RomeInLimo questions

Don't remember exactly what we tipped but we did give something between 20-30 percent. We absolutely felt it was well worth it. Hopefully we will be doing it again in the near future.

We did each of our tours with 3 other couples, so 8 of us total. We each tipped separately but us and one other couple tipped 20 euro per couple. With the guide we got in Pompeii - 10 euro per couple is what we tipped, not sure about our other friends.

This is a long overdue review of our experience with RIL last summer. Unfortunately, life got in the way of completing this until now. However, the great memories remain!

We ended last year's cruise in Civitavecchia and planned to spend an extra two days in the Rome area before flying home. Naturally, we thought of RIL because we had such great results with them on our prior Med cruise where we started in Rome and visited Naples and Livorno.

We did not want any formal tour of the city itself because we hit the highlights just a couple of years ago. Instead, we wanted to tour the outskirts and chose the "Alternative Tuscany" tour shown on the RIL website. http://www.romeinlimo.com/rome-civitavecchia/alternative-tuscany.htm We were glad we did.

Stefano, our guide, met us at the port right on time, and we set off on our tour. Stefano was considerate of our interests and made slight adjustments to the itinerary when we expressed the desire to spend more, or less, time at one of the featured locations. Of course, his narrative covering everything from Etruscan history to today's daily life in Italy kept us informed and entertained as we enjoyed the views during our drive to each stop.

Pitigliano was the highlight for us. We enjoyed walking through the walled city. Having excellent prior experiences with RIL restaurant recommendations, we did not hesitate to take Stefano's suggestion. The food matched the setting as we ate outdoors in a small piazza. Wine, bread, olive oil and simple pastas--a perfect Italian lunch.

Throughout the day Stefano kept us on schedule without making us feel rushed. He was sensitive to everything from nature breaks to photo stops. At day's end he got us to our small, relatively obscure, little hotel near Trevi Fountain. That may sound like a simple task, but given the location and construction, it was a challenge failed by drivers on our previous visit.

We spent our second day in Rome on our own. We just wanted to go back to some sights we visited on our prior trip. However, we needed to be at the Rome airport very early on our final day. Again, we turned to RIL who had our driver right at our front door on schedule and whisked us to the airport without problems.

We are going back to Italy again this summer and will undoubtedly use RIL's services in several ports. Why mess with success?!

cruising on the Celebrity Equinox in May and booked RIL for 8 hour tours in Florence and Naples...we had great luck with this company and hoping for the same...

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!

I have used RIL for that very itinerary ... twice.... they are FANTASTIC. I cannot recommend them enough. We never had to stand in line. We did pay extra for a guide at Pompeii because unless you are a history buff, it is just "rocks and ruins"...

At the Vatican, a guide is a MUST. We skipped all lines and all 3 times (yep) the information was incredible. Our guides were fun, we saw way more than other people.

As far as other things in Rome, we didn't need a personal guide. ALthough the drivers are not "guides" and can't be (because of laws).. they are a wealth of information. Your head will explode :)

I have used RIL 4 times now and am using them again this summer in Sorrento. While they aren't the cheapest, I have always gotten 5 star treatment. Some drivers have more personality than others ... that is a given.. but all in all they were great and bent over backwards to tailor make our day.

tipping: I always rounded up... example if the cost is 450.. I gave the driver 50..Maybe too much... maybe too little, but they were always very gracious in accepting... I am sure that they are compensated well as Jany and Duman are top notch people, but it is a long day, lots of talking and once you get to know them.. the tales they can tell...Again... they all have different personalities as well as we do...but in the 4 times I have gone, I have always had a wonderful experience... as well as my friends come home... saying "WOW at first we thought it too expensive and unnecessary, but after our tours...we wouldn't do it any other way."

Hope this helps... if you want more information, let me know...

Tory

I have used RIL for that very itinerary ... twice.... they are FANTASTIC. I cannot recommend them enough. We never had to stand in line. We did pay extra for a guide at Pompeii because unless you are a history buff, it is just "rocks and ruins"...

 

At the Vatican, a guide is a MUST. We skipped all lines and all 3 times (yep) the information was incredible. Our guides were fun, we saw way more than other people.

 

As far as other things in Rome, we didn't need a personal guide. ALthough the drivers are not "guides" and can't be (because of laws).. they are a wealth of information. Your head will explode :)

 

I have used RIL 4 times now and am using them again this summer in Sorrento. While they aren't the cheapest, I have always gotten 5 star treatment. Some drivers have more personality than others ... that is a given.. but all in all they were great and bent over backwards to tailor make our day.

