My husband and I are in Rome for three nights the end of Oct, and I have heard a few things about private guided tours with American speaking guides....can anyone shed some light on this..how do you sign up and is it worth it???
Posted by
Rome
212 posts
Hi Nicole,
It is hard to answer your question without knowing what you want to get out of this trip...Is there a reason you would want to consider private tours instead of group? Is cost an issue here? Are you easily bored?
In places like the Roman Forum and Vatican Museums where nothing is marked, having a guided tour is always a good idea if you can afford it. Unless of course you love the idea of dragging around a guide book and searching for each monument to learn about it etc.
Posted by
Palm Beach, Florida, United States
536 posts
Nicole - A small tour is always preferable to a large busload of herded people that don't receive much personal attention.
But do you need a tour at all? From Piazza di Spagna(The Spanish Steps) , you can walk to The Roman Forum, The Trevi Fountain, and The Via Veneto and have a GREAT time by yourself. On the Via Veneto, you can pick up an open air bus that tours the city, allowing you to get off and back on as often as you like.
A great alternative to someone else telling you about the city - you discover it by yourself and appreciate it so much more.
Ciao, Greg
Posted by
OP
saint cloud, mn, United States
9 posts
No kidding I just got a quote from Ron in Rome, now this was the Rome In A Day tour but jeez it was 450.00 euro...uh no thanks...I think I can read and figure out what is what...
Does anyone know a good site to download info to an ipod?? Or a cheaper guide???
Posted by
Atlanta, Ga, USA
2023 posts
We went with Context Rome for a tour( 4 hrs or so) of the Coliseum, Palatine Hill, and the Forum. True, you can wander and see these places on your own but we learned quite a lot from our guide who is a native of Rome. She shared so many details about Rome and there were only six people in our group. The cost was around $60 pp and well worth it IMO. Our first experience seeing the above sites was when we arrived very jet lagged and it was almost a blur.There are American guides with CR but we were happy to get a Roman native.
Posted by
Raleigh, NC, usa
76 posts
We used Through Eternity for 3 different tours in Rome and they were awesome. Check out their website. Very worthwhile -- made the history come alive and we thoroughly enjoyed each tour. Number in groups made it very nice also. Susan
Posted by
Freedonia
16070 posts
For an inexpensive yet thorough tour of Rome, check out the Hop-on, Hop-Off bus. It continually loops past most of the major sights in Rome with guided commentary. You can get on, or off at any of the 17 stops. (The Via Veneto is just one stop and yes the buses are open topped.) Numerous ticket options.
Hop-on/Hop-Off Bus in Rome