RomeInLimo questions

[sandinmyshoes]

Although my husband and I have not been blessed with kids (yet), my husband is so much like a big kid I was afraid he would get bored on our Rome In Limo tours. This never happened. On our longest day in Rome, we paid a little extra and got Julia (licensed guide) to join us in the sites. She made everything come alive in a way a guidebook never could. She helped us imagine what the Colosseum and other monuments looked like during their prime and the stories and legends behind how they came to ruins. My husband found everything most fascinated and with a stop for gelato every now and then, he did great! Our other tours with RIL (Naples to Amalfi Coast; Pisa and Florence) were also a dream. Each of our drivers were a highlight to our vacation and gave very interesting commentary that kept us awake and interested even driving between towns. They really have a way with people and I think your children will be in great hands.

Good luck and enjoy!

 

We ate a different restaurant overlooking the town of Positano and also had a wonderful time. We still talk about "Mamma's Pasta" and the other specialties. It was a wonderful experience!

[samavarcruiser]

Here are a few pix from the tours:

Vinny (in the suit, 100 degress outside) taking us into the Coliseum:

Vinny's van and the kids near the Pantheon:

Lucia (in the hot pink) in Pompeii talking to my parents:

getting into Rafaele's van in Sorrento:

Our amazing lunch spot in Sorrento:

Rafaele (in the suit, also very hot outside) and my dad:

 

 

Great pictures. Keep them coming!!! Sounds like you were having a great time.

[hylasgirl]

I am leaning towards using RIL for Florence, Rome, and Naples on our cruise next summer. Our DD's will be 11 and 9. For those of you with kids around that age, what has your experience been with the drivers and guides keeping them engaged throughout the tour?

 

 

We took all our kids... and so did Turpnut. They will LOVE this experience. It is so personal and fun. On our tour of Pompeii, Positano, and Sorrento our guide was hilarious and sang. The kids had a blast! One thing they won't like... sitting on a tour bus with the ship tour. Ick!

 

No... Jany is most certainly a woman:D I have talked with her on the phone several times about all my touring we did with them.

[Terpnut]

Thanks very much for those suggestions. Those are the kinds of things that we're looking for. In fact, we were thinking of skipping the Vatican altogether in favor of catacombs. I know the girls would find that much more interesting. Still lots of research to do.

I wouldn't recommend skipping the Vatican entirely, but would visit St. Peter's Basilica, and if you have the money to burn, pay the admissions for a quick walk through the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel.

[cruisienewbie]

I would have thought by the name it was a women. My husband talked to her on the phone and said it was a man?? LOL

 

Maybe he talked with Duman the owner. When I first called he answered the phone because Jany was running an errand.:)

[mousemom11]

I wouldn't recommend skipping the Vatican entirely, but would visit St. Peter's Basilica, and if you have the money to burn, pay the admissions for a quick walk through the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel.

 

You're right, I would rather not miss the Sistine Chapel. But that's what is nice about having a private tour, you can set your own agenda.

[Terpnut]

You're right, I would rather not miss the Sistine Chapel. But that's what is nice about having a private tour, you can set your own agenda.

The problem with the Sistine Chapel is not whether or not you are on a tour or not. The problem is that you need to pay the full admission for, and walk a looooooooong way through, the Vatican Museums (note plural) just to get to the Sistine Chapel. There is no separate admission or access just for the Sistine Chapel. So you need to decide just how bad you want to see the Sistine Chapel, and then work with your driver and/or guides accordingly. Edited August 6, 2009 by Terpnut

[bkd0001]

Yes, here you go. I'll even add a food picture for you;) BTW, you can ask them to make things that aren't on the menu. The menu was very limited.

 

Cheryl, I just wanted to thank you for all the great advice!! We are travelling to Rome and cruise on the Dream's maiden voyage. I just wanted to thank you for sharing !!!

[GARNERSINMH]

I've read several mentions of a great restaurant for lunch near the Vatican, that sounds wonderful and reasonably priced. Does anyone recall the name? I'd much rather do that than pizza or something else, so it would be nice to be able to request it by name. Thanks!

[GARNERSINMH]

I've read several accounts of a wonderful reasonably priced restuarant that Rome in Limo stops at occasionally near the Vatican. We're using them for our Rome tour and would really like to request the restaurant by name.....can anyone help? Thanks!

[travelite]

I've read several mentions of a great restaurant for lunch near the Vatican, that sounds wonderful and reasonably priced. Does anyone recall the name? I'd much rather do that than pizza or something else, so it would be nice to be able to request it by name. Thanks!

I do not know the name of the restaurant where we ate, but I will try to explain the location. It is in the square down the hill from the side entrance to the Vatican. If you are standing in the square facing the Vatican, it is on the Left corner closest to the street leading to the side entrance. If you are taking a tour with Rome in Limo, they will know. Vincento took us there.

[mari10]

I'm so excited!

Jany just confirmed that we have Raffaello for our driver.

I know we're going to have a blast.

Mari

[SunFunCruiser]

I've read several mentions of a great restaurant for lunch near the Vatican, that sounds wonderful and reasonably priced. Does anyone recall the name? I'd much rather do that than pizza or something else, so it would be nice to be able to request it by name. Thanks!

 

Here is where we ate near the vatican for lunch. It was really good. We did this on our own the next day on Vincenzo's reccomondation.

Trattoria Al Cuppolone Pizzeria

Borgo Pio, 92

(it's right off Via Dei Corridori)

We even got serenaded!

Mushroom Risotto

[SunFunCruiser]

Cheryl, I just wanted to thank you for all the great advice!! We are travelling to Rome and cruise on the Dream's maiden voyage. I just wanted to thank you for sharing !!!

