Graffiti Wall: Tours Other Than Rick Steves'

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Tours Other Than Rick Steves': 2005

There are hundreds of European tours available: one-day local tours of a city or side-tripping from a city...factory tours...two- or three-week bus, biking, or hiking tours. Which ones can you, as a traveler, recommend? Please Note: Questions and excessive postings about the same company will be deleted.

Battlebus Tours of Normandy Landing Beaches
I had a private tour escorted by Paul in June 2005. We couldn't have packed more sights and valuable information into the day. The tour was customized to my interests and Paul was always exuberant in his knowledge and interest in my having the best time possible. It was inspiring and rewarding. I can heartily recommend Battlebus Tours.
Carol Emerling
Santa Monica, CA USA Fri 12/30/2005

EF Tours
After I gradutaed from Highschool in 2004 I went with a tour group called EF Tours to Europe. It was a wonderful experience and I wanted to let parents out there know that their kids will have the time of their life in Europe. EF organizes everything and all I had to pay for was my lunch everyday and a tip to our awesome bus driver at the end of the trip. Airfare, hotel, transfers, 2 meals per day, and entrance to attractions, was all included. This is typical for EF tours. While the whole tourbus group thing is not something I would do in the future, it was a great way to see Europe for the first time in a really fun, informative, and most importantly, safe way. PS... If anyone has seen those bright blue and orange backpacks in their travels, that is EF!
Whtiney <email>
SLC, UT USA Fri 12/30/2005

Angel Tours in Rome
We had two wonderful tours with Angel Tours. The Vatican tour and the Roman Forum/Colliseum tour. Both guides were very friendly and surprised us with how excited they both were to explain things in detail. They obviously love their job and it shows. We were a little nervous when we weren't able to show up for our first tour due to a train strike, but they were very understanding and let us pick another tour later that week as we had already paid. I would highly recommend them.
Michele Unciano
Vacaville, Ca USA Thu 12/22/2005

Cortona Italy Winery Tour
My husband, brother-in-law, sister in-law and I stayed in Cortona, Italy for a couple of days in October 2005. Completely by accident we found a tremendous tour guide by the name of Lorenza. Lorenza worked for a travel agency in Cortona adjacent to the train station (sorry can't remember the name). We walked into the travel agency upon arriving by train in Cortona while trying to find transportation to our hotel. The agency owner gave us a ride himself and gave us his card in the event we decided on a tour. We called the next day and he sent Lorenza to pick us up. She was friendly, engaging spoke wonderful english and was a gem all around. We spent the entire day with her visiting Montepulciano, Pienza, and a couple other places. Our tour lasted from 9:00 - 5:00. The cost for this was 60 euro per person. I found this to be a bargain for a full day of sightseeing and commentary by our wonderful guide. When we left Cortona, she even helped us to get train tickets. If you can locate the travel agency, be sure to ask for Lorenza!
Lynn
Shelburne, VT USA Sat 12/17/2005

Spain Small Group 7 Day Tour
We are well traveled group of 4 professional female friends and were looking for a way to experience Spain. Normally we travel independently. But we read that little English is spoken outside of the touristy places so we were a tad nervous about our collective 10 word Spanish vocabulary. Looking for a alternative to big group tours with mostly retirees ect...We found a small group tour designed by culturally savvy American Spain resident, Daniel OBeirne who is listed in Rick's Spain guide. His company MagicalSpain.com offers a fun monthly deluxe cultural walking adventure trip in southern Spain's Andalucia region.Highlights were meeting Dan's local friends in Seville, great hotels, tapas & wine dinners on patios, Granada - Alhambra Palace, Cordoba, art of Picasso, and not worrying about the logistics or driving ect.... The trip is n't chepa but is first class and well worth it if you are intellectually curious, like good food, wine & history and can walk on cobblestones for 2- 4 hours a day. I must say we were VERY HAPPY with this deluxe guided 7 day tour. They also arrange our pre/post tour hotels in Madrid & Barcelona + transport. You can check them out at www.magicalspain.com Ask for Dan or Iago if possible!
Betty & Dick White
NYC, NY USA Wed 12/14/2005

Vatican tours
Just took a free tour of Saint Peters church at the Vatican with a guide named Steve. He is American and knows his stuff. It was a promotional tour for the Sistine Chapel. We took the Sistine Chapel tour and it was great! Well worth the $25! You can find Steve though his company ICON TOURS. They use a blue folder. PS. Rome is not equipped for rain. There were lots of Indians who come and sell umbrellas - so if it rains, make sure you haggle for $5 umbrellas from them!
Stewart Diaz <email>
New York, NY USA Tue 12/06/2005

Paris River Boat Savings
I haven't been on their tour yet, but Vedettes du Pont-Neuf river boat tours offers a 2Euro discount to anyone who visits their website before they take the tour. Go to the website below and then click on price, and then internet discount. Use your savings for a bottle of wine to bring on board!

http://www.vedettesdupontneuf.com/va/
Kate McKenzie
Stuttgart , BW Germany Wed 11/30/2005

Prague Personal Tour Guide
My husband, teenage daughter and I went to Prague in Nov 2005 and used the personal guide recommended in Rick's book. Her name was Sarka Pelantova (www.prague-guide.info. She was awesome! We loved her - she made the city so vibrant and we got a great feel for sites off the beaten path. We would recommend her to anyone who wants a personal tour guide in Prague.
Jodi Weintraub <email>
Atlanta, GA USA Tue 11/29/2005

3millennia tours
Just got back from Italy. Booked two tours with 3millennia tours. They didn't show for either, but arranged for us to be stuck in with other tours. The other tours guides were great, but the Vatican Tour had about 40 people, specifically what we didn't want. We prepaid and were stuck. 3 millennia might be good, but I'll never know and would suggest using someone else.

Also, twice was given fake money from taxi drivers in Rome, check to make sure the embedded veins are in the money(hold to the light to see just like US Dollar)
Andy Ramey <email>
Alpharetta, USA Mon 11/28/2005

culinary/ wine tour in Tuscany
update to below - see www.tuscanway.com for stays in 12th century house, cooking classes and tours of southern Tuscany (Archidosso - near Sienna/Grossetto) this is where we stayed - Carlo and Family are the best!
Jon Mitchell <email>
Chicago, il USA Tue 11/22/2005

Through Eternity Tours--Rome, Italy
When my sister went to Rome two weeks before me and came back with rave reviews about Through Eternity Tours, I was intrigued. I tried them and am exceedingly impressed. Our guide (Bianca) made the Vatican Museum and St. Peters an experience that greatly enriched my appreciation of the art and the history and significantly increased the lasting pleasure of the vacation. I highly recommend them as an excellent and competent tour company with first rate guides, who are native English speaking and degreed in art, history, or art history.
Pace VanDevender <email>
Albuquerque, NM USA Mon 11/21/2005

Tuscan Wine Tours
My wife and I had the pleasure of going on a private wine tour in Tuscany this past summer. We used a company called Tuscan Wine Tours guided by a professional wine expert fluent in English. I cannot recommend it enough! The contact info can be found through the web-site: www.tuscan-wine-tours.com. We visited excellent wineries (Fontodi & Castellare) and tasted some excellent wines, aged balsamic vinegars and olive oils. We had lunch in a winery that the owners had prepared in their own kithcen! We feel a lot more familiar with the Italian wines now and have collected a few bottles to open within a couple of years! So if anyone is looking for a one day adventure in the wine country, you should look them up. Have a great trip!
Bruce Olander
New York, NY USA Sun 11/20/2005

culinary/ wine tour in Tuscany
I've visited Tuscany via a culinary/ wine tour (tuscanway) - going the back door way is best - small town - out of the way Tuscany but still within striking distance of Sienna and Montalcino. My family and I stayed in the home of our host (and cooking teacher) - not cheap but REAL
Jon Mitchell <email>
Chicago, Il USA Wed 11/16/2005

Icon tours
Just got back from 8 glorious days in Rome. We found Douglas from icon tours while we were in line for the Sistine Chapel. We REALLY enjoyed him. We only had an hour and a half before it closed but we got lots of great info from Doug in a quick, efficient and articulate way. It was our fault for going so late in the day. I was very leary at first because I was afraid of getting ripped off but it was money well spent. After the chapel he took just our family of 4 to the Vatican and gave us a personal tour. I would highly recommend him, he is high energy and speaks perfect english. We had a Roman Forum tour with someone we found at the colosseum but ended up leaving the group and going on our own because she spoke very softly and had an accent that was difficult to understand, plus the group was HUGE! I had been to Rome 7 months prior and had a great tour guide at the colloseum but this time I was really disappointed, pick your guide carefully, it's a shame to be there and not get a great guide. They solocit pretty heavy out front but don't be shy about talking with them first to make sure they are loud enough and can be easily understood.
Annette Sturzen <email>
Seattle, Wa USA Sat 11/12/2005

Rome Experience
Did Rome and Florence this week. Did tours of Florence with FlorenceWalks.it and enjoyed relaxed tours of the highlights. In Rome our hotel ( Santa Chiara ) which was excellent, we found it in Ricks book 05, its near the Panthoen. They booked us with Angel Tours ( www.angeltoursrome.com ) who I had also heard about hear on Ricks Site. These guys blew me away. never had a tour like it, I forgot to bring my wallet and they just told us to leave the money at the hotel. I told the hotel about them and the hotel said they are use to their guests being so happy with the Angels.
Monica Wallace <email>
London, USA Fri 11/11/2005

Tour Guides
We just returned from Italy. We had the pleasure of having Francesca Caruso guide us for four hours through ancient Rome. We can't say enough about her knowledge and approach to Rome. We highly recommend her. She is a delight. See Rick's Italy book, under Rome.
Bob and Donna Clifford <email>
Seattle, Wa USA Thu 11/10/2005

about Tangier & Charif
"our day with Charif in Tangier was superb. He was waiting there for me at the port and from there he did all the work, we didn't have to think at all. It was one of the most relaxing days I have had in a long time. Charif was willing to pace his tour of Tangier to suit us. He is enthusiastic and passionate about his City and this comes through in his detailed knowledge about the history, religious influences and politics of Morocco. we felt safe and relaxed with him as our tour guide and would happily recommend him to anyone who wants an enthusiastic energetic guide of Tangier_Morocco."

