Thread: Rome-Anyone else been there or going soon????

At least a few of us CLFer's are going to be in Rome prior to, during, or after a cruise this year.
I wanted to start this thread so we can share some information about what to do, where to stay and how to get around Rome and to/from Port if you don't use the ships services.

My DH are going to Rome and going to do a pre-tour for 3 days prior to embarking on a Transatlantic in September. I have gotten some good leads so far and have booked the Hotel Santa Maria in the Trastavere section of Rome based on recommendations on TripAdviser, it's rated #5 or so of all the hotels in Rome yet it's a value at 220 Euro a night including breakfast. We've also arranged a trip to Ostia Antica during our transfer to the Port.

Have others stayed in the "Eternal City", if so where did you stay and would you recommend it??? Also any tips on eats , tours or gelato would be great to hear also (Not necesarily in that order though)
Also, do you really need a tour guide through the Vatican or should be do it ourselves???
What, if any, tours do you recommend???:think: :think: :think:
Thanks in advance for any responses!

We went to Rome 5 years ago....gelato is a plenty throughout Rome...not a problem to find!

As for the Vatican...get a tour guide...there's so much history and art that you'll miss out on without one. The Colusseum is a no-brainer and go inside if you have the time...it's quite something!!! The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are neat to see, but it doesn't take a long time by any means.

Alisa is also going to Rome...she may be able to help you out with her research!

Thanks Jodi!
I was wondering whether I needed a private guide and I think for the Vatican Museum we do. I've made inquiries with a couple of recommended guides, I'll see what their availability and prices are like. :comp_surf

As one of the other CLFers who will be going to Rome (at the same time as localady), I share her interest in any responses! We (DW & I) have never been to Rome and it sure does look like a sight-seeing challenge from reading the cruise boards and Rick Steves' book! Glad we have a few months to sort it out! So, keep those cards and letters coming!!!

Rick Steve's books are wonderful!!! We used his book for our Scandanavia cruise last summer and it gave us so much insight and help in planning our trip! As a result, we were able to explore the countries with little difficulty and almost NO tour guides!!!

Thanks to BillS, who introduced this gal to Rick Steve's last year, I am in the process of reading his 2006 book on Rome. (TY Bill! )

I was glad to see that his guide mentioned the little hotel we have booked, the Santa Maria, too! I figured that we'd use his a bunch of his suggested tours including a walking tour of Ostia Antica!

I also enjoy the Eyewitness Travel series for it's wonderful photography, but they are sooo heavy to lug around.

Hey guys!

sorry I didn't find this thread sooner!

I am going to Rome this summer. August 1st I think, on my cruise. Roundtrip from Barecelona. So I'll only be in Rome for a day.

I am taking a private tour with a company called Driver in Rome. I heard so many good recommendations about them and never a negative comment. Everytime I have contacted them, they have gotten back to me in hours.

This is the description of my tour from their website, however their tour is flexible depending on what you want, so I already know that I want to cut down the lunch portion and make time for the Roman Forum:

This tour has been designed for those guest who wish to enjoy a complete overview of Rome. You will have the opportunity to drive where large buses are not permitted, allowing you to see more, walk less and capture the "best of Rome".
This exclusive tour starts at the Vatican after a 90 minute drive from the pier. It is the smallest state in the world. Explore the richest storehouse of art in the entire world: the Vatican Museum. Walk through the Tapestry and Geographical Map Galleries, the Candelabra Gallery and the magnificent Raphael Rooms that lead to the fifteenth century Sistine Chapel which holds an invaluable collection of masterpieces like the Michelangelo's ceiling painting of the "Creation of the World".
Then enter the vaste expanse of St.Peter's square through the Bernini's colonnades into Christendom's largest church resting on 800 pillars and littered 44 alters. See the gilded Papal Canopy suspended over the the altar where the Pope celebrates mass, the splendid gilt and the bronze throne in the apse and one of the best known pieces of sculpture in the world - the Pietà, Michelangelo's masterpiece in marble. Please note that if a mass is being taken, the entrance may be restricted, that the Museum's are closed on sunday (except the last Sunday of the month) and Saturday afternoon. In this cases the itinerary may be altered to accomodate local conditions.
The tour then goes to Piazza Venezia known for the Victor Emanuel Monument also called "wedding cake" and for the building that was Mussolini's headquarters. Climb the steps of the Capitoline hill and enjoy a beautiful view of the Roman Forum with the Rostrum where Mark Anthony made his impassioned speech over the body of Julio Cesar. Eat in a fine restaurant and enjoy lunch with plenty home-made wine. Stop at the most beautiful in the world: Trevi. Drive by the famous Spanish steps where the finest shopping street is. Walk through piazza Navona and do not forget your chocolate ice-cream. Visit then the imposing structure dated 27 B.C. called Pantheon where the great painter Raphael is buried. Last stop will be in the most fascinating monument in Rome, a place where 50.000 people could assist to cruel battle between gladiators and wild beast: the Colosseum. Drive by the impressive Arch of Costantine on your return to the ship by 5:00 pm

I know that they also do airport transfers for those flying in to Leonardo Di Vinci airport as well as pre cruise tours. They also do transfers from your hotel down to Civitavecchia!

Ty JstDucky!!!
I contacted Claudio at limoinrome.com a few weeks ago.
This is another service that has gotten very good reviews with other travelers. He will pick us up at our hotel and take us to port via Ostia Antica.
Thank you for the information on Driver in Rome, it'll allow us to compare notes!

You are quite wise to use a private tour in Rome for your shore excursion JstDucky, we had a nice shore excursion, but there is so much to do and see and it seemed like we were always waiting for someone returning late to the bus, someone in a store or someone who wandered off.....A private tour avoids all of that and lets you enjoy the Eternal City without a silly shore excursion number stuck to your chest!! (A Pet Peeve of mine...I am not a bus number!!)

I agree!

I had also heard that because of the narrow streets etc, that the buses in Rome just couldn't get that close. Whereas a private driver would allow us to see more and walk less.

Additionally, there was no shore excursion that included all of the things that I wanted to see!

Localady and Bill S are you guys on the same cruise?

What are your ports?