Car and Driver Services

As travel photographers and writers, we have visited Rome dozens of times over the past twenty-five years.

We have found the very best way to get into Rome and see the highlights of the city, is with an experienced driver who knows where everything is located, and has a car pass to enter the city at any time. During one guidebook assignment, we researched, found and photographed over two-hundred different subjects in less than a month. Without the help of Family Remo’s Executive Limousine of Rome (www.driverinrome.com), we would have be lost and overwhelmed most of the time.

 saint peter square
Driver Remo Melaragno playing the accordion at St. Peter’s Square  

Now they’re our only choice for travel anywhere in the Rome area, and often to other places throughout the country. We are delighted to see their driver waiting at the airport arrival area, with a big baggage cart and an even bigger smile.

Remo Melaragno, and his son Daniele, are the owners of Executive Limousine. They employ a dozen or so drivers and have an equal number of different sized vehicles. We feel like royalty touring around town and country in their black Mercedes. And, they know where even the smallest attractions are located. With their help, we know it’s always going to be a fun and easy trip, no matter how complicated our needs or busy the streets.

We’ve learned a lot about working with a car and driver service over the years.

First off, it doesn’t seem cheap when surfing their websites, and the ones that do aren’t worth considering. And, a driver service will be expensive if you don’t have a organized plan.

We suggest making a list of things you want to see and experience, before leaving home. Share this with your driver service via email and ask for their suggestions and proposed budget.
Driver Daniele Melaragno at Arch of Constantine 

We’ve found that traveling around the city by taxi has been frustrating and expensive, even with a good list of places and a basic knowledge of Italian. It’s a lot easier and more enjoyable touring with someone who really knows the city well. We also like discovering restaurants, markets, galleries and shops, that are patronized primarily by Italians. Best of all, Remo and Daniele make it seem as though we’ve been adopted by an Italian family.

While most drivers are knowledgeable about the area’s attractions, and Remo’s people are no exception, by law they are only allowed to drive people to those attractions. Only specially licensed guides can provide tours, for a fee, inside the various attractions. Such guides can be procured by the driver service, or you can rely on a little advance InterNet research and a good guide book to make your own way. You’ll have more fun and probably more accurate information using a good guide book.  Frommer’s Guides (www.frommers.com) offer a wide selection of Italian travel guides, some of which carry our images, as well.

Tourism is at its height during the spring through fall months, when the most popular sights are as congested as the roadways. This is when our driver service saves us a lot of time and frustration standing in line waiting for tickets or entry to attractions. Not only do Remo’s drivers know every place in Rome, they know everyone in Rome.

They know the best times to visit, when crowds are low, and their clients are able to by-pass the long lines for tickets and make immediate entries. Even at the Vatican, which often has lines lasting more than twohours. They can also get a table at the most popular restaurants, with a quick cell phone call to the manager who is most often a long time friend or relative. Even better, one of their cousins, and they have a lot of cousins, has a small restaurant that you will love. In these small places you will be treated like family. There is no higher honor in Italy.

You may think the driver information we’ve provided here, about Remo and Daniele’s Executive Limousine service, is little more than a shameless promotion. And, you’re right. After twenty-five years of traveling throughout Italy, many readers and friends rely on our honesty in helping them see the very best of this wonderful country. Our recommendations are based on our experiences and nothing more. We hope this information will help make someone’s trip more enjoyable, as well.