Moreover, a few points worth mentioning are: charif was always right on time and polite.

We should also add that Tangier is probably one of the most outstanding cities and we recommend everyone planning a visit to this wonderful city to contact charif and let him take you through the wonders of the city."

charif has a new air conditioned vehicule for Max 14 Pax and can be Reached at: starstour@hotmail.com
Sandy & Larry Whitehouse <email>
New york, NY USA Sun 11/06/2005

Daytrip to Andalusian White Villages from Seville
I just got back from Seville and wanted to recommend a great organization for a day trip to the countryside. "The Other Spain" takes you into Andalusian for the day in an 8-person van with an excellent guide. You get to see beautiful white villages, Moorish castles, and fantastic mountain scenery.

The best thing is that in one day we got to see several small and fascinating villages that we could never have gotten to on our own.

Paul, the guide, was very knowledgeable and extremely pleasant. The trip can be tailored to your own interests, also.

This trip was the highlight of my Spanish vacation.

If you are interested, the web site is: http://theotherspain.galeon.com/
jischicago
chicago, IL USA Fri 11/04/2005

Trinity Tours- Walking tours of Rome
I just returned from a Trip to Rome and I wanted to recommed a Tour Group. They are called Trinity Tours, and I found everything to be exceptional. My guide, Jason, was extremely knowledgable, and made the tour of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel a wonderful experience. Several of us from the tour expressed interest in the tours run on the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, and Jason offered to spend the rest of his day with us taking us on another tour! He was fluent in Italian, but a native speaker of English, and his concern that everyone was getting the best tour possible was beyond what I've experienced before. The tours run by this company are truly exceptional, and the guides go the distance when it comes to sharing information both educational and interesting alike. I am a Roman Archaeologist, and I can honestly say that he was the best prepared Guide I've ever had. Thank you Trinity Tours!
Jacqui
USA Mon 10/31/2005

Rome Hotels Direct
I have recently returned from Rome where I had the good fortune to book 2 really nice hotels. The first hotel was the Hotel Stendhal a 4 star boutique hotel located in the city centre only a few minutes walk from the city centre and the second hotel (we went to Florence for 2 days) was the Hotel Mascagni (the Stendhal was fully booked for the second stay in Rome) I would thouroughly recommend both hotels. NB i booked online through a company called Rome Hotels Direct www.romehotelsdirect.com
Davide Stevens <email>
Edinburgh, UK Sun 10/30/2005

Context Rome walking tours
I can highly recommend this company--I took several of their walking tours in Rome and Florence and found them to be delightful. The guides are well-qualified academics, working in their areas of expertise. Native English speakers on the tours I took. On my tours, the guides were adept at presenting a very accessible overview, and yet also being able to expand on in-depth questions. The maximum group size is 6, and they go even with smaller groups. I toured the Vatican with a specialist in Italian Baroque art who is also an active Catholic--I learned so much and developed an appreciation of pieces to which I was not initially attracted. In Florence, I took a Medici tour with only two other people, and the guide adapted the tour to our interests. I booked some of the tours on the internet before leaving home and booked others by phone in Italy--both methods were easy and without surprises. I believe Rick describes these tours as being for folks with "long attention spans" and that's true--the presentation is in depth and that's part of what was so wonderful about it. No matter how much you know about a site, I would anticipate you'll learn more from these guides.
Susanna
Madison, WI USA Sat 10/29/2005

BATTLEBUS TOUR
We recently visited the French Normandy Coast and took the American Beaches tour by Battlebus Tours out of Bayeaux. We feel we were quite fortunate to have had Dale as our tour guide. He is very well versed on most all of the details of the D Day Invasions as well as adding a lot of details from his own research, including the two "best-friend" GI's who suffered for 60 years wondering of the demise of each other. A heart-warming story as best told by Dale. We highly recommend this tour and hope you will be rewarded by having Dale as your guide.
RALPH and SHARRON Z.
SAN JOSE, CA USA Sun 10/23/2005

Minibus tours in Great Britian
My husband and I were in Great Britian, mainly in London, last winter. I want to recommend the tour company Astral Travel. (We found their brochure in the lobby of our hotel.)

We called them on short notice over the holidays (bad idea). When the trip we wanted was full, they offered another (and much better trip) at a significant discount.

We were able to take an early morning minibus tour of Stonehenge and Salisbury for 55 pounds each. The highlight of this tour was getting to see the sunrise at Stonehenge from inside the ropes!

Apparently this company gets about 4 passes per year to take travelers into the monument! We were able to trace our fingers inside the ancient latin grafiti that is carved on some of the stones!

Our tour operator Brian was fantastic. We all shared a toast of champagne after the mid-morning visit to Salisbury Cathedral.
Allison Thrash
Saint Paul, MN USA Fri 10/21/2005

buy air tickets to every part of the world at half the cost from wazobia travel and tours.
Four of us (my wife and I, her mom and a friend, ages 40 to 60) toured Great Britain in early September with wazobia travel and tours (best of the united states). We thoroughly enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it. However, it was by air , and tickets were given to us half the original cost. i.e if the original cost is 1,500 u.s dollas we bought them at a low cost price at 750 u.s dollas.

First of all, we could not possibly get away for any longer than two weeks, and secondly we are old enough, lazy enough, and spoiled enough to want the relative luxury of this kind of tour. This seemed to be the best way to see as much as we could in the time we had, and with minimal "roughing it." We never felt pressured into buying any optional extras and spent no more time at "shopping stops" then we expected. The options are there, but you are always free to decline.

However, on a tour with 40 other people, you will spend less time at some places and more at others than you would probably choose on your own. But for every place you don't like, somebody in the group does, and vice-versa. After all, the tours are filled by offering a variety that will appeal to a wide cross section of people.

I very highly recommend reading as many of Rick's tips as you can and following as many as you can apply to your own situation — most especially the (wazobia travel and tours) and packing as light as you possibly can while still fitting your own comfort level. There are literally hundreds of good tips on this web site, both from (wazobia travel and tours )and fellow travellers (e.g., if you are considering an air ticket and hotel reservations and also other exchange and holiday programmes check out for wazobiatravel and tour for the best unbeatable prices on the world market).

Finally, the flight over and the connection to our first hotel were grueling (although the return was not too bad), and the trip itself was exhausting, but we expected both.

These are small prices to pay for the experiences and memories of the trip. If you have the chance to travel, take it. And choose the methods that will best fit your own likes and needs. gabriel layea. (wazobiatraveltours@yahoo.com) college park ga. 30349 USA.
gabriel layea <email>
college park, georgia USA Wed 10/12/2005

Rome tours
Our family went to Rome,Italy this summer and thanks to the graffti wall we had two fun and educational tours with Angel Tours Rome.(www.angeltoursrome.com)Our tour guides were english speaking and extremely knowlegeable.Our groups were always small,which really gave them the personal touch. We will definately use them again!
Barbara Holman
Greenwood, SC USA Tue 10/11/2005

Wine Tasting Tour Florence
On a recent trip to Florence, Italy, we used a tour group called Tuscan Trails (www.tuscantrails.com) to take us on a day trip winery tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgable and provided us with a great expreience. Cost was around 70 Euros with a great lunch included. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. The best tour, of any kind, I have taken in a long time.
J. S.
Denver, CO USA Fri 09/30/2005

Six days with Electedtour Morocco
My family just returned from a Six days trip to Morocco. We Visited Fez, Meknes, Marrakech and Casablanca. Our Guide/driver, Joutei, was outstanding. His English is Very Good and after 6 days together, we were sorry to say goodbye. He has a new air conditioned van and can be Reached at: electedtour@aim.com Joutei is Based in Tangier, But is extemely knowledgeable about Most locations in Morocco.

