RomeInLimo questions

[jlijny]

We just got back from 12 nt Med Cruise and used Romeinlimo for Florence and Rome. They are FANTASTIC!!!!......reliable, knowledgeable, and truly amazing. In Florence we only had a driver, which turned out to be just fine. He told us everything we needed to know as we drove to the next stop. However, in Rome, we had a driver and a licensed guide for the whole day. Our guide, Julia, was great, and I am glad that we booked her for the entire day. She had pre-ordered tickets for the Coliseum and the Vatican. It is a good thing she did.......the lines were blocks long, and we just walked right in. She was amazing, she told us everything we needed to know, and showed us everything there was to see. My best day of the trip was Rome, and it was because of Romeinlimo, Julia, and the restaurant that she had suggested.

[Quendryth]

I've read several mentions of a great restaurant for lunch near the Vatican, that sounds wonderful and reasonably priced. Does anyone recall the name? I'd much rather do that than pizza or something else, so it would be nice to be able to request it by name. Thanks!

 

 

Our tourguide, Francesco took us to Osteriadeu Pontefici which is near the Vatican. It is fabulous! The address is Via Gregorio V11 53, Rome. The web address is www.osteriadeipointefici.com .

 

It is a family owned restaurant and they treat you like one of their own.

 

Hope you get a chance to visit them

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Faith

[Kathy130]

My group of 6 just used Romeinlimo on our Mediteranean vacation in July. They are outstanding to deal with!!! From the beginning, communication is easy and quick. I had booked them for three ports, Livorno, Civitavecchia, and Naples. We had a wonderful driver/guide in Livorna, so knowledgable and pleasant. We thoroughly enjoyed the comfort and convenience of the Mercedes van and the opportunity to learn as we were driven in style and comfort.

 

Unfortunately and very unusually, the winds were over the limit in Civitavecchia for the Ruby Princess to dock, and the Captain's choice is not dock at all was very disappointing for all passengers. As upset as I was, I was immediately in touch with Duman, who knew what was happening, and was additionally as upset for me. (This alone will be the catalyst to return again next. )

 

The next day we pulled into the Port of Naples and had a wonderful driver Raffaele, who made our visits to Positano, Sorrento, (Amalfi Coast)and Pompeii memorable. We asked him not to take us to a "touristy" spot for lunch, and he assured us it wouldn't be. We had the most incredible lunch that day on a terrace over looking the Mediterranean............just incredible. We sample fresh fruits along the countryside,and even had us singing in the van, as we were seeing the awesome sights of the Amalfi Coast........."That's Amore." It was an unbelievable day.

 

I am so glad I researched this company. I already shared my info. with a family that used them, in June, even before I did. On their return from their Med. cruise, they couldn't thank me enough for providing them with info. on Rome in Limo.

 

Since my goal is to see Rome next summer, Duman already knows that I will use his expertise to help make our vacation there just as memorable.

 

Back 9 months ago, I was the one reading reviews on Cruise Critic and on their website, and ultimately deciding on Rome in Limo. Because of my experience with them, their professionalism, and their delivery, they will be used again by me and continually recommended to others.

[Peteymil]

Our tourguide, Francesco took us to Osteriadeu Pontefici which is near the Vatican. It is fabulous! The address is Via Gregorio V11 53, Rome. The web address is www.osteriadeipointefici.com .

 

It is a family owned restaurant and they treat you like one of their own.

 

Hope you get a chance to visit them

 

Happy Cruising!

 

Faith

 

We ate there also, and the pizza was the best we had in Italy-light and thin, with the most delicious flavor. The menu is quite large.

[peppyw]

I'm still confused about what to do. I know you see more with RIL but you get a guide with the ship so RIL ends up being more expensive. Do yo need the extra guide with RIL in the VAtican? I am trying to find people on Rollcall but not hat many have signed up. Advice anyone? Thanks!

[chipmaster]

I'm still confused about what to do. I know you see more with RIL but you get a guide with the ship so RIL ends up being more expensive. Do yo need the extra guide with RIL in the VAtican? I am trying to find people on Rollcall but not hat many have signed up. Advice anyone? Thanks!

