Tours Other Than Rick Steves': 2004
There are hundreds of European tours available: one-day local tours of a city or side-tripping from a city...factory tours...two- or three-week bus, biking, or hiking tours. Which ones can you, as a traveler, recommend? Please Note: Questions and excessive postings about the same company will be deleted.
Trafalgar Tours
I have friends who have taken several Trafalgar tours. The main "advantage" seems to be that you can take lots of luggage. They toured Eastern Europe with them and reported spending huge amounts of time on the bus (40-50 people on a large bus). They have figured out how to have their own side trips and not pay for those offered by Trafalgar. They research the places in advance and usually travel with other friends.
Swan
USA Sun 12/19/2004
More about the Fat Tire Bike Co in Paris
If you check out the Fat Tire Bike Co in Paris, be sure to inquire about their Segway Tours. Those are the little two wheeled gyroscope thingys - they have day and evening tours that take you all around Paris and they are a BLAST! You get the strangest looks when you are on one of those contraptions! Definitely a fun and different experience - check it out! http://www.citysegwaytours.com/paris/
Renee
CO USA Fri 12/10/2004
Bike tour
In Paris there is a company called Fat Tire Bike Company. We went on a 4 hour tour on a Sunday in October with them. Very historical, easy ride, flat and wonderful. Very informative and enjoyable. I would highly recommend this tour.
Charles M Smith <email>
Oregon City, OR USA Fri 12/03/2004
Madrid, Toledo, Segovia
My wife and I spent 5 days in Madrid and on Rick's recommendation called on Carlos and Jennifer Galvin of Letango Tours (letango.com) to help us plan our stay. They planned us an adventure not just a tour. On our first day we started with a general tour culminating in a culinary tour that brought us to the delightful market of Madrid and the tapas delights of the city. Then Carlos left us with a map of the sights we needed to visit on our own, the restaurants for the paella and coccido we wanted to taste, and choice walking tours we could do on our own.
WE had personal private tours to Toledo and Segovia, visiting Toledo's best marzipan producer and finest swordmaker and artisan. We went to their workshops, spoke to them one on one because they knew Carlos and Jennifer. At Segovia we saw where the suckling pigs were being roasted. We not only saw all the history and architecture of the cities, but the people. Carlos and Jennifer treated us like friends traveling in Spain. It was a wonderful way to experience the country.
Miguel de Leon <email>
Cherry Hill, NJ USA Mon 11/22/2004
We Followed Two Great Recommendations by Rick Steves
We carried Rick Steves' book everywhere we went on our first (but sure to be not the last) trip to Ireland in late October. I want to especially mention two tour guides mentioned in the book who contributed so much to our experience... Mary Gibbons, who took us to Tara and Newgrange, and Shane Connolly of Burren Hill walks in Ballyvaughan. Both brought the added dimension of local knowledge that was enthusiastically imparted.
Mary Gibbon discounted our ride immediately when I showed Rick's book,as mentioned, and went the extra mile to spend 15 minutes giving us the best possible routes and sights when she learned we were soon going to be near Clifden, her hometown area.
Shane Connolly, a sheep and cattle farmer by trade but archeologist at heart, brought an encyclopedic knowledge of botany, natural medicine and paleohistory as we hiked the burren between the sunshine, the rainbows and the gales. He imparts all this information with a wicked and delightful sense of humor. We saw areas near the holy wells of St. Colman that we would have never found without him.
Thanks, Rick for steering us to the right places and people again.
Pat Kriss <email>
South Salem, NY USA Sun 11/21/2004
Paddy Wagon in Ireland
My sister and I did the Paddy Wagon one day tour from Dublin to Belfast. It was fantastic. Our guide, Joey, was entertaining and informative. On a tight schedule we got a cheap, decent way to get out of Dublin for the day. My only gripe was that the group I was with was boring and didn't contribute much, but it was the off season.
Tony Cuevas <email>
San Dimas, CA USA Sat 11/20/2004
3 country tour with Perillo
We went on a 3 country tour with Perillo tours in Oct. We traveled to London, Paris, and Rome, with side trips to the Vatican and Florence. All of the tour guides were marvelous from Richard in London , Isabella in Paris and MaryAngela in Rome. All gave us special insights to their various countries and tips on getting around on our free time.
