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.
Driver guide in Eco tourism Rome
We agree, using a driver guide is the way to go especially one which has passion and a special type of energy for the city. We booked Eco City Tours Rome for an airport pick up, then a whole day tour of the Vatican, Colosseum and central sites of Rome. The car was Eco friendly which allowed us to drive almost any place and closer than other cars can get to the sites. Our guide Ken from Scotland was so funny, we all loved him on all our tours that day. We ate near the Vatican in a place Ken knew well, its called Spinosi, the owner was real "Italian" she fed and entertained us non stop, often insisting that we finish the pasta she gave us without asking if we wanted it or not.
The whole experience between tours with Ken and Spinosi was a good find.
Ken M
USA 03/16/2010
Rome and beyond with RomeCabs
I see a lot of valuable information here on travel related companies and I'm very particular about quality and value (getting your money's worth). So I'd like to share my experiences in Rome since it seems to be such a hot topic.
My first visit to Italy was in Rome in May 2005, and I didn't mind doing the Coliseum/Vatican tours independently at my own (slow) pace with my Rick Steve guide books (I never travel without them!). But aside from the obvious attractions, there were many other amazing places I didn't know about without a knowledgeable local guide, or had access to by public transportation - and I never dare drive in Rome! I found out about RomeCabs (Romecabs.com) through Trip Advisor, and so far I've been on multiple tours with Stefano Costantini (owner of RomeCabs) over the yeas. My favorites have been touring the Etruscan places like Cerveteri and Tarquinia, Tivoli, Medieval towns outside of Rome like Vulci and Volterra, and off the beaten path places in Rome that are a schlep to get to on foot or difficult and even impossible by public transportation. I found his tours to be a great value because in less than 1 day we covered more places that it would've taken me 3 days to do on foot and on public transportation. When you consider the expenses of hotel, meals, taxis, buses, trains, etc...you really save more than just time booking a tour. Just not having to worry about buses, taxis, and the legwork (not to mention me getting lost half the time!) it's more than worth it!! But what I like most about Stefano Costantini aside from his great and informative tours - he's a lifelong local of Rome and very knowledgeable on everything from history to culture, food, restaurant recommendations, travel tips, you name it - it's his enthusiasm for sharing his county, city, and culture with his "guests", who like us, often become friends. On every occasion he went far and beyond the call of duty to ensure we had a fabulous time. He's articulate, knowledgeable, speaks great English, punctual, professional, trustworthy, and a whole lot of FUN!!! I look forward to our next trip to Italy and another tour with Stefano.
I also agree with Geraldine's post from Rome. I've heard many complaints about fake reviews on travel forums - either positive fake reviews posted by companies themselves to boost their popularity, or fake negative reviews against legitimate companies by scrupulous competitors. It's a shame because most people post their honest experiences, and fake reviews takes away from that. And I'm not sure there's a concrete way to establish what's legitimate and what's fake without tangible proof. I can only suggest you use your common sense and do a bit of extra homework when choosing a touring company (or even a hotel or restaurant) and not rely only on one source's reviews. Many touring companies are also on twitter, FaceBook or YouTube, so it's worth searching for them there too.
Robert Sim
NYC, NY USA 03/12/2010
Mont st. michel daytour
I had always wanted to visit Mont St. Michel, and this trip we finally decided
to do it. We hate packing and unpacking, so we tried to find a tour that would
allow us to use our Paris hotel as a base. An Internet search put us in touch
with www.westcapades.com, and we emailed our queries . She took care of everything, and before we
left home we had all the necessary tickets and materials in hand.
On the morning of the tour we rose very early, took the Metro to the train
station, and boarded the train to Rennes. Upon our arrival, we were met by a
gentleman holding a sign with our names ! He turned out to be our guide, Marc,
and he was wonderful throughout the day. We boarded our spotless, modern van
with two other couples (that's right...no crowded bus on this tour) and we were
off. First stop...the beautiful town of Dinan. Set on a hilltop near a river,
this ancient walled city was wonderful to visit, although if you are not a good
walker, it's not for you. Have an apple tart in Dinan...an area specialty and
rightfully so. After a leisurely visit to Dinan, we drove to Mont St. Michel.
Marc was the perfect host and guide...he even provided us with books and
pamphlets to supplement his thorough and enjoyable commentary.
Mont St. Michel is just as amazing as it appears, and we had plenty of time to
explore it, although again, if you are not a good walker, it's not for you.
When we had seen it all, Marc was waiting to take us to our next stop. The
drive through the countryside was almost as interesting as the visit to Mont St.Michel.
