Day Tours in Europe: by Bus, on Foot, and Your Take on Local Guides: 2007
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?
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Private Guide in Prague
My family hired Katarina Kruspanova as a private guide in Prague, and her tours were undoubtably the highlight of the visit. At busy tourist sites, other groups heard 5 sentences and moved on. You can get that in a brochure, people! Katarina has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history, politics, and character of the Czech people, and her enthusiasm and pride is infectious! We hired her for a second personalized tour once we realized anything else paled in comparison. Money WELL spent by this bargain traveler. Her web site is www.prague-perfect.cz
D. Silvera
Minneapolis, MN USA Fri 12/21/2007
Tour in Florence
I had a really delightful tour of Florence, including Jewish Florence, with Giovanna Bossi Rosenfeld (www.-jewish-florence.com). She really knows the city - all aspects, its history from medieval time until today, its art, its architecure and its people. Her English is flawless and her energy is boundless.
Eitan Fiorino
Teaneck, NJ USA Thu 12/20/2007
Ostia Antica
To add on to Melissa's comments below regarding Micaela Pavoncello - she is a delightful, energetic and incredibly knowledgable tour guide. In addition - in my recent visit to Rome she arranged an incredible trip to Ostia Antica, a remarkably intact ancient Roman harbor city not far from modern Rome. While one could simply go there to view it, there is so much more to learn by arranging a tour through Micaela (http://www.jewishroma.com/).
Eitan Fiorino
Teaneck, NJ USA Thu 12/20/2007
Which tour company in Rome
I am a strong follower of Rick and his work. As a family we travel as much as possible, we read travel forums like this and will look as close as possible at who is writing from genuine experience and who may be plugging themselves, even knocking a competitor. We have had 3 trips to Italy and have used Eternity Tours, Rome Walks and Sky Tours. While each company was good I would say Sky Tours was by far the most outstanding. Maybe because the guides are Irish, which makes them natural story tellers, but their information was by far more detailed and better researched.
I will continue to use other companies so I can be sure who is offering the best service for price. Sky Tours do give a good deal. I also respect the fact that even though the guides are not Blue Badged guides, which is the case with most of the companies in Rome, at least Sky tours use E.U. guides which they said gives them better standing with the legal system. At the meeting point the guides showed us their educational history on paper which gave us a little shock. We thought the tours would be like a lecture but in fact they were well balanced.
We intend to use Angel Tours, and Viator, but will use Sky Tours Rome for the Vatican again and will write a report in April. I know guides are not important for everyone but as a family who always use books and guides we thought we should add our insight.
Rick Rules
Daniel Kuster
Chester, USA Sun 12/09/2007
Ricks Rome
If you intend to visit he Vatican museums or Colosseum with a guided walking tour company then do I do highly praise sky tours rome walking tour guides. They do get into sites faster and the guides who are all native speakers are vetern guides in Rome. They know all the staff in the sites and command respect from their fellow guides as they pass by with a salute. We had one of our tours in the rain but the guide kept up our spirits throughout.
Oliver Hurt UK
USA Fri 11/23/2007
www.florencetour.com
Tuscany Tours by Paola & Giuseppe were fabulous! Such wonderful nice people. They were so full of information. We drove over 350 miles and saw so much. Tuscany Hills, Florence & Pisa. They were wonderful!!! I learned the most and saw the most on that day tour then any other excursion I have been on. Highly recommend!Will definetly use them again.
Lori
Corona, Ca USA Thu 11/22/2007
Chianti region touring with Tuscany Tours
We had a beautiful day of touring the Chianti region outside of Florence, including Sienna and San Gimingnano , with Guiseppe of Tuscany Tours (see their websight www.florencetour.com)We found it extremely worthwhile to have a private guide who was very informative and helpful and gave us a tailormade tour. Enjoy!
Betty
NY USA Wed 11/21/2007
Tour in Assisi, Italy
We were sitting on the steps of a fountain in Assisi, Italy getting ready to follow the walking tour from Rick Steves' book, when a lady came up and asked if we would like a tour of the Basilica of St. Fraancis. Her name is Anne Robichaud and she wrote the walking tour we were about to attempt! Her tour of the Basilica was excellent and made us realize how important a guide is as opposed to trying to do it yourself. That evening we went to her home for a typical Tuscan dinner. She made our visit to Assisi special.
Barbara Sherman
Newark, Ohio USA Sun 11/18/2007
Amazing Tour Guides in Florence!
I had the wonderful opportunity of meeting Paola and Guiseppe of Tuscany Tours. (www.florencetour.com) Their warmth and generosity is one of the things I will remember most fondly about the city. And they were both incredibly informative about Florence and its provinces. The tour was a sheer delight. I highly, highly recommend meeting them on your trip to Firenze!
Felicia
Los Angeles, CA USA Wed 11/14/2007
Touring Florence
We have just completed a tour of Florence with Ignazio of Through Eternity Tours and could not have had a more personal and mind-awakening experience! He made the history come alive as he helped us understand the influences that contributed to the greatness of this city.
Melody
Port Saint Lucie, FL USA Wed 11/14/2007
Maddy Max Tours to Stonehenge and Lacock
We took the half day tour with Mad Max Tours to Stonehenge and Lacock. The tour guide, I think his name was Richard, he was great and very informative. I loved the tour, I just regret not being able to take the full day tour, sure it would have been excellent and fun. I totally recommend this company if you plan to visit Stonehenge. It is totally worth the time to go there. And Lacock, seems time has forgotten this small village. Very cute.
Katia
Miami, FL USA Wed 11/14/2007
Artviva:The Original & Best Walking Tours - Florence
My wife and I went on the three hour "Original Florence Walk". It was money well spent. Our tour guide, Emiko, was knowledgeable, articulate and made the art and history of the town come alive.
John
Newtown Square, PA USA Sun 11/11/2007
Inverness Day Trip
This summer we did a day trip with "Canny Tours" out of Inverness. Gordon, our guide, did a great job! They are a small company, just starting out- but do a quality trip.
Toni
Charlotte, NC USA Wed 11/07/2007
Rome and Pompei
We just returned from a great trip to Rome and Pompei. In Pompei we toured the ruins with guide Gaetano Manfredi who was excellent! My husband said it could have been the highlight of his travels this year. (We are posted in Croatia for a year or two and have been travelling A LOT in the past 9 months.) In Rome we spent two half-days touring with John Tinto who was also terrific. He knew how to avoid the lines and hit all the highlights. We saw more (and learned more) in those eight hours than we would have seen in 4 days on our own. I would definitely recommend hiring both of these gentlemen ... very knowledgeable!
Karyn Ellwood
Zagreb , USA Mon 11/05/2007
Day Tours in Europe
When were were in Seville, we did a day trip to the Pueblos Blancos with Paul McGrath, owner of Andalusian Minibus Tours. It was a wonderful day - we enjoyed beautiful scenery, charming towns, a relaxing lunch. Paul is an excellent host and guide. This day was one of our favorites in a 4 week trip.
Paul was very easy to contact - we called him before we left home and he met us, as promised.
His e-mail and phone number are in Rick Steves' Spain 2007 guide.
Kay
Seattle, WA USA Sat 11/03/2007
Prague Guide- Katarina
A great guide for Prague and the Czech countryside is Katarina Kruspanova. She is a wealth of knowledge about the culture, history, and customs of the Czech Republic. Katarina has her own mini van and is more than willing to plan a day or overnight trip out of Prague. She even has her own apartment package which includes lodging, tours, and breakfast. You can contact her at package@prague-perfect.cz or her web site www.prague-perfect.cz mobile is +420 723 002 075
Elyce Kaplan
San Diego, CA USA Fri 11/02/2007
Budapest Guide- Gabriella
We used the private guide services of Gabriella Torok when we were in Budapest. Gabi is an excellent guide. We had a great 4 hour tour of Buda and Pest, hitting all the highlights with a list of places to return to. Gabi also gave us an excellent tour of the Jewish Ghetto area of Budapest with a special trip into the orthodox synogogue. She can be reached at www.privatetoursbudapest.com
Elyce
San Diego, ca USA Fri 11/02/2007
Normandy D-day tours - Battlebus
I'd like to highly recommend Battlebus Tours, which give guided tours of the Normandy beaches and related sites. I took the American Highlights tour in mid-October 2007, and was impressed by the guide's friendliness and vast knowledge. I was stuck in Bayeux a second day because of the rail strike, so I immediately reserved their last available space for the next days' tours, on the Candian Highlights, and loved that too!
Mike
Boston, MA USA Tue 10/30/2007
Jimmy & the Vatican
What??? Shell out 25 euro for a walking tour of the Vatican with some 21 year old brogue-accented kid??... I hesitated, then requested a discount as we had a group of 5 (ok, it turned out only 3), but Sean (an owner) quickly conceded to a 5 euro discount each, and we were led off by the kid from Dublin with a skinned elbow from an apparent abrupt encounter with the street the night before (possibly a Guinness related injury). Ok, a total of 58 euro for the three of us (2 adults, one student) and we are off on a trot with 8 others (not sure if they got the discount), following the affable "Jimmy the tour guide" with his semi-opened umbrella sporting angels on it. Jim, or Jimmy (I prefer Jimmy), as it turns out, was none the worse for wear from the night before. He did a Red Bull booster and was on top of his game. It turns out that Jimmy is an Art/History major, and seemed to be very well informed, and he coupled this information with comical irreverent statements of facts and descriptions about Michelangelo, the dead Popes, the artworks, etc, etc. He turned out to be the highlight of our trip and we cannot tell friends of our trip without bringing up his name. I felt sorry for the other tour groups with their catatonic monotone nearly audible self-righteous automaton guides. Jimmy was a blast.... Oh yeah, we learned of Angel Tours from Rick Steves.
