Walks of Italy Tours -- Worth the Price?

We took a Walks of Italy tour of the Vatican a couple of yeasr ago and it was worth every dime. Their small groups maximum of 12 people make it more intimate than the huge "cattle call" tours. Based on the Vatican experience, I'd use them anywhere. That said, you can sometimes get private guides for your group that are equally qualified and may be a little more economical if your group is 3 or more people. We had a tour of the ancient area with Francesca Caruso, who is feature in the Rick Steves' guide. The cost was 150 euros for 3 hours. (Might bemore now?) If she is not available she will recommend colleagues. Contact her at [email protected].

Personally, I would suggest taking the official colosseum underground tour which includes entry into the colosseum, forum and palatine hill yet only costs 22.50. The tour lasts 90 minutes at which time you can then spend as much time as you wish in the colosseum visiting the other areas. The groups are small, since space is limited in the underground, and the guides are very good. I have done this tour several time with different guides and have gotten wonderful information each time. As for the forum and palatine hill, you can find great audio guides online or at the site which give very good information and allow you to go at your own pace, lingering at sites that hold your interest and bypassing sites that don't. Personally, I can't see spending 60-80 euros per person for our family of four just to be in a smaller group/. Twelve people compared to 15-20 people is not that big of a difference. All guides at the sites must be licensed and take the exact same rigorous tests to become guides. Working for a private company just gives them the right to charge you more, in my opinion. Donna