Electedtour is also highly Recommended for day trip tours in Tangier, as doing it on your own could be pretty dicey! It will be the best money you ever spend.
Jerilyn K.Rogers
Houston, TX, USA Tue 09/27/2005

Tours- Florence Walking Tours
My wife and I recently visited Florence, Italy and we took several tours with "Florence Walking Tours." We were very pleased with all of them. Their guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. They told us many tidbits that you probably would not hear if you did not take a tour. If you are interested in taking one of their tours you can find them at www.italy.artviva.com. Have fun
Ron Fox <email>
Boulder, CO USA Mon 09/26/2005

Wonderful Pompeii guide
I just returned from a wonderful trip to Italy that included my lifelong dream of visiting Pompeii. We had a fabulous guide -- Gaetano Manfredi -- his enthusiam and knowledge brought the ruins alive. His energy was contagious and you couldn't help but smile as he explained the social and structural significance of this great city. His two-hour tour was perfect for our group -- I was with my 79 year old mother and aunt. I don't know if he does longer tours but if you have the stamina, I would ask -- there is so much to explore. Gaetano even arranged a special tour of the currently closed brothel that has recently been uncovered. He is a local resident with excellent English (I only mention this because it is so important to be able to understand all the special details). Gaetano Manfredi's contact information is: telephone: 081-863-9816 mobile: 338-725-5620 Rick Steve's book (where we learned about Gaetano) mentions that Gaetano was having trouble with imposters stealing his business, so we called Gaetano on his telephone line. And then when we met him at Pompeii, we called his mobile number just to make sure it was him (he was very good natured about our checking if it was him). I can't wait to go back!
Renee
West Chester , PA USA Wed 09/21/2005

Rome problems, dont be had.
Was in Rome last week and had some problems. Was ripped of by taxi driver and then robbed the next day. Then did a huge group tour with "greenline" it was terrible, standing in line, not understanding the guide who didnt even care anyhow. Then went with "enjoy rome" to the colosseum, we didnt even go inside the colosseum. They charge less because you dont buy a ticket to get in. the guide was good Then the hotel recommended Angel tours Rome Well the guide took me to the Vatican without a line, she was great, her name is Emma. She made me laugh often. My hotel was wonderful, it was in a fine location, the hotel Santa Chiara. My trip ended sweetly. Just be careful. Helen
Helen Slenigart <email>
Berlin, Germany Tue 09/20/2005

Organized Casablanca and Tangier's Visit
Words cannot describe the holiday that my mother and I had in Morocco. We both had a magnificent time and it was all thanks to you and your professionalism with putting the whole trip together which left us to enjoy a hassle free holiday. My favourite part of the trip was the cruise. The food was to die for and the staff were amazing. Most importantly though; my mother had the holiday of a lifetime. I told her on our last night that I had bought the trip as a present for her and she was thrilled (and a bit cross that I had kept it from her). I wouldn't have changed a thing about the trip and return with NO complaints! Thanks to starstour@hotmail.com

We just got home and we are still recovering from the long trip home. It does feel good to be home. However, our trip was extraordinarily successful. We loved Morocco. Tangier was a fascinating and unique experience. I think the services were perfect, exactly what I expected and We were treated very well.

We can say without hesitation that our visit to Casablanca was a wonderful and a most enjoyable experience. We were delighted with the style and comfort of our stay there. Our guide charif's knowledge about the area and all the information that he conveyed to us made for a very memorable trip. We were very pleased with both the driver and the guide.

The service provided by starstour guide and colleagues at The Kasbahs was exemplary. The highlight to our trip to Morocco was most definitely in the Tangier's region. A special thanks to our guide charif and the tours organized by Starstour, with their assistance I will highly recommend their services to anyone who asks. happy holidays.
linas d.bart <email>
Chicago, USA Sat 09/17/2005

Sevilla Guided Tour
My mother and I were traveling through Andalusia. We decided to take a private tour in Sevilla so we would make the most of our time there. Antonio's tours were a wonderful discovery. His knowledge and love of his city were apparent throughout the day as we explored many of the historic sights and neighborhoods in Sevilla. He even took the time to stop at a sight we wanted to visit that was not on the itinerary. Do not hesitate to tour Sevilla with Antonio Doblas. It will enrich your experience of the city. Thank you, Antonio! adoblasg@terra.es
Pamela Carnevale <email>
New York, USA Wed 09/14/2005

Wales Custom Tour
During a recent trip to Wales and to England, my wife and I used a custom tour service (with other relatives) for the Wales portion and the Rick Steves' Great Britain 2005 guide for the English portion. Both worked well for us.

The Wales portion was for genealogy, Welsh history and sightseeing. The tour was run by Dragon Tours which is owned and operated by Mike Davies. (See "Touring with Dragons," Cambria Magazine, Spring 2006.) Mike has a PhD in Welsh history. He customized the tour and helped us find the house where my grandmother was born in 1864. He took us to a library where we were able to find information we didn't have about my grandmother's father. Then we toured in St. Davids, and in the vicinity of Betws-y-Coed before returning to England. Mike conducts both automobile and hiking tours as well as visits to address genealogy questions. I would highly recommend contacting Dragon Tours for any customized tour of Wales.
Carter Rogers <email>
Tempe, AZ USA Tue 09/13/2005

Chateaux Minibus Tour - Amboise
On our recent trip to the Loire Valley France, we booked an excellent half-day tour to 3 chateaux - Cheverny, Chambourd & Chenonceau with Acco-Dispo which was recommended in Rick Steves France book. We booked thru the local tourist info at Amboise and would recommend this trip to all. The driver took our entrance fee money and purchased the tickets for us which saved us heaps of time as no standing in lines for long periods. We are Aussies so did not want to drive on the 'wrong side' of the road so it was easy for someone else to do the driving for us!
Bruce & Janine Davies <email>
Sydney, NSW AUSTRALIA Sun 09/11/2005

EF Tours
Took a group of students to Germany, Switzerland, and Italy in June with EF Tours. The guide, Gerwin, was wonderful and our consultant,Erin,was too! Don't expect to stay in 5 star hotels- but they were all clean and safe.A wonderful way to expose students to the wonder and fun of travel.Plus-teachers travel free with only 6 students!
Jan Newsom
Nashville, TN USA Wed 09/07/2005

Custom Tours in Scotland
For a custom tour in Scotland, I highly recommend Iain Stewart www.serenityscotland.co.uk So many interesting sights such as early Christian crosses and standing stones are not marked by any sign. It really helps to have a true local guide.
B&B
Lusby, MD USA Wed 09/07/2005

Prague, Czech Republic
We used a private guide in Prague who was fabulous. Katarina Kruspanova. Her web site is www.prague-perfect.cz and her e-mail is package@prague-perfect.cz. She was recomended by Sarka Pelantova. Katarina was fun, full of energy, and very, very knowledgeable. She obviously loves people, her job, and her country. I highly recommend her.
Katie Rianwaater
Coquitlam, B.C. Canada Sun 09/04/2005

Dublin Wicklow Ireland
We also wish to thank everyone on this wall, we had a visit to Dublin and Wicklow and had a bad experience with a tour company called "go Tours" we only used them because our hotel recommended them. We managed to find "angel tours dublin" we had two wonderful tours with them which made up for everything. The most beautiful part of our Ireland experience was the Wicklow mountians, especially Glenmalure. We stayed for 3 days in Roundwood at The Cottage BB which overlooked the lakes. Then the walks are amazing. We will be back for Ireland for sure to visit the rest. Ps, make sure to visit Trinity and do a Joyce walk. Emma
Emma Moore <email>
Nottingham, USA Sat 09/03/2005

Ireland
First of all I want to thank everyone on this graffiti board for their wonderful advice. We took our first trip to Ireland and had a wonderful time. The only bad experience we had was Lynott Tours incompetence, arrogance and rudeness. I would never use them again to arrange a tour. We stayed in a bed and breakfast in Dublin, Kinsale, and Dingle. Each town had its own wonderful personality and we could have spent a week in each city. We did the musical and literary pub crawl in Dublin. Both are fun but I’d say my wife, kids and I enjoyed the musical one more. We spent a whole day out at Newgrange which was fascinating. A great spot to stop to eat on the way back was the Snail Box. It had the best Irish stew. We do want to return to Dingle and spend more time on the wonderful beaches. The roads across Ireland were better than we had imagined. Based on the feedback from the folks on this graffiti board we paid the extra money and got the manual transmission. We also paid for the full insurance at the Dublin airport. The extra insurance was 12 Euro per day. The first challenge was driving out of the Dublin airport and coming to the first round-about. Your first instinct is to drive toward the right. Some other observation to keep in mind: The cars coming down the road on the “wrong” side are not driving toward you, You don’t have a free right turn, but you do have a free left turn. When waiting for a bus remember they are going opposite of the way they travel in the states so be sure you know which side of the street to wait on. The only problems we had with finding our way was following the signs through a city. We backed tracked a few times trying to find the right way out Dublin, Killkenny, and Kinsale but you just need to take it all in stride. Our favorite spot for entertainment was Murphy’s pub in Dingle. The best advice as everyone knows is use Rick Steve’s book. A lot of people we ran into had his book. Contact me for more information hope I can be as helpful to you as other on this board have been to us.
J. Lake <email>
Tacoma, WA USA Fri 09/02/2005

Exotic Morocco
I have been to Morocco several times over the past Ten years, and I must say it is one of my favorite destinations in the world. One thing that I will tell you is that Morocco can be an incredible experience, or your worst nightmare depending on the people you meet and the,places you go. The following are some useful tips that I have found over the years.