Bruce Blume
Jamestown, NY USA Mon 10/29/2007
Tuscany Tours
My husband and I used Tuscany tours and Paola was wonderful!! She was very interesting, informative and a pleasure to spend the day with.
Barrie Fisch
Indianpolis, In USA Sat 10/27/2007
Southern Rhone Wine Tour
Normally I don't write these things, but because I had such a remarkable experience, I wanted to share it with my fellow RS travelers. I traveled all over France and Italy this summer for five weeks. I planned a wine tour for when I reached Arles with Mike Rijken of Wine Safari. When the day arrived,he picked me up bright and early and took me for an all day journey into Chateauneuf-du-Pape and the surounding areas. He gave me a history of the areas, vineyards, the people, growing practices, soil... etc. He is also a trained chef and worked in the wine industry for many years. The tastings were amazing. I learned so much. Mike is extreeemely knowldegable yet down to earth. He speaks excellent english and really helps make the connection between you and the people you meet at the vineyards. If you are going to be the Southern Rhone area and are thinking about going on a wine tour, spend the money and go with Mike. You will love your day. He is also refered to in the Rick Steve France book. Happy tasting!
Lora
Seattle, WA USA Fri 10/26/2007
Gray Line Munich Castles Tour
Having just returned from Munich, and the Munich Gray Line/Panorama tours castles tour, I just want to let everyone know that the meeting place listed in the guide as Hertie's department store is now called Karstadt department store. Same convenient location right outside the Hauptbahnhof. This was a wonderful tour!
Ingrid Metoff
Munroe Falls, OH USA Thu 10/25/2007
Tours Guide in Florence
I had a fabulous Tour Guide in Florence recommended by Rick. Her name is Paula Migliorini (www.florencetour.com). She's an amazing art historian and knows every nook and cranny of the city. Her husband also gives amazing tours of Tuscany. They pick you up at your door. They are so nice and so knowledable. I had a great time with both of them. I highy recommend it!
Joanne P
New York, NY USA Tue 10/23/2007
Highland Experience Tour, Scotland
We took the Highland Experience Tour (www.highlandexperience.com) from Edinburgh, Scotland and absolutely loved it. Our guide, Ian took us through breathtaking scenery while sharing fascinating anicdotes / Scottish history along the way. We stopped at Loch Ness, Glen Coe, passed by Stirling Castle and Monument, and a few other amazing spots along the way. This tour was the absolute highlight of our stay in Scotland. Highly recommended!
Elizabeth
Huntingdon, Cambs United Kingdom Wed 10/17/2007
D-Day Tours - Bad Experience, Fat Tire Bike Tours- Good
We booked a 1/2 day tour with Victory Tours in May 2007 for our late Sept. 2007 trip. We made a deposit (% of tour fee, based on 1/2 day tour) and received several emails confirming the 1/2 day tour. We purchased train tickets to Bayeux based on the information Roel provided us. Less than 2 weeks before our scheduled tour, I received an email from Roel (we were already on vacation) letting us know he made a mistake and scheduled us for a full day tour and wouldn't we like the full day tour. He'd even give us 5 euro each off the full day tour. With train tickets and other travel already booked at this late notice, we let him know our disappointment and asked for a refund of our deposit. More than one month later, I have not received the refund or responses to my emails. I highly discourage using D-Day Tours.
However, Lisa and the wonderful staff at Fat Tire Bike Tours in Paris came to our rescue and were incredibly helpful and accommodating in booking their D-Day Beach tour on very short notice. I highly recommend Fat Tire!
US traveler
Mobile, AL USA Tue 10/16/2007
Vatican Tour
I was very pleased with my Vatican tour through ThroughEternity. I would recommend this company to anyone looking for a great tour guide.
Richard Kolber
Camarillo, Ca USA Mon 10/15/2007
WWII Tours- Battlebus
I returned from Normandie, France where I took the Battlebus Tour-American Experience for 2 days & found it very interesting. There was a lot of great detail on some well known & not so well known battles for the Normandy invasion.
I would definitely recommend this tour. My guide was from the UK, Julian Vernon who was very knowledgeable & enthusiastic.
Johanna Ehlhardt
Seattle, Wa USA Mon 10/15/2007
Mini Tours Scotland- Craig
My husband and I took a day tour out of Edinburgh with Craig at Mini Tours Scotland.
We had the best experience with Craig. It was something that I would do again in a heartbeat. If we are fortunate enough to ever go back we are definitely using him.
He picked us up in front of our hotel in Edinburgh right on time in a very comfortable van. It was so nice having him to ourselves and getting the personal touch. He offered destinations for us to choose from and we choose the highlands. Our first stop was Stirling Castle. It is beautiful, up on a hill, of course as most are. We had the choice to go in or not, and we choose not go in (lots of tours were there and we were seeing plenty of Castles on our vacation.
Being my husband is a drinker of Scottish whisky (he learned not to call it 'scotch', the American way), we had to stop at the Famous Grouse distillery and take the tour. Can we say a 'wee sample of Scottish whisky' was had by all, except Craig. It was a small but quaint distillery. They have several brands they bottle under depending on blended or single malt with different aging.
Then we headed out into the highlands on the best little back road. But, the best part is when we ran up against a very large truck, oops; excuse me, a Lorre, which was too big for this single lane byway. It looked as though someone was going to have to back up a very long way. But, with a lot of maneuvering, we were able to pass the truck and we were again on our way. It was so pretty, so green.
My husband has this thing for very old historic graveyards. It gives him lots of thought of how they lived their lives, so, we stopped at this little graveyard. The oldest headstone was from 1690.
We moved on to the tower commemorating William Wallace. They had an actor in period dress depicting what might have been said by 'Braveheart'. It was entertaining and worth the stop. Craig pointed out something very interesting. When the memorial statue of William Wallace was commissioned, it was after the Mel Gibson movie Braveheart. So at the unveiling, there was a general gasp amongst those in attendance due to the face on the statue had a remarkable resemblance to Mel Gibson. And we agree.
These little nuances of trivia that Craig possessed are the things that make you enjoy the tour more.
As we were coming to an end of our tour we decided to take a very late lunch. Craig suggested we stop at St Fillans at the west side of Loch Earn this really is a secret place that the locals would like to keep to themselves as hardly any (if any) tours go this way! We had lunch at the Drummond Hotel which overlooks the loch. Setting at the tables on the porch of the hotel made for a very pleasant meal. Then it was time to head back to the hotel Edinburgh.
I can't rave enough about our trip with Craig. It was the beast part of our whole 2 week vacation. I definitely want to go back to Scotland and have him host another tour for us.
Lori Farrow
Anaheim, CA USA Mon 10/15/2007
D-Day Tour with Victory Tours!!- Roel
My wife and I toured the D-Day beaches with Roel back in May 2006 and are hoping to be able to bring our parents to Europe in 18 months. If all works well, there is no doubt in our minds that we will hire Victory Tours and Roel once again. His knowledge of the mainland invasion is extensive and his great personality is much appreciated. The small group atmosphere allowed easy interaction with Roel and made for a very comfortable tour. It is quite hard to plan an overseas trip when there are so many choices, but I am sure any visitor (whether a novice or expert in the Normandy landings of June 6, 1944) will enjoy Victory Tour's small groups and Roel's depth of knowledge and personal touch.
Thank you Roel!!
Nathan and Sara Mogilski
Raleigh, NC USA Mon 10/15/2007
Mike's Bike Tours - Munich, Germany
My friend and I booked a day trip through Mike's Bike Tours to see King Ludwig's Castle (the famous castle that Walt Disney based Sleeping Beauty's Castle on). We traveled to Munich on September 22, 2007 and went on the tour the very next day. Tex (the big boss) was waiting at the train station rounding everyone up. He was extremely nice and quick witted. He took care of us and made sure we had seats on the train and was very concise with the days itenerary. He sent us off on the train and we were met by Brad (our tour guide) when we arrived at our destination. The country side of Germany was magnificent to see on the train ride, by the way... Brad was fantastic and a great host from the get-go. He quickly worked a deal with the local bus driver to get us all on the first bus out (amidst tons of others trying to get on) and then gave us very funny and worthwhile information about all the stuff we'd see that day. He shared information and history about King Ludwig that you simply do not get on the state run tour. His presentation was FAR more fascinating than the 15-20 minute tour through the castle (which is state run, so Brad waited for us at the exit point). We had a great day and did I mention Brad is a professional close-up magician!? This is not your dime store stuff, he did magic that we only see on TV specials here in America! He even has instructional DVD's on magic, which makes great gifts to take home (yes, I bought one). I did one other tour in Munich and it was far, far, far less entertaining and organized. These guys are the real deal and I can't wait to go back to Munich (planning on it for next year's Oktoberfest) and I will definitely not hesitate to hire Mike's Bike Tours again... Danke!
Chase
Fairfax, VA USA Fri 10/12/2007
Guide for Pompeii and Herculaneum
We visited Pompeii and Herculaneum in September 2007. We hired Dr. Pina Esposito as a guide for the day, as recommended in Rick Steves' Italy. Her narative was informative as well as enjoyable. It made our visit to these wonderful sites much more complete. We appreciated her company and conversation and would recommend her for these sites as well as Naples.
Steve and Kathy B.
Vancouver, WA USA Mon 10/08/2007
Fat Tire - Day Tour
I had a great time on a recent Fat Tire Bike Tours day bike tour. The guide was smart, young, a bit cheasy, but still funny, and the bikes were easy to ride.