We arrived at St. Malo with plenty of time to have a good dinner (local Mussels
and fries...a regional specialty) . The entire town is encircled by a wall with
a walkway on top, and we walked it all, enjoying the wonderful water views and
sea air. We again boarded our van for the trip back to Rennes, said goodbye to
Marc, got on the train, and were back in our Paris hotel in time to have a good full night's sleep.
I highly recommend Westcapades.com and the Mont St. Michel Day Tour. They took
really good care of us, and the tour itself is very well planned. It is a quite good price, and you get your money's worth and more. We'll never forget this wonderful day !
Jane Radford
San Francisco, CA USA 03/10/2010
Private Tour Guide in Rome Susan Simcox
Anyone traveling to Rome should consider hiring Susan Simcox. You will not be disappointed! Susan is an intelligent, friendly, competent and extremely knowledgeable tour guide in Rome. She is exceptional for tours of the Vatican (St. Peters and the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel) as well as sites all over Rome. I have hired Susan twice over 4 years and think she is fabulous - so flexible, reliable, and efficient with her time, and SO knowledgeable! Everyone in Rome seems to know Susan. You will get your money's worth with Susan and be astounded at what you learn and get to see while you are with her. She has connections all over the city with great restaurants, private drivers, etc. so she can arrange anything you would like. She can be reached at susanmsimcox@yahoo.it. Feel free to email me, too, if you would like more info. I can just not say enough good things about my two days with Susan.
Marybeth <email>
Salt Lake City, UT USA 03/10/2010
Jewish Florence (Italy)
This is to say that my wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Florence in the company of Giovanna Bossi Rosenfeld (www.jewish-florence.com) and that our tour was exceptionally informative and pleasant thanks to her presence.
I had come to Florence to write an article for the World Jewish Digest about the Jewish aspects of this European city-museum and frankly, she had all the answers to all the questions which readers of this target publication, including myself, could imagine.
She knew everyone that one needed to know in the Florence Jewish community and was also exceptionally well connected and informed when it came to the historical and artistic treasures of the city as a whole.
I strongly recommend Ms Rosenfeld as a serious and exceptionally well-read guide of Florence for any visitor. And for those visitors who are also interested in the history of the city’s ages-old Jewish community, she is irreplaceable.
Yours sincerely
Bernard Edinger
Journalist, Paris, France
B. Edinger
Paris, USA 03/04/2010
Berlin walking tours
In Berlin, there are really good 4 hour walking tours in English. You hit all the important spots, and they go on year-round. My tour had us in 19 degrees F snow. But it still was nice since the tour group was really small. But prices will be 15 Euros or less. www.berlinwalks.com is the site for the tour we used. Highly reccomended. Also, our tour guide was an East Berliner, so she brought a really nice historical perspecitve to the tour.
Ryan
Indiana, PA USA 02/27/2010
Madeira
If you are lucky enough to be in Madeira, I found a wonderful Taxi driver who provided my group of four with a delightful and informative day exploring the island. Daniel was recommended on another website and does a great job as a driver and tour guide for a reasonable rate. He has a website and can be contacted at daniel@danielmadeirataxis.com His wife Eusebia handles the scheduling and you will get a very quick reply.
Jodi
CT USA 02/26/2010
Rome Scams Again
We got totally scammed at the Colisuem, we had a tour sold to us by a young girl of about 20 from the US, she seemed really nice. But the guide, a blonde body builder gave a very dumbed down tour to a group of about 37 people. We know our history inside out and let me tell you this guy was only playing to the crowd who didnt seem to enjoy his tour anyhow. As we left we saw other guides more or less doing the same thing. Stay well clear of these street style tours in Rome.
Alex
CA, USA 02/21/2010
Roman Odyssey Tours
We had a great time exploring Rome with the guide provided by Roman Odyssey Tours. Paul shared interesting information and antidotes but did not overwhelm us. The Ancient Rome Tour was our favorite, but the City Tour of Rome was also good. Paul's knowledge of art was very evident during the Vatican Tour. The walks were not too long, and the groups were small and felt more personal that bus tours I have taken in the past. I recommend Roman Odyssey Tours for a laid back, but informative way to see the highlights of Rome.
