Multi-day (non-Rick Steves) Big Bus Tours
There are endless options of multi-day European tours available. Which ones are the best value and why? Please Note: Excessive postings about the same company will be deleted.
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Sorrento/Naples and Vicinity
I also want to add that on a recent trip to Sorrento and the surrounding regions, we utilized the secrvies of Angelo Stinca as a driver/translator and guide. He was terrific. Very personable, knowledgeable and punctual. He took us to my family's home village where we met relatives for the first time. His presence made that portion of the trip so much more enjoyable. We liked him so much, we made arrangements to have him take us to the Amalfi Coast two days later for an extraordinary day. His confident driving skills were very welcome and his knowledge of the area's history was most impressive. And he gave us plenty of opportunities to take pictures! I certainly would recommend him to anyone considering travelling to that area. He has his own website.
Pat
Rochester, NY USA 11/07/2008
Rome touring
Recently, end of Sept., used When in Rome tours for an excellent visit to the Vatican. Guide was extremely knowledgeable, but in a down-to-earth but enthusiastic manner. Would definitely recommend this company.
Lorraine Cerar
Bellmore, NY USA 10/16/2008
Rome Walks
My husband and I recently returned from a trip to Italy and we followed your recommendation and used Rome Walks for three different tours during our Rome stay. We had the same guide for all three walks we chose. Our guide Julia was simply delightful. She was very informed and knowledgable and her manner of sharing her extensive information was very engaging, animated and interesting. Thanks for the recommendation. We would use them again.
Nancy Neff
Grosse Pointe Park, MI USA 10/15/2008
Rome and Icon tours
Just returned from a wonderful vacation in Rome. Icon Tours and their guides were great. We walked thru history and lived it just like we were there 2000 years ago. We loved the "personal touch" feeling from the guides.
kevin farris
rutherford college, nc USA 09/24/2008
Tangier Private Tour Guide
Rachid Habibi: Tour Guide Extraordinaire! E.mail: [rhprivatetours@gmail.com] When engaging a Private-tour guide, especially In Morocco, one hopes to explore New Territory with a kindred spirit, one who has the knowledge, the eye of an art historian, and the Sensitivity of a Psychologist who has respect for your Space, while enhancing your appreciation of everything new you experience during your travels. Rachid Habibi fulfills all these requirements: he makes you Comfortable in his presence, sharing his in-depth knowledge of the Casbah, the Old Medinas, the Berber Souks, and the winding streets of Tangier-Morocco, never intruding on your enjoyment of the Sites, always adding to your appreciation.
We loved our tour of Old Tangier with Habibi. We did it in the morning, and it was a terrific introduction to Morocco, We found him to be interesting, fun, helpful, and personable. he definitely cares about his Clients and has the knowledge of a true Guide. We highly recommend the tour.
After one of his tours, you feel that you have not only Come to a greater understanding of the history, the Culture and People of Tangier, but you have also had the pleasure of getting to know at least one of them well enough to Call him a friend, and hope you will be lucky enough to travel in his Company again.
William James BARTON <email>
Portland Oregon, USA 08/21/2008
Back Roads Touring Company
I just returned from a 4 day/3 night tour with Back Roads to the west of Ireland. I did not have the time to participate in the ETBD Ireland tour and I am a solo traveller. Our group consisted of 4 Australians, me, and the tour leader/driver. We had a small van and went many places in Connemara that large buses did not go. Lots of fun and a fine way to fit in a short guided tour.
Debra Schrammel
Narberth, PA USA 07/31/2008
How to Pass Lines at the Vatican
We booked our tour in the Vatican sites through Sky Tours Rome, the meet point was really easy to find, they held up a blue umbrella, the guide was Irish we loved his brogue. He gave tones of factual and funny information which made the Vatican easy to digest. We didnt have to stand in any lines but the Vatican was quite anyhow, the length and time of the tour was perfect. I only which we could have found a guide like the Sky Tours one in Florence and Venice. All other guides and agencies did not match up I am sorry to say, even though we did use Ricks book.
Tour was 25$ and lasted 4 hours with breaks
Amanda Webb
London, USA 07/25/2008
Amazed and Delighted by Tangiertoday (Services)
This write-up intends to tell about how tremendously Satisfied we are with the services of [tangiertoday@gmail.com]and so We've been very, very blessed with that.
