RomeCabs Transfers and Tours in Italy

 

Buon giorno and welcome to Stefano’s RomeCabs, Rome’s leading company for private transfers and tours in Rome and beyond.

Many clients and potential clients ask us the following question, and we’re taking the opportunity to present to you here 6 reasons why you should.
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Should I book my transfers and tours in advance? 6 Reasons why you should

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1  AVAILABILITY IS LIMITED DURING PEAK TRAVEL PERIOD

While in many wide spacious countries like US, Canada and Australia travelers expect to rent a car upon arriving and drive the car to their hotel, in Italy’s main cities like Rome it’s not possible.  Rome for example (especially the historic center) has traffic restrictions that prohibit rented cars from entering, hotels lack parking lots, and parking itself is expensive and hard to come by.

As such, travelers must rely on either the trains, taxis, buses, or car service to take them between to and from the airport or the cruise port in Civitavecchia.
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For the sake of convenience, ease, and comfort many travelers book car service for their transfers.
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During the peak travel months between spring through fall millions of visitors come to Rome on land trips or cruisers, placing a huge demand on transfer providers.  It’s not uncommon for certain highly periods or days to get booked weeks or months in advance (especially when large cruise ships, or multiple cruise ships dock in Civitavecchia at once).

One of the biggest mistakes travelers make is book 1 arrival transfer in advance to see if they like the company, and if they do they’ll book their subsequent transfers last minute as needed  –  only to find out that the company has gotten fully booked.

The same applies for tours… many travelers wait until they arrive at their destination city and then decide if they want to book a tour. Unfortunately they also find out many of their choice companies have gotten fully booked.

By reserving your transfers and tours in advance, you secure availability which is never otherwise guaranteed.
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2  MOST REPUTABLE COMPANIES GET BOOKED UP FIRST

Just like the best restaurants and hotels get booked up if you don’t have advance reservations, so can transfer and tour companies.

Reputable companies that compete on quality and reliability are the among the first to be sought and booked, making availability with them limited.  

Companies that compete on cheap prices usually farm out transfers and tours to whoever they can in order to book as many services possible, however reliability and quality of service can be touch and go.

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3  YOU ARE BETTER INFORMED, PREPARED WHEN BOOKING IN ADVANCE

When reserving your transfers and tours in advance you have more time to carefully prepare and be well informed.  Transfer and Tour providers offer detailed information about their services that is pertinent to the services you book and you might be at a disadvantage if not reading the information beforehand.
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Transfer companies may operate differently according to local city, airport, or port regulations.

While many airports allow the public (and drivers) to access the baggage claims area so clients are met right by their luggage carousel, many other airports (like Fiumicino Airport that serves Rome) regard baggage area a security restricted area and travelers have to meet their drivers elsewhere.  If booking a transfer in a hurry assuming pick up at the airport is the same everywhere, you will miss out on very important information and find yourself unable to locate your driver.

Tour companies offer different types of tours and itineraries that can take some time to read through and select the best for you. 

Also, not all companies worldwide operate the same way. A tour you book in Greece may not be provided the same way in Italy, local laws regulate the way tour operators, drivers and guides can conduct business. Monuments and Museums may require advance ticket reservations to avoid long wait times or missing out on visiting specific sites all together. Some companies include tickets in their tours, others do not.

Being well prepared and informed in advance prevents disappointments during your travel.

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4  YOUR TRIP IS TAKEN CARE OF IN ADVANCE, NO WORRIES DURING YOUR TRIP

Don’t be one of the many travelers who desperately try to book a transfer the night before only to find their top choices are fully booked, or it’s after office hours and too late to place a reservation. Being left at the mercy of whoever is available and wonder if they will show up to pick you up is not very reassuring.  

It’s a very stressful way to spend your last vacation night.

You should be spending your last few days of your vacation having fun and celebrating, not worrying about how you’re going to get back to the airport or cruise port.

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5  MANY TOURS REQUIRE ADVANCE TICKET RESERVATIONS THAT SELL OUT

Booking an organized tour takes out the pre-trip research, studying and planning an otherwise DIY trip.  Tour companies have already created and organized different tour itineraries to suit various interests. All you have to do is read the tour and service details on their website so you are well informed about what you are booking, and place your reservation.

Depending on the tours that you book, some (or many) may include highly popular monuments and museums that require advance ticket reservations in order to avoid long wait times in lines that can be hours long.
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By waiting until last minute to book tour with popular sites to visit, the tours of your choice can get booked up and tickets themselves can sell out.

If you book group tours your admission tickets may already be included in your tour price as companies that specialize in group tours usually obtain certain pricey contracts to buy tickets in bulk. Because there are a specific number of persons in a group tour the tickets and spots are finite.

If you book private tours you may be required to reserve your tickets in advance as private tours are flexible and itineraries (or tour dates)  can be adjusted to suit clients’ needs.  

One of the many benefits of a private tour is if it includes a certain monument or museum in its itinerary you don’t want to visit, you can substitute it with something else of interest – group or shared tours don’t offer those luxuries and you will be charged for tickets for sites you may not want to visit. By not including admission tickets in the tour fee clients have the option to visit or skip those sites. It’s also less expensive to book one’s own tickets online (such as for the Colosseum and Vatican Museums in Rome,  and Uffizi or Accademia Galleries in Florence) than for the companies to provide them at an upcharge.

It’s important to note that once booked these tickets are Non refundable, so be sure you will keep the tour because the tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged.

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6. YOU CAN BETTER PLAN YOUR TRIP BUDGET AND COSTS IN ADVANCE

When planning for your international vacation, you can better budget your trip in advance and organize your expenses so you are covered for all your travel needs and wants.

When your transfers and tours are booked in advance, you know what they will cost and can calculate your expenses local currency so you are well prepared.  By waiting until last minute, it’s much more difficult to properly track your expenses or be properly prepared to cover them as needed.
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For example… many cruisers docking in Civitavecchia wait until the very last minute to book a port transfer. On busy port days that place a huge demand on transfer services, availability may not be possible. As a result, their choices are limited to very pricey hotel chauffeur services,  local Civitavecchia taxis that often charge double what a standard transfer company charges, or take ship provided transfer services at even  greater fees.  This can place a huge unexpected dent on their travel budgets.
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By booking all your transfers and tours in advance you better budget your travel expenses for a more predictable travel with little or no unpleasant surprises.

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We hope you enjoyed reading “Should I book my transfers and tours in advance? 6 Reasons why you should!”  If you found it helpful, please share with others who might benefit from this information.

Thank you very much for reading our travel blog. If we can assist you with Airport Transfers in Rome, Civitavecchia Port Transfers, Day Tours from Rome or Florence, or Shore Excursions from Italy’s main cruise ports please browse our website for transfer and tour information, or send us an email (contact information is included in our website).

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Thank you for choosing Stefano’s RomeCabs for your Transfers and Tours in Rome and beyond.

Stefano’s RomeCabs Team

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