There are several entry points in to the country, depending on which way you enter there are some things you need to know. First, if you are coming from southern Spain you are going to take either a ferry, or a hydrofoil. I highly recommend the latter (it's 2 hours faster). However, before you even step board, you will meet some very nice custom officials. Be respectful, and do not act like a typical American. Remember you are entering northern Africa! Moving on, the ferry docks at Tangiers. I must tell you this is of my favorite cities in Morocco. But you Need to becareful from the Hustlers This is because the Most of residents main source of income is Tourism. OR Book a Tour With: tangiertour@yahoo.co.uk For Day Trips, they are Great and highly Recommended! From your first step off the boat you will be confronted aggressivly from all angles. The best advice I can give you is To Book a Tour. there are many beautiful sites (Caves of Hercules, Cap Spartel, Kasbak, Medina, Palaces, and Berber Souks), as well as, traditional restaraunts. Once you get to the train station, you will have many destinations to choose from. For those who have limited time I recommend three must sees. Casablanca, Rabat, and of course the magical Marrakesh. This city is mesmerizing. The sounds,sights tastes, and smells are intoxicating. Some people may find it to be a little too much - although not as much as Fes. If you want a great experience, Contact: viptour@gmail.com is Where The Exotic Charm and Beauty of Marrakesh Can Be Found! Have a Mint Tea right on the Place Djema el Fna, which is the heart of the city with a rooftop cafe overlooking all of the craziness (bring a telescopic lens). Book Viptour as Mentioned above and ask for the local guide named Hamid, who will help you in many ways. There are many small cafes with excellent food on the Place. Or, at night, the square transforms into an amazing sea of food stalls with everything from omelettes to harira to goat heads. For the restaurants, eat wherever large groups of local People are eating. If you go during Ramadan, you will break fast with them at sundown with a big bowl of harira. All of the entertainment you need can be found on the Place djemaa. Story tellers, dancers, musicians, freaks, etc.

An excursion to Essaouria and the Ourika Valley are not to be missed. I loved the food in Djemma, esp food stall #25 with my friend Hamid. The calamari, harissa sauce, freshly baked bread, russet colored olives with that unique taste combination of salty and tangy, tender deep fried calamari, grilled liver brochettes with chunks of lamb fat to moisten and flavor, gently spiced lamb sausauge, huge chunks of fish, tagines and more! What an experience day or night. At night, the men clap their hands, shout greetings and get in your face to attract your attention. All that smoke rising from the many stalls, the natives clad in traditional robes, the women also, my wierd and witchy looking henna making friend who calls herself "Alfreda", those stealth motorcycles driven by the young who are in a hurry and even old women in their 70s carrying several ppl. Wow! Its too much and at the same time, you can never get enough.

Marrakesh is a Great Place where you always find places to go things to do, eighther single or in a family, you can find what is convinient for you, unique place that stays in you memery for life. I would suggest this city for students, open minded travelers, big eaters and shopers... I would send my parents but not my grandparents. happy travels
John P.Staly
Boston, USA Tue 08/30/2005

A Day In Tangier [Morocco Africa]
We decided to go on a one day tour of Tanger, Morocco. It´s a 35 minute ferry ride over the Gibraltar strait, for a one day tour. On the bus from our hotel in Algeciras to Tarifa, where the ferry launches from, we met the Posadas. A very nice family from Mexico City, they were traveling through Spain with their children, Dan and Karina who were couple years younger than Nedim and I. We stuck w/ them for the most of the tour, and I really apreciated having someone I could speak English to. Tangier is very Nice, but people everywhere seemed to be working on fixing up their stores and houses, and making things that they could sell to tourists. Street salesman are Very Serious and if you decide to buy something you better be good at negotiating or ignore Them. For example one of the Pedlers followed Mrs. Posada trying to sell her an Italian ROLEX, he was asking 100 euros for it, which she didn´t want to pay, and after following her around for 20 minutes the man agreed to sell it for 20 euros. Our guide took us through the old city and couple of Berber tribesman with snakes put on a little show for us and gave us an option of taking a picture with the snakes. John jumped right in, I gracefully passed on that one. For lunch they served us Moroccan soup, shish kebabs, and couscous (sp?) with chicken. There was a local band playing Moroccan music to set the mood and they finished the meal with some desert, and mint tea. After taking us through the Berber market place we were off on a bus tour of the city and they took us to a place where Sleeping Old Man salesman was taking a nap as we walked by. I just had to take his picture. we got to ride camels and take pictures with them, which for 1 euro a piece was a good deal. That pretty much wrapped the day and we took another ferry back to Spain.
Joe D.Tort <email>
New Jersy, USA Tue 08/23/2005

Visit Morocco2
This write-up intends to tell the world about how tremendously satisfied we are with the services of [starstour@hotmail.com] We have been their client for Three years, and hope to be their client for many years to come. Their service is effective and profitable. we always know we get value for our money ... The way they interact with their clients is far above the norm, in terms of professionalism, and in sharp contrast to our experience with other Tour Guides. Many Tourist guides are effective, but not particularly professional in how they deal with Visitor. Tangier Stars tour is Fully Licensed, and very Professional. It sounds like they wear suits and ties while they Guide their clients, and I mean that to imply that they sound competent, serious, polished, while also being friendly and helpful. we've been treated very well by everybody involved. Charif has a great team, and so We've been very, very blessed with that. I recommend them warmly and without reservation. Tina P.Staly, san Francisco CA
Tina P.S <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Sat 08/20/2005

Spain/Portugal walking tours and travel service
We just spent 2 1/2 weeks in Spain and Portugal. We began our journey in Madrid where we contacted Carlos and Jennifer Galvin of Letango Spain Travel Services. We took a 3 hour walking tour with Carlos to orient ourselves to the city. What a great experience! Not only did we get a good sense of the city layout, we also learned so much from Carlos about the history of Madrid and Spain. He was very helpful with practical concerns as well, such as... where to find the best produce markets! Carlos also arranged reservations in Granada for dinner in a wonderful carmen, made reservations in Seville for flamenco, and arranged for a great walking tour in Lisbon. All experiences were fantastic. We rarely use travel services on our trips but we highly recommend Letango.
Kristin Schwartzman <email>
Canton, CT USA Thu 08/18/2005

Private Tours in Italy
Just returned from a month in Europe with our 2 teenaged grandchldren...in Venice, Florence and Rome we used Avventure Bellissime private tours: email: info@tours-italy.com web site: www.tours-italy.com Excellent, knowledgeable guides; always exactly one time...not inexpensive, but not to have to wait in 90+ degrees weather in unending lines was priceless...we just breezed right in to the Uffizi, St. Peter's, Sistine Chapel, Colliseum etc with our guides: Manuel and Luisella in Venice, Emma in Florence and Marina Ambrosi in Rome...Wonderful!
Brenda
MD USA Sat 08/13/2005

Rome Guides
To Mary re: Rome Guides. I took an upscale tour to Italy in 2004 and our very competent guide was arrested at the Trevi Fountain because the police thought she was giving us "historical information" on the sites. She wasn't as she knew better. She just walked us down there from our hotel so we could get our bearings. It was a very uncomfortable situation for us all. Luckily she made arrangements and I guess paid a fine and all was well. As I understand it, Rome guides have to take a long course to learn everything about their City. It is expensive for these classes. And then they have to take what would be considered a "Board Certified" test. That is why they do not like someone coming in and leading tours that have not had to take the class, pay for the education, and take the test. Remember - when in Rome.... We had a Rome guide the next day for the Vatican and again for the Coliseum (sp?). He was excellent. The highlight of our trip to that City.
Marie
ca USA Fri 08/05/2005

Prague Personal Guide Sárka Pelantová
Personal Prague guide, Sárka Pelantová, is the only way to see Prague up close and personal.

Sárka Pelantová www.prague-guide.info saraguide@volny.cz Tel: (+420) 777 225 205 Sárka continues to live up to her excellent guiding abilities. She is knowledgeable, accommodating, organized, the best. She took us (four adults, one 10 year old granddaughter) on a custom tour of Prague and environs for five days. She arranged a driver for us, Zdenek, for day trips and evening performances. The Mercedes van was very comfortable accommodating all five of us plus Zdenek and Sárka. Sárka also contacted our B&B hostess in Klatovy to arrange for a guide to help us with our genealogy search. She is a true treasure. Sárka does not charge a booking fee. That may change, however, as she has received some last minute cancellations for no apparent reason other than the party decided not to use her services. She charges about 13 Euros - $16/hour for a party of over four persons.
CA Nulk
San Jose, CA USA Tue 08/02/2005

Assisi Tour by Anne Robichaud
Assisi Tours: Anne Robichaud anne@annesitaly.com http://www.annesitaly.com If you want an in depth tour of Assisi go to Anne Robichaud. She has toured the U.S. as ambassador for Assisi after the big earthquake several years ago. Her tours include a lunch break at her home. Very knowledgeable, very personable.
CA Nulk
San Jose, CA USA Tue 08/02/2005

Provence tours
We recently traveled with another couple to Provence. With only 4 days, we wanted to get the most out of our trip. Catherine D'Antuono at www.provence-travel.com was excellent. We found her website on the web, and planned our trip via e-mail. She was prompt and very helpful at all stages of planning. A former attorney who lives in the area and has studied history and art history, she tailored our tour to our specifications and proved herself to be passionate, knowledgeable, and delightful. She not only drove us throughout Provence, she was very helpful in making restaurant reservations and suggesting additions to our original plans. We highly recommend her. She is licensed and has a very comfortable , air-conditioned van and is an excellent driver.
Nino Shipp <email>
Memphis, TN USA Sat 07/23/2005

Rome guide
I can highly recommend a licensed guide in Rome. Some in our group had only one day for Rome so we hired Sonia Tavoletta (soniatav@aliceposta.it). She was tremendously knowledgeable and a pleasure to learn from. She was recommended to us from a contact in Rick's book (Francesca Caruso).
Robin <email>
Hemet, CA USA Mon 07/18/2005

Italy Tours, Rogue Tour Operators Put Tourists at Risk
Why its best to check your tour operator is fully licensed

We all want informative great guides, but it is also very important when reserving tours in Italy to check that the company or person who will provide your tour service is a fully licensed tour operator. Unfortunately many unauthorized operators provide tour services and remain hidden from Italian authorities and outside controls on safety and security requirements including appropriate public liability insurances.