 

If you have a small group < 4 then I agree RIL is likely the same price or slight more compared to the tour offerings. Even for the same or more $ remember what you get. To get "cheaper" you need to fill the van > 6 really drive the price to be cheaper then the most expensive big bus tours, and you see much more.

 

Trust me with RIL you see more up close and personal then the big bus tours. BTW the private vans the ships offere are close to 1000/car are the only offering that come close. Knowing what I know now, I'd likely still spend 100 - 150 euros/person more to take RIL then the big bus tours. That is how good I think the experience was. You are only in Rome home many times in a lifetime, don't be pennywise and miss the experience.

 

I personally don't think a guide in the car adds anything as our driver was a chatterbox of history, trivia and just good stories. Sadly you do spend lots of time in the vehicle so you learn a lot from them. A guide is only needed in places like Vatican where you are walking and outside a lot.

 

No question the big bus tours need the walking guide as you are walking a lot from bus to all the attractions. We got dropped less then 50meters from all the sites so the guide wouldn't have been much added value on the short walk :D

 

Good luck finding some more takers on your tour

Edited August 10, 2009 by chipmaster

[SunFunCruiser]

Just to give you an example. We did RIL for just the 4 of us. With all out tickets, private guide for the Vatican and gratuities it was 760 Euro total. I think that is a great price for the personal attention we got and all we got to see. There was NO need to add an additional private guide for anything but the Vatican.

 

I don't remember what the price was for thsi kind of tour through the ship, but I bet it was probably still more money.

[kikicruiser455]

We also booked Rome in Limo for Rome and Naples. Looks like payment needs to be in either euros or traveler checks. Are ATM's easy to find? Should we just bring traveler's checks?

[Off2China]

We also booked Rome in Limo for Rome and Naples. Looks like payment needs to be in either euros or traveler checks. Are ATM's easy to find? Should we just bring traveler's checks?

 

I believe the traveler's checks have to be in euros--is that what you mean?--not US dollars. The confirmation I received from Jany says "We accept ONLY cash and T/C's in Euro."

[CintiPam]

We also booked Rome in Limo for Rome and Naples. Looks like payment needs to be in either euros or traveler checks. Are ATM's easy to find? Should we just bring traveler's checks?

 

ATM's are everywhere in Italy, and I assure you that RIL will be more than happy to stop at a good one for you on your way back to the port in order to obtain payment and tips!:)

 

If you would rather pay them in Euro traveler's checks, just be sure not to buy any extra amounts than what you need to pay RIL because you will have a tough time finding others willing to accept them (unless you like standing in line at a bank on your vacation). Since the widespread advent of ATM's in the past ten years, TC's have gone the way of the dodo bird.:)

Edited August 12, 2009 by CintiPam

[Brigidt]

We just got back from an NCL Gem cruise, and used Romeinlimo for 1. Naples/Pompeii/Sorrento/Positano, 2. Rome, and 3. Florence/Pisa. We were thoroughly impressed and had a great time in each locale.

 

At our first meeting, Rafaelle was waiting for us in a suit and a black Mercedes van. What a great first impression! He is a total gentleman. We had a wonderful visit to Pompeii with the fabulous Lucia (ask for her!). Rafaelle took us to a place for lunch with a fabulous view of the coastline. A place that the average tourist would never find. He helps you to see the beauty in the area, and come to love it as he does.

 

Then Vincenzo met us for our trip into Rome, again in a Mercedes van. Equally professional and totally delightful! A jovial gentleman you want to hug at the end of the day. He made it so easy for us to see so much in a day. And we saw a LOT!

 

Finally we were met by Laura in Florence. What a difference from the prior two -- she is young and casual. She met us in an immaculate large van (not a Mercedes, but equally classy). Laura was the perfect guide for our last trip -- relaxed. Three 9-hour tours in three days is a lot -- and little did we know beforehand that this is just what we needed by the third day! Before meeting Laura I was worried that we would have a lot of silent time in the car, because our family did not know enough about the region to ask many questions, but Laura was very knowledgeable, and was eager to share so much history. She was just delightful.

 

I highly recommend Romeinlimo. A thoroughly professional, courteous, and well organized group. The drivers were all smiles (and always on time) when they met us. The vehicles were immaculate. Romeinlimo was the highlight of our 7-day trip.

