RomeInLimo questions

[joandian]

Thanks everyone. I have my tours booked :D

[Texansfortravel]

We are booked with Rome in Limo for a tour of Rome in December. We have also asked for a private guide for the Vatican. I know the price of the Vatican guide is included in our price for RIL but I'm just curious how others have handled tipping the Vatican guide. Have you just tipped the guide at the end of the Vatican tour or did you add the tip to what you paid Rome In Limo? Thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

We are booked with Rome in Limo for a tour of Rome in December. We have also asked for a private guide for the Vatican. I know the price of the Vatican guide is included in our price for RIL but I'm just curious how others have handled tipping the Vatican guide. Have you just tipped the guide at the end of the Vatican tour or did you add the tip to what you paid Rome In Limo? Thanks.

 

The guide isn't included, it is a separate fee. About 150 euros. Ask for Sarah. She is the best.

 

We were asked to pay the guide separately. But as we were going to be signing a ton of travelor's checks, Sarah just had us do all the travelor's checks together with the driver when he dropped us at our hotel. The tip is separate- we gave that directly to Sarah in cash, and gave our driver a separate tip in cash.

[HappyTravels4ever]

Rome-Pompeii in one day is possible but not optimal. There can be massive backups on the A-1 so it could take 2-3 hours or 6. Let it be a reason to come back for another visit!

[fshagan]

Good morning. I have learned that our driver/guide in Rome is to be Vinny (or Vinnie). Seems to me I've seen his name on this thread; but when I searched, nothing came up.

 

Has anyone had Vinny (Vinnie) as a guide? I'd love to know your opinion.

 

Thanks.

 

Kathy

 

We just had Vinny in Rome on 10/27. I'll post a full review here in a minute, but I can tell you he is a great driver and guide. He really listened to us to make sure we saw what we could (our ship was about 90 minutes late into port, so we had to cut some activities). His lunch recommendation was also right on; we really enjoyed it.

 

We also loved our Vatican guide, Braden. She has a degree in the Sistine Chapel, and if you're planning to visit the Vatican Museums, I would highly recommend her as well.

[fshagan]

I wanted to give a detailed review of our Rome in Limo tours here, as this is where I first heard of them.

 

We contracted with Rome in Limo for three shore excursions during our cruise on the Norwegian Jade. The cities we wanted to visit were 1) Florence and Pisa on 10/26/2010; 2) Rome on 10/27/2010; and 3) Naples (visiting the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii) on 10/28/2010. Using Cruise Critic's "roll call" board for our NCL Jade cruise sailing out of Barcelona on 10/24/2010, we invited others to join us and share the cost for each tour.

 

The "cost per person" is for eight people on each tour, the largest group Rome in Limo accommodates on their personalized excursions. When recommended by Rome in Limo, we contracted for the optional guide which cost $100 extra for Pompeii and $150 extra for the Vatican.

 

With such a short time in port, we wanted an experienced person to help us hit the highlights, react to local conditions, and enhance our visit with some local flavor. Overall, everyone was very pleased with our experience from both a cost and quality standpoint.

 

Our first excursion was to take us to Pisa for a quick viewing of the Leaning Tower, then on to Florence. Our ship was approximately 90 minutes late into port. Rome in Limo had reserved our spots to enter the Academie in Florence, the museum where Michelangelo's David is displayed, and the normal route would put that appointment in jeopardy. Our driver, Manuel, did adapt to the situation; we headed straight for Florence and the Academie. Manuel did get us there, and escorted us into the lobby, past the line, so that we could purchase our tickets. It was surprising to see that the museum charged 4 Euro more for those people who had reservations. While most establishments would discount reservations, the extra cost is seen as a fee for skipping the line outside the building. Looking at the line, it was worth the 4 Euro extra.

 

Manuel then took us into Florence, and dropped us off with a meeting place specified in 2 and a half hours. We asked about maps, or other tips for sightseeing, and he explained a few highlights. But we were left feeling a bit uneasy; I hadn't done a lot of research on Florence, so I didn't really know what was important, and what was not. We struck out to discover Florence, each couple going their own way. Jan and I enjoyed our time; we found a great little Pininni restaurant two blocks behind the Cathedral, and enjoyed a sandwich and conversation with the owner and her daughter. We visited the Cathedral, the Old Bridge, and several other sites. After meeting up with Manuel, he took us to the wonderful site of Michelangelo's studio and Medici house overlooking the city.

