Does anyone know of a good, inexpensive walking tour company in Rome, I have contacted Enjoy Rome tours but they havent told me where to meet or when. <BR>Thank you.

Walksaroundrome.com was great! Scot was our guide. Loved the walks. Used them for the evening tour and the Vatican tour. They have a web site too. <BR>Char

Enjoy rome tours, I think meet at their offices near the train station. <BR> <BR>I booked a walking tour through <BR>www.sogniitaliani.com <BR>I liked the variations in their tours. <BR> <BR>

Anybody familiar with "Dennis and Michael" from the walking tours mentioned on www.initaly.com - - seem to be very high-priced - - any chance they're worth it?

TTT

Hi, Nancy. I did the evening tour with Enjoy Rome and it was pretty good. The guide was very knowledgable even when I asked her to expand on random things I had heard, not necessarily expecting her to know the answer. <BR> <BR>Did Enjoy Rome get back to you at all? They don't actually book tours over the internet but you can request to reserve a spot a few days before the tour. They will tell you where you need to be at that point or when you go into the office to pay.

I booked with a company called travel-italy.com. It was part walking, part bus. The important stuff was up-close and personal. Good prices and easy to use.

Vita: Can you expand on your experience with Enjoy Rome? Did you take any other tour with them? <BR> <BR>Scala Reale comes very highly recommend, however, I think that they may be too detailed for me. I'm looking for a good, "mid-range" information tour for the Vatican. I'm not looking to be overwhelmed...I have to admit, I'm not a history nut, but want more than just the basic. Thanks for your feedback.

Not sure what you mean by inexpensive, but I recently used Scala Reale <BR>and I thought they were outstanding. <BR>I went on their "Orientation Hike" <BR>(included in their fee) as well as on their 4 hour tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum, and I was fascinated from start to finish. They employ only art and architecture students or teachers. <BR>The agency is very efficient. Confirmed via email, a packet from them was waiting for me when I arrived at my hotel, and they sent me a fax at my hotel when a schedule change became necessary. Advance booking is necessary at most times, now things might be a little less booked up. I had to cancel one of their tours before I left on my trip, and since I was well within the cancellation period they promptly sent me a refund check. <BR>I only wish I'd used them for the <BR>Vatican and had not cancelled.

Marianna <BR>I meant to add,Scala Reale's presentation and narrative was very informative but not scholarly. The true <BR>trivia fans will want an additional resource like the Blue Guide to Rome,or the Michelin Green books. <BR>Our small group had an interesting conversation at the Colosseum about <BR>how accurate the movie "Gladiator" was.

We took that Scala Reale Vatican tour and loved it. Worth every minute. Also took the Orientation Hike; there's no way we would have known to visit some of the gems included on that tour. I arranged everything via e-mail. Our info packet was waiting at our hotel for us when we arrived in Rome. They even made a dinner recommendation for one night and made our reservation for us. Highly recommend them!

Re: the Scala Reale Vatican tour, there is no way to see everything. So, they pick items to talk about and concentrate on & you also have a little time to look around on your own to view the items the guide does not talk about. And, of course, you can ask questions about any of it. Some of the decisions about what to concentrate on are made on the spot as you deal with crowds and others made to tailor to the interests of the group (about 6 people at most). There is a fair amount of detail given in the tour, but I wouldn't, on the whole, call it really scholarly. Definitely better than just going from trivia to trivia, though! To perhaps put what I've said into context, I am someone who has had history of art college courses (for fun, not as a major)and who has spent a bit of time living just outside London, England, and taking advantage of the museums there. In other words, I wasn't coming to the Vatican treasures totally cold, but I'm no art history major, either.

Marianna, No, I just did the evening tour. We started in Piazza Navona and discussed the fountains, the church of St. Agnes and the alleged feud between Bernini and Borromini, then moved on to Trevi Fountain, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. I might have missed something in there. I don't remember the cost of the tour, but it was under $30. Let me know if you wanted to know more. <BR> <BR>I guess the thing about a tour is that it will vary with the guide. For example, I did the group tours offered by the Colosseum and the Vatican museums and they were both horrible, but someone else might have booked these tours, had a better guide, and had a great experience. <BR> <BR>I will also say that I found the audioguide at the Roman Forum useless. I ended up buying a printed guide which I liked.

Marianna, <BR> <BR>I have taken two Enjoy Rome tours: The Vatican and Trastevere and the Jewish Quarter. Both were excellent. <BR> <BR>The tours are not overly detailed, I suppose, though I'm not entirely sure what you mean. If you're wondering whether the tours are accessible to the average tourist who doesn't have a background in ancient Rome, modern Italy, or the intricacies of the Catholic Church, then yes, the tour is great. Don't forget, this is Rome, and every nook and cranny of the city has 3000 years worth of interesting stories to tell. <BR> <BR>The tours are all three hours long, and the guides are knowledgeable about the subjects. Sorry, I can't remember the cost. <BR> <BR>Hope this helps, <BR> <BR>Rob

I really enjoyed the Enjoy Rome tour. I did the Ancient Rome walking tour that was supposed to be 3 hrs., but was closer to 4. Great guide, not too detailed. Was very informative. You have to go to their office by the train station to book the tour and then in our case, we met the group at the Colosseum for the tour. It cost around 35.000L or maybe that was $35. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

Here is the info on Enjoy Rome <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR>Via Marghera, 8A <BR>00185 Roma, Italia <BR> <BR>Tel: 39 06 4451843 <BR>Fax; 39 06 4450734 <BR>[email protected] <BR>www.enjoyrome.com <BR>

USO Rome. Good cheap tours!

Rob/Barb: Thanks for the feedback. Can you tell me how many people were in your tour groups with Enjoy Rome? Thanks.

I must second everything Elaine and others said about Scala Reale ... they are fabulous. I even used them for transport from the airport to my hotel by the river. The Forum walk, in particular, with Gregory, was just outstanding. And you can arrange everything via internet ... and Scala Reale is reliable. And ask them for their restuarant tips ... modest prices, but oh so good. Enjoy Rome. Ciao

does anyone know if the American Express tourist office near the Spanish Steps offers any walking tours?