Day Tours in Europe: by Bus, on Foot, and Your Take on Local Guides
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?
- Please don't post questions here. Use our Travelers Helpline.
Tours of Rome
You do not have to be Jewish!!! I had the great pleasure of taking a tour of the Jewish Ghetto and Synagogue in Rome with Micaela at JewishRoma@gmail.com. The tour was not only a wonderful history of the Jews in Rome but a part of Roman History you will not get at the Forum or Vatican. Speaking of the Vatican the tour was outstanding. We had Mindi as our tour leader and in the three hours she shared so much information. No one else who toured the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel got as much information as I did. I had an opportunity to tour again with another group and felt we were being cheated after my exprience with JewishRoma. I could not recommend this company more highly.
Barbara Wilder <email>
Glencoe, Illino USA 07/02/2009
Jewish Ghetto in Rome tours
Micaela makes a great difference when visiting the Ghetto in Rome. She is very knowledgable about Roman-Italian history and makes you feel like a long lost friend is giving you a tour of the Ghetto.
George and Sally
Guatemala, Guatemala 07/02/2009
Angel Tours
A friend and I used Angel Tours in Rome for two different events - the Vatican (guide was Ken) and Ostia Atica (guides were Reyes and Des) Both were excellent. The guides were on-time and at the designated location. They were very friendly and well versed in their tours. Their sense of humor added to the tour. I heartily recommend Angel Tours and would use them as guides again if/when I'm next back in Rome.
Cliff Heise <email>
Milwwaukee, WI USA 06/30/2009
Rome tours
We highly recommend any tours by Roman Odyssey. We enjoyed the Colesseum/Roman Forum tour and also the Vatican tour. Our group included a 13 year old boy and he adored our guide Jay and hung on his every word. We got so much out of the tour that we would have missed on our own. Jay really knows his stuff but also knows how to engage an audience.
Carla
Kansas City, MO USA 06/30/2009
Normandy, Paris, Giverny and Mont St. Michel
Our family of 5 visited Paris and Normandy last week and were fortunate to have secured the services of Christian Mayer (americandriverinparis.com) for a private tour of the Normandy region, battlefields and cemeteries. He picked us up at our Paris apartment in his 6 seat minivan, which was clean, modern and comfortable. Christian grew up in the US and speaks English fluently, but has lived in Paris for a number of years, so he is familiar with all the local sights and is able to provide valuable insight into French life and history. He had a number of books and resources available to us to read on our journey out to the coast. His website provides details about the tour, as well as information regading his tours to Mont St. Michel (next time we hope to try this itinerary!), as well as tours to Giverny and in Paris.
We highly recommend Christian and his services, especially if you have a number of people in your group. For a party of 5-6, the price per person is comparable to one of the larger tour groups, but the personal attention, education and insight provided, as well as the ability to make stops when one wishes to see sights along the way make this tour well worth it!
Kimberly Weber
Elk Grove, CA USA 06/29/2009
ToursofRome.it
Just used miles and miles tours www.toursofrome.it for the third time. They know Rome. Roberto is a multi-generation Roman educated in England and Karen his wife of 30 some years is English but has lived in Rome for the entirety of their marriage. We love these guys. They know all the ins and outs and make it fun.
Neil
Los Angeles, CA USA 06/27/2009
Through Eternity Tour, Rome
My mother, two children (ages 11 and 8) and I recently spent 5 days in Rome, and our tours with Through Eternity Tours were the highlight of our visit. We took the group Ancient Rome tour with Thomas, and he vividly brought Ancient Rome to life for all of us, inspiring wonderful dinner-table conversation on the incredible lasting impact of the Roman Empire. We took a private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basillica with Gracelyn, and she did an amazing job keeping two children entertained and engaged in the artwork for over 5 hours. My 8 years old has repeatedly told us how much she enjoyed our afternoon in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. It was truly the highlight of our trip!
Susan
USA 06/26/2009
Walks of Italy
Prior to embarking on a cruise last month we spent several extra days in Rome. Like the earlier posts I read, at the Pantheon we heard an American, Jason Spiehler, giving an excellent tour. So we followed and were very appreciative of the information this young man was providing. He said that the Pantheon tour was a free sample for the public to see his style, knowledge, and pace and that he did multiple tours of Rome at different locations. So we and others showed up the next day for his Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tour. This was probably our best investment for the entire trip including the cruise. Jason's education was in history, art and theology at LSU and Yale. He said that he is featured in Rick's 2009 Italy guidebook. When we returned we found that he is the only tour guide recommended by the NY Times. We experienced about 10 other tour guides on the whole trip and none came close to Jason. Jason Spiehler - Walks of Italy Tours. From his card, his US contact phone no. is +1202.684.6916, Italy no. +39 334.974.4274. His web site walksofitaly.com is under construction.
Paul Scopel <email>
Marietta, GA USA 06/25/2009
Pompeii/Vesuvius/Ravello/Positano
My 3 girlfriends and I stayed in Sorrento for 3 wonderful days. On one of those days, we hired Renato Cuomo of "Limousine Service Sorrento"....provided a nice Mercedes van and took us on a day trip to Pompeii, Vesuvius, Ravello and Positano....Ravello was a bonus as he wanted us to see the not-so-touristy town...and it proved to be more beautiful than Positano!!! Renato's svc included transpo from the Naples station to our B&B, the day tour the following day, and the transpo back to the Naples station on our final day. You can email Renato at recuomo@tin.it.
Marian
Millbrae, CA USA 06/24/2009
Rome Tour
Take the Through Eternity Tour!! We did the Vatican tour with Anne. It was fantastic. She was very knowledegable and personable. She was very kind as well, giving us excellent restaurant recommendations. Don't see Rome without Through Eternity!
Marainne
Chicago, IL USA 06/23/2009
Rome food and Private tour service
A good friendly guide who has a handle on their history, can be fun and entertaining and who can become a family member for a day is what we got. We booked with Sky Tours in Rome with our private tour for one day. We saw as much as we could see in the short few hours we had on a cruise stop in Rome. Our guide was official, she spoke very good english and Italian which made life comfortable when needed. She made sure the taxi guys treated us well and brought us to nice genuine Roman restuarants which are not too expensive but serve good Roman food. Not nuked or pre made stuff, I mean food made when ordered.
Check out www.skytoursrome.com
ask for Francisco in admin
Kate M
USA 06/22/2009
Vatican Tour
We took our only organized tour while in Italy with Roman Odysey and had Jay give us his 4-5 hour tour of the Vatican. We had our 9 year old daughter with us and she held up just fine. Jay was both very knowledgable and interesting to listen to. Our group was small (maybe 12 people?) and Jay could answer everyone's questions and tailor his comments to include everyone's interests.
Michelle Dillow <email>
Decatur, IL USA 06/21/2009
Roman Odyssey Tour
My father and I went on back to back tours of the "Ancient City" (Colosseum and the Forum) and the Vatican Museums/Sistine Chapel with Roman Odyssey (RO). RO helped us book the tours to complete in one day, which was great because we were trying to pack a lot into a short time in Rome. The tours were on-time, well run, and small enough to allow interaction with the guides. Both guides were very knowledgeable in their respective areas and made sure to hit all the highlights at the sites. I felt that the guides were able to reach people in the group with varying levels of pre-tour knowledge and add to the experience. RO's prices were quite reasonable. I definitely recommend this company, especially if you are by yourself or maybe with only one other person, so the economy of a group tour is a factor.
Will
Atlanta, GA USA 06/21/2009
Celebrity Tour of Notting Hill
I recently did The Celebrity Tour of Notting Hill here in London. It was a fantastic 2.5 hour walking tour through the area made famous by the classic Hugh Grant film.
We didn't get to see Hugh but we did see past and present homes belonging to Richard Branson, Annie Lennox, Robbie Williams and George Orwell; the hotel where Jimi Hendrix overdosed; the recording studio where Bob Marley made the album 'Exodus'; Sienna Miller's fashion boutique; and even the venue where Pink Floyd played their first gig!
The tour was operated by The Celebrity Planet (www.thecelebrityplanet.com), check it out.
Tim Oberg <email>
London, UK 06/20/2009
Norway in a Nutshell
We signed up for the "Norway in a Nutshell" Fjord tour from Oslo. We even had our tickets mailed to us ahead of time. The person from the tour company gave us WRONG information by email as to which train stations to use. One of the station options that was given was CLOSED for construction -and a train never came - so we missed our tour and were out $1.000.00 for 4. After some emails to the tour company, they refunded 75% of our money. Use only the main/central station if you take the Fjord tour - and enjoy it for us.