Jordan
Dallas, TX USA Fri 10/05/2007
Band of Brothers Normandy tour
Guide Dale Booth of BatttleBus provided a terrific tour, a former soldier, he added a great perspective as well as being extremely well informed and hospitable. Other Battlebus tours were also first class. I recomend them without reservation.
rich willis
corte madera, ca USA Tue 10/02/2007
Normandy-Overlord Tours
Normandy Tour. We booked a two-day tour of Normandy's beaches, cemetaries and museums with Overlord Tours. Our guide was an excellent, passionate WWII historian, with extensive knowledge of the events leading up to the Invasion, the landings and the area. We highly recommend Overlord Tours.
TandG
Pipersville, PA USA Mon 10/01/2007
Presto Tours was great!
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 Mon 10/01/2007
Tours in Tuscany- Artviva
Another satisfied customer of Artviva tours. We took the Best of Tuscany small group bus tour in September 2007 and saw San Gimignano in the early morning before huge bus tours, had wine tasting and a wonderful lunch at the Fattoria San Donato winery, and Siena in the afternoon. Entertaining and knowledgeable guide, plenty of time to view the cities, photo ops, shopping and perfect sized groups. Expensive but worth it.
Deb Kozak
Redmond, WA USA Tue 09/25/2007
Olive oil and wine in Tuscany
We had a great time taking the olive oil tasting tour combined with a wine tasting tour (1 full day) that Gloria and Marcel, the owners of Casina di Rosa, a vacation rental home in Tuscany (www.casinadirosa.it), recommended to us. A very nice man, Carlo, picked us up and took us out for the day to olive farms and wineries. It was great. We really thank our great hosts.
Emma
USA Mon 09/24/2007
The Original London Sightseeing Bus Tour
Do not waste your time or money by taking the "Original London Sightseeing" Bus tour. It was recommended in a travel guide and is suppose to be a great way to get an overview of the city. The tour was less than satisfactory: the highest priced attraction during our entire trip, poor sound quality, dry delivery of information (reading from a list) and unresponsive tour guide.
Cyrus
Pittsburgh, PA USA Mon 09/24/2007
Excellent Local Guide in Madrid - David Ruiz
My mom and I just returned from six days in Madrid during Sept. 2007 and used David Ruiz as a private guide to see the key works in the Prado and Thyssen museums. David also provided us with a two half-day tours of the many sights in old Madrid. David is director of Madrid Original - www.madridoriginal.com. His love and knowledge of art and history is excellent. Using David allowed us to see and learn more about the highlights in Madrid and history of Spain than if we had used a group tour or tried to do things on our own. If you are looking for a private guide in Madrid, highly recommend you contact David Ruiz. He customized the agenda to our interests and we found him to be excellent.
Nancy Russell
Boston, MA USA Sat 09/22/2007
Cornwall tours - Harry Safari
Absolutely loved the Harry Safari four hour tour of Cornwall. He picks up in Penzance and St. Ives. I bought my ticket at the TI in Penzance and was picked up there. He is Cornish through and through, funny, with lots of knowledge about Cornwall. I learned so much and saw countryside that I could not have seen from public transportation. On the tour I was on, we went to an old church and a prehistoric site as well as stopped for coffee at the Tinner's Arms in Zennor. I saw him listed in Lets Go, and was so glad that I took his tour.
Gail
Canada Wed 09/19/2007
Autour de Paris
• Sometimes something can be so good that its reputation hurts its own success. Montmartre is a perfect example. Too touristy. Too many visitors. You can't even take a picture without actually having a wall of tourists filling the frame of your camera. OK! You must see Montmartre, but after the Sacre-Coeur and Place du Tertre walk around the less frequented areas (www.museedemontmartre.fr, www.montmartrenet.com, www.dali-espacemontmartre.com, etc. The artists are also much more aggressive than before. They follow you around, hoping that their persistence will prevail. Use the funicular (free tramway with the Carte Orange) if you can't negotiate the stairs (284 steps) that take you up to the church. And a charming Asian violinist helps you forget that you are waiting in line. Tip. Also available for a fee is the Montmartrain, one of those small Disneyworld types of mini trains that ride passengers around Montmartre while a guide points out the interesting sights. Remember: You need the exercise because of all the delicious French food. P.S. Check the art stores.
• If you want to climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower, wait until they are selling the last tickets, late in the evening, and be one of the last riders. Otherwise, you are facing the usual one-hour (at least) line. Of course, if you want to see Paris during the day, that's another story. The website is www.tour-eiffel.fr. No Museum Pass.
• The Palais de Chaillot at the Place du Trocadero houses, among others, the Musée national de la Marine (www.musee-marine.fr). Free with the Museum Pass. Even if you are not a ship aficionado, you should see the hundreds of paintings and miniature ships. Also displayed is the full size "canot d'appârat" of Marie-Antoinette, queen of France, which she used to party on the "grand canal" (Petite Venise) at Versailles. I took beaucoup of photos. No flash.
• Check "Le Mur pour la Paix" across the Ecole Militaire, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, where the word « peace » is written in every language that exists. Free.
• If you are into fine crystal, check « La Maison Baccarat, » at 11, Place des Etats-Unis (Metro : Boissière). (www.baccarat.fr) Fantastic stuff. Sorry, no photo inside.
• Check the beautiful "porte cochères," the fancy doorways of the beautiful mansions on avenue Montaigne. And the window shopping! Hello!
• You have to view Paris, at least the "Etoile" area, from the top of the Arc de Triomphe (www.champselysees.org). Hurray for the Museum Pass! No line. Just walk through. I think the people in line disliked us. And we did not have to climb the 397 steps; we rode the elevator. What a sight!
• Forget about the "Grand Palais," (www.rmn.fr/galeriesnationalesdugrandpalais) Closed for renovation. No museum Pass.
• But right across the street is the "Petit Palais," (www.petit-palis.paris.fr) an unexpected jewel box. Free. Fantastic artwork from 5/6 centuries: paintings, bronze, marble, ceiling frescoes, porcelains, silver, gold, jasper, faience, crystal. A mini Louvre, but no big crowd. Love it. Museum Pass. Yes.
• Don't miss the "Musée de l'Orangerie" at the "Jardin des Tuileries." Yes, the Museum Pass strikes again. No long, long line. Rodin's "The Kiss" is outside at the entrance. A Monet feast. Plus Renoir, Gauguin, Rousseau, Matisse, Picasso, Derain, Utrillo, etc. (www.musee-orangerie.fr). As you come out don't forget to snap a memorable shot of the « Pont Alexandre III, » unjustly described as over decorated.
• We have only seen the Roman Pantheon on TV, but we prefer the one in Paris (www.monum.fr). The architecture is not different, but we know the people who are buried there. Alexander Dumas, the author of The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo is a compatriot. Besides, there is beaucoup of artwork, mostly huge murals, to enjoy. Beaucoup of photos. No flash!
• Across the Orsay Museum, at 2, rue de Bellechasse, is a too often ignored museum, the "Musée national de la Légion d'honneur." Plenty of artwork, including beaucoup of paintings about military subjects such as Charles de Gaulle, Napoléon, Dwight D. Eisenhower, etc. So many gold chains of the "Légion d'honneur." Free with audio guide.
• You have to do the Invalides (www.invalides.org). If not for Napoléon's mausoleum but for the "Eglise Saint Louis des Invalides," which has been renovated and is open again. This is the second best kept church in Paris although this one is kept by the government. Beautiful altar, organ, and garden. Free with Museum Pass. Hello!
• The "Musée national Delacroix" (www.musee-delacroix.fr) is no big deal, but the tiny garden is worth the trip. So inviting. So peaceful. No photo inside.
• Check the "Musée du Luxembourg" in the garden and the Lalique exhibit is on now.
• Close by is the "Musée Nissim de Camondo," an early 20th century residence of a rich family. Kept as it was then. Beaucoup of photos. A beautiful garden that opens on "Parc Monceau." Museum Pass! Hello!
• Check also the "Musée Jacquemart-André," (www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com) another rich family residence. No Museum Pass. 9.50 Euros. Worth it, but I came out empty handed. Sorry, no photos
• Don't forget the "Centre Pompidou," otherwise you will miss the strangest works of art on display. Check Gérard Fromanger's "Corps à Corps bleu," roughly translated Blue Hand to Hand Combat." A white background on parts of which he seemed to have wiped blue paint. That's it. Sorry, I am still practicing my sophistication.
• Do Château de Chantilly if you can (www.chateaudechantilly.com). Beautiful park. Nice castle, great artwork, beautiful library. We did not go inside the horse museum. We took a taxi from the train station to the castle and we walked back through the town. Picturesque little town. A few inviting pâtisseries along the main street.
• Have lunch at the Square Viviani, a quiet garden next to Notre-Dame, right across the Pont au Double. At the back of the garden is the church Saint Julien-le-Pauvre, one of the two oldest churches in Paris. Great concerts at night. We enjoyed a Chopin recital one evening. Very affordable. Intimate setting.
• Next to Saint-Julien is rue Galande, lined with small shops owned by artists selling their handmade works. Affordable. Try "Pays de Poche," at #73.
• Can't go to Notre-Dame without crossing the Pont Saint Louis toward the Ile Saint Louis. You must walk the whole length of rue Saint Louis en l'Ile. Every store is a veritable "trouvaille." A revelation. A "religieuse chocolat" at the Pâtisserie Saint Louis. The greatest "glaces" at Berthillon. The most fantastic gelato at "Amorino." Great Venetian artifacts at "Il Campiello;" we bought an original Venetian mask. Beautiful scarves for my wife at "Takara."
• Visit the "Village royal," a quiet and quite charming 18th century courtyard updated to house contemporary cafés and shops. Next door to LaDurée Pâtisserie. Rue Royale. Métro: Madeleine. Great place for a romantic brunch.
