Help Planning Our 1st Trip to Rome Prior to Cruise

[taylortime05]

Ciao!  We're Rick & Sue from Michigan, USA.  We both retired last year and we're celebrating our 43rd wedding anniversary this July.  Rome was on our bucket list & we love to cruise.  I saw a great deal on a NCL 7 night cruise departing Rome on June 28th. We are flying into Rome 5 days early.   I would have preferred a spring or fall cruise for better weather and less crowds but we are still busy helping with 2 of our grand babies and summer worked out best for everyones schedules.   Also, my daughter is due in September with our 3rd grand baby and she's going to need a lot of help from us so she can finish her Mid-wife masters program.  

 

Normally I would plan a special trip like this at least a year in advance to research and plan our itinerary.  I'm a little over whelmed at the moment on where to start with for my research. I have our airfare booked, our hotel (Cosmopolita) and the cruise booked.  I need to start on our itinerary for Rome and then the other cruise ports.   We'll arrive at 5:30 PM on Thursday and our cruise departs on Tuesday.  So we have 4 full days to explore (Fri-Mon).   We'd like to have a mixture of sight seeing and relaxing with good food & wine.   We like to walk and explore on our own.  We also like small group tours where we have a guide to point out a lot of the history that we may not know about.  We also took a small food tour in Barcelona and loved it.  

 

I have so many questions.  I'll start with a few for Rome and then add more as I do more research.

 

1) Do you think a Rome Travel guide like Rick Steve's guide would be helpful?  Or is the information easily available online?  

2) Are there any specific spots where I should focus on quickly getting tickets or where we should even look into a tour?  

3) Should we stay in Rome for the 4 days or should we take any day tours outside of Rome?

4) Are there any restaurants that you'd recommend we should not miss?  

5) Are there any food tours you'd recommend? 

6) Are there any hidden gems  that you recommend that most tourists miss?

7) Is anyone willing to share their itinerary?  

 

I appreciate any advice you can provide.  Thank you so much.  

[euro cruiser]

The first time in Rome is so special, lucky you.

 

I would get a guide book or two and get an overview.  I usually get them from my local library and just copy any pages I really need.

 

Yes, much of the information is available on line but if you don't know what you're looking for you can waste a lot of time tracking it down.  Also, when you google things you generally find sites with information but they are selling something too, so the information is tailored to what they happen to be offering, so beware of that.

[euro cruiser]

There is so much to see and do in Rome that you'll only scratch the top layer of the surface in four days, there's no need to waste your limited time on out-of-town tours.

 

There are a few things that require advance ticket purchase (Vatican Museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel, and the Borghese Museum are the two that immediately spring to mind) and some that will save you a lot of time if bought in advance (Colosseum/Roman Forum).

 

Note that the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays so you'll need to work around that restriction.

Edited April 1, 2022 by euro cruiser

[cruisemom42]

To make the best use of your time, I would suggest you come up with a plan that groups things together that are located near each other. Some ideas to get started thinking about what you want to do are listed below. I find it easier to have a guidebook for planning because good ones will also group things together or otherwise help you make choices. (I am not recommending you try to do ALL of these things but rather to provide some options based on what interests you...)

 

Vatican Area:

• St. Peter's Basilica
• Vatican museum/Sistine chapel (reservations recommended to avoid lengthy lines)
• Climb dome of St. Peter's
• Scavi tour under St. Peter's  (special reservations required)
• Castel Sant'Angelo (built as the tomb of emperor Hadrian)

Ancient Rome (South end of Center):

• Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill (all used to be on a single ticket but there are many different combos now)
• Baths of Caracalla
• Domus Aurea (special reservations required, only on certain days)
• Museum of the Imperial Forums
• Capitoline Museum
• Special evening "sound and light" type tours of the various Imperial Forums (Forum of Augustus, Forum of Caesar)
• Basilica of San Clemente

Central Historic Area:

