RomeInLimo questions

[yaffa9423]

Thank you for you all your input. They are arranging tours for us for the Vatican and Colosseum. I am not worried any more.

[BigGuy25]

I am not worried any more.

 

You shouldn't be!! My DW and I have been on many shore excursions in many ports and RIL is simply one of the best. I'm one of their biggest cheerleaders ... for good reason. They always deliver on their promises. I'm sure you'll have a memorable day!! We're looking forward to being with them again in Rome this July!!

[tooalto]

Not a problem to answer. I'm not sure I have the correct figure but I think the stop at the winery was about 20E per person. That seems steep but, first of all, it's Europe, and second because you get very nice large pours of each wine. Much larger than the usual amount of a "tasting". Needless to say, the ride to Volterra and back to the ship was very quiet! The only suggestion I would make if you plan to do this and if you have early seating is make alternate arrangements for dinner. We got back to the ship with only a few minutes to spare before our seating time (not before sailing, we were well over an hour before sailing) and just didn't have time to freshen up and get to the dining room so we ended up eating in the Lido which isn't our preferred dinner spot. We weren't that hungry anyway, after the yummy lunch. This year, I've already made dinner reservations in our ship's alternate restaurant for our day in Florence.

[madmarti]

We were on a cruise of Italy, last June. We used Romeinlimo because of the advice we got here on Cruise Critic. We were not sorry. We had Catherine as our tour guide in Rome, which was a full day and we saw everything, she was very knowlegable. We had Gian for Tuscany and Florence. We had Carmine for Naples, the Amalfi Coast. Jany arranged it all. When we got closer to the cruise, I added people I met here on Cruise Critic. It was no problem and it cut down the cost. We did tip on top of the actual cost, they all deserved it. They were all full days and we saw everything and more. You won't be sorry, book them.;)

[ALM54]

We used Romeinlimo last September based on the recommendations of posters here on cruisecritic and we were extremely satisfied.

We booked two full day private tours, one from the port of Civitavecchia and the second from Livorno.

 

Gian was our driver in Livorno and he created a beautiful day for us that we still talk about. We were picked up in a gorgeous Mercedes sedan which was waiting for us at the foot of the gangway. There was bottled water was in the center console and the car was sparkling clean. Our driver was very neatly dressed, spoke excellent English and was very pleasant and knowledgeable. He was as talkative or quiet as we preferred depending on the mood. He knew a great deal aobut the Tuscan region where we enjoyed tours of two small vineyards along with wine tastings.

We also saw the two medieval towns of San Gimingnano and Volterra.

Gian drove up right up to the entrance of both towns, allowing us spend as little or as much time in each place as we preferred.

 

The weather happened to be extremely hot and I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful it was to have a cool air-conditioned car waiting steps away when you were ready. We have no doubt we were able to see as much as we did and enjoy as greatly as we did due to the excellent service we received on this private tour. My husband still talks about the wine tasting in Tenuta Torciano where he splurged and bought several bottles of wine. One bottle was so wonderful he is saving it to share on a special occasion.:D

 

The private tour of Rome from Civitavecchia was just as wonderful. Francesco was our driver and he knew every nook and cranny in the streets on Rome. Once again the car was immaculate and blessedly cool in such hot weather, our driver was very neat and polite and spoke perfect English. In just 6 short hours we were able to see ALL of the major sights in Rome and tour inside many of them as well as spend the afternoon in the Vatican where Paola was an excellent guide. Francesco pulled up every side alleyway to allow us to literally walk steps into each major attraction. We walked just half a block to the Trevi Fountain, a quarter of a block to the Pantheon, pulled up across from the Vatican, pulled into Piazzo Navona, it was incredible and allowed us to maximize our time very efficiently.

 

We had some mobility issues this trip which could easily have ruined the sight-seeing so we made the decision to spend the extra money so we could see as much as possible and I will be always grateful we did. Besides allowing us extremely close access to all of the attractions it also was very relaxing and informative to boot. We were able to save our energy for actual touring instead of getting to each sight hot tired and irritated.

 

I cannot speak highly enough about the wonderful time we had both days.