Richard's remarks before crossing the street in London was especially helpful,"Look right THEN left..remember we drive on the opposite side of the street here", to Isabella's "do not try to cross the street at the Arch De Triumph, for you will surely die..use the underground tunnel".. To Mary Angela's constant reminders to beware of pick pockets as we went into highly congested areas. All worked very hard to make our first trip to Europe a very pleasant experience.
They met us at the airport/ or train station, and busses took us to our hotels and took care of the luggage right up to our rooms. standard tours were usually in the morning and free time in the afternoon. Each tour guide took us to restaurants to examine the country's quisine, and we had some free time o try places on our own as well.
craig Hoy <email>
sewell, nj USA Thu 11/18/2004
normandy
Four of us toured the Normandy bwaches with Michael Phillips and we can't say enough in praise. He knows everything about the battles, museums and cemeteries. He's good company, witty and a good conversationalist. Bully for him Allan and Anne Goud and Dean and Mary Ellen Jordan, Camden, SC
allan f. goud <email>
Camden, sc USA Mon 11/08/2004
Colmar, France and the Route de Vin
We recently spent three days in Colmar in the Alsace region of France. The city is beautiful--a picture postcard at every turn. It is a gateway to the Route de Vin. Prior to our trip we wrote to the Colmar Tourist Office for tour information and received a brochure describing a half-day tour of that area with Regioscope conducted by owner Frederick Albert.
Just what we wanted! Driving his 15-passenger van, Frederick gave a running commentary in three languages (English, French, and German)to accomodate all on the tour. He answered our questions thoroughly and thoughtfully, and did not rush us even though the tour took considerably longer than the defined half-day. I would strongly recommend Frederick's tour to any and all wishing to see the area with a knowledgeable and charming guide!
Alice Broadfield <email>
St. Louis, MO USA Fri 11/05/2004
tour guides in Budapest and Prague
Travel guides in Budapest or Prague. I can highly recommend two guides mentioned in Rick's Eastern Europe 2004 book. Both Andrea McKay in Budapest and Sarka Petlantova in Prague were excellent. They were well prepared, interesting and fun. They will tailor your day to suit your interest. Jeff Mackie
jeff mackie <email>
hickory, nc USA Wed 11/03/2004
Paris Walks
I recently took a 2-hr walking tour in Paris with Paris Tours. I liked the guide, but the group was large and their was lots of street noise. I had a problem hearing unless I was standing 2 feet from the guide. Also, there was lots of standing on cement. That's very hard on my legs and feet. Other than these problems, I recommend these tours. They run Davinci Code tours occasionally. www.paris-walks.com
Swan
USA Wed 11/03/2004
Mountain biking the Swiss Alps
Just returned from a terrific, month-long exploration of ETBD that my wife and I spiced up with a terrific, 5-day guided mountain bike tour through the Bernese and Valais Alps, Switzerland. We booked prior to our departure with TRANSALP RIDERS, a German company that organizes MTB tours not just in Switzerland but right across the Alps. While the tour didn?t seem a bargain at first, we probably ended up spending no more Franks than we would have had we organized the same tour on our own.
The company owner, Christoph Gneiser, turned out to be a wonderful guide and a highlight of our Europe experience. He has an impeccable command of the English language, was heaps of fun, incredibly knowledgeable and most considerate to our needs. We can whole-heartedly recommend his services and would assume that any tour he lends his touch will not disappoint. His website is www.transalpriders.com and you can call toll-free from the U.S.
Ivy & John Dunbar
Nashville, TN USA Thu 10/21/2004
More Prague
We tried to book the oft-recommended Sarka for a day-long tour of Prague and when she was booked for our available day we went to guidingprague.com which offers a stable of qualified guides (including Sarka).
We were lucky enough to have Alexandra Brunnerova assigned to us for the day and it turned out to be the highlight of our trip. As she peeled off the layers of this magnificent city for us she did the same with herself and we slowly got to know the little commie girl, Russian educated physicist, and multi-lingual mom with insights into politics, history and religion. We left as pals with promises to stay in touch. We know this is her business, but this was one of the personal connections you hope to make when you travel. Recommended highly!!
