RomeInLimo questions

[wantocruisemore]

I plan on doing RIL tours while in Naples, Rome and Florence/Pisa. Do I need to pre-buy tickets to any of the attractions, does RIL get the tickets, or do we purchase at the site?

 

Thanks!

 

 

We have a Vatican tour with RIL booked. When Jany sent our confirmation she told us to purchase the tickets through the Vatican website and sent the link. She also told us what time to designate for the entry. We did that and have our voucher, very easy.

 

We have other tours scheduled with them but that was the only one she said to book ahead of time.

[AJs Grandpa]

We have a Vatican tour with RIL booked. When Jany sent our confirmation she told us to purchase the tickets through the Vatican website and sent the link. She also told us what time to designate for the entry. We did that and have our voucher, very easy.

 

We have other tours scheduled with them but that was the only one she said to book ahead of time.

 

 

Sorry if this is a duplicate--not sure if problem is with CC or on my end.

 

In any case, I strongly suggest you book the Colisseum ahead of time as recommended on the RIL website. We probably saved an hour in line by doing so two weeks ago.

 

Another suggestion--whether with RIL or not--go online and reserve a time at St Mark's in Venice. Entry is free, but you can go to the head of the line for 1 Euro each. We did and know we saved at least an hour wait--well worth the cost. Sorry, I don't recall the website, but you can find it via Google.

[wantocruisemore]

Sorry if this is a duplicate--not sure if problem is with CC or on my end.

 

In any case, I strongly suggest you book the Colisseum ahead of time as recommended on the RIL website. We probably saved an hour in line by doing so two weeks ago.

 

Another suggestion--whether with RIL or not--go online and reserve a time at St Mark's in Venice. Entry is free, but you can go to the head of the line for 1 Euro each. We did and know we saved at least an hour wait--well worth the cost. Sorry, I don't recall the website, but you can find it via Google.

 

 

If you are wanting to do the Underground/Upper Levels tour of the Colosseum you will have to book that in advance. It may or may not be open, according to the time of the year. We have those tickets too but we're doing them on our own. I had read on another thread that if you want to get your regular entry tickets for the Colosseum the day you go, to get them at Palatine Hill where there is hardly any line, even in summer.

 

Best to just ask Jany. For the Vatican she volunteered and told us to book ahead.

[flcruiser3]

Thanks for the info on pre-purchasing admissions. Unfortunately we are in Rome on a Sunday, so that is why Jany did not instruct me to purchase any tickets on-line.

[Ashland]

Please help with approx tipping guide for our RIL driver in Rome and private guide for the Vatican..Driver in Naples and private guide in Pompeii..We will be doing a private tour with just DH and myself...Thanks so much !!!

[AJs Grandpa]

You will no doubt get a variety of answers.

 

We gave 10% to all guides but one. We gave almost 20% to the the latter because his service was a couple of notches above the rest.

[riley3]

We had Vinny from RomeinLimo as our driver for our full day tour of Rome 2 weeks ago and he was absolutely fantastic!! He was prompt, courteous and informative but most of all it was like being with a good friend! We called him cousin Vinny. He went out of his way to make sure we saw as much of Rome as possible and made the day so enjoyable. He even took us to a restaurant for lunch where we had the best pizza we ever ate!! RIL also arranged a private tour guide for us at the Vatican named Julia who was also fantastic! She was so upbeat and informative. RIL made our time in Rome better then we could have ever imagined!! I would definitely recommend RIL to anyone looking to book a tour of Rome!!:D

[flormija]

We used RomeInLimo for our time in Italy for our latest cruise. We stopped in Livorno (Mike was our driver), Rome (David), and Naples (Francesco). Each driver brought something a little different to the mix, and we enjoyed each one. RIL assisted with all tickets, and we had them assist with the guide for the Vatican. She was wonderful, and the folks in my group (who had never been to Rome before) completely loved her!

 

I would definitely recommend utilizing RIL while in Italy. They were fantastic. Just be aware that while the drivers are very knowledgeable, they are not tour guides (in fact, they don't go in to the sites with you but stay with the vehicle instead) and you will probably end up being the tour guide for your group, so read up!

 

I fully intend to use RIL again on my next trip!

[wantocruisemore]

We just got back this past week from a Med Cruise. Well in the past and on a recommendation, we booked RIL to see Piza/Florence, Rome and Naples(Pompeii-Sorrento-Capri). There were 11 of us, and I coordinated the questions into RIL. (Jany) throughout the year was very prompt- and patient with all our questions. By the time we left the States, we knew all the details.