I have not ever read even one review of someone who regretted using Romeinlimo. Use them and you will have a great time.

Edited April 18, 2010 by ALM54

[sctravelingfamily]

We loved this Tour. Vinny went over and above our expectations. Our private tour of the Vatican with Sarah was awesome. We went on a Cruise and saw so many different Cities and my kids still continue talking about Rome and how wonderful it is and of course the food. Vinny referred us to a restaurant that had amazing food & a great price. I highly recommend anyone traveling to Rome to contact you. Thanks again for a great introduction to Rome. :)

[gooding12]

We used RomeinLimo for 2 tours on our cruise last November. From Sicily, we did a Mt. Etna & Taormina tour, we had Antonio as our driver. He was polite and professional throughout our tour. He was knowledgeable and we especially enjoyed the unexpected stops that he recommended at local businesses. We were able to see some beautiful sites and get a feel for some of the local culture, which we thoroughly enjoyed.

From Naples, we did the Pompeii and Amalfi Coast tour, we had Carmine as our driver. I have to say that this excursion was my favorite on a trip of many stops, and the experience was definitely enhanced by our driver. He was very knowledgeable about the area. I really appreciated the fact that he had so much pride in the area and he was genuinely happy to share it with us.

We are looking forward to our upcoming cruise in June and the tours that we already have booked with RomeInLimo!

[Gummy]

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!

We traveled 11/09. Had RomeinLimo booked for three stops. One stop we did not make because ship could not dock. Amalfie coast drive, Raffaele was great. A lot more comfortable in a van than a bus. In Rome we had Vinny. He was fantastic. We used a guide a the Vatican through RomeinLimo. Stephanie very good. Got tickets when we arrived. Walked us right past the line to enter. I would do this again.

[Beatledawg]

We used RomeInLimo four times on a Med cruise in Oct. 2009. I can't say enough good things about their company. I would use them over the ship excursions any day - what personalized attention! One driver (Laura) in Florence took us to a military cemetery where my uncle is buried (killed in WWII). A dream come true for me. The drivers are all courteous, professional, knowledgeable and always on time. They were a pleasure to deal with. You won't be disappointed.:)

[jules4172]

For those that used RIL and pre-purchased your tickets on-line (i.e Vatican, Coliseum), did you have to wait in any line to pick up the tickets once you got there or did RIL pre-arranged to have someone pick them up for you.

Second question, those that have been to Pompeii - how much was the tour guide at entrance if you didn't have one pre-arranged through RIL?

All that have used RIL - anyone traveled with young kids (ours are 6 and 4)? if so, how were their drivers and guides with young kids?

Thanks for all information provided.

[bluebreeze]

We had a wonderful time on our private tour. Recommend this company for Rome! Ask for Sara for your Vatican tour! Our driver Nicolo was great! RIL will get your tickets for you and then you reimburse them.

[SunFunCruiser]

For those that used RIL and pre-purchased your tickets on-line (i.e Vatican, Coliseum), did you have to wait in any line to pick up the tickets once you got there or did RIL pre-arranged to have someone pick them up for you.

Second question, those that have been to Pompeii - how much was the tour guide at entrance if you didn't have one pre-arranged through RIL?

All that have used RIL - anyone traveled with young kids (ours are 6 and 4)? if so, how were their drivers and guides with young kids?

Thanks for all information provided.

 

No, we didn't have to wait in any lines for any tickets, RIL did it all.

 

Pompeii guide, I honestly can't remember, 100 Euro rings a bell. She was great, her name was Lucia.

 

The guides were great with the kids. Our Rome day was very hot and long, by the end our son had enough. Vinny took him for some coke while we explored a little longer. he remembers Vinny more than what we saw! LOL

[ejw]

has anyone tried their kid friendly tour of rome and the vatican?

 

thanks, ellen

[travelite]

has anyone tried their kid friendly tour of rome and the vatican?

 

thanks, ellen

 

I would trust their judgement. Be sure to communicate want you expect and they will definitely work to meet the needs of your group. They plan well and aim to please. If they say kid friendly, I'm sure it is something they have found works with kids. Remember all kids are different with different attention spans and interests. Let them know what your kids enjoy.