John Zesbaugh <email>
Pine River, MN USA Sun 10/17/2004
Wlaking tour of Prague
Just got back from Prague. Fantastic city. The people have the best sense of humor and are very fun!! Found private tour guide on internet named Sarka Peltantova. She was marvelous. She was very thorough and could tell exactly what we were interested in. She really adjusted the day according to our desires. I knew the day would be great when she started off the tour asking us to sit down with her so she could give us an overview. She was organized and very knowledgeable. I highly recommend her. She will email back quickly and fit your needs. The best part of my trip!!! Personal Prague Guide Sarka Pelantova www.prague-guide.info saraguide@volny.cz Tel: (+420) 777 225 205
Stacy Clayton <email>
San Marcos, TX USA Thu 09/30/2004
Over-the-Top Web address
I forgot. Here is their website. http://www.overthetoptours.com/
Tracy <email>
San Jose, CA USA Wed 09/29/2004
Day tours out of Dublin
Took a gamble recently in Dublin with Over-the-Top Tours. Boy, did it pay off big time! Small van that holds 11 people really gives you a chance to travel in areas the big buses can't go. The tour guide, Michael, was informative and gave us lots of interesting information on what we were seeing. We took the Celtic Experience and at first I was disppointed we would not be going to Newgrange. Instead we went to Fourknocks. Just the kind of place Rick Steves' travelers would like. We were the only ones there! Sign up for it at the one of the two Dublin Tourist offices. You won't regret it. We sure didn't!
Tracy <email>
San Jose, CA USA Wed 09/29/2004
VIVA SPAIN
VIVA SPAIN! We a just back with my sister and her husband from a 8 day private gourmet castle trip with private driver guide in Spain. We organized it with a US operator MagicalSpain.com who are recommended by Rick. They handled our reservations & were waiting for us at the Madrid airport before private touring in the afternoon. The next day went to the wine country stayed in mostly medieval castle and monastery hotel (restored) and then on to the old Roman capitalof Spain, Merida. Next we went south stopping in unknown villageswhere the conquistdoors of California, Florida and Mexico where born. We then enjoyed passionate flamingo dance show, the tapas bars & the confusing backstreets of beautiful Sevilla. Next on to the new Picasso museum before we finished in Granada with the excellent Alambra fortress. It was a vacation, booked just 3 weeks ago! we had been listen ting to too much CNN and putting it off but thanks to Richard Harris and Dan O'Beirn it was stress free and most memorable. contact them and carpe diem! http://www.magicalspain.com/
Alexandra & Mark McGuiness
New York City, NY USA Tue 09/28/2004
Cesky Krumlov Tour Guide
I have just returned from an Eastern Europe trip, including a quick visit to Cesky Krumlov. I worked with a fantastic guide there, who I would recommend highly....Lenka Belcherova. She can be reached at lenka.belcherova@seznam.cz Have fun!
Mike <email>
Mesa, AZ USA Sun 09/26/2004
Great tour in normandy
Fred <email>
Paris, NY FR Wed 09/15/2004
Prague/Czech Republic Guide
We did the GAS tour last July ending up in Vienna. We wanted to do something else before flying home and decided to go to Prague. From tips on the graffiti wall and Rick's book I contacted Sarka Pelantova last January and totally arranged the trip via email and engaged her for the short time (three+ days) we were there. Besides knowing what she was doing, she grew up first under communist rule and then of course capitalism so her perspective was very interesting. We ended up going out to the Karlstein Castle which is near wher she grew up. All in all we got a much closer feel of the Czech Republic than we could have had otherwise.Personal Prague Guide Sarka Pelantova www.prague-guide.info saraguide@volny.cz Tel: (+420) 777 225 205
Grant Lee <email>
Pleasant Hill, CA United States Thu 08/26/2004
Tip on Oct Andalucia Spain WalkingTrip
Hi,
We did a EXCELLENT 7 day guided Spain Andalucia Cultural Walking Trip in May run by an American company listed by Rick, MagicalSpain.com. I'm told there are a few open spots on Oct 24 - 31 or November trips and a Wine & Olive Oil Promotion next week (a case of Spanish wine or olive oil shipped for Xmas/couple signing up) to fill the trips. We have done many guided trips but liked the personal attention & insight of Dan O'Beirne, the exclusive experiences, great central hotels
+ lots intelligent humor. Good thing we walked a few hours a day with all the good food & wine:)
Tell Dan hi from Betty & Herbif you go.
