Private Tours in Rome

[Lidoturtle]

We are planning a cruise on NCL in May to the Mediterranean. Has anyone booked a private tour with Rome Connection? Do you recommend a hired tour guide that picks you up at the port versus the train and lots of walking.

[Jim Avery]

We are planning a cruise on NCL in May to the Mediterranean. Has anyone booked a private tour with Rome Connection? Do you recommend a hired tour guide that picks you up at the port versus the train and lots of walking.

 

We highly recommend Stefano with RomeCabs. Very dependable, knowledgeable, etc. Picked us up at Civitivecchia, transfer to hotel. Next day, Rome tour. He has all the permits and parks literally at the front door of all attractions. If you are going to the Vatican, spend the $$ to hire a personal guide. It is the Italian way. Stand in lines for hours or hire the guide and cut all the lines plus see rooms the masses dont. Well worth the money.:D

[heart347]

I have used Rome In Limo for Rome, Naples, and Livorno both times I went to Italy. They are very professional, and the vehicles were very nice. Also, the tour guides were awesome!!! One of them I shared with a few people I met in the Roll Call.

[LoraJ]

We used Share a Shore Excursion in Italy. We had a small group of 8 and were picked up at the pier. We paid a little extra for a guide in the Vatican. It was so worth it. I think it would be best to be picked up at the port so you don't have to deal with anyone else and schedules. I have not heard of the company you are asking about though.

[jdvmd]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

We also used Rome in Limo. Very good experience and wouldn't hesitate to use them again. You might want to post this also on your roll call. Check out the Rome Ports of Call board also.

[welove2cruise*]

I second the recommendation for Rome in Limo. They were a wonderful company to deal with and provided the best day possible for us in Rome.

[lowroller]

I'll also recommend "Rome in Limo" great time, excellent service from pick up to drop off.

[Ashland]

Welcome to Cruise Critic...use your search function and you will find "many many" posts about RomeInLimo...One of the most popular private tour companys in Italy...Also as mentioned above, check out your Roll Call for more info on your particular sailing..Enjoy your cruise and your time in Rome !!

[wantocruisemore]

Do a search for Rome Connection on this board and Tripadvisor. There are some very good tour providers and some not so good.

 

For us personally, we have used Rome in Limo, loved them, and will use them again!

[vacation fool]

We were on a tour with them. Guide promised was not who showed up at the port. He was more of a driver than a tour guide. Entire group was disappointed and unhappy. Might just have been our bad luck that day don't know. Would not say they are not good, but our experience that day was not a positive one. Caused alot of dissention between the tour members and the poor person who arranged it. :(

[katiepe]

We took a private tour with smartcruisetours.

Very reasonable price-much lower than most of the other private tours-we had great guide and a fabulous tour.

No worries about being back to port on time. A great day.

[ksps cruise fan]

We were on a tour with them. Guide promised was not who showed up at the port. He was more of a driver than a tour guide.

 

This is the case even with many of the companies that people praise so highly in this thread. A driver in Italy is not licensed as a tour guide and vice versa.

 

Most posters like the charm and attentiveness of the drivers of Rome in Limo and RomeCabs. And most are satisfied with the level of information the driver provides en route to the sites, but those drivers simply are not licensed tour guides.

 

To the OP: If you really want a tour guide capable of accompanying you into the sites and giving reliable, in-depth information, you have to specifically ask the booking agent for, say RomeCabs, to also hire a licensed guide. Emphasis on the word "licensed." This gets pricey since you'll be paying for the services of both a driver and guide, but it's the only way to combine the convenience of a driver and the expertise of a guide.

[cruisemom42]

Do you recommend a hired tour guide that picks you up at the port versus the train and lots of walking.

 

 

To the OP: If you really want a tour guide capable of accompanying you into the sites and giving reliable, in-depth information, you have to specifically ask the booking agent for, say RomeCabs, to also hire a licensed guide. Emphasis on the word "licensed." This gets pricey since you'll be paying for the services of both a driver and guide, but it's the only way to combine the convenience of a driver and the expertise of a guide.

 

It occurs to me, from the way that OP framed their question, that one option might be for them to get to Rome on their own via the train (a large part of the cost of tours like RIL is the transportation to/from Civitavecchia) and then hire a private guide and/or book a small group tour for their day in Rome. The cost of a private guide for the day will negate any savings from not having a driver. But if it were up to me, I'd rather have the licensed guide.

 

To the OP: either way you do it, there will be a lot of walking involved in trying to see Rome's highlights in a day.

[ksps cruise fan]

It occurs to me, from the way that OP framed their question, that one option might be for them to get to Rome on their own via the train (a large part of the cost of tours like RIL is the transportation to/from Civitavecchia) and then hire a private guide and/or book a small group tour for their day in Rome. The cost of a private guide for the day will negate any savings from not having a driver. But if it were up to me, I'd rather have the licensed guide.

 

Your suggestion makes sense but will certainly require more initiative to pull off. Context Rome, your favorite licensed guide service and mine, includes expicit language on its web site requiring cruisers visiting Rome as a port call to hire one of its private sedan cars. Since driving (conversation en route to sites doesn't legally qualify as guiding) is the primary business of Rome Cabs/Rome in Limo, I suspect they would have a similar requirement. In fact, I assume that the drivers for these two companies are employees and that the companies hires free-lance licensed guides for the occasional visitor who requests that service. Under the circumstances, I'd be surprised if Rome Cabs/Rome in Limo would provide a licensed guide without transportation.

 

That doesn't mean it would be impossible to locate and hire a licensed tour guide to meet cruisers arriving by train, but it would certainly take more research and effort.

[wantocruisemore]

I know with respect to Rome in Limo they will have a guide meet you at a site if that is your preference. We did that for our Vatican tour. Then all we had to pay was for the guide. It was not required to hire a driver. Although we were staying in Rome at the time, I can see no difference if you are coming in from the ship. You just arrange a time and place to meet.

 

We're going to do that again this Spring and set up for a walking tour of places we missed before. We just get so much more out of it with a guide that it's worth the extra.

 

 

Your suggestion makes sense but will certainly require more initiative to pull off. Context Rome, your favorite licensed guide service and mine, includes expicit language on its web site requiring cruisers visiting Rome as a port call to hire one of its private sedan cars. Since driving (conversation en route to sites doesn't legally qualify as guiding) is the primary business of Rome Cabs/Rome in Limo, I suspect they would have a similar requirement. In fact, I assume that the drivers for these two companies are employees and that the companies hires free-lance licensed guides for the occasional visitor who requests that service. Under the circumstances, I'd be surprised if Rome Cabs/Rome in Limo would provide a licensed guide without transportation.

 

That doesn't mean it would be impossible to locate and hire a licensed tour guide to meet cruisers arriving by train, but it would certainly take more research and effort.

[snowshh]

I have booked a driver and guide with Angel Tours for Rome. My cousin used them as a guide earlier and was pleased. Driver will pick us up at ship and take us into Rome to meet our guide for the day. Afterwards, the driver will pick us up for trip back to the ship. Hope all goes well! Will let you know afterwards!

[texancruzer]

We used Angel Tours our first trip to Rome and were very pleased with our tour. But we hired a private guide. Just dh, myself and the guide. We were already in Rome pre cruise so no need for a driver.

 

We met her at the Vatican, did the museums, chapel and St. Peters and then all 3 of us took a taxi to the Forum/Coliseum.