Limo in Rome or Rome in Limo Companies

[guam/ny]

We used Rome In Limo for 3 of our scheduled stops - Florence/Pisa, Rome, Naples. It was the best thing we could have done!

 

Initially there were five of us but my sister was hospitalized in Rome and was not able to join our touring in Rome or Naples. Rome In Limo was very accommodating when this happened. Our best time was in Rome. We didn't have to wait in any lines. And we had our own guide for touring the Vatican. It was the best trip ever and Rome In Limo was a BIG part of making our 30 Anniversary cruise the best yet!

 

We would definitely recommend Rome In Limo to anyone considering booking private tours or even if you're not I'd try to talk you into it. MONEY WELL SPENT!

 

Karen and Ed Santos

[jesse]

We ordered Euros at our bank prior to leaving the states-I didn't want to be searching at the airport, and also we were arriving in Barcelona on Saturday--so paid Romeinlimo in Euro, tipped in Euro, used the ship safe, no problems with any of it. We paid our tour guide at the Vatican, also our tour guide in Pompeii, etc--We did get more Euro during the trip on board--traveling with three grown kids gets pricey :)

The day we docked in Naples, Romeinlimo took us to Pompeii first, because we wanted to go early before the crowds and sun were too much, (bring a hat and wear sunscreen) we asked for no more than two hours-spent a little less than that there, and then off to the Amalfi coast to Positano--magnificent drive, and Positano had all that we wanted-beach, shopping, etc-it was a fantastic day, and Positano is such a sweet place, great shopping also, for products specific to Positano.

 

Most important to all who consider Romeinlimo--you end up totally maximizing your day, totally spending it how you want to spend it, because you are not wasting your time in lines, trekking from one place to the other, you are using your time right at the sights you wish to enjoy-and off a ship, you don't want to waste your time. So for anyone who is concerned about the pricing--when you compare it to some of the ship tours, you come out way ahead, and truly, we felt it was money so well spent-specially since we could also compare it to a ship tour out of Livorno where we waited, waited and waited some more for 'the group' to keep re-assembling. And for ANYONE who has even the smallest walking disability-I have one knee that does not work well--Romeinlimo saved me big time. I was able to not be 'disabled' for the days we used them--could keep up with my family. That was a huge thing.

[nash7300]

We sailed on the Galaxy from Athens. Great time of yr.and the ports included Ephesus,Istanbul,Rhodes,Cyprus,Alexandria,Crete, Rome and Barcelona. I don't know about cruising in March,but we would definitely cruise again in November! Shelly

 

 

Thanks Bellagirl, Did you start and finish in Athens, or did you end up some where different? Thanks in advance!

[cck0000]

I booked with Jany. We have Romeinlimo booked for Rome, Florence and Naples! And yes, I faxed her credit card to pre-pay.:)

[bellagirl]

Thanks Bellagirl, Did you start and finish in Athens, or did you end up some where different? Thanks in advance!

Hi! We started in Athens and ended in Barcelona-it was the trip of a lifetime! We decided we would "splurge" on one big shore tour and Rome was that tour,since neither my hubby nor I had been before. As you know, we ended up with Duman who made it such an incredible day for us and best of all, he and my hubby ended up speaking Armenian while driving into Rome. My husband still talks about Duman as if he were a brother.

The tour was wonderful,but more importantly for my husband, he ended up connecting with a fellow Armenian. It was very special.

All the best, Shelly

[nash7300]

Hi! We started in Athens and ended in Barcelona-it was the trip of a lifetime! We decided we would "splurge" on one big shore tour and Rome was that tour,since neither my hubby nor I had been before. As you know, we ended up with Duman who made it such an incredible day for us and best of all, he and my hubby ended up speaking Armenian while driving into Rome. My husband still talks about Duman as if he were a brother.

The tour was wonderful,but more importantly for my husband, he ended up connecting with a fellow Armenian. It was very special.

All the best, Shelly

 

 

Hi Shelly,

Thanks again for the reply. How many days was the cruise? That sounds like just what we are looking for!

[bellagirl]

It was a 2-wk. cruise,but by the time I finally got the lay-out of the ship(I'm directionally challenged!),it was time to get off!!!:D

[hrfs]

Do you use Euro traveller's checks?:confused:

 

I asked Jany if we could charge our tours because I didn't feel comfortable carrying around so much cash. She e mailed me a credit card form for me to fill out and fax back to her so the tours will be paid for before we leave home. All we have to do is bring enough to tip the drivers. Speaking of which what is the usual tip for the tour guide/drivers?

