Rome Private Tour Recomendation

[all4hockey54r]

We are in Rome for one full day and we want to see as much as possible. Does anyone have any tour company recommendations? Private or semi-private is preferred. 

[Loonbeam]

Find the very extensive Rome In Limo thread (usually on page one or two).  There are other good options, but no other company I would use.

 

 

[CruiserBruce]

57 minutes ago, Loonbeam said:

Find the very extensive Rome In Limo thread (usually on page one or two).  There are other good options, but no other company I would use.

 

 

 

Agree...all you have to do is look down the board a bit for lots of recommendations, including the large thread on the wonderful Rome in Limo. We have used them 8 times.

[fabnfortysomething]

there are several well recommended on here including Rome cabs and Joe Bananas

our personal recommendation is Rome-car-tours

 

some are large outfits others small family run

contact several with your wish list and choose the one that best fits your requirements

[SoccerMom#3]

We used Italy Tours (italytours.eu) for our few days in Rome for our transatlantic cruise in October.  Highly recommend them!

[LisaSp]

On 3/5/2019 at 11:27 AM, SoccerMom#3 said:

We used Italy Tours (italytours.eu) for our few days in Rome for our transatlantic cruise in October.  Highly recommend them!

I have booked several excursions with them, including in Rome, for our upcoming cruise in September. Glad to read another positive comment about them!!

 

[Cindy]

Take a look at Livitaly. Even their group tours are capped at 6 people, but they also offer a private option. They were fantastic!

 

https://www.livitaly.com/

[cruisemom42]

Are you staying in Rome for a day pre-cruise, or are you in port for the day?  These are two different situations in my opinion -- if you are already in Rome and just looking to maximize your day versus also needing transportation to and from the port....

[all4hockey54r]

13 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Are you staying in Rome for a day pre-cruise, or are you in port for the day?  These are two different situations in my opinion -- if you are already in Rome and just looking to maximize your day versus also needing transportation to and from the port....

We are staying in Rome for one day post cruise. 

[cruisemom42]

2 hours ago, all4hockey54r said:

We are staying in Rome for one day post cruise. 

 

In that case I think a small group tour or private tour is what you need. The outfit recommended above in post #7 is a good one to consider. If you are history junkies and enjoy really expert guides, I can also recommend Context Travel for Rome.  

 

A lot of the other recommendations are weighted heavily toward simply having a driver, which is more useful when coming from the port but in my opinion if you are already in Rome it's better to pay more for a good guide than for a glorified driver.

 

[rdt10]

6 hours ago, all4hockey54r said:

We are staying in Rome for one day post cruise. 

We used Rome with Marisa our last time in Rome for a Vatican tour for our daughter-in-laws first visit. We have been to the Vatican several times with and without tour guides. This was by far the best. Marisa also does other tours in Rome and is very easy to work with.

Edited March 7, 2019 by rdt10

[b_cruise]

i have used italytoursharing, rome in limo, joe bananas and smarcruise tours.  I liked the guide on Joe Banana Limos the best. The others were tour sharing but they were also great. But Joe Banana Limos is from Sorrento (I think) and they are awesome. The guide had great suggestions.  My son even got engaged on the Rome Tour with them. Very memorable!!

[CruiserBruce]

2 hours ago, b_cruise said:

i have used italytoursharing, rome in limo, joe bananas and smarcruise tours.  I liked the guide on Joe Banana Limos the best. The others were tour sharing but they were also great. But Joe Banana Limos is from Sorrento (I think) and they are awesome. The guide had great suggestions.  My son even got engaged on the Rome Tour with them. Very memorable!!

 

A bit misleading. I don't believe any of them MUST be tour sharing. That is optional. I know Rome in Limo doesn't have to be tour sharing. 

[b_cruise]

Hi Bruce,

 

yes i I actually have been on all these tours.

A girl on one of my cruises booked us with Rome in limo ( tour sharing) plus I and another gal booked italytoursharing another year.  There were 8 in each group.

 The first couple years I used joe banana limos privately with myself and then the next with myself and another couple.  The smartcruisetours  was a bus that took us into Rome ( must of been about 20 of us). I’ve been to Rome a few times. I’ve also taken the train twice on my own!!

I’m actually going back again this year but I’m going to go to civita bagnoregio/ orvieto 

brenda

[CruiserBruce]

I didn't say you hadn't been on the tours. My point is, at least with some of the vendors you mentioned,  you can book a private tour. You don't have to do a tour share. Sounds like one or two has to be a tour share. But, for example,  Rome in Limo can be a private tour. We have done tours with them,  with 2 and 4 people.

