RomeInLimo questions

[notentirelynormal]

Same with us. We were on time for our scheduled pickup and among the first off the ship (I didn't want to waste any time). At the airport he was standing outside the luggage area, at the end of the cruise he was standing right at the exit door of the luggage area. In all cases our guide/driver had a sign with our name on it either standing next to the car or with a group of other drivers. At one port the car was parked (3 deep) and he walked down to the tender area to meet us. It was very easy to find them as they were also looking for us.

[TLCOhio]

......after reading about 600 posts I am still not clear what to expect when we leave the gang plank! Will our driver have a sign with the "booking persons" name on it, along with RIL, or what is the protocol for finding our driver? We have assembled a group of 8 through CruiseCritic and none of us have met each other, as of yet. We are planning a quick meet-n-sip on the ship so we know who we are touring with for the day(s). Are there a lot of tour vans/cars lined up or is it quite easy for the group to find the driver? Can't wait for the next two weeks to pass!

 

YES, as noted, our experience in June for both the port near Pisa and in Naples, there was the RomeInLimo driver there with a sign having my last name and their company listed. East to see and find!

 

For both of those ports there were not that many private vans/cars there waiting. Most did the larger buses through the cruise ship. Things all worked fine. You can see more on our experiences in these Med ports from my live/blog postings linked below.

 

YES, it's hard waiting those two weeks until your cruise, but it will be fun and worth it. Hopefully your weather will be cooler than in Arizona.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 28,853 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

[nmcruzr]

We did the ancient walking tour of Rome with them, Julia (spelling is wrong - sorry!). She was wonderful! She tailored the tour to our group and we enjoyed it immensely! She was also considerate of the elderly people in our group and made sure they were taken care of - we would book them again in a heartbeat!

[jungywungy]

we did the private Vatican tour with RIL as well as a couple private group tours in Rome and Florence/Pisa. so glad we chose RIL, Jany is super helpful and quick to reply to emails. The Vatican tour was worth every penny, i felt like we learned so much and our guide was bustling through the crowds to find us a nice quiet spot every time when he wanted to show us something or speak about something in particular.

 

the only thing which sucks is you cant pre pay - and you have to pay in cash (euros) at the end of the tour.

[kate23]

We toured Florence and Pisa with Rome In Limo with Gian as our driver during our July 23rd cruise on LOS. It was worth every penny (or Euros as is the case). Gian was waiting for us at the port with a card with our name on it. From that moment on he was talking and telling us everything about Florence and Pisa. Since it was just our family, we could do pretty much anything we wanted and Gian was very helpful in making sure we did. We learned so much. We stopped at many different locations. We had a wonderful lunch in Florence. Gian made reservations ahead of time for us. We stopped for delicious gelato as well. I was worried about missing the ship and Gian reassured me that we would be back by 5:30. Well low and behold, we pulled up to the ship at 5:30! I highly recommend this company. We could have never experienced what we did on our own.

 

Kate

[hylasgirl]

we did the private Vatican tour with RIL as well as a couple private group tours in Rome and Florence/Pisa. so glad we chose RIL, Jany is super helpful and quick to reply to emails. The Vatican tour was worth every penny, i felt like we learned so much and our guide was bustling through the crowds to find us a nice quiet spot every time when he wanted to show us something or speak about something in particular.

 

the only thing which sucks is you cant pre pay - and you have to pay in cash (euros) at the end of the tour.

 

 

True true... but in the end works out mostly for everyone because everyone splits the costs.

[travelite]

......after reading about 600 posts I am still not clear what to expect when we leave the gang plank! Will our driver have a sign with the "booking persons" name on it, along with RIL, or what is the protocol for finding our driver? We have assembled a group of 8 through CruiseCritic and none of us have met each other, as of yet. We are planning a quick meet-n-sip on the ship so we know who we are touring with for the day(s). Are there a lot of tour vans/cars lined up or is it quite easy for the group to find the driver? Can't wait for the next two weeks to pass!

 

The driver will have a sign with the last name of the person that made the reservation for the group. There won't be that many private drivers; they usually all wait in the same area. It will be very easy to find your driver; he'll be looking for you also.

[twoontheisle]

TLCOhio and Travelite: Thank you both for putting us at ease!

 

BTW TLC: I LOVE reading your posts and reviews, you are one of the most poignant persons on CruiseCritic....not to mention a fabulous photographer. THANKS for that!

[lee1973]

We done the Amalfi coast,Sorrento and Pompeii tour. Our driver Giovanni met us at the dock waiting area (private tours wait out side the dock area,only coaches are aloud inside). He greeted us in a very friendly manor and asked us all where we came from (Myself and my wife are from London,the other 3 couples were from the USA) as we drove out of the dock along the main highway Giovanni was explaining to us today's itinerary and suggested we headed for the Amalfi coast first due to traffic later in the day, which we did and must say it was a great idea as the roads around there can be very limiting to traffic. He dropped us off, stooping a couples of times along the way for some scenic photos etc. He gave us just under an hour to explore the Amalfi coast, this being plenty of time. Next up was a drive to Sorrentto again once we arrived we was given plenty of time to explore the Town and buy gifts etc. After this he asked us what we wanted for lunch, and took us to a little restaurant by the sea which again was lovely. After this we headed back on ourselves to Pompeii where we had a tour guide waiting (Highly recommended) who took us round giving a very detailed history into life in and around Pompeii. This concluded our day out in and we got back to ship around 5pm after being out since 7:40am.

We would defiantly use and recommend ROMELIMO again, they were punctual,pleasant and very informative. We actually see tours from our ship in Pompeii and they looked like sheep being herded around,we are both pleased we done our own private tour.

Lee

[beckcab]

We were recently on the Norwegian Epic and I did a lot of investigating excursions before we went. I kept seeing positive comments about Romeinlimo and sent an e-mail with questions. Within hours I had a response back from Jany about excursions in Liverno, Rome, and Naples. The prices for the excursions were much cheaper than the ship's excursions for the four of us. We could not have been more pleased! Giovanni met us at our ship in the Port of Liverno. The mercedes sedan was very comfortable and he had water for us throughout the day. Giovanni knew the schedules of the ship's tours so we went to Pisa first and avoided other tours. He dropped us off at the entrance and picked us up at the exit. We were considering doing some wine tasting and he called to arrange that but we elected not to do so. We next went to Florence and Giovanni dropped us off right at the door of Accademia. We had purchased our tickets ahead of time and he walked us up to the start of the line. When we were finished, he picked us up at the exit. We then went to a local Italian restaurant for lunch. We had the best pizza we've ever had! After lunch we went to a leather store and did some shopping. On the way back to the ship he took us to a wonderful gelato place! The following day we were in Rome where we were met at the ship by Vinny. Vinny is from Rome and he drove us around the city a bit. He drove us by Galilleo's home! We went to the Coliseum, then to circus maximus, the forum, and various other places for photo ops. We had lunch at a local Italian restaurant then went to the Vatican. We had a tour guide named Aurora. She was absolutely fabulous! I recommend getting a guide for that tour. The third day we were in Naples and Gianluca picked us up in a mercedes minivan. WE had wanted to go to the Amalfi Coast so we drove to Ravella then Amalfi and Positano. What gorgeous views! We stopped for an Italian lunch and had breathtaking views. My husband wanted to see Pompeii so Gianluca rearranged the day so that we could make a stop there. I cannot recommend Rominlimo highly enough! They were absolutely fabulous and all of the guides were outstanding. I will use them again the next time I go to Italy!

[Salty kc dog]

The best day and time to see the Vadican is Thrus afternoon you do not need to pay extra to skip the line because there is no line Thrs afternoon. You see many people go to mass on wed. and the cruise people must be gone and back to the ship afternoon. We just walked up to the ticket counter and walked in we enjoyed all the art and the sistene chappel and then walked next door to St Peters what a fantastic church! don't miss Michealangelo's Peata just to your right as you enter the church this is the single best sculpture in the world !

[fancynan]

Where to start?

 

We have been home for three days and are finding it difficult adjusting to the daily routines. The jet lag has hit us hard coming home. It was easy going to Europe but much more difficult coming back and that could be partly due to the fact that we had a 5.5 hour delay at the airport in Montreal which made for a 24 trip home.

 

Anyways, this was my first trips to Rome (Europe actually), and our first ever cruise. This Board was invaluable as it is where I found all of my information. Through this site I discovered RomeInLimo and I used this wonderful company to book all of my transfers and my Rome tours. Jany was in a word...marvelous. She promptly answered all of my e-mails and my many questions (and believe me I had numerous as this was my first time planning such a trip). When we arrived at the airport in Rome (over an hour late) our driver was outside waiting for us and quickly delivered us to our hotel. After a long flight it was nice to not have to worry about getting a transfer. That first day we walked on our own (as recommended by Jany to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps) and then the following day RomeinLimo sent Vinny (the very best, best, best driver) to pick us up at 9:00 am for a magnificent day of touring Rome in a day in luxurious Mercedes Sedan. Vinny was enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and very willing to share all of the information about his country with us. He whisked us in and out of traffic with ease. He took us to the most amazing sites for the best photo opportunities you could possibly imagine. He also listened to us and rearranged the day according to what we wanted. We avoided all line-ups as Jany had advised us to purchase tickets to the Colosseum and the Vatican on-line (which was the smartest thing we ever did). It was so wonderful to walk past those huge line-ups of people who did not pre-purchase their tickets. And then there was lunch. Vinny asked us what we would prefer and we told him authentic Italian. He took us to this wonderful restaurant and ordered us this fabulous typical Italian meal that was delizioso. Following lunch we went to the Vatican where we met Aurora who was a charming young lady who was so passionate about her studies that you couldn't help but become entranced. She was a magnificent tour guide. We spent two glorious hours touring through Vatican City seeing the highlights and hearing/learning about the lives of the people who live and lived there. I will never forget my day in Rome with Vinny and Aurora. They gave me a 50th birthday present that I will cherish forever.

 

We also used RomeinLimo for our transfers to the ship. Again, perfect. They were early both times and had no problem waiting for us. Cold bottled water was available for us and the drivers were great. If I were ever to return to Rome I would definitely use this company again as they delivered everything that they promised.

[windsor123456]

Oh you can go and sit in a tour bus with 50 other people to see the sights. As for us, my wife and I will happily sit in our luxury sedan and be driven from one spot to another in style.

 

Actually, I was being quite economic. The cost for two people to take cruise ship tours was about equal to that of the cost of renting a private sedan. It was therefore a no-brainer to book private tours with experienced drivers.

 

I must admit that I did not expect to get a Mercedes sedan along with a Mercedes van for some of the tours but that is what happened. I was not going to object.

 

The advantage for tourists like us is that these vehicles have permits that allow them to go where private cars cannot go and moreover where tour buses are too big to go. Just think how spoiled we were… walk around for about 20 minutes at a particular location, come back to the car for a glass of cold water as you are being driven off to the next place to visit. After a long day of touring around, it was nice to be in the air-conditioned sedan being driven back to the port and being able to nod off a little bit to rest up for the evening adventures on board the ship.

 

We chose RIL for Rome and Florence tours because of the positive reviews on here. We were not disappointed

 

Each of our drivers had their own distinct personalities. Vincenzo was the grandfatherly type who showed us around Rome. He had his own guidebook that showed us what some of the sites look like before and after. It is unbelievable what the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus which could hold 250,000 people looked like in their prime and look like today.

 

We told him specifically that we just wanted to see the main sites to get a feel for the City and were not interested in rushing to see everything possible in a very short period of time. Rome was not built in a day and could never be seen in a day either. We saw all of the touristy sites which is exactly what we wanted to do and then had time to have a leisurely lunch in a seaside restaurant on the way back to the port and to see a panorama of Rome from one of the Seven Hills..

 

Vinnie, our driver in Pisa/Florence was a walking encyclopedia of history of the area. He knew everything about everything. He spoke constantly from the time that he picked us up until the time that he delivered us into Florence telling us about the history of the region. It was amazing what I did not know about Italy even though I had studied history about the region in school. It was a pleasure learning from someone who obviously loved what he did and who had studied hard so that he could share his knowledge with his clients. I can imagine how wonderful taking tours with him for a week in the area would be as he would show you just about everything important that you would want to know.

 

In our private van which we shared with a family we met on the ship, we were able to beat the mobs who took the tour buses to see Pisa. Florence itself in the area where we stopped for several hours to look around was a tourist paradise. So much of the area was set aside for pedestrians only that it was a pleasure to walk around. After a while, it almost was like being on overload there was so much to see and to absorb.

 

Of course Vinnie showed us a great place to shop for leather jackets so my wife was very happy.

 

Thanks to RIL we were able to see a lot in a little time and in complete luxury at an economical price. Who can beat that.

[kehlx2]

Oh you can go and sit in a tour bus with 50 other people to see the sights. As for us, my wife and I will happily sit in our luxury sedan and be driven from one spot to another in style.

 

Actually, I was being quite economic. The cost for two people to take cruise ship tours was about equal to that of the cost of renting a private sedan. It was therefore a no-brainer to book private tours with experienced drivers.

 

I must admit that I did not expect to get a Mercedes sedan along with a Mercedes van for some of the tours but that is what happened. I was not going to object.

 

The advantage for tourists like us is that these vehicles have permits that allow them to go where private cars cannot go and moreover where tour buses are too big to go. Just think how spoiled we were… walk around for about 20 minutes at a particular location, come back to the car for a glass of cold water as you are being driven off to the next place to visit. After a long day of touring around, it was nice to be in the air-conditioned sedan being driven back to the port and being able to nod off a little bit to rest up for the evening adventures on board the ship.

 

We chose RIL for Rome and Florence tours because of the positive reviews on here. We were not disappointed

 

Each of our drivers had their own distinct personalities. Vincenzo was the grandfatherly type who showed us around Rome. He had his own guidebook that showed us what some of the sites look like before and after. It is unbelievable what the Coliseum and the Circus Maximus which could hold 250,000 people looked like in their prime and look like today.

 

We told him specifically that we just wanted to see the main sites to get a feel for the City and were not interested in rushing to see everything possible in a very short period of time. Rome was not built in a day and could never be seen in a day either. We saw all of the touristy sites which is exactly what we wanted to do and then had time to have a leisurely lunch in a seaside restaurant on the way back to the port and to see a panorama of Rome from one of the Seven Hills..

 

Vinnie, our driver in Pisa/Florence was a walking encyclopedia of history of the area. He knew everything about everything. He spoke constantly from the time that he picked us up until the time that he delivered us into Florence telling us about the history of the region. It was amazing what I did not know about Italy even though I had studied history about the region in school. It was a pleasure learning from someone who obviously loved what he did and who had studied hard so that he could share his knowledge with his clients. I can imagine how wonderful taking tours with him for a week in the area would be as he would show you just about everything important that you would want to know.

 

In our private van which we shared with a family we met on the ship, we were able to beat the mobs who took the tour buses to see Pisa. Florence itself in the area where we stopped for several hours to look around was a tourist paradise. So much of the area was set aside for pedestrians only that it was a pleasure to walk around. After a while, it almost was like being on overload there was so much to see and to absorb.

 

Of course Vinnie showed us a great place to shop for leather jackets so my wife was very happy.

 

Thanks to RIL we were able to see a lot in a little time and in complete luxury at an economical price. Who can beat that.

 

Oh I TOTALLY agree with your review--we used RIL 2 years ago & are using them again for Florence/Rome & Naples...Can hardly wait to get there.:D

[samavarcruiser]

TLCOhio and Travelite: Thank you both for putting us at ease!

 

BTW TLC: I LOVE reading your posts and reviews, you are one of the most poignant persons on CruiseCritic....not to mention a fabulous photographer. THANKS for that!

 

I agree with you. TLCOhio, I am not the only one :)

[ItsMeDebie]

Just returned from our LOS Med Cruise and want to tell everyone what a true gem RomeInLimo is for private touring. For our day in Naples, we booked RIL for a tour of Sorrento, Positano, and Pompeii. Tony was our driver, and greeted us promptly at 8. From that moment forward, the day was all about us, being shuttled around in style in our Mercedes van, with an intelligent and humorous guide. We stopped at several places for beautiful photos, as well as a roadside stand to try a few treats. Tony knew the day would be a busy one, and was able to avoid most of the traffic. We had plenty of time in our various stops, and he set up a guide for our time in Pompeii, something we hadn't considered, but were thrilled with.

 

It was my birthday, so RIL arranged for a beautiful lunch, complete with a birthday cake for me! I felt so relaxed and taken care of, especially after so many days of scrambling to catch public transportation and getting from historical sight to historical sight.

 

Our trip with RIL was by far the best of the week, and I have no qualms in recommending them to others. Ask for Tony, he's a real treat!!

[TroubleT]

I know it's kind of a touchy subject, but still need to ask. How do you tip (or how much?) RomeInLimo driver? We booked Full Day Tour of Rome with them for just 2 of us. The price is 360 EURO - which I think is a little bit pricey, considering that it's not really a "Full" day. The so-called tour starts at 9 AM and we should be at Vatican at 1:30 PM because we have tickets for tour with a guide at 2 PM. Basically we are paying for 4.5 hours. I know tipping in Europe is a little bit different than in the US, but I can't imagine tipping 20% (or 72 EURO - for what???). Any ideas will be appreciated.

[sportsmum]

We have just returned from the Ruby Princess Med cruise and used RIL for Naples, Rome and Florence. Soooo glad we did!

 

I did not have many questions or issues before we left so did not test out Jany but the guides were great.

 

We had Raphael for Naples and he was the best. He took us to a look out spot and we bought our seasonings there (really good) - cheapest we saw them anywhere. Had wonderful music for the coast drive and sang to us on the way back! When we requested a stop at a grocery store to find a case of Pepsi for the ship he took us to his home town co-op and made the purchase so we would not be overcharged. Amazing, informative, helpful, talented.....

 

Vinnie in Rome had a hitch to deal with. The Collisium went on strike that morning and would be open in the afternoon only. He changed our itinerary and we saw it all with no issues. We had another request in this port- a special gelato spot my daughter had visited and wanted to make sure her brothers saw too. It was closed for holiday's but he made sure we got a picture of the closed store as proof of our efforts!

 

David in Florence was a quieter guide but none less wonderderful. It was an easier day of touring with less pressure and a great way to end the hectic 3 days of ports. I still dream of the lunch restaurant he suggested. The best food we had on the trip, bar none.

 

All the guides were waiting and ready. Raphael put us at ease in no time telling us that if we missed the ship he'd be driving us to Rome (3 hours)! We had guides for the Vatican and Pompeii (highly recommended- looked at others doing it on their own and they looked lost) and the two guides communicated to make sure the car was ready and cool by the time we were out. Fabulous!

 

Tipping, we did tip. Maybe not the 20% American but well for the day, I think. It was 450 Euros for our family of 4. I think we gave 520 and an extra 10 to Raphael for saving us a bundle on Pepsi! A little more than 10% for the private guides. They really did deserve it, they were so very kind and full of information on the area and history.

[CruisinSolstice]

My husband, 19 year old daughter and I just returned from a 12 day cruise on board the new Celebrity Silhouette. We used RomeInLimo several times: transfers from the DaVinci airport in Rome to our hotel, from the hotel to Civitavecchia, from the port to our hotel at the end of the cruise and from that hotel back to the airport. All of these transfers were done as requested. The drivers, all professional and courteous, always had our name clearly visible and the vans were air conditioned Mercedes vans.

 

While in Rome, we had a tour of the Vatican Museums with Elisa. She met us at our hotel and then we all took a taxi to the Museums. Prior to leaving home, RomeInLimo advised me to go online to purchase tickets for the specific date and time I wanted to avoid the lines at the Museums. It was a good thing because the lines were incredibly long when we arrived. Elisa was a great guide and very knowledgeable. She made our visit to the Sistine Chapel as well as the other major sites that we saw everything that I had hoped it would be.

 

The day our cruiseship was in Naples, we had Carmine as our guide. He was a really terrific guide. His English was excellent and he was very knowledgeable about and proud of where he lives. We wanted to drive the Amalfi Coast and have lunch in Positano. Carmine knew the best way to avoid the traffic and the tour buses. He took us to an absolutely amazing restaurant for lunch called Fattoria La Tagliata. This was the best meal we ever had. It is a family owned and run restaurant with the most delicious food which kept coming and the price was very reasonable. It is way up the mountain and clearly not accessible by tour buses. I recommend that restaurant very highly. After lunch we returned to Naples where Carmine drove us around and showed us the major points of interest of that great city. This was an extra treat that Carmine wanted to give us before he dropped us off at the ship. What a great day!

 

So all in all, we were extremely satisfied with each transfer and tourguide that RomeInLimo provided. I would recommend this company very highly. Jany always responded immediately to all of my emails and was always professional.

[dalgirl]

I know it's kind of a touchy subject, but still need to ask. How do you tip (or how much?) RomeInLimo driver? We booked Full Day Tour of Rome with them for just 2 of us. The price is 360 EURO - which I think is a little bit pricey, considering that it's not really a "Full" day. The so-called tour starts at 9 AM and we should be at Vatican at 1:30 PM because we have tickets for tour with a guide at 2 PM. Basically we are paying for 4.5 hours. I know tipping in Europe is a little bit different than in the US, but I can't imagine tipping 20% (or 72 EURO - for what???). Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

We start with 15% and depending on the day and the tour go up from there - we have had such success that we end up tipping over 20%.

[TLCOhio]

TLCOhio and Travelite: Thank you both for putting us at ease! BTW TLC: I LOVE reading your posts and reviews, you are one of the most poignant persons on CruiseCritic....not to mention a fabulous photographer. THANKS for that!

 

samavarcruiser: I agree with you. TLCOhio' date=' I am not the only one [/quote']

 

Appreciate the nice comments and wise judgement from these posters from Arizona and Germany about my posts and pictures.

 

Since CruisinSolstice made great (and deserved) comments about Carmine in the Naples-Amalfi Coast area, I thought I would post a picture of Carmine and one of the great site we experienced in June. For those doing their planning, check out my earlier live/blog posting (noted below) for most details on what we did and how in these different ports in the Med areas. If you're looking for something different in the future, consider Norway, the fjords, etc. You can see below that link to those posting from last summer.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

Recently back from a June 7-19 Solstice cruise from Barcelona that had stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Enjoyed great weather and a wonderful trip. Dozens of wonderful visuals with key highlights, tips, comments, etc., on these postings. We are now at 35,778 views for this live/blog re-cap on our first sailing with Celebrity and much on wonderful Barcelona. Check these postings and added info at:

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1426474

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 49,862 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

 

Appreciate those who have “tuned in” for these two posts. Don’t be shy and feel free to comment and/or ask any questions of interest.

 

 

Overlooking Positano, this is the view as we dined, family-style for lunch, at Trattoria La Tagliata. The views here were super and the sun came out in strong force as we enjoyed our three-course lunch with local wine and drinks.:

 

 

 

As he drove from Naples through the “Little Switzerland” mountains on the way to Ravello and Positano, Carmine was driving, singing, telling us fun stories, making sure we did the right and best photo stops along this scenic route, etc. :

 

[notentirelynormal]

I know it's kind of a touchy subject, but still need to ask. How do you tip (or how much?) RomeInLimo driver? We booked Full Day Tour of Rome with them for just 2 of us. The price is 360 EURO - which I think is a little bit pricey, considering that it's not really a "Full" day. The so-called tour starts at 9 AM and we should be at Vatican at 1:30 PM because we have tickets for tour with a guide at 2 PM. Basically we are paying for 4.5 hours. I know tipping in Europe is a little bit different than in the US, but I can't imagine tipping 20% (or 72 EURO - for what???). Any ideas will be appreciated.

 

For us the Vatican wasn't the end of the tour. Our guide waited for us then afterwards picked us up and continued our city tour, so we did get a full day. Our tour was just 3 people and I found that 18% tip (met the 15% and 20% half way) was worth the service we got. We even asked our guide, Angelo, to join us for lunch, which I paid for. He helped us order in a local Italian restaurant and made the day even better.

 

There is no need to arrive half an hour before your tour at the Vatican. We pulled up in front of the Vatican, got out of the car and our guide walked right up to us, took our vouchers and away we went.

[AliceS]

I don't have time to read all of this thread, but wanted to tell you how much we have appreciated the services of Romeinlimo. October will be my third time with them and I can't wait.

 

I was so happy that we pre-ordered the Vatican tickets in advance and had a guide. It's crazy there and we would have been in a line around the block.

 

A guide is best in Pompeii as well.

[hylasgirl]

I think tipping is a very personal practice. I don't think anyone should tell anyone how much they should tip. Telling your own experience is one thing... but no one should influence what you should tip. Go with what you feel is right. My groups always tip on Romeinlimo tours, but I always tell everyone in my group that it's entirely up to them. I usually tour with a few strangers and I never want them to think they have to tip what I do. I tell them I am tipping and I don't really tell them how much. I think it's a very personal thing.

[notentirelynormal]

I think tipping is a very personal practice. I don't think anyone should tell anyone how much they should tip. Telling your own experience is one thing... but no one should influence what you should tip. Go with what you feel is right. My groups always tip on Romeinlimo tours, but I always tell everyone in my group that it's entirely up to them. I usually tour with a few strangers and I never want them to think they have to tip what I do. I tell them I am tipping and I don't really tell them how much. I think it's a very personal thing.

 

Telling someone what they have to tip is much different then giving someone an idea of what they or others are tipping. Sometimes people just want to know - a guideline.