RomeInLimo questions

[sf49ers]

During our October 2015 Mediterranean Cruise we used Rome In Limo for all three ports in Italy; Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. We were a group of eight from Cruise Critic. Several of us had toured with Rome In Limo before. I highly recommend them. They provide a quality professional service and they are very consistent from port to port. Jany (in the office) provides excellent customer service. She is very responsive to emails and a pleasure to work with. The drivers were on time, knowledgeable, friendly and eager to make sure we had a great day. Their vehicles are really nice Mercedes Vans.

 

Florence (Livorno)

We booked Rome In Limo's "Florence on your own tour". This tour is great for people who have been to Florence before and want to go at your own pace. Our driver was Salvatore, he was very friendly and so accommodating. Our first stop was Piazzale Michelangelo. We were able to do some quick shopping and enjoy the famous panoramic view. Six of us wanted to visit the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Scuola del Cuoio - Leather School, but one couple had purchased 11:00AM tickets to Accademia. Salvatore was able to drop the group of six off and then take the couple to Accademia. When they returned, he recommended a nice restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we headed to the Florence Cathedral. We were disappointed to find the Baptistery of Saint John and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo closed, but Salvatore came to our rescue. After we visited the Florence Cathedral, Salvatore surprised us with a visit to Piazza della Signoria. We walked around and enjoyed the statues and spent some time in a sidewalk cafe. Another amazing day in Florence.

 

Rome (Civitavecchia)

We booked the Lake of Bracciano, Castle Odescalchi, and Cerveteri tour from the port of Rome. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day and we were unable to visit the Etruscan necropolis at Cerveteri. We really enjoyed Castle Odescalchi and could see that it would be very beautiful on a sunny day. This is where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married. Our driver was Salvatore (not the same person), he was so nice and he tried really hard to show us a good time. It rained the entire day. After our tour of the Castle, Salvatore took us to a restaurant for lunch. A very nice long lunch. We actually arrived at the restaurant before it opened, but they setup quickly for us. The lunch was at least six courses. The food just kept coming. There was plenty of wine and we were with great friends. After lunch Salvatore had a surprise for us. He took us to the wine cellar of the restaurant, which was an old Etruscan tomb. Yeah, we got to see one! What a nice surprise. He also gave us the option of going to the Cerveteri Museum, which we did. We had a great day despite the weather. Great job Salvatore!

 

Amalfi Coast (Naples)

We had the best time and some of the best food on this tour. We took Rome In Limo's Amalfi Coast, Positano, Amalfi & Ravello tour. I had requested Giovanni as our driver. Jany couldn't guarantee that he would be available, but she said she would try. And there he was, waiting for us at the pier! We drove along the beautiful coast before starting our day in Ravello. It was raining and most of the shops were closed, but we were able to walk around and look in a few shops. Then we were off to Amalfi. The highlight in the town of Amalfi is the Amalfi Cathedral. It is beautiful. There are also a lot of shops and good gelato. After Amalfi the sun came out and we drove along the scenic coast to the town of Positano. Giovanni dropped us off at the top of the hill and we walked down the narrow (pedestrian only) streets. Shops line the walkway all the way down to the beach. Now for the best part of the tour. Giovanni took us to da Costantino Ristorante Bar and Pizzeria for a wonderful lunch with a fantastic view. The food is fresh homemade, the ambience is family fun and there was plenty of wine and lemoncello. Giovanni doubled as a server to ensure we had everything we needed. After our leisurely lunch we headed back to the ship. While Giovanni skillfully mastered the windy roads, he started up the music and we sang along to Dean Martin's - It's Amore, what a perfect ending to a great day on the Amalfi Coast. Giovanni is the best!

 

Three great days in Italy.