 

Bon voyage! ~Brigid ;)

[CruisingGoddess]

We will be using Romeinlimo for Rome and Florence. Has everyone been pretty happy with the restaurants they take you too during your tour? Since the cost of lunch is not included, how much did the meal cost? I'm wondering if I should do any research on restaurants.

 

Also, is the gelato better in Rome or Florence? Which city I should request a gelato run? :D

[Terpnut]

We will be using Romeinlimo for Rome and Florence. Has everyone been pretty happy with the restaurants they take you too during your tour? Since the cost of lunch is not included, how much did the meal cost? I'm wondering if I should do any research on restaurants.

I found their suggestions to be very good and trustworthy. I would suggest you be specific in advance about the type of food and view/ambiance you'd like however. In Livorno, for example, you could eat in the Tuscan countryside, in a Tuscan city like Lucca, or in Firenze yourself--your choice.

 

Also, is the gelato better in Rome or Florence? Which city I should request a gelato run? :D

The answer to this one's easy--get it in BOTH! Gelati places are ubiquitous in Italy so you don't need to make a special run or trip. Just get it whenever it strikes your fancy because there seems to be a gelati store every 50 ft in Italy! :)

 

In Roma, if you want the best gelati, you will find it at Della Palma, about two blocks north of the Pantheon. Duman of Romeinlimo had told me so, but I had to try them all anyhow because we had almost six days to try all the gelati in Roma.

 

Well, he was right--Della Palma IS much better than the others, including the more famous Giolitti's found just around the corner!

Edited August 12, 2009 by Terpnut

[CruisingGoddess]

Sorry, one more question...the Rome itinerary on their web site says they will take you shopping after lunch. Does anyone recall where they take you, like what streets or what stores you recall? Around how much time did you have to shop?

 

Thanks in advance!

[Terpnut]

Sorry, one more question...the Rome itinerary on their web site says they will take you shopping after lunch. Does anyone recall where they take you, like what streets or what stores you recall? Around how much time did you have to shop?

 

Thanks in advance!

As the tour is for you, you should tell them if you even want to shop, if so, what you want to buy and how much time you need. Remember the tour is completely customized so you are the one dictating where they will take you and for how long.

 

For shopping ideas, there's another thread that was going recently on the different shopping areas in Roma, suggestions on gifts and souvenirs, etc. that may be helpful to you.

Edited August 12, 2009 by Terpnut

[cruznurz]

The best decision of our Mediterranean cruise was booking three tours with Romeinlimo. From the beginning, Jany was accommodating and helpful. Romeinlimo had been recommended by so many cruise critics we decided to book with them. We put out a call on the message board for others to join us and soon the van was filled each day with wonderful new friends. It took a bit of organizing and many e-mails but it worked out very well. We met one another at the cruise critic meet and greet.

 

In Cinque Terre our capable driver was Venici and Gabriella was our tour guide. She led us between villages on foot and by boat. The scenery was incredible. We would certainly have been lost without her. We weren't supposed to go to Pisa but they arranged our day to include a stop at the leaning tower on our way back to the Celebrity Summit. We were very grateful. Again, we chose this tour based on c/c recommendations and loved it all. If you want to tour the Tuscan countryside and visit quaint villages with winding narrow streets, perched over the sea, on the side of cliffs, this is the tour for you.

 

In Rome our charming driver was Manuel. He was very adept at getting us around Rome to see more sights than we ever imagined we could see in one day. We had the best pizza ever, in a small cafe where we watched the owner make the pizza in front of us. He was delightful and we will never think of Rome without remembering our day with Manuel. Our very knowledgeable Vatican tour guide was Cesare.

 

Lucia, our guide in Pompei, brought history to life for us. Giovanni drove us from Naples down the Amalfi coast. He gave us opportunity for photo stops and took us to a wonderful restaurant overlooking Sorrento. He provided Italian snacks in the van and had us all singing Italian songs. It was a very enjoyable day. We toasted him and all the other Romeinlimo drivers and guides with his bottle of lemoncello as we sailed away.

