Day Tours in Europe: by Bus, on Foot, and Your Take on Local Guides: 2006
There are hundreds of European day tours available by bus and on foot. Many of these are small independent operators offering a great value. But quality varies, all are an important commitment of time, and you want to choose wisely. Which ones are the best value and why?
Tuscany Wine Tours
My sister and I just returned from our trip to Rome and Italy. Our parents also went along for the trip. This would be their first time outside of the USA. We scheduled several tours in Rome Using the tour company Odyessy Tours and had such a great experience with our tour guides Mitra and Stephanie. They were entertaining, pleasant and just lovely. They provided a personal touch to the group tour. We were actually the only 4 in the "group tour" which worked to our advantage. I would highly recommend both the tour company and request either lady to be your tour guide. We then hopped onto a train and ventured to Florence. There we did a day trip with Rebecca and her company Tuscan Wine Tours. Rebecca was accomodating and very personable and educated in the vineyard area we were traveling to. We first stopped at a vineyard about 2 hours away from Florence where we met Katia, whom let us view her vineyard and then provided a wine tasting for us in her home. After that Rebecca took us to Alberto's kitchen where he cooked up a feast for us personally. We then did a quick stroll around town and tried to walk off some of the food. After a very full and lovely day Rebecca drove us back to Florence where I ended up sleeping most of the way there. I would highly recommend Rebecca and her company Tuscany Wine Tours to anyone that is trying to see the real Tuscan area and experience it on a personal level with an individual whom loves what she does and takes an interest in her clients. Thanks to Roman Odyssey and Tuscany Wine Tours for making sure we had a memorable trip.
Rachel <email>
Washington, DC USA Mon 12/18/2006
Rome tours
We were in Rome over Thanksgiving. It was our second trip. When we were there previously we had Francesca Caruso guide us through the Coloseum. This trip we used her again to go through the Vatican and then the Coloseum again. She is terrific! She is mentioned in Rick's book.
G, D and A
USA Mon 12/11/2006
Wonderful Prague Guide
We just returned from a trip to the Czech Republic and were extremely impressed by Prague. It is a beautiful city – think Paris at 2/3 the cost – filled with great food, jazz, castles, cathedrals, and museums. The people are warm and friendly and the shopping – for selected items – is very good, as my wife will attest. We discovered an incredible guide, Sarka Pelantova (saraguide@volny.cz), who we hired for an orientation tour of the city. We enjoyed her company so much that we engaged her to take us – via train – to the castle town of Karlstejn. This turned out to be a true "back door" experience. Karlstejn is a small village of a few hundred surrounding the castle (built in 1348). Sarka is a local girl and we could hardly walk a few feet without one of the villagers approaching her and giving her a hug. The news of her impending marriage quickly spread and numerous locals tried to talk her into being married at the castle. Sarka explained she would not do so since this castle was built by King Karel IV, who had four wives. Legend has it that if you marry in the castle, you will also have four wives. She wasn't about to risk it. I cannot recommend a guide more enthusiastically than this: Sarka made our trip to the Czech Republic a memorable experience. We will return and hire her again.
Jim Stover <email>
Houston, TX USA Mon 11/27/2006
London Walks
I highly recommend London Walks http://www.walks.com/. Just make sure that you are with a REAL London Walks Guide (he/she will have a blue badge and be carrying their brochures). £6 per person. Just show up at the appointed time and place, no reservations needed. My husband and I went on a Jack the Ripper walk on a chilly Saturday night shortly after I moved to England. What fun! Doing it at night made it wonderfully spooky, and we got to see parts of London we might not have discovered on our own plus learn a little history.
Whatever you're into - from Harry Potter to pubs to ghosts to gardens - they've got a walks for pretty much everyone. I recommend them because it will give you a chance to see parts of London while learning a little history from a local guide. And maybe after two hours with your guide, you'll be brave enough to venture out on your own.
Pamela
Uxbridge, UK Mon 11/27/2006
Roman Odyssey Vatican Tours
We just returned from our trip in Italy and would especially like to recommend anyone going to Rome to book a tour with Roman Odyssey. We went to the Vatican museum a couple of weeks ago on a prebooked tour, and our guide Mitra was not only there early in the morning at the meetingpoint already waiting, she was very knowledgeable and so entertaining four hours of touring just flew by! We warmly recommend Roman Odyssey to anyone going to Rome, if all their tourguides are like Mitra, no wonder they are in Rick Steves!