An item that has received much attention in Italy over the years is the issue of local guides requiring licenses in order to guide tours in Italy. The European Commission and the EU Court of Justice has stated on more than one occasion that local Italian guide regulations are against restraint of trade and European open border provisions. However, until Italian laws change in line with European directives it is best to go with persons or companies that respect Italian laws. A licensed or not licensed guide can mean a good or not very good tour, the issue of whether the guide or company offering the tours is a licensed tour operator is far more important as it can affect whether or not you have legal recourse to compensation if anything happens. The problem of illegal tour operators is very common in Italy, with many fly-by-night operators having well set up web sites. Many travelers are not aware of this problem as it has not received much media attention.

Italian laws require any person or company offering tours to the public or on selling tours by another company must have a publicly registered office open to the public, a private residence is not sufficient and in breach of the regulations. Asking the address of a company, if it is publicly registered and if the company is fully licensed will help you gauge if the company is complying with necessary Italian laws. Non compliance can mean that any insurance may be invalidated.

In Italy an unlicensed tour company offering tours can not have appropriate insurances as required by law. In some cases rogue operators have a complete disregard to the risk they place tourists at. Clandestine tour operators also risk incurring penal sanctions if found to be criminally negligent for not having appropriate insurances and drivers.

Of course, the strict Italian legal requirements make offering tours a costly process, due to high taxes, the cost of a publicly registered office open to the public and the use of appropriately licensed guides and drivers as well as the high cost of appropriate public liability insurances. But, it is well worth it to seek out legal operators fully licensed by Italian authorities or risk being left high and dry if a mishap occurs or you are dissatisfied with services. Web sites on selling tour packages or tours including guided walking tours or museum tours to the public also must follow the same requirements above or risk sanctions and or liability.

The best tour companies in Italy struggle with the difficult task of respecting local laws that sometimes are in conflict with notions of high quality tours. However, the best companies achieve a balance by going to the extra expense of also paying local licensed guides where required in order to comply with Italian law and by using at the same time their own English mother tongue guides with good qualifications. By doing this they take care of the quality of the actual tour. Then the best companies are also fully licensed, which protects the traveler from unforeseen circumstances and gives recourse to action if not satisfied with services.

Make sure when reserving tours or recommending a company that the company is registered, licensed and bonded with the appropriate Italian authorities who check they have the appropriate facilities and insurances and have passed the appropriate public safety checks. Avoid persons or companies that operate in Italy but say they are ‘based’ in the United States or another country and ‘do not need to comply with Italian laws’. Their non-compliance with local authorities may make any insurance they may have invalid.

When enquiring about tours in Italy always ask: 1. Is the company fully licensed and bonded as a travel agency/tour operator? 2. Does the company have a registered office open to the public in Italy? 3. Does the guide speak English well? 4. Then ask has the company or guide a great reputation for high quality, entertaining and informative tours?
Travel Writer
Rome, Italy Mon 07/18/2005

Paris–London. Best time without clothes
What a magical and fortunate journey, and thats from a family who lost all of their luggage half way through the vacation. From Rome, we arrived in Paris in time to take the "Illuminations" night bus tour. This was photographic dream. The Louvre was beyond what one can see in one day, but we did our best. The guide we hired at the entrance had us wishing we were back in Rome. In London, the Tower of London Beefeater tours are not to be missed, and some much needed comedic relief after days in the same pair of shorts. Our hotel concierge was great about checking on our luggage, managed to get a us last minute reservations to see the locking of the gates ceremony at the tower. We tried making these weeks before we left but they were filled up. Westminster Abby was another photographic dream, if only they would have allowed photos inside. However the College Garden offered a chance to make up for this. It was a once in a life time vacation before the kids go off to college, and it was better then any of us anticipated.
Jack Krouser
CA USA Sun 07/17/2005

casablanca
My Husband and I just returned home from a vacation/honeymoon in casablanca. Our Guide Nezha ( viptour@gmail.com ) was truly amazing Of all the Guided tours I have been on , she was a true Standout. Anyone traveling to Morocco needs to contact Nezha for the quality of Tour and service we received and for her expertise and Amazing knowledge! There are certainly several tours available, but Nezha's itinerary was amazing and her Private Tour Prices are very affordable. we highly recommend her.
Iris and Larry
Maine USA Sun 07/17/2005

Beware of booking online with Paris Vison
I entered my credit card number on their web site to book an excursion. Unfortunately I did not receive a booking number. I called their office in Paris and was advised that I was not confirmed for seats on that tour. As per my credit card company, Paris Vision had requested payment for the wxcursion twice! Paris Vision advised me to e-mail them but my e- mails to them could not by processed by some unknown reason so I am stuck calling (and paying for)the phone calls. Hopefully this problem will be resolved.I am surprised because I thought that Paris vision was a major and reputable bus company. I am sure that many people have booked with them and are satisfied with their tours. My suggestion is to not to book online with them. From now on if possible,I will either call any tour company direct or visit their office to book a tour. Sometimes this is not possible and if you wait to you arrive overseas to book a tour it may be soldout.
Jean
ny, ny USA Wed 07/13/2005

Angel and Demons tour Rome
We came to Rome to do the Angels and Demons tour(Dan Brown Book). I cannot say enough about the private tour we took for two days with Nerone Tours based in Rome. Found them on the internet. Outstanding company and tour guides. Very knowledgeable in Roman History, art, and Dan Brown Books. We were one adult, one teen, and one senior. Not an easy fete to please. They took us on an unforgetable golf cart tour of the ancient city. My son had the time of his life. Tour of the Vatican and museums was excellent. We will recommend them to everyone who appreciates a truly one of a kind tour experience.
L. Massey
Los Angeles, CA USA Wed 07/13/2005

Spain
My wife and I just returned home from a vacation/honeymoon in Madrid. Our guide Carlos Galvin(info@letango.com)was truly amazing.Of all the guided tours I have been on ,his was a true standout.Anyone traveling to Spain needs to contact Carlos for his expertise.
Mike
west chester, pa USA Mon 07/11/2005

Rome Tour Guides
I recently took a university group to Rome and would highly recommend the following guides:

Daniella Hunt, whose gift for making history into fascinating story is unparallelled (email: info@rome-tours.com)

Micaela Pavoncello, whose introduction to the Jewish Ghetto made our students feel so at home that they went back again and again saying they felt as though they were part of the community (email: mpavoncello@libero.it)

Brenda Nardone, who offered to take our group on a whirlwind tour of the Vatican Museum, appalled that we hadn't added it to our itinerary. Amazing knowledge! (brendanardone1@yahoo.com)
Christina Battermann <email>
Abbotsford, BC Canada Mon 07/11/2005

London Tour Buses
Tour bus companies in London are not created equal! Use "Big Bus" tours, as there are many more and they have a soft roof that can be put up on rainy days. We used "Original" and waited while many "Big" buses went by and often had to let "Original" buses pass, as it rained and the only available seats were on the top in the rain. Also, the London Eye river cruise is virtually the same as the free bus cruises that come with the tour. Although the "Eye" narration was much better, it was mostly redundant.
Kathy Rogers <email>
Friendswood, TX USA Sun 07/10/2005

Argiletum Tours Vatican. Fradulent Claims. Incompetent Guide.
This company right from the start makes fraudulent claims. It clearly states on their web page that by using their tour you will enter the vatican before opening time and avoid the crowds. This simply was not the case. We met the guide in front of the museum, and we preceded to get into the regular line with every one else. No early entrance. http://www.activitaly.it/inglese/itinerari/noflash/cittavaticano.htm The website also clearly states that the Raphael rooms are part of the tour. They were not. We told the guide that we wanted to see this part of the museum, and she said that we could leave the tour after the Sistine Chapel to see this. HUGE MISTAKE!!!!!!!!!

The Raphael rooms are just before the Sistine chapel, and we should have left the tour BEFORE the Sistine Chapel, not after. By exiting from the Sistine chapel, we were forced to walk all the way back to the entrance of the museum, and pass back through the entire museum to get to the Raphael rooms. You must understand that the Vatican museum is one very long continuous museum, and there are no short cuts. The museum was so crowded, that this return trip took ONE HOUR! The guide was an idiot! She obviously did not know the museum. Avoid this company. They are quite simply incompetent frauds!
Scott
San Diego, CA USA Fri 07/08/2005

Florence, Tuscany, Rome
We just returned from a two week trip through Italy. We booked several tours through recommendations found here and we wanted to share our feedback.

Florence - We booked two tours through Walking Tours of Florence. First an artisans tour and second a tour of the major landmarks. The first guide wasn't especially friendly, the second guide was better but they left out our visit to see David. A refund was provided. In short, decent service but not overly great. We personally would not use them again.