• Don't miss the flowerbed en terrace at Eglise La Madeleine. Worth a picture. My wife posed there and she looked as if Eve returned to the Garden of Eden holding a shopping bag full of LaDurée's pastry. Ha! Ha!
• If you want to be close to the things you might never be able to afford, visit the "Louvre des Antiquaires" at Rue de Rivoli, across from the Louvre Museum. I still wonder if the shopkeepers were having their fun when they tried to sell us some of the items. But we savored the inimitable "macarons" (a macaroon is a sacrilege) at "Angelina," (www.angelina.fr) a "salon de thé" and "pâtisserie" at Rue de Rivoli.
• Another garden you can't ignore is the "Jardin du Palais Royal." We sat on a bench and had lunch while we observed "Le Grand Véfour," one of the most elegant/expensive restaurants in Paris. OK! OK! I took a picture of the menu, which offers breakfast for 88 Euros. I would not even attempt to translate any of the exotic items on the menu. Hello!
• Visit the "Galerie Vivienne" at rue Vivienne and enjoy the architecture and shops.
• What about some great "chocolat" at the "Maison du Chocolat" in the "Carroussel du Louvre," the lowest level of the museum. Expensive. But what a presentation. I refuse to part with the bag in which they packed the stuff. It's a work of art in itself. Call me a sentimental…
• Feel intellectual and take a load off your feet at the "Place de la Sorbonne." A baguette filled with lettuce, ham and brie, blessed with a touch of sauce Béchamel veloutée would not hurt either. Then the dessert: a Saint-Honoré, an opéra, or a Feuille d'automne. We toasted it down with a small bottle of Sauternes (37,5 cl). Yummy! We buy our lunch at the rue Cler area and stop to eat wherever a beautiful sight inspires us.
• As we left the "Panthéon," on our way to the "Eglise Saint-Etienne-du-Mont" (next door), we said hello to the author of "The Cid," Pierre Corneille (of Cornelian fame) on his pedestal. This is one of the two best kept churches we visited in Paris. And we have seen many of them. Beaucoup of works of art. Fantastic stained-glass windows. The tomb of Sainte Geneviève, the patroness of Paris. That day we were lucky to take pleasure in a concert given by the Choir of the Cambridge Voices; the occasion was the Assumption. Free.
• Check the many open markets during your walks, or go directly to them. I recommend the Marché d'Aligre (Métro: Ledru Rollin) where we bought a to-die-for "pâté de foie en croute," and the Marché aux Puces St-Ouen (Métro: Porte de Clignancourt), where we purchased a hand-cranked coffee grinder made around 1920. my grandmother had one and I never forget it. As a child I was her official grinder.
• Do the Père-Lachaise slowly (www.pere-lachaise.com). This time I took about 60 pictures of graves with remarkable architecture. We met an older gentleman who hangs in the cemetery. He told us he actually took a course in the cemetery's history, revealing barely known pieces of information about its occupants. A bronze of Théodore Géricault presents the artist painting prostrated during the final years of his life because he was paralyzed after he fell off his horse. On one of the sides of his grave is a bronze bas-relief of "The Raft of the Medusa." There is also a bronze of a guy lying on his back, holding the face of a woman, supposedly his wife; however, the funeral parlor made a mistake and provided the sculptor with a picture of his mother-in-law. Get the irony! Of course, Chopin's tomb, small in comparison, but overflowing with fresh flowers and the women visitors still weeping inconsolably.
• Since we renewed our vows at "Eglise Saint-Germain-des-Prés," we had a $7 cup of coffee at "Les Deux Magots" across the street (www.lesdeuxmagots.fr). They have the fanciest restroom I have seen in a public place. Very nice place. P.S. Stay away from public restrooms found on sidewalks. Used to be clean when you had to pay to use them. Now they are free and, unfortunately, very often disgusting. Have a "café crème" at a bistro and use the toilet.
• How about some lunch at rue de Buci? Great pastry at Paul's. nice street fair ambience.
• You MUST visit the "Parc Monceau," the most beautiful park I have seen in Paris. Small but manicured. This must have been what the Garden of Eden looked like. It looks even better with a glass of Sauternes. At one of the park's exits is the "Musée Cernuschi." Free.
• We visited "Au Printemps" store and we kept our credit cards as deep as we could in our pockets. But we went to "Galeries Lafayette" store and appreciated the prices much more. "La Samaritaine" is closed for renovation. In case you are wondering if I am cheap, don't. Call it frugal, prudent… C'est plus élégant.
• Even though none of the travel books really encourages a visit to the "Canal St Martin" area, we decided to try it as something different. Disappointing. We took the métro to République station and walked along the canal, but not much to see. We rode the métro again to Corentin Cariou station to "Parc de La Villette," but everything was closed, including the "Musée de la Musique," (www.cite-musique.fr). Maybe next time.
jean-frantz
Staten Island, NY USA Tue 09/18/2007
France trip - Acco Dispo with Pascal
I just returned from a trip to France and used Rick Steves' book to plan everything. I skipped a travel agent and went straight to the web. I stopped in Amboise for a couple of days to see some chateaux. Pascal Accolay runs Acco-Dispo and was absolutely wonderful as a guide. He is knowledgeable and I highly recommend him if you're thinking of booking a van tour in that area. Amboise is gorgeous. I also recommend the Provence Reservation van tours which can take you to towns in Provence that are hard to get to.
I also stayed in Paris at Hotel Leveque. It was disappointing in that the carpet needs to be replaced and a fresh coat of paint would help. Otherwise, it was acceptable, clean and had a friendly staff. Although, be warned, you cannot plug in any electronic devices as they will cause a power outage, which happened my first day there. Someone on my floor must have plugged something in and the lights went out for a while, until the hotel clerk took care of the problem.
Train travel in France was easy and I suggest planning before you go and getting all your tickets before you leave. And plan well for any Sunday travel as the trains can be spotty from small towns.
Dawn L Stubbs
Dublin, OH USA Mon 09/17/2007
Mikes Bike Tours- Neuschwanstein Castle Day Tour, Munich
By far this was the highlight of our time in Germany!
It's an easy bus trip down to the castle from the city centre. The ride is on flat ground the whole way, so no worries if your fitness level isn't up to scratch.Bike ride around the area and Swan Lake was truly breathtaking!
Thanks to Brad and Paul our tour guides for the entertainment.
We would reccomend this tour to anyone and will be doing it again next time we are in Munich.
P.S Make sure you try the strudel at lunch..it's amazing!!!!
www.mikesbiketours.com
Natalie & Ranita
Sydney, Australia Thu 09/13/2007
Great Family Guide in Rome-Brenda
Brenda does a terrific job, but for families, she is simply the best! We did a BIG day with our three teenagers covering ancient Rome in the morning and the Vatican in the afternoon. It was a tiring day but well worth it. We prefer guides who prioritize sites on the basis of "must see" and then "if you have have time & energy". Brenda is a Vatican Art Scholar that is brilliant and engaging. She can be reached via e-mail:
brenda.bohen@gmail.com
Steve Oppenheimer
Atlanta, GA USA Tue 09/04/2007
Rome Tours: Antonio
My family and I just spent several glorious days in Rome...the highlight was our personal guided tours of the Vatican and Ancient Rome by Antonio Palladino (antonio_cesare@msn.com). He speaks 6 languages. He was so remarkably knowledgeable and friendly. He brought the history of Rome alive for our family (ages 17 to 50+). The hours we spent with Antonio were the highlight of our visit to Italy...and very affordable too! We very highly endorse using Antonio...and he knows how to minimize/eliminate your wait in the extremely long lines. He is A++++!
Ron N
Washington , DC USA Sun 09/02/2007
Best Private Tour Guide in Tangier
Just returned from Spain and Morocco. Rick's advice on accommodations really helped. in Tarifa the Hurricane Hotel, 7 km west of Tarifa. Very friendly, nice breakfast, pool, beach, etc. Out of the bustle of things. We had a family Suite for 130E, incl. mini backyard. Took a day tour of Tangier for a brief taste of Morocco. Ww Can't Say enough good things about Jamal/Guide & Said/Driver and the Private tours they Provided for us in Tangier, i Emailed: JamalTour1@gmail.com They are extremely informative and know their Stuff. We hope to return to Morocco and will definitely Call on Jamal and Ssaid to arrange our tours. I have found Rick Steve's books to be extremely helpful..even with my Past travels throughout Europe!!
Lauren Bacall
New Brunswick, NJ , USA Sat 09/01/2007
Florence Day Tours and Cooking Classes
It was the best two days of our European Tour. Paola Migliorni is the BEST !!!!! It was AMAZING !!!! Our family (4 of us) learned how to cook Tuscan food on one evening with friends of Paola's and had dinner with everyone. Then, the next day, she picked us up in her van and took us all over Florence. It was a combination of walking and driving tour. We covered the city in a day. Paola is extremely knowledgable about Florence and has a tremendous education in art history. I will use her again and again when we return to Florence !!!!!
The Lyles Family
New Orleans, LA USA Tue 08/28/2007
White, Hill Town Tours
Our family used Paul McGrath for his day tour of the white, hill towns -- the comma after the "white" is a gift to Rick and everyone else as Paul mentioned that some folks arrive with a notion that the hills are white; it's just the town buildings.
Paul was very good and his price was fair for the nine or 10 hours we "tooled" around the contryside. We visited four towns and got a good feel for the area outside of Seville.
If we had one criticism (more a suggestion) Paul should try to provide a little more background and historical information on the region during the hour-plus drive out to the hill towns.