 

Duman runs a good business and his people go above and beyond to ensure their guests have a fantastic experience in their ports. We have taken many ship tours in the past which were well organized. However, a private van tour affords the luxury of flexibility and getting closer to the sights. Should we have the good fortune to return to Italy (we did throw our coins in the Trevi fountain),we will certainly book with Romeinlimo again.:)

Dale and Jim

[SunFunCruiser]

Sorry, one more question...the Rome itinerary on their web site says they will take you shopping after lunch. Does anyone recall where they take you, like what streets or what stores you recall? Around how much time did you have to shop?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

As noted in other posts, they will take you wherever you want to go. We actually opted not to shop or eat during our tour. I think we just grabbed our son a slice of pizza. I just wanted to see everything in Rome!! I did want to buy rosary beads at the Vatican, so our guide Sarah made sure I got those, that was about it for shopping! Lol

[AtMaui]

Friends and I just returned from 12 days on the Oosterdam and used Romeinlimo in Naples for the Amalfi Coast and in Rome. Eugene was our driver in Naples and he was great. There were 8 of us in a van and he was very accommodating, funny, and informative. My friends and I had Marco for our driver in Rome and he was awesome. We are not into spending a lot of time in old ruins so he took us thru residential areas, quiet parks, overviews of the city. We wanted to go shopping so he pointed us in the the direction of the upscale shops and met us in an hour or so. He took us anyplace we wanted to go. We did not use a Vatican guide since we only went thru the Vatican museum and the Sistine Chapel.

 

I would highly recommend Romeinlimo and would definitely use them again if I find myself in Italy again. We were so happy that we booked with them and did not do the bus tours offered by the cruise line. Much more personalized!

[jerri10000]

We just got back from Voyager of the Seas - Royal Caribbean cruise and used romeinlimo for tours in Rome, Naples and Florence. We could not have had a better experience. In Rome, our driver was great and we had a tour guide for the Vatican. We went late in the day so it seemed like all the early people were leaving as we were arriving. Our guide was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic and was able to answer all our questions - I believe his name was Umberto - I highly recommend him for a private tour of the Vatican. Our Naples driver was our favorite, Giovanni. He just loves his job and he was wonderful. We had a guide through Pompeii and he was great - he was able to steer us away from crowds and take us places we would otherwise not had time or known to see. We had a driver only in Florence. We went to the Accademie to see David but he advised us not to go to Uffizi so we didn't. We enjoyed this day as well. All the drivers and guides spoke excellent English; were very knowledgeable and nice and on time when we got off the ship and were easy to find. This was so much better than going on a cruise tour - if you can get others to share your tours, that brings the prices down to less than the cruise tours would be. We found the people we shared with (on this site) the month before our cruise - so don't give up!! Their website gave the suggested tipping and we followed that rule. We thought it was money well-spent. Also, Romeinlimo gives you a discount when you book more than one tour with them. We tipped both the drivers and the guides. In France, we booked through dream-tours and they were good too.

The only thing I would do differently is to make sure we didn't spend so much time during lunch. Maybe while we toured something, we could get the driver to go purchase wine, cheese, fruit and bread and find a picnic area to eat at and then go have gellato somewhere. Our lunches were good but service is alot slower than we are used to and that was precious time we lost when there was so much to do and see.

[CruisingGoddess]

Their website gave the suggested tipping and we followed that rule. We thought it was money well-spent. Also, Romeinlimo gives you a discount when you book more than one tour with them. We tipped both the drivers and the guides.

 

I'm so glad you had a good time!!

 

I could not find the suggested tipping on the Romeinlimo web site. Could you provide the link or tell us how much this is? It would be useful for budgeting. Thank you!

[Terpnut]

I'm so glad you had a good time!!

 

I could not find the suggested tipping on the Romeinlimo web site. Could you provide the link or tell us how much this is? It would be useful for budgeting. Thank you!

I wouldn't tip based on guidance provided by a tour company. I believe it is generally reasonable to tip up to 10% for excellent service. IOW, if you use U.S.-standards such as 15%-20% for excellent service, you are overtipping in Italy (and most other European countries).

[Houston Pegaroo]

Need help on how to book with Rome in Limo and how you found people to share.

[CruisingGoddess]

Need help on how to book with Rome in Limo and how you found people to share.