[chipmaster]

We took kids 7, 11 and 13 at the time on 3 all day tours with RIL. In my mind you should know your kids best and with a little research plan out a day with stops and stuff that you know they will enjoy. They were open to anything and mid day changes we had or wanted. In our case we didn't do anything special besides multiple stops for gelato a favorite for all us kids, big ones too :D

 

has anyone tried their kid friendly tour of rome and the vatican?

 

thanks, ellen

[Grandpaul]

We've used RIL in the past and are using them again late this year in Rome and Florence. Obviously then we had a great tour with them and the guide, Mary, they supplied at the Vatican. I guess Mary is a great name for a guide at the Vatican. LOL. As mentioned the tour is whatever you want to make it. This time we're going outside Rome and look around. Can't wait.

[FinelyRetired]

Glad to see this thread is still active. I’m yet another well satisfied client of Rome in Limo. I’ll chime in here with my perspective which may be a bit different from others.

 

I am an older, Solo cruiser & so, pay double a cruise. I DIY some ports, but often use private tours to maximize a port visit and I have hired about 20 private guides in the past few years. Rome in Limo, for all 3 mainland Italy ports, is easily among the handful of guides I would rank beyond Excellent based on my most important criteria:

 

Communication/Personal Attention: Based upon recs from here, Trip Advisor, & elsewhere, when possible, I “interview” 2+ guides/ companies for any port and my initial email requests/exchanges are detailed as to my needs & concerns as a Solo. RIL’s response was not only prompt, but also specific to my requests, not “canned.” Jany was genuinely interested in my business, albeit it small, and made no effort to “shuffle” me into an existing tour. Many operators try to do this with a Solo to save guide/car capacity for larger, more lucrative groups. I booked all 3 ports for me only, but eventually enlarged each tour from my Roll Call. We all know Jany is prompt, but she also accommodates every client with equal attention and effort.

 

Flexibility/Guide Expertise of the Region: This is where the private tours really outshine the bus tours….or not. Email exchanges usually give strong clues and RIL delivered in terms of itinerary alterations and challenges we encountered on tour days. For example, Rome was thronged with extra tourists due to a canonization . Our driver/guide, Salvatore, communicated a lot that day with other guides to ensure we did get to St Peter’s, and at a time when lines had actually become quite short. Sistine was, of course, closed but many other options offered. We asked Salvatore to show us his favorite place. It was a small incredibly lovely Church with some ruins next door. All churches in Italy are public even during services and we encountered a wedding underway. In fact, as we walked in the soloist began the Ave Maria! BTW, the ladies thought Salvatore was quite elegant and the men loved his Mercedes Sprinter…and his driving.

 

Florence & Pisa presented the challenge of non-stop, torrential rain. We had planned a visit to an Olive Farm. Fabrizio met up with another RIL guide in Pisa & we discussed alternatives. Soon we were at an Olive Production Facility (inside!) for a tasting of various types of oil and production presentation. Of course, going “door to door” to sites in Florence spared us much of the rain. And here, Fabrizio decided we should go to the indoor Market for lunch where he arranged for us with a large spread of various market foods & wine. He worked very hard to make a drenched day a successful one.

 

In Naples, we had a wonderful driver/guide with a beautiful singing voice named Raffaele. 3 of us had asked to find high quality dinnerware & he took us to a wonderful factory where sets of dishes were ordered & sent to both ends of the US. The guide RIL hired at Herculaneum was top notch.

 

I’ve had many great tours also with small or “one man” tour companies, but as a Solo, I prefer a company like RIL that is larger, with more cars/drivers out in an area for mutual support, back-up and to assist each other with road/city conditions, etc., The cars were immaculate and while I call them driver/guides and each was engaging & fun, they were clearly chauffeur-trained in demeanor. Also, “unseen” but “present” each day was the “strong hand” of Duman calling often to check on how we were doing. And, what I was most appreciative of was that RIL provided a high quality, consistent experience across all 3 ports. This saved me a lot of pre-planning and research time on a long itinerary.