 

We ended the day with a quick trip to Pisa, took the obligatory "hold up the tower" picture, and headed back to the port. While Manuel was competent and did react well to the late schedule, I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more commentary from a local person. We left tips to the discretion of each person, and most of us chipped in about 10% for a tip. Our total cost per person was 68.75 Euro (plus discretionary tip). The admission to the Academie was an additional 14 Euro.

 

Our second day was Rome, and again our ship was late into port. Weather was dogging us early in the day in Italy, yet each day was wonderfully sunny and clear later on, and I hoped our guide in Rome would be able to adapt to the late schedule. We met Vincenzo ("Vinny") at the dock and piled into his comfortable Mercedes Benz van. Vinny provided commentary on what was passing by the windows on the drive into Rome with a great combination of knowledge and wit. He asked a few questions to get our preferences, and we headed for the Coliseum. Standing on a ridge above the famous stadium, Vinny outlined our options for the shortened day. None of us wanted to risk the overview of the sights to spend time inside the Coliseum; instead, with only a shortened day in Rome, we wanted to hit as many of the highlights as we could. And none of us wanted to miss the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica tour that afternoon.

 

Vinny provided a short history of the Coliseum, pulling out a book with acetate overlays showing artist's rendering of the stadium as it was originally. We were standing in a place with the same view as Vinny's book, so this was a well thought out and very special touch.

 

After several other "highlights" in the city, including an overview of the Forum area, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, etc., we headed to lunch for a wonderful meal. We had antipasto, pasta, wine and bread that nearly overwhelmed us with its flavor and aroma. One person in our group had a gluten intolerance, but she was well prepared with a note that explained, in Italian what her diet was. She was brought chicken for the pasta course, and she said it was great. Vinny re-appeared toward the end of the lunch, and instructed the waiter to bring us Limoncello, a local drink with which we would become great friends.

 

Off to the Vatican, and meeting the first of our guides, Braden. With a degree in the Sistine Chapel, and a native English speaker, Braden was a great guide for us. She asked a few questions at first, evidently gauging how interested we were in the history of things, before setting off with a perfect combination of historical facts and interesting trivia to keep us engaged. We certainly never stumped her with our questions, and I suspect Braden would be able to handle any group with aplomb.

 

Back at the ship, we bid Vinny farewell with a feeling of great satisfaction for a wonderful day in Rome. In retrospect, we realized how much the right guide adds to the day. Would our Rome in Limo tour the next day resemble the first day - much better than a big bus tour, but still leaving us wanting - or the second day, with a sense of contentment and fulfillment?

 

The cost per person in Rome was 87.50 euro, plus discretionary tip for Vinny (about 10% more overall). Admission to the Vatican was extra, and bought in advance prior to the trip.

 

The day in Naples greeted us with great weather again, and our driver, Raffael, was like Vinnie; knowledgeable and funny. Unlike the other days, the ship started disembarking right after the scheduled port time of 7 AM; our appointment to meet our van was still at 8 AM. In a smaller van than the other two ports, the better to navigate the hairpin turns along the Amalfi Coast, Raffael narrated throughout the drive, highlighting the sights and providing local color commentary as we made our way to Positino. We made a few "photo opportunity" stops on the way, and then spent 45 minutes to walk the picturesque town of Positino. We continued on to Sorrento for more shopping time and a great lunch. We overstayed our lunch without regret, as the food was wonderful and the Limoncella impossibly cold. All of them. My wife Jan didn't care for the drink as much as I did, so I may have had more than just my two. Just saying.

 

Raffael regaled us with song on the way to Pompeii (great voice!), including a sing-along of "That's Amore" that went surprisingly well. Although to be honest, I suspect it may have been the Lemoncello that induced me to sing without shame.

 

We made it to Pompeii to meet our recommended tour guide a few minutes late, but still got a great tour of the site. Antonella was very knowledgeable and competent, answering our questions and routing our tour so that we missed most of the crowds. Like Braden at the Vatican, Antonella certainly helped us make the most of our short day. After exiting Pompeii, Raffael met us and waited while we obtained a last scoop of gelato on Italian soil, and drove us back to the port.

 

Cost per person was $81.25 (plus tip) for this tour, plus admission to Pompeii.

 

Rome in Limo provided a great alternative to the big bus tours offered by the cruise lines at a very competitive price. Split 8 ways, the cost per person was about the same as the big bus tours when you convert the Euros to dollars, but the experience itself was much, much better. We had a great group of people, and being picked up at the dock and dropped off there really helped make the most of our limited time. I heartily recommend Rome in Limo, and would not hesitate to use them again.

