Rome guided tours, very dear?

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Abbica

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Hi, my mum, sister and I are heading to Rome in 5 weeks and I was looking into guided tours, as it is recommended you need a guide to do the Collosseum and the Vatican, to actually appreciate the full experience.

It seems extreme in price, e.g. €180 for a guide to take you around all of the collosseum including the underground pits and the Roman Forum. My mum really wants to do this, (I think it has something to do with a crush on Spartucus), but it is excessive, seen as entry is €13.50 to do it by yourself.

Has anyone by chance happened upon a cheaper option for guided tours? Also, even if you pay only €13.50 on entry, can you still go down into the pits or is a guide compulsory?
Thank you for any help with this, it is much appreciated.
 
Might there be audio guides that you can download to your phone in advance?

Check for further advice as you're likely to find a cheaper alternative.
 
Abbica said:
Hi, my mum, sister and I are heading to Rome in 5 weeks and I was looking into guided tours, as it is recommended you need a guide to do the Collosseum and the Vatican, to actually appreciate the full experience.

It seems extreme in price, e.g. €180 for a guide to take you around all of the collosseum including the underground pits and the Roman Forum. My mum really wants to do this, (I think it has something to do with a crush on Spartucus), but it is excessive, seen as entry is €13.50 to do it by yourself.
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I think the private tours are a rip off aimed at mostly American tourists who need to hit and run, coming off a cruise ship etc. There are a few good resources to help you. First, any online city guides, just Google them. More specifically, Rick Steves has a website -www.ricksteves.com - which covers touring in Europe and you can buy his guides or download his audio guides, very useful if you have iPods. The Colisseum can easily be done with a good guide book. The Vatican and museum, including the Sistine Chapel, also can be done with a good guide book. Saturday's Indo supplement mentioned Vatican secret tour for about €58, seemed interesting, [broken link removed]. Also, there are many contributors on Cruisecritic.com who have done Rome on their own or with private tours and they can recommend tour companies if you still wish to go that route. Go to www.cruisecritic.com select 'boards' then 'cruise ports'. Select 'Europe Ports of Call', then 'Italy' and so on. Best of luck, you will enjoy Rome.
 
Thank you very much for the response, had a quick look at cruisecritic and I would say I will get some information off it for sure. I will look into all your recommendations, unfortunately all three of us don't own a smart phone so downloading audio's is out. I will revert if I find a cheaper alternative for further info.
 
Hi Slim, I checked out all the above and the darkrome tour is €270 for the three of us to do the collosseum & pits, although you do get a bit more for your buck with this option but will keep looking on that front, it's still a bit too steep. But you were right about the Vatican tour, really good for €58 and this includes St. Peters and Sistine Chapel so we will book that, all we need at a reasonable price. Will keep looking anyway
 
Slim said:
I think the private tours are a rip off aimed at mostly American tourists who need to hit and run, coming off a cruise ship etc.
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The only way to enjoy Italy it is to accept that sooner or later you are going to get ripped off and just accept it...

Slim said:
More specifically, Rick Steves has a website -www.ricksteves.com - which covers touring in Europe and you can buy his guides or download his audio guides, very useful if you have iPods.
Click to expand...

An excellent reference, Rick Steves has produced some great guide material over the years.
 
I visited Rome with my Mom and sister too! We visited the Colleseum, we paid at the styles and there were guides from their on - we walked all around it but I dont think I have a recollection of the pits.... it was enjoyable and we paid no more that 15euro each. We also visited the Vatican and just happened upon a ver nice guide in St. Peters square (Barbara) I will see if I still have her details, she took us around the vatican and explained every bit to us, as I remember it because we were with her we managed to skip some q's.......I would emphasise that while we were there we were not ripped off and had a lovely time we went around this time of year - the weather was very hot for me...... We used the hop on hop off bus and found it very good....to go from site to site......


Have fun....

J
 
Don't know if it applies to any of your party, but when we were in Rome a few years ago I got free entrance into the Castel Ste Angelo because I could show that I was of pensionable age. I'm fairly sure that similar concessions are available at other locations in the city.
 