 

I’m presently looking at two cruise itineraries for 2011 and will definitely use RIL again. Hope this helps another Solo or someone else who may be considering a private guide company in Italy. This would be a great choice for anyone’s first time hiring a private guide. I can’t promise that the “angels will sing” when you enter a Church, but you will receive very personalized, professional care and service.

 

Martha S/Rhode Island

　

　

　

Edited April 29, 2010 by FinelyRetired

[mom23guys]

We used different services on our trip since different members of our RC handled each booking. I must say of the four companies we used RIL was the best although the other three were great, RIL just impressed more.

[T.O. Tony]

We had RomeInLimo arrange a licensed guide for our group of 7 for both the Coliseum and the Vatican. As I understand it, only Licensed Guides can legitimately bypass long lines at the Vatican and/or Coliseum (and probably other spots, too). On a 8 hour tour (for our only day in Rome ever), the licensed guide made the difference between waiting in line or experiencing Rome. Furthermore, she brought insight that truly added to our experience.

 

I'm sure other operators can provide Licensed Guides. However, our experience was incredible so I'd use RomeInLimo every time.

 

(I was pretty nervous about using them. Who were they? Would they be one time? Would they do it right? I was truly overwhelmed by their service. So, if I seem like I'm a one-time-wonder, I apologize. But this was the only time I'd be in Italy and I could only hope for the best. Since I got it, I wanted to pass the info on.)

 

P.S., I'm going to post a few more messages so as not to be what you appear to call a one-time-wonder. Give me a few hours, please.

[FinelyRetired]

We had RomeInLimo arrange a licensed guide for our group of 7 for both the Coliseum and the Vatican. As I understand it, only Licensed Guides can legitimately bypass long lines at the Vatican and/or Coliseum (and probably other spots, too). On a 8 hour tour (for our only day in Rome ever), the licensed guide made the difference between waiting in line or experiencing Rome. Furthermore, she brought insight that truly added to our experience.

 

I'm sure other operators can provide Licensed Guides. However, our experience was incredible so I'd use RomeInLimo every time.

 

(I was pretty nervous about using them. Who were they? Would they be one time? Would they do it right? I was truly overwhelmed by their service. So, if I seem like I'm a one-time-wonder, I apologize. But this was the only time I'd be in Italy and I could only hope for the best. Since I got it, I wanted to pass the info on.)

 

P.S., I'm going to post a few more messages so as not to be what you appear to call a one-time-wonder. Give me a few hours, please.

 

While we had an exceptional day in Rome with RIL, the Vatican was closed due to a canonization. But I hope to go again next year.

 

Who was your RIL guide at the Vatican; what parts of it did you see; and about how much time did your visit require? Did you go in the morning or afternoon?

 

Thanks, Martha

[petesweet]

I just emailed RIL to see if they can provide our large group with seven 8-passenger vans for later this year. (We don't want larger vehicles.) I hope so, after all the good things I've read about them.

[gerinapo]

We are in the process of booking RomeInLimo for our June trip. We will be using their service in Rome. Can anyone recommend a favorite driver and a guide for the Vatican portion of the tour?

[Whippets]

RomeInLimo is the best. Duman and Janey will take good care of you rest assured. We used their company in Rome, Florence and Naples on our NCL cruise. There was no waiting in any lines! (if you book them for more than one port you will get a price break) We had 16 people from our Cruise Critic roll call all signed up to travel with them. We had two very clean vans to travel in. The vans can get to places that the large tour buses cannot.....not to mention.....you don't have to wait for 30 people to get back to the bus, thus having more touring time.

[Lindypc]

We used RomeInLimo in 2007, 08 and last spring for Rome, Florence and Naples. They will order your tickets. We never waited in line. One time when we went to the museums in Florence in November, tickets had been ordered however no one was in line; our guide told us that we could buy our own tickets and save the extra € that the 'will call' ticket charged. I highly recommend them. You really need a guide at the Vatican and RIL will arrange that also (she will arrange the tickets).

Lynne

[Infi]

I recently emailed RomeinLimo for price quotes on three tours (Naples, Rome, and Pisa/Florence). I thought I had read both here and on their site that there was a discounted rate for booking tours in all three ports, but they ignored my question about it in the email.

Has anyone recently gotten the discount for booking three tours with them?