RomeInLimo questions

[bellagirl]

Cheryl-We're using their services in Nov. and now I'm really excited about going! Thank you for posting the pics-they are lovely. Did you see many leather products while shopping? Shelly:)

[cherylakers]

Cheryl

 

Thanks for the pics. I will definitely be booking them for our day. There will be 6 of us going. Do you remember the name of the restaurant and where it was located?? It looked wonderful.

 

Where do you live??? Naples is just south of us.

 

Cheryl in Venice

[David]

Hi Cheryl:

 

Romeinlimo picked us up at the pier in Naples and we visited Ravello and Amalfi during the morning, then drove to Positano, but did not stay there very long because the driver had made late lunch reservations for us at a lovely restaurant on a hillside overlooking Sorrento and the harbor. We had about an hour in Sorrento after lunch before we had to head back to the ship.

 

It was a lovely day and the variety of beautiful sights on the Amalfi Coast was breathtaking. I also loved riding on the coastal and mountain roads -- but the coastal road, in particular, can get very congested with traffic around Amalfi and Positano, in particular, and so the drive itself, while a wonderful experience, does take time away from walking around the towns.

 

If we had it to do over again, I think 3 towns is about all you can have reasonable time for -- especially if you want to enjoy a relaxing lunch. There is really far too much to see in a single day, and so one has to make difficult choices. On our previous cruise stop in Naples we went to Pompeii in the morning and had time to see Ravello and Amalfi in the afternoon. We have yet to go to Capri, and I would love to have a little more time in Positano and Sorrento (so that's probably two more days at least for future visits to the Amalfi Coast).

 

David

[Litprof]

We hired RomeinLimo for our day in Livorno. My wife Caitlyn (we were on our honeymoon) had been to Florence before, but I had not. Neither of us had been to Lucca or Pisa, but my sense of Pisa was that it was merely a photo op, and neither of us were the type to pose as if we were holding the tower up, so we asked to go to Lucca and Florence.

 

We got off the ship at about 7:50, and our driver Fabrizio was already there waiting for us. In fact, he must have come quite early, because he admitted he had initially driven to the wrong dock. From the outset, we liked him. His English was excellent, and he was talkative and enthusiastic. As we drove off, he asked if we wanted to see Pisa; when I said Lucca and Florence were more important to us, he said, "Pisa is only 20 minutes from Lucca; I know a way." I said "Fine, we trust you," and off we went. The car was an immaculate Mercedes sedan.

 

The initial drive to Pisa took some time, so we had a chance to talk along the way. Fabrizio clearly wanted to get a sense of us, of the kind of people we were. My wife and I are both teachers (I'm a college literature professor, while she teaches kindergarten in a Montessori school), and we both love art and literature. Our conversation was all very relaxed and comfortable, but Fabrizio knew what he wanted: to know enough about us to tailor the day to our wishes. As we got to Pisa, he told us a lot about the history of the area, and then suddenly he said, "But I should stop talking now, eh?" and we looked up, and we were right there at the tower. We gasped. It leans much more in person than you realize from pictures.

 

It wasn't quite 9:00, and there were maybe twenty or twenty-five people in the whole area. Fabrizio told us to walk around and take some pictures (the setting is quite pretty, really) and to meet us at the end of the street in twenty minutes. With so few people there, it was quite nice. When we got back to the car, he said, "In an hour, the buses will arrive, but they all have to park in a big lot a kilometer away. Then the people have to walk, and it is very crowded. But now it's nice." He was right. Then he explained the tower to us, what it represented, how the designers intentionally adapted Moorish architectural features and so on. It was quite interesting.

 

Then, off to Lucca, which indeed was not far away. Fabrizio's explanation of the history of the town and its importance was fascinating. He gave us a lot of information, but it never came across as a lecture, just a great conversation. Lucca was lovely, and we were there just as the town was coming alive, which is my wife's favorite time of day. He told us to walk up to the top of the watchtower, which we did, and it was completely worth it (though it's not the easiest climb up fairly steep and narrow stairs, Caitlyn and I are in reasonably good shape). He gave us an hour to explore. He told us a few sights to see, but he also gave us a map and said that since Lucca was not that big, we should feel free just to explore, which we did, and when we got back to the car we told him what we had seen. He stated his approval and then told us more about everything we had seen.

 

Off to Florence, which my wife knew fairly well. Again, all the information Fabrizio gave us was great. At one point, I spoke a little too quickly for him, and he gently said, "I like this because it shows you are comfortable with me, but can I ask you to speak a little more slowly since my English is not that good?" On the contrary, his English was superb, which is why I momentarily forgot he wasn't a native speaker and unconsciously sped up. We were all getting very comfortable with each other. When we asked - and only because we asked -- he told us about himself, his daughters (he has two daughters and no sons, so as he said, "My house -- it is the women's club, and sometimes I am not part of it, though I would like to be"). My wife told him that teenage girls sometimes have trouble relating to their fathers, but within a few years they re-connect. "So you give me hope, eh?" he said with a smile. But he seemed sincerely touched.

 

We got to Florence. We saw so much that it's a bit of a blur, and I'm not completely sure I remember the sequence, so I'll just list some highlights.

 

The Duomo is of course spectacular and looks like no other cathedral I've seen (and by the end of our cruise ten days later, we were pretty cathedraled-out, but the Duomo remained special). You can see it from some distance, of course, but what surprised us is that Fabrizio kept driving towards it. And towards it. Soon he was nosing the car through crowds right in front of it. I was starting to think he was going to drive directly into the Duomo, but he stopped just short of the stairs. People were staring, as if "Who are these celebrities in the Mercedes?" Caitlyn and I couldn't help it -- we started to laugh. As I started filming video and snapping pictures, Fabrizio told us about the building. After a minute or so, a couple of cops walked up to the car and (it was easy to tell) told Fabrizio he needed to move. He agreed, but he talked another two or three minutes before he said, "I have to move the car now." We arranged to meet forty minutes or so later a couple of blocks away.

 

Michelangelo's David obviously is not to be missed. There's a reason it's one of the most famous works of the Renaissance.

 

At some point we had lunch. Fabrizio had a place in mind, but we happened to pass a place Caitlyn had had breakfast when she was in Florence a couple of years before. Fabrizio heard, asked if she liked it, and the next thing we knew, we were there. Fabrizio helped us order (he recommended what he called an Italian crepe, which my wife said was delicious, and I had an excellent pasta in a pesto sauce) and made sure we were well taken care of before he left us to eat.

 

We saw Santa Croce, which was only a little disappointing because some of the more famous monuments in the church were covered for restoration. It was still worth it. We went by the Pitti Palace.

 

At another point we grabbed a gelato on our own, and when we met up with Fabrizio again, he smiled at Caitlyn and said, "I think you had something, yes? You are like the cat with the cream." We laughed, and he said, "But if you have room, I have a surprise." He took us to a little bakery that he said made the best chantilly cream in Italy. Then he bought us a pastry -- he actually offered to buy one for each of us, but we didn't have that much room. It was ridiculously good. I'm attaching a picture of Fabrizio waiting by the car for us as we finished.

 

Towards the end of the day he took us to the famous leather market. We walked around, and eventually -- after some bargaining -- I bought Caitlyn a purse, and when we got back to the car, Fabrizio asked politely if he could see it. He inspected it, felt all around it, pronounced it good quality ("No knots -- that's how you can tell; the Chinese, they have knots") and, when he found out what I paid, claimed I had made a good deal. Caitlyn said it was due to the honeymoon discount, and I laughed and said it could have been an anniversary or birthday or Friday discount, and Fabrizio gently protested, "No, no. A honeymoon, that is a special thing. We Italians, we're romantic, and for us, that is a special thing."

 

At some point we went to one of the bridges over the Arno. I don't remember the details, but it was lovely.

 

Finally, we went to see a view of the city. In Florence, you need to go somewhere up high. Caitlyn mentioned the Michelangelo Terrace, and Fabrizio said, "Ah, yes. I can take you there. It's where the tourists usually go. But I know a better place." By this point, he could have told us he was taking us to the sewers and we'd have agreed. A few minutes later, we were at the San Miniato al Monte and had the most spectacular view you can imagine. It looks as if Hollywood faked it. In fact, don't imagine it -- I'll attach a picture. And of course Fabrizio gave us all sorts of background about this most unusual church, which contains a proto-Christian church behind and below the main altar.

 

The drive back to the ship took quite a while. We got back around 5:40, and we talked the whole way -- about ourselves, about literature (I happen to be a fan of the Italian writer Italo Calvino and teach his works often, and of course Fabrizio had read him), about life. As we pulled into the port, Fabrizio initially went the wrong way, just as he had in the morning, but we all agreed that it was good because it gave us five more minutes together. We all got quiet, and then he said, "This has been a good day." He said it, I think, as much to himself as to us.

 

When he dropped us off, we all got out of the car and shook hands warmly. I paid him and tipped him an extra 50 Euros -- only 10%, and we had gone over the time we paid for (officially 500 Euros for 8:00 until 5:00) by almost a full hour, when you consider he had picked us up early. Maybe you will think it was foolish, but I asked him, "Fabrizio, is this good?" And honestly if he had expressed the slightest disappointment I would have given him more. We were that appreciative. He laughed a little and assured me it was fine.

 

As we boarded the ship, I looked at Caitlyn and said, "That was one of the best days of my life." I meant it. I still do.

 

During our 12 day Mediterranean cruise, we hired drivers for tours in four places: Livorno, Rome, Navplion (Mycenae, Epidavros), and Katakolon (Olympia). All were worthwhile, but Fabrizio was the best by far.

 

If you want an extraordinary day, arrange your day in Livorni with Duman and Jany Kafelabasi of RomeinLimo, and -- while I'm sure they have other good drivers -- ask for Fabrizio. You absolutely will not regret it.

[SunFunCruiser]

Cheryl

 

Thanks for the pics. I will definitely be booking them for our day. There will be 6 of us going. Do you remember the name of the restaurant and where it was located?? It looked wonderful.

 

Where do you live??? Naples is just south of us.

 

Cheryl in Venice

 

Cheryl, the name of the restaurant is on the menu, the first picture in my post. It was in Sorrento, overlooking the sea. Couldn't tell you much more than that <g>. You can order things other than what is on the menu too.

 

We are in Fort Myers.

[SunFunCruiser]

If you want an extraordinary day, arrange your day in Livorni with Duman and Jany Kafelabasi of RomeinLimo, and -- while I'm sure they have other good drivers -- ask for Fabrizio. You absolutely will not regret it.

 

I agree! Fabrizio was our second driver! I couldn't think of his name because I was in Rafaella's van. He was great! My sisters were probably driving him crazy because they made him stop every two minutes for pictures! LOL They said he was really good about it.

[redheadednurse83]

are these very fast paced walking tours (Romeinlimo) or is it as fast as the group wants to go? Thanks!

[FinelyRetired]

Without being repetitive, Romeinlimo is GREAT! We just returned from our Celebrity cruise and used them in Florence and Rome. In Florence we had a driver/guide (Gian) and in Rome we had a driver/guide and a licensed guide (Julia) for the entire day. Everyone was fantastic, and I truly believe that they made our days memorable. We could not have seen as much as we did, without them. In 9 hours, we saw everything.

 

The day before our Florence trip, Celebrity advised us that the ship would not be able to dock in Livorno. They would have to go 45min further, and tender there. Since it was 8:00pm, the night before the tour, I panicked. Celebrity asked all those people with private tours to come down to Guest Relations, and they would assist them. My husband went down, and gave them Jany's name from Romeinlimo and the phone number. Celebrity staff proceeded to place a call to Romeinlimo, but told my husband that the best they could do was leave a message, hoping that they would get it when they arrived to work the next day. To my husband's delight, Jany actually answered the phone, and told Celebrity that they were well aware of the change, since they monitor the ships arrival time. She then said that all of her drivers and guides had already been notified and that they will be arriving to the new destination at the time they had arranged with everyone. When we arrived the next morning, and got off the ship, there was Romeinlimo waiting for us.

 

Thank you for this post! It is very reassuring.....but not surprising that Jany & RIL were right on the ball on that one.

 

Have used their service in Palermo and so have 3 more tours planned next month. Yes, got discount. These private tours are very reasonably priced for a group.

 

I booked them myself, (as a solo!) and easily found others to join from my Roll Call. Touring with a few others you've gotten to know here online can be so much more fun (and really cheaper) than simply signing up for a ship's tour. If I'm able to find a driver/guide co, that is well reviewed here, I've done this in many ports and always gotten much more out of it than being solo on a bus trip.

 

Their team is very flexible and responsive and able to make adjustments on the fly to best meet the needs and interests of the group. The pre-tour communication is outstanding. No question left unanswered or seems to be a bother. That is always the first, crucial indication for me when dealing with a private guide company that it will be a great day.

 

One poster here questioned whether Jany ever sleeps? :) I'm wondering the same thing.

 

Martha

Edited September 2, 2009 by FinelyRetired

[SunFunCruiser]

are these very fast paced walking tours (Romeinlimo) or is it as fast as the group wants to go? Thanks!

 

I didn't think any of them were fast paced walking tours. Pompeii probably had the most walking and Lucia waited for us as we walked. Most of the time when there is walking involved, like going to the Coliseum, you are at your own pace.

 

Now Athens is where we walked a lot in terrible heat!!

[Ct Teacher]

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 just returned from Rome and had a 8 hour tour. We stopped at the Vatican and the line was long so we went somewhere else and returned later. The line was not long at all. We did not have a guide and found it to be fine. You do not need tickets. There is so much to see in Rome that an 8 hour tour is the best way to see everything. RomeInLimo is an excellent company. I think you'll be happy with them.

[Terpnut]

You do not need tickets.

I'm not sure what you are referring to, but so others don't get confused, you do need to buy tickets for the Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel, climbing the Basilica cupola, Scavi tour, Vatican Gardens and probably some other Vatican tours or sights. The only time you don't need tickets is to enter St. Peter's Basilica and to stroll the Piazza. So for most things at the Vatican, you do need tickets. Edited September 2, 2009 by Terpnut

[SunFunCruiser]

We just returned from Rome and had a 8 hour tour. We stopped at the Vatican and the line was long so we went somewhere else and returned later. The line was not long at all. We did not have a guide and found it to be fine. You do not need tickets. There is so much to see in Rome that an 8 hour tour is the best way to see everything. RomeInLimo is an excellent company. I think you'll be happy with them.

 

 

I'm pretty sure you still need some sort of ticket to get in the Vatican museum.

http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/z-Info/MV_Info_Orari.html

 

As far as a guide, I'm sure everyone is different. I thought it added a much needed (for us) enhancement of the tour. I would have been totally lost without one and it would have taken a lot longer. Plus, you can't be sure there won't be a line later in the afternoon, we went at 2:30 and there was still a really long line. I suppose you can rent the audio guide instead of getting a guide.

[SunFunCruiser]

i'm not sure what you are referring to, but so others don't get confused, you do need to buy tickets for the vatican museums/sistine chapel, climbing the basilica cupola, scavi tour, vatican gardens and probably some other vatican tours or sights. The only time you don't need tickets is to enter st. Peter's basilica and to stroll the piazza. So for most things at the vatican, you do need tickets.

 

gmta

[ericnyc]

I will be going on Voyager on October 4th to Mediterranean and have a few ?/concerns about RIL:

 

1. There will be 3 of us so ideally we would like to find more people to make the excursion cheaper. Does everyone have to prepay while still in US? I am concerned about someone saying that they want to go and then changing their mind.

 

2. If there is a group of 8 people, lets say 3 families, with different interests, food preferences etc. is there a set itenarary or will they try to accommodate everyone?

 

3. If i take a tour from the cruise ship and the bus gets stuck in traffic the ship will wait for the bus. However, they do not wait for private tours. Were there any issues with getting back to the ship on time?

 

4. Are there any cheaper/better alternatives to RIL?

 

Thank you

[CruisingGoddess]

I will be going on Voyager on October 4th to Mediterranean and have a few ?/concerns about RIL:

 

1. There will be 3 of us so ideally we would like to find more people to make the excursion cheaper. Does everyone have to prepay while still in US? I am concerned about someone saying that they want to go and then changing their mind.

 

2. If there is a group of 8 people, lets say 3 families, with different interests, food preferences etc. is there a set itenarary or will they try to accommodate everyone?

 

3. If i take a tour from the cruise ship and the bus gets stuck in traffic the ship will wait for the bus. However, they do not wait for private tours. Were there any issues with getting back to the ship on time?

 

4. Are there any cheaper/better alternatives to RIL?

 

Thank you

 

1. Romeinlimo does not require pre-payment before your excursion. You won't pay until the day of the excursion. However, if someone drops out and you can't replace them, you'll have to split the full amount among who is left so you'd be stuck paying more per person.

 

2. I do not want to spend most of the day in Florence at art museums so when I was looking for group members for our Florence tour, I specifically looked for people who were not interested in art and was more interested in seeing sights, markets, and shopping. That way, we'd all enjoy the same tour. However, for our Rome tour, we were pretty happy with the itinerary on Romeinlimo's web site, so we just joined any group was planning to do their basic tour. If you or the group organizer plans to deviate from the tour outlines on the web site, I'd seek out people with similar interests to yours.

 

3. Can't speak to this since I haven't gone yet but our tour is only 8 hours and starts at 8 am so the tour should end at 4 pm and the ship doesn't leave until 7 pm so I think we're okay. :D

 

4. Here are some other tour companies:

 

http://www.througheternity.com

http://www.limoinrome.com

http://www.driverguideservice.com

 

But you will find the most positive reviews on Romeinlimo. They are a little more expensive than the other companies but seeing so many positive reviews gives me piece of mind.

Edited September 3, 2009 by aznaphrodite

[tz84kz]

Maybe someone has already asked this but with the thread so long, I couldn't be sure. We(a group of 8) have booked RIL for Rome and Florence. We have requested a guide in Rome but were told that because of the size of our group unless we wanted to go to the next size vehicle, we would just have the guide @ the Vatican. My question is do we need to get the tickets for the Vatican, and if so, how do I go about getting them? :confused:

 

We requested that Jany make reservations in Florence for the Uffizi and the Accademia and she said that she would handle that.

 

Thanks in advance.

[CruisingGoddess]

Maybe someone has already asked this but with the thread so long, I couldn't be sure. We(a group of 8) have booked RIL for Rome and Florence. We have requested a guide in Rome but were told that because of the size of our group unless we wanted to go to the next size vehicle, we would just have the guide @ the Vatican. My question is do we need to get the tickets for the Vatican, and if so, how do I go about getting them? :confused:

 

We requested that Jany make reservations in Florence for the Uffizi and the Accademia and she said that she would handle that.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

You can buy them online yourself here:

 

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/index.html

 

Jany said they can also reserve Vatican tickets for us but it will cost 7 EUR more per person than if we just booked online. You'll need to find out from Jany what time to reserve the tickets and make sure everyone in your group gets the same time.

[tz84kz]

You can buy them online yourself here:

 

http://biglietteriamusei.vatican.va/musei/tickets/index.html

 

Jany said they can also reserve Vatican tickets for us but it will cost 7 EUR more per person than if we just booked online. You'll need to find out from Jany what time to reserve the tickets and make sure everyone in your group gets the same time.

 

 

Thanks. I'll pass this along to my group.

[Terpnut]

Maybe someone has already asked this but with the thread so long, I couldn't be sure. We(a group of 8) have booked RIL for Rome and Florence. We have requested a guide in Rome but were told that because of the size of our group unless we wanted to go to the next size vehicle, we would just have the guide @ the Vatican. My question is do we need to get the tickets for the Vatican, and if so, how do I go about getting them? :confused:

 

We requested that Jany make reservations in Florence for the Uffizi and the Accademia and she said that she would handle that.

 

Thanks in advance.

The need to buy tickets in advance depends alot on the date and time of your visit. When will you be there?

[ericnyc]

Thank you for the reply.

 

One more question. I see that RIL has 2 different trips for Naples:

Port of Naples Sorrento/Amalfi

Positano,Amalfi Ravello

 

Is one better than the other? Also, is Capri worth going to, it is not listed on either tour?

[Terpnut]

Thank you for the reply.

 

One more question. I see that RIL has 2 different trips for Naples:

Port of Naples Sorrento/Amalfi

Positano,Amalfi Ravello

 

Is one better than the other? Also, is Capri worth going to, it is not listed on either tour?

Sorrento is more developed resort town with more shopping and restaurants. You'd get a "taste" of the Amalfi coast with this tour.

 

The second tour skips Sorrento for a purely Amalfi coast experience. As the distances are further, this tour involves much more driving.

 

As for Capri, you probably won't have time with either of these itineraries. Capri is probably best combined with Sorrento only.

 

So as to your question of which is "better", obviously the answer depends on your group's interests and what you want to do. I suggest you do some basic homework on Sorrento, Capri, Positano and Ravello, and then decide which cities interests you most.

Edited September 4, 2009 by Terpnut

[CruisingGoddess]

As for Capri, you probably won't have time with either of these itineraries. Capri is probably best combined with Sorrento only.

 

So as to your question of which is "better", obviously the answer depends on your group's interests and what you want to do. I suggest you do some basic homework on Sorrento, Capri, Positano and Ravello, and then decide which cities interests you most.

 

We decided that we wanted to see Capri as well as Sorrento and Pompeii so this is the ONLY excursion that we booked through the cruise line. The general advice I got from the Italy forums was that it was really difficult to see all three on your own and I couldn't find any private tour that would go to all three either. But for all other Italy ports, we're booked with Romeinlimo!

[tz84kz]

The need to buy tickets in advance depends alot on the date and time of your visit. When will you be there?

 

We will be in Rome on Sept 30th, a Wednesday.

[Terpnut]

We will be in Rome on Sept 30th, a Wednesday.

My suggestion for avoiding the crowds at the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel would to visit around 1 pm or later in the afternoon--after all the bus tours have gone. Our guide mentioned that, while they remain fairly busy, tourist visits were definitely down this season. We visited in an afternoon in late June at the peak of tourist season, and there wasn't a single person in line. September won't be nearly as crowded as summertime so I personally wouldn't worry about buying those tickets in advance unless you plan to go in the morning in the midst of most of the bus tours. Edited September 4, 2009 by Terpnut

[samavarcruiser]

We will be in Rome on Sept 30th, a Wednesday.

 

September-October 2009,

Nighttime Openings of the Vatican Museums

After the first night opening of the 24th of July, every Friday of September and October 2009 the Vatican Museums will open their doors after sunset, from 7.00 pm to 11.00 pm (last entrance at 9.30 pm). Visitors will be able to admire the Upper Galleries of the Vatican Museums, the Octagonal Court (Cortile Ottagono), the Raphael's Stanze, the Sistine Chapel and the Galleries of the Apostolic Library.

Booking online on the official web site of the Vatican Museums is obligatory.

Full Ticket € 14,00 + € 4,00 Reservation fee

Reduced Ticket € 8,00 + € 4,00 Reservation fee