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RomeInLimo questions

jalynn

By jalynn,
in Italy Ports

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yh62

yh62

Posted
Posted
Hi all,
Sorry for late responses...I have been away and did not have access to the internet.

Lindy - I can send to you the review so that you can print it, but I am not sure the e-mail you provided is correct (missing @ sign). Just re-post your e-mail and will send the review to you.

Mary - I would strongly recommend to pre-book any tickets and guides as it certainly speeds up the entrance process. We asked RIL to pre-book our tickets for Florence, Academia and Ufizzi, and the pre-booking charge of 4 euro per ticket was worth it for us. We also pre-booked the guide for Pompeii - absolutely recommend doing that. Because we were in Rome on a Sunday, we were not able to see the Sistine Chapel or the Vatican, but if it were any other day, I would definitely pre-book the tickets and the guide there. In Rome, it is not possible to see everything in one day. Because we did not get into the Vatican or the Sistine Chapel, we were able to spend more time in the Colloseum and the Emperor's Palace as well as visit the Synagogue. We had very little time on other places, but I am not sure how much time we would want to spent near Trevi Fountain with a million of other tourists all pushing and showing for a spot to take a picture :-( We were able to see all the spots we were planning to see and next time when we are in Rome, we know what we would want to spend more time on. It was an exhausting day, but I would not do it any other way!

Cookie115 - you are already on your cruise...enjoy! I prefer not to advise on the tipping because it is truly individual. Keep in mind that in Europe the tipping "culture" is very different from the US where the tip is always expected regardless of the service. In some countries where 5% is a guideline, others 10% or more, and I have been to some countries where tipping is considered offensive. If you enjoy the service of your driver/guide - you should decide how (and how much) to show your appreciation. the cruise line provides some information on the country's tipping practices in the daily compass - perhaps that could be used as a guideline.

Lena
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KCL214

KCL214

Posted
Posted
We recently spent 2 incredible days with RomeInLimo. We were on an 11 night cruise on the Disney Magic, it was myself and my husband, both 46, our teenage daughters, 14 and 17 and my 69 year old Dad. We used RomeInLimo for our stops in Naples and Rome.

In Naples our driver was Tony. He met us at the dock for a tour of Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. He arranged for us to have Enzo as our tour guide of Pompeii. He was a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide. He purchased our tickets while we used the rest rooms and then he took us right into the site, we never had to wait. After the tour we drove to Sorrento. Tony recommended a restaurant for lunch and we had Caprese salad, pizza and pasta, with all fresh, local ingredients. After the meal they gave us a glass of lemoncello. Then we had free time to explore Sorrento, and Tony recommended a place for gelato. We continued our tour with the drive along the Amalfi Coast to Positano. As we were driving Tony played a CD of Italian music and we even got to sing along to “That’s Amore” which was fun! The drive is incredible and Tony stopped at a small farm stand with a perfect view on the way and he always made sure to take pictures of our group with the perfect background. He parked at the top of Positano and we walked down to the bottom. We met up with him at the top and we even got to meet his father, who is also a tour guide for Romeinlimo. The drive back to the boat went so quickly because we were talking the whole time about the area and about Italy in general. It was so interesting to talk one on one to someone from the area.

In Rome our driver was Mauro. I wanted to see as much as possible in Rome, and Mauro made sure that happened. He met us right outside the ship and drove us into Rome, giving us a brief and interesting history lesson on the way. Our first stop was at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wall. I had never heard of this place, but it is the second largest Basilica in Rome and a great first stop because it is not touristy and quite beautiful. Then we continued on into the City and started at the Coliseum. Mauro bought our tickets with no waiting and took us to the front of the entrance line. We toured the Coliseum for about an hour. Next he took us to a spot to view the Forum and he gave us a brief overview of the area and told us where to walk to meet him. Next stop was the Trevi Fountain. Mauro was able to get so close to the Fountain, we only had to walk about one block, he also told us the way to throw the coin over our shoulder and how many coins to throw in to get our wish. He next drove us around and showed us many things, including the Spanish Steps and we stopped at the Pantheon. He again got us so close and we had about one block to walk. All the time he gave us commentary about the things we were seeing. For lunch, he recommended a great restaurant in Vatican City. They gave us antipasti, pizza, homemade ravioli and pasta with peas, which is their house creation. We also had their own wine and finished with another glass of lemoncello. After this it was on to the Vatican Museum. We opted not to have guide, (which was probably a mistake), but Mauro gave us some history of the Museum and told us the best route to take through the Museum and out of the Sistine Chapel. We then toured St. Peter’s and the met up with Mauro for our return ride to the Ship. On the way back he gave us more information about the recent restoration done on the Sistine Chapel. Once again it was great to be able to talk one on one with someone from the City and I think we learned a lot of interesting information we would not have found on a Ship tour. The time back to the Ship flew by and we were dropped off right at the entrance to the Ship.