• Trevi Fountain
• Pantheon
• Campo dei Fiori (morning market and evening for drinks/dinner)
• Piazza Navona
• Ara Pacis / Tomb of Augustus (located next to each other, the latter is newly reopened and may required tickets)
• Palazzo Doria Pamphilj
• Palazzo Altemps
• Coffee at Sant' Eustachio or Tazze d'Oro (traditional Rome coffee houses)
• Spanish Steps / Via Condotti (designer window shopping) 
• Foodie tours are often offered in the centro, may be fun to do in late afternoon
• Largo Argentina Roman temples and cat sanctuary

Outliers (Pick and choose a couple for your 4th day):

• Trastevere (just wander or do a self-guided walking tour, don't miss two great churches Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere)
• Borghese Gallery (reservations required in advance)
• Appia Antica and Catacombs (best done on a Sunday when traffic is banned)
• Testaccio market (foodie paradise)
• Forum Boarium (technically you could do it on the ancient Rome day but it's a little off the track) including the famous Mouth of Truth and the church where it's located, two outstanding Roman temples, and more.

 

[larry_s_taco]

4 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

To make the best use of your time, I would suggest you come up with a plan that groups things together that are located near each other. Some ideas to get started thinking about what you want to do are listed below. I find it easier to have a guidebook for planning because good ones will also group things together or otherwise help you make choices. (I am not recommending you try to do ALL of these things but rather to provide some options based on what interests you...)

 

Vatican Area:

• St. Peter's Basilica
• Vatican museum/Sistine chapel (reservations recommended to avoid lengthy lines)
• Climb dome of St. Peter's
• Scavi tour under St. Peter's  (special reservations required)
• Castel Sant'Angelo (built as the tomb of emperor Hadrian)

Ancient Rome (South end of Center):

• Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill (all used to be on a single ticket but there are many different combos now)
• Baths of Caracalla
• Domus Aurea (special reservations required, only on certain days)
• Museum of the Imperial Forums
• Capitoline Museum
• Special evening "sound and light" type tours of the various Imperial Forums (Forum of Augustus, Forum of Caesar)
• Basilica of San Clemente

Central Historic Area:

• Trevi Fountain
• Pantheon
• Campo dei Fiori (morning market and evening for drinks/dinner)
• Piazza Navona
• Ara Pacis / Tomb of Augustus (located next to each other, the latter is newly reopened and may required tickets)
• Palazzo Doria Pamphilj
• Palazzo Altemps
• Coffee at Sant' Eustachio or Tazze d'Oro (traditional Rome coffee houses)
• Spanish Steps / Via Condotti (designer window shopping) 
• Foodie tours are often offered in the centro, may be fun to do in late afternoon
• Largo Argentina Roman temples and cat sanctuary

Outliers (Pick and choose a couple for your 4th day):

• Trastevere (just wander or do a self-guided walking tour, don't miss two great churches Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere)
• Borghese Gallery (reservations required in advance)
• Appia Antica and Catacombs (best done on a Sunday when traffic is banned)
• Testaccio market (foodie paradise)
• Forum Boarium (technically you could do it on the ancient Rome day but it's a little off the track) including the famous Mouth of Truth and the church where it's located, two outstanding Roman temples, and more.

 

Excellent info. Thanks

 

[taylortime05]

On 4/1/2022 at 1:07 PM, euro cruiser said:

The first time in Rome is so special, lucky you.

 

I would get a guide book or two and get an overview.  I usually get them from my local library and just copy any pages I really need.

 

Yes, much of the information is available on line but if you don't know what you're looking for you can waste a lot of time tracking it down.  Also, when you google things you generally find sites with information but they are selling something too, so the information is tailored to what they happen to be offering, so beware of that.

Thank you!  I have a busy weekend so I'll start my research on Monday.  It is exciting!

[taylortime05]

On 4/1/2022 at 1:09 PM, euro cruiser said:

There is so much to see and do in Rome that you'll only scratch the top layer of the surface in four days, there's no need to waste your limited time on out-of-town tours.

 

There are a few things that require advance ticket purchase (Vatican Museums, which includes the Sistine Chapel, and the Borghese Museum are the two that immediately spring to mind) and some that will save you a lot of time if bought in advance (Colosseum/Roman Forum).

 

Note that the Vatican Museums are closed on Sundays so you'll need to work around that restriction.

Thank you for the info.  I'll try to quickly plan which day we're doing what so I can purchase the tickets.  

[taylortime05]

23 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

To make the best use of your time, I would suggest you come up with a plan that groups things together that are located near each other. Some ideas to get started thinking about what you want to do are listed below. I find it easier to have a guidebook for planning because good ones will also group things together or otherwise help you make choices. (I am not recommending you try to do ALL of these things but rather to provide some options based on what interests you...)

 

Vatican Area:

• St. Peter's Basilica
• Vatican museum/Sistine chapel (reservations recommended to avoid lengthy lines)
• Climb dome of St. Peter's
• Scavi tour under St. Peter's  (special reservations required)
• Castel Sant'Angelo (built as the tomb of emperor Hadrian)

Ancient Rome (South end of Center):

• Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill (all used to be on a single ticket but there are many different combos now)
• Baths of Caracalla
• Domus Aurea (special reservations required, only on certain days)
• Museum of the Imperial Forums
• Capitoline Museum
• Special evening "sound and light" type tours of the various Imperial Forums (Forum of Augustus, Forum of Caesar)
• Basilica of San Clemente

Central Historic Area:

• Trevi Fountain
• Pantheon
• Campo dei Fiori (morning market and evening for drinks/dinner)
• Piazza Navona
• Ara Pacis / Tomb of Augustus (located next to each other, the latter is newly reopened and may required tickets)
• Palazzo Doria Pamphilj
• Palazzo Altemps
• Coffee at Sant' Eustachio or Tazze d'Oro (traditional Rome coffee houses)
• Spanish Steps / Via Condotti (designer window shopping) 
• Foodie tours are often offered in the centro, may be fun to do in late afternoon
• Largo Argentina Roman temples and cat sanctuary

Outliers (Pick and choose a couple for your 4th day):

• Trastevere (just wander or do a self-guided walking tour, don't miss two great churches Santa Maria in Trastevere, Santa Cecilia in Trastevere)
• Borghese Gallery (reservations required in advance)
• Appia Antica and Catacombs (best done on a Sunday when traffic is banned)
• Testaccio market (foodie paradise)
• Forum Boarium (technically you could do it on the ancient Rome day but it's a little off the track) including the famous Mouth of Truth and the church where it's located, two outstanding Roman temples, and more.

 

Thank you so much for all this great information.  I have a busy weekend but I'll start going thru this list on Sunday / Monday r so I can see what advance tickets we need to purchase.    Thank you again.

[tvlworm]

We are first-timers to Rome as well and currently planning out of few days prior to our cruise on June 30th. I’ve found this website and suggestions to be extremely helpful and using it to base our own sightseeing on. 
https://www.romewise.com/rome-in-3-days.html

[slidergirl]

For food/restaurant ideas, look at the thread at the top of this forum.  We've been adding our favorite places to eat and drink here.   

For food tours, I can't recommend.   I've had several conversations with people who do food tours, but since I haven't done any of their tours, I can't recommend.  I can recommend restaurants, but not tours.   I wouldn't book with Viator or other 3rd party companies, but see if you can find independent bookings with the tour itself.  

[SUESEABE]

@slidergirl I am looking to book several shore excursions through Viator for my May Mediterranean cruise. Why do you say that you wouldn't book with them?

[taylortime05]

On 4/1/2022 at 2:05 PM, cruisemom42 said:

To make the best use of your time, I would suggest you come up with a plan that groups things together that are located near each other. Some ideas to get started thinking about what you want to do are listed below. I find it easier to have a guidebook for planning because good ones will also group things together or otherwise help you make choices. (I am not recommending you try to do ALL of these things but rather to provide some options based on what interests you...)