Deb Pitton
Burnsville, MN USA 02/09/2010
Rome tour-Miles & Miles
My husband and I went to Rome in August 2009. We only had 3 days in Rome and wanted to see "everything". After doing some on-line searching and reading reviews, we booked with Miles and Miles tours. Our experience was wonderful; we did a full-day city tour of Rome and a half-day walking tour of the Vatican. Both our guides were extremely knowledgeable, with a love for their subject and full of historical and fun facts and tidbits of information. The pace was never rushed,yet we saw everything we hoped to and more. Noemi did a great job of the Vatican tour and Roberto made our city tour so memorable, even setting up a special lunch at a picturesque family restaurant beside a volcanic lake. He truly loves his city and it shows in his tours--we fell in love with Rome and plan to go back some day. Guides are on-time; tours are speedy, but you never get a hurried, rushed feeling. The city tour can be programmed to your taste, seeing only what you feel like seeing and guides have good recommendations of things you may not think of or think you may enjoy, like the catacombs. I totally enjoyed the experiece, even though I was sceptical at first. All in all, a top-notch tour company!
Linda Randazzo
Houston, Texas USA 02/03/2010
Rome / Italy scams
I have counted 169 messages on this page and 110 were about Rome - it is impossible that this occurs naturally on a European tours page.
The Rome emails are mainly about a few companies/guides - again it is very improbabe that this is just a coincidence.
I know guides/companies who write their own messages of praise - others who get friends or push their clients to write. Apart from some in Rome there is one guide in Umbria famous for this.
There are many other scams going on here in Italy/Rome/Vatican - basically you need to be aware that things are not always what they seem. I have just seen messages on Trip advisor praising a company that didn't even exist when the "clients" were supposed to have written them!
I think it is best if people protect themselves and respect Italian law by only paying for a tour in an office (not in a bar on on the street) and insisting on getting an official receipt when they hand over the money.
Geraldine <email>
Rome, Italy 02/01/2010
Sky Tours guides in Rome
Many tour companies are listed here as good but we had Giovanni for the Vatican. He works with Sky Tours Rome who got us past lines and crowds. Giovanni was an excellent private tour guide with an official badge
www.skytoursrome.com
Thanks
Mark Davis
Boston, USA 01/30/2010
Real Rome Tours
I went with my wife to Rome for her Birthday weekend of January 22nd '10. I booked a Tour of the Vatican with Real Rome Tours. The group was small as expected and the tour was carried out very professionally by our tour guide Gerry-encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject, and enthusiasm to match. We were both really happy with how this company organised our tour -we just had to turn up and there was no queuing or waiting about, fantastic people to deal with.
Kevin Cooney
London, UK 01/30/2010
RomeInLimo Company
We recently returned from a Europeon cruise. We choose Rome in Limo on recomendation from cruise critic and boy where we not disappointed. Duman was there to pick us up at the pier. He gave us a fantastic tour of the city. He even picked out fantastic restaurants for us to eat while we were in Rome. I guessed we were spoiled have Duman the owner of the Company being our guide. His company is top notch and extremely professional. We even used them to take us from Hotel to the airport. Could not have asked for a better experience. Keep up the fantastic work and would use you anytime we are in the area.
Mike Thweatt
Martin, USA 01/29/2010
Through Eternity Cultural Association tours of Rome
My husband, two young children (10 and 11) and I booked two private tours through Through Eternity Cultural Association: Ancient Rome and the Vatican and its Museums. Definitely two plus thumbs up! Both guides were extremely knowledgeable and passionate about their subject matter. But maybe even more important, they were able to relay their knowledge in such a way that they captivated our imagination and transported us back in time. They also did a fabulous job telling history stories that interested our two kids, which became the hook that drew them into the rest of the story.
Both tours lasted longer than the alloted time but all of us, including the kids, didn't want the tours to end.
In addition, both guides were personable, charming and made you feel like old friends, not customers.
I highly recommend this company. Outstanding experience!
Roberta Parker <email>
Baltimore, MD USA 01/25/2010
Micaela - Jewish Ghetto in Rome with THE expert!
During our 1-week trip to Rome in December, we had a tour of the Jewish Ghetto with Micaela Pavoncello of JewishRoma Walking Tours (http://jewishroma.com/). Mika is a bright, fascinating, knowledgeable, activist young woman who regaled us with tales of the history and culture of the two major groups of Jews in Rome: the Roman Jews (who are the only truly Palestinian Jews, descended from the Jews who had emigrated from Jerusalem as early as the 2nd century BCE/BC but who mostly arrived after the Destruction of The Temple in 70 CE/AD by the Romans) and the Libyan Jews, who came to Rome after the Six-Day War in 1967, when, through an airlift and the aid of several ships, the Italian navy helped evacuate more than 6,000 Jews to Rome in one month. The evacuees were forced to leave their homes, their businesses and most of their possessions behind. The Roman Jews are neither Ashkenazic nor Sephardic (the two types we are most used to in the US) so their customs and foods are unique to them: witness the fried artichoke (and other foods fried in olive oil, both olives and artichokes having grown in abundance in southern Italy). I had known none of this, but learned it all and more from Micaela, including her political feelings about today’s Roman Jews and how she feels about the current Pope finally accepting an invitation to visit the Great Synagogue this spring, 5 years after he was invited (he’s been busy). She is well known in the community, as many in the ghetto greeted her during our tour and as we learned while sitting at an outdoor cafe sipping cappucinos afterwards. It was a fabulous tour and Micaela is definitely a warm, engaging person, knowledgeable about many aspects of Roman life and just an all-around great person to get to know.