 

http://www.romeinlimo.com

 

You can book them through their web site.

 

To find people to share, find your Cruise Roll Call thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34

 

In your thread, you can either recruit people to fill your tour or join someone else's tour. Good luck!

[David]

I just returned with a group of 12 people from 15 days in Italy (3 in Rome and then a 12-night cruise on Legend of the Seas). We used Romeinlimo for our transfers from FCO to our hotel in Rome, from our hotel to the ship in Civitavechhia, and from the ship to FCO at the end of the cruise. The transfer service was outstanding! The drivers were prompt, courteous, and expert at staying together even though we always had two vans. Duman, especially, was a fountain of knowledge preparing us for our upcoming port visits during our drive from Rome to the ship.

 

We also used Romeinlimo for full-day tours during our two-day port stop in Livorno, in Messina, and in Naples. During our two days in Livorno, David and Clara were our driver/guides for both days. The first day they drove us through Pisa and stopped for a brief visit to the Leaning Tower, then on to Florence, where we were able to get right into the Uffizi Gallery. We also had time to see the Ponte Vecchio, Santa Croce, the Synagogue, and the Duomo. Before that, we stopped at a wonderful spot overlooking the city of Florence, and David explained all about many of the sights laid out before us. Having taken a cruise exursion to Florence 6 years ago, I can attest how much more we got out of our visit this time around using Romeinlimo.

 

The second day David and Clara took us to San Gimignano and Siena (and also to an old fortress village in between the two towns where we had a light lunch and sampled the local white wine and a chianti classico. Besides the two wonderful, historic towns we visited, we saw much of the beautiful Tuscan countryside -- something I had not been able to see 6 years ago, and David and Clara provided almost continuous commentary during the drive, providing extensive history and information about Tuscan culture. They were truly gifted professionals who loved to share their knowledge.

 

In Messina our drivers were Allesandro and Dominic (not certain about the second name). We spent the morning visiting Godfather Ccountry (the hillside villages of Savocca and Forza di Agro, where portions of The Godfather movies were filmed). We then had lunch and spent the afternoon in Taormina. Allesandro brought us to a wonderful restaurant on The Corso Umberto (the main street in Taormina) where we enjoyed the local specialites and were entertained by a terrific tenor! It was another perfect day that would have been impossible using the cruise line shore excursions.

 

In Naples, our van driver was Gennaro. He took us in the morning to visit Ravello and Amalfi -- the first a beautiful mountaintop village and the second a seashore resort. We had ample time to explore both towns -- and then stop briefly in Positano, before moving on for lunch and an afternoon visit in Sorrento. Gennaro took us to a hillside restaurant overlooking Sorrento, which we would probably have enjoyed more if we had more time. But we needed to spend time in Sorrento itself, and it is difficult to cover so much in one full day, especially with the slow traffic around the Amalfi Coast. We also needed to meet up with another couple in our group, who Romeinlimo drove first to Pompeii and then for a visit to a cameo factory before meeting up with us in Positano.

 

All in all, Romeinlimo clearly made a siginificant contribution to our wonderful vacation in Italy. Jany and Duman responded to all my many questions during the planning for our transfers and tours and were extraordinarily helpful in suggesting the tour itineraries during the months preceding our trip -- and, as others have mentioned, Romeinlimo will offer discounts if you book multiple services with them. The members of our group uniformly agree that we would highly recommend using Duman, Jany, and the wonderful driver/guides of Romeinlimo, and will certainly do so again if we come back to Italy on another cruise!

 

David

[travelteach326]

I am beginning my research for our Mediterranean Cruise on Splendour of the Seas next July. This cruise leaves from Venice.

 

We are thinking of flying into Rome. Still looking for a hotel - should we pay a little extra and stay near the sites or book a hotel a little out of the way? I am sold on using RomanLimo. If we use RomanLimo, do we need to stay 2 days in Rome (arrival day and then the next full day of touring) and then we leave by train on our next portion of our trip - Florence. We will use RomanLimo again - need hotel. Again do we need 2 days in Florence to see all the sites?

 

Then we will take train to Venice. Tour full day and then leave on cruise the following day.

 

Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated!