Private guides in Mediterranean

[Lenbro1944]

Looking for private guides with a car for tours in the following areas.

Cephalonia (Argostoli) Greece

Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy. Not Rome itself but countryside in close proximity to port.

We are just 3 adults. If you have recommendations and contact info they would be appreciated.

Edited June 24, 2023 by Lenbro1944

[EJL2023]

5 minutes ago, Lenbro1944 said:

Looking for private guides with a car for tours in the following areas.

Cephalonia (Argostoli) Greece

Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy. Not Rome itself but countryside in close proximity to port.

We are just 3 adults. If you have recommendations and contact info they would be appreciated.

We use Viator.  We have probably used them at least 40+ times over the years in Europe and have never had a problem. 

[LHT28]

You can also check the PORTS OF CALL forums

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/8-europe/

[Cruzin Terri]

1 hour ago, Lenbro1944 said:

Looking for private guides with a car for tours in the following areas.

Cephalonia (Argostoli) Greece

Civitavecchia (Rome) Italy. Not Rome itself but countryside in close proximity to port.

We are just 3 adults. If you have recommendations and contact info they would be appreciated.

RomeCabs.com has a variety of tours they offer.  Some in proximity to the port.  Very reputable company.

[PelicanLvr]

Romeinlimo is also excellent.  We used them (just for 2 people) for a full-day private countryside tour out of Livorno.  They are highly recommended on these boards.

[halfapair]

You can enter your cruise information at this site, and they have an array of SE for each stop on your cruise. Some tours are private.

https://www.shoreexcursionsgroup.com/

[PaulMCO]

Recommend you look at ToursbyLocals.  For us they have been the most consistent and have real reviews,  You also get the benefit of refunds if your port call is cancelled.

[cruisemom42]

Just a warning: I've had 3 bad experiences with Viator in Europe. I would not recommend them.

 

One tour in Spain -- one of the three destination in the description was omitted from the tour with no explanation offered.

 

One tour in Rome -- tour was given in three languages; it took a ton of time at each stop to relay the guide's information and people not listening to the English version rudely continued talking, making it difficult to hear.

 

A second tour in Rome was canceled due to lack of participation but I was not informed until I actually showed up at the appointed place for the tour. No good excuse for this as I was available by phone app, phone and email.

 

My philosophy now is -- why use a middleman when booking a tour?  Look for local operators and someone you can reach/communicate with directly rather than having to rely on an intermediary.

 

Two of the most highly recommended agents in Rome for private cruise excursions have already been mentioned. Just know that they are primarily drivers, not guides; although most will impart some information, they cannot visit any sites with you. If you truly want a licensed guide, they are available at an additional fee.

 

For Greece, I am finding that private guides are scarce in certain areas. During Covid, many found other employment and have not returned. One reputable company wanted 900 euro for a driver AND guide for a 6-hour excursion in a sedan for 1-3 people -- just to give you an idea. After more parley, I settled on a driver only for about 300 euro. I can (and actually prefer to) do my own research.