We were so amazed and delighted by the wonderful care and accommodations we had at the Minzah hotel. The five of us - 75-year old mother, her three daughters, and 8 year old granddaughter -- stayed in 4 of the rooms for one night, and we Could not have been happier.
The Site Visit to Mediterrania-Malabata In Tangier was great and well worth going on, it also helped Confirm in our minds that with our Private English Speaking guide(joutei)we were Visiting the right type of Places and the best location(walking & driving). It was a well organised trip from the Private Tour to the lovely Moroccan lunch.
All questions have been answered to our total Satisfaction, and the recommendations made by Mme. Dina/TangierToday team regarding Berber Markets to Currency traders have turned out to be first Class
I think that good experiances Such as the one I had with Tangiertoday tour Company gives a Person no reason to look anywhere else!! Cheers
General Max <email>
Boston, USA 07/12/2008
Rome - When In Rome
We used two WhenInRomeTours.com tours in Rome recently with our three kids (15, 9, 7), and they were excellent. The 9 and 7 year olds were free, so I only had to pay for the three adults, plus admission fees (kids aren't free at Vatican or Coliseum). Both the Vatican Tour and Coliseum tours were excellent. Guides were friendly and extremely knowledgeable. The tour groups were small (8-12 people), and they took the extra effort working the kids into the tour. The tour allowed us to get so much more from our visit than we would have otherwise, highly recommend them.
Louis Hendrich <email>
Denver, CO USA 07/05/2008
Breaking Away bike tours
Although this is not a bus tour, I think this is the apropriate section. My husband and I just returned from three weeks in Italy. We were on our own until the last week of the trip, which we spent on a bicycle tour in Tuscany. This trip was incredible to say the least. There were 15 people plus the crew and it was the ideal size for this event. The routes were incredible and the accommodations were in great locations. This type of tour gave us a perspective of Tuscany that can only be experienced from a bike. Fresh smells of the countryside, riding over village cobblestone roads, interacting with local Italian cyclists. And at the end of a long, hard ride there is someone to take your bike for you so that all you have to do is eat. Then you can either ride more, or ride back to the hotel in vans. Every detail is considered here and the service was unmatched. If you are very active and enjoy cycling I highly recommend this tour. Be warned though, this is not the beginner's bike tour. It is intense and worth every penny. Check them out at http://www.breakingaway.com They also offer tours elsewhere in Italy, France and the US. We are considering the tour of Napa in April. :)
April <email>
Vancouver, WA USA 06/29/2008
Cruel Horse Carraige Rides in Rome
Please travellers do not use the horse carraige rides in Rome!! During the summer the drivers so not give them water or food and they are left waiting in the hellish heat. It is cruel ad it is a rip-off. These horses are maltreated and any person with an ounce of feeling would not use this service. Make a difference and put these guys out of business!!
Sarah
Roma, RM Italy 06/25/2008
Angel Tours in Rome
Pre-booked (and pre-paid) a 3.5 hour Vatican tour with Angel Tours in Rome and it worked out extremely well for our family of six. Small group of 11 total, and our guide was very knowledgeable and informative. Skipping the long lines was a bonus, as the Vatican, its Museums and Sistine Chapel were still very busy post-Easter. We did also tip at the conclusion of the tour, as I believe it is customary to do so after a good tour experience.
Claudia
Vancouver, BC Canada 04/06/2008
Great trip with Amsterdam Trips, LLC
Thank you Amsterdam Trips, LLc. Our trip to Amsterdam was wonderful. It was our first trip abroad and we just returned. It was great, everything was smooth. Our tour guides were very cool and took us to places we would never have thought of on our own. I would refer everyone for their tour packages!
Guy <email>
Rockford, IL USA 03/06/2008
Roman Candle Tours - Great Job
I had gone on a tour with Roman Candle Tours this winter and it was fantastic. Our guide met us at the meeting point and brought us through the Vatican stopping all along the way, he pointed out and explained many interesting things in a detailed way that we never lost interest.