Susan Swartz <email>
Highland Park, IL USA 01/24/2010
Rome Guide - Ron in Rome
Our family group of four has just returned from Rome where we spent a wonderful day touring with Ron, of roninrome.com. Ron met us at our hotel, gave us a lesson in using the Rome buses (pointing out sights and giving us history lessons as we drove along), and started the day with a visit to a Roman market. (That was an eye-opening highlight of the day! Our supermarkets are terrible by comparison.)Then we had a wonderful tour of the highlights of the Vatican museums (Miles and miles of unbelievably great art.), a relaxing lunch at a local trattoria, and an afternoon tour of St. Peters and the Sistine Chapel. By the time we returned to our hotel (more history lessons along the way!)we were exhausted, but happy. We could not have done so much, or learned so much in one day without Ron. His company is well worth his reasonable fees and we highly recommend a day, or more, in Rome with him.
Dianne <email>
Corrales, NM USA 01/19/2010
Driver/Guide for Amalfi/Naples area
I highly recommend driver/guide Mariano Fiorentino (contact him at pleasanttravel.com, his family business)for the Campania area. Mariano took four of us and lugguage (he has a very comfortable van) on a driving tour along the Amalfi Coast, to Paestum, and delivered us to the Naples train station at the end of the day. He is a friendly, endlessly helpful man, who went above and beyond requirements to make our day enjoyable. (Just one example: not only did he find a travel agent for us to buy our train tickets, in case there were lines at the station, he didn't leave the train station until he had helped us get our luggage on board and found our seats.) He is local and knowledgeable about his home region, and it was special to hear him talk about his family and life among the lemon groves of the Amalfi coast. You can feel totally confident using Mariano's services. His fees are reasonable and he will make you feel welcome and well taken care of.
Dianne <email>
Corrales, NM USA 01/19/2010
Tours of Romania
We are impressed! We returned from an 12 day trip to Romania (took in October 2009) and I was amazed. What a learning experience that was ! We are long-time independent travelers and this is the third time I used an on-line travel agency. The name of the Romanian tour company is Tours of Romania in Bucharest, Romania: www.tours-of-romania.com This company did come well recommended.
Our tour guide was Andrei Nicolau, a seasoned traveler himself who often likes to compare various places in Romania to others abroad. Andrei has a superior knowledge of the country and is able to bring Romania to life in a very special way through both his stories and the places (and some of them real special) he likes to include in his tours. Unlike some other guides we met, Andrei Nicolau delivers a sophisticated yet easy to understand version of the country's history with a special focus on the recent years' changes in both Romania and the ex Soviet block. We felt very luck to have met a tourguide who had eye witnessed episodes of the Anti Ceausescu revolt in Bucharest and able to passionately describe those memorable days. Andrei has a great sense of humor and his English skills are just fantastic. He is very easy to listen to.
Andrei will go above and beyond to accommodate travelers the best way possible and respond to special requests and interests. Just as an example as I am interested in spinning and weaving Andrei took us to a couple of homes in the area of Maramures to meet local women making carpets in their homes.
The Romanian Rhapsody is a well balanced tour. We customized it by adding extra villages in Maramures and a day in Bucharest due to our flight schedule. We found this private tour of Romania to offer a great deal of value as it kept us two nights in a row in no less than three locations/areas -- that is Maramures, Bucovina and Sigisoara. It kept the balance between town/cities and countryside villages and we believe adding a day in Bucharest only made justice to a wonderful and vibrant city.
The hotels were all well chosen, most of them four star located in the heart of town and cities and enabling us to go on walks on the early evening right before dinner. We stayed at the Berthelot Hotel downtown Bucharest which a brand new four star with excellent service and then: Imparat Romanilor Sibiu -- a four star Transylvanian renaissance palace with a great charm located right in the heart of the Old Sibiu. In Maramures we stayed with a local family in the village of Iza and they could not be friendlier and more personable. We enjoyed talking to them during our dinners there. Their home was beyod expectations when it came to the facilities and athmosphere. For our days in Bucovina area we opted for Hotel Passiflora which is a rather new traditional Bucovina four star hotel in a village which offered great hiking oportunities while the hotel restaurant served us very tasty local meals we loved the rooster peasant style soup). Once back to Transylvania we enjoyed Hotel Sigisoara in the Upper Town of the UNEsco Sigisoara. Our last accommdaotion was in Sinaia mountain resort in the four star Palace Hotel with our room facing the park.
