Visiting Rome

[Sunday golf]

We are on the Quest in the fall with a stop in Civitavecchia. Seabourn has a number of tours which are quite expensive. Any suggestions on the best way to visit the City?

[Jim Avery]

We are on the Quest in the fall with a stop in Civitavecchia. Seabourn has a number of tours which are quite expensive. Any suggestions on the best way to visit the City?

 

Contact Stefano with RomeCabs.com. He has fair prices, custom tailored tours, nice clean vehicles, and personable drivers. In numerous times using him he has never been late. Quite a feat in Italian traffic. Others on this board have had similar experiences with Stefano's company.:D Also, he has what ever licenses are necessary to park anywhere--even on the steps of the Pantheon.:eek: It is truly the best way to go.:D

[wripro]

Have RomeCabs pick you up at the port, drive you into the city and give you as comprehensive a tour as possible in the limited time and then drive yo back. They are very reliable and efficient and it will be stress free.

[Keith1010]

I also recommend romecabs.

 

With limited time you really want to do a private tour and they do a nice job.

 

Web site is http://www.romecabs.com

 

Keith

[PaulaJK]

I agree w. the above posters re: a pvt tour. However, Rome can never be fully explored in a day so advance reading, a map and prioritizing what you most wish to see will also be of help to you.

[Sunday golf]

I realise in a day we will hardly touch the surface, but a good start. Thanks for the help

[ailmarsh]

We did Rome on our own with no problems at all!

 

Following tips from a previous poster, we walked to Civitavecchia Station, bought a BIRG ticket (which includes metro & bus travel too) got off at San Pietro, very close to St Peter's. Road traffic is horrendous & we passed the tour buses from the ship, getting to the city centre before them! We pre booked an entrance time to avoid queuing for the Vatican Museum & then after lunch, took the metro to the Spanish Steps & the Trevi Fountain and then walked to the Parthenon. As the rain had started we took a bus back to the Terminale station which gave us a view of the river & the Castelo Sant Angelo. In 2009 the BIRG tickets cost 7 Euros each - a real bargain :-)

 

Lots of info on Trip Advisor too

 

Enjoy la Bella Roma ................

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Keith1010]

If this is your first visit to Rome I just would not do it on your own.

 

Sure, if you had lots of days that would be a different story.

 

But with one day you will only see a small portion of Rome and you can do it a lot faster with a guide who can get you to some of the key sites.

 

Personally I think this is a city that a guide is invaluable.

 

I would either do a tour where you see the highlights of Rome or do a tour where you see some specific sites but I would do this in an organized tour.

 

Keith

[Jane Pond]

I personally use Katie Parla, her webiste, food ap, and as an art historian for my day trips. Check her website if she might meet your needs. Especially if you have an interest in one particular site.

[Jim Avery]

Every time this subject arises, at least one person brings up taking the bus, metro, train, etc. and save a few over hiring a private car tour. Don't get me wrong, if that is your thing, do it. I spent 3 months back packing all over Europe, sleeping in train stations and in baggage coaches. Even spent one night inside the Colosseum in Rome.:eek: It was 1969, I was 21.:D Why would one who is paying thousands of dollars (or other currency equivalents) for a Seabourn cruise plus thousands more for airfare, a hotel or two and other incidentals, want to waste time waiting for busses, trains, metros, etc.d?? Just to save a few $$?? I guess I am just slow but I don't get it.:eek::D

[Keith1010]

Jim I could not agree with you more, particularly if this is your first visit to Rome or you have been there very few times. There are clearly ports where going it on your own makes sense but in my opinion not Rome.

 

I think the key in Rome for one day is figure out what you want to do which could just to see the highlights knowing you want to return again for a few days or seeing just a couple of sites but in depth. But either way on a first visit for one day I would do this with an organized tour and with so many good options in Rome I would do a private tour the best use of ones time.

 

This is not the place to do it on the cheap as you note.

 

Keith

[Roxburgh]

We did Rome on our own ("Roma on your owna") with the Seabourn transfer. We hit all the major sites for a fly by visit and then had time for an excellent lunch close by the pick-up. We did not user a guide but walked from site to site. City map essential! Was it superficial? Absolutely. But very enjoyable all the same.

[mariners]

Jim, I will soon be leaving for Rome and embarking on a cruise. This will be my first time travelling with a large group of family, friends, and acquaintances. We definitely fall into different groups as to how we envision transfers and shore excursions. I now "get" different views on excursions/transfers. One of the couples wants to immerse themselves in the local culture of each port and, to them, that means using local transportation, researching and developing their own tours, and having complete control over every aspect of their time in port. One of the couples will only take ship tours as they believe that the rest of us will not make it back to the ship on time from our independent tours. I'm sure that the cost of private excursions is likely a factor for some people, but it is definitely not a deciding factor for all who choose to take trains/buses/etc.

 

I, too, have had an excellent experience with RomeCabs. Katie Parla also gets rave reviews.

[Jim Avery]

Jim, I will soon be leaving for Rome and embarking on a cruise. This will be my first time travelling with a large group of family, friends, and acquaintances. We definitely fall into different groups as to how we envision transfers and shore excursions. I now "get" different views on excursions/transfers. One of the couples wants to immerse themselves in the local culture of each port and, to them, that means using local transportation, researching and developing their own tours, and having complete control over every aspect of their time in port. One of the couples will only take ship tours as they believe that the rest of us will not make it back to the ship on time from our independent tours. I'm sure that the cost of private excursions is likely a factor for some people, but it is definitely not a deciding factor for all who choose to take trains/buses/etc.