We never took a non-ship excursion before and we were hesitant to do so, first, because we were of course nervous that we would not get back to the Ship on time, and also we thought it might be awkward to be with the driver all day. Both of these worries were gone after about 5 minutes with Tony in Naples. He was so warm and interesting to talk to and he was so professional and good at driving and entertaining us that I never once worried that we would not get back to the ship on time. The day was ours to do as we wanted to with no waiting for others, we never waited in line and we got so close to everything. Every member of my family thinks that this is the best way to tour, and I would use RomeInLimo again without hesitation and thank them and Tony and Mauro for two days that my entire family will never forget. - Karyn
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cole

cole

Posted
Posted
[quote name='katmich12']Thank you so much for taking the time to make such a detailed report. We will be using this company for the 3 ports next September. Do you know how I can print just your message? If that is not possible, could you email it to me at Buffs212aol.com? Thanks, Lindy[/QUOTE]

Lindy:
Here is how I printed the review: First highlight the portion of the review that you want to print. Left click your mouse and pass the cursor across the wording. When you release the mouse - the review will be highlighted.
Hold your control key down and press "c". Open Word and when you get the new document page hold your control key down and press"v". The review should appear on your page. All you have to do then is hit "print".
It was an excellent review.
B. Cole
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flgirl543

flgirl543

Posted
Posted
How did you handle splitting the check for meals? When we our out with friends, we just divide the check equally. Since we will be with "new" friends, should we divide the check or ask for separate checks? Also, did everyone give their own tip or was an amount decided as a group and one tip given. Thank you for your advice.
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PCWalton1

PCWalton1

Posted
Posted
[quote name='flgirl543']How did you handle splitting the check for meals? When we our out with friends, we just divide the check equally. Since we will be with "new" friends, should we divide the check or ask for separate checks? Also, did everyone give their own tip or was an amount decided as a group and one tip given. Thank you for your advice.[/quote]

We had four couples in our group when we toured and we just asked for separate checks in the restaurants. Only place that was a minor issue was in Cassis France because the waiter did not speak English. But the owner did and split the checks for us.
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flgirl543

flgirl543

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Posted
[quote name='PCWalton1']We had four couples in our group when we toured and we just asked for separate checks in the restaurants. Only place that was a minor issue was in Cassis France because the waiter did not speak English. But the owner did and split the checks for us.[/quote]

Thank you for your response. I know this is the Italy board, but since you mentioned Cassis - we are planning a DIY in Cassis and plan to eat in La Bonaparte. How did you like Cassis? We don't speak French, was it difficult to communicate? Were the people "less than friendly"?
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PCWalton1

PCWalton1

Posted
Posted
[quote name='flgirl543']Thank you for your response. I know this is the Italy board, but since you mentioned Cassis - we are planning a DIY in Cassis and plan to eat in La Bonaparte. How did you like Cassis? We don't speak French, was it difficult to communicate? Were the people "less than friendly"?[/quote]

Cassis was a wonderful little town, unfortunately it rained the entire afternoon we were there. Though many only spoke French it was not too difficult to communicate. The waiter at the restaurant we went to was a young man who only spoke French so the owner came out and took our order. The young man was funny because as the meal progressed he would come out and speak to us in French and seems to be getting frustrated we didn't learn the language in 20 minutes. We probably added to his frustation as we all thought it to be very funny. Hopefully you will have a drier time than us, though we did still enjoy the town's charm.
[IMG]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4148/5004031859_60511b673b_b.jpg[/IMG]
A dry moment near the harbor

[IMG]http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4110/5004642006_29e66b4bf5_b.jpg[/IMG]
lunch was fabulous
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mafada

mafada

Posted
Posted
[quote name='KCL214']We recently spent 2 incredible days with RomeInLimo. We were on an 11 night cruise on the Disney Magic, it was myself and my husband, both 46, our teenage daughters, 14 and 17 and my 69 year old Dad. We used RomeInLimo for our stops in Naples and Rome.

In Naples our driver was Tony. He met us at the dock for a tour of Pompeii, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. He arranged for us to have Enzo as our tour guide of Pompeii. He was a very knowledgeable and entertaining guide. He purchased our tickets while we used the rest rooms and then he took us right into the site, we never had to wait. After the tour we drove to Sorrento. Tony recommended a restaurant for lunch and we had Caprese salad, pizza and pasta, with all fresh, local ingredients. After the meal they gave us a glass of lemoncello. Then we had free time to explore Sorrento, and Tony recommended a place for gelato. We continued our tour with the drive along the Amalfi Coast to Positano. As we were driving Tony played a CD of Italian music and we even got to sing along to “That’s Amore” which was fun! The drive is incredible and Tony stopped at a small farm stand with a perfect view on the way and he always made sure to take pictures of our group with the perfect background. He parked at the top of Positano and we walked down to the bottom. We met up with him at the top and we even got to meet his father, who is also a tour guide for Romeinlimo. The drive back to the boat went so quickly because we were talking the whole time about the area and about Italy in general. It was so interesting to talk one on one to someone from the area.

