Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Touring Rome
An excursion accompanied by a Roman is a viable option, but you've got
to be a discerning customer when it comes to choosing what's right for
you. Rome has an overabundance of umbrella-wielding tour guides who
regurgitate snippets from guidebooks. To avoid a superficial tour, rent an
audioguide from the specific site you are interested in seeing.
It's a much better idea to look for guides who will personalize your visit
based on your interests and knowledge of art, religion, or history, or those
who offer niche services like culinary or photo journeys. One of the best
enterprises in Rome is
As The Romans Do
555
(no phone; www.asthe
romansdo.com),
the brainchild of historian and author Dr. Alan Epstein,
who also wrote a wonderful companion book by the same title; it's a must
read for anyone curious about local culture. Alan's wife, Diane Epstein,
directs the culinary and photography adventures. They have lived in the
city for a decade, and have a knack for sprinkling interesting trivia into
their excursions. Their private explorations are very comprehensive, wor-
thy of the higher fees, and the most personalized of any listing here.
Another of the better guide companies is
Context Rome
(
%
06-
4820911; www.scalareale.com),
run by a group of architects and art histo-
rians who take small groups through the local museums. These tours are
extremely focused but less personalized than those led by As The Romans
Do, though they will deviate from the agenda upon request. If you are
especially interested in architecture, these folks will not disappoint.
Through Eternity
55
(
%
06-7009336; www.througheternity.com)
is
an entirely different (read: nonstandard) type of tour company—but worth
your consideration. It is also staffed by a group of art historians and archi-
tects (plus the added bonus of theater experts), and offers niche tours like
Angels and Demons, inspired by Dan Brown's best-selling novel, and a won-
derful Feast of Bacchus wine tasting and culinary extravaganza. Similar to
the folks at Through Eternity,
Enjoy Rome
(
%
06-4451843; info@enjoy
rome.com; see p. 33),
offers niche tours with an emphasis on night walks.
Personal excursion prices vary greatly depending on the number of peo-
ple in the group and the length of time the guide spends with you. Most are
around
€
300 to
€
500 for a 4-hour tour, split by the number of people,
which generally ranges from 2 to 10 in most cases, meaning that these tours
can be extremely economical.
Both Context Rome and Through Eternity also offer pick-up tours of 2
to 3 hours that you can take on an ad hoc basis for about
€
12.
55
At just €7.75, Rome's
Archeobus
(Piazza Venezia;
%
06-46954695; www.atac.
roma.it; daily 9am-8pm)
is the most economical way to reach the significant sights
outside the city walls. You can get on at any of the stops listed below, but the best
place to start is at the beginning, on Piazza Venezia near the ticket kiosk. Stops