Carol & Brenda
Dallas, TX USA Mon 11/20/2006
Spain tapas & wine tours
for Food & wine lovers we did a excellent private tours in Spain with a US company called magical spain. Had tapas & art tour + winery day trip visit in Barcelona, In Madrid and Seville we had fantastic private cooking demo / class + meals. Latwer we did a private winery visit+ seafood feast in Jerez / San Lucar. Contact Richard or Daniel in advance as these guys are very popular and good. Try the web site first on http://www.magicalspain.com or phone + (34) 678 72 44 68. Not cheap but private top quality profesional service never is. Come to think of it my plumber charges more:-)
John & Britton Carlton
NYC, USA Mon 11/20/2006
one days Tour Tangier
Tangier Morocco this Port is the gateway to Morocco. a great port and very picturesque, It is basically a fishing and commercial Port. The ship offered a shuttle ($5 each way) to the unattractive town center, where there is a small tourist info booth.
our friends joined an extremely irate set of pax in a queue (line) for the return shuttle, one small bus for hundreds of people,. they expected great things from this report, having watched the ship's tour video, but they were disappointed, having taken a short bus ride around the old city; they opted to go to the beach. It was very windy and the beach didn't look all that clean and there was a nasty smell, so they returned to the peace and tranquility of the ship. their money was subsequently refunded, after complaints to the Purser. They received loads of complaints and Passengers didn't trust their ground transportation organization, at all.
We decided to take our pre-arranged guide Nezha, (good value) at: visitmorocco2@gmail.com Old City Medina, Kasbah Souks Plus Caves of Hercules and outskirts which was a quite attractive run along the Atlantic & Mediterranean coasts. I believe that Some People stayed on the ship to enjoy the sunshine! I would recommend joining an independently pre-arranged taxi / limo, A.C. Van as it Can take a very long time by Public transport. We had a great time and will certainly Tour with Nezha.
alias58
Boston, USA Sat 11/18/2006
Yorshire Dales
For those who don't have a car or don't want to drive on the challenging backroads of the Yorkshire Dales, give Throstlenest Dales Tours a try. They have both full day and half day trips in a mini-bus, with several different schedules covering all parts of the Dales. I found it a great way to get into parts of the Dales I could never have reached on my own, with a guide (Tricia, the owner) that really added to my enjoyment. The tours are also very reasonably priced. Check out www.throstlenesttours.co.uk.
Amanda Black
Portland, OR USA Wed 11/15/2006
Rome and Florence Tours (11/06)
We were in Florence in late October 2006 and took three tours through Walking Tours of Florence (www.italy.artviva.com), which came well recommended on your website. We were very pleased with all three tours (Original Walking Tours, Uffizi Gallery and Michaelangelo tour), but were particularly pleased with Sabrina, who lead the Original Walking Tour. She was incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic about Italian history and art and we thoroughly enjoyed her tour. All of the tours had a limited number of people; I think the biggest was 12 people. The only complaint I have about the company is that the office staff were not very helpful (no using the bathroom in the office, not very willing to store packages between tours). In Rome (early November 2006), we did three tours through Rome Walks (www.romewalks.com) (also highly recommended on your website and in your book). All three were excellent, also with enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides. We particularly enjoyed Cynthia and Julia. We liked Julia so much we asked for her for a second tour! With Rome Walks, the guides meet you at the sites, but provide very explicit directions. At both companies, but especially Rome Walks, the guides spent much more time than the tour itinerary indicated and really seemed to care that we had a great experience. I would highly recommend both of these companies to your readers.
Margaret McCulla
Rockville, MD USA Mon 11/13/2006
Rome Colosseum, Palatine Hill
We used Romearound Tours for our visit thru the Colosseum and Palatine Hill. They came recommended to us by our guide we used for a fantastic private tour of the Vatican. Roberto did a nice job at the Colosseum keeping everything lively and humorous. Jennifer gave a fantastic tour of the Palatine Hill, filled with tremendous information on the history of the city, culture, etc. Jennifers tour was one of the best parts of our visit, next to the Vatican
Brendan Grady
Stamford, CT USA Mon 11/13/2006
Lisbon Day Tours
Lisbon now has some good walking tours and intimate day tours in small vans to Sintra, Fatima, Nazare, Obidos, etc. I did two walking tours that meet in Rossio square each day at the base of the main statue. In English, no reservations needed. Reserve for the van tours. The guides were excellent. A great way to get to know Lisbon. www.insidelisbon.com
Rich
Bellingham, WA USA Thu 11/09/2006
Tuscany tours, Franco Fadda
I just returned from my first Tuscan trip. I will definitely return. The trip was made very special by taking two tours with a local guide, Franco Fadda, recommended elsewhere on this board. He has a special knowledge of wines and the Siena area which he combines to make an incredible experience. We had an intimate lunch in the wine cellar of a small winery and were able to taste several wines. We toured several small villages and were greeted warmly by the local people. I would have never attempted driving to these places on my own and Franco inspired confidence. His tours are small (2 -5 people) and customized to your wishes. He runs tours from the Florence, Pisa, and Siena areas. He can be reached by email at francofadda@hotmail.com and his website is francowinetourexperience.com. If you want genuine and personal treatment, this would be good for you.
