us to Siena and San Gimignano. He dropped us off in each town where we agreed to a meeting place and time. He made it clear that he would be at the meeting place waiting for us if we were done early – and he was. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful start to our private tours. This day involved a lot of time in the car and we enjoyed chatting with Alberto along the way.

 

In Rome, we had Vincenzo. What a great day that was. We decided that we didn’t want to try to fit in everything; the sites to see are just overwhelming, so we picked just a few. We started at the Coliseum. As he had stopped and bought our tickets on the way there, we stood in no lines. Then, we decided that we would like to see some of the places from the Angels & Demons movie. So, off we went. He drove us practically to the steps of each place – it was great. We would see what we wanted, and then we were off again. It was like being among the “rich and famous” being driven all over by this professional driver. In the afternoon we were dropped at the Vatican for a two-hour tour (again arranged by RIL). Very nice tour. At the end of the day we stopped for gelato before saying our good-byes.

 

In Sorrento, we had Giovanni, who also worked hard to be sure that we had a good day. We started with a private tour of Pompeii (again arranged by RIL). We practically had the place to ourselves for the first 1 ½ hours, and our guide really helped to convey how the city operated and how the people lived. It was fascinating. Then, Giovanni drove us along the Amalfi Coast stopping in two towns giving us time to explore. My husband has a problem knee and after walking around Pompeii, he had already had it. We appreciated being dropped off within these towns.

 

Since we don’t speak Italian, have never been to Italy, it made perfect sense to hire drivers rather than try to go on our own. If we had tried to do any of this with public transportation or renting a car we would have spent time getting lost and having many tense moments between us which would have ruined this trip. Another important thing we took away from this experience was when you actually get to speak one on one with someone rather than listen to a bus tour guide drone on and on, you really get this connection and understanding of another culture. That was something that we really valued from this trip. Now that we are back home, I can definitely say that all of my private tours were worth every euro.

[cbowler]

Since I neglected to read the rules for posting, my post about RIL from last week was removed. So, I’m rewriting it and adding it to end of this long thread because I wanted to be sure to add my recommendations for this professional company.

 

We used RIL for three ports. I really had no reason to doubt my decision; but it was a difficult one to make as I had decided to just book these tours for the two of us and that was expensive. This was our first trip to Europe and maybe our last, and I wanted to be sure that we would be able to see just what we wanted to see and be able to dictate how long to spend at each site.

 

As everyone else has stated, at each port the drivers were there before we got off the ship. In each case, we quickly discussed what we wanted to see and off we went. In each case, my husband sat up front and I settled comfortably into the back seat. We enjoyed chatting away with the drivers learning a lot about Italy, the sites we were to see, and about them. In all three cases, we packed a lunch of sandwiches, etc., from the ship buffet as having a special dining experience is not on our list of priorities, particularly since we don’t drink wine. For each day, we found a pretty place to stop, got our food out of the cooler, and enjoyed a 15-minute lunch break. It worked perfectly for us.

 

From Livorno, we had Alberto, who took us to Siena and San Gimignano. He dropped us off in each town where we agreed to a meeting place and time. He made it clear that he would be at the meeting place waiting for us if we were done early – and he was. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful start to our private tours. This day involved a lot of time in the car and we enjoyed chatting with Alberto along the way.

 

In Rome, we had Vincenzo. What a great day that was. We decided that we didn’t want to try to fit in everything; the sites to see are just overwhelming, so we picked just a few. We started at the Coliseum. As he had stopped and bought our tickets on the way there, we stood in no lines. Then, we decided that we would like to see some of the places from the Angels & Demons movie. So, off we went. He drove us practically to the steps of each place – it was great. We would see what we wanted, and then we were off again. It was like being among the “rich and famous” being driven all over by this professional driver. In the afternoon we were dropped at the Vatican for a two-hour tour (again arranged by RIL). Very nice tour. At the end of the day we stopped for gelato before saying our good-byes.

 

In Sorrento, we had Giovanni, who also worked hard to be sure that we had a good day. We started with a private tour of Pompeii (again arranged by RIL). We practically had the place to ourselves for the first 1 ½ hours, and our guide really helped to convey how the city operated and how the people lived. It was fascinating. Then, Giovanni drove us along the Amalfi Coast stopping in two towns giving us time to explore. My husband has a problem knee and after walking around Pompeii, he had already had it. We appreciated being dropped off within these towns.

 

Since we don’t speak Italian, have never been to Italy, it made perfect sense to hire drivers rather than try to go on our own. If we had tried to do any of this with public transportation or renting a car we would have spent time getting lost and having many tense moments between us which would have ruined this trip. Another important thing we took away from this experience was when you actually get to speak one on one with someone rather than listen to a bus tour guide drone on and on, you really get this connection and understanding of another culture. That was something that we really valued from this trip. Now that we are back home, I can definitely say that all of my private tours were worth every euro.

 

 

Judy - Thanks so much for the detailed report. Can you tell me a little more about your tour from Livorno? What did you see in each of the places? How much time did you have in each town? I'm having a hard time deciding between that tour and one to Florence/Pisa and haven't read many reviews of the first one.

 

Thanks,

Carrie

[BandBinPA]

I would agree with everyone on Romeinlimos. Used them in Naples and Rome. Best company ever! We were the first in line to get in Pompeii in the morning without the crowds. They arranged the tour guide who was excellent. They stopped everywhere we asked along the Almafi coast and then some. Stopped at an excellent restaurant for lunch on the hill up to Ravello. Our driver was Giovanni.

 

For Rome we had Manuel, funny and knowlegable. One day is certainly not enough time to do Rome but he got us around little side streets to avoid the traffic. We had the pre-paid Vatican tickets and guide. Well worth the extra money. Walked right in!

 

Replies from Jany within the day!

 

I would use them again in a minute.

[Fairfield Nana]

A technical question please-- If several couples (so far between 3 and 5) want to join up for a tour of Tuscany with ROmeinTours, how are reservations made? Their sight says they want a credit card to hold site and actual payment takes place at start o rupon completion of tour. Does each couple give thier card info to hold/book or should just one act as lead and hold and hope the others come thru(although I'd imagine not to hard to get a replacement couple or two from general ship population on day of tour)?//thanks..

[SunFunCruiser]

A technical question please-- If several couples (so far between 3 and 5) want to join up for a tour of Tuscany with ROmeinTours, how are reservations made? Their sight says they want a credit card to hold site and actual payment takes place at start o rupon completion of tour. Does each couple give thier card info to hold/book or should just one act as lead and hold and hope the others come thru(although I'd imagine not to hard to get a replacement couple or two from general ship population on day of tour)?//thanks..

 

We just used one CC for our reservation. Then we met on the ship and disussed the plan, one person collected the money before getting on the van and they paid for the tour at the end. We each tipped individually at the end. Usually it's pretty easy to find a replacement. make sure you get everyone's cabin # and private email address.

[Bethany Beach]

Carrie: This will be more info than you wanted to know, but I want you to understand my reasoning as well. I had first booked the tour to Florence/Pisa and then changed my mind to Siena and San Gimignano. This was our first and no doubt last trip to Europe. I wanted to see a wide variety of sites. I read that many people feel that seeing Florence and David, etc., is mandatory so I kind of fell into that train of thought at first. Then I started thinking about that this cruise went to 12 ports. We don't appreciate fine art - we don't know one painter from another - one sculpture is pretty much like the other to us. We also don't enjoy plowing our way through crowds and even with a private guide, it sounded like Florence would be very crowded. So, I knew that in many other places we would see plenty of art, statues, and churches. So what would be different? Well, I have seen Tuscany in movies, etc., heard about how people love to vacation there and realized that would be something different to experience. So, that is how the decision was made. Here is how the day went.

 

I think we left Livorno around 8:15. The drive to Siena was about 2 hours through the Tuscan countryside. The countryside wasn't as "knock me over" gorgeous as I had expected, but when we got closer to the villages, it definitely was much more scenic and we had many beautiful views. Luckily we really enjoyed hearing what our driver, Alberto, had to to say and we got to know a lot about Italy, the Tuscan area, and him. He drove us right to the steps of the Siena duomo and we agreed to meet him back there in about 1 1/2 hours. If you go, buy your tickets and see all the attractions attached to the duomo. When we finally went up the steps and saw the front of the duomo my jaw dropped - absolutely stunning and amazing - just gorgeous. When we went inside, it was just so different and so beautiful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral

And if you appreciate art, there are works by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Donatelli, etc. Then we walked down to the very large central square, had a snack, did some browsing in shops.

 

It was probably about a 30-minute drive to San Gimignano. Alberto told us that there are only two ways into the village and that he would drop us at one end and meet us at the other in about an hour and a half. It was at this point that we took our lunch out of our cooler, sat on a bench at the entrance, and had a quick lunch. I wanted to see the Torture Museum which was right inside the entrance. If you like different, weird things you'd like it. It was tacky, informative, gross, and interesting all wrapped up in one - plus there is part 2 of the museum farther up the walkway. This village is filled with shops all selling ceramics, lace, linens, etc. Very nice things. When we got to the square, we had some gelato and then made our way to the other end where Alberto was waiting for us. We then had about an 1 1/2 hour drive back to the port.

 

To me, to be able to say that I got to see Tuscany was worth it. This was our first introduction to medieval villages and they were so different and just lovely places in which to walk around. Having the amazing duomo was a surprise. Now, our weather was perfect - 70s and sunny, clear skies. If this had been a rainy day - certainly would have been a different story - so that is the luck of the draw. You will spend as much time in the car as you will at the sites.

 

Hope this rambling helped you think things through based on your personal likes and dislikes.

[Bethany Beach]

Carrie: This will be more info than you wanted to know, but I want you to understand my reasoning as well. I had first booked the tour to Florence/Pisa and then changed my mind to Siena and San Gimignano. This was our first and no doubt last trip to Europe. I wanted to see a wide variety of sites. I read that many people feel that seeing Florence and David, etc., is mandatory so I kind of fell into that train of thought at first. Then I started thinking about that this cruise went to 12 ports. We don't appreciate fine art - we don't know one painter from another - one sculpture is pretty much like the other to us. We also don't enjoy plowing our way through crowds and even with a private guide, it sounded like Florence would be very crowded. So, I knew that in many other places we would see plenty of art, statues, and churches. So what would be different? Well, I have seen Tuscany in movies, etc., heard about how people love to vacation there and realized that would be something different to experience. So, that is how the decision was made. Here is how the day went.

 

I think we left Livorno around 8:15. The drive to Siena was about 2 hours through the Tuscan countryside. The countryside wasn't as "knock me over" gorgeous as I had expected, but when we got closer to the villages, it definitely was much more scenic and we had many beautiful views. Luckily we really enjoyed hearing what our driver, Alberto, had to to say and we got to know a lot about Italy, the Tuscan area, and him. He drove us right to the steps of the Siena duomo and we agreed to meet him back there in about 1 1/2 hours. If you go, buy your tickets and see all the attractions attached to the duomo. When we finally went up the steps and saw the front of the duomo my jaw dropped - absolutely stunning and amazing - just gorgeous. When we went inside, it was just so different and so beautiful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral

And if you appreciate art, there are works by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Donatelli, etc. Then we walked down to the very large central square, had a snack, did some browsing in shops.

 

It was probably about a 30-minute drive to San Gimignano. Alberto told us that there are only two ways into the village and that he would drop us at one end and meet us at the other in about an hour and a half. It was at this point that we took our lunch out of our cooler, sat on a bench at the entrance, and had a quick lunch. I wanted to see the Torture Museum which was right inside the entrance. If you like different, weird things you'd like it. It was tacky, informative, gross, and interesting all wrapped up in one - plus there is part 2 of the museum farther up the walkway. This village is filled with shops all selling ceramics, lace, linens, etc. Very nice things. When we got to the square, we had some gelato and then made our way to the other end where Alberto was waiting for us. We then had about an 1 1/2 hour drive back to the port.

 

To me, to be able to say that I got to see Tuscany was worth it. This was our first introduction to medieval villages and they were so different and just lovely places in which to walk around. Having the amazing duomo was a surprise. Now, our weather was perfect - 70s and sunny, clear skies. If this had been a rainy day - certainly would have been a different story - so that is the luck of the draw. You will spend as much time in the car as you will at the sites.

 

Hope this rambling helped you think things through based on your personal likes and dislikes.

[cbowler]

Carrie: This will be more info than you wanted to know, but I want you to understand my reasoning as well. I had first booked the tour to Florence/Pisa and then changed my mind to Siena and San Gimignano. This was our first and no doubt last trip to Europe. I wanted to see a wide variety of sites. I read that many people feel that seeing Florence and David, etc., is mandatory so I kind of fell into that train of thought at first. Then I started thinking about that this cruise went to 12 ports. We don't appreciate fine art - we don't know one painter from another - one sculpture is pretty much like the other to us. We also don't enjoy plowing our way through crowds and even with a private guide, it sounded like Florence would be very crowded. So, I knew that in many other places we would see plenty of art, statues, and churches. So what would be different? Well, I have seen Tuscany in movies, etc., heard about how people love to vacation there and realized that would be something different to experience. So, that is how the decision was made. Here is how the day went.

 

I think we left Livorno around 8:15. The drive to Siena was about 2 hours through the Tuscan countryside. The countryside wasn't as "knock me over" gorgeous as I had expected, but when we got closer to the villages, it definitely was much more scenic and we had many beautiful views. Luckily we really enjoyed hearing what our driver, Alberto, had to to say and we got to know a lot about Italy, the Tuscan area, and him. He drove us right to the steps of the Siena duomo and we agreed to meet him back there in about 1 1/2 hours. If you go, buy your tickets and see all the attractions attached to the duomo. When we finally went up the steps and saw the front of the duomo my jaw dropped - absolutely stunning and amazing - just gorgeous. When we went inside, it was just so different and so beautiful. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siena_Cathedral

And if you appreciate art, there are works by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Donatelli, etc. Then we walked down to the very large central square, had a snack, did some browsing in shops.

