Hello, I was wondering if anyone knew about any good private tour groups in Rome. I was also wondering what the best way to make phone calls from the area will be as I will be making a cruise in the area. Thanks in advance!
If you're adventurous, it's probably better and more economical to go and 'explore'. You can get basically anywhere in Rome with a train/metro ticket (around $6 US for the full day pass). Get a map at the train station and get on the 'A' line, that'll take you basically everywhere. The public transportation system in Italy rocks. If you decide to go to the Sistine Chapel or the Vatican, go after the rush, which is normally after lunch, the lines will be a whole lot shorter the venues less crowded. Not sure how long you got in Rome, but it'll take a good 3-4 days to fully tour and see all of Rome. Beautiful city, amazing architecture and very crowded. You'll enjoy Italy, we spent a week there and it wasn't nearly enough. We went to Venice, Padova, and Rome during that week.
As for the phone, go to a telecom store in Rome and get a prepaid phone with a fixed number of minutes. It'll be cheaper that way, I found out the hard way after coming home to a $600+ phone bill, that was with international roaming option.
Not sure about private tours but we got a Roma Pass when we were there last summer. You don't have to wait in lines, free admission, and free use of the subway and bus system. I was only there for 2 days so I thought it was a pretty good deal but I'm sure people more fimiliar with the area would tell you otherwise. As matrix posted, I would try wait until after the rush for the Vatican and The Coliseum. The lines were absolutely ridiculous for the Colesium when we tried to go the first day. We walked around the Forum and surrounding areas and went back around 5. There was barely anyone there and we really got to take our time and enjoy the scenery without the masses of people. BTW, Rome is an unbelievable city. I've been to a lot of places around the world but I can honestly say that Rome is one of the coolest spots I've ever been to.
Don't make the mistake of signing up for a private guide before hand. Wait till you dock and get off... Mercedes vans for the day with a guide can be obtained for a far cheaper price than the $500 it would cost online.
I've never taken a tour there, but have visited several times over the years. Rome is one of my favorite cities. I hope you have a decent amount of time to spend and good luck with the tour search. Here's a few of the classic places to see when you are there... the Coliseum, the Pantheon (a marvel... seriously!), the Forum, the Trevi fountain if you want to toss some coins there with your sweetness (see the flick ahead of time!), the Catacombs (freaky!), definitely Saint Peter's, the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, the Villa Borghese is beautiful, the Spanish Steps (another movie), but more because they are so famous than for their intrinsic beauty. It's a bunch of steps! (good for a great photo, though) Just countless other things to see, places to go. Outside the city are more marvels. Ostia Antica was the port of Rome during the days of the republic and the empire. No longer connected to the sea, the ruins are worth seeing. The Villa d'Este at Tivoli is stunning. I don't know that I have ever seen as many amazing fountains all in one place. The gardens are beautiful. (a taste below) You can see Michelangelo's Moses (above) at San Pietro in Vincoli, a "small" church not far from the Vatican, if I'm remembering correctly. Truly a stunning work by one of the greatest artists to grace the planet. The sculpture is so fine that the blood vessels on his hands have that hint of blue, like the real thing on the back of your hand. I don't know how the genius created this, or many of his other great works, but there you go. The master managed it. I have to stop. Too many things to see, too little time.
I have been to Rome twice. The first time was in November about 12 years ago. We did not wait long for the Sistine Chapel going early in the morning, maybe 20 minutes, and the Vatican was practically empty. The second time I went was in April of 2007. We went to the Vatican and the Sistine Chapel in the morning, The line for the Sistine Chapel was unbelievable. As I recall it took several minutes (maybe 5 minutes or more) just to walk to the end of the line. The tour groups were allowed to bypass the line. Unfortunately, at the time of that visit the Sistine Chapel closed at 1:30 and the police stopped allowing new people to get in line around 10:00 because of the length. I am glad I got to see it once, but I would have loved a second visit. If you are in Rome for a very short time, it may be best to use a tour guide who can allow you to bypass the lines.