Because we booked 3 cities in advance, they provided us with Mini-Buses at Piza/Florence and Rome and a Licensed Guide for each port at no extra cost. This is very important as the Lic. Guide can enter the venues and clear the path past the lines.

RIL told us- as their web site states- to pre-purchase the Colesium and Vatican tickets on line and RIL will tell you the time to reserve the Vatican tickets (usuall 2:00PM-but check).

The tour from Naples was different as along with Pompeii, we were going to Sorrento and Capri. The streets are very narrow in Sorrento, so they brought us two min-vans instead. We did not have a lic. guide, but the drivers were fantastic and knowlegable. We had no plans to gain a guide in Pompeii and Tony and Stephano tactfully urged that we should. We took their advice and were so glad we did. The cost was very reasonable and for 11 people a no-brainer. The guide was outstanding.

Highly suggest to spend more of your time in Sorrento. Capri did not pan out as we did not have time to spread out away from the city center.

We took the ferry back to Naples to meet our ship. Be advised you need a ferry ticket to Capri from Sorrento and then a ticket to Naples from Capri if doing this trip. Check prices on line (ask RIL)

 

All in all- RomeinLimo was spectacular- especially if you contact them well in advance of your trip. They will help you with every detail. I will continue to recommend them for anyone needing a tour in Italy (especially small groups)

 

 

Curious, did you get to meet the phenomenal Jany? I emailed her my cell phone number for the trip and she indicated can't wait to meet you. She is amazing!!!

 

Also, tell me about Sorrento. We're doing a RIL tour from Rome to Pompeii & Heraculeum. 12 hours and we have reserved a guide too (actually it is exactly 2 weeks from today). They said we would also have a stop in Sorrento and I'm curious about it. BTW, our trip is out of Rome for our pre-cruise.

[DiamondDiva]

Our RIL driver from Naples to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, Rafaelle, made a reservation for us, a group of 6, at Ristorante Tasso right in the historic area at Via Correale 11. Very good food and service. Since he lives there, we figured he knew his places to eat!

 

http://www.ristorantetasso.com/

[CAREW]

I will be doing the Rome tour tomorrow but did Livorno today and you can't walk on the pier there. RIL met us at the port. Had a great driver, Fabrizio, local to the area. Can't say enough about the tour today - was a wonderful day.

 

Is it too rude to ask how much they charge for this? We are a party of 4.

[bobalink]

Is it too rude to ask how much they charge for this? We are a party of 4.

 

 

The Romeinlimo website has all of their tours listed with prices. If you have any specific questions, you can contact them and Jany will respond quickly.

 

Link to RIL website:

http://www.romeinlimo.com/

 

We used them for all of our tours last year while we visited Italy. They are fabulous!

 

Enjoy!

[KansCocoa]

Our RIL driver from Naples to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, Rafaelle, made a reservation for us, a group of 6, at Ristorante Tasso right in the historic area at Via Correale 11. Very good food and service. Since he lives there, we figured he knew his places to eat!

 

http://www.ristorantetasso.com/

 

We used RIL in 2009 for 3 different ports in Italy - their service was fantastic, and I've already lined them up for an upcoming cruise in 2012.

 

When we were in Sorrento, RIL had made reservations for us at this same restaurant...the pizza was fantastic! We also spent some time in Sorrento shopping (they have leather goods, lace, Venetian glass, and limoncello products), and found a delightful little gelato shop that had the most amazing gelato. Yum.

[jesse]

We just returned from a 12 day RCCL cruise. Romeinlimo picked us up at the airport, brought us to the ship, then in Messina, Sicily we had a fantastic tour with RIL and met Alessandro, who took us to Mt. Etna, to Castelmolo, Taormina, Messina-Fantastic tour. We also were picked up on the 16th by Mauro, and before we checked into our hotel, had a grand Rome tour, with two hours at St. Peters, all the major sites, and also a visit to Castel Gandolfo and a lakeside lunch. We had a fantastic day, all over Rome and surrounds. The following day, RIL picked us up, Mauro again, for our journey to the Emerald cove and Positano, with a little pop visit through Sorrento, and it was glorious!! The following day, Romeinlimo-Mauro-took us to Umbria, to Assisi and we had yet again an amazing day. We met up with Duman that night, and were whisked off to the airport the morning of the 19th, again with RIL, and now are at home.

This is the FOURTH year we have booked all our Italy tours with Romeinlimo. As always, the service is fantastic, Jany is amazing, and all the drivers are wonderful. We had other private tours during the cruise, which I will post in the appropriate forum, and Romeinlimo gets my vote yet again for the best tours we've taken in Italy, bar none.