 

No problem, glad I could help. Have fun on the Dream, it looks like a great ship. I hope to try it myself someday!

[CintiPam]

Cheryl, your food pictures are so fantastic. That pizza has my mouth watering. (The pizza in Italy is so much better than gloppy American pizza.)

 

Thanks for posting all these lovely photos.

 

Pam

[mj1010]

Does anyone know if we need to purchase advance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) or will our driver/guide purchase them for us the day of our tour? I don't want to have to worry about wasting time waiting in long lines.

Thanks.

[SunFunCruiser]

Cheryl, your food pictures are so fantastic. That pizza has my mouth watering. (The pizza in Italy is so much better than gloppy American pizza.)

 

Thanks for posting all these lovely photos.

 

Pam

 

You're welcome! Yes, the pizza, and the risotto are so different than in the states. Especially in Florida!

[SunFunCruiser]

Does anyone know if we need to purchase advance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) or will our driver/guide purchase them for us the day of our tour? I don't want to have to worry about wasting time waiting in long lines.

Thanks.

 

Our Vatican tickets were pre-purchased. We bought the Pompei ones on the spot, it didn't take long. Just let them know you want to have them pre bought for you. it did cost a few Euros more that way, but worth it.

[chipmaster]

Does anyone know if we need to purchase advance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) or will our driver/guide purchase them for us the day of our tour? I don't want to have to worry about wasting time waiting in long lines.

Thanks.

 

As the prior responder mentioned, Pompeii has short lines and you can purchase them at the entrance, ditto for the Colliseum if you go in Rome. For the Vatican absolutely tell Jany to arrange tickets. Are you getting a private tour also. My recommendation is to spend the extra $ and get the private tour of the Vatican. It helps as the place was huge, a plus is if you get Julia as guide, she is superb :D

 

Enjoy Italy

[Terpnut]

As the prior responder mentioned, Pompeii has short lines and you can purchase them at the entrance, ditto for the Colliseum if you go in Rome. For the Vatican absolutely tell Jany to arrange tickets. Are you getting a private tour also. My recommendation is to spend the extra $ and get the private tour of the Vatican. It helps as the place was huge, a plus is if you get Julia as guide, she is superb

 

Enjoy Italy

When we were there on July 18th, there were probably 150-200 people in line at the Colisseum to get tickets (had to be over an hour wait!), so it is definitely not short! Of course, the Forum ticket office right off Via dei Foro Imperiali apparently never has a line at all so IF you know WHERE to buy your tickets, you don't need to buy Forum/Colisseum tickets in advance. :)

Does anyone know if we need to purchase advance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) or will our driver/guide purchase them for us the day of our tour? I don't want to have to worry about wasting time waiting in long lines.

Thanks.

Alot depends on what month, day and time you will be visiting. If you plan to visit during peak season AND during peak times, then buying tickets in advance may be a good idea. But you can avoid lines if you avoid certain days (e.g. free Sunday at the Vatican) and arrive at the optimal non-peak times of certain days. We visited Pompeii around opening time around 8:30 am, and the Vatican Museum when the morning tours had left and most people were headed for lunch or siesta around 1 pm. In both cases, we walked right up with no line and into the site. Edited August 8, 2009 by Terpnut

[mj1010]

As the prior responder mentioned, Pompeii has short lines and you can purchase them at the entrance, ditto for the Colliseum if you go in Rome. For the Vatican absolutely tell Jany to arrange tickets. Are you getting a private tour also. My recommendation is to spend the extra $ and get the private tour of the Vatican. It helps as the place was huge, a plus is if you get Julia as guide, she is superb :D

 

Enjoy Italy

 

Great -- thanks. We are using a guide at the Vatican as well as Pompeii.

[travelite]

Does anyone know if we need to purchase advance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) or will our driver/guide purchase them for us the day of our tour? I don't want to have to worry about wasting time waiting in long lines.

Thanks.

 

No need to purchase tickets in advance. Our driver, Vincento, bought our tickets for Pompeii and we paid him. Inside, we by passed the lines waiting to purchase tickets.

At the Vatican, the guide provided by Rome in Limo took us in through a side entrance. There were no lines. We each purchased our tickets at the window.

Rome in Limo knows their business. Leave it to them and enjoy!!

[travelite]

Does anyone know if we need to purchase advance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) or will our driver/guide purchase them for us the day of our tour? I don't want to have to worry about wasting time waiting in long lines.

Thanks.

 

I forgot to mention in my earlier posting that we used (extra $$$) the Rome in Limo Vatican guide. The guide is definitely worth the extra money. Without the guide, it will be overwhelming. The guide was excellent, filled in all the details, as well as pointing out things we would have missed. Unless you have an entire day, or many days, to devote to just the Vatican, a guide is necessary to make best use of your short visit.

[chipmaster]

When we were there on July 18th, there were probably 150-200 people in line at the Colisseum to get tickets (had to be over an hour wait!), so it is definitely not short! Of course, the Forum ticket office right off Via dei Foro Imperiali apparently never has a line at all so IF you know WHERE to buy your tickets, you don't need to buy Forum/Colisseum tickets in advance. :)

 

Our drivers secured the tickets for us at the Colisseum, evidently them RIL drivers know a lot of secrets, couldn't have been more then 15' wait.

[Terpnut]

Our drivers secured the tickets for us at the Colisseum, evidently them RIL drivers know a lot of secrets, couldn't have been more then 15' wait.

Yes, they definitely have inside connections and know their way around! I was just posting these suggestions in case anyone will be purchasing their tickets themselves.