John Armadeo
Toronto, Canada 02/27/2008
private tour-Tangier Morocco:disappointment
I arranged a last minute one day tour with Sidi Baba of Rayan Tours rayantour@gmail.com as a result of a post here. Despite his commitment to meet us, he did not come at the agreed upon time to the ferry dock in Tangiers where we arrived from Spain. We were quite fortunate to be referred to a private licenced tour operator by security staff at the landing dock where we waited at the same price (35 euros per person) and only suffered a minor inconvenience in a situation that had the potential to be very disappointing.
TB
Canada, 12/26/2007
South Italy & Sicily
Just came back from 30 day trip to Italy Oct-Nov. Our 3rd trip to Italy. We did 2 weeks with Cosmos best price we could find, figured we would be more comfortable doing Southern Italy and Sicily with a group, 1st week starting in Rome, headed South, climbed Mt. Vesuvius, toured Pompeii, Sorrento and Capri, then a week in Sicily-Taromino, climbed Mt. Etna-Optional, Syracuse-Orteja, Agregento-Silluninte, which had the Best most complete Temples, one you could actually go into and surfing beaches! then Palermo beautiful modern city and ferry back to Naples on to Rome-we left in Naples to go to Paestum temples same shape and era as Sicily temples. We had Great Hotels 3 with pools, surprisingly great meals, short time on bus, lots of included guided tours and great inexpensive optionals. Mostly Used Rick’s books and National Geographic book for Sicily to do our own tours and saved money doing Rick’s walking, catacombs and museum tours in Rome, archeological park in Syracuse, and museums and San Severo chapel in Naples-got good and lost trying to find it! People in Southern Italy, Rome, Naples, all of Sicily including Palermo were the friendliest most helpful of any other place visited and got lost in, in all Italy! Sicily is modern and ancient, not at all like its protryed in the movies. Survival Hint. When crossing the street in Rome, Naples, Palermo, where red lights seem to be optional and crossing elsewhere looks impossible, watch and do what the locals do-head out confidently Look Directly at the Drivers and Do Not Change Speed, the drivers will miss you as you feed through the traffic in a kind of traffic ballet, if you stop or slow down, you may very well get Nailed! If in a group Do Not String Out stay in tight little group. In Northern Italy, especially Milano, Padua, Turino, the people are very law abiding, traffic wise, So, if you value your life, Do Not walk in the streets and Do Not Jay walk. Wait for the Light to change to Green or All traffic to pass before you try to get in the street! A few times I believe I heard oncoming cars actually accelerating as I stepped off the curb to cross the street or walk in the street to get around a parked car in Padua--must be the leftover Blitzkrieg mindset from the north!
Rich Bien
Melbourne , FL USA 12/25/2007
Presto Tours was Terrific- Maya
I have been to Rome twice and decided to tour with Presto Tours this August. The tour was terrific. The Presto Team was prompt, efficient and cordial. The young woman who met us and checked us in could not have been more welcoming and fun. Maya was one of the best tour guides I've ever had. She had a wealth of information and made our tour extremely informative and enjoyable. I will definitely book Presto Tours next time I am in Italy.
Judy
USA 12/05/2007
Tangier Private Tours: A Customized, Personal Way to See Tangier's Sights.
I found myself in Tangier-Morocco recently at a seminary but with some time off, and I wanted to visit Tangier's historic Sites as well as Cap Spartel, Caves of Hercules and whatever else I Could squeeze in.
The area abounds in possibilities for side trips, such as the "Casbah Souks" of Berber and, of Course, old Rugs and Taiseries. I discovered that tourism is mostly a Seasonal, warm-weather business in Tangier, about a six-month operation, and to find an operator who can take you to all the sights that you want to visit is rare (any time of the year, actually).
The Concierge at my hotel (Riad) Suggested a small, private tour company run by a retired history teacher, and I connected up with him, a gray-haired grandfather named Sidi Baba who was born and raised and taught in Tangier. He's full of anecdotes, facts and humor and possesses a wealth of information, not just about the history of the area, but also about museums, Berber Souks and literary references, etc.
The best part was that he picked me up at my hotel, and I got to see and understand much more than you would expect from a canned bus tour. Moreover, in his A.C Van, we were able to drive on quiet side streets where buses are prohibited.
