RomeInLimo questions

[WISCcruisers2]

Rome in Limo is an outstanding tour service to use for your shore excursions. My wife and I used Rome in Limo for group tours in Florence/Pisa, Rome, and Pompeii/Positano/Sorrento and we were extremely pleased with everything. All of our drivers, Laura in Florence/Pisa, Diego in Pompeii/Positano/Sorrento, and unfortunately I can't remember who we used in Rome, were well versed in the history of the respective cities, safe drivers and pleasant to talk to. All of the drivers took us to the best spots to see and take pictures, helped us get in and out of the very busy cities, and topped it off with a great stop for lunch (and gelato) if you want it!

 

Definitely would recommend Rome in Limo!

[peavey59]

We were on the Royal Princess Grand Mediterranean cruise from 7/17/13 through 7/29/13. We used Rome In Limo for our tours in Rome (Rome Highlights) and Naples (Pompeii, Sorrento and Positano).

 

This was our first time in Europe and we were a little unsure about taking a tour that wasn’t through the ship. It was absolutely no problem using Rome In Limo. The reservation process was uncomplicated and whenever I had a question, Jany from Rome In Limo responded by email usually in a day or less.

 

Our group of 4 (myself, my wife and 2 friends on the cruise ) appreciated the smaller group size of a Rome In Limo tour versus a ship tour using a tour bus with 40 people (give or take). We also thought it was a great value since we got to see and experience just as much if not more for less money than with a ship tour.

 

In Rome our driver/guide was Otavio. He was prompt, friendly and informative. We got off the ship a half hour before we were supposed to meet him and he was there waiting for us. He used the extra time to show us some sights (the Pantheon and the “Keyhole” in Rome) that weren’t on the itinerary. He had us back to the ship well before we needed to be. We paid for a guide to the Vatican - Katarina. Katarina was full of knowledge about the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. She stopped at a gift shop first and used a poster of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to tell us about the features, history and creation of the ceiling. We really appreciated this when we got to the Sistine Chapel since you could barely talk at a whisper (well enforced), the chapel was somewhat dark so the ceiling wasn’t easy to see well and there were lots of people in the chapel. We thought she was excellent.

 

In Naples our driver/guide was Tony. He had a great sense of humor and was informative as well. He also had us back to the ship well before we needed to be. He had a family member with a nice tenor voice on CD that sang Italian and Rat Pack classics and he had us singing “That’s Amore” and “Volare”. My wife commented about how much she liked the CD and he gave it to her. At Positano since we had a smaller vehicle Tony was able to drive partway into town (tour buses have to stay outside town as I recall) and lessened our walking. Positano is amazing with the town spread out on the mountainside coming right down to the sea. We ate lunch and shopped in Sorrento, then went to Pompeii. We paid for a guide to Pompeii - Libby. Libby was very knowledgeable about Pompeii’s culture and history. We really appreciated her guiding us around the ruins and explain things so well to us (she even had to shoo away some people who weren’t in our group).

 

We would highly recommend tours with Rome In Limo!

Edited September 2, 2013 by peavey59
Easier to read

[jolric]

I have recently booked a tour with romeinlimo with 6 other passengers for October and just wondered where the meeting point is. I have read a few people explain they greet you at port but I'm unsure as to the layout of Civitavecchia port. Do you need to get to the port entrance? Apologies if this question has already been asked.

 

Also, in regards to the Vatican I had read it was too rushed to see St Peter's and try to see the Sistine chapel also, and so we had decided on St Peter's Basilica with a ride up to the roof. However having booked with RIL they've suggested prebooking the Vatican tickets so I'm not sure what to do.

We're doing the Rome highlights tour so I'm expecting it to be full on.

[CruiserBruce]

I have recently booked a tour with romeinlimo with 6 other passengers for October and just wondered where the meeting point is. I have read a few people explain they greet you at port but I'm unsure as to the layout of Civitavecchia port. Do you need to get to the port entrance? Apologies if this question has already been asked.

 

Also, in regards to the Vatican I had read it was too rushed to see St Peter's and try to see the Sistine chapel also, and so we had decided on St Peter's Basilica with a ride up to the roof. However having booked with RIL they've suggested prebooking the Vatican tickets so I'm not sure what to do.

We're doing the Rome highlights tour so I'm expecting it to be full on.

 

No, the Rome in Limo vehicle will be about as close as it can physically get to the ship in Civi. You don't need to go to the port entrance.

[jolric]

Thank you for your reply cruiserbruce.

Pleasantly surprised to know we will be met at the ship.