By comparison, we did two excellent (well narrated with rapid access to the Colosseum and Vatican/Sistine Chapel) tours of Rome and Naples with an Italian tour company, but they were somewhat more expensive than Paul -- so all in all Paul was priced quite reasonably for what he delivered.
Anyway, the bottom line is that if you want a good tour of the white, hill towns of Andalucia, Paul McGrath is a good bet.
Chip French
Germantown, MD USA Sun 08/26/2007
David Brown, Scenic Travel - Bath area Tour Guide
We traveled with our two teenage girls to England in March of this year, and began our trip in Bath. We were lucky to have hired David Brown as our tour guide for the day. We had been to Bath before, and knew that there were places in the area that we would like to see that we missed the first time, or wanted to see again. We found David through his web site, www.scenictravel.co.uk. We were very impressed with his attention to detail. Even before we arrived in England, he sent us Emails with suggestions for our tour, which included Stonehenge, Glastonbury, and Wells. He reminded us that daylight savings began in England the night we arrived. He even made lunch reservations for us at an old English pub in Glastonbury, The George, which was a great way to kick off our stay in England. He can customize any tour of the area, and he also does multi-day tours of North Wales, which can include a stay at his cottage. He was very professional at all times, had a great sense of humor, and we would welcome the chance to tour with him again. He didn't mind returning to our hotel to get our camera when we realized several miles down the road that we had left it! He's a wonderful tour guide.
keith b
KY USA Sun 08/26/2007
Gaetano Manfredi and Pompeii
Absolutely wonderful tour guide for Pompeii. Rick Steves recommends him in his Italy guide book and I have never had a more informative tour. He brings the city alive. There are no wasted moments: his information is scholarly and vibrant. The highest compliment came from my 14 and 16 year old sons who decided that he was very "cool". Geatano is a great guy and a masterful historian. He is easily reachable by email and setting up a tour is effortless. I give my highest recommendation. His email: 3387255620@tim.it
Oliver Stanton
Davis, CA USA Thu 08/23/2007
Day Tours in Salzburg
One of the best tours we recently took while in Salzburg was The Sound of Music Tour with Bob's Special Tours. We opted for the smaller 8 passenger mini-bus. The guide picked us up at the hotel at 9am and the tour lasted for 4 hours. It is a Sound of Music Tour but it is also a great way to get an overall view of the Salzburg area. Our guide was very knowlegable, personable and made the tour fun. I highly recommend it!!
Shirley
Matthews, NC USA Mon 08/13/2007
Cinque Terre from the water
"Angelo's Boat Tours" on the waterfront, right on the boat dock in the old village.
Angelo, with decent command of English, offers private swimming, snorkeling ans sunset tours along the Cinque Terre coastline. The snorkeling is very dramatic as the water is extremely clear and deep right up to the cliff. he knows the secret caves, waterfalls, and beaches after spending his entire life on the water in this area.
Angelo's family is one of the five oldest families in Monterosso, known for fishing for anchovies "al Lamparo", as his family has for the recent 8 or possibly 9 centuries. The church and cemetery are full of the Benvenuto family crypts.
His friendly wife Paula provides the best picnic ever for a small extra charge, which turned out to be our best meal in Italy. She cooks only organic and completely fresh foods from their "horto" (garden) on the hill, and her fresh pesto pasta, eggplant compote, served with ice-cold Prosecco or homemade fresh lemonade make for the most amazing memory and amazing day in our entire trip! Book ahead because they can get very busy in August! A pricey 60 euros per hour (groups of 1-4) and 75 euros per hour and worth every penny for larger groups might discourage some, but pool your money and do this tour! It is stunning!
+339 314 0582 or 333 318 2967. Paula speaks English (she's American), Angelo's is also quite good.
paula55@libero.it
cindy nelson
Palo Alto, CA USA Sun 08/12/2007
The Original Florence Walk
This tour is a must if you are visiting Florence http://www.italy.artviva.com/italytravel_best_tours_tour/florence_tuscany
Our guide, Freya, captivated us with stories of the Medici as well as from the Middle Ages. She pointed out architectual points to notice during our stay in the city. It was a great way to begin to really know what Florence and the Florentines are all about.
Kathy
Oak Ridge, TN USA Sun 08/05/2007
Italy -English-speaking guides-"When in Rome"
I chose "When In Rome Tours" for both our Ancient Rome/Colosseum Tour and our Vatican Museums/St Peter's/Sistine Tour. Both tours, and both tour guides, were out of this world! Henry was our young Ancient Rome guide. He has a degree in archeology and was going on to anthropology or some other closely-related study. He knew SO MUCH about Ancient Rome... he painted the most wonderful pictures with his descriptions, and I really felt like he took us back in time. Some of his anecdotes were really funny. With our Vatican City Tour, we had Kimberly, I believe her name was. She hailed from our area of California, too, which was a crack-up. She was so knowledgable about all things art-history-related, and pointed out some very cool, very funny, and very "WOW!" things about various parts of the Vatican and its art. Our other family members went on a separate tour with When In Rome Tours (we got separated), and they said similar things about their guide. So, I know that it wasn't just me. Their prices are reasonable, but do not be shocked when they tell you that your kids and seniors don't qualify for the reduced rate. Only European Union members qualify, so unless you hide while your tour guide goes to buy your tickets, they will see and hear you and know you're not EU. On the When In Rome Tours web site they neglected to mention this, so we wound up paying for our kids (full price). I wasn't bugged, but you'd think at least that they'd cover this when you register online.
Laura Torresan
La Honda, CA USA Sun 07/29/2007
Run-Don't Walk-To The Best Tour of the Normandy/D Day Beaches
My husband and I recently returned from a twelve day trip to France and one of the highlights was our tour of the Normandy beaches with Roel Klinkhamer. We found Roel to be informative and entertaining. He offered insights to the D Day invasion that a big bus tour just cannot offer. At each stop, Roel made history come alive with his explanations and anecdotal information. The next time we are in Normandy, we plan to contact Roel and take his tour again. We both heartily recommend that anyone traveling to Normandy contact Roel's tour at www.victorytours.com-you won't be sorry.
Jacqueline Prugar
Pittsburgh, PA USA Thu 07/26/2007
Lake District & Hadrian's Wall
My wife and I had a wonderful experience with Touchstone Tours (Collin & Lucy Harrison) on two day long small group tours. The first was of history, charm and beauty of the Lake District and the second was of the Roman occupation of England/Hadrian's Wall. Collin went out of his way throughout to make sure we were enjoying the experience and seeing what we had set out to see. Tea stops and wonderful pub lunches were included. The pace was moderate. Appropriate for all adults.
Lawrence Katz
Walnut Creek, CA U.S.A. Wed 07/25/2007
Wine Tour in Provence
My wife & I have just came from an inspirational week in Provence. We stayed in the wonderful Les Florets Hotel in Gigondas (recommended elsewhere in Rick's book/website). Boy, is the food good. We were looking for a wine tour and the hotel recommended Olivier Hickman a half French/English wine expert based in the neigbouring village. He took us to a couple of wonderful wine domaines in Gigondas. However, unlike a lot of wine tours we have done before, a large part of the tour was focussed on the vineyards (what a setting in the beautiful Dentelles hills). It was in the vineyards where he told us all about "terroir" and its importance to French wine. Now I understand why French wine labels tell you where the wine comes from and not what the grape varieties are. He then took us around the winery of Chateau Trignon and explained how some of the wine-making methods could be tasted in the wine. An inspirational wine tour. Olivier's approach is truely unique and such a funny guy! His website is www.wine-uncovered.com
Jeremy Simpson
St Ives, USA Sun 07/22/2007
Local Guides, Prague - Sarka
We just returned from Prague and it was probably the best trip I have taken. We used SARKA from Rick's Prague Guide, and had 3 wonderful days with Jana, her assistant. She was knowledgeable, flexible, and fun. We could not have gotten as much out of the trip had she not been with us. She took us to the local palces, and of course, there was never any problem with the checks in restaurants or in communication, bacause she herself was a local. I can't recommend her enough- she made our trip!
Joanne Longobardi
Englewood, Co USA Sun 07/22/2007
"Discover Rome" Walking Tours
At the Colosseum we had the good fortune to take a tour by Discover Rome tours. It was not a pre-reserved tour. Our guide was Italian, but spoke good English and conveyed his passion for the history of the Colosseum and its context. We (family of 2 parents, 2 teens) thought enough of Paolo's tour to accept his invitation to take another tour -- free after paying for the Colosseum tours -- with another guide shortly thereafter, of the Palatine Hill (Forum, etc.). That tour, too, was very good, with Anthony, and it turned out that Paolo actually may be the ONLY non-native English speaker of Discover Rome's guides. So, when they informed us that they also provided Vatican tours, we took their brochure as "backup," since we already had booked a Vatican tour through Select Italy, a group recommended in a non-Rick Steves guidebook.
That night we learned that Select Italy had failed to get us tickets to the Vatican. So, next morning we turned to our backup plan and went to the appointed meeting place and time for the morning's Discover Rome tour of the Vatican. It was the best tour of our trip (though others were pretty close). Claire (SP?) was highly knowledgeable, excited by her subject, articulate, iconoclastic, full of wonderful stories about various things in the Vatican, funny but respectful, and just generally great. The tour actually ran a bit longer than expected, but only 1 person left. All four of our family loved this tour.
In summary, we had 3 tours with Discover Rome. All were very well organized, delivered what they said they'd do, and were thoroughly enjoyable. This company is a good resource!
Doug
VA USA Sun 07/15/2007
Rome Night walk
We did a Rome night walk with a awsome guide! Hannah shnider aka "aussie hannah". She did our Palitine Hill tour ealier in the day. She was so good we took her night walk and it was worth every Euro!