Trish Barrett <email>
Salt Lake City, UT USA Tue 11/07/2006
wine tour day trip
I just returned from italy. One of the highlights of the trip was the tuscan wine tour offered by rebecca christopherson. rebecca was delightful and entertaining. we left florence in the morning and headed out to the tuscan countryside to a winery, where the hostess was most gracious followed by gregorian chants at a monastary, and an incredibly delicious meal prepared by an accomplished chef on his estate. Before returning, we visited the town of montalcino and the fortress therein. a day not soon forgotten. www.tuscan-wine-tours.com
D. Overman <email>
Dallas, Texas USA Mon 11/06/2006
Venice tours
My wife and I took the Grand Canal Boat Tour and the Original Venice Walking Tour with Avventure Bellissime. We had been on several tours during the two weeks we were in Italy and Greece and found these two together with a Roman Odyssey Vatican Tour in Rome to be the best. Our guides were pleasant, spoke excellent English, and provided a lot of information about both major and lesser known sites. We took these tours at the end of October which meant that it was getting dark during the last half hour of the boat tour which began at 4:30. At that time of year, it might be useful to request an earlier start time.
Ray Carlson
Prescott, AZ USA Mon 11/06/2006
Vatican Tour
My wife and I toured the Vatican with a guide from Roman Odyssey Tours. Our guide was very knowledgable, but she was also very pleasant and made a genuine effort to keep the group's attention. There were only 12 participants, but she used a microphone and earphones to insure that we could hear. During our long wait in line for the Museums, she used pictures to prepare us for what we would see, particularly in the crowded Sistine Chapel. She also honored the discount for those who had a copy of Rick Steeve's Tour Book.
Ray Carlson
Prescott, AZ USA Mon 11/06/2006
Paris, etc. with Sabine
On the recommendation of several posters, we contacted Sabine LeDuault of Paris Authentique. Sabine met us at the airport and gave us a wonderful introductory tour of Paris that included a visit to a cafe in Montmartre. It was a great way to meet the city and get our bearings.
We took several other trips with Sabine. She was punctual, informative and full of fun. She poointed out little things the average tourist might miss. She's a tad more expensive, but it's well worth the extra money for the personal touch.
Jane Schweitzer <email>
Fair Oaks, CA USA Sun 11/05/2006
One day bike tour tuscany
Just returned from a stunning one day bike tour in chianti with www.tuscany-biketours.com. The weather was n't the best but the scenery and the awesome guide made up for that! Everything it said on the flier. A "must" if you visit tuscany!
Brad Hoxley <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA Wed 11/01/2006
Vatican tours
Taking a 7 & 8 year old to Rome we knew that a Vatican tour might be a struggle so we took the plunge and booked a private tour with Through Eternity emphasising we needed it to be child-friendly. They did a magnificent job - Nickey was our guide and she totally brought it to life for them with her infectious enthusiasm. In the meantime my husband and I were able to enjoy the splendours of the Vatican museum as we tagged along behind!
Melanie
Den Haag, Netherlands Mon 10/30/2006
Avignon France
We are planning on being in Avignon France in May 2007 and would like any information of day trips to the countryside.
S. Abel <email>
Trenton, Ont Canada Thu 10/26/2006
Florence - Michelangelo tour
We had a private guide named Tanya Gregory. She was fantastic. She won't do the giant herd tours, but if you're lucky enough to get her (she works through an agency called IC Bellagio), you will never get a better tour of Florence.
She has a knack for tying everything into its larger cultural and historical framework. It's easy to just see hundreds of THINGS in Florence, instead of getting a sense of a place and a time. She brings it all together, and each piece you see with her deepens your understanding and appreciation of the next bit that she shows you. Pure genius in a tour guide, and very rare.