Our Romania tour came with no less than 16 meals out of which three were dinners and two were lunches. We thought this to be a very good deal taking into account very few tour companies barely include any lunches and/or dinners. We have enjoyed the dinner with foklore show in Bucharest which we chose to take on the day before last rather than on the arrival day. The best dinners were the Maramures home cooked ones with incredibly different menues from one night to the next. For the meals which were not included, Andrei gave excellent reccomendations and joined us for a couple of dinners -- the cellar restaurant in Sibui was particularly good.
Amongst the highlights of the tour were meeting with the locals in Maramures and the folklore show there. We admired the wonderfully embroidered costumes there people wore. The entire Maramures two day program was special from the very beginning -- a blend of culture and traditions which happily! are still alive in this forgetten corner of Europe. We have also enjoyed the egg painting demonstration in Bucovina in the home of the local artist herself. She could not be more personable and eager to please us with her knowledge and charm.
A note on Bucharest Romania's capital: this city IS different from many others we have visited in our many travels. Before arriving we read travelogues and travel articles, checked various forums and found out Bucharest is not even comparable to Budapest, Prague or Vienna. Well, it is not, simply because it is just different. It is one of a kind. Having been to all three of the above we found the Romanian capital to offer and incredible array of architecture with the styles of the early 20th century quite well represented and to have a sophistication we would have never though of. It's a vibrant and very cultural city (the Treasury Gold Collection was out of this world).
Our Romanian Rhapsody Romania private tour with Andrei Nicolau was way beyond expectations. It was a great learning experience filled with a new adventure each day. We would reccomend Romania with Andrei as a tour guide without any hesitation. You may get in touch with Andrei via the web site: www.tours-of-romania.com
Laurie and Tom Calhoun
Baltimore, MD USA 01/16/2010
Panthoen ROME
Our family joined Angel Tours for the free Pantheon tour which runs every day and is featured in the National Geo Traveler. The tour was 40 mins long with a Scot guide who entertained us all the time with factual key information. we thought this church was well worth the visit, in fact its not to be missed. What a pity we didnt have time to visit again on our own to take more pics.
JJ KIng
USA 01/12/2010
Private Guided Tours-Paris
Sabine Le Duault is a local tour guide in Paris. Sabine guided us for 2 days during the New Year’s holiday of 2009/10. Our tours included many of the important sites in Paris and included visits to sites outside of Paris including Chateau de Vaux-Le-Vicomte, Chateau de Versailles and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres and the town of Chartres, France. Sabine finished our two days of tours by welcoming us into her home in Chevreuse, France for a glass of wine and fine company. She made each of those days special for us by both providing knowledge of the sites and some free time to explore them on our own. She made sure to nourish our stomachs with stops at two great Persian eating establishments. I would highly recommend Sabine to others visiting Paris who would like a personal tour of the area.
John S. <email>
Chicago, IL USA 01/11/2010
Rome
This past summer we booked 4 tours with three different companies in Rome. Since we had never been in the city, we decided it would be best to book through different companies based on what we read here and in the book and also from personal friends experiences in Rome. However to play it safe in case a tour was not great, we had "back up" by booking with different companies.
We booked an Ancient City tour and Wine Tour with Antiqua Tours, a Real Rome City Walk with Presto Tours, and a Vatican with Context Tours. All of our tours were excellent. Each guide was very educated in his/her field, well spoken, and engaging. Our groups were small, I can't really complain about any of our tours.
I really don't think one can visit Rome for the first time WITHOUT a guide, to be honest. All of the tours were wonderfully informative and really gave us the context we needed for our free time in the city. We especially loved our wine tour with a young man named Ettore from Antiqua Tours. While the other tours were amazing, this tour was more "off the beaten path." and we loved the wines and cheeses selected. It was more "real" Rome than tourist Rome. Really, the only difference in our tours was the price.
John Devon
NYC, NY USA 01/09/2010
Eco City Tours - Rome
After too much research online and here, we decided to use Eco City Tours Rome. Not a mistake, we loved the tours, we loved the Electric Eco Cars, the guides are top standard. At the Vatican we didnt have to wait in line as the guide had our tickets when he picked us up from the hotel Santa Chiara, same for the Colosseum fighting arena.
www.ecocitytours.com
They also do Rome airport pick up in Electric cars.