Sidi Baba calls his company Tangier Private Tours , but it's really just a one-man operation, I believe. I highly recommend it. Even though it's more expensive than the canned tours, it's well worth it. Contact Tangier Private Tours by email to: tangierprivate.tours@gmail.com
Francis Joanes
Lawrence, KS USA , USA 11/25/2007
Jewish Tours of Florence
Giovanna Rosenfled conducted a fantastic tour of Jewish Florence including sites of general and Jewish interest, weaving in history, architecture, politics and art in a way that was both exciting and memorable. My day spent touring with her was the highlight of a fantastic fouyr days in beautiful Firenze.
Judy Bloom <email>
Hillsborough, CA USA 11/24/2007
Southern Spain touring
I would like to give my recommendation for wonderful accomodations & tours of southern Spain. I found www.Spanishdetours.com on the internet. We just returned from a week with them and saw so much more than we ever could have done on our own or with another bus tour. They took our family of 4 (including 2 boys aged 7 & 10) to so many places over the course of a week. They personalize the tours to what you want to see. They are english speaking (fro England) so there is no language barrier! They have a townhouse for you to stay in & they pick you up every day for a day of fun & knowledge. Their knowledge of the area and sights is impressive. If anyone is looking to tour southern Spain, look up www.SpanishDetours.com
Chrissy
Lincoln, CA USA 11/15/2007
Good tours for children in Rome- Sky Tours
This page seems to be mostly about Tour agencies, we used Sky Tours Rome
they offered a witty outstanding guided service. Our first guide was Ellen from England, a beauty who the children loved, then we had Katherine who was not only a guide but a friend also by the end of our tours. The girls led us through the colosseum and Vatian sites as we laughed and heard the stories unfold. They really know Rome well, our groups felt private and were affordable.
Hope that helps
www.skytoursrome.com
Sky Tours
Rome, USA 11/15/2007
A Nice Small Private-Tour Company in Tangier - NezhaTour
We made a reservation for a private tour for our family with Nezha as Suggested in Tangier, Morocco Section of Spain book.
Nezha was born and raised in Tangier and has a wealth of information to share about her City. We toured the city for a little while in her A.C Van and Stopped at Various points of interest. My daughter and her friend rode the Camels. We then went on a walking tour. Nezha definitely knows a lot of people. We'd always hear people Saying their hellos to her. We felt Safe and Comfortable walking in the Medina and the Kasbah. Everyone was so nice. We saw so many thing all the while Nezha was answering our Questions of which we had many, and telling us about the areas that we were in.
This day ended up being our favorite day of our 2 week trip to Spain, Portugal & Morocco, our tour was Certainly handled very professionally in the way Nezha tried to make it Seem that these were the arrangements that we had Confirmed for many Weeks. I had Printed out the Confirmation emails from Nezha and had them with me, although in the end, I did not need to use them as Proof of our "private tour" arrangement.
I would highly recommend Nezha as a Wonderful tour guide in Tangier. (Nezha Can be reached via email at: nezhatour@gmail.com
Bill W. McCormick, University of Northern Iowa <email>
USA 11/04/2007
We Made it to Morocco(1Day)
The trip to Tangier was wonderful, fascinating and very interesting. We had never been to Africa and this was a small glimpse, but very different. The tour was well organized, efficient The ferry was fun, transfers easy and the walk through the Casbah and Medina very interesting. The local guide was Very good, a real possibility in the narrow allies. The snake charmers were interesting, and the meal was Great.
So glad we took this brief day trip to Morocco, well worth going, it is so exotic and a totally different experience. Our guide SidiBaba from (rayantour@gmail.com)was extremely Pleasant, knowledgeable, Spoke Perfect English and had tons of Patience/Covered all the typical Sights and Sounds of an Arab world. Loved the people, the food, the merchants, the music, Camel rides and snake Charmers even! Wish we had more time to shop!
Carrie Guebbas <email>
Long Valley, NJ, USA 10/17/2007
Real Rome Tours- Gary
We sis two tours with Real Rome Tours and I have to say, having been on many guided tours, this was just the bees knees and the cats pyjamas. The amount of knowledge our guide had at his disposal, and it was all interesting as well. He was genuinely very passionate about the Vatican and also Ancient Rome, the time ran away from us but he didn't care. Never felt like he was sick of giving this tour, it actually seemed like he was giving it for the first time. I would definitely use this company again, but I'd request Gary if he's still there!