 

I, too, have had an excellent experience with RomeCabs. Katie Parla also gets rave reviews.

 

My point was you only have part of one day, why waste time waiting for the various conveyances to arrive and for the time spent changing from one to the other? That and the idea of saving a few $$ on this sort of trip seems false economy imho.:D

[mariners]

I agree! However, I have been told that I will be missing out on experiencing the "real" Italy. Some "real" experiences, in opinion, are not meant to be experienced.:D

[Mr Luxury]

My point was you only have part of one day, why waste time waiting for the various conveyances to arrive and for the time spent changing from one to the other? That and the idea of saving a few $$ on this sort of trip seems false economy imho.:D

 

I agree Jim.

 

I often wonder why people pay good money to sail with a luxury line and all that it includes and then want to do other things associated with the cruise on the cheap.

[nancygp]

I agree Jim.

 

I often wonder why people pay good money to sail with a luxury line and all that it includes and then want to do other things associated with the cruise on the cheap.

 

Fully concur!!

 

Nancy

[Keith1010]

I agree! However, I have been told that I will be missing out on experiencing the "real" Italy. Some "real" experiences, in opinion, are not meant to be experienced.:D

 

The reality is if you have one day no matter what you want to do you won't experience the real Rome in that one day.

 

Even if you take the train, if you end up at the so called tourist sites that is not the Rome that many locals will visit.

 

For someone who wants to see places that the local go you can do that better with a private excursion. Yes, you miss the train but that represents a small portion of your visit.

 

I very much agree that in the end each person should tour they way they prefer. I am one of those who use a combination of ship tours, private excursions as well as touring on our own. I try to match the one based on where we are visiting and other factors including driving distances from port and whether or not we are there for an overnight. I realize some will only do one of the three options. We will do any of the three depending on the situation.

 

Keith

[wripro]

There is a big difference between "hitting" all the main sights and actually understanding what you are seeing. If this is one's first visit to Rome and one is so limited in time, it helps tremendously to have someone there to explain exactly what you are looking at. And instead of constantly consulting maps and books and apps wouldn't it be better to spend that time looking at your surroundings and leaving the driving to someone else?

[mariners]

Hi, Keith, it was thanks to you, wripro, and another poster that we used a private guide on our first visit to Rome on a day tour from our Crystal cruise. It was definitely the right decision.

 

This August will be our third time staying in Rome. I know that we will still not have had enough time to visit all of the sites or hidden gems that Rome has to offer. We no longer use full day tour guides in Rome, but continue to hire guides for visiting specific sites. In my opinion, a personal guide brings much more than any book, app, or audio guide could possibly offer.

 

If the OP does not want to hire a driver and guide for a full day, if Seabourn offers transfers and a "do it on your own" experience, I suggest using the ship transfers and hire a guide for your time in Rome. To do that, you would need to pre-plan your itinerary.

 

Whatever you choose, enjoy! Rome is a fabulous city!

[Keith1010]

Mariners, your approach makes perfect sense to me. I like the idea of the guide particularly in your situation.

 

Also, as you note, Rome is a fabulous city.

 

Keith

[johnnycruise]

Every time this subject arises, at least one person brings up taking the bus, metro, train, etc. and save a few over hiring a private car tour. Don't get me wrong, if that is your thing, do it. I spent 3 months back packing all over Europe, sleeping in train stations and in baggage coaches. Even spent one night inside the Colosseum in Rome.:eek: It was 1969, I was 21.:D Why would one who is paying thousands of dollars (or other currency equivalents) for a Seabourn cruise plus thousands more for airfare, a hotel or two and other incidentals, want to waste time waiting for busses, trains, metros, etc.d?? Just to save a few $$?? I guess I am just slow but I don't get it.:eek::D

 

I would agree except the cost of a private tour from Civitavecchia to Rome and back is nearly $600 for a couple not including admission fees or lunch. The driver/guide would most likely expect a tip as well. You would be very lucky to pay less than $800/couple (unless you dined at McDonald's) for your day's excitement unless you talk up another couple to join you.

 

That is more than a few dollars, so I don't think it should be surprising for someone to question the expense even if they can easily afford it.

[Jim Avery]

I would agree except the cost of a private tour from Civitavecchia to Rome and back is nearly $600 for a couple not including admission fees or lunch. The driver/guide would most likely expect a tip as well. You would be very lucky to pay less than $800/couple (unless you dined at McDonald's) for your day's excitement unless you talk up another couple to join you.

 

That is more than a few dollars, so I don't think it should be surprising for someone to question the expense even if they can easily afford it.

 

Seems less than the per diem on Seabourn for a couple.:D I would buy that concept if I were sailing Costa.:eek:

[johnnycruise]

$800 from Seabourn or $800 from Costa looks the same to Micky Arison as he's taking it to the bank.;)

[Jim Avery]

I think there is a misunderstanding here. I, as well as several others on this thread, were recommending a private tour from RomeCabs. Nothing to do with Seabourn or Mickey. The OP was asking for suggestions for getting the most out of his short day in Rome. Imho, a private car tour, specifically with Stefano at RC, has proven time and again to always be a great deal for the money. Again, IMHO.:D