Rome Tours and Vatican Tours

Shore Excursions Rome have become popular, and not just with passengers arriving in Civitavecchia. Cruise ships to Rome are regarded as floating cash points by some of the bigger italian limo services and their ever-so-smart drivers. They've really hogged the limelight in recent years and charge an arm and a leg for a quick drive (and some kind of tour) to Rome and back. This is a service standard in dire need of improvements and we are working extremely hard to do our bit! Our own shore excursions to Rome from Civitavecchia and back are of a very high standard indeed. We now offer top quality Italy shore excursions and port transfers from Messina, Palermo, Venice, and Livorno too.

We are hoping that our Vatican City tours this year will be as popular as ever, if not more so. They are unique in that the sheer volume of works of art in the Vatican Museums means that it is essential to book with the right tour agency. Always, always book your Vatican tours through a local agency. Booking online through a major tour operator is not recommended, they hire freelance guides they'll never meet who greet their customers on a street corner near the Vatican they've never seen - it will only end in tears!

A final word about TA! TripAdvisor Rome used to be a paragon of virtue in so far as reviews of Rome and Vatican tours were concerned, but now, no one cares. TA has become a drawing board for illegal guides to write their way to the top.

Official Vatican Tours

Official Vatican tours? Few and far between online. You are almost guaranteed an unofficial Vatican tour if you book on any one of the vast majority of websites which sell unlicensed small group tours using unlicensed tour guides, all of whom meet on street corners close to the museums in order to avoid prying eyes.

For lots of useful information about official Vatican tours and visiting Rome in general, head over to our website or join 3,000 others on Facebook :-)

See the Vatican with the official Vatican Tours agency in Rome

To book an official Vatican tour online is easily done. You may also call in to our customer service center Mon - Sat until 14:00 PM and join a small group Vatican tour without booking in advance if you so wish. We are based at Via Sebastiano Veniero 21 which is less than 100 metres away from the Vatican Museums entrance. When In Rome Tours is the leading independent Vatican tours provider in Rome. All our tours of Rome and the rest of Italy are of an exceptionally high standard.

Lux in Arcana

Between February and September 2012, some one hundred never seen before documents from the Vatican archives will be on display in the Capitoline Museums. "Lux in Arcana - Secret Vatican Archives Revealed" (you can bet your bottom dollar they won't be for a long while yet), a thinly veiled attempt by the Vatican to proffer transparency in the public domain amidst ongoing debate about Pope Pius XII's unwillingness to help those who perished in the Holocaust and Final Solution, which raged unchecked in the early years of his 1939 - 1958 papacy, may be worth a look.

A parchment with red wax seals from the English Parliament dates back to 1530, imploring Pope Clement VII to annul Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Permission was not granted, and the Church of England came into being. Missives from the trial of Galileo Galilei's 'heresy' will also see the light of day. However, only a miniscule quantity of documents have been tagged for the exhibition on Campidoglio, which serves only to propagate the intrigue and mystery which surrounds the secretive Vatican state. No one can say exactly where the closely guarded collection is located within the towering walls of the Vatican city, but we do know that it has existed for well over 1,000 years, ergo it stands to reason that they must be hiding something. We'll never know what, or why. It seems that the mythos surrounding Dan Brown's Angels and Demons is set to stand the test of time, and may not have been too wide of the mark of truth after all. We'll be extending our Vatican tours to include the exhibition early next year.

Vatican Tours

New early bird Vatican tours ready to book at When In Rome Tours - 3 hours, early Sistine Chapel extended between May and October.

Wine Tours Rome

When In Rome Tours are now running day trips to a wine producing facility near Frascati. Many Romans enjoy the flavours of both red and white wines from Rieti, Valmontone, and the ancient Etruscan town of Cerveteri. For visitors to Rome, however, the conveniently closer towns which together comprise the Castelli Romani, an area renowned for highly regarded DOC white wines Novello, Superiore, and Novello Superiore, are more appealing.

Frascati is the best known town in the Castelli Romani. It's location, amidst a beautiful expanse of forests and lakes, is just 18 kms south of Rome. The twin crater lakes of Albano and Nemi are nearby, both of which proffer splendid panoramic views. Delicious food and delectable wines have made Frascati a magnet for city dwellers in the hot summer months of July and August.