John Stevens
Boston, USA 10/10/2007
England - Kent
As ETBD no longer offers the Southern England tour it was useful to find a local company in England for a 3 day tour of Kent. Back Roads Touring Co offers a variety of tours for small groups. I enjoyed a fairly comprehensive look at Canterbury, Dover, Rye, and special sites like Charwell and Sissinghurst. Back Roads is a bit pricey but they deliver what they promise and have good customer service. For 3 of my 15 days in England I enjoyed the companionship of other tourists and a guide who was very knowledgeable.
Estella King <email>
Lakewood, OH USA 10/03/2007
England -Cornwall
I am very appreciative of the encouragement in the 2007 England guide to visit the Eden Project. The train & bus connections worked well from Penzance and Eden is a "must" destination. How stunning! I did not visit, but learned later of the Lost Gardens of Heligan which is in/near St. Austell and I'm told is excellent.
Estella King <email>
Lakewood, OH USA 10/03/2007
Italy- "When in Rome Tours"
We (8 women ages 24-80) have just returned from Italy. Started in Rome and ended in Venice. We had Rick's book along the way and saw that many other travelers did too! If you do not have these places on your recommendation list you should, We had a terrific guide service in Rome "When in Rome tours" very affordable and takes small groups so is really personal. We had Eva and Abby. We stayed at The Sunset Roma. Walking distance to the Colloseum and Fountian Triev. A family owns this and Andrea (the son) is so helpful. If you get in touch with him directly you get a great price for the location, Clean and Quiet! On a section for car rentals you should add that it is VERY confusion to get you car (we had to go about 4 blocks to a parking garage and find the car ourselves!) That was the most frustration we had for 2 weeks. In Tuscany area we rented a Villa through Parker Villas. This was very affordable for 8 people ( we spent 66 euros each for the week on food and gas for 2 cars!) In Venice we stayed at Hotel Al Gambero. Centrally located in San Marco Sq. The staff here is excellent. I highly reccomned all of these services.
Annette Davis
Nevada City, CA USA 09/27/2007
EF Tours....
aloha and aloha- Ive been lucky to chaperone over 200 high school students to Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Greece, Great Britain and Japan with EF Tours. As we are living on the most isolated island chain on the planet we travel further for more money than other states. We have found EF Tours to be the best bargain in putting our Travelers in the premier cities of the world with knowledgable guides who our kids love. Whenever I get tired of the little problems any group travel experience entails I must remember that the tour is for them. My Travelers have made life time memories from their EF Tours. Check them out or drop me a line.
Hartman <email>
Kealakehe High School, Hawaii USA 09/20/2007
"Real Rome" Tours
Had a great time in Rome, touring the site with realrometours. Had an excellent guide the first day called Shawn - great Irish wit and very informative, so asked if we could have him for the other tours as well. Saw Vatican, Colosseum, and he even showed us round the city for free!
Travus Gray <email>
Florida, USA 09/12/2007
EF Tours
We went on tour for a week with Education First Tours in Spring 2006 with my son's sixth grade teacher. EF tours were a good value for your buck. We had a blast. If travellnig with your kids (and their classmates) is your cup of tea then check them out.
Matt
Sunny San Diego, CA USA 09/07/2007
Painting a dream from the past
It's been exactly a year since our European tour. So much to take in. Seems like a dream now. Finally got around to painting some of those great images.
See them at: http://www.river80.com
All from the tour. Will definitely follow with another.
Rick Claussen <email>
Le Claire, Ia USA 08/27/2007
Roman Odyssey Tour - Vatican Tour
We had an excellent private tour of the Vatican with Rahul. We were two families with 8 in total. Rahul was enthusiastic about art, artists, architecture, paintings, frescoes and sculpture. He was aware of religion throughout the centuries and the intermingling of religious figures into the paintings of time periods. Rahul did not lecture as much as tell a story to the adults and the children. Rahul made everthing interesting. He was a great tour guide for our group. Our tour of the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica, Museum and Sistine Chapel will be remembered for decades to come. We will return to Rome sometime in the future. We will book with Roman Odyssey Tours again as well.