 

Vatican Area:

• St. Peter's Basilica
• Vatican museum/Sistine chapel (reservations recommended to avoid lengthy lines)
• Climb dome of St. Peter's
• Scavi tour under St. Peter's  (special reservations required)
• Castel Sant'Angelo (built as the tomb of emperor Hadrian)

 

 

What do you think about taking a tour for Vatican museum / Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica?   I was checking out this tour with The Roman Guy:  Detailed Itinerary Vatican, Sistine & St Peter's Tour with Privileged Entrance. Enter the Vatican before the general public on a half-day tour that offers more detailed historical and religious commentary than your typical Vatican experience. As well as receiving personalized attention in a small group limited to 13, you’ll explore the Vatican in a crowd-free environment, which allows you ample time to gaze upwards at the Sistine Chapel.  It costs $125 PP. 

 

This is the itinerary:

• A professional English-speaking guide
• A maximum group size of 13
• Headsets for groups of 6 or more
• Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
• Entry/Admission - Rome
• Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
• Entry/Admission - Vatican City
• Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
• Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel

This is the itinerary: 

• 1
  Vatican City

  Stop: 30 minutes 
• 2
  Sistine Chapel

  Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
• 3
  Paintings Gallery of the Vatican Museums

  Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
• 4
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 30 minutes - Admission included
• 5
  Pius and Clementine’s Museum

  Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
• 6
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 45 minutes - Admission included
• 7
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included
• 8
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included
• 9
  Sistine Chapel

  Stop: 10 minutes - Admission included
• 10
  St. Peter's Basilica

  Stop: 40 minutes 
•  
  You'll end at

  St. Peter's Basilica

 

 

 

 

[euro cruiser]

I would get them to verify that last bit, right now the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's basilica is closed and this itinerary implies that it is open.  If it's not open it will take about 45 minutes to walk from the Sistine Chapel to the basilica.

[cruisemom42]

16 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

What do you think about taking a tour for Vatican museum / Sistine Chapel & St. Peter's Basilica?   I was checking out this tour with The Roman Guy:  Detailed Itinerary Vatican, Sistine & St Peter's Tour with Privileged Entrance. Enter the Vatican before the general public on a half-day tour that offers more detailed historical and religious commentary than your typical Vatican experience. As well as receiving personalized attention in a small group limited to 13, you’ll explore the Vatican in a crowd-free environment, which allows you ample time to gaze upwards at the Sistine Chapel.  It costs $125 PP. 

 

This is the itinerary:

• A professional English-speaking guide
• A maximum group size of 13
• Headsets for groups of 6 or more
• Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel
• Entry/Admission - Rome
• Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
• Entry/Admission - Vatican City
• Entry/Admission - Vatican Museums
• Entry/Admission - Sistine Chapel

This is the itinerary: 

• 1
  Vatican City

  Stop: 30 minutes 
• 2
  Sistine Chapel

  Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
• 3
  Paintings Gallery of the Vatican Museums

  Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
• 4
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 30 minutes - Admission included
• 5
  Pius and Clementine’s Museum

  Stop: 20 minutes - Admission included
• 6
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 45 minutes - Admission included
• 7
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included
• 8
  Vatican Museums

  Stop: 15 minutes - Admission included
• 9
  Sistine Chapel

  Stop: 10 minutes - Admission included
• 10
  St. Peter's Basilica

  Stop: 40 minutes 
•  
  You'll end at

  St. Peter's Basilica

 

 

 

 

 

It's a little hard to follow the itinerary, given that only the location is named and not necessarily what it is that the guide is stopping to show you or talk about. For example, do you see the Raphael rooms, do you see the magnificent Laocoon, and the Apollo Belvedere, etc. -- just a few of the magnificent masterpieces at the museum in addition to the Sistine chapel. As an ancient Rome lover, I would not pass up the Round Hall, for example, but could easily skip the Maps Room and the Tapestries Room....

 

I agree with the general idea of a small group tour and an early entry. Like euro cruiser suggests, I'd check whether that short-cut from the Sistine to St. Peters is open (I only recently learned it was closed but one imagines that with tourism ramping up again, they will reopen it).

 

Here's an article that's worth reading about all of the various collections in the Vatican museums (they are called museums with an "s" for a reason -- they encompass many different collections including paintings, Greek and Roman sculpture, Egyptian artifacts, and probably the least crowded area of the entire museum, the Etruscan collection). 

