guyinct

I'm looking for a good, high class tour package for Rome (summer) for my family and me. Where they will show you everything in a friendly, unhurried atmosphere, and where you will find a mix of ages (not just retired people). Does such a thing exist only in the movies? Is Perillo the way to go, or are they just the most well known? Thanks for any tips.

buongiorno

I would separate the travel from the tour. By that I mean, get to Rome yourself and select a local tour company. We've been to Rome a few times and through another website, found a company called Vatican Tours & Beyond. They have a website. They were fantastic. It was only my wife and I and we had our own little van that took us around to the sites and, I think we got a much better education about what we were seeing by having the one on one guide. It helped us to fall in love with Rome and Italy.

wliwl

Consider taking your family without a tour. All the tours I saw in Rome (and there are hundreds) looked, well, frankly, miserable -- they looked hot and bored and tired. I didn't see any with kids or teens. (Although I suppose there must be some...)

There are many wonderful mini-tours you can do once you are there. Context Rome has some great ones, and there are others.

Rome is small and easy to get around on foot. Many of the streets are way too narrow for a tour bus, or they are pedestrian only.

Accomodations - well there are tons of good suggestions on here and on tripadvisor.com for hotels, and also on here and slowtrav.com for apartment suggestions (which can be very economical for families).

nytraveler

Would not reco Perillo if you are looking for upscale tours - they're distinctly not. Hotels are moderate at best, often far out of town (one friend of my parents was stuck in Mestre rather than Venice) and the meals are poor.

Agree with others - get yourselves to Rome and sign up for tours once you're there. That way you're free to do what you really want - and not stuck with "group meals" and someone else's idea of a nice hotel.

Amart

I tend to agree with buongiorno. We used VT and Beyond for about 5 tours. They picked us up on schedule and provided great guides. Context Rome should be just as good. You can arrange a driver to pick you up at the airport through either company. Most hotels offer breakfast, and if you stay in a good hotel near lots of eateries, then you can try to eat on the cheap. There are several websites that rate/review different tour companies like Perillo.