Private guide needed
 

I would like to hire a guide to take family of five (three adult children) to sites in Rome for 2 days and one day trip outside of Rome (location to be determined).

Could someone recommend a guide with comfortable vehicle who is personable, good English and knowledgable. I have no idea of prices for this service, but $500 per day would be fine. Please let me know if such a service is normally more than that figure.

Thanks for any help on this. Trip starts 6/8.

Kathy

At $500 per day, I believe I'm in the wrong business. Take me! Take me! LOL

Seriously -- if you have a hotel booked, you might check with them about recommended tour companies that can get you a tour guide. We did it that way in Turkey with fantastic results.

Happy Travels,

Jules

Look at www.contextrome.com. We did their Vatican and Ancient Rome tours this March. We did them each as private tours for four of us, and they were 300 euros each. They are highly recommended on this board. Just type in Context Rome (or Scala Reale - that was their former name) and you will find many glowing recommendations. We thoroughly enjoyed our tours and really appreciated the flexibility of having our own private tour as we were with our kids (age 9 and 12). I believe they also do a day trip to Ostia Antica.

You need to contact them right away as they may be booked up.

Okay, I'll do it.

$500 for 3 days should just about cover my airfare, food and lodging.

As for the car: I'll steal one when I get there.

<i>p.s.</i> Kathy: as this is an international board, your date could either be June 8 or August 6.

Last summer we hired a private licensed tour guide, Francesca Caruso, for a 3-hour walking tour of the Ancient Rome area, including going inside the Colosseum without having to wait in the long line. I highly recommend Francesca, she was good for the whole family, including teens.

Last summer her rates were 40 euros per hour for our whole family of 5 people. Her e-mail is [email protected] I found her recommended in the Rick Steves Italy guide for 2004. We would definitely hire her again. She ended up giving us more than the agreed-upon 3 hours, and didn't ask for any extra money. We did give her a tip because she well deserved it. She is fluent in both English and Italian and grew up in Rome.

I don't know if Francesca does driving tours? You would need to ask her about that. She is also good about giving you advise on which public transportation to use.

I can recommend a driver who can take you on a driving tour. We enjoyed Giovanni Benvenuto with Benvenuto Limos, a family business www.benvenutolimos.com He was very reliable, on time, professional, friendly, and knowlegeable. Also he was a very safe driver, and I even found myself relaxing on the hairy Amalfi coast drive! I believe benvenutolimos can arrange a driving tour for you from from Rome or Naples or Sorrento, basically from a variety of locations. Price depends on the season, and on where you want to go. Some day-tours are about 350 euros for the day, others are more. Giovanni picked us up from our Sorrento hotel and took us on a wonderful full-day driving tour (with stops) along the Amalfi coast, as far as RAvello, and then returned us to our Sorrento hotel.

good luck!