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Help...questions about Private guides in Rome,Naples, Assisi


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I am totally wearing myself out researching differences in private drivers/guides .. I guess when I think if "drivers" I think of chauffeurs and stuffy, but am reading differently from all the help on these boards !

 

We really want a company(s) that can pick us up at the airport, transfer us to hotel, take us to port and in the meantime.. give us tours of Assisi, Pompeii/Amalfi Coast, and Rome (We are staying 3 days pre-cruise) I read glowing reports about Romeinlimo (and have spoken to them) I also have quotes from a company called I.C. Bellegio who is supposed to be a 5* "luxury" company (whatever that means) and I have looked at various companies in Naples that seem "fun" for what we want there.

 

Primarily we want our tickets bought and waiting for us as well as getting into the sites easily. My BIL has a leg brace so we need to keep "extra" walking to a minimum.

 

Should we have one company handle it all? Or different ones in each location? Oh, and we thought to take the train to Naples and then begin that tour..so should it be a local company to do Pompeii/Amalfi Coast?

 

The I.C. Bellegio seems to quote in packages and give you all the vouchers, etc. so that it is pretty brainless. Romein Limo seems to be fun, quaint and will take you to the out of the ordinary places..

 

I also read that RIL requires cash.. how does that work? That is a lot of money to carry..

 

Please help with much needed suggestions/ideas so that I can sleep at night instead of being obsessed with searching :eek: Thanks

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We have used easitalytours.com three times now, the last just last week and have always been pleased. We do not wait in lines. They have the sticker on their vehicles that allows them to drive in areas that are otherwise closed to cars. They are just the thing for your needs. Fabio is a wonderful driver and Massimo has given us tours of the Vatican/Sistine Chapel twice that enhance an already spectacular experience. Recommend them highly.

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I've used Fabrizio from allarounditaly.net several times and he does a great job. The other good thing is that he can personally handle all of yur tours. He's a really fun guy and you won't go wrong with him.

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hey Newbie, we all have our favorites so not sure you did yourself any favors by asking for help to decide! Re: the $ issue, most private guides require cash. but they all also know where all the ATMs are ;-)

 

 

I would have to agree with you Ms Understood ! Now I am looking at all the other people that ..people have mentioned above !!! I guess i should just bite the bullet and choose... I had heard so many good things about Romeinlimo... and then I heard about I.C. Bellegio on the Today Show and thought it sounded impressive... and believe me their quote write up sure looks that way.. very 5* ish..rather than just personal chit chat like from Jany with RIL.. So could they just be limo drivers and not much fun? That is the question..If you go to their website you will see... no rates posted...

I kinda wanted to have it "all done for us", but then I think it takes the "exploring" out of the mix... oh... I am so confused and I have a year to go ! Thanks for the comments :D

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In Italy as in most if not all of Europe, there are different licenses for guides then for drivers. So if you hire a driver, most will tell you all about the sights you are driving by or to but they cannot go in anywhere with you. If you want someone for instance to take you through the Vatican Museum you must also hire a guide. Usually the guide will meet you there and the driver will wait for you at a prearranged location. I have had a few not very interesting drivers so that's why you ask for recommendations. The companies you are looking at will make arrangements for tickets etc and you can hire a driver and a guide or just a driver as you wish. There really is no better way to maximize your time. Just FYI I usually get a Mercedes van from Easitalytours so not quite sure how "luxurious" the other company would be. Rolls Royce?

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Just FYI I usually get a Mercedes van from Easitalytours so not quite sure how "luxurious" the other company would be. Rolls Royce?

 

 

Well.. I know that Romeinlimo uses the Mercedes van (as do most of the ones I looked at).. But this I.C. Bellegio touts itself as "5*luxury".. They were used on The Today Show's destination wedding as "the" touring company in Europe(Italy particularly) so that might just mean more expensive.. so far as I converse with them they seem the same... just a little fancier presentation and they put it all together in a packet with recommendations, etc. for eating...which knowing us, we will eat on the run and sit for dinner.. If you check out their website under their name, you can see what I mean by "luxury"... I guess I am just trying to justify going with them when I haven't heard anything (other than a mention on tv) about them and heards lots about the company you went with and romeinlimo...I guess I worry too much about having the "right" experience.

 

Tory

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Three days pre-cruise so each day you are going in all those different directions?It seems like a lot to do in three days.We used Stefano form Rome Cabs for all transportaion to and from cruise ship, pick up at airport and a private tour in Rome. He was fantastic,could have gotten us tickets ahead of time but it was something we did not need.I do know he can also arrange all of the above mentioned places as well too.

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Assisi is really easy to do on your own. There are tons of trains every day from Rome's Termini Station to Assisi and back, that you can book yourself. When you get to the station in Assisi, you'll see that it's at the foot of the hill where the town is. There's a bus from the station to the town. All is clearly marked and straightforward. When you get to the town, it's very, VERY tiny and they don't allow any cars inside (unless you actually live there), so you have no choice but to walk around. Having a tour guide won't lessen the walking! There are signs to the major sites, to the restrooms, whatever you need--it's a very visitor-friendly place. To be honest, I don't know what a tour guide can really do for you here that you can't do yourselves, with a good tourbook that explains the history and the sites for you!

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We used rome in limo for our cruise in May and thought they were wonderful. I think if a poll was taken most of the people would say to book with rome in limo. Do a search of them on this site and you will read all about their great service. Hope this helps.

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u really need a car/ driver AND guide

 

the drivers are often uninformed and not allowed to provide tours of many venues hence a licensed guide is necessary

 

we have used both viator and vaticantoursandbeyond

 

the latter did the best job for us

 

if you book tours for several ports (say rome florence naples) with one vendor a discount is usually available

 

neither of the vendors mentioned are cheap (imo) but unfortunately thats the way it is

 

they will arrange an itinerary for you and make all necessary arrangements so you will not have to stand in line at places like the vatican and uffize

 

this makes it possible for you to see a lot more and not be herded with 30 other people

 

hava great trip

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I second the vote for Fabrizio. He has amazing parking skills and we waited in no lines when we went with him.

Top that off with a great personality and you will have a stress free and entertaining tour.

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IC Bellagio is definitely a 5 Star company. They will take great care of you every step of the way with professional guides everywhere. I still remember standing, surrounded by people, at the public water taxi stop in Venice and seeing our guide in a private water taxi waving at us from the canal and calling out to wait until the public taxi left and she would pick us up!

 

A big advantage of IC Bellagio is that your US Travel Agent can book it for you and take your credit card payment in US$.

 

Check out our review and pics at http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/med.html

and

http://www.elite.net/~thehalls/holyland3.html

for some of the things we did with IC Bellagio.

 

I would highly recommend them!

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

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We used Rome in limo in Dec. and they couldn't have been any classier or more personable. Duman was the perfect driver/guide and Sarah was our guide for St. Peter's Basilica. Both were excellent.

I know going the personal tour route is expensive,but as another poster said,you may be able to get quite a good discount since you are using them for more than one place.

The experience is unbeatable-having your own driver. We felt so spoiled!

Enjoy your stay in Rome! Shelly:)

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