Rome tours

[dksuri]

Hello,

 

I will be in Rome for 2 nights post cruise and was wondering what would be the best way to take in as many sites as I can. I am going to be on my Honey Moon and will be taking the train in from Venice into Rome. I won't have much time but have to see the Vatican and the Colosseum. Just wondering what might be the best tour company to book with. or what might be my best option to get around quickly?

 

Any help will be much appreciated!

 

DK

:cool:

[cruisemom42]

So how much time (touring time) will you actually have in Rome -- just one day, or two days?

 

If you have two days, it's easy to get around and see the Vatican (e.g., the Basilica and the museum with Sistine chapel) plus some other nearby sights one day, and then spend the second day seeing "ancient" Rome -- the Colosseum, Forum, Pantheon, plus Trevi Fountain, etc.

 

If you only have one day, it gets harder but can still be done on your own with a good plan. Alternatively, you can look for good, small-group walking tours, perhaps one that does the Colosseum & environs in the morning and the Vatican in the afternoon.

[euro cruiser]

Is there a reason you feel you need a tour company? Rome is quite compact and easy to get around, English is commonly spoken and understood, and most signage is in both Italian and English.

 

You can reserve a specific entrance time and various tours of the Vatican Museums, the gardens and/or the basilica directly from the Vatican on their web site here: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

 

Tours of the Colosseum can be arranged on site or in advance with a variety of companies. Some are more on the academic end of the range while others are more entertainment. Can you give us a sense of what you're looking for?

[texancruzer]

Yes, a little more specific on your actual travel itinerary will give us a better idea of how to advise.

 

As posted....historic Rome is very compact and easily walkable from one site to another. Actually it is better to walk as many areas/streets are not open to any traffic. So a tour is a car/van will only get you so close and then you have to get out and walk anyway.

 

I will add that you can maximize your time even more if you stay in a central location (Pantheon/Piazza Navonna) area.

[dksuri]

Thank You all for the quick responses, I will be getting into Rome on May 31st at approx 1:00 PM and will be departing Rome on Jun 2. My flight is at 11:00 Am on the 2nd. so I have one 1/2 days in Rome.

 

Thanks!

[dksuri]

Is there a reason you feel you need a tour company? Rome is quite compact and easy to get around, English is commonly spoken and understood, and most signage is in both Italian and English.

 

You can reserve a specific entrance time and various tours of the Vatican Museums, the gardens and/or the basilica directly from the Vatican on their web site here: http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html

 

Tours of the Colosseum can be arranged on site or in advance with a variety of companies. Some are more on the academic end of the range while others are more entertainment. Can you give us a sense of what you're looking for?

 

 

The reason I was looking for a tour was due to my limited time, also have heard that there can be some very long lines.

[ksps cruise fan]

The reason I was looking for a tour was due to my limited time, also have heard that there can be some very long lines.

 

Having a car take you between destinations is not recommended in Rome. You'll find that people walking on the sidewalk are keeping up with your car in many places in Rome. From my point of view, the enthusiastic praise of car service tours is largely based on the efficiency of coming/going from/to the ship 90 minutes away.

 

You can hire a guide for a walking tour if you want some help navigating between destinations like Trevi to Pantheon to Navona, but a a guide may in fact stretch out your time in a destination since he/she should have lots of information to share.

 

Even as a DIYer, you can avoid lines by buying your admission tickets online in advance (e.g. the Vatican Museum and the Forum/Colosseum combination).

[Scottygirl1]

We did the tour from a cruise ship ie, port to Rome return in one day. We managed to cover ALL of Rome in that time so I'm sure in the one full day you have you will be able to do most things. Get the prebooked tickets etc and you will be fine

 

We have allowed ourselves two whole days this time (pre-cruise) but because we have seen the Vatican and Coloseum we are going to spend our time looking for the path less travelled... some of the other lovely churches and buildings etc that we must have missed.

[wantocruisemore]

Although you would be able to see some sites DIY for your 1 1/2 days in Rome, you may want to go ahead and arrange a tour with one of the many reputable companies mentioned on this board. That way you insure that you make the most of your time with minimal backtracking and wasting of time. We used RomeinLimo last year and were very pleased. We have them reserved again for this coming summer.

[sunshine nana]

We are staying in Rome one night pre-cruise and have seen the Vatican, so this time we want to go inside the Coliseum. Does anyone have a particular company to buy an advance ticket from? We want to see as much as we can and have plenty of time. We will be there on a Sunday in April, what time would be best? Thanks

[Apeeler]

We are staying in Rome one night pre-cruise and have seen the Vatican, so this time we want to go inside the Coliseum. Does anyone have a particular company to buy an advance ticket from? We want to see as much as we can and have plenty of time. We will be there on a Sunday in April, what time would be best? Thanks

 

Hi,

I haven't used the site myself but looks ok and prices seem right:

 

http://www.ticketclic.it/Gb/HTML/musei/colosseo.cfm

[phillygirl63]

I would highly recommend Your Tour In Italy if you decide to go with a private company. We used them for our one day tour of Rome a couple of years ago while we were on a cruise. Friends of ours stayed in Rome for a couple of days pre-cruise, and they used them on my recommendation for their tours and transfers. We were all very happy. Aldo Monti, the owner, was very efficient with our time, which allowed us to see so much. I don't think there was much that we did not see. I'm not sure we would have been so efficient on our own no matter how much research we did. Besides, riding in the car from one point to the next gave us a little rest.

[sunshine nana]

Thank you both. We have already done a tour of Rome including the Vatican, but since it was November, we did not get to go inside the Colosseuem because it was too late in the day. We just want to see the Colosseum this time. I wanted to make sure the ticket site was good. I'm not sure what time of day would be best on a Sunday in April.

[cruisemom42]

Thank you both. We have already done a tour of Rome including the Vatican, but since it was November, we did not get to go inside the Colosseuem because it was too late in the day. We just want to see the Colosseum this time. I wanted to make sure the ticket site was good. I'm not sure what time of day would be best on a Sunday in April.

 

Getting there early would give you the best chance of seeing it with few crowds. If photography is your thing, though, it may be better to visit either late morning or early afternoon to minimix shadows.

[dksuri]

Although you would be able to see some sites DIY for your 1 1/2 days in Rome, you may want to go ahead and arrange a tour with one of the many reputable companies mentioned on this board. That way you insure that you make the most of your time with minimal backtracking and wasting of time. We used RomeinLimo last year and were very pleased. We have them reserved again for this coming summer.

 

 

What are some good tour companies that I might be able to contact or use? I have been looking at some stuff on Expedia.ca but not sure if that would be such a good idea?

[ksps cruise fan]

What are some good tour companies that I might be able to contact or use? I have been looking at some stuff on Expedia.ca but not sure if that would be such a good idea?

 

Context Travel -- the Rome office -- gives wonderful in-depth tours. At the end of the tour, you'll feel you have gotten a thorough understanding of the places you visited. However, this may not be what you're looking for if you're trying to fit in as much as possible in very limited time. The compromise may be the specially designed tour of Rome in a Day for cruise customers. Of course, you'll aready be in Rome -- not zipping in from the port -- but the principle is the same. Of course, you'd have to inquire about a price since you won't want/pay for a private car from Civitivecchia.

 

Here's the link to the list of every tour offered in Rome:http://www.contexttravel.com/city/rome/all-walking-tours

 

Here's the link to the tour "Full Day from a Cruise Ship." http://www.contexttravel.com/city/rome/walking-tour-details/full-day-tour-from-cruise-ship