In Rome our driver was Mauro. I wanted to see as much as possible in Rome, and Mauro made sure that happened. He met us right outside the ship and drove us into Rome, giving us a brief and interesting history lesson on the way. Our first stop was at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Wall. I had never heard of this place, but it is the second largest Basilica in Rome and a great first stop because it is not touristy and quite beautiful. Then we continued on into the City and started at the Coliseum. Mauro bought our tickets with no waiting and took us to the front of the entrance line. We toured the Coliseum for about an hour. Next he took us to a spot to view the Forum and he gave us a brief overview of the area and told us where to walk to meet him. Next stop was the Trevi Fountain. Mauro was able to get so close to the Fountain, we only had to walk about one block, he also told us the way to throw the coin over our shoulder and how many coins to throw in to get our wish. He next drove us around and showed us many things, including the Spanish Steps and we stopped at the Pantheon. He again got us so close and we had about one block to walk. All the time he gave us commentary about the things we were seeing. For lunch, he recommended a great restaurant in Vatican City. They gave us antipasti, pizza, homemade ravioli and pasta with peas, which is their house creation. We also had their own wine and finished with another glass of lemoncello. After this it was on to the Vatican Museum. We opted not to have guide, (which was probably a mistake), but Mauro gave us some history of the Museum and told us the best route to take through the Museum and out of the Sistine Chapel. We then toured St. Peter’s and the met up with Mauro for our return ride to the Ship. On the way back he gave us more information about the recent restoration done on the Sistine Chapel. Once again it was great to be able to talk one on one with someone from the City and I think we learned a lot of interesting information we would not have found on a Ship tour. The time back to the Ship flew by and we were dropped off right at the entrance to the Ship.

We never took a non-ship excursion before and we were hesitant to do so, first, because we were of course nervous that we would not get back to the Ship on time, and also we thought it might be awkward to be with the driver all day. Both of these worries were gone after about 5 minutes with Tony in Naples. He was so warm and interesting to talk to and he was so professional and good at driving and entertaining us that I never once worried that we would not get back to the ship on time. The day was ours to do as we wanted to with no waiting for others, we never waited in line and we got so close to everything. Every member of my family thinks that this is the best way to tour, and I would use RomeInLimo again without hesitation and thank them and Tony and Mauro for two days that my entire family will never forget. - Karyn[/QUOTE]

Hi,
Did you pre-purchase Vatican City admission tickets yourself or RIL reserved the tickets for you?
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KCL214

KCL214

Posted
Posted
[quote name='mafada']Hi,
Did you pre-purchase Vatican City admission tickets yourself or RIL reserved the tickets for you?[/quote]
I bought the tickets on-line for 2:00. As we did not have a guide our driver walked us in, took our e-mail printout to the window, got our actual tickets and took us right to the entrance, no wait at all.
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stripe

stripe

Posted
Posted
[quote name='KCL214']I bought the tickets on-line for 2:00. As we did not have a guide our driver walked us in, took our e-mail printout to the window, got our actual tickets and took us right to the entrance, no wait at all.[/quote]
Did you do alright without a guide at the Vatican? Was there an option at the gate to get a guide?
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Bsan1221

Bsan1221

Posted
Posted
I have used Rome In Limo twice and Duman and Jany have been wonderful! They took us to all the out of the way spots while still enjoying the big "attractions". My mom is currently on her first European trip and and I only trusted Rome In Limo for her tour of Rome and for airport transfers. They have the best tour guides, drivers and all around Jany and Duman make you feel as though you are with family!
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jesse

jesse

Posted
Posted
to my knowledge, you can only pre-book a guide to the Vatican, and I can just say, as before, we have been to the Vatican multiple times, and the last two times we booked guides with Romeinlimo, had fantastic information with our guides, well worth the money, would do it repeatedly--there is so much information to learn, and it's much better to have a guide, in my opinion. Also, the guides we met through Romeinlimo were fantastic.
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KCL214

KCL214

Posted
Posted
[quote name='stripe']Did you do alright without a guide at the Vatican? Was there an option at the gate to get a guide?[/quote]
I think it would be better to get a guide. I had done a lot of reading before the trip and usually we like to go through museums at our own pace, so I thought we would be ok. But the Museum is so big and full of art it was overwhelming to us. Also, they do not give out a map or gude of any kind and I didn't think there was a much information explaining each piece as there would be in a typical American museum. So next time I will be getting a guide. Even without the guide it was a highlight of the trip, so enjoy! Karyn
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