I recommend not wasting her talents on a general tour, but focusing on a topic - Michelangelo, Donatello, quattrocentro fresco, or whatever.
SMW
Falls Church, VA USA Thu 10/26/2006
Day tours Florence
We used CAF tours. Located a couple of blocks from train/bus station. Good selection of tours. We particularly enjoyed the combo Siena and San Gimignano for a full day. Pisa 1/2 was good as well. Was fairly crowded in March so can't imagine summer time.
USA Thu 10/26/2006
Day Tours
Accidental Tourist out of Florence was great. We did a 1/2 day wine tour & tasting in the Chanti countryside that was fantastic. The company offers a cooking class and some bike tours as well.
Tanya
Portland, OR USA Wed 10/25/2006
Jewish Florence
One of the highlights of our recent trip to Italy was our tour of Jewish Florence with Giovanna Bossi Rosenfeld. As an architect, she has the expertise in the history of Florentine design. Along with this she has great passion and knowledge of Jewish history. We took her six hour customized tour of the Synagogue, Jewish Museum, Ghetto, the Medici Chapels, Bargello Museum and famous landmarks. Giovanna is well organized, witty, and a real pleasure to be with! We highly recommend her tours. www.jewish-florence.com
Janis and Steve Chandler
Bothell, WA USA Wed 10/25/2006
Rome Tips
Make sure your hotel is in the centre walking distance to everything, to avoid fighting with a taxi driver who tries to scam you. Get to the Colosseum early to avoid crowds, the guys standing outside offer tours which are really bad, groups are too big and guides speaks bad english. Make sure the tour company does actually bring you inside the colosseum, prices look low but then thats only because they talk about it from outside.
Use Angel Tours for tours, we didnt know about them when we got roped into the colosseum tour, but used Angel Tours for the Vatican due to hotel advice, they are excellent, all Irish guides, small groups, beautiful english sounds like there singing. Then you dont even pay until the end and only if you are happy with the service. YOU CANT LOSE, they are very flexile you can just show up at the meeting point, you join their cultural association, then within mins the tour is under way. They even have someone who waits for people who are late. Imagine that. If you read other sites the company tells you the tour guide wont wait. We had Ross who was excellent and very funny. We went to eat in Trastevere a few times and had a good experience, its a whole area. A taxi service from the airport cant charge more than €40 by law The hop on hop off bus is terrible, the audio was always out of sink. San Clement is great, for me the best thing I saw in Rome was the Pantheon we did the free tour with Angel Tours. But I would have to say that San Clemente is also wonderful. Be careful of people offering free tour in St Peters Square I had friends who said that the police gave the guide problems. Then another student asked them for money to help them pass the line, after the first experience with the guide in St Peters they decided against it. Im sure companies like Angel Tours pass the iines, we never stood in any line with the Angels. Thats my few thoughts Rome was Great
Dan Holland
USA Mon 10/23/2006
Private Guide in Tangier Morocco
We were thrilled with our decision to hire a Private tour through Tangier cabs for this spectacular city. The Internet helped us to find Daniel. Words do not do justice to our Surprise and awe of what Daniel was able to accomplish with us in one day. He offers an unusual combination of assertive high energy and warm patience. The cost for 6 of us was well below the cost of the ship excursion and comparison of experiences with our tablemates who took the ship excursion revealed the true rewards. Daniel maneuvered through traffic like a pro, created parking spaces where there were seemingly none, knew everyone, escorted us to and fro important points, provided us with every bit of pertinent information, then allowed us to wander on our own with clear instructions of where and when we would meet. We never waited in a line, or walked unnecessarily to gain entrance. He created an itinerary for the day that included all the important sites inside the old city and set us up for a tour at the Kasbah/Medina with another extremely competent guide, David (tangiermultitour@aol.com) We Came back from our day on a wave of adrenaline from amazement at what we experienced. His enthusiasm is infectious through and through, so you are offered a true glimpse of this Culture. We again relied on the expertise of Daniel to find David because we had a particular interest in the art of Morocco. David has a background in art history. he was extremely knowledgeable and Capable in maneuvering through the City. We once again were thrilled to experience a day of touring without lines or confusions. he provided us with an exceptional tour in that we visited some out of the way workshops This was a nice respite from the crowded galleries and offered the best quality shopping of the day. As it turned out, the best art experience was not in the Medina Bazaar, it was just too crowded, but in the Cooperatives and various other sights around the city. We recommend David for a full day experience of Tangier, and I valued his commentary. Shalom!!