[samavarcruiser]

We just returned from a 12 day RCCL cruise. Romeinlimo picked us up at the airport, brought us to the ship, then in Messina, Sicily we had a fantastic tour with RIL and met Alessandro, who took us to Mt. Etna, to Castelmolo, Taormina, Messina-Fantastic tour. We also were picked up on the 16th by Mauro, and before we checked into our hotel, had a grand Rome tour, with two hours at St. Peters, all the major sites, and also a visit to Castel Gandolfo and a lakeside lunch. We had a fantastic day, all over Rome and surrounds. The following day, RIL picked us up, Mauro again, for our journey to the Emerald cove and Positano, with a little pop visit through Sorrento, and it was glorious!! The following day, Romeinlimo-Mauro-took us to Umbria, to Assisi and we had yet again an amazing day. We met up with Duman that night, and were whisked off to the airport the morning of the 19th, again with RIL, and now are at home.

This is the FOURTH year we have booked all our Italy tours with Romeinlimo. As always, the service is fantastic, Jany is amazing, and all the drivers are wonderful. We had other private tours during the cruise, which I will post in the appropriate forum, and Romeinlimo gets my vote yet again for the best tours we've taken in Italy, bar none.

 

Thanks for sharing, can you tell me more about your day in Umbria please

[GARNERSINMH]

Another vote for the awesome service with Rome in Limo! We used them for a Rome day trip from Citavecchia in Sept 2009. At dinner that night we heard many people copmplaing about their ships tours, while we felt we got a perfect taste of Rome at our own pace. For only two it was expensive, but very worth it. On our other Italian stops we ended up regretting not using Rome in Limo there also.

 

We're in Rome precruise in October 2011 for 4 days. We have a night tour, Rome to port transfer and after the cruise, port to airport transfer all with RIL. We're also considering adding a walking tour or trip out of the city. If you can afford the cost, or find others to share, you will be completely thrilled with Rome in Limo.

[xavier16]

We used Rome in Limo for our two stops in Italy- one in Rome and another one for Naples. For Rome, our driver was Alessandro. He was a few minutes late in picking us up which made us nervous that we were stood up. Thankfully, we weren't. He had a comfortable Mercedes van accomodating the 4 of us in the group.

 

Alessandro, I must say, is such a character. He is funny, opinionated, knowledgeable and knows Rome very well. He knew a lot about the history of Rome and really tried to keep us engaged with the history. Traffic is horrible in Rome though especially at the time of our visit, but he knew the streets too well. He helped us bypass lines in the Colloseum, even escorting us inside so as to make sure we get in immediately. He also helped us when we entered Vatican museums. Sometimes though he is a little too "opinonated". He shared his opinions on Roman politics, history, and religion which is fine, but sometimes he can be a little too negative about it, which can be a downer. But that is just a very very minor negative on his part. It was a fantastic day out with him as we got to see a lot of Rome in a day. He also took us to a cheap take-out place, which served very good pizzas and sandwiches, and are very cheap. We thoroughly enjoyed our day in Rome.

 

On our Naples excursion, we had Francesco. He took us to Positano, Sorrento and Pompeii. He provided a Mercedes sedan which seated us 4 comfortably. Francesco is an extremely safe driver especially when we were passing the Amalfi coast, which is absolutely breathtaking, but roads are winding. He is polite, punctual and a gentleman. This was our last port stop, so naturally we were all tired then, but still this remained to be one of my favorite days in the duration of the cruise.

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Nice to hear about all the +ve comments with RIL. We are booked with them for 3 ports this Sept. Is there any difference to lineups at the Vatican, Coliseum, etc. if we have RIL purchase our entrance fee tickets or we do our own on line ?

[alexkrn46]

Nice to hear about all the +ve comments with RIL. We are booked with them for 3 ports this Sept. Is there any difference to lineups at the Vatican, Coliseum, etc. if we have RIL purchase our entrance fee tickets or we do our own on line ?

 

You buy your tickets online yourself, at first we did not asked for a Vatican Tour but changed our minds and glad we did. We did not wait to get into anyplace the company was fantastic.

[D&N LUV 2 TRAVEL]

Have not looked into booking tickets online yet but we are a group of 8 for each tour. If all 4 couples are booking independantly is there a time you have to pick for your tour or is it a generic ticket that will get you in at any time ? I thought for the Vatican you had to be time specific.

Just wondering how others booked tickets when a group is involved.

 

You buy your tickets online yourself, at first we did not asked for a Vatican Tour but changed our minds and glad we did. We did not wait to get into anyplace the company was fantastic.

