For over a year I planned a 10 day trip to Rome to see sites that I had missed on my 3 day sojourn 30 years ago. Joy of Rome (co-owned by Francesca and Simone) turned out to make this highly anticipated trip truly a joy. Initially, I had planed on 2-3 days of one-on-one guided touring, as these sorts of arrangements can be pricy. After one day with Simone and the next day with Patrizia, I was “all-in” and asked them to book me for six more days (a total of eight days). Besides Simone and Patrizia, I also toured with Luciana, Chiara, Allesandro and Damiano, or six different guides; all different personalities, backgrounds (from Archeologists to Art History majors) all highly qualified, easy to understand, and able to answer all of my questions-even the stupid ones. Coincidentally, I had the best 45 minute chat in the middle of an Ostia bath house with Allesandro about capitalism vs. socialism that was probably one of the best discussions I have ever had on the topic with anyone, let alone an archaeologist. Initially, I thought their pricing was on the high side for one-on-one touring/small family or group experience, but after extensive research it turned out their prices were middle of the road; however, their knowledge base and services were “over the top.” Bottom line, Joy of Rome will give you a 5 star experience with 3 star pricing. Book early, as their calendar fills up quickly, and to get them I actually re-arranged my travel itinerary and it was well worth it.
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