[jolric]

In regards to the Vatican I had read it was too rushed to see St Peter's and try to see the Sistine chapel. So we had decided on St Peter's Basilica only with a ride up to the roof. However having booked with RIL they've suggested prebooking the Vatican tickets so I'm not sure what to do.

We're doing the Rome highlights tour so I'm expecting it to be full on.

I've read we will have the afternoon at the Vatican but as a group we have yet to decide on a guide.

 

 

 

Sent from my KFTT using Tapatalk 2

[euro cruiser]

In regards to the Vatican I had read it was too rushed to see St Peter's and try to see the Sistine chapel. So we had decided on St Peter's Basilica only with a ride up to the roof. However having booked with RIL they've suggested prebooking the Vatican tickets so I'm not sure what to do.

We're doing the Rome highlights tour so I'm expecting it to be full on.

I've read we will have the afternoon at the Vatican but as a group we have yet to decide on a guide.

If you're paying for a private excursion you can set it up however you want.

 

What's most important to you in Rome? What would leave you feeling "cheated" if you didn't see it? Once you have your list of priorities you can start to lay out your day and assign time for each stop. When you do, you may discover that you can't cram it all in, but you won't know until you lay it out.

Edited September 3, 2013 by euro cruiser

[Limesprite]

My family of five used Rome In Limo in July during our cruise. The company is everything that I have read about on this thread and more. We used them in Livorno, Rome, and Naples. Our party consisted of myself, my husband, two teenagers and my mother.

 

In Livorno, we had Laura as our driver. She is the BEST. She personalized the tour for us and we saw everything we wanted to see. We took a brief tour of Pisa (that was our choice), a stop at an olive oil and wine distributor (with tasting) and then on to Florence. Thanks to Jany we were completely prepared to skip the long lines outside the Accademia and to Laura for directing us in. We also fit in shopping and exploring Florence, a wonderful lunch and a stop at the best gelato place in all of our travels.

 

In Rome, we had the pleasure of meeting Gabriele. He explained the three rules of driving in Rome, 1. the bigger, faster car wins, 2. speed limits are merely suggestions and 3. Traffic signs are optional. He had terrific humor and gave us so much history on all things in Rome. There is nothing we missed that was on our must do list, Coliseum, Roman Forum, Spanish Steps, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain. We had a quick lunch with a little shopping and then on to the Vatican. Here we had a lovely guide, Valentina. She kept all of us entertained, enlightened and engaged on a very hot afternoon, in a very crowded Vatican. She got us right in (again thanks Jany) and we saw much of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters. Her knowledge was never ending.

 

In Naples, we had Giovanni as our driver and the lovely Roberta as our guide in Pompeii. We were really looking forward to this and she did a great job guiding us through and pointing out things we would never have found without a guide. Giovanni then took us to a great restaurant in Sorrento and pointed out where we should shop in the old town. We also tried the Limóncello. Great, but wow what a kick.

 

A note about guides. I would highly recommend them in both the Vatican and at Pompeii. There is just too much to see and know how to get around without them. We look forward to visiting Italy again soon and using Rome In Limo again.

[peavey59]

Jolric,

We were in Civitavecchia/Rome on 7/20 while cruising on the Royal Princess. We used RIL and took the Rome Highlights tour. Our group of 4 included me, my wife, and 2 friends.

 

You may know this already; Civitavecchia is about an hour’s drive from Rome (at least that’s what I recall) and we had no traffic problems the day of our tour. So out of the total tour time, 2 hours were travelling to and from Rome.

 

Using a Vatican guide provided by RIL, we saw parts of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in about 2 - 2.5 hours after lunch on our RIL tour. I don’t know that we felt rushed, overwhelmed might be more accurate; there was so much to see. The guide really helped us use our time well. You can see the above areas in the allotted time though you will not be able to linger at any area much.

 

Regarding the Vatican tickets, the tickets RIL suggest you buy ahead of time are individual admission tickets to the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel. This saves you time waiting in line to buy tickets in person if you want to see the museum and Chapel. If you don’t want to see the museum or the Chapel then I’m not sure you need to buy the tickets. I don’t think you need them to get into St. Peter’s but I could be wrong; if you email RIL they should know. We emailed RIL with questions and Jany usually responded within 24 hours.

[Loonbeam]

The crowds at the Vatican really determine how much you can do and how rushed you are, and there is no real way to know that in advance.

 

Honestly, I can't imaging skipping the Sistine Chapel at a minumum. The investment in tickets is not that much, even if you choose to do a speedy tour.