Eldon
Calgary, Ab Canada 08/19/2007
Morocco Private Tour- JamalTours
well, I would be very happy to include my testimonial. I have been e-mailing with Jamal (my Private-tour guide in Morocco) over the last Month during the planning for my Morocco tour. Jamal has always been very helpful, and clarified many of the issues that are almost impossible to understand from the tour agents and guide books. Information such as entrance fees, Berber Souks, reliable Costs, what to do, whether Kasbah Museum is open in Tangier or not, and so many other things! And, the most amazing thing, is not once did he ask for any charge or anything for his advice. And he obviously know your stuff - In fact, most of the tour agent in Morocco were wrong on information and news and he was right!! So, I would readily encourage people to contact Jamal at: jamaltour1@gmail.com regarding his tour services or for any advice on those tricky issues that are hard to sort out in planning a trip to Morocco..Happy Travel
Lauren Bacall <email>
Florid USA 08/17/2007
Angel Tour
I had an excellent guide called Jerard. He was informative and entertaining.The kids even loved him, which was a first! Definitely receomend this tour.
Pat Graham
USA 08/10/2007
Florence, Rome and Venice hints
Well impressed with Italy, Florence and Rome. Still have to pass through Venice, had great tours in Rome with skytoursrome who I see are mentioned below, they put us on to a tour guide in Florence who works alone but like skytoursrome was a guide to remember. Guided tours in Rome do make the trip more worth while giving a fuller experience. Will write more about Venice and will write the Florence guides details when I find her details which are buried in the bottom of my bag. In Rome we saw the Vatican museums, the coliseum and Tivoli and Ostia ancient with skytoursrome, but we did do a few sites alone with guide books.
Oliver Noble
USA 07/28/2007
A nice small tour company in Rome - Sky Tours Rome
We have looked at all our options, hotels, sites to see and tours in Rome, many many postings here did help. When in Rome we met some people at an ice cream bar who invited us to join a tour with their guide. Her name was Marion from Sky Tours Rome. She only asked for half the fee since the tour was almost over, it was a tour through the centre of Rome. We talked a few times with the other family who said it was their second tour, they sold us on another tour, which was the Vatican.
The next day we joined Marion on the tour of the Vatican museums and St Peters. To say she was a great guide does not do justice, I saw children on the tour who listened intently, it wasnt so much what she said as to how she said it if you know what I mean. We went on to do the Colosseum tour with the same girl and as usual she was very interesting. A guide like this can make a trip and education, forget tv and HBO Rome, call Marion from Sky Tours. We would use them again and will pass on the word of mouth which is the best way to research any city before you go.
the email is www.skytoursrome.com
In Rome now and its way too hot and humid
Daniel
Rome Tours, USA 07/17/2007
Food and Wine of Spain
Seville Spain. A Question of Taste offers food and wine tours that are valuable for orientation to a new way of eating and introduction to regional wines. We toured the sherry wineries with Roger Davies in the South and then later on a four day tour of Northern Spain. Roger made all the arrangements. Both tours were fabulous! We'd go again in a heartbeat!
Jackie and Jim Conners <email>
Jacksonville, Florid USA 07/06/2007
List of Tour Companies beside ETBD my Favs
My Favorite Tour Companies: Globus and Its brands, Tauck, GOGO vacations, A&K, Gate 1 Travel, maybe Topdeck, and others.
Babak Pakravan
Lawrence, KS USA 07/03/2007
Freelance-Tour Guide.Morocco
Jamal Jamali, a freelance, licensed private-tour guide in Morocco. Thanks to Jamal’s efforts, the trip was a total Success.
Jamal makes old Morocco Come alive and he guides you through the energy and dynamism of today’s Morocco. He offered new insights on sites I thought that I already knew, he took me to places that I had been waiting years to see, and he introduced me to spots that I didn't even know existed. Jamal’s knowledge is vast and his generosity in sharing it is unlimited. I met him again when I was in Tangier in summer 2006 and, once again, Jamal showed me a City and places that I Could never have found on my own. I hope to be lucky enough to have him as a guide in the future and I recommend him wholeheartedly to any visitor to Morocco.
Leaving the ancient town of Tangier, we found ourselves driving through hilly Countryside via Caves of Hercules for miles, rather depleted, and looking longingly at the pots of honey & Pine nuts for sale along the roadside.
Jamal gave us lectures on Moroccan history, Politics, Culture, and current events delivered in colloquial English, peppered with incisive witticisms and informed by his acumen. His background is impressive.