[juliamyriah]

We were a group of 4, we used Rome in Limo for 3 ports (Florence, Rome, and Amalfi Coast). First of all, they used luxury, comfortable, well maintained vehicles for each tour. We had David for our Florence/Pisa tour. He was amazing, very well educated and you can tell he has much pride for his country. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour with him. Francesco was a driver for Rome, and again, another great experience. We also used Allessandra for our guide in Vatican City. She was outstanding, very knowledgeable about history. Lastly, we had Enrico for our tour of Amalfi Coast, he was absolutely wonderful. We also hired a private guide for Pompeii, Rose Marie, and she did a wonderful job of efficiently bringing us through Pompeii and still showing the highlights and most important aspects of the ruins.

It was evident that all drivers and guides are well educated and knowledgeable, but also passionate about their country. They all did a wonderful job keeping us comfortable and ensuring we had an enjoyable tour. I highly recommend Rome in Limo for your Italy tours!

[starseeker]

We had 2 wonderful experiences with Rome in Limo. The first was in Rome, with Alberto as our guide. The second was the Amalfi coast with Stefano as our guide. Both were knowledgeable and helpful. In Rome, Alberto was quite informative about the history of Rome. Most important, he kept us on schedule. There were 6 of us in a Mercedes van/SUV. It was VERY clean and comfortable. Since we requested to see as much as possible and had only one day it required that he keep us moving, which he did. We did not hire a guide for the Vatican, because of our time limitations, but it probably would have been helpful. I know I missed a lot, but did see the highlights. Alberto did not accompany us into the Coliseum or the Vatican; he had to stay with the car. So you can't count on the driver to be your guide in these places. However the drive to and from them he did share wonderful info, history, stories, etc. He took us to a very nice lunch after determining the type of experience we wanted.

 

Stefano picked us up in Salerno and delivered a fabulous tour of the Amalfi coast including Positano and Pompeii. His tour included more agrarian info as the area is full of lemon orchards and olive groves. He was also knowledgeable of Mt Vesuvius and Pompeii. It really was great! He took us to an absolutely adorable restaurant, Titos. It was amazing how much we saw and did in one day with Stefano. Again, they asked what we wanted and delivered. None of us had any complaints. I was a little reticent about arranging all of this on line and buying the entry tickets in advance but it was ABSOLUTELY the way to go. We zipped in and out of sites with both Stefano and Alberto dropping us as close to the entrance as possible and picking us up EXACTLY when and where we arranged. I couldn't have asked for anything more from them. Follow the instructions they provide on their website and via email and you won't go wrong.

[Kruzeagain]

39 passengers, 13 hotels, tight deadlines. Does that sound challenging? Well, it certainly can be. And when your ship's first stop is 4 days away (Madeira, off the Moroccan coast) the stakes are very high. You can have the best tour in the world but if your ship sails without you it puts a damper on the party.

 

 

 

RomeinLimo has a well-deserved reputation for providing nothing but the best drivers and vehicles for tours and transfers. Equally important is their ability to always--ALWAYS--get you to your ship.

 

 

 

We had a large group (see the subject line above) and every aspect of the program went off flawlessly. Even the folks who thought they had seen everything in Rome were stunned.

 

 

 

I've worked with RomeinLimo since 2010, from a simple airport transfer for me and my wife all the way up to logistically complex uplifts. We have never had the slightest problem. And that's why I am here now; to recommend without reservation or hesitation RomeinLimo for anything you might need or want when it comes to delivering exceptional value.

 

 

 

Happy Cruising,

 

Alan

Edited November 8, 2015 by Kruzeagain

[JVilleGal]

Ditto all the good kudos for RIL, used these in 3 different cities and would not use anyone else.

[samavarcruiser]

During our October 2015 Mediterranean Cruise we used Rome In Limo for all three ports in Italy; Florence, Rome and the Amalfi Coast. We were a group of eight from Cruise Critic. Several of us had toured with Rome In Limo before. I highly recommend them. They provide a quality professional service and they are very consistent from port to port. Jany (in the office) provides excellent customer service. She is very responsive to emails and a pleasure to work with. The drivers were on time, knowledgeable, friendly and eager to make sure we had a great day. Their vehicles are really nice Mercedes Vans.