Liz
Muskegon, MI USA 06/17/2009
D-Day Tours
Roel and Victory Tours was fantastic! We just returned from a week in Paris and did a day trip to Normandy where Roel met us for our full day D-day tour in Bayeaux. Roel was extremley informative, fun and made our tour a wonderful, memorable experience. He was our top choice by reading the great comments others have written. I checked out other tours and what they offered with price/times and his was the best choice. Other tours offered from Paris say they are full day but are only half day b/c they have you travelling by bus later and only seeing half the sites we saw and were charging practically double. He knew so many things that really made our tour one of the best things we did while we were in France. Travelling from Paris to Bayeaux is easy with a transfer in Caen and arriving in Bayeaux for a full day tour that lasts past 6pm! My Gpa landed on the beaches and made it home so I wanted to experience part of what he saw. It was a moving and special day that no American or citizen should miss b/c this is a day/war that changed the entire world. Roel was wonderful and I can't say enough great things about him and his tour. His tours are small so you get the one on one experience.It is the only way to see Normandy. Bigger groups and you end up waiting for slowpokes and miss out on all the information that Roel has. I love the sand and the "bleeding rocks" that he found for me. Thank you Roel for making our experience unforgettable.
Heidi
Toronto, Canada USA 06/16/2009
Jewish Roma Tour
My wife and I went to Rome and one of the highlights was the Jewish Roma tour with Micaela. The tour included the Jewish ghetto and synagogue. We found her knowledgeable and extremely friendly. In addition, she was great to work with re: scheduling the tour. We highly recommend this tour!
Jeff Bayard <email>
Boston, MA USA 06/16/2009
Rome, tours
My Husband and I have just returned from Rome and we had teh pleasure of Micaela of Jewish Roma tours take us around the Jewish ghetto and synagogue, She was charming and enlightening and her assistant VIvian an art historian led us through the Vatican and , she made it all interesting and entertaining > HIghly recommend these lovely ladies if you travel to Rome, Italy!
Linda Schwartz
Toronto, On Canada 06/15/2009
Tour Guide in Madrid
We just returned home from a visit to Spain and one highlight was a private tour in Madrid of the Prado and Royal Palace conducted by Madrid-Museum-Tours.org. Our guide was outstanding and knowledgeable. The price was fair and a good value and our guide made the visit special. I highly recommend this group.
Ian Carrus
Naperville, IL USA 06/14/2009
Roel, a great D-Day tour guide!
While in Normandy in May '09, we followed Rick's recommendation and took a half-day D-Day tour with Victory Tours, led by Roel. (We also stayed at Chateau Lignerolles, owned by Roel and Pia, which was very nice with fantastic breakfast by Pia.) The half-day tour, which started in Bayeux, was in Roel's spacious and comfortable tour van. Roel was an extremely knowldedgable and interesting guide. His passion for the subject matter really comes through, and he is patient in answering questions and providing as much information as you can absorb about the subject. He shared insights and interesting stories and background that we wouldn't have known otherwise. Roel also took extra time with our group (which included senior citizens and a teenager) to thoroughly cover all the sites planned. We would recommend this tour to anyone who's interested in D-Day sites and events.
Steven Hauser <email>
Atlanta, GA USA 06/13/2009
Mad Max Tours Bath UK
While in Bath recently, we took the Mad Max full day tour to Stonehenge, Avesbury & the Cotswolds. What could have been a bad situation was turned into a great tour. While waiting to get on the bus, we were informed it would be 30-45 minutes late. When the bus showed up an hour later, it was driven by Paul, an owner of the company. After explaining the cause of the delay, he proceded to take us on a great tour. He reversed a couple of items in the itinerary and by doing so we were able to see Stonehenge without the crowds and still have lunch at the intended village. His knowledge of the area was impresive and his attitude made the tour fun. We would definitely do another Mad Max Tour.
Shelia <email>
AR USA 06/13/2009
Volterra, Tuscany, Italy
Tuscan Tour with Annie Adair. A highlight of visit in Volterra, Tuscany was the morning walking tour with Annie Adair (She was mentioned in Rick Steves book.) She offers a wealth of knowledge, knows many people in the city who welcome her and her guests to their studios/businesses and accommodates the interests of her clients. A great tour guide...a "five-star" tour.
Monita Johnson <email>
North Bend, OR USA 06/12/2009
Fantastic Rome Tour Guide
After an escorted tour of Palatine Hill by an agency, we were turned loose in the Forum. While wandering around, we heard an American offering a free tour of the Forum. As the price was right, we joined one other couple. By the end of the tour our group had grown to about 25 people. The guide was Jason Spiehler of "Walks of Italy." We enjoyed this free tour so much that we paid (20 euros each) to go with him on an evening walking tour that same evening. It was well worth the money.
Jason is a fabulous tour guide. He is both interesting and knowledgeable. He does private and group tours. He is mentioned in Rick Steve's Rome Guide.
His phone number in the US is 1-202-684-6916. In Italy it is +39-334-974-4274. We recommend him wholeheartedly! He is the best guide we have experienced in three visits to Rome.
William Dixon
Scottsdale, Arizon USA 06/12/2009
Tours in Madrid
Madrid Museum Tours under the direction of Hernan Amaya Satt gave us the best experience in a major european city (Madrid) a visitor could ever want. Hernan's knowledge and insightful descriptions brought today's Madrid and it's history to us with great clarity; we, as grandparents, traveling with a teenaged granddaughter were especially fortunate to have found a guide who related beautifully across generations with a lively and interesting tour. We travel extensively and he is the best guide we have experienced. (www.madrid-museum-tours.org)
Carol & Steve Gutman
New York, NY USA 06/11/2009
Through Eternity tours - Rome
In late March I took my 12 and 19 yr old sons to Italy for Spring Break. Our first day there - in Rome - we were fortunate enough to have Brandon from Through Eternity Tours take us to the Forum and Colosseum. What an incredible way to start our trip! My boys were absolutely rapt as Brandon took us through 2000 years of history. I was expecting their eyes to glaze over after awhile, but Brandon turned them into fellow history geeks! My 12 year old returned home and started devouring books like Agony and the Ecstasy (Irving Stone bio of Michelangelo) and then other books on the history of Rome and Florence. Today he started taking private Italian language lessons. And his favorite part of the whole trip? Our 3 hours with Brandon on our first day there. I just wish we would have known to use Through Eternity for the Vatican. We were on a group tour where we were herded on and off buses like cattle, given poor quality headsets, and compared to our time with Brandon it was quite a letdown. For 3 people it cost the same to book a private tour (instead of a group bus tour) and next time we will definitely ask Through Eternity to give us a private tour so we can squeeze every drop of history out of the experience. Walking through history with a passionate history geek is just the ONLY way to go!
Luana Rubin <email>
Boulder, CO USA 06/10/2009
Day Trip Out Of Seville
I found Paul McGrath's day trip to the white Pueblos in Ricks book and called him at the last moment, the night before we joined the trip. I'd have to say that it was a fortunate move, my wife and I saw some very beautiful little towns right of the beaten track. Once you get your ear tuned to the Australian accent Paul is extremely well informed on Spain in general and the white towns in particular. His trip goes to Zahara de la Sierra,Grazalema, Setenil and Olvera. The website is theotherspain.galeon.com
Peter O`Neal
Sacramento, Cal USA 06/09/2009
Eye Prefer Paris Fashion Tour
I just returned from a wonderful trip to Paris where the highlight included 2 wonderful days with Richard Nahem of Eye Prefer Paris www.eyeparistours.com I took my son for his 13th birthday - his dream is to someday be a fashion designer in Paris. Richard custom planned our two day walking tour to feature small obscure designers as well as the most famous and took us to places we would have no way found on our own. We had one day in the Marais where we saw Azzadine Alaia in his shop and had the most wonderful Salt & Pepper Chocolate Bar - go figure! On day two our tour ended with a visit to the Musee Baccarat - talk about stunning. Richard also threw in a few perfume shops for me. My son and I had the best time we have ever had together.
Lynette
Calabasas, CA USA 06/09/2009
Jewish Roma Walking Tours – Michaela Pavoncello
Few days ago I visited the Roman Ghetto, Synagogues and Jewish Museum with Michaela Pavoncello. Since the recent opening of the Jewish Museum, I promised to myself to go to the Ghetto and “fill the gap”. So I decided to engage Micaela for her reputation of adopting a straightforward and learned approach to all the subjects covered (Art, Religion, Politics, Tradition, History) while walking inside and around the Tempio Maggiore. The tour was great, passionate and impressing. Thanks to this strong advocate of the Roman Jewish heritage, after 22 centuries in Rome the local Jewish community is showing its unique treasures at their best.
Udal degli Uberti
Rome, Italy 06/08/2009
Miles & Miles - Fantastic Tours of Rome
We had two fantastic private tours or Rome with Miles & Miles, I can highly recommend them. A family run business who definately show you 'Rome Through Roman Eyes'.
I spent many hours on the internet researching before I found the ideal company.
No up front booking fees, excellent pre-tour communication & tips by email even before our tour.