 

tipping: I always rounded up... example if the cost is 450.. I gave the driver 50..Maybe too much... maybe too little, but they were always very gracious in accepting... I am sure that they are compensated well as Jany and Duman are top notch people, but it is a long day, lots of talking and once you get to know them.. the tales they can tell...Again... they all have different personalities as well as we do...but in the 4 times I have gone, I have always had a wonderful experience... as well as my friends come home... saying "WOW at first we thought it too expensive and unnecessary, but after our tours...we wouldn't do it any other way."

Hope this helps... if you want more information, let me know...

 

Tory

I echo everything here.

Strongly recommend guides at the Vatican and Pompeii. Didn't miss having them elsewhere.

Absolutely tip unless there is some unusual reason they don't earn it. In that unlikely event, let Jany know what went wrong. We generally add 10%.

Ditto what Newbie &AJs Grandpa wrote.

We have just booked 3 tours with RIL for our upcoming cruise. This will be our third time in the past couple years that we are using there services. Each of the previous trips, we also booked 3 tours.I wouldn't consider using anyone else. Touring with RIL drivers , you feel like long lost family. They are so warm& welcoming.

As previous posters stated,after all the emails, silly questions, suggestions and help from Jany,I felt like I had made friend. She is professional,patient and accommodating. And....it seems like she never sleeps ! :eek: I hope that someday we will meet her. :)

On previous 6 tours each of our drivers were fantastic ! They were extremely knowledgeable,adaptable, friendly and humorous. Besides learning so very much and often little known facts from them ,the drivers made our days extremely enjoyable.

I would like to thank Duman for providing such exceptional service that leaves us taking home many ,many wonderful memories of Italy . 😘

Ps.......Give Jany a raise ! :eek:

Another recommendation for RomeInLimo. In fact....I corresponded with Jany just today regarding questions pertaining to tour sharing for a cruise in 2016. Last May our family group of 7 booked all private tours on our Mediterranean Cruise and we all agreed RomeInLimo was the best in terms of quality and service! I also recommend getting the private licensed guide for Vatican. You will be amazed at the long lines trying to get in when you arrive and with the Vatican guide you will bypass all that. It's like having a Fastpass at Disney World[emoji3]. We chose not to hire one for the Colosseum though based on trip reviews at that time.

I used RIL a few years back and I am booking them for this September for Naples, Rome and Livorno. For the 2 tours we took with them the drivers were fantastic. Much more personal than the tour bus from the ship. We did the Amalfi Coast and 2 hours at Pompeii. Everything was excellent, including the weather. For Pompeii they had us there at opening and they arranged a guide for inside. Great choice! We tipped both guide and driver. In Rome we did the highlights, had lunch then the Vatican. The line was really long, but we walked right in with the tickets they pre-purchased for us then they had a guide arranged for inside. Again, tipped the guide and driver. RIL is a 1st class company and I would recommend them to anyone going into Italy.

Has anyone done the RIL tour of Pisa & San Gimignano from the port at Livorno? There will be 4 of us - my wife and 2 kids (14 & 11).

Also, is it best to go on our own or save a few dollars and find others to share a minibus? Will RIL find another party to group us up with or is it our own responsibility?

Thanks in advance.

Whether it's best to go on your own, or join another group all depends upon you and your likes and dislikes. We don't know those. If you stay in a small group, you are far more flexible, and the driver can customize the tour more to your specifications. And believe me, the drivers couldn't be easier to work with to make sure your tour is a wonderful experience.

As mentioned many times on this thread, Rome in Limo has a part of their website where tour shares can be set up. You can also try here on Cruise Critic on the Roll Call for your cruise.

Has anyone done the RIL tour of Pisa & San Gimignano from the port at Livorno? There will be 4 of us - my wife and 2 kids (14 & 11).

 

Also, is it best to go on our own or save a few dollars and find others to share a minibus? Will RIL find another party to group us up with or is it our own responsibility?

 

Thanks in advance.

I have used RIL several times so obviously I like them. We have done both the shared tours with other people and tours on our own. As far a shared tours what I did was since we were on a cruise and chatting here on Cruise Critic was find other people who were on our cruise to join us. Last time we had 16 people I believe it was and they sent two vehicles to tour Pisa and there surrounding area. Excellent tour. And it was cheaper then just by ourselves. If w2e were on our own it wouldn't have been any better I don't believe. Not sure if RIL will find other people to join you.

I have used RIL several times so obviously I like them. We have done both the shared tours with other people and tours on our own. As far a shared tours what I did was since we were on a cruise and chatting here on Cruise Critic was find other people who were on our cruise to join us. Last time we had 16 people I believe it was and they sent two vehicles to tour Pisa and there surrounding area. Excellent tour. And it was cheaper then just by ourselves. If w2e were on our own it wouldn't have been any better I don't believe. Not sure if RIL will find other people to join you.

