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Urgent Travel SOS: Seeking Expert Advice! Rome, Florence and Venice.

Hey fellow travel adventurers! 🌍 Need your wisdom for our epic family trip of a lifetime! Traveling to Rome, Florence, Venice, and then embarking on a 11-day Mediterranean Cruise. Running into a snag trying to book Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel tour on June 28th—either they're closed or sold out. Any insights on off-days or alternatives to book a group tour for my family of 5. We are staying in VRBO's 2 nights in each city starting in Rome, Florence then to Venice. We think that our our second day in Florence we may take a day trip to Cinque Terre.

URGENTLY NEED YOUR HELP: Looking for top-notch tour companies in each city for day tours. We're after skip-the-line perks, very small tour groups, major attractions, and stellar reviews. Staying at VRBOs, so flexible on days/times. Early birds, anyone? 🐩 Your favorite tour experiences will be our saviors! Drop your recommendations and make our trip unforgettable! I did try booking directly through Vatican it said sold out. And I’m looking for reviews of tour companies to book through. If anyone has recommendations please let me know. I am not seeking input that I can find tickets to the vatican. I am aware that they are out their I am looking for local tour company recommendations for each city.
I WOULD BE UP TO HIRING PRIVATE TOUR GUIDES FOR: ROME, FLORENCE AND VENICE.

🚀 #TravelHelp #TourSuggestions #AdventureAwaits #PrivateDM if its easier.

Current Itinerary:

June 27-29
Rome

June 29-July 1st
Florence
Clinque Terre

July 1-July 3
Venice

Cruise Itinerary-Any top notch have to see please let me know!!!!
Venice (Trieste), Italy
Split, Croatia

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Corfu, Greece
Valletta, Malta
Naples, Italy
Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy
Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Italy

Cannes, France
Palma (Majorca), Spain
Barcelona, Spain

Thank you fellow Travelers!!

Posted by
8339 posts

Trip of a lifetime. I doubt you'll find time to go to Cinque Terre as there's plenty to see in Florence, and it's such an important travel city. We've been to almost all your cruise stops--great itinerary.

I hope you'll have time to stay and see Barcelona on the end of your cruise. Great city.

Cannot imagine you cannot get into the Vatican Tour. Surely there are some tour companies online that can get you in. Last time we toured the Museum, there was a que 4 abreast down two city blocks for walk up tickets. Thankfully we had reserved tickets ahead of time.

Posted by
7233 posts

You might want to remove your email from your post. This is public forum!

Posted by
14826 posts

I honestly agree with David. If you have only 2 nights in Florence, that just gives you 1 full day in Florence and I'd spend it there instead of taking another train ride to the CT. You'll have some beach location on your cruise.

Of course your trip, your choices.

As to the Vatican Museums, it looks to me like ticketing is only available to May 2 right now. You are too early to book for June. When I go to the official website it says "non-bookable" not "sold out". There are times in April that the days are showing sold out.

Posted by
24 posts

Pam & David,

We will be back to Florence on our trip through the cruise half way through the trip you can see the cruise destinations list Rome, and Florence. It was just a thought to visit Clique Terre, I haven't booked anything there.

Posted by
14826 posts

Yes, I saw that. You'll be docking in Livorno which is about an hour and a half to either Florence or Cinque Terre.

Posted by
24 posts

Trotter,

I already have my cruise and Vrbo’s booked, I’m not looking for a touring company for the entire trip. The website you provided is a touring company for a vacation. Sorry I don’t need that:

Posted by
3515 posts

Have you also researched how to get to Trieste to board the ship?
Taking the train from Venice is probably the most convenient, about a 2 to 4 hour journey depending on which train you take.

Posted by
123 posts

Look to hire a private guide Rome to deal with tickets to Vatican Museum. Check the Rick Steves Rome Travel Guide for recommendations for tour guides and send them an email. If they don’t have times they often refer to someone they know. This has happened several times for me and it worked out perfectly (in Rome and other cities). Lot safer than finding someone on the World Wide Web.

Spend more time in Florence. Been there 5 times and there is always something new and exciting to see/experience.

Posted by
24 posts

Great advice SJ that was our plan take the train from Venice to Trieste.

John-I will look for a private tour company just looking for personal recommendations of ones that people used. I will look through travel forum, RIck Steve’s book I just haven’t found any names yet.