First tour was of the Vatican with Caron Miglio (the only non Roman born family member - she has been married to Roberto and living in Rome for over 30 years) She really knows the Vatican you couldn't wish for a more knowlegable guide. Gave us an interesting and informative tour with just the right amount of information tailored to our particular areas of interest. She stayed with us for longer than we had booked and took us to a delightful typical Roman restaurant and recommended wines etc before leaving us. A brilliant afternoon. (Caron even showed us where her two children - both tour guides - were actually baptised in St. Peters. Something which seemed natural to her - but really impressed me)
The next day we had a 7 hour driving tour with the very charismatic Francesco Miglio (Carons son) He showed us Rome as we would never have seen it for ourselves - even over numerous visits. He is very passionate about his country - his enthusiasm abounds. He took us to see all the major attractions, the little nooks and crannnies that are 'Real Rome' We visited the best bakery and coffee shop in Rome used by the locals. We were shown Pararomic Views of Rome whilst furnishing us with so many interesting facts you would never find in a tour book or with a 'group tour'. He took us to the Appian Way (not to be missed).
We visited the cappuchin monks crypt where the walls are lined with their bones. Too many sights to mention here, every one of them amazing.
We were interested to find out what was just outside Rome so Francesco drove us to the most amazing Restaurant for lunch a short drive through beautiful countryside. Pagnanelli was overlooking a Volcanic Lake which took our breath away - it was the most romantic spot imaginable. The owners have had the restaurant in their family since the 1800's - they looked after us so well, they were very hospitable. Francesco helped us with the menu as it was all in Italian. |After our meal, the tour of the amazing wine cellars (where tables are set up for dessert) was the icing on the cake after a delicious Italian meal. If you have time its a must.
Miles & Miles are well worth paying for. it was our first visit to Rome, The tours put us in good stead for the next four days when we were sightseeng on our own - we felt we had a real insight into Rome and knew exactly where we wanted to go.
Although the company is Miles & Miles their website is: www.toursofrome.it
Their email is info@toursofrome.it I always got a prompt reply.
Angela & Collin Douglas
Liverpool, UK 06/07/2009
The private tour guide in Tangier-Morocco has great enthusiasm and plenty of good tales to tell!!
I just wanted to express my gratitude for Rebecca Breed help with our visit to Tangier this past winter.
We wish to thank Rebecca for recommending an excellent guided walking & driving tours of Tangier by Jamal arrangement. i emailed(jamaltour1@gmail.com) Jamal did a fantastic Job, put the same enthusiam into each tour, was obviously passionate about Tangier and it's history, and made us feel as if we "had gone back in time". Having gone to many countries where the local guides have been impersonal and (going through the motions) Jamal has left us with a lot of knowledge we didn't hitherto have, and memories of a wonderful day-trip. We also will certainly recommend him to anyone we know of who intends to visit Tangier-Morocco. Many thanks again.
Susan D. Robinson <email>
Pennsylvania, USA 06/07/2009
Jewish Rome Tours
Fabulous 1/2 tour of the Jewish Ghetto in Rome by the reknown Micaela Pavoncello. It was the #1 best part of our trip to Rome (3rd trip). She is articulate, speaks perfect English, is funny and brilliant. Don't miss it!
Micaela Pavoncello
JewishRoma Walking Tours
Mobile +39 328 8638128
Joseph and Joan Esterson
Hollywood, FL USA 06/06/2009
Berlin Tour Guide
We just returned from Berlin in May 2009. My wife and I found a guide on line and made arrangements via e-mail. He is an American expatriate and has lived in Berlin for the past 10 years. We toured with Jeremy in the city on foot and on public transportation on the first day. This planned 4 hour tour quickly turned into 7 hours, and this total stranger became our friend. We were able to cover so much territory in such a concentrated period of time!
On the second day, Jeremy took us to more distant sites in Berlin including the Olympic Stadium, Wannsee, and Potsdam, to name a few.
We were so pleased with Jeremy that we booked a third day, and he took us to some less well know sites in East Berlin and even traveled to the Polish Border to see the battlefield where the final Battle for Berlin began at the Seelow Heights.
We never could have covered the ground that we did in such a short period of time without him. We have traveled extensively throughout Europe, and have had our share of knowledgeable guides, but Jeremy Minsberg was truly the best. His understanding of the history Of WWII, the Cold War, and general Berlin history far surpassed anything that we were prepared for.
We can recommend him as a “Berlin Expert” and great tour guide without reservation. His website is http://www.theberlinexpert.com.
Jackie
Philadelphia, PA USA 06/06/2009
Through Eternity Tours - the best
In May my husband and I visited Rome and since it was my first time there, I wanted to get as much as I could out of the trip. I decided to do the Vatican and the Coloseum with tours and after much research on the iternet, I decided with Through Eternity Tours.
It was the best decision I made for the entire trip. On Saturday, May 9th we toured the Coloseum and the Roman Forum with Ian Sumpter. The tour was everything I was hoping for and more. Ian was entertaining and extremely knowledgable. The tour went longer than expected but we did not mind. The group was small and we all enjoyed ourselves. I would never have learned all that I did with any other company.
We had also booked a tour of the Vatican for Monday. What a great surprise that Ian was also giving that tour also. Since the Vatican was my priority for the trip in Rome, having Ian as our guide was the icing on the cake. His knowlege and perspective made this the best day we had in Rome. No way would we have gotten out of the trip to the Vatican what we learned and experienced on that tour. Once again our group was small and very amicable, and Ian spent extra time with us there.
We enjoyed the visit to the Vatican and St. Peters so much that we returned to the Basilica twice more on our own.
There was no way that we would have gotten out of a trip to both these places what we got out of going on your tour. We felt totally immersed in the history of Rome. I felt very fortunate that we chose through eternity tours.
Nancy and Tony
New Jersey
nancy alfieri <email>
waretown, nj USA 06/05/2009
Private Tour in Budapest
My friend and I hired Peter for a private tour in Budapest. We spent six hours with him, including stops. We travelled around on foot ore easy public transportation. He collected us at our hote. It was fantastic! I am going with my family to Italy in the summer and am definitely sold on private tours. You can contact Peter at polczman@freestart.hu>
Karen Kerner <email>
San Francisco, CA USA 06/05/2009
Best Tour Guide in Rome?
When we first decided to go Rome, my partner went into research overdrive. I had come to realize that this is rather typical for her, but as a relative newbie I still found it impressive. Within minutes, I was presented with a list of hotels in various price ranges, websites for consideration, restaurants to look into, and sightseeing options. I did some of this homework too, and together we assembled a very good dossier to refer to while were planning (and while we were there - it turned out to be a great reference for food choices) but in truth there's really no comparison between my work and hers.
One thing she found was a tour guide for a couple of our events: Jason Spiehler, whose advertising flavor claims he's the Best Tour Guide in Rome, and based on our experience, I wouldn't put up an argument over the title.
We first reached out to him via email, (Info@walksofitaly.com and walksofitaly@hotmail.com are the email addresses he provides) which allowed us to plan visits to the Vatican and to the Forum well ahead of time (the email connection also got us a discount on what was already a pretty darned good deal.) I'm the first to admit that guided tours can be thoroughly deflating, but under the right circumstances and with the right guide, they can add immeasurably to an experience. And, for us at least, Jason was definitely the right guide: originally from Louisiana, he's brilliantly spoken and charismatic; he has a background (and an advanced degree) in Historical Theology, and knows his art history inside and out. He's funny, too - those subjects may sound dry, but Jason has a really good sense of humor and brought things to vibrant life.
The Vatican is incredible no matter how you slice it. Bernini, Michelangelo, Rafael - you can't really go wrong. But when there's someone there to tell you about Pomodoro's Sfera con Sfera, and joke about how it looks like the Death Star, it helps.
And it enhances your experience of something like, oh, the Sistine Chapel if you know something about the historical context; about Michelangelo's career, his professional relationships and rivalries and how they fit into his work there; about the physical process of creating frescoes, and the challenges of learning this process, on a ceiling, under a Papal order, when you've spent your life training to be a sculptor. Jason was able to give us this and then some, in a way that was entertaining and alive. And he talked us through the imagery on the Ceiling and in the Last Judgement fresco behind the altar that Michelangelo painted 25 years later.
And he talked us through the statuary, the tapestries, the trompe l'oeil, the architecture, the Pieta... Of course he didn't cover the whole Vatican, nor the entire Forum: no one could in a day. But let me tell you, people - finding this guy was more than worthwhile.
And that's not even getting into the tour we had of the Forum! We had a guide at the Galleria Borghese as well (do NOT miss this museum - astounding sculpture and painting; make sure to reserve ahead of time) who was perfectly fine, but not nearly in Jason's league. Highest marks for Mr. Spiehler, really.
*As a bonus, not to do with Jason or tours - if you end up going to the Testaccio neighborhood, try Lo Scopettaro. Go WITH ROMANS if you can: you'll get the full Roman meal. Absolutely have the artichokes if they're in season. Amazing.