Adeos, Betty
Betty & Herbert Cleveland
Chicago, Il USA Sat 08/14/2004
Battlebus tour of Normandy
Since it was the 60th anniversary year of D-Day, my family and I (Dad, Mom and two kids) wanted to take a day trip to Normandy while vacationing in Paris. We found information about Battlebus on Rick Steves' website. We highly recommend the Paris-Link tour -- just right for a day trip. Everything from the email reservation process to the actual tour was just great. Our driver, Gregory, was excellent and attentive. Another party didn't show, so we had the mini-van to ourselves for the eight stops on the Paris-link tour.
The Paris-Link tour does not include a tour guide. Instead, Battlebus provides detailed, colorful, laminated information sheets on each site you visit. With two energetic kids, it was nice not to be held captive to a tourguide's agenda but to be able to roam the sites on our own and at our own pace (subject to the overall time limits of the tour).
One "heads up": Folks at the train station in Bayeaux do not know where "Place de Quebec" is, the place Battlebus meets its customers. We started walking in toward the town center, wonderfully assisted by a local lady and her father, who spoke no more English than we spoke French (much fun!), to find the tourist information office. The tourism office told us where "Place de Quebec" was, but no one else in town seemed to know. It's near the municipal hall just a short walk from the town center and near the cathedral. Advice: Hoof it from the train station in order to find Place de Quebec in time to meet the minivan.
Jonathan Taylor <email>
St. Louis, MO USA Thu 08/05/2004
Roman Holiday Tours
My fiancee and I just got back from Rome. We took three days of amazing tours with Roman Holiday Tours. Our guides had degrees in Theology and History and they made our trip unforgettable. We highly recommend that you let them do the same for you!
Becky
uk Fri 07/30/2004
Italy Florence Tours-Walking Tours of Florence-Artviva
I just wanted to tell everyone that as a travel professional with many years of travel experience how impressed I was with Walking Tours of Florence and how happy we are that we accidentally came across their company in Florence. With my family, two children aged 10 and 14 we did just about every one of their tours spending five days in Florence. The tours were the absolute highlight of our European trip. We did A Perfect Morning in Tuscany with a fabulous lunch, beautiful views, a great hike, stories that the kids loved about Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and villa visit. Then we did The Best of Tuscany, with another wonderful lunch we will never forget, and a quick visit perfect for a day out to Siena and San Gimignano, we bought some great wine which we shipped and are now enjoying!. We also did the city tours-The Original Florence Walk, The Original David Tour and The Uffizi Gallery tour; I was worried that the boys would be bored but my kids loved them all and the guides were great answering lots of questions and making sure that they felt really welcome. We had four different guides and they were all fantastic, knowledgeable, helpful, enthusiastic and funny. We had disappointing tours in Venice and Rome. One where the guide did not turn up and we were left waiting on the street with a group of others. The tours in Rome were also disappointing because the guides could not speak English very well and didn?t seem to know the subject matter, or maybe was just not very enthusiastic. The company in Rome said that their guides had excellent English and were entertaining etc, but this was not the case.
What really impressed me was the kind assistance, patience and generosity from the staff of Florence walking tours when we lost our video camera in Siena. The company went all out to find it- finding the phone numbers and phoning the cafes and shops we visited from our very vague descriptions, the guide even went the next day and amazingly we got it back, it was just an old camera, but it was my son?s special summer project to tape interviews with ?locals? and the memories were important to us. They also answered what must have been half an hour of queries from us (unlike the other companies I?ve dealt with in Italy they have an office in downtown Florence where you can go to get information and where tours meet) about things to do, restaurants, etc and they recommended a great children?s museum in Florence where they do tours where you can interact with the performers. They also recommended some local people for my son to interview and even phoned them to check it would be O.K. Thanks so much from all of us to the very kind staff at Florence walking tours. I?m happy to recommend you to everyone going to Italy! The Web site address is http://www.artviva.com and http://www.italy.artviva.com where you will see others such as Michael Palin, Lou Reed and Alex Rodriguez have also recommended them, so I?m in good company!