 

I notice, for example, that the article says many guided tours do not include the Raphael rooms because they're not on the main "Sistine chapel" route.  Just something to think about....

 

https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/post/what-to-see-inside-the-vatican

[taylortime05]

4 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

It's a little hard to follow the itinerary, given that only the location is named and not necessarily what it is that the guide is stopping to show you or talk about. For example, do you see the Raphael rooms, do you see the magnificent Laocoon, and the Apollo Belvedere, etc. -- just a few of the magnificent masterpieces at the museum in addition to the Sistine chapel. As an ancient Rome lover, I would not pass up the Round Hall, for example, but could easily skip the Maps Room and the Tapestries Room....

 

I agree with the general idea of a small group tour and an early entry. Like euro cruiser suggests, I'd check whether that short-cut from the Sistine to St. Peters is open (I only recently learned it was closed but one imagines that with tourism ramping up again, they will reopen it).

 

Here's an article that's worth reading about all of the various collections in the Vatican museums (they are called museums with an "s" for a reason -- they encompass many different collections including paintings, Greek and Roman sculpture, Egyptian artifacts, and probably the least crowded area of the entire museum, the Etruscan collection). 

 

I notice, for example, that the article says many guided tours do not include the Raphael rooms because they're not on the main "Sistine chapel" route.  Just something to think about....

 

https://www.thegeographicalcure.com/post/what-to-see-inside-the-vatican

This is the more detailed itinerary.    It does have the Raphael rooms listed and Laocoon and the Apollo Belvedere.    I can check if the short-cut from the Sistine to St. Peters is open.  If it’s not open I wonder if the tour just takes longer to accommodate getting to St. Peters.  I’ll need to find out.  Do you think this sounds like a good tour?  

 

Stop At: Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Enter Before the General Public! Skip the line and go straight to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel on this detailed guided tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Before heading into the Vatican Museums though, your professional English-speaking guide will do an introduction of the Sistine Chapel so that you can explore it freely once inside. Speaking is not permitted inside the Sistine Chapel so you'll feel well-informed entering after already having learned about its history. This extended, in-depth Vatican tour starts at 7:30 am and doors open shortly after 8 am (a full hour before general admission opens at 9 am). Short delays at the security check may occur during June and July, our busiest months. However, we have a team of experts at the Vatican every morning to best help our groups avoid delays.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Viale Vaticano, 00165 Vatican City Italy

Michelangelo’s Masterpiece - The Sistine Chapel Begin this in-depth Vatican tour with a visit to the Sistine Chapel before it’s open to the general public. Experience Michelangelo’s masterpiece as it was meant to be. The home of the Papal Conclave of the Catholic Church, the election of new popes takes place in the Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is a place of worship, therefore, speaking inside is not allowed. Since our guide cannot explain the frescoes while you are inside, we explain the chapel in advance and provide you with a map/handout for reference before you enter. Men and women must cover their knees and shoulders before entering. We understand the summers in Rome get hot, a good alternative is to bring a scarf or shawl to cover up with before you enter.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Paintings Gallery of the Vatican Museums, VA, Cdad. del Vaticano, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

The Vatican Pinacoteca The Pinacoteca, also known as the Vatican Art Gallery, contains a series of rooms divided by art school and in chronological order. It is home to some of the Vatican’s most impressive paintings. See a total of 460 works of art painted by the likes of Caravaggio, Raphael, Titian and Leonardo up close. Often overlooked on other Vatican Tours, the Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery) is one of the Vatican Museums’ more modern sections.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

The Carriage Pavilion The Carriage Pavilion, another hidden gem of the Vatican, is rarely visited by Vatican tours. This underground exhibit features an impressive collection of historic vehicles used by past Popes, including a Fiat Campagnola. This Fiat is known around the world as the vehicle Pope John Paul II stood on during his attempted assassination at St. Peter’s Square in 1981. The collection also features three Popemobiles and the Renault 4 donated to Pope Francis in 2013.

