Eurocruiser2010

Please accept my apologies, as this is VERY long overdue, however I think it's never too late to salute the fabulous Rome and Limo crew!

My husband and I used RIL for all of our Italian ports on our late June cruise: Naples, Rome and Livorno. This was unequivocally the best decision of our trip. We were able to make the most of our time at these fabulous ports. Without a doubt we saw twice as much ... if more ... than any person who chose a cruise-sponsored tour. Also, because it was just us two, we were able to choose what WE wanted to do! It was great ...

In Livorno, we had the fabulous Vinnie (OUR FAVORITE RIL GUIDE!!!). Vinnie was wonderful and drove us to Pisa and then Florence. Vinnie took us to an awesome restaurant in Florence that only locals go to. No one in the place spoke a lick of English, so he had to translate everything ...even the menu. He also scheduled a special winery stop before we went back to the boat. At the winery, we were able to try some delicious olive oil that was the best I've ever had. I bought some, and every time I use it, I think of our time in beautiful Tuscany!

In Rome, we had Nicola, who was a gem as well. He knew a lot about the history of the city, which was very interesting. He told us stories on the drive into the city central. Even though it's about a 2 hour drive, the time went by quickly as we were immersed in learning more about the culture (Or maybe it was how quickly he was driving! LOL). We amazingly made it to every single place we wanted to see that day ... and even got a tour of the Vatican from a special guide that RIL lined up for us. I would HIGHLY recommend getting the tour guide for the Vatican. Without the guide, it would be easy to pass through and miss things that you definitely want to see.

In Naples, we had Carmine. He drove us to Pompeii, where we picked up a guide to visit Pompeii. Once again, GO WITH A GUIDE! You don't know what you are looking at until the guide tells you the significance. Plus, Pompeii IS HUGE, and with a guide, you are able to see all the highlights in a short time. Carmine also took us to Positano, which is now officially my favorite place on earth! Carmine went above and beyond to make us feel special: he bought us fresh cherries, a bottle of limoncello, a bottle of wine and cookies ... while it was very nice and we never ever felt uncomfortable, sometimes his extravagances felt like he was REALLY trying to work a tip. Some people might love his over the top nature .... but my husband and I are a little more on the quiet side, and at points, he was a bit much for us (This is in no way a criticism ... he was great to us. Just a lot for a conservative couple from the Midwest! Laid back Vinnie and Nicola was much more our style ... but I think this was just a personality preference!) Needless to say, every time I think about Carmine, I smile broadly because he's someone you will never forget!

My one and only small criticism: Sometimes it feels like the guides have "partnerships" with vendors at different stops. For instance, in Pompeii, Carmine dropped us off at a cameo shop, even though we didn't ask to go. He said that Pompeii wasn't opened, and that we should look through this "museum" until it was. The "museum" ended up to be a cameo shop where they sold very pricey necklaces. Was it a big deal? Not really, we only stayed there for about 15 minutes, but it just seemed like we were dropped off their to be customers ... just a little weird.

All in all ... Rome in Limo is the way to go ... NO QUESTIONS asked. we always felt safe and well-taken care of. I used traveler's checks in Euros for payment. I paid cash for tips, but all drivers said I could have given their tips in traveler's checks too.

In closing ... there's only one thing to say: Rome in Limo is the ONLY way to see Italy! Ciao!

Happy to answer any questions ...

My husband and I will be embarking on our European Honeymoon next week! We have booked private excursions (It is our honeymoon after all!) with Rome In Limo for all three Italian ports ... Rome, Naples, and Florence/Pisa. I can't wait! :)

If it's just two of us, how much would you recommend tipping each guide? I've gone through this wonderful and informative post, but most tipping information is for a larger group.

While I am planning on doing 5-10 euros per person (10-20 euros per driver), I just want to make sure that is sufficient. Most postings say 10-20%, but that seems like a lot to me, considering European tipping customs. But, at the same time, I don't want to be cheap!