 

Florence (Livorno)

We booked Rome In Limo's "Florence on your own tour". This tour is great for people who have been to Florence before and want to go at your own pace. Our driver was Salvatore, he was very friendly and so accommodating. Our first stop was Piazzale Michelangelo. We were able to do some quick shopping and enjoy the famous panoramic view. Six of us wanted to visit the Basilica of Santa Croce and the Scuola del Cuoio - Leather School, but one couple had purchased 11:00AM tickets to Accademia. Salvatore was able to drop the group of six off and then take the couple to Accademia. When they returned, he recommended a nice restaurant for lunch. After lunch, we headed to the Florence Cathedral. We were disappointed to find the Baptistery of Saint John and Museo dell'Opera del Duomo closed, but Salvatore came to our rescue. After we visited the Florence Cathedral, Salvatore surprised us with a visit to Piazza della Signoria. We walked around and enjoyed the statues and spent some time in a sidewalk cafe. Another amazing day in Florence.

 

Rome (Civitavecchia)

We booked the Lake of Bracciano, Castle Odescalchi, and Cerveteri tour from the port of Rome. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day and we were unable to visit the Etruscan necropolis at Cerveteri. We really enjoyed Castle Odescalchi and could see that it would be very beautiful on a sunny day. This is where Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes got married. Our driver was Salvatore (not the same person), he was so nice and he tried really hard to show us a good time. It rained the entire day. After our tour of the Castle, Salvatore took us to a restaurant for lunch. A very nice long lunch. We actually arrived at the restaurant before it opened, but they setup quickly for us. The lunch was at least six courses. The food just kept coming. There was plenty of wine and we were with great friends. After lunch Salvatore had a surprise for us. He took us to the wine cellar of the restaurant, which was an old Etruscan tomb. Yeah, we got to see one! What a nice surprise. He also gave us the option of going to the Cerveteri Museum, which we did. We had a great day despite the weather. Great job Salvatore!

 

Amalfi Coast (Naples)

We had the best time and some of the best food on this tour. We took Rome In Limo's Amalfi Coast, Positano, Amalfi & Ravello tour. I had requested Giovanni as our driver. Jany couldn't guarantee that he would be available, but she said she would try. And there he was, waiting for us at the pier! We drove along the beautiful coast before starting our day in Ravello. It was raining and most of the shops were closed, but we were able to walk around and look in a few shops. Then we were off to Amalfi. The highlight in the town of Amalfi is the Amalfi Cathedral. It is beautiful. There are also a lot of shops and good gelato. After Amalfi the sun came out and we drove along the scenic coast to the town of Positano. Giovanni dropped us off at the top of the hill and we walked down the narrow (pedestrian only) streets. Shops line the walkway all the way down to the beach. Now for the best part of the tour. Giovanni took us to da Costantino Ristorante Bar and Pizzeria for a wonderful lunch with a fantastic view. The food is fresh homemade, the ambience is family fun and there was plenty of wine and lemoncello. Giovanni doubled as a server to ensure we had everything we needed. After our leisurely lunch we headed back to the ship. While Giovanni skillfully mastered the windy roads, he started up the music and we sang along to Dean Martin's - It's Amore, what a perfect ending to a great day on the Amalfi Coast. Giovanni is the best!

 

Three great days in Italy.

 

Wow, what a great detailed review, thanks for sharing it with us :)

[1SMURFF99A]

We have used them on 2 trips and had a great experience both times. They picked us up at the Rome airport and did a full day tour of Rome, later dropping us off at our hotel. They then took us to the cruise port the next day. We also used them for tours in Florence. All our drivers have been great especially the ones for the tours. Will always use them when we can.

[pinebro]

Another fine job by Francesco & Raffaele in Livorno to Florence, San Gmignano

A great day for our group of 10.

Dependable transfers by Mike & Rolando.

class act all, highly recommended.

[CruiserBruce]

Another fine job by Francesco & Raffaele in Livorno to Florence, San Gmignano

A great day for our group of 10.

Dependable transfers by Mike & Rolando.

class act all, highly recommended.

 

Did Francesco mention his US football experience? I believe it was in your area...

 

Edit: I think he was actually in Minnesota, not Michigan.

Edited November 21, 2015 by CruiserBruce

[Northern Aurora]

We were on two RomeinLimo shared shore excursion tours in 2013, and were another pair last month. Again, we had a great experience with this company. If there is someone who has not been pleased with their experience with this company I have not met them!

[euro cruiser]

If there is someone who has not been pleased with their experience with this company I have not met them!

LOL - I would think that living in Fairbanks (I placed I loved) would really lower the odds of meeting them!

[Gracie115]

We were on two RomeinLimo shared shore excursion tours in 2013, and were another pair last month. Again, we had a great experience with this company. If there is someone who has not been pleased with their experience with this company I have not met them!

 

I think while there are many of us, me included, that post fairly frequently on this board, answering questions and giving RIL the kudos they deserve that it is amazing the sheer number of people who post here about their experiences with this company. In a world where "service" in many ways has disappeared they are outstanding in their field and I am so glad we found them. We return again next year and will once more be using their services....they make a great trip to Italy even better!!!:)

[Xmansmom]

I arranged a shared tour for 8 people on my cruise ship. I was a bit worried about feeling rushed in the amount of time that we had and the number of places we were visiting. However we never felt rushed. Our driver Nik was awesome. I would highly recommend him. He was not only knowledgeable but very amusing. One of the ladies on our tour said she had used RIL several times and the Nik was the best driver and got us closer to the Forum then any of the other drivers.

The price was so much better then the ship tour and with some many less people. Plus since there were so few of us we were able to go see a couple other little attractions that Nik knew of including the keyhole in which you can see St. Peter's Basilica through. The whole day was incredible and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to anyone traveling to Rome.

[MilwaukeeMan]

Hello. I apologize if this has been addressed before.

How far in advance should I book RomeinLimo?

We have a cruise scheduled for September 2016.

Is booking now too early? right on time? too late?

Thanks in advance!

[CruiserBruce]

I would definitely be looking at booking them in January.

[sf49ers]

Hello. I apologize if this has been addressed before.

How far in advance should I book RomeinLimo?

We have a cruise scheduled for September 2016.

Is booking now too early? right on time? too late?

Thanks in advance!

 

As soon as possible. They have a generous cancelation policy so I don't see any negative in booking early. And they do sell out.

[LiBa]

My husband and I cruised on the Island Princess from November 6 (Venice) to November 25 (Ft. Lauderdale). In Rome, I had pre-booked a tour with RomeInLimo -- the first private tour I have booked for a cruise. I was a bit nervous, but the ship's tours were very expensive and were limited in the number of sites that were visited. After this tour, we decided next cruise to book a private tour at EVERY port we can. [i wish we had booked a private tour of Pompeii. This ship's tour included an inordinate amount of time at a cameo factory and a Limoncello store -- both took at least an hour out of limited time in Pompeii -- and then our LARGE tour was very slow to organize (somebody was always missing) and the pace at which many people could walk was simply too slow for us (and we are both seniors). We didn't have time to see much.]

 

Back to RomeInLimo -- the booking process was very easy and Jany (from RomeInLimo) and I emailed constantly because I had so many questions. We found two other couples via CruiseCritic to share the tour with us -- 6 was a perfect number. We chose to prepay the tour using a credit card even though Jany clearly explained there would be a 5% surcharge to do that. I would do that again so that I didn't have to carry cash or incur ATM fees trying to get cash in Italy. We did find an ATM in Florence that did not charge a fee from the owner of the ATM, but our bank charged 3% PLUS a $2.50 ATM fee. And, changing dollars to euros in the states was simply more expensive than using our no-fee credit card plus the 5% surcharge.