7 Lungotevere Testaccio
Phone: +39 06 574 2408
Mick <email>
New York, NY USA 06/03/2009
Vatican Museum tour (Roman Odyssey Tours)
Roman Odyssey Tours- Vatican Museum Tour with Jay (Jayashree).
My wife and I booked this Vatican Museum tour through Roman Odyssey Tours. We had Jay as our tour guide. We had a small group- about 10 people, 5 couples. My wife and I were on an unescorted trip to Rome & Florence and were quite comfortable navigating on our own around both cities and their attractions.
However, the Vatican Museum is huge and without a guide, one can easily be overwhelmed or miss out on the very best pieces of art there. Our guide, Jay, is very passionate and well informed about the subject matter, not only from an art perspective, but also from the history side as well. This combination of pertinent information made the Vatican tour museum that more enjoyable through some background education on the artwork that we were shown.
Jay answered our questions and the tour allowed us plenty of time to take in the Sistine Chapel near the end of the tour. The tour ends at the entrance to St Peter's Basilica.
We highly recommend both Roman Odyssey tour company and our tour guide, Jay.
This is one massive and wonderful place where one should not simply use a self guided audio tour. Let an informed professional show you the best that it has to offer to truly make this a memorable visit.
Don Wilk <email>
Lombard, Illinois, Illino USA 06/03/2009
Real Rome Tours
Our family used Real Rome Tours for a tour of the Colosseum & Forum in the morning & the Vatican in the afternoon in early May. I was surprised to learn that this is a fairly "young" company as they were so well prepared to present an excellent tour.
Richie was our guide for the Colosseum & Forum. His knowledge & enthusiasm were genuine & refreshing. His commentary really made the area "come alive". He was also very helpful in directing us on to our next destination including finding lunch before our next event.
In the afternoon, we toured the Vatican with Alexandra, also an excellent guide. Since we were there on a day sandwiched between two closed days, the line was formidable (though it moved more quickly than feared). Even though we spent additional time in line, we still got the complete tour. As an FYI, I'd recommend doing these tours on two different days as I was on "overload" well before the completion of the tour. This, however, was of our choosing, not theirs.
My questions had been promptly answered via email prior to the trip. Real Rome Tours seems to be a very thorough & well run organization & we highly recommend them!
nancy <email>
naperville, il USA 05/31/2009
Wine Tour in the Siena Area--Recommended Over All Others
If you are in the area of Siena I highly recommend Franco Fadda's wine tours. By some grand coincidence I stumbled upon his website (http://www.francowinetourexperience.com/) and I could not have been happier with how everything turned out. What's most important about this is that it is NOT your ordinary wine tour. It's not a large group of people being herded around on a tour bus while listening to information through earphones. He takes groups of up to six on a private tour in his van and basically leaves everything up to the guests. He plans a day full of activities but if you decide that you'd like to change something he is more than willing to oblige. Our day included hiking on an ancient Roman path, a wine tasting, lunch at a restaurant in the middle of a vineyard (which was one of the best that I've ever eaten in Italy), stops at two small wine towns that included a tour of a old-fashioned wine cellar and the extraordinary pleasure of meeting personally a bronze smith who gave us a tour or his shop. For what I paid for the tour I would have expected it to be a few hours but the tour lasted all day on a Saturday and he was still asking us if there was anything we wanted to do. Tours conducted in either English or Italian.
Mike Kowalczyk <email>
Princeton, NJ USA 05/29/2009
Tours from Florence
My husband and I recently toured with Alessandro (alecamma@hotmail.com) and it was the best money that we spent in Italy. He picked us up in Florence at about 9AM and took us to wineries, olive oil and balsamic vinegar producers and some very beautiful towns such as Montalcino, Montapulciano and Pienza. We even got to go to the shop of a butcher who has been featured on Food Network. Alessandro tailored the tour to our requests and came up with some fabulous suggestions. He dropped us off at our hotel in Sienna at about 7 PM. The whole day was so enjoyable that it flew by. He is very personable, knowledgeable and professional and we will definitely tour with him again when we make a return trip.
Pat
Atlanta, GA USA 05/29/2009
Roma Odyessy Tours- Jay
My husband and I booked the Colosseum/Forum tour through Roman Odyssey Tours. We had Jay as a tour guide. We had a small group- 8 people to start with. Two couples, booked this tour on the day that they arrived from the US. They were so tired that they left the tour mid-way and went to their hotel to sleep. Make sure you are rested before taking this tour- lots of information and lots to see. Our your guide, Jay, is very passionate and well informed about the subject matter. If you are really into history, this is the guy for you. I appreciated that he extended the tour and took us to the Palatine as well. I have to say that the forum did not get the attention and time it deserved. I would would recommend Roman Odyssey Tours.
V. Turlik <email>
Philadelphia, PA USA 05/28/2009
Jewish Roma Tour with Micaela Pavoncella
We just returned from two weeks in Italy and one of our favorite experiences was our tour of Jewish Rome with Micaela Pavoncella. As an active member of the Jewish community, she has a wonderful insight into the past, the present, and future. Everyone knows Micaela and she brought us together with several members of the community. We learned so much about the experience of the Jewish people in Rome. By the time we were finished we felt like part of the family. Micaela is so personable and vivacious. She makes this an worthwhile activity to remember. I recommend this highly.
Linda F
Columbia, MD USA 05/27/2009
Excellent private tour guide in Rome
We had an excellent time touring the Roman Forum and the Colosseum with AnnaMaria Gehle as our tour guide. AnnaMaria is a Roman who lived in the U.S. for years, so she was a perfect guide for us.
She met us at our apartment and gave us an impromptu tour as we walked through the Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Jewish Ghetto, the Teatro Argentina, and other sites on our way to the Foro Romano.
AnnaMaria is a working archeologist, so traveling through the Roman ruins with her was a treat. She made sense of all the ruin and rubble and brought ancient Rome alive for us. When we toured the Colosseum we learned she had been one of the consultants on the film "Gladiator!"
She does tours of the Vatican and other parts of Rome and we wished we had time to go on those with her too. If you are looking for a reasonable private tour with your own interests highlighted, we can't recommend AnnaMaria more.
Her email: annamariagehle@gmail.com
Carla Januska <email>
Minneapolis, MN USA 05/27/2009
Berlin tour guide - Jeremy 'The Berlin Expert'
My husband and I returned last night from our week in Berlin. Hiring Jeremy 'The Berlin Expert' as our tour guide was one of the smartest decisions we made. http://www.theberlinexpert.com/
Jeremy kick-started our understanding of the current cultural atmosphere of the city, while providing political and historical context. Jeremy picked us up at our hotel in Mitte and custom-designed a tour based on our interest areas. He accommodated our desire for a leisurely pace with plenty of sidewalk cafe stops.
Jeremy helped us understand the many efforts of the Berlin and Germany government to face the past head-on with emotional and thought-provoking remembrances and memorials. Experiencing the underground memorial of the book burnings was moving, and we never would have found it on our own.
We were so happy with the first day tour we engaged Jeremy for a second day to focus on the Third Reich. Jeremy's deep knowledge of architecture, events, and history made the tour lively and compelling. We will always be thankful for Jeremy's advise to take the time to experience the Holocaust Memorial at its fullest.
Jeremy also recommended a fantastic restaurant, Cafe Einstein, for our visit on our own to the Bauhaus Archiv (which is now closed until October 2009).
We highly recommend Jeremy as a Berlin guide, especially for those who prefer a tour experience more intimate and intellectual than the typical group tours.
Granby Girl <email>
Norfolk, VA USA 05/25/2009
Roman Odyssey Tours
On the recommendation of my cousin and also Rick Steves' book on Rome, we booked the Vatican and Ancient Rome tours with this company in early April. There was 4 of us on one tour and 10 on the other so we felt that it was almost a private tour. The guides were both on time, easy to find, native English speakers and exceptionally knowledgeable. They made the sites come alive with detailed information and stories about what we were viewing. After trying to visit another site on our own, the National Museum, it was a great relief to follow along with someone who knew the best way to explore an attraction.
Carole M <email>
Whittier, CA USA 05/22/2009
Fantastic Rome tour with Miles&Miles
I was on a Mediterranean cruise with only a 1 day stop in Rome. I shared a tour with 2 other couples on our cruise and we had an awesome day with Roberto of Miles&Miles! I can't believe all that we saw in such a short stop. We first stopped to see a panoramic view of Rome and then concentrated on the ancient Roman ruins with the coliseum being the highlight. It was great skipping the long lines entering the coliseum! Then we ventured into Renaissance Rome and stopped at the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We then visited the amazing Pantheon. This was followed by an amazing lunch at Italian restaurant outside the Vatican. The afternoon was spent with our private tour guide inside the Vatican, who was Roberto's wife. She did a great job touring us through the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel and finally St. Peter's Basilica. This was a day I'll remember forever...thanks Miles&Miles!!!