Our private wine tour departs Rome along the Appian Way and passes by the vineyards of Marino, another town famous for the production of white wine, then continues on to Frascati where we spend half a day in the grounds of local wine producing villa Tenimento di Casamara.

The villa was built over a 1st Century AD settlement in the same location as a 300 year old farm used for olive oil production. Here we can see how wine is made, stroll through the vineyards, and taste the final product.

Lunch is taken in the grounds. Options include visits to the towns of Ariccia, Genzano, Velletri and Montecompatri for more wine tasting and sightseeing. Picturesque Ariccia and Genzano proffer outstanding views of the Tyrrhenian sea. Ariccia, steeped in myth and legend, is mentioned in the prologue and epilogue of Frazer's Golden Bough, which introduces the reader to the high priestess Diana Nemorensis. Diana's image has adorned wine bottles and amphorae produced in the area since Rome's republican era.

When In Rome Tours now offer a selection of private wine tasting excursions in Grottaferrata, and introductory tastings in Rome's ancient city centre.

For more information, visit our website.

Rome tour guides - Dos and don'ts

 A definitive article about this has been a very long time coming, watered-down versions were published on WordPress some years ago but they just skimmed the surface. How did (and still does) tourism in Rome work on the ground? Why are there so many tiny offices dotted around the Vatican Museums, and to a lesser extent, the Colosseum? Who are the foreigners sitting at the desks devouring all the cash and who is behind all of this? Which Rome tour operators are legit today and which ones are to be avoided? Why does this impact upon the quality of your tour guide when in Rome? Find out!

 When in Rome, (do pardon the repetition, there is a reason for it), tours have always been about cash, cash, and more cash. These days, a large part of our industry has moved online, but every independent agency and operator began life on the streets of Rome. They would stop at nothing to extract as much cash as possible from tourists to the tune of thousands of dollars every day. All those guys on mopeds speeding home from said small offices after a day of paying no taxes? Quite possibly the husband or partner of the CEO, LOL, and you can bet your bottom dollar that his shoulder bag was crammed with cash. Seriously though, these people stole millions of euros from Rome, they raped Rome, and they still rape Rome. This pitiful story will roll on, it's the gift that keeps on giving, as it were.

 Anyway, about tour guides in Rome, how to get the best Rome tour guide is not mission impossible. Always book your tours of Rome online and choose your tour operator carefully. For example, When In Rome Tours (again...) now trades as Italia Tours, How many times have I written "when in Rome" to lend weight to this article? Work it out.

 In Rome Tours has always respected Rome. We never abused our city. How many Rome tour operators can say the same? Likely zero, or count on one hand.

Fake gladiators caught with masses of cash

 What we're really talking about here is fraud. That a bunch of unscrupulous, unwashed Italian blokes from the rag end of Rome have been scamming tourists for years in front of some of the most spectacular ruins in the world, comes as no surprise. What has been surprising, though, is the negative effect their dirty work has had on our own increasingly popular shared Rome tours, all of which have taken years to develop.

 CNN, BBC, The Guardian, Sky News, all suffering from UK riots burn out, decided to headline a story about undercover police in Rome dressing up as the Praetorian Guard, waste disposal experts, and tourists - to infiltrate groups of cash-crazy fake gladiators. Their mission was to get the lowdown on what is upsetting so many people in such beautiful places when the sun is shining and everyone else is out and about enjoying the city.

 Tourists have been complaining for years about being charged up to thirty euros for a "gladiator photo", and if they didn't pay up, threats were made and cameras taken. When news broke of fisticuffs between semi-official and totally illegal "fake gladiators" who prey on unsuspecting tourists for perhaps the most expensive photo ever, that is unless you've crossed swords with the gentleman from Bangladesh who charges plenty for a pretty poor polaroid pic of you and your inebriated mates on Campo dei Fiori - it didn't just go local, it went global.

 In so far as we are concerned, police intervention against the uniformed touts and heavy news coverage of what transpired (arrests) compromised our Rome tour bookings, particularly Coliseum tour bookings. An unrelated search for Vatican tours unearthed another article by The Guardian about the gladiatorial scandal. The story was everywhere and millions were reading about it.