The Townsend Family
Teresa Lucy <email>
Sydney, NSW Australia Wed 07/28/2004
prague and area tours
I have just returned from Prague, with a tour to Cesky Krumlov. I used a fantastic guide who I would recommend highly..Dana Chaloupka. She can be reached at dachal@quick.cz Have fun!
lorri ayers <email>
charlotte, nc USA Wed 07/21/2004
UK Tours for a day weekend or longer
I found this amazing tour company called Road Trip when we were staying in London. We have done all the sights and wanted to get out to the real England. Thing is we wanted something a bit fun and off the beaten track. Road Trip were great because although they cater for the younger age group (24 - 35 on average) we were in our 40's and still loved it. It was also good on the budget as the tours they run are offered to the budget traveller, so if you don't mind sharing rooms and partaking in the friendly banter on the bus, then these tours are for you. We did two tours, one to Cornwall, and one to the Lake district. both great fun. We had a fun, young English driver/guides and some great travelling companions too.See thier website www.roadtrip.co.uk
Rachel Taylor <email>
USA Tue 07/13/2004
Andalucia: Castles & Cordoba
Andalucia: Cordoba & Castles Tours
Just did a short 4 day visit n from London to beautiful Seville, Spain. Our surprise was a day trip CORDOBA...there's a LOT of history + things to see that are not mentioned yet in Rick's book...the castle of King Fernando,Roman ampitheater steps & mosaics, synagouge/Jewish Quarter, walking a Roman bridge & temple, tasty local wine & olive oil + the HIGHLIGHT Mezquita-church. We found all this on a fun & educational private tour with Santiago of MagicalSpain an American owned tour biz listed by Rick. We also did a new family day tour called Crazy for Castles led by the founder Dan OBeirne.The kid's loved the picnic lunch in the castle and the explanation of medieval life. see www.magicalspain.com for info.
Julian & Robert Reed
Julian & Robert Reed <email>
London & Washington D.C., USA Mon 07/12/2004
Antonio Doblas/Touring Seville
Do you want a trip to Spain that you will remember your entire life? Antonio Doblas is more than a tour guide. He is a time traveler, who will allow you to see into the rich history of his native and beloved city, Sevilla (Seville). He does not just tell you dates and names, he paints a picture of life through the fascinating world of Sevilla. Antonio made the paintings three-dimensional and allowed us to see through walls into the private lives of kings and commoners who have made Sevilla one of the richest and most romantic cities in Europe. Your money will not be better spent than on a tour with Antonio.
Douglas Abrams - American writer & book editor
Doug Abrams <email>
Santa Cruz, CA USA Sun 07/11/2004
Madrid Walking Tours
Wellington Society Tours in Madrid: I took the Chairman?s tour in the spring of 2002, and returned again to enjoy his love of history, complete knowledge of Madrid?s back alleys and interesting cafes and restaurants. Wherever I show my Wellington membership card, I get treated like royalty. I was fortunate to join an excursion to Segovia and Chinchon with a wonderful group of people. By the end of the tour, we were all on very friendly terms, and agreed we had spent our time (and money!) very wisely. Stephen?s tours are one of the best kept "secrets" of Madrid! Thanks Rick!
Lis <email>
Webster Groves, MO USA Fri 07/09/2004
Paris photo tours
If you're looking for a great value private tour guide in Paris, my sister and I recently took a Da Vinci Code tour with a guide from www.ParisPhotoTours.com. It's run by a small group of local American women (Chris, who was our guide, is Belgian, but has lived in the States) who are fun, smart, and best of all, passionate about the city. Chris' comments were so insightful and brought the book to life. The cost was more than reasonable and worth every penny. It was a great way to see Paris, and when I go back I will bring a few girlfriends to take their Chocolate Tour (and make sure my camera battery is charged)! Three cheers to a fabulous day; so refreshing to have "new blood" on the Paris private tour guide scene.