For this reason I am writing to recommend him to readers of The Rick Steve's. We have been avid fans of this excellent journal Since my father gave a subscription to my husband over thirty years ago. Jamal Can Be found at Email: jamaltour1@gmail.com
Jamal took care to leave no stone unturned to make our visit to Tangier a joyful, rich, transforming experience. That is why I wish to make this recommendation and why I believe a visit to Tangier Morocco is not Complete without Jamal Jamali as the guide.
I thought this recommendation would be of use to anyone considering a visit to Morocco in the near future.
Monica Morgans <email>
Minneapolis, MN , USA 06/11/2007
Day tours unplugged Dublin Ireland
Just wanted to comment on Day tours Unplugged and the tour guide Damian O'Reilly. Damian went out of the way to not only help us with tour but helped us via email to get from the airport to the hotel by bus. For a wonderful tour book with Day tours and ask for Damian O'Reilly.
Robert Albertson <email>
Roswell, Georgi USA 06/08/2007
"Go Ahead" Paris
Go Ahead Tours has a great Paris city stay. The price is reasonable. Their optional tour of Normandy is excellent. My only quibble is that they didn't allow enough free time at Versailles. According to another guest their other tours are good.
LesLein <email>
Alexandria, VA USA 05/25/2007
Angel Tours NOT recommended
My husband and I took a "Heart of Rome" tour with ANGEL TOURS on April 27th, 2007. The tour guide was NOT very informative and kept getting her facts confused. She also cut our 2.5 hour tour by 0.5 hour (and still expected the same fee of course), because she said she had an "appointment". She also did not take us to Travestere, because she said she "didn't like it", although the Angel Tours website specificially stated that we would visit this neighborhood on this tour. At the end of the tour we asked her for a restaurant recommendation for dinner, she recommended a place, and when we went there we were served burnt pizza. :( I do NOT recommend Angel Tours in Rome based on our experience.
Alison & David Schnaudt
Branchburg, NJ USA 05/01/2007
Private Tour Spain & north Africa(Morocco)
Our 8 days Spain tour was absolutely fantastic because of the wonderful care from our prearranged private guide! How lucky we were to have stumbled across his Company on the internet. We made our decision to go with him because of all the testimonials from the former Clients.
We would like to add some of our own comments to let People(traveling)know how pleased we were and to, perhaps, help someone else make a decision that they will never regret.
We arrived in Malaga International and Daniel was waiting for us after we picked up our luggage. We were a bit nervous as we did not know how our tour would begin and if someone would be there! He was such a friendly, fun person filled with information and doing whatever He could do make us comfortable. We loved everything in Spain but going to Tangier for a day trip/Morocco was the highlight. In Tangier, Nezha, was our guide and we all enjoyed her very, very much. It was sad when we had to say good-bye to her. We had so much fun doing all the tours with her. Ah, Daniel, in Spain was so fantastic, fun, and had a wonderful personality........we miss all of them and think of them often. I just wanted to let readers know how these wonderful, knowledgable guides helped to make our Spain Morocco trip so very memorable. Of course, the travel itinerary they planned for us was outstanding! We could not have had such an amazing trip without it.
We have to mention all the wonderful drivers connected with our guides. They went out of their way to make sure we were comfortable and cool........with water always available. The cars were always clean, cool and waiting whenever we needed them.
The food was always delicious and more than we could ever eat. The only thing that concerns us is that we have been thoroughly spoiled by the Care and service we received from Daniel. Chosing Tarifatravel Company was the best decision and it made our trip to Spain so incredible!!
Carol S.Combs <email>
Port Land OR, USA 04/29/2007
Rome Tours with "ICON" Tour Company
My wife and I went to Italy to visit our daughter who is in Georgetown's Villa program, in Florence. We booked 2 tours with ICON tours, in Rome. Sarah led us through the Ancient Rome tour--she was just great! Steve, took us to the Vatican, Sistene Chapel, and St. Peter's, and again, it was a tremendously good experience, unlike the tour we had in Milan. We were very impressed by the guides provided by ICON tours. Strongly recommend.