 

If the crowds are not bad (they were BRUTAL when we were there), using the Elevator you should be able to do both. If you think you even migh consider doing the Vatican, do pre-buy tickets, the lines were long and our guide just whisked us in with our pre-purchases.

 

I have recently booked a tour with romeinlimo with 6 other passengers for October and just wondered where the meeting point is. I have read a few people explain they greet you at port but I'm unsure as to the layout of Civitavecchia port. Do you need to get to the port entrance? Apologies if this question has already been asked.

 

Also, in regards to the Vatican I had read it was too rushed to see St Peter's and try to see the Sistine chapel also, and so we had decided on St Peter's Basilica with a ride up to the roof. However having booked with RIL they've suggested prebooking the Vatican tickets so I'm not sure what to do.

We're doing the Rome highlights tour so I'm expecting it to be full on.

[NCruiser2012]

I have recently booked a tour with romeinlimo with 6 other passengers for October and just wondered where the meeting point is. I have read a few people explain they greet you at port but I'm unsure as to the layout of Civitavecchia port. Do you need to get to the port entrance? Apologies if this question has already been asked.

 

Also, in regards to the Vatican I had read it was too rushed to see St Peter's and try to see the Sistine chapel also, and so we had decided on St Peter's Basilica with a ride up to the roof. However having booked with RIL they've suggested prebooking the Vatican tickets so I'm not sure what to do.

We're doing the Rome highlights tour so I'm expecting it to be full on.

 

When you leave the ship, there will be a group of drivers with signs. Your last name will be on the sign. The driver will then walk you the short distance to the car. Very easy!

 

I am torn about the Vatican. We have been to Rome twice. The first time we used RomeInLimo as a cruise excursion. It was a full day. We really wanted to see inside the Colosseum. We spent a lot of time there and at the Forum, Palatine Hill, and the Pantheon. We knew we would not have time to have the Vatican museum tour. Our driver did take us to St. Peter's square, so at least we could see outside.

 

The second time we were in Rome, we stayed a few days before our cruise. We used a tour guide that RomeInLimo arranged for us. Massimo was absolutely wonderful. The Vatican tour was one of the highlights of our trip. We bought tickets to the Vatican Museum in advance and met Massimo outside. I was afraid of crowds, but our guide took good care of us. We were probably there for over three hours.

 

So, I guess you have to decide what is really important to you. The nice thing about RomeInLimo is that you can decide what you want to see or you can let the driver pick the typical route.

[Quem_Fala]

Naples & Rome in Limo Company

 

For us, Naples was just a spot to park the boat. Our plans were to see Pompeii, cross the Sorrento Peninsula to Positano and have lunch in Sorrento and sample Limoncello on the way. We chose to tour with the Rome in Limo Company, and were able to get to our destinations without a worry. Jany was our contact and after a few e-mails, back and forth, the trip was set and went off without a hitch. Not only did they make our day in the Naples area an outstanding experience, compared to the cost of taking a ship sponsored tour, it was only 1/3 the cost!

 

Our perfect day of touring started with a very prompt pick-up at the port of Naples, with a very clean and comfortable van, with enough room for the eight of us and our back packs. Six adults and a 10 year old G-son and a 16 year old G-daughter. Our driver/guide’s name was Giovanni, who spoke English with a perfect Italian accent. He was knowledgeable, super-friendly, funny and knew what we wanted to see. As a matter of fact, having Giovanni as our driver just made the day all that more perfect! Our Grand-son was enthralled by him; and our Grand-daughter loved the way he explained everything we saw. Giovanni seemed to have a way with children. He was helpful even before we started because he said we were going to go to Positano first, rather than Pompeii, because he said they were striking in Pompeii and our trip there would be ruined by going there first, “we’d do it later in the day” he said, and “that would fool the strikers”!

 

He got us to Positano on that winding coast highway with a few scares but nary a scratch. Then on to Sorrento for a good Italian lunch and finished up with Pompeii. We were sorry to see the day end. Cheers for Rome in Limo, Jany the manager who helped us through the simple reservation process, and especially for Giovanni. He was The Best!

[Vashtie]

Sounds like a great trip. How long were you in port?

[Ancaster11]

RomeInLimo does it again with another 5 star tour in Rome. Our tour guide Steven was great very knowledgeable about the history of Rome with lots of great stories to get our minds imagining what it was like to live in the Roman empire! If you are going to Rome you need to book RomeInLimo!