Abbica said:
Hi Slim, I checked out all the above and the darkrome tour is €270 for the three of us to do the collosseum & pits, although you do get a bit more for your buck with this option but will keep looking on that front, it's still a bit too steep. But you were right about the Vatican tour, really good for €58 and this includes St. Peters and Sistine Chapel so we will book that, all we need at a reasonable price. Will keep looking anyway
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You don't need a smart phone to download the guides, just a computer and an ipod.....Yeah, I was only thinking of the €58 tour. To be honest, I would be reluctant to pay for private tours but that one seemed ok. If you are going to the Vatican museums, go early as the queues can be long. Ladies cover the shoulders for accessing St. Peter's.
 
I was in Rome back in 2001 but when we were there we got a free tour of the Forum by American history students that give the tours for free and then offer paid nightime walking tours, which we did and found very good. We used the audio guide for the Collosseum, which was good.
 
Hi, I ordered the Rick Steves book which should set me on the right path.

The pits in the Collosseum are only newly opened, go down under the Collosseum, see where slaves, lions etc were kept then go up to the top to the third floor, view of city. Very interesting I am sure. So, I finally found a company that can do it quite cheaply as you can only do it with a guide (with suits us on this occassion). Three of us got it for €93 instead of €270. Here's the link for future use https://selectitaly.com/browse/things-to-do/museum/id:212/dungeons-and-upper-tiers-of-the-colosseum You don't have a guide for the forum or Hill but I am sure our numerous travel guide books will assist on that front.

Apart from booking the Vatican for the €58, thanks Slim, I think as recommended for other attractions, we will just go for your recommendations of rolling up at the front and hope to find a student/guide to take us if needed. Perhaps for the Borgias Gardens or the like.

Thank you all for your help, peace of mind going abroad is great thing and knowinig you're not been ripped off by tour guides!
 
You will love Rome. It's fabulous. May I ask what hotel or part of the city you are staying in?
 
We did a great tour. It was called the scavi tour. You have to apply and the let you know if you get it as it is a type of lotto. It is not expensive about €20 each but it is not for anyone infirm as there is lots of steps and narrow spaces. it is a tour of under the vatican the first church. [broken link removed] I think this should lead you to the booking. Just google the Scavi tour and you will get more info.
 
Yeah, can't wait, only 31 sleeps until we get there.
We are staying at the Hotel Villa Pinciana, came highly recommended, near Borgias gardens, spanish steps, very central.
Went to book the Scavi tour, booked out for those five days we are there and I tried to book it 3 weeks ago! They say book 3 months in advance. I forgot :(
Going to eat at the Ad Hoc restaurant also (also highly recommended), getting the (roman) tasting menu and you get a different wine with each dish. Can't think of a better way to start the wining and dining process!
 
Abbica said:
Yeah, can't wait, only 31 sleeps until we get there.
We are staying at the Hotel Villa Pinciana, came highly recommended, near Borgias gardens, spanish steps, very central.
Went to book the Scavi tour, booked out for those five days we are there and I tried to book it 3 weeks ago! They say book 3 months in advance. I forgot :(
Going to eat at the Ad Hoc restaurant also (also highly recommended), getting the (roman) tasting menu and you get a different wine with each dish. Can't think of a better way to start the wining and dining process!
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Wow! You're certainly going for the total Rome experience! I envy you. Rome very walkable if you're not infirm but the cobbles will knacker your legs but in a good way. enjoy!
 
Hopefully it will be, it was a present from my sister and I for mum's 60th, she has always wanted to go, she thought she would never get there. Then we designed up a card with nude Michaelangelo's on the front and full Rome itinerary inside, she loved it, I think she is going to burst between now and when we finally leave, maybe I will also!
Thank you for everything.
 
You can pick up a tour guide when you go into any attraction in Rome for €10.
They are just waiting around the gates.
 
Alexmartin said:
You can pick up a tour guide when you go into any attraction in Rome for €10.
They are just waiting around the gates.
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I totally agree. A few years back we met a guide at St Peters offereing free tours. We decided to take him up on it and he was great. At the end we got the option to pay for a tour to the Vatican Museum with him (around €10 each) and seeing as he was tried and tested we were very happy to go along with this. He suggested we go for lunch first as the queue was very long and that an hour later would be better. Restaurant he suggested was good and reasonable plus he was right the queue was much shorter. Also he kept us amused with lots of different stories and facts about the Vatican while we were waiting.

We also picked up a quide at the Forum who was brilliant. He was a classics educated Oxford scholar and so informative and funny. One of the best guides I've ever had.

Don't get carried away booking expensive private tours. You'll find lots of choice when you get there and if you pick wisely they really add to the experience. Enjoy....Rome is a wonderful city.
 
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