Marion Cohen <email>
New York, NY USA Tue 07/06/2004
Tours in Rome
I have coordinated two travel study trips to Rome, Italy, for student groups of about 22 people. The most difficult part of organizing such a tour for people is finding really quality tour guides when researching options on the internet. I struck gold!
Daniella Hunt, of Mirabilia Urbis Tours (www.rome-tours.com)consistently gets the highest ratings on student evaluations of our itinerary. I think the reason is that, apart from being enthusiastic and extremely well informed about the ancient sites in Rome (she has a masters degree in classical studies), she doesn't just reel off a list of dates in a bored monotone. She tells stories that enthrall even university students! As one student said, 'Even when we're dead tired, her enthusiasm keeps us interested and wanting to know more.'
Daniella also really enjoys the people she meets. We were never just one more group for her. Students quickly sensed that she cared about them as people (when she hauls out sunscreen at the forum and offers it around or when she takes time after the tour to give students insider tips on where to eat, shop, etc., you can't help but feel that she's not just doing the tour for money!). She still remembers the names of students on our first tour in 2002 and asks about them (and they remember her and ask me to pass on greetings).
Daniella does tours for anyone who is interested. You don't have to be in a group--just someone who's interested in learning what life was like in ancient times in Rome, Ostia Antica, Herculaeum, Pompeii, etc. She customizes her tours to fit your interests and needs. Drop Daniella a line at info@rome-tours.com and make your trip to Rome come alive!
Christina Battermann <email>
Langley, BC Canada Mon 07/05/2004
Best Italian Tours - Florence
I have recently visited Florence and have decided together with my wife to leave our walking shoes in the hotel and listen to our concierge that strongly recommended we hired a driver-guide to visit Siena and San Gimignano for the day. the company
we contacted is called BEST ITALIAN TOURS (CELL.335-6744266)
it is run by a handsome young man in his early 40's from florence with an economics b.a. from Boston College.he has served such names as Barbra Streisand, spielberg, bocelli,david bowie, steve jobs, the late walter cronkite etc.
he knows all the hot spots in tuscany and italy and makes sure he tells them to you with a smile on his face. his prices are more than reasonable and is willing to go out of his way to make your trip a memorable adventure full one.
give him a try! you will not regret it!
USA Thu 06/24/2004
Paris tour guide
Two female friends and I visited Paris and Italy May 2004.
While in Paris we hired a private tour guide named Michael Osman. He was wonderful and I would highly recommend him. His fee is also very reasonable. Michael can be reached at Parisfind@aol.com or call 00 33 0 1 40 15 62 17
Cindy <email>
Greenville, SC USA Tue 06/22/2004
Munich Walks
My husband and I went on the Muncih Walks "Beer Tour". We had a fantastic time and met some great people. Both of our guides were extremely knowledgable. It's a great way to learn the history of beer and enjoy a few along the way. It was $18 EU per person. It was not a wild time and most of the participants were in their late 20's early 30's. They offer other tours as well which I would not hesitate to do when we return to Muncich.
Cyndi <email>
Merrimack, NH USA Mon 06/14/2004
Ghost Walk in York
If your in York and plan to take a ghost walk plan to take the Haunted Walk. It leaves from Exhibition Square (across from the TI) at 8pm nightly.
It's run by two brothers. Our group had a comfortable 22 people (unlike the other walks that had 80) These guys are GREAT story tellers.
Diane Secchi
Arlington, VA USA Thu 06/10/2004
Cinque Terre Treks
My husband went on a hiking trip with Sean, the American living in Monterosso, listed in the Rick Steves book. It was the highlight of our European trip. Although Sean didn't have to work hard for that to happen because it is so incredibly majestic there. However, he was very informative, entertaining, and organized. We never would have been able to experience all that we did in one day without him. It was a great mix of beautiful scenery, insight into the culture and history, exercise, wine drinking, and humor. I also felt proud to be with an American(especially in these days) who is obviously adhored by the locals. Rick, thank you for your good research!