Jivan R. Moshes <email>
Ohio USA Sat 10/21/2006
Rome Tours
We used Through Eternity Tours for tours of the Vatican and the Forum/Colosseum. The guides were both knowledgeable and entertaining. Excellent value, highly recommended.
Doug and Helene Warner
Abbotsford, B.C., Canada Sat 10/21/2006
Rome Tour
We just returned from Rome where we had the great fortune to hook up with Historoma Tours. We met accidently at the Colliseum. We took three fantastic tours with Hannah, a lovely, personable and knowledgeable guide. Well worth the modest additional expense to receive the "insider" information it would be impossible to hear or read about if you were touring on your own. Highly recommend using this tour company for the Colliseum/Pallatine Hill and the Vatican.
Amy
New York, NY USA Sat 10/21/2006
Tuscany tour
I'd like to recommend Franco Faddo for his tours of Tuscany. Franco guided four of us on a "Brunello" tour, and we were able to experience a small winery wiht a wonderful lunch that we would not have found on our own. He was terrific.
Amy Lambert <email>
Wayne, PA USA Fri 10/20/2006
Private guide in Hungary
I went to Hungary to learn about my heritage and Gabriella Torok - gabriella@privatetoursbudapest.com - gave an insightful tour of Budapest, sharing her own life experiences while explaining about the sights we were seeing. I had asked her to show us the Budapest that the tourists don't usually see during the standard city bus tour. Her passion and pride about her country was an inspiration and it was contagious. She arranged for us to see a folk dance presentation that evening near our hotel and gave us a good restaurant recommendation. Her colleague, Peter, took us on an all day tour to Eger, a city in the wine growing region, which should not be missed. Peter, too, was excellent. I cannot praise them enough.
Nancy Imhof <email>
Red Bank, nj USA Fri 10/20/2006
AFTER HOURS VATICAN MUSEUM TOUR!
I recently had the privilege to visit the Vatican Museum on an After Hours Tour through Helen Donegan helen@italywithus.biz. If any of you have been to the Vatican Museum with thousands of others you can appricate how awesome it was to be on the tour with 7 other people, after the museum had closed for the day! Brenda Bohen was our guide and her passion for the art was very evident as we strolled through the museum and got "up close and personal" on our very private tour! To end up in the Sistene Chapel and have the luxury of leisurely taking it that magnificant art is just too special for words. I would highly recommend this tour...it was well worth the cost!
Bonnie
Crofton, MD USA Thu 10/19/2006
RomanOdessey Tours
We were extremely satisfied and grateful to Roman Odessey Tours for providing such a wonderful experience in Rome. Our guide, Rahul Raghavan, was both knowlegeable and organized. He made our short visit to Rome a lifetime memory. Our driver was courteous and pleasant. We couldn't have asked for a better tour guide and driver. We will definitely recommend Roman Odessey Tours to friends and anyone else going to Rome.
The Loza's and Friends
Visalia, CA USA Mon 10/16/2006
Pathfinders in Czech Republic
If you are traveling to Czech Republic and are looking for a Prague tourguide, or if you are interested in seeing sites in the country of Czech Republic, OR if you have Czech ancestry and are looking to connect with relatives in Europe, we HIGHLY recommend Tom and Marie Zahn at Pathfinders. We just returned from a trip to Czech Republic and used their services to both contact and visit our relatives outside of Prague. We had the pleasure of having Marie as our tourguide/interpreter and she exceeded our dreams and wishes in every way. Rick recommends Tom and Marie, we trusted his recommendation and it paid off greatly. If anyone has any questions, feel free to write me. Pathfinders can be contacted at www.pathfinders.cz. Happy traveling!
Vince Sykora
Vince Sykora <email>
Chicago, IL USA Wed 10/11/2006
Tuscan Wine Tours
My husband and I took a tour of the Brunello di Montalcino region in June with Rebecca C. and it was a truly memorable experience. This tour took us off the beaten path and did a fantastic job of giving us the true local experience. A visit to a Brunello winery, a producer of Peccarino cheeses, a Gregorian monistary and the tiny city of Montalcino were all part of a very full day. We also had a delicious lunch at a small cooking school. Rebecca had lots of background information to fill the time driving from place to place. The price while somewhat higher than other day drips we did, was worth every penny. In retrospect, I thought it was a great value considering all that we got to see and do in one day.