Duration: 30 minutes

Stop At: Pius and Clementine’s Museum, VA, Cdad. del Vaticano, 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City

Pio-Clementino Museum Tour Next, you’ll visit the Bramante Courtyard (designed by Bramante Lazzari), home to the Laocoön and His Sons, Apollo Belvedere and the Belvedere Torso. Learn about the myths and legends associated with these iconic statues.

Duration: 20 minutes

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Top Three Vatican Galleries Explore the Gallery of the Candelabra, Gallery of the Tapestries and our personal favorite, the Gallery of the Maps. These 40 giant meticulously-drawn maps, measuring more than 15 by 16 feet, were commissioned by Pope Gregory XIII.

Duration: 45 minutes

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Raphael Rooms The famous Renaissance artist Raphael frescoed a series of papal apartments called the Stanze di Raffaello (Raphael Rooms). The celebrated School of Athens - a painting that depicts the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists works is on display here. Raphael included himself in the painting, creating one of the first selfies.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Vatican Museums, Viale Vaticano, 00120 Vatican City Italy

Borgia Apartments These private chambers occupied by Borgia Pope Alexander VI were frescoed by early Renaissance artist Pinturicchio. Pinturicchio was known for embedding fake jewels and metal saddle studs into his frescoes. The Borgia Apartments also contain the first European depiction of Native Americans.

Duration: 15 minutes

Stop At: Sistine Chapel, Viale Vaticano, 00165 Vatican City Italy

Briefly walk through the Sistine Chapel once more before heading directly over to St. Peter's Basilica.

Duration: 10 minutes

Stop At: St. Peter's Basilica, Piazza San Pietro, 00120 Vatican City Italy

St. Peter's Basilica and the Papal Tombs - (Except on Wednesdays!) Skip the lines and enter St. Peter’s Basilica through a special door and see the most palatial church in the world. Marvel at the Basilica’s celebrated artwork including the Baldacchino, La Pieta, St. Peter’s Statue and more. Then go underneath the church’s floors to visit the tombs of hundreds of Popes and a Swedish Queen with a fascinating backstory. Please note: if your Vatican tour lands on a Wednesday, St. Peter's is not open for tours. This is because Papal Mass occurs on Wednesday mornings. Remember, it isn’t possible to return to the Vatican Museums from St. Peter’s Basilica. If you want more time inside the museums, you must forgo the guided tour of the basilica. Also, if you’d like to stay in St. Peter's Basilica longer, don't leave with the guide to take photos in the piazza. Because the security line is long and re-entry on your own is not recommended, we suggest you stay inside St. Peter’s and explore on your own after the tour concludes.

Duration: 40 minutes

[taylortime05]

36 minutes ago, euro cruiser said:

I would get them to verify that last bit, right now the shortcut from the Sistine Chapel to St. Peter's basilica is closed and this itinerary implies that it is open.  If it's not open it will take about 45 minutes to walk from the Sistine Chapel to the basilica.

I put a more detailed itinerary in my above response to cruisemom. The itinerary does have the Raphael rooms listed and Laocoon and the Apollo Belvedere.    I can contact the tour operator to check if the short-cut from the Sistine to St. Peters is open.  If it’s not open,  I wonder if the tour just takes longer to accommodate getting to St. Peters.  I’ll need to find out.  Do you think this sounds like a good tour?  

[cruisemom42]

4 minutes ago, taylortime05 said:

This is the more detailed itinerary.    It does have the Raphael rooms listed and Laocoon and the Apollo Belvedere.    I can check if the short-cut from the Sistine to St. Peters is open.  If it’s not open I wonder if the tour just takes longer to accommodate getting to St. Peters.  I’ll need to find out.  Do you think this sounds like a good tour?  

 

It sounds like a perfectly reasonable overview. I could skip the Pope's vehicles (🛵??) but no other real quibbles with the itinerary for a guided first visit.

[slidergirl]

2 hours ago, SUESEABE said:

@slidergirl I am looking to book several shore excursions through Viator for my May Mediterranean cruise. Why do you say that you wouldn't book with them?