Tuscany - Tuscan Trails, owned by Californian Todd Bolton The web site is www.tuscantrails.com. Absolutely fabulous. We paid for the group tour (max of 8) but ended up being the only two. Todd is wonderful. We got the best of both worlds - a laid back easy to talk to American mixed with all the best of the Italian Chianti region. Lunch was included as well. With a price tag of 70 euros/person it was unbeatable. We are already recommending Todd to others taking Italy trips.

Rome - We only had one full day and booked a full day tour with Through Eternity. Marle was our guide - again a great experience. We saw all the major highlights and had lunch. The tour was supposed to be 7 hours but ended up being 8 due to the extreme heat and moving a bit slower. No extra charge. We did the Roman Forum with her the next morning and she didn't charge us extra. A fabulous way to see all the major attractions of Rome if you are on a limited schedule. www.througheternity.com.

Please feel free to e-mail us if you have any questions. We would be happy to provide more information.
Karla and Jeff <email>
CT USA Sun 07/03/2005

Rome,Parma, Dordogne, Loire Valley, Paris
Highly recommend the following as Excellent tours and guides:

Vatican Tours and Beyond (www.vaticantoursandbeyond.com). They obtained Scavi/Papal tickets for us, took us to Pompeii/Naples Arch. Museum, and in Florence they took us to the Accademia/Uffizi on a quick 1 day tour.

Parmagolosa (www.parmagolosa.it) gave us a fantastic tour of small cheese , ham, and vinegar concerns where they make things the traditional way. Highlight of Italy. Even the 2 teens loved it.

Philippe at http://allophilippetaxi.monsite.wanadoo.fr met us at noon at the train station after a long ride from Paris, spent 7 hours getting us to Lascaux and Font De Gaume--wonderful trip--and back barely in time for the last train. Wouldn't recommend seeing the caves or the lovely Dordogne this way, but it served our purpose. He also made the reservations for us. Font De Gaume only takes 100+ people each day.

Pascal of http://www.accodispo-tours.com met us at Tours (TGV from Paris) for a full day of 3 castles then back to Tours for slow train to Paris. Excellent.

Michael Osman at http://www.geocities.com/parisfinder/ was great. We used his services for 3-10 hour days and wish we had used him for several more. Made our trip twice as informative.
Amart
Houston, TX USA Sat 07/02/2005

Expedia tour packages
When planning our recent trip to Itay as I was booking our air tickets on Expedia, I was hooked by the targeted advertising for additional services or packages that Expedia cleverly pushes at you as you check out. Some of them worked out well, others maybe not so well. Here they are:

Venice water taxi service from the hotel : This worked out well, although finding the service at the airport was a rather unstructured process. But it was raining the day we arrived at the Marco Polo airport, our flight had been delayed, and the water taxi had no problem taking us later than our reservation. It was nice and convenient to be dropped off so close to the hotel.

Venice - Gondola Ride : We were told by expedia to be at the gondola departure point at 3:20 PM, and I had confirmed this with them prior to departure. When we got there, we waited half an hour, and finally started asking around -- there were no Gondola rides until 7:30. A British couple having had the same Expedia information used their cell phones to call Expedia, and a representative there then agreed it should be 7:30 (contrary to the time printed right on the voucher). We went off to export St. Mark's square, returned at 7:30, and had a nice gondola ride (complete with arias sung by a professional singer). But, Expedia wasted our time with incorrect information.

Florence: Accademia and Uffizi Gallery tours. The phone rep at Expedia told us we were already "all confirmed" for everything in our package when I called specifically to see if I needed to contact the subcontracted company (CAF tours). Not so. When we turned oup at the rendez-vous point, they were only just able to squeeze us in. The guide's narration at the Accademia was interesting, but hard to hear in the noisy environment. At the Uffizi, the narration was boring, often impossible to hear, and spent too much time on too few pieces, leaving you half way through to explore the rest of the museum "on your own". If I had it to do over, I would just go through the reservation process instead of buying the package tours that we did. My travelling companions much preferred my narration of the Rick Steve's guide self-tour descriptions to the tour guides.

Siena & San Gimignano day trip by bus : From Florence, also with CAF tours. You ride on an air-conditioned bus with a bathroom and don't have to figure out the train, but if you miss the bus, you've missed the bus. With this option, you can see the 2 town whereas if you were travelling by train on your own, you might only be able to fit 1 in. On the other hand, you're at the mercy of the tour bus schedule at each stop. This option worked well, though, for my older Mom who was along on the trip. I found the narration provided by the "local" guides to be fairly dry -- too much historical detail delivered in a too-factual form.

So, the Expedia targeted advertising sure is tempting ... and in some cases, a package deal may be a good option. It's a mixed bag, though.
Jon Gilliam <email>
Sharon Hill, PA USA Thu 06/30/2005

Morocco Africa
Since we Could not stay in Garraf, Spain, John and I decided to Venture to another Continent and visit Morocco. Many people had Suggested the trip to us and encouraged us to go. John and I were excited as hell about going because we were both venturing into the complete unknown and the trip screamed EXOTIC! Take a look at the pictures and read the story because John and I had a much larger experience than we ever bargained for (excuse the pun...heh heh). We drove south to Gibraltar in the southern tip of Spain, found a hotel (with ease this time), woke early, call Tangiertour 00221268702424 Recommended By A Friend and took a cab to the port. John and I got there a little early as the ferry ticket booth was locked up and no one was around. We were warned by the hotel concierge that the ferries don't necessarily run on schedule, if at all, but we waited it out and finally someone showed up a few minutes before the boat was supposed to leave. John and I thought we had it made because we were the only ones at the port and we were hoping to have the boat to ourselves. Boy were we wrong! When John tried to purchase the tickets, the vendor told us we had to go on standby. I couldn't believe it...until I saw tour bus #1 pull up and 50 people fell out of the door. Then tour bus # 2, 3, 4...pulled up. Hundreds of people, each with their own special group tag poured through the gates and onto the ferry boat. John and I were kicking ourselves in the butt for not purchasing a ticket sooner. But how were we to know? We are doing everything by the seat of our pants. A plan originates usually minutes before we take action.Regardless, we made it on the boat and made it to Africa! Abdul From Tangiertour was Waiting For Us, We passed through customs and were finally Guided and escorted By [www.tangiertour.tk] This Last, paints a picture of life through the fascinating world of Tangier. And Made the Paintings three-dimensional and allowed us to see through walls into the private and lives of kings and commoners who have made tangier one of the richest and most romantic cities in northwest-Africa Morocco. it was Great Thanks to rick steve's Graffiti Wall, Highly Recommended.
Katherine P.Hedrick <email>
Wisconsin-Madison, USA Sat 06/25/2005

Fantastic tour of Assisi
The absolute highlight of our recent trip to Italy was a guided tour of Assisi given by Roy Grant, a retired Englishman living in Assisi. Roy began by telling us the story of St. Francis in his house, which is filled with antiques ("everything's ancient here, including me," he joked) and then led us on a chronological tour of the sites that defined Francis' life, ending at the Basilica of St. Francis. In the middle of the tour we had what was likely the best meal of our trip in a local outdoor restaurant overlooking the valley below.

I loved the structure of the tour - once you have the back story the churches and frescoes all make sense - and Roy really brought Assisi and St. Francis to life for us.

Roy can be reached by e-mail at R_Grant@libero.it or by telephone at 39-075-816037.
Craig Souza <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Tue 06/21/2005

Boat trip to Capri from Positano--AVOID boat tour company Gennaro & Salvatore Capraro on the main pier in Positano!!

We paid for this tour looking forward to a relaxing, fun day on the water and visit to Capri. Our captain was rude and insulting (making comments about women making life miserable as well as trying to start political debates with the guests). When we arrived at Capri's main attration (the blue grotto), he made everyone feel guilty if they wanted to wait in line to go in the cave because it would delay the whole boat trip. We recommend you choose another guide to take you from Positano to Capri. His attitude, attack, haughty manner and the entire tour was the low point of an otherwise fantastic trip.
Washington, DC USA Fri 06/17/2005

Excellent tour guide in Paris
We just recently returned from Paris and I booked 1 day with a private guide named Michael Osman. He is an American but has lived in Paris for more than 7 years so he is pretty much a local. He went through the Louvre with us and it made the visit so much more enjoyable and enlightening. This man goes above and beyond the call of "tour guide" duty. He will give you his entire day and evening showing you around Paris. I cannot recommend him enough. He can be emailed at parisfind@aol.com. Try to schedule him several months in advance because he is quite popular.
Michelle <email>
Georgetown, Texas USA Thu 06/16/2005

Seville, Tarifa and Tangier
We used Rick's Spain and Portugal book, which was very useful in every case. In Sevilla we stayed at the Hotel Amadeus, which was a Great Place, right in the Barrio Santa Cruz. From Santa Justa train station you can take a cab to a point close to the hotel for about 3.5 euro. Sevilla is a Very Nice city with much interesting Monuments and history. We took a ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangiers, Morocco. Ferry information can be found at www.frs.es/eng/ In Morocco we Used charif (Tangier's Fidel Guide). If you are Going To Tangier, I Feel It Is A Must To Use A Licensed Guide! Its Definitely Won't Worth Doing It On Your Own In Such An Exotic Place!! Charif, Is licensed tour guide as well as qualified and experienced professional who put a lot of enthusiasm and feeling into his work of showing you around...