Juan Archilla
Wake Forest, NC USA 05/20/2009
Juno Beach D Day Normandy
We recently had a tour of Juno with Philippe Guerin. It was overwhelming. His knowledge of Canadians at D Day was beyond all expextations.
Roy T. Vopni
Kingston, , Ontari Canada 05/17/2009
Irish in Rome
We saw Angel Tours Rome mentioned in Ricks book, gosh those guys do a great job, they are well run, friendly, funny and to the point. We only wish they had tours in other parts of Europe. We didnt stand in line at any time, the tour groups max numbers are only about 10 and the Guides speak real English.
Rick R
USA 05/16/2009
Another unforgettable trip to Umbria
Just returned from another wonderful trip to Umbria - our first trip since purchasing a house in beautiful Le Marche. We took a tour in Umbria with Annie Robichaud (annesitaly.com)as we have every year. Anne's tours are always the highlight of our trip. She has a passion for Italy and appreciation of Italian culture that is truly infectious. Her art history background is evident in both the detail and depth of knowledge she brings to everything from frescoes to door frames.Capping off the tour was a delicious meal at Annie's family farmhouse nestled in the hills of Assisi. She is also an invaluable help to us wherever we go in Italy as she helps book our hotels and tour guides in areas outside of Umbria.
Alyssa and Bill
Bergen County, NJ USA 05/14/2009
Vatican
My buddy and I took a Vatican tour with Susan Simcox. It lasted almost 5 hours. She is a little eccentric, but she is an excellent guide who seems to be well-respected in the Vatican. Her email is susanmsimcox@yahoo.it.
Eugene White
Santa Fe, US 05/13/2009
Rome Guide
My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Rome because we had a guide that we found on this forum, Sarah arts_rome@yahoo.com, who not only told us all the facts and specifics about the place, but made us all(including my 10 year old daughter) feel like we were a part of the history and energy of the city. We contacted her only a week before our trip and she was able to accomodate us for the Vatican tour and Trastevere tour. She also helped us get s reservation at the Borghese museum and for the Uffizi in Florence. She had both numbers on her phone! And thank goodness we had one, the line there was outrageous! We all wished we could have brought her along with us to Florence, because even though it is an easy town to get around in, there is so much art, it is mind blowing. If you go to Rome, make sure to have a guide!
John Franklin
Denver, CO USA 05/10/2009
Tiber Tours Rome
Today we enjoyed our tour of the Vatican with Rossa from Tiber Tours Rome. He is an Art Historian from Dublin, full of facts and fun history as well. For sure we would use him again if we came back to Rome. He managed to get our group into the Vatican without standing in any lines.
Thanks Rossa
Trent
USA 05/09/2009
Rudolf City tours from Helsinki, Finland
I was lucky to find these guys (www.rudolfcity.com) when I recently visited Helsinki. They are a husband and wife team running day tours to Turku, Porvoo and an evening sauna/forest tour. They are so much fun and it's obvious they care about you getting the best experience. We first tried their Turku tour which is the longest and goes to the original country capital, but to be honest the best part of the day was an amazing lunch in a small restaurant in the islands that only the locals know about (they are all about giving you a chance to visit out of the way places). We had such a great time with them that we ended up trying all of their tours and although they repeat themselves in there commentary some times they are all well worth it. There evening tour to the Forest/Lake and trying a sauna was even more relaxed than the day tours, they have a video from the forest/sauna tour: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZkaUa3BMqU. They don't pick up from the hotels but have 3 places in the centre of Helsinki they leave from and after we asked directions from the hotel reception we found them with no problems.
Alisia <email>
London, USA 05/08/2009
Volterra Walking Tour
My wife and I took a 1/2 day walking tour of Volterra, Tuscany with TuscanTour. Our guide, Annie, was very informative. I'm generally familiar with Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance history, and found it great fun to discuss with Annie where Volterra fit into the picture specifically. The experience made college art history courses come alive. I definitely saw a lot more by spending a few hours with a local expert. We found out about Annie from Rick Steves' show, and really enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend it.
John
Houston, TX USA 05/08/2009
Rome Tour Groups
We took Rick Steve's advice and booked a private tour of Vatican City for seven people with Through Eternity tour group. This organization could not have been more accomodating, sending us helpful advice on getting reservations for other tours we were considering, offering to meet us at our apartment if need be, suggesting additional side trips we could make on our own, and exceeding the promised time for the tour. They were very friendly, knowledgable and accomodating. I would highly recommend them.
Tom Argue
Somersworth, NH USA 05/08/2009
Day Tours and Wine Tasting in Italy
Italy is the capitol or culture and Art: is known for its history, its monuments and its culinary tradition!
www.italysegwaytours.com offers the chance to discover Florence Pisa, Milan and Rome trough Segway and Bike tours.
The Segway tour is the most appropriate to visit the entire historical center in less time then simply walking.
If you are bike lovers, www.italycruiserbiketours.com will allow you to discover new bicycle path between the streets full of history of Rome, Pisa and Florence. The cruiser bike will allow you to pedal in comfortable way, thanks to the larger seat, compare to a normal bike. If this is not enough, and you want to know more about Italy, you cannot miss a wine tasting www.italywinetasting.com
Claudio <email>
Chula Vista, CA USA 05/05/2009
Rome and Italy
I just returned from a short vacation in Italy. A friend recommended I try to organize some activities with Susan Simcox of Rome. She was very helpful, generous with her time, sincere, intelligent (she attended University of Chicago) and most interesting. I found it especially interesting that she is currently studying the restoration of oil paintings, so she has good knowledge of artistic methods and materials. She has an excellent group of guides, drivers, archeologists, enologists, craftsmen and artists with whom she works to cover all facets of an Italian vacation. Better still, she takes her clients to amazing ancient and modern places that are free of crowds. But probably most important is that she understands people travel on a budget. Whatever your interests are, you are in good hands with Susan and her Italian team.
Mr. Mark Davies
New York, NY USA 05/01/2009
City Guides in Tuscany
In October, 2008, I & 3 friends spent a few weeks in Italy. The very best thing we did was arrange for 'city' guides before we left the States. We were met by the prearranged guide, at the prearranged place in each of the towns we had chosen. It's well worth the price - you see & learn about the most important sites of the area. Having someone who can answer your questions on the spot adds to the experience. We loved Volterra, especially, & our guide, an American now living in Volterra, could not have been finer. You can contact Annie Adair at info@tuscantour.com
Jane Williams <email>
Hillsborough, CA USA 05/01/2009
Volterra, Italy Encore
Reluctantly,I make my comments about Volterra - reluctantly because it is a Tuscan town not over run with tourists - & it would be wonderful to keep it that way therefore keep our praises to ourselves! But Volterra is an outstanding, charming old Etruscan original settlement. To get the most from your visit, we recommend hiring a 'city' guide. We made our arrangements before leaving the States with Annie Adair at info@tuscantour.com. Annie is a delight who knows all there is to know about the town which she loves 7 where she lives.
We stayed at Albergo Etruria - charming small hotel.
See the 2 comments above regarding Volterra as well.
Jane <email>
Hillsborough, CA USA 05/01/2009
Micaela Pavoncello- Ghetto Tour
We go to Rome yearly and have done dozens of tours, so I wasn't expecting to be SO impressed by our Ghetto Tour with Micaela. The bonus is that she is so enthusiastic, her committment & love of her community come through on her tour. Everyone in our group learned so much & thoroughly enjoyed every minute with her. Thank you Rick for having her radio interview on your site since I got a feel for her from the audio.
Sandi Spector
Palo Alto, CA USA 04/29/2009
Battle Bus Tours Normandy
The Battle Bus Tours were awsome. Whether you are a history buff or not the Battle Bus tours were informative and historically correct. I live with an arm chair historian and all the Battle Bus guides information was accurate and very enlightening. The guides have met and toured with many of the veterans that actually landed on D-day and their insights were incredible to hear. We did one day of the infantry tour, called American Highlights and another day with the Band of Brothers Tour. The information that was intertwined was so interesting it would turn any of us into WWII history lovers.