 

Our driver, Michael was simply wonderful. Lots of information and history. He made sure we got into sites quickly and easily. [Note: We had purchased tickets online for both the Colosseum and the Vatican. We did not purchase a private guide for any of the sites. Michael provided lots of history and background, but he did not enter the sites with us. I believe we did the right thing. If we were spending the whole day in the Colosseum and Forum or the whole day in the Vatican Museum, I might reconsider that decision. But, the expense of a guide for the limited time we had in the Colosseum and the Vatican didn't make sense. The Rick Steves' audio guides worked perfectly.) Michael also recommended a delightful restaurant for lunch at our request.

 

We stopped and entered the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Square and St. Peter's Basilica. The Spanish Steps were closed. We drove by the Forum and Palatine Hill, the "Wedding Cake" building, and many other sites in Rome. I just wish we had more time in Rome. This was an amazing "antipasti" that was perfection; I just wish we had time for a "secondi."

 

To explain how delightful this tour was: My husband is not a great traveler and he hates tours. I usually have to drag him kicking and screaming on a tour. Since we have been home, he has told everyone how wonderful the Rome tour was, how much better than the group tours he has experienced (even the good ones), and he describes Michael as if he were family. He enjoyed it so much that he actually wants to go back to Italy. That is probably the best recommendation I can give.

 

Anything I would do differently? No, except that I would have hired RomeInLimo for Pompeii!!

[JVilleGal]

Ditto to every thing you said, plus RIL took us to Pompei and arranged for a guide to meet us. Fabulous !

[cruisemom42]

I wish we had booked a private tour of Pompeii. This ship's tour included an inordinate amount of time at a cameo factory and a Limoncello store -- both took at least an hour out of limited time in Pompeii -- and then our LARGE tour was very slow to organize (somebody was always missing) and the pace at which many people could walk was simply too slow for us (and we are both seniors). We didn't have time to see much.

 

 

You've described what is, hands down, the WORST part of most ships tours to me: the forced shopping stops. Ugh!!! I've been subject to the dreaded cameo factory -- never again.

 

I prefer to do things under my own steam whenever possible, but a private tour is generally a far better option than a ship tour, and especially in the ports in Europe with so much to see and experience.

[Litehouse9]

We found Rome in Limo to be SOOO WORTH IT! We have taken some ship's tours and they were very good, but not nearly as excellent as RIL tours.

 

So many advantages with RIL.. personal service. On the ships' tours, there is no stopping anywhere except their regularly scheduled stops. RIL will stop where you like. If you see a bazaar or some shop you want to shop at... they will!

 

On the other hand, you won't have those forced "shopping stops" that the cruise ships do, when they are paid by places to bring the buses there.

 

And Rome in Limo costs a lot less for some excellent personal service..... knowledgeable guides who know so much and will answer you questions and take you were you want to go. :):)

[CruisingFamilyfromFlorida]