Mary Lou
Austin, TX USA Tue 06/08/2004
Sevilla Tour - Spain
Wonderful Sevilla Tour " After lunch, we met with Antonio Doblas, an official guide of Seville who I found on the internet. He gave us a wonderful private tour of the Alcazar, the Cathedral and the Santa Cruz Quarter (with a quick rest stop at Casa Roman for some beer and some croquetas de jamon). I would highly recommend him. The tour was about 3 hours (worth it!!). I think there is a tremendous difference walking around someplace "just looking" and having someone explain all that is there, why it is there and how people lived in it. Especially good when you are travelling with teens..He was great with them- engaging them, picking topics that might interest them, etc."
Jeryl Paris
new york, ny USA Sun 06/06/2004
tours other than rick steves
anne robichaud was wonderful[annesitaly.com], creative and a helpful source. we spent the day with her to bevagna/spello/wine tasting tours. visiting small towns, the entire day was a wow moment interacting with the town's people. anne is really superb.
marsha roy
exeter, nh USA Mon 05/31/2004
Ireland
Paddy Wagon Tours- 6 days all Ireland Tour. We had a great time at a wonderful price, and feel much closer to our Irish roots. Sleeping in hostels is a good way to afford drinks in the pubs in the evenings!
Valerie Doud
Wabash, IN USA Sat 05/08/2004
Great Prague Tour Guide Sarah Pelantova
Dave & Terri Butz
Centennial, CO USA Fri 04/16/2004
private tour of ancient Rome
We spent a wonderful day touring ancient Rome with Tony Polzer of Three Millennia tours. A private tour is the way to go- our teens never lost interest with Tony at their side.
D. Seltzer
Scarsdale, NY USA Wed 04/14/2004
Wonderful Private Tour Guide in Scotland
My husband and I and my parents were in Edinburgh for my father's 70th birthday, and I wanted to plan a special day out to celebrate. I did an internet search, and had the great fortune of finding Margot McMurdo, a certified Blue Badge Scottish Tour Guide. Margot and I conversed by email to design the itinerary for a day tour that included Edinburgh sights, the beautiful Scottish countryside, a lovely birthday lunch at a country manor house(complete with a specially prepared birthday cake), and a distillery tour. Margot was extremely helpful with the planning, asking about our particular interests and recommending potential lunch locations. Our day with Margot (and driver David) was fabulous. No detail was overlooked, and Margot's knowledge and obvious love of Scotland was infectious. You can see more information about Margot's services at: http://www.aboutscotland.com/tour/guide/margot.html
Kelle Jacobs
Albany, CA USA Wed 04/07/2004
Insider's Ireland
Debby Felder <email>
South Chatham, MA USA Sun 02/22/2004
Bob's Tours in Salzburg
Salzburg at Christmas time. Magical! We took your advice and contracted with Bob's Tour's for two days and came home loaded with information--from taxes to house construction and everything else we could think to ask. Highly recommend. Our guides, Dede (a man) and Eva, accommodated at every turn.
Carol Jean Zachary <email>
Washington DC, DC USA Tue 02/17/2004
Biking tour in Tuscany
A few years ago, i did a one day bike tour out of Florence. the next year I did another of their tours. ibikeitaly.com is the website. Great tours through small tuscan towns, bike rental included, lunch at a great trattoria in the country included. Linda
Linda Hagstrom <email>
Grove City, PA USA Wed 02/11/2004
Personal Paris Tour Guide
On a recent visit to Paris my husband and I spent a fabulous day with Michael
Osman - a guide we found through this board. Part of our day was spent at
the Musee d'Orsay and Michael's knowledge of french art and history really
brought the museum to life for us. Learning about the people and events
associated with the art we were viewing brought an interesting and enjoyable
dimension to museum touring. We also spent time walking through several
neighborhoods in the city and learning about their history and culture.
I can't wait to return and revisit the Louvre with Michael! Contact him
at http://www.geocities.com/parisfinder/
Christi Stoltz <email>
Falmouth, MA USA Mon 02/09/2004
private car tours in Spain
We had fantastic private car tours of southern Spain with www.magicalspain.com
Mary Jo Hanks <email>
Atlanta, USA Thu 02/05/2004