[bellagirl]

It's really a personal choice, but if you enjoyed your tour(which you will!), I would suggest 10-15% tip.

[nycglitter]

I am so happy I found this post! My husband and I will be on a Celebrity cruise this July and are not thrilled about any of the cruise options for excursions in Rome.

 

Now that I have read all the Rome in Limo info, I am VERY excited. Our cruise stops in Civitavecchia from 7am -7pm. (Forgive me if this has been asked or answered) Will they pick us up at the dock and take us to Rome? Will we have enough time to do a nice tour with them and get back to the ship with time to spare?

[cruisenut1]

We used Rome In Limo in Florence, Naples and Rome. (In Rome we took two tours with them, as we stayed 5 nights in Rome after the cruise, we saw EVERYTHING) We were on the Brilliance of the Seas in November, they met us at the ship-ALWAYS on time, and we felt like we were family right away.

Very knowledgeable and lots of fun.

There were 12 of us and we used two mini buses, plenty of room. We had Duman and Carlo and loved each tour.

On our 31st Anniversary we went to a vineyard near Tivoli and had lunch and Carlo even bought us an anniversary cake, it was such a special day and we will remember it always.

Jany in the office is so efficient, and such a delight-don't hesitate to call them, you won't be disappointed.

http://www.romeinlimo.com

 

Cher

[davejohn]

I am so happy I found this post! My husband and I will be on a Celebrity cruise this July and are not thrilled about any of the cruise options for excursions in Rome.

 

Now that I have read all the Rome in Limo info, I am VERY excited. Our cruise stops in Civitavecchia from 7am -7pm. (Forgive me if this has been asked or answered) Will they pick us up at the dock and take us to Rome? Will we have enough time to do a nice tour with them and get back to the ship with time to spare?

 

Yes, they will pick you up at the pier, take you to Rome, and return you to your ship in plenty of time. We got back about 1 1/2 hours before the ship departed.

 

I was very happy with our tour of Rome (and Naples-Amalfi Coast) with Rome In Limo. We got to see a lot of things the cruise excursions didn't get to see. I was surprised the cruise excursions only drove passed the Colosseum, we went in and walked around.

[nash7300]

I asked Jany if we could charge our tours because I didn't feel comfortable carrying around so much cash. She e mailed me a credit card form for me to fill out and fax back to her so the tours will be paid for before we leave home. All we have to do is bring enough to tip the drivers. Speaking of which what is the usual tip for the tour guide/drivers?

 

 

Tipping is such a personal thing! I feel it all depends on the service you receive. When we took our tours I know we tipped our RomeinLimo drivers 20%. They were excellent and made our day. We also tipped our guides accordingly, and did so privately, especially in Pompeii. Have fun!

[mandotsan]

Are you looking for 3 Star treatment or less?...then this is not for you...they only provide 5+ Star service. EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT. Our group of 8 had Duman for our stop in Rome......I would use them in a heartbeat:D

[nycglitter]

Yes, they will pick you up at the pier, take you to Rome, and return you to your ship in plenty of time. We got back about 1 1/2 hours before the ship departed.

 

I was very happy with our tour of Rome (and Naples-Amalfi Coast) with Rome In Limo. We got to see a lot of things the cruise excursions didn't get to see. I was surprised the cruise excursions only drove passed the Colosseum, we went in and walked around.

 

I agree with DaveJohn. RomeinLimo was waiting for us when we got off the ship, and on all 3 tours we took with them, were back in ample time. They are very detail oriented, and not a moment is wasted. You can't go wrong with them! :D

 

Are you looking for 3 Star treatment or less?...then this is not for you...they only provide 5+ Star service. EXCELLENT EXCELLENT EXCELLENT. Our group of 8 had Duman for our stop in Rome......I would use them in a heartbeat:D

 

 

Thank you ALL so much for all of the great information on Rome in Limo! They must be excellent to receive such glowing reviews!

[Nora4sure]

We have been booked with Rome in Limo since february when i read such great things about this company. We are booked with Stefano from Romecabs for Rome and he suggested Duman for Naples and Florence so we booked with both early on.

 

Jesse, we are excited to see Pompeii but as you said it will be hot and two hours seems like enough for us. Did you book a guide while you were there or go it alone? Also, our amalfi part of the tour is up to us in terms of where we'd like to go; Positano, Sorrento etc. You mention that you stopped at a beach?? We've been told that we can tailor our tour to whatever it is we want to do. Once you left Pompeii, what time was it and what did you do for the remainder and how late did you start back to the ship.