The driver was terrific, he was Italian but not a crazy driver, they supplied a laptop which was online, and a local cell phone on our journey to the hotel.
R.Byrne
Ireland 01/07/2010
Walks of Italy (Rome Tours)
Walks of Italy - We highly recommend Jason Spiehler and The Walks of Italy Tour Company!
We (my wife and and 12yo daughter) visited Rome in September 2009 and had a wonderful time. I had been to Rome twice before, but this was the first time for my wife and daughter. We took three Walks of Italy tours (Vatican City, Rome City, and Ancient City) as I wanted the trip to be educational for my daughter and I had the good fortune of catching part of Jason's (Jason Spiehler) free tour on a previous trip. My family and I absolutely loved the tours and Jason's ability to bring everything to life. The tour was very informative and entertaining for a 12 year old who knew little as well as a 36 year old who has read quite a bit on Roman history. Jason even throws in a stop at a gelato shop, which was my wife's favorite throughout our whole visit to Italy. The tour size was fine (10 - 18 people on our tours) and Jason kept all of us entertained the whole time...with so much to see in Rome, it's definitely worth it to have an expert like Jason provide detail and insight on the city and its treasures as you're viewing them. We all hope to make it back some day and hopefully enjoy Jason's insights & expertise again.
Kyle
Evansville, IN USA 01/05/2010
Rome Tour Guide-Jason
I took Rick Steve's recommendation and hired Jason Spiehler in Rome for a tour of the Vatican and the Borghesse Gallery. I highly recommend Jason as he is very knowledgable, friendly and reliable. Jason even arranged our transportation to and from the airport which was very helpful.
Betty Facey <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 01/05/2010
Tour Guides in Rome-antiquatours
We took a number of great tours from www.antiquatours.com in Rome. All of the tours were fun and informative, but we especially loved our wine tasting tour in Rome, which gave a feel of "real" Rome more than the usual tourist sights, plus it was great to have both a local guide, a nice young Italian man for our wine tour who was extremely knowledgeable, and a guide from our hometown, San Diego, that led our tours at the Vatican and Coloseum.
Shelly Maine
San Diego, CA USA 12/30/2009
Madrid Tour Guide
Madrid tour guide reco - we hired Susana Jarabo, a reco in Rick's Spain book for a tour of the Prado - she's excellent, MA in Art History - learned a lot, very engaging person. She also does Toledo, Segovia. Her email in Rick's book is wrong - it is really susanjarabo@yahoo.es. The cell is correct (that's how we reached her).
Julia Nufer
Thousand Oaks , CA USA 12/28/2009
Private driver from Naples, Civitavecchia and Livorno
I found these forums so valuable when planning our trip, so want to tell you all about our truly amazing experiences that we had on our vacation Nov 20 -Nov 30! We took a Western Mediterranean cruise with Royal Caribbean (Voyager of the Seas) ~ fantastic!! I contracted with a company called Driver in Rome that I found referenced in previous forums. The owner, Remo arranged so that our driver, Constantino could be with us for all of our tours from the ports of Naples (Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi Coast), Civitavecchia (Rome, Vatican City and ALL of the sites) and Livorno (Florence and Pisa).
Constantino was a wonderful story teller and historian! We cherish the pictures that he created in our minds, so that in Rome we felt like we could hear the Gladiators roar at the Colosseum and the Chariots collide at Circus Maximus! Constantino shared interesting insights and information about current Italian culture as well. Furthermore, he was very accommodating and gracious and arranged for us to experience wonderful authentic Italian meals in each of the cities.
I wanted to see more than the cruise ship excursions could show us. We spent less money for our family of 5, had a private tour, and got closer to monuments by way of a Mercedes Minivan, so that we could see more in one day. I am so very thankful that we chose the company and had such a marvelous experience! It was an adventure that my children, husband and I will never forget!
Cynthia Pascual <email>
Garnet Valley, PA USA 12/13/2009
Vatican Lost Ticket
We throughly enjoyed our tour of the Vatican and the Colosseum tour last OCT.
Our guide for both tours was Giovanni & he was wonderful.
He was very knowledgeable & more than willing to answer questions.
I would highly recommend Tours tour company.
The group size was perfect.
Some tour companies had dozens of people touring at one time.
I lost my Vatican ticket before we even went through the line to get in.
I was so embarrassed that I purchased another ticket while everyone else was in line to enter the museum.
When Giovanni wondered what had taken me a few extra minutes to catch up to them, I confessed what had happened, he was nice enough to go back through & get my money back for the unused ticket.