[elsplace2]

How much is the tour guide/entrance fee, in Pompei, the one RIL sets up for you??

I assume you pay the tour guide when you get there, do you pay the tour guide the entrance fee as well? Just want to make sure I have the right amount of euros to give to the tour guide, if paid separately, without them having to give change......or is the price included when you book with RIL, if you tell them you want a guided tour?

 

When you get to Pompei, does the tour guide set up with RIL, meet you in a particular spot or does the driver take you to the tour guide?

 

We will have 8 on our tour.

 

Thanks in advance! And sorry if this question has already been answered, I tried to read as much as I could, but there sure is ALOT of pages here, which is GREAT!!! Everyone's "adventures" sound awesome!!

Edited November 4, 2010 by elsplace2

[fshagan]

How much is the tour guide/entrance fee, in Pompei, the one RIL sets up for you??

I assume you pay the tour guide when you get there, do you pay the tour guide the entrance fee as well? Just want to make sure I have the right amount of euros to give to the tour guide, if paid separately, without them having to give change......or is the price included when you book with RIL, if you tell them you want a guided tour?

 

When you get to Pompei, does the tour guide set up with RIL, meet you in a particular spot or does the driver take you to the tour guide?

 

We will have 8 on our tour.

 

Thanks in advance! And sorry if this question has already been answered, I tried to read as much as I could, but there sure is ALOT of pages here, which is GREAT!!! Everyone's "adventures" sound awesome!!

 

Rome in Limo will quote you the price of both the driver and the Pompeii tour guide separately. You pay them separately at the end of each respective tour. Our guide was 100 Euro for Pompeii and the Rome In Limo driver for 8 for the day was $550.

 

Our driver, Raffael, took us and introduced us to Antonella, our guide. She collected the entrance fee from each of us and bought us our tickets (I think it was 11 Euro each for entrance to Pompeii). She also collected the guidebook and map for each of us. This works like a "front of the line" kind of thing, so several in our group took the opportunity to visit the bathroom as she cleared our group through the entrance.

 

For our group, where each couple was chipping in for their share, I had a total amount per couple for each day that included the extra tour guide. At the end of the day, they paid me and I added in my share, and paid the driver. Whatever they gave extra for the tip went to the driver.

 

For the extra guide, one couple would pay the guide and that amount would be deducted from the total they owed at the end of the day. It worked out well (easier than trying to get 25 or 37.50 Euro from each couple at the time we paid the guide). We tipped the guides 10%.

 

The extras you pay for are any food, entrance fees to any "attractions" like Pompeii, and tips. Everything I've read says that a 10% tip is considered adequate in Europe, where tips are not very common.

[elsplace2]

Thank you for your quick reply......it was very helpful!!!

[mandeb]

Just came back from a cruise. Vinny was our guide in Rome - he made the trip a wonderful experience. One lady that was part of our group was handicapped and he was amazing in his efforts to get her as close as possible to all the sights. We were 8 people and each of us would reccommend him highly

 

Debby

[mandeb]

His real name is Vincente (Vin-SEN-tay), I believe. He was our guide in Rome on September 7th, and we liked him very much. He was personable and a very good driver. Very patient with the Rome traffic, but we like to tell the story of how he finally lightly honked his horn at someone who didn't move at a traffic light, and he asked the air, "The light only has three colors. What color do you want?" You'll have a good day with him.

 

The guide isn't included, it is a separate fee. About 150 euros. Ask for Sarah. She is the best.

 

We were asked to pay the guide separately. But as we were going to be signing a ton of travelor's checks, Sarah just had us do all the travelor's checks together with the driver when he dropped us at our hotel. The tip is separate- we gave that directly to Sarah in cash, and gave our driver a separate tip in cash.

 

 

Just came back - absolutely right - Sarah was amazing. Tip the guide and driver directly - not through Rome in Limo. You'll have a great time.

 

Debby

[elsplace2]

I've got another question....I have read where some people paid RIL with euro travelers checks......where can they be purchased? Would it be in the same places that you can pre-purchase Euros, like AAA?

Edited November 5, 2010 by elsplace2

[CruiserBruce]

Generally, yes. We got ours from our bank- a mid sized nationwide bank. Not sure if I can mention their name. I think AAA also has access, and may have slightly better rates.

 

Rome in Limo only take euros (cash) or euro travelors checks. For transfers, you could get the cash from an ATM. But for tours, and needing cash for regular purchases and expenses, ATMs seem a lot more complex.

