Rome on your own vs private tour

[highworth]

Which to do??? Advantages, disadvantages...any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. There are a few of us who could share the private tours.

Many thanks,

Pat

 

PS Just asking about Rome

[cruisemom42]

There are pros and cons to both. Much depends on the type of person you are. Do you want to see specific things and not spend time waiting for others (or rushing to the next place when you'd rather spend longer where you are)? Then a private tour or doing it on your own may be for you.

 

Are you the type that would spend time worrying about missing the ship (and thus not be able to fully enjoy the day)? Rather not do all the research about what train to take, how to get from point A to point B, and what tickets to pre-reserve? Then you would probably enjoy a private tour or even a ship's tour.

 

In my experience (I've done all 3), the ship's tours are not bad. The guides are generally quite good. It's just that you'll be in a larger group and thus not be as quick nor as flexible as a private tour. I prefer to do things on my own, but then I really enjoy doing a lot of research before a trip and planning every detail. If you don't want to go it alone but still want some flexibility, a private tour is a great choice. However, you have to keep in mind the expense as well. The cost difference between doing it yourself (using the BIRG ticket, plus admissions to the Palatine Hill/Forum/Colosseum and the Vatican Museum) is CONSIDERABLY cheaper than a good private tour, even shared amongst several people. Lunch you have to pay for either way, and of course you should plan to tip a good private guide as well.

[katz]

We choose a ship's excursion on our last cruise. My main concern would be getting back to the ship on time. Rome is about

a 1 1/2 hour drive from the port. Traffic and driving is crazy there. If you go on your own, I would suggest having a plan and reliable transportation. I personally like private tours. We didn't use one in Rome, but did in Athens and Istanbul. Everything was done through the internet, and we were pleased with the guides. They knew where to go, how to get around the cities and taylored the tours to what we wanted to see. They were also good at getting us passed the long lines at the different sites and chasing away all the people that seemed to want our attention trying to sell us tours and their wares.

 

We will be returning to Rome in less than two weeks and spending two days in the city before our cruise.

 

Have a great trip.

[Moose Tracks]

We did the ship's "Rome on your Own". Ship provided the transportation both ways so you don't have to worry about being late back to the ship. We had about 5 1/2-6 hours to explore the city at our leisure. We walked and hit the main attractions. We didn't spend time lining up to go into any sights. Saved that for our next trip (which is coming next summer:D ). If you think it may be your only trip to Rome and you want to see it in more detail you'll need the private tour. If you're happy to just get a nice overview and you're able to spend the day doing a lot of walking, the ship's transportation (or your own by train) will work fine.

Lynn

[Travel to Ports]

What day of the week and week of the month will you be in Rome? Check porttime to evaluate cruise passenger volume as well. What do you want to see in Rome? I'm neither athletic enough or have nerves of steel to use public transportation either (what about a strike and not speaking Italian?).

We have an interest in art, history, and culture and will work on our roll call to recruit 3 other similar couples with similar interests. On our cruise, Rome is on the last Sunday in the month. So there are severe limitations to Vatican museum, visits to churches, and even a visit to Gallerie Borghese (large collection of Bernini statues) is a genuine hassle. We start with a basic 650 euro charge for 8 participants for the day (driver and private guide at Vatican). We selected a driver who has a long-time relationship with the driver we selected in Livorno who was used by friends last May and I am comfortable with his experience.

I think that a first European visit with the notion of a Rick Steve's "what's here?" works well to select ship tours that are city overviews. If you would rather travel in a small group and have a specific agenda, the use of private drivers is the way to go. I've found that the cost is generally lower and the experience is far superior if you have the time and interest to do the planning. I don't have the guts to use public transportation when I'm not returning to a guaranteed hotel room, but to a ship that leaves at 7pm whether I'm there or not.

Good luck in your planning,

David