He went out of his way for me even though I insisted that he not bother.
THANKS Giovanni!
Mary Ann
Mary Ann Moore
Pittsburgh, PA USA 12/05/2009
Angel Tours in Dublin. Ireland
Our guide yesterday in Dublin was perfect, he had a nice Irish way of explaining things, was very well trained, able to answer any questions the group had and was fun to be with. His name is Paddy from Angel Tours in Dublin. The website is www.angeltoursdublin.com the tour company is recommended by Rick Steves. Great tour pity about the weather though.
Tom and Anna
Dublin City, USA 12/04/2009
Day Tours
Rich Brunn and Rome Day Tours are fantastic. You learn so much more than just walking through the area on your own. If we make it back to Rome, we will definitely be calling Rich again.
Marti
Denver, CO USA 12/03/2009
History tours of Munich
My boyfriend and I would like to let people know about Taff Simon and Dark History tours in Munich, Germany. By pure chance we bumped into Taff, who happens to be a professional archaeologist and expert on German military/World War II history, and arranged a tour with him. He gave us a walking tour which encompassed history from ancient times to the Third Reich. He will tailor the tour to your interests. It was a wonderful way to spend the little time we had in the fascinating city of Munich. We would enthusiastically encourage anyone who can take a walking tour and enjoys history to take one with Taff! His rates are very reasonable. I believe tours can be booked through his "Dark History" website.
Brenda R. and Sean M.
Boston, MA USA 11/25/2009
VATICAN TOUR AND ROME DAY TRIP
We recently returned from a great vacation in Italy. visiting the beautiful town of Ascoli Piceno ( in the Marche region). we also did a fabulous day trip from Rome to Orvieto, a spectacular hill top town one hour train trip north of Rome/ termini.( Dont miss it!) Back in Rome we took a Vatican tour with "Walks of Italy" Its a long 3 hr tour but our tour guide Jason Spiehler , an American -Yale graduate, keeps things at a good pace and is very knowledgable!
Be cautious eating at the restaurants on the street leading to the Vatican- food was sub par!! In Rome we stayed at Rick's recommended Aberdeen Hotel on via Firenza, clean, good location, very nice hotel staff, but hotel is very noisy- with lots of echos from the 3 story stone alcove entrance . . and near breakfast room area!!
KATHLEEN MCKERNAN
BERLIN, CT USA 11/24/2009
New Europe Tours-Sandeman's
Although (I think) geared more towards students and young people traveling, I've been on Sandeman's FREE New Europe Tour in 5 different European cities and have never been disappointed. They generally last about 3 hours, and are led by entertaining and informative 20-somethings. It's an excellent way to get a feel for the city and learn some background information as well.
I've done the tour in Dublin, Munich, Berlin, Paris, and Amsterdam. The tour is completely free, but it's encouraged to tip the tour guide (we gave a few euros each)
Mary
New York, NY USA 11/23/2009
Rome Tours-Through Eternity
My wife and I recently had a very enjoyable short break to Rome. During our stay we took part in tours conducted by "Through Eternity". We have nothing but the upmost praise for the tour guides (Gracelyn, Ian and Gabriel) who brought Ancient Rome to life through their detailed description of daily life, the majesty of the buildings and thier ability to answer all manner of questions.
The groups were small, which enhanced the experience and allowed the tour guide to interact with the group.
My wife and I are intending another visit to Rome having had Through Eternity whet our appetite for more.
We would have no hesitation in recommending Through Eternity for an awesome insight into Rome.
Bill and Roz
William Grimason
Gillingham, Dorset, UK 11/23/2009
Wonderful Budapest Private Guide
We just returned from a wonderful trip to Budapest, Hungary and wanted to share our experience with private guide Barbara Lang-Szabo. Not only is her English exceptional, but she also has in-depth knowledge and sincere appreciation for Budapest. Barbara is also an English teacher so she is very skilled at explaining things - like Budapest's history, architecture and present day affairs. After the tour, she led us to the best hot chocolate in Budapest and a strudel in the Great Market Hall that I'm still thinking about, yum! For more information: http://www.barbaraguides.com
Dustin Hindman <email>
Austin, TX USA 11/22/2009
Vatican on our honeymoon
On our honeymoon in Rome, we used Italywithus.com. The guide was exceptionally knowledgeable and
Geraldine, the owner,arranged our transport, told us where to get the best pizza and tartuffo dishes, and she prebooked our tickets which allowed us to skip the long line. She even introduced us to our wonderful guide in Florence. I highly recommend them (their prices are reasonable as we did shop around)...The early morning light flooding into the chapel made our honeymoon unforgettable. Thank you!