 

If booked our framework but havent done any thinking about the specifics of each day. We are hoping that our drivers have provide some guidance and suggestions.

 

N

[ldb2]

I have been combing the Rome in Limo website and noticed that on their rate page they give prices for 2 day tours - has anyone ever booked one of these, and if so, how was it? What does the price include? Transportation only, or do they include hotel in their price? We will be in Rome pre-cruise in November 2009, (I know - I like to plan ahead) and would love to see both Venice and Cinque Terre if we can. I know we can use the train and do these on our own, for less, but was just curious if anyone has ever done something like this and would care to share their experience?

 

Thanks so much.

 

Laurie

[jesse]

We have been booked with Rome in Limo since february when i read such great things about this company. We are booked with Stefano from Romecabs for Rome and he suggested Duman for Naples and Florence so we booked with both early on.

 

Jesse, we are excited to see Pompeii but as you said it will be hot and two hours seems like enough for us. Did you book a guide while you were there or go it alone? Also, our amalfi part of the tour is up to us in terms of where we'd like to go; Positano, Sorrento etc. You mention that you stopped at a beach?? We've been told that we can tailor our tour to whatever it is we want to do. Once you left Pompeii, what time was it and what did you do for the remainder and how late did you start back to the ship.

 

If booked our framework but havent done any thinking about the specifics of each day. We are hoping that our drivers have provide some guidance and suggestions.

 

N

 

We were picked up right away when we got off the ship by Romeinlimo, and headed straight over to Pompeii. We had asked for a guide, and once we were on the way our driver called in and the guide was ready for us. We stopped at the base where the little kiosk shops were, grabbed some waters and hats, since two of us neglected to bring them, then set off for the tour. We told our guide we preferred no more than two hours, which worked for us-then we headed to our car and left for Positano. The reason we went to Positano as I mentioned before, is that we had been to Sorrento and Capri before and really wanted to tour the coast--which is unbelievably breathtaking!!!! We had a gorgeous ride, and also stopped a few times for pictures, checked out a few things, then on to Positano. We were dropped off as far down the hill as Rosario could drop us-then everyone except me went down to the beach--which is at the bottom of the hill. They stayed for a couple of hours and did go in the water, bought beach towels there, and enjoyed it. I was in the shops because it was the first time I was able to do that--I was with my husband and three sons, and shopping is not their priority. Positano is so lovely, shops filled with clothing, pottery, art,all sorts of spices and beautiful things that are local to the area. The main road is totally filled with stores and cafes and it leads straight down to the beach. We had already designated a time to leave, based on our driver's suggestion and so met up at a cafe probably around 3pm-cannot quite remember-then we all shopped a bit more and when our driver showed, we left right on time. We have taken two med cruises, and depending on the stops, try to go see some things but also have some beach time if it is available-splash in the Mediterranean, splashed in the Aegean, i love that! Point being-your driver wants to return you on time as well, and we surely leave a little extra time to get back to the ship. I wasn't too worried about it. And we were back in plenty of time. We used Romeinlimo twice--we had an idea of what to do, and of course discussed with our drivers what was the best way to do things, and took suggestions from them as well-

[jesse]

I have been combing the Rome in Limo website and noticed that on their rate page they give prices for 2 day tours - has anyone ever booked one of these, and if so, how was it? What does the price include? Transportation only, or do they include hotel in their price? We will be in Rome pre-cruise in November 2009, (I know - I like to plan ahead) and would love to see both Venice and Cinque Terre if we can. I know we can use the train and do these on our own, for less, but was just curious if anyone has ever done something like this and would care to share their experience?

 

Thanks so much.

 

Laurie

 

We were in Venice as a start point for a cruise-so we took a train from Milan, and when the doors opened from the train station, we were on a canal--perfect way to arrive in Venice! We took a water taxi to our hotel area, dropped our luggage, then walked Venice waterfront area, went to the Cathedral, cafes, shops, took a Grand Canal water tour, then another boat out to Murano for two hours or so, then when we returned, we took a gondola ride. It was a pretty busy day but so worth it-two days would have been even better but that's not what we had. In retrospect, it would have been easier to just rent a boat and driver for the day-not sure if that is available but assume it is.