Holly Kennedy <email>
Rapid City, SD USA 04/29/2009
Rome - Miles & Miles Tour
Hi, I just wanted to comment on the awesome tour that my family and I had with Luca of Miles & Miles Tour Co while we were in Rome this winter. Knowing that this city is vast and given that we had 5 in our group my step mom was so smart to book a private city tour of Rome as well as a Vatican tour with Caron Miglio. We were picked up from our hotel on time and began a wonderful experience of seeing the city highlights of Rome and hearing about the history from Luca who spoke excellent English so we were pleased. He was well informed and was happy to answer our questions and even make suggestions of things that we might not have though of. Some of the things we saw were great views of Rome from above the city and wonderful stops for food and coffee within side streets of the city. We stopped at the Spanish Steps, the Piazza of the Pope, the Borghese Gardens, the beautiful keyhole from I think it was the Aventine Hill and also saw some of Rome underground at Basillica San Clemente. Also, I enjoyed the cappuchin monks crypt where the walls are lined with their bones. A few other places we stopped were the Collesium and historic Rome. After a wonderful lunch we were met by Caron who took us on a several hour tour of the Vatican. She was also very knowledgeable about the art and history but knew perfectly just the right balance so that we did not have information overload. In fact that was one thing that we all commented on was how much we learned and how fun it was at the same time even though the ages in our group were varied. Oh one more thing that I forgot to mention was a stop at Trevi fountain were they say you should toss a coin over your shoulder to be sure that you will return. This was my first trip to Italy and I know I will return and look forward to another tour with them of something else in the area. We truly had perfect day in Rome.
Ann
Ann
Marietta , GA USA 04/26/2009
Rome by Night Tour
Miles and Miles Tours in Rome was worth the extra expense as opposed to cheaper group-type tours. It was personal, the guide knowledgeable, most comfortable, and most of all enjoyable. We took the Rome by Night tour and we were not disappointed. Don't hesitate if you are thinking about using services of Miles and Miles.
Linda <email>
Philadelphia, PA USA 04/24/2009
Amalfi Coast boat tour to Capri - so great!
Hi, two days ago we did an all-day boat tour from Amalfi with a local company, Amalfi Boat Excursion and Charter La Dolce Vita. My husband and I and a couple we are travelling with took part in their Amalfi to Capri full-day tour and it was just spectacular. The weather was a little overcast but the views are amazing. Our Captain spoke great English and was totally enthusiastic about showing us the villas on the cliffs around Amalfi and talking about his life. Did the tour by the boat, a traditional Italian boat, around Capri, saw the Blue Grotto (make sure you really duck your head in the rowboat when you enter!) and the captain cruised right through the hole in the Faraglini rock formations. So special. There were only two other people on board, a couple from Denmark so there was plenty of room on board. The captain stopped in Capri at the main Grande port for three hours so we could do our own thing. The Piazetta area is so chic and then we returned back to the boat and were back in Amalfi at about 6pm. What a shame it wasn't hotter to go swimming! I found the company on google at www.amalfiboatexcursion.com and La Dolce Vita are also in Rick's book from 2006-2007. Well recommended.
Jay and Tam McNeil
New York (but in Rome today!), USA 04/23/2009
Tour of Volterra
Just two days before we were to leave for our trip to Tuscany, we still had not been successful in finding a tour guide for any of the places we had hoped to visit. Then I stumbled across Tuscan Tours (http://www.tuscantour.com) in a posted comment on line. I emailed Annie Adair immediately and she responded quickly with a resounding “yes!” We were thrilled…here was someone who, not only had quick response time and fair tour prices, but offered tours in the off season! And, what a great tour! We spent hours touring the village of Volterra & visiting a local alabaster carver’s workshop. Then we relaxed for an impromptu wine tasting at a local restaurant. Volterra is a lovely medieval village with lots of character and fascinating history. Annie has spent years studying the language and history. Because she is from the United States, we were able to have great conversations about the differences in the culture, environment, economy, education and foods. Annie’s tour was one of the highlights of our trip and we hope to make it back to Tuscany to tour other cities with her!
Pamela and Mark
York, PA USA 04/20/2009
rome private tour
Hi Just back from Rome we had a fantastic two days with Francesco and his family touring Rome it was my third time in Rome but the first for my teenagers i saw things with them that I have never seen before but more importantly because you tour on a mercedes van you can see so much in a day and with such beautiful view from the different Hills.Francesco is very knowledgeable and bring you in some areas never seen with other group tour Will come back and tour with him the Wineries and Umbria !
sylvie Bergeron
london, USA 04/20/2009
D-Day and Paris tours
Recently returned from Paris & Normandy. Can recommend two tours mentioned in Rick's 2009 Paris guidebook. We used Battlebus for a 1-day D-Day Tour. Jules, our guide, was remarkably informative and really brought D-Day alive. The maximum of 8 passengers was a huge plus. We used Paris Walks for a 2-hour walking tour of Marais. Our group was larger than we would have liked,(24 people), but the guide was entertaining and informative.
Thomas
Fargo, ND USA 04/19/2009
Roman Odyssey Tours
My wife and I, and three of her sisters, took a private tour through the Vatican with Rahul Raghavan of Roman Odyssey tours. I initially arranged everything with Roman Odyssey by e-mail, and called to confirm before leaving the states and spoke directly with Rahul. Everything was exactly as he said when we arrived in Rome: We met him at the place he directed us to go and he arrived precisely at the appointed time. Rahul speaks impeccable English in a beautiful British style. Importantly, of course, he has excellent credentials, which became very apparent as we worked our way through the Vatican on his well organized and thoughtful tour. He was incredibly polite and patient with each of us. Given our experience with Rahul, I would not hesitate to book any of the tours offered by Roman Odyssey.
April 19, 2009 -
Michael Brown <email>
Lincoln, CA USA 04/19/2009
Context Tours are Winners!
I can not say enough about the fantastic Context Tours my daughter (age 27) and i took while in Rome last month. We used the suggestion by Rick Steves to book with this company as they are non-profit, have high standards, and limit their group tour sizes to 6 people. We took a Vatican Tour which focused on Art History but our tour guide, Hilary, beautifully tied art history with cultural history, politics of the time and architecture. Never were we bored,plus she had a great way of injecting just the right bit of humor to keep us perky, and she knew her way around the Vatican and Sistine Chapel that allowed us to breeze by other mega-sized tour groups. Our Context Tour with Daniela featured a 6 hour cooking tour which began by going with her to the neighborhood fresh markets. What a treat! Then to her house to watch, help and enjoy a 5 course true Italian meal with all the comforts, hospitality and simple elegance that is Italy. We will plan to do more tours using Context Tours when visiting Italy again next year! Thanks Rick--for recommending such a great company.
Luisa Craige-Sherman <email>
Bolton Landing, NY USA 04/19/2009
Brewer's Berlin Tours
I took the "free" walking tour that Brewer's Berlin Tours offers, and it was great. The tour takes you to the most famous sights in the city, and my tour guide was very enthusiastic and informative. I highly recommend it:
www.brewersberlintours.com
Bethany
USA 04/18/2009
Through Eternity Tours Can't Be Matched
Our family took two tours with Through Eternity during our recent Spring Break trip to Rome and can't say enough good things about Brandon (Colliseum/Forum) and Justin (Night time walking tour). Our 8 year old son and 14 year old daughter were both thoroughly engaged by their storytelling styles and relaxed, informed presentations. My husband and I also took tours with Through Eternity 4 years ago (we also used one other company) and would never book a tour with anyone else again when visiting Rome. They are the best--hands down-- because their guides clearly come with a passion for art, history and Italy.
Kim Wright
Annandale, VA USA 04/16/2009
Private guideBudapest
Can highly recommend Gabriella Torok for private tours in Budapest. She has her own website and speaks excellent English. We did a 4 hour intro to Budapest on our first day - saw the main sights, found out how to use public transport, enter baths, good restaurants and where everything was. Then we did a day to Danube Bend. She can structure the tours to whatever interests you have.
A and A <email>
Australia 04/15/2009
Cararra Tour
On Rick's Guide Book recommendation, we engaged Sara Paolini for a half-day Cararra Tour. This turned out to be one of the best tours we've had in Italy. Sara is gracious, well-informed, and a genuinely caring person. Not only during the tour, but in correspondenced before and after, she couldn't have been more helpful.
Jeane <email>
Lakewood, CO USA 04/14/2009
OUR Best Private tour guide in Morocco
My husband daughter and I recently took our first trip out of the U.S.A and decided to take a dream trip to Morocco. We started reading this guide well before we left to get an idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. The tour guide Jamal was fantastic.
I'd like to highly recommend a tour guide in Morocco, Jamal Jamali, who grew up in Casablanca, has lived in Morocco for close to 20 years. he is a licensed tour guide, great with kids of all ages, her enthusiasm and love of Morocco shines through.
In Casablanca Marrakesh and Agadir-Morocco. Our tour guide was great, very prepared, very knowledgeable, and very interesting.
Jamal is a wonderful Casablanca-based tour guide. He took us through the Old City, where he lives with his family, as well as a three-day trip up north to such spots as Tangier, Tetouan, Asilah and many others. He was not only knowledgeable, but also patient and flexible with our itinerary and truly made our trip out of the ordinary.
I highly recommend Jamal as a Private tour guide in Morocco. Our own tour guide Jamal has an exclusive a.C van.