Mark
Clovis, 93612 USA Tue 07/10/2007
"Rome Walks" Disappointment
I agree with Pat from CA. Rome Walks is a disappointment. See my posting on Rick's Guidebooks/Rome. It is listed under worst experiences, csw TX.
csw
TX USA Thu 07/05/2007
RomeWalks and Context Rome
We just returned from Rome and used the RS guide books all the way. We booked two RomeWalks tours through their web site, one of the Vatican and one of the Forum. I was disappointed with RomeWalks. The Vatican Tour was just okay, the line was long and they do not have anyone obtain the tickets in advance or get in the line early for you. They meet at 12:30 so you are doing this wait at the heat of the day. For the price they charge I would have expected more. The tourguide was fine, nothing special. And the Forum tour with RomeWalks was just weak in every way. I'd not use them again. In contrast, we used Context Rome for a day trip to Pompeii. It was wonderful and engaging with excellent service at every step along the way. I'd recommend them in a heartbeat.
Pat
Hillsborough, CA USA Sun 07/01/2007
private tours
My advice: secure the price of your tour first. We discovered that our guide charged certain people one rate, families another, and then those she perceived to be "wealthy" another. Though we enjoyed the tour very much, this was a little distasteful.
sj
baltimore, MD USA Fri 06/29/2007
Rome and Hannah the Australian
We were in Rome a couple of weeks ago, and had a wonderful experience with a group of people that give tours, with one person being especially notable. I don't recall the name of the organization, but through this group we ultimately met Hannah "The Australian" Schneider, who was a wonderful guide. The first tour included the Coliseum and Palantine Hill. The group found us as we approached the Coliseum, asking if we were interested in an English tour that would allow us to bypass the general admission line. They formed us into ad hoc groups, which were denoted by the green dots placed on everyone. Our guide was an Italian gentleman who was interesting and knowledgeable. After the Coliseum tour they offer the Palantine Hill tour as an optional included tour. We would probably not have even thought to tour Palantine Hill, but since it was included, we went. And we are so glad that we did! Not only was it a very interesting place, but it was also where we met Hannah, who led us on that part of the tour. She was incredibly interesting and knowledgeable, and so entertaining that we scheduled two more tours with her (a walking tour around Rome and one through the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica). Her knowledge of history, art, architecture, and everything Roman made her tours the highlight of our time in Rome. Thanks Hannah!
Curtis
VA USA Tue 06/26/2007
Southern Spain Wine Tours
A Question of Taste (www.aqot.com) with Roger Davies gave us the most memorable and personable experiences while touring southern Spain. The day tours are well organized, personable, and truly invite one to learn the true culture and depth to the historical and inviting area. The day tour to the Ronda Valley (part of the Andalusian Applachian) was a breathtaking experience. We sat at the tables with the vineyard and winery "bodega" owners drinking fine wine. With Roger's translation, we found strong connections and appreciation in raising grapes and making fine wine. In Jerez, we toured sherry bodegas meeting the owners and feeling the true "heart and love for the business." We now are educating our friends at home to appreciate sherry and fine brandy. With Roger as the host, we ate at fine restaurants that also shared the finest Spain had to offer. These kinds of tours are what one should experience to feel and appreciate the true culture of Spain. It is so above any tour you may have on a bus with hand held recorders. We learned so much and met such great people. We came home with top wines, sherry, and brandy!
Our son was studying abroad in Seville, Spain at the time. It was our first trip to Europe, and we only had six full days there. The two days we arranged with A Question of Taste were the absolute highlights. We grow grapes for ourselves and other wineries in the Walla Walla Valley Appalachia and have just opened our own winery/cidery with our family. We wanted to experience the heart of Southern Spain and their viticulture environment. Searching the internet, A Question of Taste website interested us. We began email conversation and scheduled the tours. Never having done this before we were hesitant at first to make the commitment for the tour. Don't hesitate! I would recommend A Question of Taste to all of you! Our son and friend joined us for the day tour to Jerez and they loved the experience as well! It was fantastic.
Leslie
Milton Freewater, Oregon USA Sun 06/17/2007
Normandy
Roel Klinkhamer provides an incredible full-day tour of Normandy landing sites--the American Cemetery, Utah & Omaha Beaches, Arromanches, German Battery Longues sur Mer, and more. Also, because the parents of one of our group landed on Utah Beach & later provided medical services through a field hospital, Roel researched the medical unit and took a little detour off his usual route to look at the field and church where the hospital was set up. He provided a little piece of history from Utah Beach, in memory of our traveler's parents. He is entertaining, knowledgeable & incredibly hospitable. Is fluent in 4 languages including English and provides the tour in whatever languages are appropriated. A wonderful time. Don't miss staying at his Chateau Lingerolles, either--a beautiful site and room, dynamite breakfast & Pia is a gracious hostess!
Ava Crow
Lawrenceburg, KY USA Sat 06/16/2007
A day of wine tasting in Tuscany
My day with Tuscan Wine Tours was one of the best days of my recent trip to Italy. Rebecca (www.tuscan-wine-tours.com) leads groups of no more than 8 on a day long excursion, complete with winery tours and tastings, and a lovely lunch. The scenery was gorgeous, and Rebecca was knowledgable and fun to be with. She is Danish, but has lived in the area for many years and speaks perfect English, and is obviously well educated about wine making. Our group went to the Chianti region, where we toured 2 vineyards and tasted several wines at each. We had a great lunch at one of the vineyards, and we also stopped to see a beautiful small town. I thought the group was a perfect size, and we all got along and had a great time together. It was really well worth the price (100 Euros).
Marjorie
Atlanta, GA USA Wed 06/13/2007
Walking tour of Prague
My niece and I recently traveled to Europe spending 5 days in Berlin, 5 days in Budapest and 5 days in Prague. If you want to see the best of Prague and see sights many tourists don't see, I highly recommend a walking tour by Karolina Zadrazilova. She can be reached by phone 0042-604 903 099 or email z.karolina@seznam.cz. Also, if you plan to visit places outside of Prague, (we went to Kunta Hora) I recommend using Mike's chauffeur service. Mike picks you up, takes you to your destinatiion and waits until you are ready to return. No charge for waiting and his rates are very reasonable.
Bob Haas
Missouri City, TX USA Mon 06/11/2007
Seville Tour Guide
Antonio Doblas: Tour Guide Extraordinaire!
When engaging a tour guide, one hopes to explore new territory with a kindred spirit, one who has the knowledge of a historian, 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. Antonio Doblas fulfills all these requirements: he makes you comfortable in his presence, sharing his in-depth knowledge of the Alcazar, the Sevilla Cathedral, the Giralda Tower, and the winding streets of Santa Cruz, never intruding on your enjoyment of the sites, always adding to your appreciation. 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 Sevilla, 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.
Tiiu Lukk
CA USA Sun 06/10/2007
Don't fear the scooter.
The best day tour can be arranged and conducted by you, no guide necessary. All it requires is a desire for adventure and a scooter.
Rent your Vespa in Sorrento or Salerno and drive the Amalfi coast. Practice around town first until you feel comfortable. (I've never driven a scooter before and I was zipping through traffic by mid-morning.) Then head out to the coast.
I cannot begin to describe the exhiliration of winding through those 500 ft cliffs on a scooter. In my opinion, there is no other way to see this amazing place.
We saw several people in rental cars that were miserable because even a small car has trouble squeezing through some of the more narrow parts of the road.
It is not as scary as many people make it out. As long as you take it slow, you have nothing to be afraid of.
Half the people we consulted before this adventure said we were crazy, the other half insisted that we do it on the scooter. We are so glad we did. It was the highlight of our trip. We will never forget it.
John
Fort Worth, TX USA Mon 06/04/2007
Jewish Tour of Florence
We loved our tour of Jewish Florence with Giovanni Bassi Rosenfeld. We did it early in the morning, and it was a terrific introduction to Florence, so we were aquainted with the city after she left us and we continued on our own. She also got us tickets to the Uffizi, which was booked solid. We found her to be interesting, fun, helpful, and personable. She definitely cares about her clients and has the knowledge of a true historian. We highly recommend the tour.
Rachel Cyrulnik
New York, NY USA Wed 05/30/2007
Vatican Tour
While in Rome, my wife and I took a tour of the Vatican. It was with an American transplant from New Orleans. He has lived there for so long, you would never know he is not from Rome. He gave us the most fantastic tour. His knowlege of history, art, religion, etc was amazing. He even pointed out little interesting things missed by other guides. We have been on a lot of tours here in the States and Europe, but none could compare to this tour. His name is John Tinto and his e-mail address is johntinto@yahoo.it. He and his Italian wife also gives other tours of Rome.
Paul Grabert
Houston, , Texas USA Fri 05/25/2007
Amalfi Day Trips by Taxi
Rick recommends Carmello Monetti for touring the Amalfi coast by taxi. We reserved a day with him (actually his brother-in-law Tony)but when we showed up in Amalfi town-no driver. After several phone calls by us to Carmello, we learned that Tony had been in an "accident" and couldn't come. No message to us in advance Re the problem or Plan B. The good news was that we used Salvatore Castaldi ("Sal")a local driver (who drives in the Bronx in the Winter and who looks like an Italian Elvis) who quoted the same price and was great. Very helpful, good recommendations Re restaurants and courteous. His mobile:39-333-3172035.
R Oldham
Orlando, FL USA Fri 05/18/2007
tour of St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum
A tour of St. Peter's and the Vatican Museum -
While with my Mom in Rome, we had just finished a 'self-guided' tour of St. Peter's Basilica and I heard someone say "If you want to join this English tour, please do". I asked how much the tour cost and with the response of 'It's Free!!" we decided to join and Jennifer handed us our headphones.