I highly recommend charif for the quality of Tour and service we received. He Can Be Reached At: starstour@hotmail.com
Bill J.Clair
San Francisco, Ca USA Thu 06/09/2005

London - Bus Tour - What NOT to take
RE: London Bus Tours- Take the BIG BUS TOUR --- and not the Original Bus Tour. The Original, which we took, constantly (several buses) had LOUD squeaky brakes. The yellow triangle appeared (for English, live-commentary --- however, it was a recording.) Totally disappointing. Also, they would not honor Rick Steve's 2.50 lb discount. To boot, they said that our Visa did not authorize their charge. Upon arriving home, Visa told me that they tried to put it through as a "Cash Advance" - I think they wanted cash, rather than a charge.

Another piece of advice: If you are going to the Chelsea Flower Show, get your tix online as we we did. Upon arrival we saw the sign "All tickets sold out".Lynne Stires
Lynne Stires
Mon Jct, NJ USA Mon 06/06/2005

Custom Tour of Spain
Hi we had done Italy, France, Ireland and the UK but can't say we have had a better vacation than in Spain!!!!!

Thanks to our guides we enjoyed exotic Moorish palaces, friendly locals, tapas cuisine, great wines, cute villages, art, flamenco and fine hotels were all good to great..

We normally like to plan ourselves and avoid big group tours but were both working (too much:) and so finallybooked the vacation through a US travel company listed by Rick Steves, MagicalSpain.com run by Hispanofiles Dan O'Beirne and R. J. Harris. They had a car waiting at the Madrid airport to pick us up took great care of us with private guides, cooking classes, castles,ect...

They are not cheap but cost less than the deluxe bus tours like Abercrombie (sp)??? and others. They even had a wonderfull welcome basket waiting with fruit, flowers and wine!!!The only knock was we gained a few pounds with all the great cheeses and iberian ham Dan found for us.

PS also they have a escorted southern Spain Andalucia trip with some opening for October. You can check them out on http://www.MagicalSpain.com
George and Beth Robinson
Chicago, IL USA Mon 06/06/2005

Free Pantheon Tour
I felt that I should add to the comment by the lady about angel tours rome. I just found them today online and am booked with them for the free Pantheon tour. I heard it is very interesting. But why does Rick not recommend them, they are native english tour guides in Rome. I spoke on the phone with them tonight, the tour is only 30mins long. Hope I enjoy it.Jim and family
Jim Barring
london, USA Sat 06/04/2005

Private Tour
We took a ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tangiers, Morocco. Ferry information can be found at www.frs.es/eng/ We used an excellent private tour guide,for two days of touring Morocco. he did everything, from pick us up from the ferry, book our hotel, take us to dinner, and tailor our tours as we requested. He provides many different tours to different cities. I have loaded all my Morocco photos to my website, which I would like you to see. Please go to www.briceplace.com. Then, under ?Africa 2005,? click on ?Morocco.? I provided a link to your information, so I can refer anyone who is interested in traveling to Tangier/Morocco to contact him.
Wayne and Danelle Brice
Washington, D.C USA Wed 06/01/2005

Self-tour
Hello everyone. I'm heading off to London for the first time. Can't wait. I found this site with audio tours on 2 CD's.

A neat alternative.

http://www.londonaudiotours.com/
Mark
MI USA Tue 05/31/2005

Tours in the Loire Valley area
Two of us traveled to Tours wanting to visit castles in the Loire Valley. We didn't care to drive and had only one afternoon and one day in this part of France. Upon arrival in Tours via a mid-morning train from Paris, we dropped our luggage off at our hotel and took a local train to Blois. That castle is very close to the train station and was easily accessible for us to do without assistance from a tour group. The next day we booked with tour group Acco-Dispo and saw Close Luce, Chenonceau, Chambord, and Cheverny. They chauffeured two mini-vans full of tourists. En route to each castle, the guides informed their passengers of the area through which we were passing and gave a history of upcoming castle. Our entrance fees were gathered by the drivers and they purchased the tickets for us which made getting into the castles very easy. I'd use Acco-Dispo again.
Joanne <email>
Austin, TX USA Sun 05/29/2005

Tourome / Carrani
We arranged a 7 Day tour through Tourome, which is really Carrani Viaggi. While the tour was slightly disorganized and the guide's English wasn't the greatest, the tour is very economical. Because it is so inexpensive, they do have to cut corners somewhere so expect the hotel dinners to be less than great. They also had two enforced factory tours (leather and ceramics) that help defray Carrani's costs, but they were brief and harmless although I suppose they cut into sightseeing time a little bit. There are certainly better tours available, but Carrani's itinerary was amazing and the price very affordable.
David Mohan <email>
Houston, TX USA Wed 05/18/2005

Viking River Cruises
My husband and I just got back from a Viking River Cruise through Holland and Belgium. It was the best vacation of our lives! Everything was so well planned and organized. The ship is small and personable. The food was great, the cabins were nice, and the crew was superb! We saw sooo many little towns and we cannot wait to do another Viking Cruise. We would love to provide details to anybody who may be considering a Viking Cruise. We highly recommend it!
Julie <email>
Ellicott City, MD USA Wed 05/04/2005

spain portugal & morocco
My Wife and I and two childs age 15 & 17 just got back from a 10-days trip to Spain Portugal Morocco and we had a great time.Spain was so relaxing. In Nerja we staid at the Hostal Marrisal which was in the best location I think. It was right on the Balcony of Europe and the rooms were only about $40 euros/night. They even have a great restaurant that we enjoyed as well. In Nerja the caves were amazing, and the beaches were quite nice as well. Portugal/Lisbon was a incredibly fun and exciting city to visit. Our day trip from Tarifa/Spain was to Tangier/Morocco. is definitely worth the Tijuana-type experience but was a great way to end our trip!The Kazbah & the Sultans Palace-Harem are awesome! If you have a chance, make sure you go there. If you go by Fast/Boat Catamaran is great (35 minutes), it's a really Nice trip and you'll have plenty of time for a Visit and lunch But Do not miss to book a Tour With starstour@hotmail.com the guide charif was excellent and well definitely worth the 20 Euros per person fee (4full day). We can't wait to go back.
Jeff & katy <email>
winter Heaven, FL USA Sat 04/16/2005

Tour Guide
My husband and I just got back from Budapest. We hired a private guide named Anna, her phone is 0620-338-3350, e-mail lenardanna@yahoo.com She spoke English very well, and loves showing off her city.Told us good places to eat and where to go on our own after the tour. I highly recommend her. Karen & Steve from Maine USA
Karen & Steve <email>
Springvale, Me USA Thu 04/14/2005

Turkey
My husband and I just returned from a 19 day Grand Circle "Crossroads of Turkey" tour. The trip exceeded our expectations in just about every way.The price was right - about $1600pp and it included mostly five star hotels, a flight within Turkey, all touring, a magnificent guide, 99% of our meals (lunches excepted) and air fare from Albany, New York. The carrier used was Turkish Air and the service was wonderful - I have never before seen such hard working flight attendants!

We toured throughout western Turkey starting in Istanbul, going to Cappadocia, Antalya, Izmir, Troy and Gallipoli and finally back to Istanbul. We never felt unsafe and the Turkish people were gracious and welcoming. We would return to Turkey in a heartbeat!
Judy <email>
Albany, NY USA Mon 04/04/2005

travel to Morocco
Tourists and strangers are absolutely safe, the Moroccans are very hospitable and I have done it many times.However... dress respectably! No shorts and vests. You are best with loose skirts and loose t-shirts Ahippy look. I am a 40 year old American woman who just returned from 15 days in Morocco. I traveled alone,with the exception of a Moroccan driver. The men can be a bit tiresome, especially in Marrakech. But it's aperfectly safe country. I agree with the other posting, dress conservatively. It will save you somegrief.As for being an American, that shouldn't worry you.Many Moroccans asked me why more of us didn't visit.And I was stumped for an answer. Morocco is a beautiful, friendly, wonderful country. It is the perfect travel destination. Have a great time and travel throughout as much of the country as you can. i was recently in fes and Tangiers- and i've had a great and wonderful time. follow the suggestionsprovided - use common sense - and just have fun!everyone here can separate our government from us -the general public. and it's really quite nice onceyou get some basic arabic down.no problem....I as an American i won't exaggerate if say I feel safer in Morocco than most USA cities...However, I refuse to live my life in fear from things reported from the media. I was in Morocco and I will definatly be returning in the future. I felt safe atall times and the people were very nice and friendly.It was a wonderful cultural experience and I believeeveryone will feel the same once visiting the country.
Susan M. Taylor <email>
New jersy, NY USA Mon 03/28/2005

Free Berlin tour
I cannot say enough about the free walking tour of Berlin offered by New Berlin tour company. It covered many of the major sites and our guide was fantastic! She had a great way of combining lots of history with enthuisam and interesting stories. I will never forget her re-enactment of the press conference in which the East Germans accidently opened the access to West Berlin.

