Looking to have a private guide (or small groups) to take us to the sites we are interested in seeing when we are in Rome. We'd like to see many of the sites in 1 day and are not really interested in doing a tour w/a big group.

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Francesca Caruso:

e-mail: [email protected]

phone: 06-781-0633

ekscrunchy - do you know if she gives tours on Sunday?

She is a freelance guide; I would not know that but I would certainly advise you to write and ask her. She really was very good and knowledgeable and personable. She does some tours for Rick Steves but don't let that dissuade you! I would use her again.
She is in her early 30s, I would guess, and has an American mother if I am remembering right. She is licensed. And her price was lower than a few others we looked into; I did this tour with SandiTravelnut and our 2 partners.

Without any hesitation, I strongly recommend Professor Enrico Bruschini, who has guided President Clinton, then Governor Bush, and others to sites in Rome. We used him last September and it was every Euro! Here's a link to an English language newsletter on Italy that featured Professor Bruschini one year. http://www.dreamofitaly.com/may-sample.pdf

Professor Bruschini is also the author of the official art guide to the Vatican Museum. I would strongly recommend your buying his book before you go if you intend to include the Vatican Musuem in your tour. Here's a link to the posting I made after we returned from Rome and I discuss our tour: http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34879048

Sounds like you will not have time for a lovely dinner but if circumstances change, I would recommend your dining at La Pergola, at the Hilton in Rome. It has 3 Michelin Stars.

I emailed Professor Enrico Bruschini and for the Vatican Tour it was 525 Euros for three people - I think it was for 2 or 3 hrs. I would love to do it, but it's not in our budget.

I understand. We were able to find another couple to join us--met them in Naples at the Holiday Inn--and that's what made it almost affordable. It was still sticker shock. We were able to tour for 400 Euro, as I recall. It's in my original posting, I think. We debated seriously whether to take the chance that we wouldn't find a couple to join us. Our once in a lifetime dinner at La Pergola was going to be very expensive, so, the two events together, made it really, really hard. The only thing that encouraged us to take the risk was that our friends who used him first--the ones who toured with him the day Pope Benedict was elected--said that it would be worth the money, even though very expensive. The man was actively involved with consulting on the cleaning of the Sistine Chapel, and received special permission to touch the fingers of Adam and God where they meet on the ceiling. That took a papal dispensation, so to speak! I can only tell you that I would not have agreed to take the risk on finding another couople if the price to us had originally been the 525 Euros quoted. No way. I can tell you, however, that if I wanted to tour the Museum again, I would take the chance at 525 Euro and pray, pray, pray, we were fortunate enought to find another couple to join us. And, the couple that was with us was a delightful couple! Made it all the more worth it!