[jesse]

we booked Umbria as listed with Romeinlimo for the tour including Orvieto, Assisi etc. We ended up staying at the Abbey in Assisi and at the Mountain top where St. Francis lived. We decided to focus on the countryside and those two spots-well worth it. No matter what you choose to do in Umbria, it's fabulous. You could stop at a winery as well. Just speak to Jany.

 

Assisi was so peaceful-magical, really.

[stuart1895]

Whilst visiting Rome whilst on board he Celebrity Eclipse we decided to use RomeinLimo for our tour to Rome.

Straight from the off after being introduced to our driver, Francesco, we knew we had chosen the correct company.

 

Everything from the beautiful E class mercedes to the natural beauty of wonderful Rome we could not have asked for such a wonderful day.

 

Francesco was extremely knowledgable as well as being an absolute gentlemen throughout the day.

 

Quite simply, this was one of the best tours we have ever done. Amazing quality made that little bit kore special by a wonderful driver!!!!!

 

Also a special mention to Jany who's attention to detail and expertise in organising is excellent, well done!!

 

Don't hesitate to use RomeinLimo!!!

 

Stuart.

 

Visited June 2011

[TLCOhio]

I wanted to provide details and visuals on our Saturday, July 11, adventure from Naples. This is especially to spotlight our great guide-driver from Romeinlimo, Carmine! Our group of eight experienced a totally wonderful day. First, it was driving through the mountains south of Naples that they call “the little Switzerland” as we moved towards Ravello. Carmine told us about his love of Naples and this whole area. There were great Italian songs on the CD as we went through the mountains. Carmine stopped to get and share some fresh fruit from a roadside stand and told us a few jokes, including what Italians view as what the letters in the name of their car company, FIAT, mean. He said that car name means “Fix It Again, Tony”. F. I. A. T.!! We were riding in a nice Mercedes van.

 

When in the Naples-Amalfi area in 1999, we had not seen this part of the region. We previously had lunch overlooking the beach at Chez Black in Positano, but we had not gone farther east from that point to see these areas that we reached this year. It was wonderful to see so much more during this visit. Ravello overlooks the Gulf of Salerno and the Mediterranean. Ravello is famed as a place where Wagner composed many music pieces, famous (Gore Vidal) lived/wrote at La Rondinaia (The Swallow's Nest) and many others visited for the great views. Then we went through several of the charming towns along this coast, including Atrani and Amalfi, traveling narrow, twisted routes with steep terraces above and below us. It was great to have Carmine do the driving while I was taking pictures and the others enjoyed the great views and sights. We wanted to have lunch in a smaller, less tourist place and Carmine came up with the perfect, super scenic location.

 

Our lunch location was right above Positano as the sun came out in full force to offer the best views one could ever hope for or seek. Lunch? It was a super treat, family-style, plus views, wine, drinks, etc.!!! Then, we drove to the Bay of Naples side, through parts of Sorrento on the way to the historic area of Herculaneum. Great and enjoyable day. Just wanted to make sure that Carmine and Romeinlimo got proper credit for doing a wonderful job that was a highlight of our trip. Here are more pictures to document that it was really as great as claimed.

 

Near Pisa, Vinni from Romeinlimo, also did a wonderful job for our group. We focused on a plan that included the historic walled city of Lucca, then doing a brief stop in Pisa for you know what, then going to San Gimignano. That worked very well, including lots of mostly sunny skies, but not too hot. Lucca is the town of Puccini, has an interesting Roman outdoor theater, offering lots of great shops and other buildings, etc. Great day in Tuscany!!!

 

Check out my live/blog posting for lots more details, pictures, etc. Let me know any questions on that Solstice posting series. Happy to share more.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

You can see all of the details and lots of visuals on our June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of special pictures with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., plus much on wonderful Barcelona. These postings are now over 13,000 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity. Don't be shy in asking any questions, making comments, etc. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

As he drove through the “Little Switzerland” mountains, Carmine was driving, singing, telling us fun stories, making sure we did the right and best photo stops, etc. :

 

 

 

At our lunch place beautifully above Positano, here is Carmine posing next to the sign at this enjoyable stop. :

 

 

 

This was one of the great views of Positano as we did a photo stop just east of this beautiful location. :

 

 

 

Near Ravello and at other locations along the Amalfi Coast, we saw many examples of how the mountainside were terraced and used to crow citrus and other products.:

 

 

 

From our dining location, here was another example of the spectacular view towards Positano and west along this scenic coastal regional of Italy.:

 

 

 

It was a big “WOW” for our first visit to Pisa. This tower is much taller than I expected. They just completed a major cleaning of it in the past few weeks, making things perfect, except for that little foundation problem with one tower. Also impressive here are the Pisa Baptistry and Duomo (main) church. Pisa has a couple of major universities here. There is another church here that also also a learning (and shorter) tower. We drove by that site. Two leaning towers in Pisa! How many knew that?:

 

[hylasgirl]

Have not looked into booking tickets online yet but we are a group of 8 for each tour. If all 4 couples are booking independantly is there a time you have to pick for your tour or is it a generic ticket that will get you in at any time ? I thought for the Vatican you had to be time specific.