He is fabulous by all means! Educated in US; Speaks Arabic, French, English fluently and Hebrew. Lots of energy. Many american families have used his services. He has been giving tours to families and larger groups for many years.
our Private tour guide In Morocco (Mr. Jamal) did everything, from pick us up from the ferry, book our hotel, take us to dinners, and tailor our tours as we requested. He provides many different tours to different cities. His information can be found below:
email at: jamaltour1@gmail.com
C -Phone: 00212.649.55.84.30
Rebecca Breed <email>
University of San Francisco (USF) , CA USA 04/11/2009
Rome for kids
The kids loved the Coliseum of course, they loved the Dome on St Peters church. We had one of Ricks Angel Tours guides, too much info on the Vatican tour I felt, very factual and not enough stories. On the coliseum the kids loved the guide, more down to earth and funny, along with enough info.
Hotel forty Seven is good, with a nice location.
Ricks food places are spot on.
His 2009 book was an essential guide but not enough info, its too dumbed down.
Visit the arca pace, an amazing place.
No lines to any site we just walked in.
only 3 days is recommended for kids
oh, and mouth of truth, although it was crowded the day we went.
Ragu D
USA 04/09/2009
Day tour in Rome
We recently returned from Rome and booked a 3-hour private tour with Sarah May (arts_rome@yahoo.com) for the Vatican City. Tour included Vatican Museum, Sistene Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica (she also does tours of the Forum/Palentine Hill/Colosseum and wine tours). She was AMAZING - very informative, knew her stuff, and was flexible with us as we were traveling with our 1-year old son. I contacted her on short notice and she fit us in, no problem. I would HIGHLY recommend her - great prices and we didn't have to walk around in a herd with a large tour group.
Jill Hayes
Hahnbach, Germany 04/08/2009
Day trips in France: Mont St Michel and Loire Valley in France
We just returned from a 12-day trip to France. We rented an apartment in Paris, so most of our time was spent there. But we did manage to get away for a few days
1. Mt St Michel is an absolute must, and you have to do it overnight! During the day, the place is overrun with tourists, but at night and in the early morning it is MAGICAL. We used www.westcapades.com (a private tour for the 4 of us was only 80 euros more than the group tour, definitely worth it!). Marc, the owner, was an absolute delight! He catered to our needs and made us feel welcome! We arrived from Paris into Rennes in under 2.5 hrs. Marc met us at the train station and took us to Fougeres (an old castle under renovation - fun experience for kids). From there we went to MSM. We stayed at www.lemoutonblanc.com - very comfortable. We walked around in the evening when darkness set it and then again early in the morning (sunrise was at 7). The place was deserted. It was an unforgettable experience! Keep in mind that breakfast is a problem in the island - most places don't open until 10am, so we had to eat the buffet breakfast at hotel, which wasn't so great. The abbey opens around 9:30 (?), and there is a free English-speaking tour at 11. We were the only ones who knew about it, so we got a private guide who made it very special, even taking us into the crypt that is otherwise closed to tourists. The 4 museums on the island aren't worth the visit. We left MSM around 1 and headed for St Malo and Dinan. We were a bit short in time (had to be back to Rennes at 6:15), I wish we bought tickets for later train. If you don't want to use a tour guide, bus service is available from Rennes to MSM.
2. Loire Valley was a day trip. Make sure to purchase train tickets ahead of time - you can get to Tours in just an hour on the fast train. Clos Luce and the castles that we visited (CHENONCEAU, CHAMBORD, CHEVERNY) we very interesting. Be prepared to pay for the entrance between 8 and 12 euros per person. We used accodispo-tours.com (again, didn’t want to rent a car) and were very unhappy. The driver/guide Pascal was controlling and rude beyond belief!! We couldn't understand half of what he was telling us. And when we asked him to speak louder and slower, he told us that we should listen better. We only got 45min in the da Vinci place (CLOS LUCE), and then had to wait for the van for 10 min - not even an apology. Pascal told us we couldn't eat or drink in the van. My 8 year-old daughter who was tired and starving by the end of the day, got carsick, and I finally had to put my foot down and tell him that she will eat even if he didn't want her to. All in all, it was very unpleasant. I would recommend using other company (check loirevalleytourism.com) or renting a car.
Dina <email>
Indianapolis, IN USA 04/05/2009
Rome tour comparisons
During our week in Rome we used 3 Rick Steves-recommended tour groups– Through Eternity, Context Rome, and Angel Tours. Each tour had 4-8 people in its group. Through Eternity (Brendan) gave an outstanding tour of the Vatican (41Euros for 5+ hours). This was by far the most educational and best value of the three. Angel Tours (Tom) was rougher around the edges but provided a good orientation to the Forum and Colosseum (25Euros for 2+ hours). Context Rome at 205Euros, including transportation, for its 7-hr Tivoli tour (Liz) was not a good value. The guide was disorganized and poorly prepared, provided little of the interesting anecdotal kind of information we got on our other tours, and nearly 3 of the 7 hours were spent in driving or eating lunch. As such, we were rushed through some areas and did not have time to see others. Priced significantly higher than other Tivoli small-group tours, we expected much more.
Margi
Santa Barbara, CA USA 04/04/2009
paris greeters
www.parisgreeters.com - if this isn't correct Google them! Our best day in Paris was spent Sarah from Paris Greeters. They are an organization which pairs up tourists with local volunteers who love their city. Sarah showed us around her neighborhood - Monmartre. I had also expressed an interest in flea markets so we went under the ring road and to a huge flea market. Sarah was a volunteer and we took her out to lunch but she wanted no payment. She was great and we still keep in touch on Facebook - she made our first day in Paris perfect.
bronwen
maplewood, nj usa 04/02/2009
Volterra, Italy (tuscany)
Do you want an old world stop when you are in Tuscany? We had a wonderful time in the ancient, walled city of Volterra. In late May there were very few tourists, which gave us a better feel for the city. Our family stayed in the old monastery and it was wonderful, inexpensive and full of charm. It had a parking lot and we were able to walk anywhere we wanted from there. It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun if we hadn't hired Annie Adair as our tour guide. We chose a morning walking tour of the city from her array of offerings. We learned so much more of the fascinating history and she was a great interpreter in the alabaster workshop. You don't need to be "on a tour" to hire a guide and it is absolutely worth every penny in added memories.
Diane <email>
AZ USA 03/22/2009
Trip Planners & Tour GuidesAdair
If you're headed to Italy (specifically The Tuscany Region & Rome) you MUST contact Annie Adair of Tuscan Tours and Suzanne of Bella Roma Tours to help you organize your trip. Annie Adair assisted me in all aspects of my trip planning (we had 60 in our group) plus she gave us a wonderfully animated personalized tour of Volterra, which was the highlight of the trip. And Suzanne's walking tour of Rome was hilariously entertaining, while also being incredibly informational. She knew so many "inside" stories about all the Roman "players" and our time with her was much too short.
Carol <email>
Seattle, WA USA 03/21/2009
Brunello Tour with Franco Fadda
I already posted a comment about Franco Fadda in the Mouthwatering Italy section of the Graffiti Wall prior to noticing this day tour link. Please see that post if you are interested in a fabulous day full of Brunello wine, pecorino cheese, history, sightseeing, an incredible lunch and great company. Franco's website is www.francowinetourexperience.com
Christy Schurter <email>
Rantoul, IL USA 03/18/2009
Paris Day Tours
We had a wonderful tour with Richard Nahem of Eye Prefer Paris tours. I lived in Paris years ago, and I just brought my best girlfriends. I was afraid that I couldn't do it justice, and Richard was there to help. He showed us around the Marais - the market, the shopping and the beautiful Place des Vosges. It was great.
Lisa Cohen-Dumani <email>
Gaithersburg, MD USA 03/10/2009
Rome Tours and Venice
Our stay in Rome and indeed in Italia was the trip of a lifetime. Venice was the city my boyfriend like most but I felt more at home in Rome. We had two days in Rome and 3 in Venice. Our tour in Rome was with Sky Tours Rome www.skytoursrome.com and in Venice with a private guide booked through our Hotel San Marco. Our hotel in Rome was Ceasar house. We loved all these hotels and our Sky Tours walk leader. I will get the name of the guide in Venice and will post it soon.
Ps, our sky tours guide was very good with children.
M Kruger
usa 03/09/2009
From Seville to the white villages
I found Paul McGrath´s tour in The RS guide for Spain. He takes small groups to some beautiful white villages outside Seville. Stunning scenery, great guide, my husband and I agreed it was the best day we spent in Spain.
Paula Abbot <email>
Los Angeles , Ca USA 03/03/2009
Tours out of Florence - Accidental Tourist
Wonderful tour group. Had a great day cooking (in someone's house) and also a tour of winery and olive oil maker in Tuscany. Wonderful hosts; great time; very responsive to inquiries. wwww.Accidentaltourist.com
Rick
Marietta, GA USA 02/23/2009
Private tour in Rome
We had two days in Rome and wanted to make the best of it. We also wanted to be pampered, so we booked two private tours with Roman Odyssy Tours. It was GREAT! We had Rahul on the first day and Justin on the second day. Both were extrememly knowledgeable and were flexible with our schedule. This was the best tour I've ever been on and we were completely satisfied.