I would use cruise critic and get my group together and sabe some no eh as grandpaul did, i things they have a sharing site, i have seen this some where!

Has anyone done the RIL tour of Pisa & San Gimignano from the port at Livorno? There will be 4 of us - my wife and 2 kids (14 & 11).

 

Also, is it best to go on our own or save a few dollars and find others to share a minibus? Will RIL find another party to group us up with or is it our own responsibility?

 

Thanks in advance.

hello - another RIL fan here - we use them every time we go to Europe and Italy....none better in my opinion.

As for your question, we have indeed used RIL for Pisa and other places from the port and they are excellent. They pick you up on time and get you back and in between, we had a fun-filled and informative time with them. You pick where you want to go and for how long.

As for getting a group together, just mention the tour on your cruise critic posting and you will have people asking about it. Then all you have to do is figure out how many you want to go with you. Have a blast.

We will be in Rome in late October. When should I look into booking RIL? Also, can anyone answer if it is best to try to get a van of 8 from my ship (Island Princess) or to just book my husband and myself into a van of 8?

We will be in Rome in late October. When should I look into booking RIL? Also, can anyone answer if it is best to try to get a van of 8 from my ship (Island Princess) or to just book my husband and myself into a van of 8?

You should be booking now.

Are you talking about a tour or a transfer? We regularly book tours and transfers just for ourselves, but the option for shared is always there.

We will be in Rome in late October. When should I look into booking RIL? Also, can anyone answer if it is best to try to get a van of 8 from my ship (Island Princess) or to just book my husband and myself into a van of 8?

I would be booking my van with RIL now for your trip in October. I was just in Italy in October and used RIL which I love. That was our second time using them and they are wonderful. I'm not sure if you are asking about doing a tour or a transfer using them, if you are doing a tour you could ask on your roll call if anyone would like to share the van with you to cut the cost. If you do make sure to tell them that once they decide to do the tour that they are responsible for splitting the cost and it would not be fair to you if they backed out at the last moment. If I was taking a transfer I would do it on my own with RIL, it would just be more convenient for you to get to where you need to go and not have to worry about someone else wanting to get to where they want to go at the same time. Either was you can't go wrong with RIL, they are very reliable and wonderful to work with. They will give you such a great time and their drivers are fantastic and treat you like family. Don't hesitate to book them but do it soon.:)

This link s/b sticky'd somehow.

http://www.romeinlimotoursharing.com/

We used that to coordinate our tour of 8 (4 of us) a couple years ago. It worked out great, I and wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

I haven't read thru recent pages, but if Jany is still there, she's very good and a pleasure to work with.

During our tour, I had a bit of a bad experience (completely my fault, had nothing to do with RIL), and RIL was very helpful, and I have no doubt that, if needed, they would have done even more. That is the impression they left with us.

This link s/b sticky'd somehow

Jany is still there and very helpful on a glitch we just had

We will be in Rome in late October. When should I look into booking RIL? Also, can anyone answer if it is best to try to get a van of 8 from my ship (Island Princess) or to just book my husband and myself into a van of 8?

We have been booked for our September trip since October or so. RIL have cars if you prefer to go it alone but part of the fun we've had in the past and hope to have in the future is the sharing with new friend. We've never had a bad experience. This September we are going with a group of 8 to Florence and the next day day a tour and transfer booked in Rome for 6 of us.

No matter what you will have a great time.

Terry

From what I understand, the people who do RIL tours are drivers, not registered tour guides, which requires a degree in Italy. Quite a difficult degree actually..is this true? If so, how much different would it be or do they provide a guide and a driver? Thanks...

From what I understand, the people who do RIL tours are drivers, not registered tour guides, which requires a degree in Italy. Quite a difficult degree actually..is this true? If so, how much different would it be or do they provide a guide and a driver? Thanks...

Italian law separates drivers from guides, and gives them separate licenses. Don't know about the degree issue.

Rome in Limo's drivers will give you tons of info before your stops. They can't, however, leave the car and go into the site with you. Many people, including ourselves, have done very well with this set up. It works very well.

Italian law separates drivers from guides, and gives them separate licenses. Don't know about the degree issue.

 

Rome in Limo's drivers will give you tons of info before your stops. They can't, however, leave the car and go into the site with you. Many people, including ourselves, have done very well with this set up. It works very well.

Agree in general. However, I do recommend a real guide for the Vatican and Pompeii. We've done well without guides for other tours and plan to do so again in a few months.

Our driver arranged a guide by phone as we were driving around .....could not have been easier and the guide was great....