[lizzie_m]

We use mybesttours.com.  They are golf cart tours with a driver/tour guide.  Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!!  We used them for 3 days last October and are using them again next month for a day post cruise.  They have regular itineraries and also can tailor the tour to what you want to do.  The golf carts can really get around the city, going through alleys and little piazzas that you wouldn't normally get to see.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, lizzie_m said:

We use mybesttours.com.  They are golf cart tours with a driver/tour guide.  Excellent, excellent, excellent!!!!  We used them for 3 days last October and are using them again next month for a day post cruise.  They have regular itineraries and also can tailor the tour to what you want to do.  The golf carts can really get around the city, going through alleys and little piazzas that you wouldn't normally get to see.

 

The golf cart tours seem to be a good option for those who aren't able to walk, but they are also not inexpensive. 

 

If one has no mobility issues, walking is really the best way to discover Rome -- with or without a guide. 

[awatt]

Stefan's Rome Tours. Stefano is EXCELLENT. Very professional, customized our tour to exactly what we wanted, and pleasant person to spend a day with.

[TSUmom]

On 3/7/2019 at 4:05 PM, rdt10 said:

We used Rome with Marisa our last time in Rome for a Vatican tour for our daughter-in-laws first visit. We have been to the Vatican several times with and without tour guides. This was by far the best. Marisa also does other tours in Rome and is very easy to work with.

 

I am happy to hear you enjoyed touring with Marisa....We are using her for 3 tours pre-cruise in October.  She has been so easy to work with and seems is so willing to work with our group in seeing everything we want to see.  We are really looking forward to meeting her.

[rdt10]

1 hour ago, TSUmom said:

 

I am happy to hear you enjoyed touring with Marisa....We are using her for 3 tours pre-cruise in October.  She has been so easy to work with and seems is so willing to work with our group in seeing everything we want to see.  We are really looking forward to meeting her.

Marisa was great. You should talk to her about an early entry guided tour of the Vatican Museum. It is so much better without the crowds.

[TSUmom]

Just now, rdt10 said:

Marisa was great. You should talk to her about an early entry guided tour of the Vatican Museum. It is so much better without the crowds.

That is what we are planning...a few in our group are attending the Papal audience and the rest of us will be doing the museum early and taking our time - we can not go into the Basilica until afternoon because of the Papal Audience. 

 

I like how she arranges her tours to fit our needs.

[doccide]

We have used Daniella Hunt, an American from Chapel Hill NC, has lived in Rome 20 years as tour guide, she is fabulous.

[Lucid Butterfly]

Doccide:  "Daniella Hunt, an American from Chapel Hill NC, has lived in Rome 20 years as tour guide, she is fabulous."

 

All your comments have been most helpful and appreciate you sharing. I will be cruising in September 2020 and Rome will be my first stop. 

 

I will pursue the one that will best suit my needs as I will be going solo on this cruise and staying in Rome for 2 days. The first day might be a wash-out because I will only be arriving in Rome in the morning from my long flight from Toronto, Canada and don't foresee I will have much energy to do very much.

 

Also one person commented about a tour guide name Marisa? What Tour Agency is she from if you do not mind me asking? While I am on the topic anyone have a good tour guide for Monte Carlo?

 

Thank you.

[TSUmom]

1 hour ago, Lucid Butterfly said:

Doccide:  "Daniella Hunt, an American from Chapel Hill NC, has lived in Rome 20 years as tour guide, she is fabulous."

 

All your comments have been most helpful and appreciate you sharing. I will be cruising in September 2020 and Rome will be my first stop. 

 

I will pursue the one that will best suit my needs as I will be going solo on this cruise and staying in Rome for 2 days. The first day might be a wash-out because I will only be arriving in Rome in the morning from my long flight from Toronto, Canada and don't foresee I will have much energy to do very much.

 

Also one person commented about a tour guide name Marisa? What Tour Agency is she from if you do not mind me asking? While I am on the topic anyone have a good tour guide for Monte Carlo?

 

Thank you.

Marisa is not with an agency....If you search her name on Trip Advisor, Rome with Marisa, she has great reviews and responds promptly to any questions you may have.  We have a small group and she has been great in planning our days around what we want and our schedules.  She will also pickup tickets that are needed.  

[rdt10]

1 hour ago, Lucid Butterfly said:

Also one person commented about a tour guide name Marisa? What Tour Agency is she from if you do not mind me asking? While I am on the topic anyone have a good tour guide for Monte Carlo?

 

Thank you.

Marisa's website is Rome with Marisa, http://www.romewithmarisa.com/ . She was excellent at the Vatican and does other tours of Rome. I thought the cost of her tour was very reasonable. She was also helpful on our DIY visit to the Colosseum, as she was not available the day we could go.

 

We used Ingrid, the owner of Kultour, https://kultours.fr/, for a tour of Eze, Nice and St. Paul De Vence. She was excellent. She does tours that include Monte Carlo, but we preferred these towns over Monte Carlo. 

 

As with most good guides, they book up early.

 

Rick