BB Broadwater
Grand Rapids, MI USA Mon 10/09/2006
Rome and Vatican Tour
We got a recommendation from this site to do a Vatican tour with Scot McFiggen of Vatican Art Walks. We booked him another day for an overview of Rome as well. We had such a nice time. Scot was personable, fun, knowledgeable, and seemed to have a sense of just the pace that was right for us. We had "Scot withdrawal" after our two days together, and missed our friend who showed us so much in Rome! Definitely more George Clooney than Frankenstein! Thanks Scot!
Jeff Lieppman
San Francisco, CA USA Sun 10/08/2006
Context tours in Italy
We just returned from Italy and we can't say enough about Context, the small group travel company that operates in Rome, Florence, Naples and Paris (www.contextrome.com). We took several of their itineries, including Pompeii and the Duomo. the Context guides are often local, always highly educated (architects, archeologists, art historians) and very passionate about their topics. And it was so nice to be in a group of six or less rather than a group of 20 or more trying to follow an umbrella.
Martha <email>
Rohnert Park, CA USA Sat 10/07/2006
Rossyln Chapel Tour
If anyone is interested in a great tour and hike at Rosslyn Chapel I would suggest using Jackie Queally from Celtic Trails. She is in the Rick Steve's Guidebook. We first went on a hike around the remnants of the old castle. Jackie is very informative on the historical signifcance of the castle and also the trail itself. I never knew that the Pics and Druids were there at one time. You can even see some of their carvings. You even get to see where William Wallace hid. I believe that the reason that her tour is the best is because she has been doing it longer and others are copying here tours. She is also very passionate about making sure that you walk away with some understanding and history of what took place here.
Diane <email>
Snellville, GA USA Sat 10/07/2006
Vatican Tour
We just returned from a tour of the Vatican and St. Peters by "When in Rome Tours". Our tour guide, Kimberly was fantastic! We initially only paid for a tour to bypass the 4 hour line to get in, but it was so worth the extra money. Our tour guide clearly knows her stuff and peppered us with little tidbits we would have never found in a book. An A+ recommendation for this tour group (Kimberly in particular). WheninRomeTours.com
Emily & Scott Kuempel
Seattle, WA USA Fri 10/06/2006
Tuscan Wine Tours
Spent a day in September with Rebecca as host of our Tuscan Wine tour. The drive through the countryside was beautiful and so were the small towns that we visited. We enjoyed learning about the Chianti Classico region and the wine it produces. We visited two wineries and we were so lucky to see them harvesting the grapes. The lunch was at the second winery and it was exceptional. Rebecca's enthusiasm and knowledge added a lot to our enjoyment.
Bill
Dayton, OH USA Thu 10/05/2006
Morocco tours
Rick Steves recommends Aziz tours in Morocco for one day tours. We used Aziz tours for a 8 hour Gran tour. It was FANTASTIC! Anyone that would like to see the real Morocco and not just the shopping should use Aziz tours. He listened to what we wanted to do and showed us the culture, local things, fantastic lunch, shopping for the items we wanted and was extremely knowledgable about his country and history. I would definately use him again!
Diana Owen <email>
Cabo San Lucas, BCS , MEXICO Wed 10/04/2006
Tuscan Wine Tour
It was my first trip to Italy and my lady said "we have to go to a vineyard." So I went on line and found Rebecca's site, tuscan-wine-tours.com Boy, were we lucky. First, there were only 2 couples, made for easy conversation. We first visited a wonderful little organic vineyard that produces Brunello di Montalcino and it's less aged cousin. After a tasting and tour of the vines and bottling facility and buying opportunity (Katia (coowner and wife) also has an olive grove) we were off to hear monks at an old church doing Gregorian Chants. Off to lunch where a chef who gives cooking lessons fed us with produce and wine from his farm. What could be better? Heading back to Florence we stopped at Monteriggioni, the smallest of small walled towns, It was a full day. If you're looking for an out-of-the-ordinary, reasonably priced, personalized tour, I don't think you can do better.
Hank Hanau <email>
New York, NY USA Wed 10/04/2006
When in Rome Tours
My wife and I were in Rome and we had booked a tour by internet (confirmed) with"When in Rome Tours" The instructions on where to meet the guide were sketchy but we found the spot with lots of time to spare .The guide did not show up & we waited for 1 hour in the rain and did not receive our tour. Do not use this company !!!!
S Bernardo
Toronto, ON, Canada Tue 10/03/2006