We went to Cinque Terre via a ship tour from Florence-which as i said before, took a lot of extra time waiting for the group. Big bus, at least 40 people, went to LaSpezia via bus to catch the ferry and then on to the first stop which was the Walk of Love, then on to the other villages. The bus picked us up at the last village then headed over the mountains. And to be honest, I don't think we'd like to take a huge swaying bus over the mountains again--yikes! I found out later of course that Romeinlimo could have handled the entire day for us, which would have been nice, but had decided that Cinque Terre was far enough away from the ship that i wanted to be sure the ship waited for us if we were late-Cinque Terre is beyond beautiful--you would never regret being there-never. One of my kids had gone to Cinque Terre hiking the previous year, and he had called us to tell us he had just been to one of the most beautiful places on earth--so we made sure we'd go there off the cruise when we docked in Florence-it was an amazing day for us. If we go again, Romeinlimo for us would work beautifully.

Frankly, we enjoyed our guys at Romeinlimo because we were there as short term tourists, and they made sure we maximized our time. What we did not know, they knew. They also take short routes, find great little ways to get you where you want to be fast, and you get big bang for the buck so to speak. We used their services in Rome and in Naples. One thing we did the prior time in Rome was go to the Pope's summer house-well worth the ride, best to do with private driver-And i not only recommend Romeinlimo strongly to my friends who head to Italy, but would use them again in a heartbeat--am counting on it, actually. We are very service oriented and were delighted with Duman, Jany and the rest of the staff. What you learn about your surroundings is doubled-you learn as you drive, you learn as you tour. Also, little things-you can drive for 45 minutes to go to a catacomb, or stop at one right in the heart of Rome-little Romeinlimo tip, which got my kids to a catacomb but also minimized the time to get there-prior trip, my husband and i went outside the city to a catacomb. So my point is, you see so much more, and do so much more with Romeinlimo than on foot or via tour bus-huge huge difference.

[jesse]

I asked Jany if we could charge our tours because I didn't feel comfortable carrying around so much cash. She e mailed me a credit card form for me to fill out and fax back to her so the tours will be paid for before we leave home. All we have to do is bring enough to tip the drivers. Speaking of which what is the usual tip for the tour guide/drivers?

 

We actually paid in Euro but that was my choice, but over time, our communications with Jany were such that I had no problem with our credit card info to Romeinlimo, since they take their jobs very seriously. Tipping I think a lot of people go with the 10 to 15 percent, we tend to go more 15 to 20 but that is purely personal choice. With Romeinlimo we really did get a tremendous value for our money, and when you compare the ship tours and the private tours, you can come out way ahead on your experience with private touring. Obviously at some points, ship tours work for certain places, but we try to use private as much as possible-if you can get three or four more hours to your day by using a private tour, it's well worth it. Just the loading and unloading of huge passenger buses full of people takes up a lot of time, and then you sit while they count and recount to be sure they don't miss anyone. We also had the experience of having to wait for stragglers several times on big tours-more time wasted--you can control your day going private.

[nash7300]

I have been combing the Rome in Limo website and noticed that on their rate page they give prices for 2 day tours - has anyone ever booked one of these, and if so, how was it? What does the price include? Transportation only, or do they include hotel in their price? We will be in Rome pre-cruise in November 2009, (I know - I like to plan ahead) and would love to see both Venice and Cinque Terre if we can. I know we can use the train and do these on our own, for less, but was just curious if anyone has ever done something like this and would care to share their experience?

 

Thanks so much.

 

Laurie

 

 

Hi Laurie,

I have been looking in the same sort of thing, a 2 day tour, prior to our cruise in April 2009. We've toured Rome a couple times and would like to see other parts... Anyhow, how I understand the 2 day tours go is something like this: they pick you up, say Rome for example, take you to Cinqueterre, and tour about there for the day, stay overnight there (and I do not think hotels are included but I am sure they could recommend a good one). Then day 2, off to Venice or where ever for quick tour and back to Rome. We have always been limited to the coast, with this the possibilities are endless! I have never done one, and would love to hear from someone who has??? If starting in Rome, what would be a couple of good places to stop???

[nash7300]

We were in Venice as a start point for a cruise-so we took a train from Milan, and when the doors opened from the train station, we were on a canal--perfect way to arrive in Venice! We took a water taxi to our hotel area, dropped our luggage, then walked Venice waterfront area, went to the Cathedral, cafes, shops, took a Grand Canal water tour, then another boat out to Murano for two hours or so, then when we returned, we took a gondola ride. It was a pretty busy day but so worth it-two days would have been even better but that's not what we had. In retrospect, it would have been easier to just rent a boat and driver for the day-not sure if that is available but assume it is.