Jennifer is absolutely amazing. Jennifer Cody offers free tours of St. Peter's several days a week with the gathering place at the taxi stand in front of the Vatican at 9:30 a.m. She was wonderful! We were booked for the SCAVI tour - not to be missed - so we decided to take her Sistine Chapel tour a few days later. The Sistine Chapel and Vatican museums tour was 25 euro/person and was excellent as well. She knows the history, the art and enjoys sharing her knowledge with the tour group. She is bright, friendly and an excellent guide!
Randi
Richmond, VA USA Thu 05/17/2007
Day Tours from London
For extremely affordable day tours via coach bus from central London, check out www.tracks-travel.com. Tours are only offered on Saturdays and Sundays (and Mondays on bank holiday weekends), but they are the most affordable day tours I have found at only 15 pounds, in general, per tour. They typically hit 2-3 locations per trip and provide enough time at each place. So perfect option for those without car. I currently live in London and have used this service over 5 times with various people and have recommended it to other co-workers, and I have yet to hear of a bad experience. Enjoy!
Kassie
London, UK Sun 05/13/2007
"Artviva: The Original and Best Walking Tours" www.italy.artviva.com
Both of our tours were amazing. As none of us have any art knowledge we felt that having an expert take us through the Uffizi Gallery would be a good idea. We had an excellent guide beginning with the early art and leading us through the progression and advancement in the techniques of painting. By the time we finished our tour we felt we had gained much knowledge and had received a very in depth explanation of each of the paintings we viewed. As we continued through the gallery on our own and again at the Accademia the following day we felt that we were able to view the paintings and sculptures with an increased knowledge.
Our day in Tuscany was wonderful from beginning to end. Our guide was very friendly and informative right from the point of meeting us outside the office he took the time to introduce himself and get to know each of the tour members by name. The time spent in the van was well utilized as the guide told us much about Florence and the Tuscany region, wine and oil production and was very welcoming of any questions. The tours of San Gigmanano and Siena were good as we learned much about the local history and then had free time to explore on our own and enjoy more gelato! Our time at the vineyard was educational as well as very enjoyable. The weather was absolutely perfect and the meal was amazing. The time around the table also allowed us to get to know our fellow travellers better. It was a perfect day to end our visit to Italy…although on the return trip to Florence as the guide recommended sites to visit and restaurants to try it made us wish we had an additional few days to explore.
The company was recommended to me by a colleague who had taken part in the tours a couple of years ago and raved about how wonderful they were. She also mentioned how personal she felt the tours were. We are in full agreement and will certainly recommend them to family and friends.
Pat Buckley
Saskatoon, SK Canada Mon 05/07/2007
Two tours in Italy - Good and the very bad
Two thumbs up for Verbena Blu tours out of Siena IT. It was a very low key affair that allowed us a great deal of flexiblity. Just four of us in a van with our escort/driver. Each of the four days we signed up for was a top highlight of the trip for our group.
Two thumbs down for Appian lines bus tours in Rome. We did the Vatican tour and the Naples/Pompeii trip and they were garbage. The Vatican tour guide shaved off huge chunks of the itinerary. Telling us to 'look in the doors' as we passed by the entrance to St. Peters. He also cut out the viewing of the Raphael frescos in the old papal apartments. (We would have never seen inside if we hadn't gone on our own... just passing the front door 'counted' in their eyes.
The naples trip was a fraud. The bus service stopped for 30 minutes twice at one of their privately owned snack shops. (Very overpriced) The promised tour of a museum and shell carving exhibition turned out to be a lame 2 minute demonstration and an hour of being left to wander their overpriced curio gallery. The noon meal was buffet food that tasted oddly like ragu in a can. The ONLY good point about either of these tours was the actual hands on guide in Pompeii was pretty decent.
Pete
Glendale, AZ USA Wed 05/02/2007
Great Paris bike tour- "Bike About Tours"
I found this new, small bike tour company in Paris- Bike About Tours. The two owners took me and my wife on a great day tour of the city on bikes. We stayed away from the
typcial/touristy Paris and saw all the little roads and unknown spots. They even gave us free wine at the end of the tour. A great day.
Jason Sanders
Seattle, WA USA Thu 04/26/2007
"Imagine Tours" was great!
I took a fantastic private tour of the region of around avignon with Imagine Tours (www.imagine-tours.net) what a bargain! My family of four and I took a full day tour...and wow...it really was a full day. We got picked up early in the morning, went almost everywhere in the region, and got dropped off at NIGHT for only 62.50 Euros per person! The young man the runs it is an American and really went all out and made our experience one of the highlights of our trip!
Erle Walker
Mustang, OK USA Sun 04/22/2007
"Battlebus Tour", Normandy
The highlight of our recent trip to France was the Battlebus 'American Highlights" tour of the D-Day beaches. Our exceptional guide, Dale Booth, was very knowledgeable and really enjoyed giving the tour. He has personally interviewed former soldiers and citizens of the area; his use of first hand accounts helped me put a very personal face on the invasion. I also appreciated the time spent walking the beaches and not simply driving by and looking out the window of the van. The end of the tour was very special with time spent at the American Cemetery overlooking "Bloody" Omaha Beach.
If you stay in Bayeux, please stay at the great Churchill Hotel and have crepes at Le Ttriskell. As one local said 'they do not take the crepes out of the refrigerator."
Don Helsel
Seattle, WA USA Fri 04/20/2007
Italy Boat, Bike, Cook!
Our three favorite excursions in Italy:
1) Boat charter in Sorrento from www.capritime.com WOW! The area was beautiful, the boat was luxurious, a wonderful day! The owner of Capri Time, Rebecca Brooks, accompanied us and was very informative and knowledgeable. She arranged lunch at a little restaurant that you can only get to by boat. I will definitely do this again.
2) Bike/Wine Ride with http://www.ibiketuscany.com/ The owner was so nice, and his bikes and helmets were in great shape and he even asked for the heights of the participants in advance. He also arranged a very nice lunch at an organic farmhouse in Tuscany. The only thing I would caution is that even the "Easy" ride in Tuscany requires some effort getting up the hills
3) Cooking class with http://www.accidentaltourist.com/activities/cooking.html
It was in Tuscany and we had a wine and oil olive tour and tasting first. A really fun nite!
FLTravel1
Rockledge, FL USA Fri 04/13/2007
Ireland Day Tours
I just returned from Ireland took two day trip bus tours while I was there. I highly recommend the Minicoach tour from Belfast to the Giants Causeway, Bushmills Distillery and the Carrick-a-Rede Bridge--very professionally run, great host; the coach even picked us up at our hotel near the Botanic Gardens! The second day trip was a rail/bus tour through Railtours from Dublin down the Southeastern Coast to New Ross (Dunbrody Famine Ship), Wexford, Waterford (waterford Crystal Factory), and Kilkenney. Although the sites were great, the bus was old and smelled of mold, the host failed to point out obviously interesting sites, yet pointed out every car dealership and credit union in each town; he also failed to explain the importance/meaning of some of the sites.
Mallory
Mukilteo, WA USA Wed 04/04/2007
"When in Rome" Tours
We have just got back from our trip to rome, all i can say is wow, how amazing was that trip! My boyfriend and i were going to tackle the vatican by ourselves but got approached by the 'when in rome' tour guides and how lucky was that! kimberley was our guide for the vatican museum, sistine chapel and st. peters basilica, we were both absolutely speechless about the sistine chapel and st. peters. kimberley has such a great knowledge of the vatican city, we can't thank her enough for sharing it with us. We were so impressed we decided to take klaus on a tour around the colosseum and roman forum the following day, and yet again we were not disappointed, he had great knowledge too and we learnt so much we just wouldn't have without him. They both made our trip so memorable and fascinating. We were so impressed, we're planning a return trip this year. Their site is www.wheninrometours.com
Cheryl and James (March 11, 2007)
Chicago, IL USA Mon 04/02/2007
Concierge and transportation services in Paris
Having just returned from Paris, I highly recommend Gerard of pariswebservices.com for all your group/private transportation needs (airport transfers and major attractions), as well as dinner reservations, museum passes, and other requests. Gerard, formerly on staff at the Hotel Relais Bosquet in the Rue Cler area of the 7th, offers competitive pricing for his and his staff's services. Not only is he highly reliable, fluent in English and convivial, he is also extremely flexible in both making and changing arrangements on the fly! Routinely, he went the extra mile by providing additonal no cost services on each booking (e.g., using his connections to make on the spot dinner reservations at popular restaurants, changing the agreed upon tour length, freebie city tours in conjunction with other bookings, out of the way changes in drop-off points at tour's end, just to name a few)! If you have a need, send Gerard an email - believe me, you can't go wrong!
Art
Arlington, TX USA Wed 03/28/2007
Wine and Bike Day Tours from Florence
We were lucky enough to take part in two wonderful day tours in the Tuscany countryside with pick-up in Florence. Both have been noted in comments before (and that's how we got the idea), but just wanted to add our favorable comments as both tour days were memorable.
We took a small group tour with Rebecca, www.tuscan-wine-tours.com, that included among many activities walking through the vineyards, winetasting, and oil tasting at an organic winery in the Brunello region (a lovely 1-1/2 hour drive from Florence) and a delicious lunch prepared for us by the owner of a Tuscan farm. Rebecca is enthusiastic, personable, knowledgeable, and speaks wonderful English. We learned a lot about wine and olio as well as enjoying the lovely countryside and Rebecca's company. Besides the group tours (no bigger than 8--ours had 4), she also leads private tours.