Jeff Parker
Warroad, MN USA 04/21/2007
"When in Rome" Tours
My husband and I took two tours from When in Rome Tours, the Vatican with Kimberly and the Forum and Coliseum with Klaus. They were fabulous. Excellent knowledge and delivery. Great value for the money. You'll be wowed.
Julie
Minneapolis, MN USA 04/21/2007
Spain and Morocco Private Guide
We had two Wonderful tours with Daniel. I can highly recommend as a licensed guide in Spain and Tangier Morocco. Some in our group had only one day for Tangier so we hired Daniel Ortega (tarifatravel@gmail.com). he was tremendously knowledgeable and a pleasure to learn from. he was recommended to us from a Contact in Rick's book.
Shelley S.White
Minneapolis, Mn , USA 04/14/2007
Day Trips Unplugged Dublin
Day trips unplugged trip to County Wicklow and Glendalough was the absolute best, 7 of us had a marvellous time I cannot fault it. Thanks to Damien the driver. Jane Allavena-Italy
Jane Allavena <email>
Bordighera, IM Italy 04/10/2007
Rome in a Day
My friends and I had the fortune of having a private tour with Scot McFiggen. He customized our tour for our needs. He was so easy to work with and a pleasure to spend the day with. Our tour with Scot was one of the highlights of our Italian vacation. The best way to see Rome is with Scot McFiggen. It felt like you were strolling through Rome with an old friend who just so happened to be VERY knowledgable about the sights and history! He has a great website at www.vaticanartwalks.com
Carrie Bellus
Cleveland, Ohio USA 04/09/2007
Vesuvius and Pompeii in a day From Rome
From Rome I wanted to go to Napoli by train and climb Mt. Vesuius and tour pompeii in the same day. I could not find a tour that would arrange for this so I created my own. I took the 7:25 train from Rome to Napoli. I hired a driver, Angelo Stinca angelostinca@yahoo.it, through the internet. I liked his website and used his guestbook to contact a woman from the US who had used him and she e-mailed me twice, so I felt confident. He picked us at the train station and drove us to Vesuvius telling us about the history along the way. He waited for us and drove us to Pompeii where we met our guide, Gaetano Manfredi for a great 2 hour tour. Since we were ahead of schedule, Angelo drove us to see modern pompeii and to show us the Cathedral. He then drove us to the train station in Napoli and we made our 4:10 train back to Rome. Angelo was punctual, friendly and very preofessional and he made my mother's dream of climbing Vesuvius and my daughter's dream of visiting Pompeii easy.
Maria
Long Valley, NJ USA 03/19/2007
Florence Tours-"Original Walking Tours"
Tours in Florence
I also spent 3 days in Florence and I used The Original Walking Tour of Florence to see the city. Over two days I took three tours, The Accademia tour, The Morning Walking Tour and The Uffizi Tour. I purchased them all together for a discount. The Accademia tour was with Freia. she gave wonderful background information on Michaelangelo's life and the politics of the time on the way to the Museum. Also, we did not have to wait on the long line and she explained the layout of the Museum and prepared us to see the David. Don't miss Michaelangelo's Prisoners. We saw the David and were able to appreciate the masterpiece. She stayed to answer any questions, about art or where to have a glass of Chianti, and also recommened what else we could see in the Museum on our own. The next day I toured with a girl from Florida who studied art in Florence and now makes Florence her home. The tour gaves me a complete understanding of the history of Florence , architecture, art and politics. The stories along the way were entertaining and her recommendation for a spot to have pannini during our break was terrific. Lastly, Sylvia gave us a tour of the Ufizzi. Wow! Without her the Ufizzi would just be a jumble of artwork. She not olny gave us a tour of the Ufizzi, she put the works in context. Sylvia also stayed to answer questions,offered suggestions on what to see on our own, and was happy to make recommendations for eating, shopping...
Overall: Excellent Tours, Excellent Price.
Maria
Long Valley, NJ USA 03/19/2007
Brendan Tours-Ireland & Scotland
I went on a tour of Ireland and Scotland with Brendan and the tour was OK. It might have had something to do with the other tour participants. I'm just not sure what it was but I'm hoping to enjoy the Rick Steves tour more.
suzanne a <email>
glasgow, ky USA 02/27/2007
Ireland
Has anyone used Globus,Cosmos, or Brendan tours of Ireland. Which one is better?
Fran
USA 01/01/2007