We used Rome in Limo while on our Norwegian Epic 7 day cruise through Italy, Spain and France. We used Rome in Limo 3 times for the Ports of Naples, Civitavecchia, and Livorno. In Naples we had Ciro as our driver and he was waiting for us the minute we walked off of the cruise ship. He let us chose whatever we wanted to do for the entire day but made some very good suggestions of where to go. He took us to Positano, Sorrento (where he took us to a wonderful restaurant) and then to Pompeii where we already had a very knowledgeable tour guide waiting for us. By using a private tour guide we certainly made the most of the day. He then returned us to the cruise ship on time. He made our day very enjoyable as he explained the sites as we traveled down the Amalfi coast. He was a great driver and very personable, we felt very at ease with him. He was fantastic and made the day very memorable. The next day we were at the Port of Civitavecchia where we had Nicola as our driver. Once again he was waiting for us the minute we got off of the Ship. He drove us all the way to Rome, all the while telling us information about the city and the drive there. Once in Rome he took us to all of the popular tourist sites and waited for us with his Mercedes van ready to pick us up and take us to the next site. He navigated through the very tough Roman traffic with ease taking all of the pressure of of us. He also recommended a very nice restaurant for lunch, where the food was excellent and priced very reasonably. My wife wanted to shop for Vatican religious items to bring home as gifts and he took us to a large Vatican shop and waited for us. He then took us to the Vatican where we had our guide, Alessia, once again waiting for us. Everyone always kept to the schedule and was always waiting for us which makes the most of the limited vacation day. Alessia was very knowledgeable about the Vatican and the Museum and the Sistine chapel. The nine hour day went very quickly, we could have used at least two days in Rome, but we saw as much as we could in one. The next port of Livorno we had Elisabetta as our driver. She again was waiting for us as we got off the ship with her Mercedes Van. Elisabetta was very enthusiastic and really knew the area of Pisa and Florence. She took us on a very scenic drive through Tuscany which was wonderful to see. She took us to the Leaning Tower of Pisa first thing and then drove through Pisa pointing out the important sites. Then she drove us to Florence where she gave us great information about what we were seeing. She took us to the Cathedral of Florence and gave us time to sight see and have lunch. Then we went to the Uffizi Gallery to see the famous Artwork. After that she met us again and took us to the Accademia Gallery so that we could see the original statue of David. We didn't have tickets to get into the Gallery and the line was long but Elisabetta helped us talk to a Ticket seller across the street and got us tickets right away with no line. We were able to see everything very quickly and made the most of the day. She got us back to the cruise ship on time, the nine hours went by quickly. I have to recommend RomeinLimo if you want to get the most out of your limited time on vacation. They were very dependable and trustworthy and made our cruise fantastic. They charged exactly what was agreed upon beforehand and they all drove newer Mercedes Vans that were very safe and clean. Thank you to all of the wonderful drivers and guides that made our trip memorable.

[shakespeare]

Hello. I apologize if this has been addressed before.

How far in advance should I book RomeinLimo?

We have a cruise scheduled for September 2016.

Is booking now too early? right on time? too late?

Thanks in advance!

 

I would book as soon as possible. They are very popular and I wouldn't want to miss out on touring with them. I've toured with other companies prior to touring with them...and they are definitely the best in my experience. I do believe (if I remember correctly) that they have a liberal cancellation policy....just email them and they will answer all your questions thoroughly and helpfully! You cannot go wrong with them.

 

Liz

[Virtopia]

I would book as soon as possible. They are very popular and I wouldn't want to miss out on touring with them. I've toured with other companies prior to touring with them...and they are definitely the best in my experience. I do believe (if I remember correctly) that they have a liberal cancellation policy....just email them and they will answer all your questions thoroughly and helpfully! You cannot go wrong with them.

 

 

 

Liz

 

 

Thanks for this answer! I also have a cruise in September and had made a note to myself to book in March! I will be contacting them pronto :D

[samavarcruiser]

Thanks for this answer! I also have a cruise in September and had made a note to myself to book in March! I will be contacting them pronto :D

 

Good idea, i would book do the same!

[jodieh12]

I used romeinlimo in Naples recently for a private shore excursion which was supposed to be to Ravello, Positano and Sorrento. I chose this itinerary specifically as it did not include Pompeii. When we met our driver Diego (who was fantastic) he said that because it was winter season Ravello would mainly be closed and did we want to go to Pompeii instead. Of course the other 5 in the van said yes which then left me and hubby had to go despite not wanting to from the start and being the tour leaders. I felt that rominlimo could have addressed this with us before we arrived via email.

 

Apart from that the tour was great. Diego knew exactly where to go for the best views and picture opportunities. He also suggested that if we missed the ship we go to his house for New Year!!

 

I would have no hesitation in recommending them again and will probably use them again for my Easter cruise.