Edited November 5, 2010 by CruiserBruce

[Leni]

We just came back from a cruise and used RomeInLimo for our tour of Rome. This is the second time we have used them and they remain consistently reliable and professional. Our driver was Marco and I would recommend him as he was personable, courteous and very accommodating with our questions regarding itinerary highlights. He was more than a driver, he was our guide and friend for the day!

There were 8 of us with 4 of us having been in Rome before. Marco kept us engaged and enthusiastic about all the highlights and packed in a full day's tour that included a delightful restaurant for lunch.

The vans that are used are modern, spotless Mercedes vans.

Their website is very informative and they reply very quickly and respond to any concerns you might have. I recommend using RomeInLimo as vans can maneuver to sites that large tour buses cannot. This avoids the long, walking parades behind tour guides. Booking with them is an easy, relaxing sure thing!

[tooalto]

Another Med cruise and another great day with Gian and RIL. This year we went into Pisa and Florence. Though we had been to Pisa before, we still learned something new. Florence was just beautiful and Gian was able to get us into both the Uffizi and Accademia, a feat which amazed the even the most seasoned travellers in our group. He took us to a great little restaurant for lunch as well. Just a super day!

[April7901]

Another more than satisfied customer here :-) We used RIL last week for Florence (Alberto), Rome (Nicola) and Naples (Stefano). There were three of us (all female), and the days were well worth the cost.

 

All three days were amazing - so smooth, so straightforward, and there's simply no way we would have seen even half of what we saw had we been on our own or herded cattle.

 

I'll be sharing more details in my full review, but I absolutely recommend them, with no hesitation.

[cccruisin]

I'm booking romeinlimo for some of my pre-cruise time in Rome, thanks to the many accolades here on CC. My questions:

1-They are suggesting an 8 hour tour with a driver, and a guide for the Vatican. Do we need a guide for other sites? Or is the driver usually knowledgeable enough to provide info?

2-Have you ever just gotten a guide at the Vatican rather than scheduled one in advance? If so, how did that work out? Did you still have to stand in line for tickets? Can you just visit the "church" on your own without tickets? (I obviously have lots more research to do! I visited Rome years ago, but I was on a tour and they took care of everything.)

3-Do you tip on top of the fee for the driver, or is it included?

 

4- Not a romeinlimo question, but has anyone ever done a day trip from Rome to Pompeii? Is that possible?

 

Thanks in advance for answers to my questions!

We have done Rome to Pompeii twice. It usually includes Naples and is a very long day. If I am not mistaken there is some option with Capri also, have never done that., next time. Have a great trip!!

[omc329]

We too are joining the many satisfied customers for ril. We booked them for three ports, Livorno, Rome and Naples. I will say our group could not have done this trip any other way and still seen and enjoyed all we did.

 

In Livorno we had Vinnie. He was my husband's favorite of the three drivers. He was highly informative. If I had any complaint from the entire day, it was that we wanted a quick lunch and ended up wasting an hour. *shrug* It was still a good lunch and in the right price range. Other than that one detail, the day was great. Everyone got to see something important to their wish list, (no small feat with this group). And when my friend's foot went, she was able to stay in the van and wait for us there. Vinnie even brought her a water to drink while she waited, (she couldn't even hobble to a diner at the time). All in all, a great day.

 

In Rome we had Onofrio. He was my favorite. He was hilarious. I was in tears. He was informative as well, but usually gave us the info while he was pulled over and used a terrific book with overlays to explain things for us. We asked to eat on the fly, and earlier than the day before as we were starved by the normal times they eat in Italy. (Several of us ate bkfst at 6AM). Onofrio easily bounced things around and got us to a fruit mrkt where we all chose counter services and ate as we walked the mrkt. It was wonderfully relaxing and just what we wanted.

 

We had Sarah at the Vatican. Onofrio dropped us off right across from the Vatican, met Sarah and she walked us on in with our prepurchased voucher.

 

Sarah made the Vatican, Sistine Chapel and Basilica possible. Our group had issues, triple bypass, arthritis, bad back, heart meds, bad foot, knee brace, bad heart, meds, diabetic feet, severe asthma, etc. (They all made me feel so young and healthy!!!). Sarah got us on the elevators reserved for the handicapped and argued it out with a guard for the handicap shortcut as well and even managed a bench rest partway through. Truthfully, this group would not have survived the steps involved and I am soooo thankful to her for her ability to navigate our group through the steps of the Vatican. And then there was all the knowledge she passed on to us. What a bonus! ;) I was beyond exhausted that day, having only a few hours of sleep several nights running, and in my mental fog, overtipped her. I have to say though, she earned EVERY penny! For us, there was no better way to do the Vatican.