 After flatlining for some 36 hours, bookings eventually picked up. It was as if everyone soon to be visiting or already in Rome really believed that the entire city was set up to rip them off, when in fact the only people intent on doing so are randomly corrupt cab drivers, occasionally twisted restaurant staff - and fake gladiators. When in Rome, avoid these people at all costs!

Taoiseach Kenny eviscerates the Vatican!

 Pardon the exclamation mark, as none of the above will come as any surprise to those of us who have been following reports of sexual child abuse in the church in County Cork, Ireland. No help has been forthcoming from the Vatican, and Irish bishops claim that they have been somewhat left out in the cold. What help they required above and beyond proper implementation of 1996 legislation "Child Sexual Abuse: Framework for a Church Response", however, is still in need of clarification.

 The latest problem involves the Cloyne Report of July 13th. Findings detail the nefarious activities of Cloyne Bishop John Magee, former secretary to three popes. He paid scant attention to cases of sexual child abuse which landed on his desk as recently as 2008. The report states that in his lengthy communications with government officials, Magee claimed that his diocese was correctly reporting all allegations of clerical child sexual abuse to the civil authorities. In fact, he misled an inquiry team and his own advisors. Magee devised a plan to create two separate accounts, one for Vatican officials and another comprising diocesan files relating to his meeting with a friend priest suspected of abusing children, in order to delay an inquiry and "help" his friend.

 Parliamentary debate and the ensuing judicial report, made public on July 20th, hinted that the Holy See hindered investigations only indirectly, as a result of extended administrative delays.

 Whether or not any of this should concern visitors to the Vatican Museums on one of our Vatican tours is debatable, however, we are of the opinion that it is important to publish material which reminds tourists in Rome that all is not well behind the high walls of the Holy See.

The whys and woes of Vatican tours

 An amazing Vatican tour during the busy high season of July and August is what every tourist wants. However, for every bona fide tour operator and great Vatican tour guide, there are hundreds of illegals. They hang round the Vatican 18 hours a day, gathering and even guiding unsuspecting tourists through what is more often than not the worst Roman holiday experience imaginable.

 Imagine a weary eyed back-packing student inviting you to join an "official" Vatican tour as soon as you arrive at the metro station closest to the Vatican museums. This is normal. These gatherers are recruited by tour operators that rent poky offices on the streets that encircle the Vatican City. They call visitors to the Vatican "McDonalds tourists". All of this is an ugly fact of Vatican, indeed Rome tourism that needs to be policed with 100% more conviction.

 Almost every street corner around the Vatican museums is owned by (mostly) unlicensed guides, definitively illegal gatherers, and more than a few money laundering Vatican tour operator owners. Most of these are American, Columbian, Cuban and Egyptian. When in Rome, as it were... The bottom feeders are from Bangladesh (also known as "Bindis" by the aforementioned tour operator...). Vast quantities of euros are handed over by tourists to these shady characters who can be very difficult to spot. No income tax, no VAT as anyone who grew up in eighties England will tell you. Better stay home and pick up that Trevor Francis tracksuit for a tenner. Viva Viale Sebastiano Veniero 19!

Guided Pompeii tours and more

 We can offer you a guided tour in Pompeii here at Eternal Tours Rome on our Day Trips from Rome page as well as on our main Pompeii tours, Herculaneum and Amalfi website. Either or, there are many options to choose from, especially if you'll be travelling from Rome to Pompeii any time soon.

 Our private Pompeii tours explore the remains of the ancient city, famously destroyed in AD 79 at the start of the brief reign of Titus Flavius Vespasianus. The Pompeiani were killed by pyroclastic flows pouring forth from Vesuvius over a period of about 10 hours.

 If you really want to splash out and go everywhere Amalfi, it is best seen from the comfort of a private minivan to Amalfi with When In Pompeii Tours. They also offer exciting train and boat combos for secluded beach seekers.

 For more information about day trips from Rome to Pompeii, Amalfi coast tours, tours of Pompeii and Vesuvius, visit Eternal Tours Rome or When In Pompeii Tours - two superb sites by one great company.