Viator is just an excursion re-seller.  Many times, if you look at the Viator offerings you can find the actual vendor and book directly.  cruise mom has had a few hiccups with Viator, so I've followed her advice and not use them.  Perhaps she'll chime in.

[-Lew-]

Eating Europe offers food tours in various European cities.  We've toured with them in Rome, Prague, and Lisbon.  They offer two in Rome: Twilight Trastevere Rome Food Tour and Taste of Testaccio in Rome Italy.  We've done both and would say we enjoyed the Twilight Trastevere tour more.

[cruisemom42]

10 hours ago, slidergirl said:

Viator is just an excursion re-seller.  Many times, if you look at the Viator offerings you can find the actual vendor and book directly.  cruise mom has had a few hiccups with Viator, so I've followed her advice and not use them.  Perhaps she'll chime in.

 

As slidergirl says, Viator does not actually offer the tours, they are only a third-party reseller. Because of that and past experience, I avoid them whenever possible.  Why?

1. I prefer to give my travel dollars directly to the in-country principal operators. I'm sure Viator takes a chunk of their profits, since they do not charge any significant up-charge.
2. Communication chain is more apt to fail:  As an example, I booked a Viator tour in Rome once, a long time ago, and I showed up at the starting point (the tour offices of the actual provider), only to find out that the tour wasn't being offered that day. No one from Viator had attempted to contact me to let me know, and I regularly check both my email and phone messages when traveling. So I missed my tour and also the tour company tried to sell me a different one that I did not want, having already done all the points covered.  
3. Little opportunity to speak directly to the company about what is covered:  A different experience, in Lisbon -- a friend had pre-booked two tours through Viator for several colleagues who had been there for a work-related meeting. On the first one, the guide was a total flake. There were four main sites to be covered on the tour. With no explanation, she left out one of the four places altogether, and at one of the others (Fatima), she completely abandoned us without any commentary about the site. Yes, Viator refunded our money, but the point to me isn't the money, it is the lost opportunity. Who knows when I will get back to Lisbon for a re-do?
4. Multi-language tours:  Viator offers many of their city tours as multi-language tours. They do this to consolidate tour groups into larger units and to be able to offer more timings. Unfortunately for the tour participant, this makes the tour very frustrating. I've been on two of them with 3 different languages. The downside is that the guide has to go through her or his "spiel" three different times at each point in the tour. Unfortunately, I have found that the two groups whose language is not being spoken tend to talk among themselves when the guide is not talking their language, making it difficult for you to hear/concentrate on your language. Plus, obviously you see less when you have to spend three times the amount of time at each talking point.

After several of these experiences over the course of a couple years, I began avoiding Viator. My philosophy is that if something is of enough interest to me to take a tour, I want to know that it's going to 1) run as advertised, 2) cover what it is supposed to cover, and 3) that I can easily hear and absorb what the guide is saying (and have the opportunity to ask questions).

 

In the Med in particular, it's really not hard to find good, licensed tour guides and agencies. It's worth it.

 

Edited to add:  I realized maybe I should qualify that last sentence. Just at this particular moment it may be a bit more challenging, post-COVID to find guides/tours. It has been a tough several years for the tourism industry as a whole, and as things are just starting up, it may take a while to get things up to speed the way they were in 2019. But with some digging I think it is still possible in most cases.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2022 by cruisemom42

[PelicanLvr]

Yes, do that Early Entry Vatican Tour.

 

We did a similar tour with "Walks of Italy" in March 2019.  It was a highlight of our Rome week.  Walking thru an empty Vatican Museum into the Sistine Chapel (which had about 25 people in it) was unforgettable. 

 

Also consider a similar tour for the Coliseum.  In 2019, tours had access to areas off-limits to general public.  

 

Both are well worth the cost!!!

[samavarcruiser]

On 4/3/2022 at 2:30 AM, SUESEABE said:

@slidergirl I am looking to book several shore excursions through Viator for my May Mediterranean cruise. Why do you say that you wouldn't book with them?

 Why you would pay extra money to book with Viator and not with the tour company directly?