We also spent a fun day with Andy, the Scottish co-owner, of www.tuscany-biketours.com. We enjoyed wine and olio tasting in a scenic castle, eating lunch in a country restaurant, and pedalling through the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Attention was given to safety with the good selection of bikes/helmets and safe (but lovely) route. The few cars we encountered were very respectful of bikers. Andy was very personable and attentive to the wide range of riders and ages that made up our group. We considered the 60 euro cost per person a bargain for the fun day we had!
We are sure you will enjoy adding to your Florence visit with one or both of these tours.
Bob and Marigail S.
Seattle, WA USA Sat 03/24/2007
Private-Tour Guide Spain/Morocco
I Can highly recommend from Personal experience that Daniel from Tarifa, we had the Pleasure to tour with him this past winter and were very Satisfied. he Can be reached at: tarifatravel@gmail.com Daniel, is the best Private-guide of the entire Andalusia and northern Morocco, Especially for Private Tours In Tangier/Tanger for day trips. he is intelligent, well Spoken and does a terrific tour/excellent and very detailed.
Claudia Gonsalez Tort
Talahasse, FL USA Fri 03/16/2007
Fattoria di Maiano Tour in Fiesole
Walking Tours of Florence is located in Florence
We would highly recommend the Fattoria di Maiano tour in Fiesole. The tour of the agricultural estate where olives are grown includes a "light lunch" (really a very great three course lunch) and a tour of the villa. Tea with Mussolini and Room With a View were filmed here. The tour guide (March 2007) is a very informative California transplant. Great 4 hour tour for a reasonable price.
Rick & Kathy Bart
Taunton, MA USA Wed 03/14/2007
Ireland- Newgrange
I agree with Emma: Newgrange is a great place to visit. Even better, when I went a few years ago, my friend and I hired a guide for the day, who drove us to the un-restored sites of Knowth and Howth (I think those are correct- it's been a few years). This was a bit of a splurge, but definitely worth the price- we got a detailed history of the places and we got away from the rest of the tourists to see the 'real' Ireland. It was amazing.
Jen
Bellevue, WA USA Wed 03/14/2007
day tours - Newgrange, Ireland
you have to go to new grange in ireland. its about an 1hr outside of dublin. ancient burial grounds- dont miss it!
emma
pgh, pa USA Mon 03/12/2007
Loire valley chateaux
Lily, my wife and I recently rented a car and did a day tour of the Loire valley. We had been there before and were anxious to return. We rented a car from Hertz and were charged over $300 for 1 day's rental (even though I reserved from the US for under $50.) They just kept adding fees for this and that. But it was worth it. We went to Chartres for the cathedral, and visited 2 chateaux, though the last 2 were just brief visits. Had a great time and returned late and tired.
Cary
Brea, CA USA Sun 03/04/2007
day tours: Ireland & England
the archeology tour in Dingle, Ireland as listed in Rick's book.
Excellent half day tour. Don't miss it.
Mad Max tour from Bath also very good to Stonehenge, Avebury etc
Chere
Kelso, WA USA Fri 03/02/2007
Best damn wine tour period
While in Italy my wife and I attended a wine tour that I had booked through the net from home in the US. We visited three wineries and two hill towns in Chianti Classico. We sampled three to four wines at each vineyard and compared different olive oils and aged balsamic vinegars. At each stop we were given great info and fun facts. One highlight was our private lunch at the wine-masters own house, IN HIS DINING ROOM!! It was fantastic. We were given the opportunity to purchase the wines, oils and vinegars we had tasted without being pressured. Our host Rebecca was charming and sweet and very educated in wines and the region. Our experience that day was one we will cherish forever. When we return to Italy in 2010 we will defiantly book another tour with Tuscan-wine-tours.com
Jarred Tedino
Warwick, RI USA Thu 03/01/2007
Prague guide
A travel friend stumbled across The Perfect Package in Prague online. I investigated and found Katarina.
The apartment was in a great location, huge, new and across the hall from her. She is a licensed guide with more knowledge under her belt than I had imagined. I could tell her where I wanted to go and how long I wanted to use her services for the day. She speaks great English, Russian and some German. She has lived in the Ukraine, Ghana, Slovakia, etc. So, the information is amazing. Loved Prague but she really enhanced the visit. Certainly worth the price.
Barbara
Ocala, FL USA Tue 02/20/2007
"ICON Tours", Rome, Italy
January 18 and 19, ICON Tour in Rome, Italy. This was the best tour company we have ever worked with. They guarantee small groups, but the first day, our colosseum tour was just the three of us. Our guide, Sarah, was a native English speaker, and was amazingly knowledgeable about the colosseum, the Forum, etc. And she had a great sense of humor, which made the tour the best we've ever had. The other tour with ICON in Rome was The Vatican tour, with another native English speaking guide. And, after a brief mix-up by me about the time of the tour, ICON accommated us with a new time, cheerfully, which saved the day. Very unexpected, and maybe they could because it was off season. We've taken many tours throughout Europe, where you can't hear the guide, or you can't understand them, or there are just too many people. The good tours made our time in Rome wonderful, and memorable!
Pamela
Brussels, Belgium Wed 02/07/2007
Official Guide Madrid - Gaetan
We spent Christmas in Madrid this year, visiting our daughter who is studying for the year in Zaragoza.
We used a local guide for a 3/4 day tour of the Prado and then a walking tour of the area around the Royal Palace. This was one of the best things we have ever done on a trip. Our guides name was Gaetan Rousseau-Dumacet and he is an official guide for both Madrid and Segovia (must pass an extensive test etc). His email address is gnavarrord@yahoo.es. Our time in the Prado was intelligently focused with an amazing combination of historical and cultural information brought to the viewing of the art. The same depth of knowledge was brought to our tour of the city. Gaetan also made sure we found an excellent Tapas lunch spot. He was an entirely enjoyable and thoughtful guide.
Robi Zocher
Bellevue, wa USA Mon 02/05/2007
Day tours in Tuscany - Franco
I had two great day tours in Tuscany with Franco Fadda. He will customize your tour according to what you want to see. He will pick you up from Florence or Siena (other places by arrangement). He is very enthusiastic and passionate about Tuscany and its treasures, including food and wine. His web site is www.francowinetourexperience.com and his email is francofadda@hotmail.com. I am returning in May and booking more tours with him.
Trish Barrett
Salt Lake City, UT USA Wed 01/31/2007
Tour for Kim -
"Accidental Tourist" - Italy
I can't say enough great things about Accidental Tourist. My friends and I took the full day cooking and wine tour from Florence to Chianti. The drive was wonderful. We toured a winery, tasted the wine and the olive oil and made pasta for lunch. We had an incredible meal cooked by a lovely host who opened her home and showed us great hospitality. We all ate together and it felt like eating in my own mother's kitchen. It was easily our best day in Florence. Our tour guide was Mijla. She was energetic, knowledgeable and a real pleasure to get to know.
Lisa
Landover, MD USA Tue 01/30/2007
Day tours Florence "CAF Tours"
We had great luck with CAF Tours in Florence. Office is near Santa Maria Novello. Took a half day tour to Pisa, a full day tour to Siena and San Gimignano. Also took a combo bus/walking tour of Florence. Highly recommended.
USA Mon 01/29/2007
Day Trip in Hull- Innsbrck
Staying at Gasthof Badl in Hall near Innsbruck, Frau Steiner suggested we drive up to the Hinterhornalm. It is a local, small and very narrow toll road that twists its way up the mountian about 6 miles, 100 hair pin turns.I did it with a manual 5 speed. The view we cannot describe. My wife and I stayed all afternoon just sitting and looking at the Inn River valley below. Then a easy walk thru the mountians to three(3) isolated farms where you can get food and drinks. We sat in front of a farmer's barn and ate our lunch. We did it on a Sunday and walked with all local families out for a stroll, NO torusits!!!!!. It was the highlight of our trip.
Darrell & Suzie
Belle Vernon, PA USA Sun 01/21/2007
Loire Valley
I was thinking about taking a day tour to the Loire Valley from Paris, could someone give me a suggestion on a tour group or should I rent a car?
Kev
P-town, KY USA Sat 01/13/2007
Rome guided tours
I do NOT recommend Daniella Hunt (Mirabilis Urbis tours, info@rome-tours.com)for a private guided tour in Rome. While she seemed like a nice person and quite knowledgable, my family found her style and delivery irritating and too slow. She skipped over a lot of things we would have loved to hear about. We all love history and travel, but we wasted our money on this guide.
Lily
Coralville, IA USA Fri 01/12/2007
"Greenline Tours", Rome to Naples and Pompeii
My husband and I did not wait and research a tour, and signed up for this tour with a local Greenline Bus agency in Rome. We were last in line to get on the bus. The tour packed the bus completely, every seat. We were not able to sit together, and ended up jammed into a back window area where I couldn't even sit upright with my legs on the floor. DO NOT go on a tour with this company. This was a very uncomfortable and unsatisfactory experience. My main issue is that they sold every seat and had seats in spaces on the bus where there never should have been a seat at all. We wish that we had immediately gotten off the bus and demanded a refund.
Linda Hughes
USA Sat 01/06/2007
Turkey tour agency
My wife and I had the most incredible experience in Turkey! We knew where we wanted to go, but hadn't worked out the details - which were considerable considering the enormity of Turkey, but we stumbled upon the BEST tour agency - Generations of Adventure, turkeygoadventure.com.
They took care of all the arrangements, were prompt, and provided knowledgeable English speaking guides. We travelled in luxury - not expensive, but of the very best quality - they know of the best places to go and eat! Greatly exceeded our expectations! It's totally worth it to invest in guides! Extremely lessened the stress for us!
Daniel
Los Angeles, CA USA Fri 01/05/2007