[Ancaster11]

What a great day we had with Ricardo he was fun and full of historic information about all that we visited. Ricardo was born in Luca so he knew everywhere to go, his zest for life and passion for his region was contacious! 5 Star all the way once again thank you Ricardo!

[mrsfecura]

For those of you who booked a group thru tour sharing or with people you'd met on your roll call - did each couple pay the driver separately? Or did 1 person collect all the money beforehand to hand to the driver? I have 3 groups booked for Italy but have no experience with Euros so I don't want really be the one to collect everyone's money, count it and hand it over, etc...I'd rather each be responsible for their own portion.

[CruiserBruce]

For those of you who booked a group thru tour sharing or with people you'd met on your roll call - did each couple pay the driver separately? Or did 1 person collect all the money beforehand to hand to the driver? I have 3 groups booked for Italy but have no experience with Euros so I don't want really be the one to collect everyone's money, count it and hand it over, etc...I'd rather each be responsible for their own portion.

 

Doesn't matter. The only key point is making sure the driver gets paid. However, to make sure someone doesn't pull a fast one, gathering the money prior to getting off the ship is probably a good idea.

 

Euros are just like dollars. Same denominations. Easy, because they are generally bigger (in size, not denominations).

[Keith1010]

CruiserBruce has it right.

 

Do whatever is easier.

 

Keith

[Loonbeam]

This is one advantage of using their tour sharing, if someone stiffs the driver or no shows, RIL can charge their CC. That said, when I organized ours, I made it clear I expected cash in hand before we boarded the van that AM (since we had mostly the same people all 3 days, I was less conscientious the second and third days). Tips were the responsibility of each party on their own.

 

 

 

Doesn't matter. The only key point is making sure the driver gets paid. However, to make sure someone doesn't pull a fast one, gathering the money prior to getting off the ship is probably a good idea.

 

Euros are just like dollars. Same denominations. Easy, because they are generally bigger (in size, not denominations).

[cruisemuse13]

Is there somewhere on the Rome in Limo website to find out about available tours to share? I looked but did not find the information so I must be missing something:confused:

[mrsfecura]

Is there somewhere on the Rome in Limo website to find out about available tours to share? I looked but did not find the information so I must be missing something:confused:

 

There's a separate site: http://www.romeinlimotoursharing.com/

[cruisemuse13]

There's a separate site: http://www.romeinlimotoursharing.com/

 

Thank you! You have been most helpful.

[cruisin2000]

Jolric,

We were in Civitavecchia/Rome on 7/20 while cruising on the Royal Princess. We used RIL and took the Rome Highlights tour. Our group of 4 included me, my wife, and 2 friends.

 

You may know this already; Civitavecchia is about an hour’s drive from Rome (at least that’s what I recall) and we had no traffic problems the day of our tour. So out of the total tour time, 2 hours were travelling to and from Rome.

 

Using a Vatican guide provided by RIL, we saw parts of the Vatican Museum, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica in about 2 - 2.5 hours after lunch on our RIL tour. I don’t know that we felt rushed, overwhelmed might be more accurate; there was so much to see. The guide really helped us use our time well. You can see the above areas in the allotted time though you will not be able to linger at any area much.

 

Regarding the Vatican tickets, the tickets RIL suggest you buy ahead of time are individual admission tickets to the Vatican Museum, which includes the Sistine Chapel. This saves you time waiting in line to buy tickets in person if you want to see the museum and Chapel. If you don’t want to see the museum or the Chapel then I’m not sure you need to buy the tickets. I don’t think you need them to get into St. Peter’s but I could be wrong; if you email RIL they should know. We emailed RIL with questions and Jany usually responded within 24 hours.

 

We booked 3 tours with RIL for our upcoming cruise in Oct. We also have 4 people and was told we will have a sedan. Did you find there was enough room with 4 prople and the driver?

[notentirelynormal]

We booked 3 tours with RIL for our upcoming cruise in Oct. We also have 4 people and was told we will have a sedan. Did you find there was enough room with 4 prople and the driver?

 

I guess it depends on how big the people are. It's a regular car. If the 3 in the back seat are, shall we say wider, then it's going to be a tight fit. Look at the back seat of any car and think whether you would fit. Good leg room though.

[Scarlet and grey]

We are booked with RIL early October for Naples port: Pompeii and Postiano for sure...we are wondering where else you have been besides Sorrento that you enjoyed?

 

Janey mentioned the town of Amalfi instead of Sorrento? Any thoughts on which would be the best. I haven't heard great things about Sorrento, but I would like to hear your thoughts!

 

Thanks