Rome - Hotels & Tour Guide

[mustang$]

Arriving on Celebrity Edge (repositioning) May 4th - planning of staying until the 6th - looking for suggestions on a Tour/Tour Guide that can pick us up at Port on the 4th - show us around on the 4th & 5th & on the 6th take us to airport.  Also hotel suggestions - Thanks  

[CruiserBruce]

Rome in Limo. Great company with a huge thread just down the board on them.

 

Tons of threads on hotels here...your location desires and budget would be important things for us to know. We stay at the Cavalleri...a very nice hotel, but not in the middle of things.

[e050377]

Highly recommend Rome In Limo.  We used them on our land tour 2 years ago and are using them for another tour this year and from port to hotel.  They will help you plan what you want to see and make recommendations throughout the day.  

 

As for hotel-  We stayed at the Marriott Rome Hotel Flora and loved that it was so quiet and near the Borghese Gardens.  Plus their breakfast was served on top of the hotel.  We had city views and could see the Vatican.  Easy 10 min walk to Spanish Steps.  A bit farther to Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, but definitely walkable. It is at the top of a very steep hill.  We walked down to sites, but taxi/uber back up hill to the hotel!!!!  

Edited February 6, 2020 by e050377

[Wishing on a star]

I will look at that Marriott, as we do have points.  Have been leaning towards another hotel that I just asked about earlier. 

Mustang,  there are just so many options!  RomeCabs is another transportation/tour company that I have looked at. The one mentioned gets excellent reviews, but can cost more. 

Also know that transportation and licensed tour guides are two separate things.  You might want a tour guide within the official sights. Drivers can not do that.  

Some tour driver companies can also set you up with a guide at these sights.  Or, you can pre-purchase the entry ticket with guide online, so you do not have to wait in the ticket lines. 

Other tour guide services I have seen mentioned are providers like Context Tours, Roman Guy, City Wonders, and so many more.  

These can offer specialized tours,  smaller groups, etc.  But, again, they do not usually include driver/transportation. 

[cruisemom42]

Unless you have mobility problems, you do not need a guide/driver to show you around Rome once there. The central historic area is where you should stay, and from a well-located hotel you can walk to the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona and more. The Vatican would be a long walk or a short taxi ride.

 

Look for hotels near the Pantheon (most central), Piazza Navona, Trevi Fountain, or Campo dei Fiori.

[Wishing on a star]

Thank you Cruisemom!

We def want to be centrally located. No mobility issues but stamina and walking distances might be an issue.  As long as my bad foot does not act up. 

I am still considering a 1/2 day tour.   Perhaps you could help with a couple of questions 

Would there be some great things to see just outside of an easy walking distance?  So, could that be a plus?

l also wonder if the driver would just not leave the car. Due to parking and other factors.  Or could they offer some good info and help with what to see or do at the different points of interest. 

 

For some, I think a walking tour might be an option to consider?

[cruisemom42]

19 minutes ago, Wishing on a star said:

Thank you Cruisemom!

We def want to be centrally located. No mobility issues but stamina and walking distances might be an issue.  As long as my bad foot does not act up. 

I am still considering a 1/2 day tour.   Perhaps you could help with a couple of questions 

Would there be some great things to see just outside of an easy walking distance?  So, could that be a plus?

l also wonder if the driver would just not leave the car. Due to parking and other factors.  Or could they offer some good info and help with what to see or do at the different points of interest. 

 

For some, I think a walking tour might be an option to consider?

 

Drivers cannot act as guides. If you want to be driven AND you want to be accompanied into a site by a guide, those are two separate roles.

 

Drivers SOMETIMES provide some information, but they cannot go with you into the sites. And actual experience as to how much info they give varies widely -- I would under no circumstances rely on it happening. 

 

If you choose a hotel in the Pantheon area, for example, it would be about a 15 minute walk to the Roman Forum, and another 5 beyond that to the Colosseum.  From the Pantheon to Piazza Navona: 5 minutes. To Trevi Fountain:  10 minutes. 

 

A taxi from the standing taxi rank at the Pantheon to the Vatican Museum entrance takes about 15 minutes (depending on traffic) and should cost 12-15 euro, total.

 

As to tours -- yes, if you want a tour, I'd look for a walking tour or for one that covers a specific site (Vatican) or area (Colosseum + Forum + Palatine Hill, for example).

 

You'll do more walking and standing AT the sites than getting to them....