Our cruise stopped in Civitavecchia, and rather that make the 90 minute one-way trip to see Rome…read moreagain, we decided on finding a private tour around the port area. We found an appealing tour offered by DriverInRome, "Countryside, Castles, And Cute Villages," a 9-hour trip visiting 3 medieval towns and a castle around the nearby Lake Bracciano. I offered other cruise passengers the opportunity to join the tour, and ended up needing two 8-passenger vans. Let me start by saying our drivers, Riccardo and Costinel, were terrific---both very outgoing and spoke fluent English. I was in Riccardo's van, so I can speak very highly about him in particular. Riccardo grew up in the area and knew it like his backyard, enough to know to take some back roads when we hit construction traffic. The three towns, Bracciano, Anguillara and Trevignano, all had historic town centers but were still unique in their own ways. We loved having free time in each stop, like enjoying cappuccino and a pastry in a sidewalk cafe, strolling through a street market, strolling up to a hilltop church for some great photos, and watching a clutch of toddlers in a day care class all holding onto a rope while walking the cobblestone streets like ducklings. The scenery was fantastic, and the towns usually had high points to get some great photos. The castle was in remarkable condition, and gave you all the flavor of medieval aristocracy. During our walk through, we heard a bit of a scream and looked up along one of the castle walls, realizing that a young man had just proposed to his lady fair (she said yes). She was still trembling as we congratulated them as we passed them on their way down. The drivers also took us to a great little restaurant which they had to research for us, because on a Monday in this region many businesses are closed, including many restaurants. Know that drivers are not tour guides---in Italy, guides need to be educated and certified, so Riccardo could not guide us through the towns, but we knoew that in advance. But what he can do is give us his knowledge of the areas while we're driving, such as sites to see in the towns and history of the area, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Later in the cruise, we were on tours that had groups of 35 people, and having a private driver and exploring on our own is our much preferred way to explore. Riccardo and Costinel were terrific hosts, and all 16 of us had a wonderful day seeing the authentic Italy and making new friends. I wholeheartedly recommend DriverInRome.