New Berlin tours also does an amazing pub crawl for only 9 euro, vodka shots and drink specials included. Too much fun!Check them out at www.newberlintours.com or pick up their free guidebook in a hostel or budget hotel.
Angela <email>
Denton, TX USA Fri 03/25/2005

Music Events in Rome
If you're planning a trip to Rome and want to find out about concerts or music clubs, I found a great site called musicguide.it It lists cool stuff that's going on in the jazz clubs and concert halls, plus nightclub, restaurant and hotel info.
Michelle <email>
New York, NY USA Tue 03/15/2005

Loire Valley chateaux tours
If you want to take a tour of the marvelous chateaux in the Loire Valley of France, Acco-Dispo Tours is the way to go (they're listed in Rick's book). Not only does Pascal know his history and take you to the best chateaux, he's also hilarious and kept us entertained, as well as informed, the whole time we were in the van going from place to place.
Laurie <email>
Santa Barbara, CA USA Wed 03/09/2005

self guided bike tours
After spending big $$$ on guided, overcrowded bike tours in Italy, I've discovered self guided bike tours. They are wonderful, as long as you are confident travelers, and can manage 3-40 miles a day on hilly roads without support. We took a bike tour in Umbria in 2003 with www.cicloposse.com. You simply meet them at the train station, or first hotel, they supply you with a bike (we take our own) maps of the entire route, information to your hotel each night, suggestions for eating/sightseeing. These tours are at least 2/3 less than guided bike tours - and you don't have to suffer the group dinners, or waiting for the stragglers at rest stops. You can ride as fast or slow as you'd like, stop whenever you like, add more miles. Your luggage is transported to the next hotel, and is waiting in your room when you arrive. Breakfast is always included (duh, it's Europe) lunch and dinner are on your own. We've done the tour, then added a couple of days on our own, using Rick's book to discover other towns (like Civita) We are going on another trip to Sicily this year in May with Sicilando. Self guided is the way to go!
Ellen <email>
Centennial, CO USA Sun 03/06/2005

Tours in Egypt and Jordan
I was fortunate to use two tour groups in Egypt and Jordan that were both amazing:

Jordan -Petra Moon tours - Mahdi was our guide and took us through the Siq to the Treasury and throughout Petra for the day. Thye picked us up in Amman, drove us the 3 hours to Petra, and then guided from the Siq to the musuem. Wendy, the owner, was wonderful and gave us great information on future trips such as the biblical sites.

Egypt - Causal Cairo - We used Debbie's group last year and it was the highlight of the trip. We were lucky to have our guide Moustafa back for a second year to Giza and Saqarra - he is amazing and knowlegable about ancient Egypt. Wahlee took us to Alexandria and was also quite pleasant. I cannot recommend Causal Cairo enough and we are already talking about our 3rd trip with them next year.

Egypt and Jordan are wonderful and safe. The people are warm and friendly and these two tour groups will only make it easier. You do not need some big tour group to go - do it on you own.

Enjoy,

Marc
Marc <email>
Greenwich, CT USA Tue 03/01/2005

Umbrian Tour Guide
If you are traveling to the Hill Towns of Italy do your self a favor and call Anna Robuchaud. She is a phenomenal guide with a true love of the land and people. She is extremely knowledgeable as a guide, but more than that, she's a great person. You'll be hard pressed not to consider her a friend once you've taken a tour with her. She will save you both time and money and show you the true heart of Italy. You can reach her at anne@annesitaly.com or 39-3339238448 or her website www.annesitaly.com
marjorie <email>
taos, nm USA Fri 02/25/2005

Paris Segway Tour
I am going to Paris in early April and wonder what people's reactions are on the Segway Tour. There is feedback on their website, but I trust the impartiality of all of you. Any thoughts?
Vanessa
Berthod, CO USA Wed 02/23/2005

Small European Tours
Handcrafted Tours is the way for me to see Europe. Bryan Smith meets me in Europe with a van to show all that there is to see in the Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland,and other countries. His knowledge of history brings the Middle Ages to life. I have traveled with Bryan on 4 of his tours meeting other friendly travelers as well as the local folks. Traveling with only 8 tourists; there is flexibility to the itinerary when time or weather dictates. Whether planning a personal tour with 7 of myfriends, planning an itinerary and accommodations for me to travel on my own, or traveling on one of the public tours; Handcrafted Tours is where I get the most for my money. Website: bryan@handcraftedtours.com
Alice Buckley <email>
Bakersfield, CA USA Tue 02/22/2005

Walks of Paris and Segway Tour
Just took an off-season Segway tour with City Segway tours in Paris and we begged them for a Da Vinci Code tour with their new walking tour, Walks of Paris (http://www.walksofparis.com). They said they actually don't open until March 1, but we got lucky. My husband and I enjoyed the tours very much and while the Segway tour was a great overview of the city, the Da Vinci tour made the feel like I was following Robert around town! Would would recommend it to anyone going. Thank you Rick for putting that in your book!
Elizabeth L <email>
Sacremento, CA USA Sun 02/20/2005

Budapest Guide
Budapest Guide- We stayed near Keszthely-near Lake Balaton- a resort area and had a fantastic tour of Budapest by Balint Ferenc. He speaks excellent English and takes a personal interest in you having a great tour esperience. His mobile # is 003630/330-5192. His home/fax # is 003683/312-980. I highly recommend
Gary Esterling <email>
West Dundee, IL USA Thu 02/17/2005

Mountain Goat Holidays and Matterhorn Travel
I am 74 years old now and find it increasingly difficult to do a railpass holiday (although I have done many of them) or one of your holidays, Rick (carrying bags up stairs, etc.). There are 2 holidays that I would highly recommend. Mountain Goat Holidays is located in the Lake District of England and they have a website. It was the most relaxing holiday I have ever had. You arrange to stay at a B and B or a hotel in any price range (your choice). They pick you up for day tours to different places in the Lake District or even the Yorkshire Dales (you choose what tours you would like). There is no rush-rush in the morning. You travel in vans-no buses-so you can get to places inaccesable to buses. Simply wonderful. The 2nd company is Matterhorn Travel and they also have a website. I would recommend them to anyone who is interested in a WW2 Tour of Europe. It is a little pricey, but it includes all dinners and full breakfasts. There are a number of brief lectures that prepare you for what you are to see. Everyone was unanimous that this was a great, great tour. It starts in Paris and concludes in Berlin. If you are a WW2 buff, this is the tour to take. Rick, keep up the good work. I enjoy your newsletter.
Herbert J. Cleary <email>
Boston, MA USA Sun 02/13/2005

fantastic small tour company
For trips to Europe I highly recommend Hand Crafted Travel, a fantastic company that limits the size of the groups to no more than 8 people. I've taken three trips with them, covering various parts of Italy, France and Germany, and can't say enough good things about them. The prices are reasonable, the itineraries are interesting, the hotels included in the package are small and attentive, the tour guide is knowledgeable and patient, and the attention to detail is superb. They follow the principles of Rick Steves, exploring the backroads and the lesser-known places, but without missing the must-sees of the area. Their website is www.handcraftedtours.com.
Alison <email>
San Francisco, CA USA Tue 02/08/2005

London Week/Trafalgar Tours
We are just planning our second Trafalgar trip, along with Rick Steves London 2005. The trick is to go "free and easy". Your time is your own. But tips, transfers, breakfast, getting in to certain places before the crowds and not lugging your luggage around are the benefits! You can spend time with the tour people or you never have to see them...but the fringes of travel are not a hassle...and a guide is on call if you need them. All was booked by a travel agent with a little internet guidance from me and studying Rick Steves book has made this trip to London almost hassle free!!!
Donna C. <email>
Starkville, Ms USA Sun 02/06/2005

Loire Valley
We recently used AccoDispo in Amboise, France to tour the Loire Chateaux, as recommended by Rick, and found them to be perfect. When a problem arose in visiting a castle on our tour, they easily shifted the daily itinerary and made everything work out well. Worth every penny we paid.
Justin Barba
Missoula, MT USA Fri 01/28/2005

Avoid CHA Tours
Had the misfortune to take my students with these idiots back in July to Italy. It is your call if you want to use their overpriced tours but here is a list of their antics:1) promised 3 to 4 star accomodations but the hotels considered themselves 2 stars 2) the food was stale, cold, and overpriced3) broken a/c in Rome so my 15 year old female students had to sleep with their windowns open in a seedy neighborhood in southern Rome4) put us in a hotel next to the Slovenia border when we were flying out of Milan the next morning - a 4 hour drive out of the way5) complete lack of customer service and knowledge or travel essentials like visas for my Filipino wife (run if you have "Tricia" as your counselor)6) refuse to take ANY responsiblity of their incompetence7) etc...Currently I am dealing with the Better Business Bureau over these clowns. My wife and I have traveled a great deal and never had to deal with such negligence even in the less-developed areas of Asia and the Middle East.
Marc Latasa <email>
Greenwich, ct USA Fri 01/28/2005

Tour of Istanbul
Last September while on a 12 day Meditranian cruise we stopped for one day in Istanbul, Turkey. Prior to us leaving on our cruise a tour guide was recommended and we contacted her by Email. She was excellant. She was friendly, knowedgable, spoke perfect Enlish (a graduate of the American University in Turkey) and much cheaper than the tour offered by the cruise line. She at one time served on the Turkish Tourism Board. An eight hour tour of Istanbul for 2 to 20 persons was $100 plus cab fares and lunch. For more than 4 persons she arranges for an airconditioned van for $100.She or her husband can be reached by Email at www.Kosagantravel.com
Kenny <email>
St. Louis, MO USA Wed 01/12/2005