Paul

Planning on booking a 2-3 hour walking tour of ancient Rome next month and would appreciate recommendations re: good tour guides/companies others have enjoyed.

Judy

Thanks to other Fodorites I've been recommended quite highly to Scala<BR> Reale. Your can search this site on all the infoot go to their website at www.scalareale.org. They are recommended by Rick Steves as well. I booked my tours for July last week, they seem very busy. Good Luck.<BR>Judy

Book Chick

I used American Express & found their tour to be great & reasonably-priced. My guide was Giancarlo, a retired professor of art history & history of architecture.<BR><BR>Buon Viaggio,<BR>BC

Uncle Sam

For an inexpensive walking tour of the Roman Forum try this. Once inside the Forum, you will have to pay, go to the bottom of the little hill and listen for English speaking college students offering free tours.<BR><BR>They are very knowledgable, friendly and they work for tips.<BR><BR>

Gabriela

Do they have audio tours via rental headphones for the Forum and the other sites around, like the Coloseum?

ellen

Try Enjoy Rome - cheaper than Scala Reale. They have a website.

kelly

My husband and I just returned from Rome and while there took a wonderful tour of the Forum and Colosseum with Through Eternity tours (they have a website). We tried to book with Scala Reale before we left for Italy but they were fully booked for the dates we wanted so I asked the person I was speaking with at Scala Reale if they could recommend another tour company. They said the only company they would recommend was Through Eternity because they had knowledgable docents (as opposed to guides who read from scripts) and they kept tour groups fairly small. We booked them online and had no problem getting the tour we wanted on the date we wanted. They are less expensive than Scala Reale - 20 Euros for a 2.5 hour tour, 10% off if you book online. The best part was that while Scala Reale limits its groups to 6 people (I think), Through Eternity normally allows up to 15 or 20, but on the day we took the tour there were only three of us - practically a private tour! I wouldn't hesitate to use this company again.<BR>

larry

For a deluxe one on one walking tour, go with Alan Epstein, an American who lives in Rome with his family. He wrote a good book two years ago called "As the Romans Do" and he has a website, www.astheromansdo.com. You can contact him and he will do a custom tour to suit your interests. I had him as a guide in November and he was terrific. <BR><BR>For group tours Scala Reale is first rate. I would recommend Liz Lev as a guide. Her tours of the Vatican are wonderful and sought after.

Sherry

Kelly. I am so glad that you enjoyed Through Eternity tours. This is the company we picked for our walking tour. I hesitate to say this, but they seemed a little more laid back to me than Scala Reale and this is why I picked them. So it is nice hearing you were pleased because my far most of the postings are about Scala REale, which I am sure is excellent.

gaye

I'm also glad to hear good things about Through Eternity. We are booked for the same tour. They were more in our budget and I'm not sure my teens will listen to all of the details of a Scala Tour. Thanks!

Terry

I am in Rome right now. Have taken a tour with a great guide, Giulia Bernardini. We did the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's. She was great. We will take the Ancient Rome tour with her tomorrow. She only takes small groups. You can reach her at [email protected]. Tell her Mark and Terry sent you!

Terry

Sorry. Typo in Giulia's e-mail address above. It is [email protected]

raerose

ttt
3 families looking for walking tours. children range in age from 12 - 18. Thanks for recommendations

dugi_otok

Thumbs up for Through Eternity.
I took their Rome at twilight tour the night of my arrival. It gave me a great overview for touring the following days. The 2 1/2 hr tour lasted about 4 hrs. The guide was so good that I went on their St Peters and Vatican tour the next day with the same guide.I got a lot more out of seeing St Peters and the museum with a guide. She was an art historian and gave a dynamic, entertaining, and in depth tour. The tour ended about 3PM which gave me time to make purchases at the Vatican gift shop, mail some postcards at the Vatican postoffice and then attend an after noon mass at St Peters.Just a great day.
You can just show up at the meeting point, see their website, and you will still get their 10% discount.The guide did not ask anyone if they had a reservation.I doubt that their tour is limited to 23 people as advertised.
Children would not be bored by these tours. There were several on these tours. The night tour included a stop in Piazza Navona for geloto.
One added note, no shorts allowed in St Peters. The guide had a guy buy leggings at a shop so that he could be part of the tour. He looked funny, but it worked.

Gary

raerose

ttt...any recent reviews

MK2

I used Enjoy Rome for two walking tours, Ancient Rome and the Vatican. Was very happy with both tours and would recommend them. My group had about 10 people total for each tour.

raerose

ttt