 

It was probably about a 30-minute drive to San Gimignano. Alberto told us that there are only two ways into the village and that he would drop us at one end and meet us at the other in about an hour and a half. It was at this point that we took our lunch out of our cooler, sat on a bench at the entrance, and had a quick lunch. I wanted to see the Torture Museum which was right inside the entrance. If you like different, weird things you'd like it. It was tacky, informative, gross, and interesting all wrapped up in one - plus there is part 2 of the museum farther up the walkway. This village is filled with shops all selling ceramics, lace, linens, etc. Very nice things. When we got to the square, we had some gelato and then made our way to the other end where Alberto was waiting for us. We then had about an 1 1/2 hour drive back to the port.

 

To me, to be able to say that I got to see Tuscany was worth it. This was our first introduction to medieval villages and they were so different and just lovely places in which to walk around. Having the amazing duomo was a surprise. Now, our weather was perfect - 70s and sunny, clear skies. If this had been a rainy day - certainly would have been a different story - so that is the luck of the draw. You will spend as much time in the car as you will at the sites.

 

Hope this rambling helped you think things through based on your personal likes and dislikes.

 

Judy - Thanks a ton for the info!!! That was just what I was looking for. :) Like you, I feel like I SHOULD go to Florence and Pisa but think we'd RATHER go to Tuscany. We too are not big art people and while it's nice to look at we really just don't appreciate it as others do. I was also just curious as to how the day was spent and what the scenery and views were. I think we'll go for the Tuscany tour. Thanks again for the posts - CCers are awesome!

 

Carrie

[sandinmyshoes]

Ok, I guess I didn't understand before so I just want to clarify. I thought that when everyone talked about hiring Julia for a guide (for the 150EU) that they were talking about just the Vatican. But you're saying this she is an actual guide with you for the entire day? That would seem more reasonable then just for an hour or two.

 

Hello "notentirelynormal"! Sorry I didn't make it clear, we did have Julia for the entire day and she was worth EVERY penny! We actually toured Rome for 3 days with Rome In Limo. Francesco was our driver the entire time and we decided to have Julia join us for our middle (full) day of touring. Francesco alone on the other days was outstanding and gave us so much information about the places we were going to be seeing. Since he knew we would have an entire day with Julia, he saved the most in depth sites for that day so she could escort us in, bypassing the long lines, and explain to us what we were seeing while we were seeing it. She also made sure we didn't miss the out of the way, but extra interesting things most tourists miss. It was outstanding!

 

Have fun planning! Buona fortuna! (Good luck!)

[fabnfortysomething]

just in addition to the post about the trip tO Siena and San Gimigiano.

 

We also had the same concerns about crowds in Florence and opted for a similar trip.However as an additional extra our driver took us straight to Pisa which is only about 30 minutes from Livorno.We were there at 08.30 with no crowds and he parked up right next to the field of miracles.We had about half an hour to take photos etc then it was on to the rest of the trip.I would have been very disappointed if I had booked a trip for the day to Pisa-there just isn't enough there to warrant it but it tied in nicely with the rest of the day

[BandBinPA]

A technical question please-- If several couples (so far between 3 and 5) want to join up for a tour of Tuscany with ROmeinTours, how are reservations made? Their sight says they want a credit card to hold site and actual payment takes place at start o rupon completion of tour. Does each couple give thier card info to hold/book or should just one act as lead and hold and hope the others come thru(although I'd imagine not to hard to get a replacement couple or two from general ship population on day of tour)?//thanks..

 

They held with one CC. The day of the tour each couple paid their share in Euros, plus tip which was well deserved. Worked out perfect. Great company, we used them in Naples and Rome.

[travelite]

A technical question please-- If several couples (so far between 3 and 5) want to join up for a tour of Tuscany with ROmeinTours, how are reservations made? Their sight says they want a credit card to hold site and actual payment takes place at start o rupon completion of tour. Does each couple give thier card info to hold/book or should just one act as lead and hold and hope the others come thru(although I'd imagine not to hard to get a replacement couple or two from general ship population on day of tour)?//thanks..

As "BadBinPA" stated, they only ask for one credit card to hold the reservation. Nothing will be charged to the card unless there is a "no show" and not canceled ahead. They want to be paid in EUROS the day of the tour. Be sure everyone in the group has enough euros to cover their share. The driver will stop at or direct you to an ATM if requested.

Enjoy your tour.

[Fairfield Nana]

To all who responded to my question of how to secure reservations--one credit card or several--thank you very much for the great advice!! We will act accordingly. Too bad our cruise is still 7 months away.