 

In Naples we had Giovanni. He was my sister's favorite! He wasn't as informative as the previous two drivers, but then there wasn't as much to go on about either. He stopped constantly to appease my sis and my appetites for photos of so many wonderful views. He even offered to take photos of our entire group, the only full group shots we got. He allowed plenty of time to enjoy and shop around in Sorrento and Positano. He must have been talking to ril because he was thinking of taking us for pizza, but we spoke up and said no, no, no!!! We wanted relaxed and leisurely with a gorgeous view. Of course you know we ended up at La Tagliata! It was spectacular, delicous, relaxing, and the most wonderful hour we spent in Italy, (and it was EARLY in the day, without our even asking).

 

Afterward we headed off to Pompeii. The crowds were gone. I don't know the name of our guide there. They told me, but I never quite caught it. She was great however, adjusting constantly for the slower pace of our group. She gave us our full two hours worth, but likely not the typical tour. As we entered the first hill into Pompeii, one friend almost went into an asthma attack. Our guide merely stepped to the side and started talking about this and that where we were standing while our friend regrouped. Our guide constantly pointed out photo ops as well, which my sis loved.

 

All in all, the Almafi coast was the favorite of all three ports.

 

RIL was great, and again, without them, especially with our group, we could not have done Italy in so short a span of time. They were patient when someone would end up staying in the vans, arranged wonderful guides, gave us door to door service, kept us on schedule to allow maximum time and sites, and best of all, they did all the driving!!!! Aye, yiay, yaye!!!! I would NOT want to have driven some of that traffic or roads!!

 

Thumbs up for RIL.

[flgirl543]

We recently returned from our cruise and used RIL in 3 ports and can't say enough good things about all three tours. If and when we return to Italy we would like to do it ourselves (not a cruise or land tour). However, we would like to use RIL as well. My question is -does anyone know how to arrange a group if your not on a cruise?

[LOP]

Another more than satisfied customer here :-) We used RIL last week for Florence (Alberto), Rome (Nicola) and Naples (Stefano). There were three of us (all female), and the days were well worth the cost.

 

All three days were amazing - so smooth, so straightforward, and there's simply no way we would have seen even half of what we saw had we been on our own or herded cattle.

 

I'll be sharing more details in my full review, but I absolutely recommend them, with no hesitation.

 

 

Stefano is GREAT, we used him in September for our Rome Tour...just the Mrs. and I...He did such a good job we gave him 150 euros, he hesitated and said "that's alot of money"...we smiled and told him he earned it...Will request him in the future. BTW, he is native Frenchman and married a girl from Rome.

[AliceS]

I didn't read this entire thread, but wanted to give a huge thumbs up for Romeinlimo. Wow! We just did three ports with them and loved, loved every minute. We took their recommendation for a Vatican guide, good advice, and for the private guide in Pompeii. I've been to Pompeii before, but never had such a personal and great tour. The drivers were all professional, waiting for us when we got off the ship, kept us informed and laughing all day and seemed like old friends. We did Rome, Florence/Siena and Naples/Amalfi/Pompeii.

 

Pre cruise questions were answered right away. I think Jany lives on the internet. Thanks Romeinlimo--see you next year. Alice

[wantocruisemore]

We recently returned from our cruise and used RIL in 3 ports and can't say enough good things about all three tours. If and when we return to Italy we would like to do it ourselves (not a cruise or land tour). However, we would like to use RIL as well. My question is -does anyone know how to arrange a group if your not on a cruise?

 

Our cruise next summer is going to be out of Rome. We'll be there several days in advance to tour. I've already been in touch with RIL through their website. I just emailed them and let them know how many, what and when we would need etc. They have gotten back with me with estimates for airport pick-up transport to hotel, for a Vatican tour, a tour to Pompeii and possible one to Hadrian's Villa, and for hotel to cruise port and cruise port to airport afterward.

 

My guess is if you want to organize a tour yourself you can do it through the share a tour site. I've never used it but seen it mentioned on site. You just register the date and location of tour, much the same way you might organize one through your roll call.

[seaofwonder]

Wanttocruise: Could you share the price estimates that they gave you?