We went to Cinque Terre via a ship tour from Florence-which as i said before, took a lot of extra time waiting for the group. Big bus, at least 40 people, went to LaSpezia via bus to catch the ferry and then on to the first stop which was the Walk of Love, then on to the other villages. The bus picked us up at the last village then headed over the mountains. And to be honest, I don't think we'd like to take a huge swaying bus over the mountains again--yikes! I found out later of course that Romeinlimo could have handled the entire day for us, which would have been nice, but had decided that Cinque Terre was far enough away from the ship that i wanted to be sure the ship waited for us if we were late-Cinque Terre is beyond beautiful--you would never regret being there-never. One of my kids had gone to Cinque Terre hiking the previous year, and he had called us to tell us he had just been to one of the most beautiful places on earth--so we made sure we'd go there off the cruise when we docked in Florence-it was an amazing day for us. If we go again, Romeinlimo for us would work beautifully.

Frankly, we enjoyed our guys at Romeinlimo because we were there as short term tourists, and they made sure we maximized our time. What we did not know, they knew. They also take short routes, find great little ways to get you where you want to be fast, and you get big bang for the buck so to speak. We used their services in Rome and in Naples. One thing we did the prior time in Rome was go to the Pope's summer house-well worth the ride, best to do with private driver-And i not only recommend Romeinlimo strongly to my friends who head to Italy, but would use them again in a heartbeat--am counting on it, actually. We are very service oriented and were delighted with Duman, Jany and the rest of the staff. What you learn about your surroundings is doubled-you learn as you drive, you learn as you tour. Also, little things-you can drive for 45 minutes to go to a catacomb, or stop at one right in the heart of Rome-little Romeinlimo tip, which got my kids to a catacomb but also minimized the time to get there-prior trip, my husband and i went outside the city to a catacomb. So my point is, you see so much more, and do so much more with Romeinlimo than on foot or via tour bus-huge huge difference.

 

 

Hi there! The Pope's summer home??? Where is that exactly? and did you use Romoinlimo??? That sounds like something we'd really like to see next time...

[jesse]

Hi there! The Pope's summer home??? Where is that exactly? and did you use Romoinlimo??? That sounds like something we'd really like to see next time...

 

Hmm--all i can tell you is we headed out via the Appian Way, and off to the Lake of Albano I think it is, and the summer home, which is Castel Gandolfo-it is high above a gorgeous lake-the whole area is breathtaking.

 

We went there 4 years ago, and I know Romeinlimo does go there, because I asked them last summer, but we actually didn't have enough time because we had to choose a different itinerary for the day, specifically because one of my kids had never been to Rome-

 

It is just beautiful there-unforgettable.

[Jade0308]

We had a Rome in Limo tour earlier this month (April, 2008). A group of 8 of us got together on Cruisecritic to split the cost. Our driver was waiting for us and easy to find as soon as we got off the boat.

We had looked at ship excursions in Rome, but nothing was offered that would allow us to see both the Roman sites and the Vatican. There is no question in my mind that we saw far more with Rome in Limo than we could have on any excursion.

There is a stock itinerary that you may modify. Be firm if you have done research and have a strong desire to skip certain sites to spend more time at others. If you do, or if you have never been to Rome and just want to see the highlights, I think you will find that Rome in Limo is an very convenient way to see a great amount in your limited time.

Booking Rome in Limo almost seemed too easy- Jany always responded promptly and was happy to make changes when the number in our group changed. It seemed like there must be something hard that we would have to do to arrange a tour in a foreign country. Yet there was our driver as promised and for the rest of the day there was little to worry about other than taking in the sites we came to see.

[Cruisin Oma]

We travelled to Italy for the first time last year with a group of 4. We joined up with 4 other people we met up on the cruise. I believe it was the first time to Italy for all 8 of us. Needless to say there were endless questions and requests for certain things (ie trip to Hard Rock Cafe for one of the couples in Rome!) Jany was SO WONDERFUL answering all of our questions and assuring us. But as wonderful as Jany was, Carlos did a incredible job in Florence. He made our trip even more memorable than Jany described. It's almost 6 months later and I still get goose bumps when I remember entering the Field of Miracles in Pisa when it was practically empty. It is definitely an experience we wouldn't have had if we would have been on the cattle bus the cruise provides.

 

Also, when they recommend additional guides, like for the Vatican and Pompeii - please go with that recommendation. The drivers are wonderful, and for getting you around the city and giving you a sense of the history and information from location to location, they make it informative as well as entertaining. But to visit a location like the Vatican or Pompeii, you need a licensed guide to give you the incredible details of what you will see.