Just wondering how others booked tickets when a group is involved.

 

 

It is easy to do yourself and also independently. Romeinlimo will usually provide a link for you to follow to get your Vatican or Colesseum tickets. Just email them and they will help you get the right tickets. And everyone can buy their own.

[samavarcruiser]

I wanted to provide details and visuals on our Saturday, July 11, adventure from Naples. This is especially to spotlight our great guide-driver from Romeinlimo, Carmine! Our group of eight experienced a totally wonderful day. First, it was driving through the mountains south of Naples that they call “the little Switzerland” as we moved towards Ravello. Carmine told us about his love of Naples and this whole area. There were great Italian songs on the CD as we went through the mountains. Carmine stopped to get and share some fresh fruit from a roadside stand and told us a few jokes, including what Italians view as what the letters in the name of their car company, FIAT, mean. He said that car name means “Fix It Again, Tony”. F. I. A. T.!! We were riding in a nice Mercedes van.

 

When in the Naples-Amalfi area in 1999, we had not seen this part of the region. We previously had lunch overlooking the beach at Chez Black in Positano, but we had not gone farther east from that point to see these areas that we reached this year. It was wonderful to see so much more during this visit. Ravello overlooks the Gulf of Salerno and the Mediterranean. Ravello is famed as a place where Wagner composed many music pieces, famous (Gore Vidal) lived/wrote at La Rondinaia (The Swallow's Nest) and many others visited for the great views. Then we went through several of the charming towns along this coast, including Atrani and Amalfi, traveling narrow, twisted routes with steep terraces above and below us. It was great to have Carmine do the driving while I was taking pictures and the others enjoyed the great views and sights. We wanted to have lunch in a smaller, less tourist place and Carmine came up with the perfect, super scenic location.

 

Our lunch location was right above Positano as the sun came out in full force to offer the best views one could ever hope for or seek. Lunch? It was a super treat, family-style, plus views, wine, drinks, etc.!!! Then, we drove to the Bay of Naples side, through parts of Sorrento on the way to the historic area of Herculaneum. Great and enjoyable day. Just wanted to make sure that Carmine and Romeinlimo got proper credit for doing a wonderful job that was a highlight of our trip. Here are more pictures to document that it was really as great as claimed.

 

Near Pisa, Vinni from Romeinlimo, also did a wonderful job for our group. We focused on a plan that included the historic walled city of Lucca, then doing a brief stop in Pisa for you know what, then going to San Gimignano. That worked very well, including lots of mostly sunny skies, but not too hot. Lucca is the town of Puccini, has an interesting Roman outdoor theater, offering lots of great shops and other buildings, etc. Great day in Tuscany!!!

 

Check out my live/blog posting for lots more details, pictures, etc. Let me know any questions on that Solstice posting series. Happy to share more.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

You can see all of the details and lots of visuals on our June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of special pictures with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., plus much on wonderful Barcelona. These postings are now over 13,000 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity. Don't be shy in asking any questions, making comments, etc. Check these postings and added info at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

As he drove through the “Little Switzerland” mountains, Carmine was driving, singing, telling us fun stories, making sure we did the right and best photo stops, etc. :

 

 

 

At our lunch place beautifully above Positano, here is Carmine posing next to the sign at this enjoyable stop. :

 

 

 

This was one of the great views of Positano as we did a photo stop just east of this beautiful location. :

 

 

 

Near Ravello and at other locations along the Amalfi Coast, we saw many examples of how the mountainside were terraced and used to crow citrus and other products.:

 

 

 

From our dining location, here was another example of the spectacular view towards Positano and west along this scenic coastal regional of Italy.:

 

 

 

It was a big “WOW” for our first visit to Pisa. This tower is much taller than I expected. They just completed a major cleaning of it in the past few weeks, making things perfect, except for that little foundation problem with one tower. Also impressive here are the Pisa Baptistry and Duomo (main) church. Pisa has a couple of major universities here. There is another church here that also also a learning (and shorter) tower. We drove by that site. Two leaning towers in Pisa! How many knew that?:

 

 

Nice report and great pictures, thanks for sharing them with us.