[flgirl543]

Our cruise next summer is going to be out of Rome. We'll be there several days in advance to tour. I've already been in touch with RIL through their website. I just emailed them and let them know how many, what and when we would need etc. They have gotten back with me with estimates for airport pick-up transport to hotel, for a Vatican tour, a tour to Pompeii and possible one to Hadrian's Villa, and for hotel to cruise port and cruise port to airport afterward.

 

My guess is if you want to organize a tour yourself you can do it through the share a tour site. I've never used it but seen it mentioned on site. You just register the date and location of tour, much the same way you might organize one through your roll call.

 

Thank you for your information. I did go to the Share a Tour site and it seems that they provide the tours. Therefore, you wouldn't be using RomeInLimo. I'll try to google and see if I can find anything else. Thanks again.

[SuzyQ72]

After reading all the recommendations here, we booked RIL for Naples, Rome & Florence on our Oct 31 - Nov 7 RCL Cruise. There were 6 of us traveling together, so the mini-van worked perfectly for us. I contacted RIL via the website, and Jany answered my many questions promptly. For each port, she arranged a tour custom-made for us. We were able to get a discounted price since we booked 3 tours. In every case our guides were waiting when we got off the ship, spoke fluent English, were full of knowledge about the areas we toured, were unfailingly courteous, and got us back in plenty of time.

After leaving Naples, our driver Raffaele took us for a breathtaking drive along the Amalfi Coast, stopping many times for photos. We spent time wandering through Positano, and then went to Sorrento, including lunch that he had arranged at Tasso Ristorante. All of us ate far too much because it was so delicious! We had time for shopping and walking, and then drove to Pompei, where our pre-arranged guide Francesco met us. We spent hours touring the ruins, and Francesco's informative chatter made it so much more meaningful. Raffaele was waiting when we finished, and entertained us with Italian songs on our drive back to port. He even gave us a bottle of Limoncello when we parted.

For Rome, I had requested the Highlights tour, picking and choosing a little to meet our preferences, since most of us had been there before. Manuel met us at the ship, and told us a great deal about Civitavecchia and Roman history as we drove to the city. We by-passed the hour-long queue at the Coliseum, and walked right in. With amazing precision, Manuel drove through the wild city traffic, stopping at major sights - Ancient Rome, Vittorio Emmanuel monument, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and others. He was able to park in small areas only for licensed guides, so we never had to spend time walking unless we wanted to. We had lunch at his favorite "Italian fast food" place - we agreed we didn't have time for a leisurely meal. After that we spent some time at Piazza Navona before he took us to our Vatican guide, Serena. We had pre-purchased tickets as Jany advised, and again by-passed a very long line. As we walked through the Vatican, Serena explained what we were seeing and the history behind it in great detail. We had ample time to admire both the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica. Manuel met us as we finished, and we drove back to the ship.

Most of us had already spent time in Florence, so we had asked for a highlights tour there (with no museums) and time in Lucca. Jany assured me it was possible to do both. We did that and more! Our guide Gianmaria drove us along country roads from Livorno to Florence so that we could enjoy the Tuscan scenery. He offered to stop at an olive oil cooperative if we were interested, and I'm so glad we did. It was not a touristy place at all - we were the only ones there. He briefly walked us through the olive oil process, and then the owner showed us the difference between the green and more ripe olive oils. We went from there through the Tuscan hills to Florence, with another beautiful view around every curve. We stopped first at Piazza Michelangelo for an overview of the city. Gianmaria knows the city well, and drove us from sight to sight as only a local could. He gave us time to wander different areas, arranged lunch at Boccadama Ristorante (again delicious) and as we left the city, took us to "the best gelato in Florence", La Carraia. It was indeed the best I've ever had, and I've had a lot! We drove from there to Lucca, which is a charming walled town. He left us to wander (our preference) and met us in a square at the other end of town. As we left, he drove around the wall, which has been fully preserved and provides a park area all around the city. As a special treat, Gianmaria told us we'd have time to stop briefly at Pisa if we wanted, on our way back to the ship! The sun was setting as we got there, but we had time to admire the Leaning Tower and take our photos. We had wanted to see the tower, but weren't willing to spend a half-day tour to do it--30 minutes was plenty.

In all, the tours exceeded my expectations, which were already high. We saw everything we wanted to and more in every port. We were able to see more than we could have on any combination of RCL excursions, and for less money. AND it was only the 6 of us each day, going only where we wanted to, and not waiting for 30 other people to get back to the bus.

I recommend Rome In Limo to everyone - it's the way to see Italy!