Rome? Florence guides
 

Can anyone recommend a guide for Rome and Florence? I will be going there with my husband on June 25.. Thanks in advance for your help. Singer 8

What kind of guide are you looking for? Private or group? All day or for specific museums/venues? Do you have a budget?

A private guide to see perhaps some museums, the old city etc. Thank you. I also know it won't be inexpensive.

I can highly recommend Stefano of Rome Cabs. I used his services for both inner-city tours, a night tour, and a day trip excursion outside the city when I took my mother to Rome last year. He was such a gem and is very knowledgable about his city, and showing it to others.

http://www.utenti.lycos.it/romecabs/

Sorry I don't have any recommendations for Florence.

Folks on this board seem to love Context Rome tours, especially the ones of the colloseum area and the Vatican museums. They take 6 or fewer people in a group and are led by scholars who really know their stuff. We plan to use them when we go in May.
They also do some tours in Florence. Here's their site with all the info. Have a great time!
http://rome.contexttravel.com/index.php?sess=ct

In Rome I recommend Francesca Caruso. We used her for a half-day tour last month. Her English is flawless and the price reasonable as compared with other options we checked out.

Context Rome gives outstanding tours, I have used them many times in Rome and highly recommend them; and as noted above they have recently opened a branch in Florence. In Florence, I have used http://www.firenzeantica.org
and http://www.artviva.com/originalwalk.html for walking for tours as well and liked them both. Firenzeantica was execellent, but I believe it may now be absorbed into Context Rome, check their website. Artviva also does a day bike tour in the countryside that is a lot of fun.

Just returned from Rome and had a private Vatican tour with Brenda from Italy with Us. Her knowledge and enthusiasm really made us able to appreciate more in a constantly crowded museum. Also, we were able to do the Vatican sponsored Scavi tour (excavation site under St. Peter's-group of only 10-12 with great information)-a bargain at about 10 euros a person and it is worth an e-mail to request a tour. More info. about this tour can be had by doing a search of this site and the Vatican's.

Thank you for all your information. I can't wait to go! Singer