Tina Morrow
San Antonio, TX USA 02/20/2009
Berlin Tour
My brother and I were in Berlin in October, and we took the Third Reich Walking Tour. It was amazing! We had a great tour-guide who knew many amazing details about the history of the area. You could tell he truly enjoyed his job! It was about 3 hours, with a quick lunch break in the middle. Wear comfortable shoes and definitely take the tour. It meets at the Starbucks in front of Brandenberg Gate ...take the paid tour. It's much more detailed than the free tour.
Celeste
CANADA 02/20/2009
Rome by Jason
I spent five days in Rome and was luck enough to stumble across Jason Spiehler (toursofrome@hotmail.com) giving a free tour at The Forum. Jason is easily one of the most knowledgeable and personable tour guides I've had anywhere. His passion for Rome and its history made his tour unforgettable. I subsequently took Jason's tour of the Coliseum, a nighttime walking tour, and the tour of the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel. Jason's rates were on par if not cheaper than the other package deals I saw and I would challenge another guide to do as good of a job. I won't hesitate to look Jason up next time I'm in Rome.
Steve T
London via St. Louis, MO, UK 02/20/2009
Rome according to Jason
We just returned from a trip to Rome, and took 3 very enjoyable tours with Jason Spiehler (toursofrome@hotmail.com). We ran into him in the Forum, where he was giving a free tour, and so we followed up with a (paid) tour on the following day, …and then another. He has a master’s degree in historical theology, and had a lot of interesting color commentary for the Forum, Vatican, and a night-walk through central Rome. Our 13 and 9 year old kids enjoyed the tours as much as we did. During our second and third tours, we recognized people from previous outings -- apparently many of his attendees are “repeat offenders”. These tours greatly enhanced our experience of the Eternal City.
Claire and Dave
Seattle, WA USA 02/18/2009
Through Eternity Tours
We (My wife and I and our two teenage children) flew into Rome Dec 27th and that night took a private Through Eternity “Twilight Tour” with Thomas. What a pleasure. To spend three hours walking the city and not have to stick your nose in a tour book but just listen to Thomas’s insights on Rome and it’s history. My wife and I had traveled to Rome in the past but missed so much – wasting so much time trying to navigate and speculate on where to go and how to get there leaving little time to truly appreciate the City and it’s history. This time we did it right…plus you get Thomas’s tips on where to get the best gelato, hot chocolate, etc. We splurged with a private tour, but got so much back having Thomas to ourselves.
A couple of days later we took a private tour of the Coliseum & Forum with Ian. I can only look back in envy – this good looking young Scot dazzled us with his knowledge of the ruins. It was like getting a tour from a young Mel Gibson. Roman history along with self-deprecating Scottish humor and storytelling.
One of the things we appreciate about Through Eternity tours is they give the guides the freedom to make it their own. The tours with Thomas and Ian were special, unique experiences and one of the highlights of our entire trip. I know when my kids think of Rome, they will remember Thomas, Ian and Through Eternity.
John & Ellen Cushman
Boston, MA USA 02/17/2009
Rome Day Tours
During our cruise, we had just one day to see Rome..and we were lucky enough to find Miles and Miles tours of Italy(www.toursofrome.it). We saw all of the major sites in Rome--and then some more!! We accomplished more in a day than most people see in a week! Our guide was prompt, knowlegdeable and FUN! They far exceeded our expectations and I recommend them highly.
Cathy
Atlanta, GA USA 02/11/2009
Rome at Christmas
We had a fantastic time in Rome over the 2008 Christmas Holidays! Roman Odyssey Tours showed us the City, Ancient Rome & the Vatican. We also booked a private tour with them to Pompeii & Sorrento & it was the most wonderful day...in large part because of our great driver Sam & our super tour guide Michela. She was so knowlegeable & patient & informative, it made our day trip the most fun of the entire trip.
Joni <email>
Arlington, TX USA 02/11/2009
Hop -On Hop OFf bus Stockholm
This is for all who will cruise Nothern Europe and stop in Stockholm.It is a beautiful country ,but if you do not take the ship tour,do not take their hop-on hop -off sightseeing bus that is on the pier waiting for suckers.It is a rip-off.The prices are the highest in Northern Europe and more important,they take you 5 minutes to change for another bus which never comes while the original bus takes off.All the drivers lie,it is a most unpleasant experience in such a beautiful country.Take a taxi or even walk .It is a very nice walk and you can pace yourself to spend as much or as little time as you want exploring your interests.Avoid the bus
Alan G
alan goldberg
west palm beach, fl USA 01/27/2009
Free tour was great!
I was in Rome in January and wouldn't normally be the touring type, but let me tell you, in this city there is so much to see and so much hidden below the surface, a guide makes it mean SO much more. We went with Real Rome because of their free tour offer, but even the tours we paid for were great value, just €25 and €30. All in all, some 8 hours touring for €55 was fantastic value, and we only shared one tour with 2 others, had our own guide for the other 2 tours. Thanks Real Rome!
Jeremy Simpson <email>
Birmingham, AL USA 01/22/2009
Rome guide and looking for Paris guide
We went to arts_rome@yahoo.com to book our tours in Rome based on feedback we found on this site last fall. We had a young lady named Sarah who was our guide for the Vatican, Ancient City and a private Roman wine tour. All three were fantastic, and the groups were small. We are now planning our fall trip to Paris and plan to go with guides that are recommended on this site. This board is really great for little tips that make a world of difference.
Lori Bambil
Tuscan, AZ USA 01/21/2009
Free Rome Tours
Did our tour of the Vatican, St Peters and Sistine church today with Angel Tours. The tour was FREE, we paid in advance, the guide arrived at meeting zone and told us we would get a full online refund. Its a promo they are running for Janurary and Feburary, even if we had to pay we would have done without any problem as the tour guide Rossa was great. He is an art history guy, was well informed and funny. We will do all their other tours as the week moves on. This is much needed during an econominc stretch like the one we are all facing.
We love you Angel Tours
Tom
Roma, USA 01/17/2009
day tours in Rome
If you are visiting Rome and planning a trip to the Vatican, don’t go with the tour company Enjoy Rome. We did and had a bad experience. Rosa was our guide and tried to do an excellent job, but she was handicapped by the lack of good audio equipment. She borrowed the equipment from the Vatican offices and had to go back to replace it because the transmitter wasn't working after only a few minutes. Then the second transmitter stopped working after only about 1/2 hour. Rosa tried, but it was virtually impossible to hear what she was saying.
Since this will likely be a once in a lifetime experience, ask your tour operator if they provide their own equipment. Most groups did, and made out much better than we did.
Harold Baal <email>
Lakefield, ON Canada 01/13/2009
Fly Fishing for Michelangelo's Trout in Tuscany and Umbria
Italy is so much more than the typical tourist can experience but I was one of the lucky ones. Over the Christmas Holiday, while reuniting with my foreign studies student past, I found an old friend who is now a professional fly fishing guide in Umbria. Luca Castellani has a web site at http://www.flyfishing-tuscany-umbria-lazio.com to answer any questions but basically, he will take you to the river (more than 30 km of reserved, private water for fly fishing) and provide all that is needed for a delightful and amazing day. You won't experience anything like this anywhere else on Earth. I recommend a fly fishing day as a side trip to all those traveling these regions. FYI, As a vegetarian, I was happy to learn it's all catch and release.
Susan Gilbert <email>
St. Petersburg, FL USA 01/10/2009
Context Tours (Rome, Florence, Paris, etc)
Context tours are remarkable. No more than 6 people, and I've gone on tours in which I was the only person. The guides have university degrees (often PhD) in the area in which they lead tours. I've used them in Rome, Florence, and Paris. I have always found them engaging, learned from the guide, and never caught them in a misstatement (often a problem with tour operators). They are also willing to adapt the presentation to the interests of the group, since the group is so small. A little more expensive, but so worth it.
Sherry
USA 01/08/2009
Walking tour of Split, Croatia
We had a fantastic tour guide give us a half day walking tour of Diocletian's Palace and the area surrounding it in Split. We lucked into this by just going to the Tourist Information booth and asking if they could book us a guide. But a better way is to directly contact Nick Siminiati at nsiminiati@yahoo.com. Nick is an extremely knowledgeable and interesting guide. He is also a film maker so he only does guide work part time. Nick gave us every bit of historical detail that he could think of during the wonderful tour, never looked at his watch, and in fact went overtime with us. We enjoyed his knowledge and his company so much that we spent an extra hour with him at a cafe discussing the politics and history of Croatia, a fascinating and beautiful country.
Barry Bochner <email>
Alameda, CA USA 01/04/2009