A FABULOUS GUIDE FOR POMPEII / ERCOLANO

Lucia of http://www.luciapompeiiguide.com/ is a wonderful guide who made our day trip to Pompeii and Ercolano (Herculaneum) magical!!

She is an amazing lady with unbelievable insight, a wealth of information and an all-around great woman to spend the day with. I can MOST HIGHLY recommend her to anyone looking for a perfect guide for the day, or half-day. We all immediately loved her. We went down to the Pompeii Scavi and proceeded to have an almost 3 hour tour there with her. She brought the place alive for us and there was no question that she did not have an immediate answer for. We went into so many different "houses" and places there and she knew what to tell us about them all.

At about 2:30 we took the train to Ercolano (Herculaneum) together with Lucia, after resting only a very few minutes with some drinks and snacks. Ercolano is much much MUCH smaller than Pompeii but really very different.

By about 4:40 we ended the tour here too and we paid (120 Euros per person) and said our goodbyes. While this was not inexpensive, it was just about THE most well spent money we paid out for anything on this trip and we were in complete agreement on that, all four of us.

Great list! Bookmarking.

Bookmarking

What a great idea for a thread! Bookmarking.

we have sent 2 emails to nadia g. for matera--- and have not heard back. don't know whether the email is no good-- or perhaps the emails aren't getting through to us for some reason. tried both addresses above. any ideas?? great list.
kawh

This is a fabulous collection of information. I am only sorry I have booked other tours in Rome and Florence through my travel agent. I have not booked any for Venice because I couldn't decide and was going to use the audio guides. Now I have just sent an email to Walks inside Italy thanks to these wonderful recommendations. To all, I thank you!

Somehow missed this thread in the past. We used Daniella Hunt with Mirabilis Urbis tours: http://www.rome-tours.com/

I found her on much older Fodor's threads when I planned my trip. She lists her extensive degrees and experiences in ancient Rome and Greece on her website, but just as importantly she knew the fun facts of how everyday people lived. I recently had reason to email her because a friend is going to Rome soon. Daniella is still giving tours and loving her work.

We had children in our group, so we arranged a price with her. All her current info is on the site:

http://www.rome-tours.com/guide.php

Okay I typed that wrong...mirabilia urbis tours.

ttt

Has anyone used Francesca Caruso recently? I sent an email 5 days ago, and no reply yet. Strange, since last time I used her (just over a year ago), she replied promptly.

Anyone know if she has a new address? (I used last year, and still have "[email protected]".

Grazie!

BOOKMARKING

We used Daniella Hunt of www.rome-tours.com last summer for a tour of the Forum and the Coloseum and she was great. Very passionate, knowledgable,interesting and engages everyone into her world of history. She is not inexpensive but was well worth every euro.She got us thru the 400m line at the Coloseum without a problem or a wait. Knew a great place for lunch and she took care of all tickets in advance. The kids (15,23,25,26)were kind of skeptical at first but when the tour was over they loved her. Wish we would have used her at the Vatican. Would recomend her highly. Contact her you will not be disappointed.

bookmarking

BM

<i><font color=#696969>"I think this is a valuable thread, with just one MAJOR drawback... EK asked people to give prices -- yet himself/herself did not do so ...(this thread is) not as informative for those who must count the pennies."</font></i>

I know this was written in 2010, and Italy's economy has changed a lot since then. Many guides have left Italy in these down economic times but many really good ones remain. If you're serious about hiring a good guide, you'll need to research further beyond this well-intentioned thread.

But, honestly, if you're counting pennies as you travel, invest in a good guide book and forget about costly private tours. No one in Italy can afford to work for pennies these days, and no one with quality credentials is going to work for pennies, either. Most of the guides no longer live near the city centers because the rents are way too high.

Finally, ask one important question first: is your guide licensed? Any so-called historian or amateur blabbermouth can talk a good game but, in Italy, licensed guides meet specific criteria through testing. It's one sure way to know in Italy that the person you hire has the credentials to speak about the country's art and history. Without this credential, I'd be suspicious. There is no excuse not to have a license if you wish to be taken seriously as a professional guide.

Bookmarking

Just an update on Francesca Caruso. She is still working in Rome. It has just been incredibly hot there this week and she said she was wiped at the end of each day and fell behind on her email.

Fortunately for her (unfortunately for us), she is all booked up for all five days we will be in Rome. :(

Good to know she is still out there, though!

Licensing is certainly an indicator, but not a be-all. Daniella worked for the Italian antiquities authorities. She is also who American universities use when they hire a guide for their programs. I am not sure that she is licensed but she is certainly qualified.

Another thing that's important in a guide is their public speaking skills, especially if English is not their native language. On a tour, it can be hard to hear and nuance is lost. As an example, when we went, the guide at the Scavi tour seemed highly knowledgeable; however, most of the people on the tour looked lost. I think it was partly her accent, partly how fast she talked and also she alluded to things a lot of people just didn't know. I had done a second major in history so I knew a lot of her references, but I certainly could not fill the other people in and listen too.

5alive- that is why I take the Scavi every trip to Rome. :) I've had the demure, soft-spoken (omg-I can't hear a thing)60-yr old Italian lady 45-minute tour; I've also had the loud, look-at-each-person-to-make-sure-you-can-hear-me, passionate I-enunciate-every-word-because-I-know-you-want-to-understand-my-English 40-yr-old delightful Italian woman 90-minute tour. :)

I missed the Scavi last trip because my back went out on the way to St. Peter's. Sent my cousin in alone. She enjoyed it, so I'm guessing she didn't get the demure older woman. :)

I love getting someone new each time. :)

Five years ago I used a marvelous tour guide in Rome, and last year in Florence had a fantastic guide. They're both authorized and licensed, personable, incredibly knowledgable and I highly recommend them both.
Rome- Marlene Sommer: [email protected]
Florence - Louise: [email protected]