Italywithus.com
San Francisco, CA USA 11/19/2009
Berlin tour guide-Jeremy Minzberg
We were visiting Berlin (2 couples) in October and used a services of Jeremy Minzberg. Jeremy met us in the hotel and took us to a wonderfull walking tour throughout berlin's tourist's sites. With his vast knowledge Jermey succed to show us hidden and interesting things in berlin's most known tourist's sites. We spent with Jeremy 5 hours without even noticing. Kind and attentive he tried to "fit" the tour as we go along according to our interests. Certainly recommended for all, especially on your first/second day in the city. This way, in the rest of your staying you will have a much better understanding of the city.
http://www.theberlinexpert.com/
Valentine
Tel Aviv, Israel 11/15/2009
Private Guided Tours in Prague
During four hours of each of our two days in Prague, we enjoyed seeing the city with Katerina (“Katka”) Svobodova who operates the PragueWalker (www.praguewalker.com) tour company. (Katka is one of Rick's recommended Prague tour guides, and also is the guide for some of Rick's bus tours elsewhere in Europe). We sat down in the lobby our hotel with her each morning and mapped out a plan for the day, then headed off sightseeing. Although we hit many sights tourists are drawn to, we usually took routes that were off the beaten path.
What made our tours with Katka so special, and well worth the reasonable fees that she charged, was the way she wove her personal history, and that of her family, into the political and cultural history of Prague and the Czech Republic. Her insightful store of knowledge allowed her to speak extemporaneously, rather than simply recite a litany of facts memorized as part of a set tourist-spiel, as well as answer the many questions we posed to her. She also gave us restaurant recommendations and helped us navigate the city’s tram system. She is incredibly personable with a great sense of humor, and our only regret was that we were not able to spend all of each day with her.
Dick and Cindy Jordan <email>
San Anselmo, CA USA 11/13/2009
Guide in Rome:Sarah
we booked two tours in Rome with Sarah May,arts_rome@yahoo.com, and then ended up joining the wine tour because we were so impressed. Having a private guide in Rome is essential. We toured both the Vatican and the Ancient City, skipped lines, and gained a weaelth of knowledge in the process. It was like relearning everything from History 101. The Vatican shoujld NOT be visited without a guide, it is so overwhelming.
And the wine tour was just the perfect end to our time in Italy. I felt we really got to know Rome through our wine guide, a young Roman man, and sommelier, he was passionate about food, wine, and his city. Italian wines are so delicious!
Sonia Jonston <email>
Escondido, CA USA 11/12/2009
Eye Prefer Paris - Tours
My husband & I have loved Paris from our first trip 25+ years ago and have visited many times since. I follow Richard Nahem's blog for the vicarious thrills between trips and for tips on new places and events to explore. For his blog,
http://www.eyepreferparis.com. It's always been our dream to someday live in Paris and we recently spent a morning with Richard and gained much insight as well as enjoying some of his favorite haunts. For his tours,
http://www.eyepreferparistours.com.
We recommend spending some time with Richard and experiencing his Paris whether it's your first or tenth Paris visit. He has given us the courage to explore hidden courtyards and not give up on our dream of living in Paris!
Darlene Zane
San Francisco, CA USA 11/12/2009
Romania with Compass Travel Romania
Hi Andrei,
John and I wanted to thank you so much for our trip! It has definitely been one of the best we have had!! I do love Europe, but it was awesome having our own guide the whole way and being able to see things without being rushed. The hotels were excellent, we loved the country and the food was excellent!!!
George was wonderful!!!! He did an excellent job and I would HIGHLY recommend him for other tours!!
In the near future, I'm sure we are going to being making another trip to Europe and will definitely use your company!! (As long as we can have George again-HA!)
I also understand we were interviewed and on the news, I thought they were just people with the party (which by the way we had a blast!). Is there any way we can get a copy of that or some link, I have been searching everything I can think of and can't find anything.
Once again, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! One of our best trips ever!!!
I was sad to come home and wish it would have been longer.
Thank you,
John & Cristy
Cristi Curtis <email>
Phoenix, AZ USA 11/12/2009
Eco Friendly Tours
The sweetest driving tour we ever joined in any city during our travels over the past many years was the Eco City drive. The tour plan and its stops are perfect, it is a long tour but worth doing especially if you only have a day or two.
look them up www.ecocitytours.com
Salem D
Germany, USA 11/10/2009
Tim Harrison's touring/Sheepscombe House B &B Snowshill/ Cotswolds
My family and I have traveled a great deal in Europe in the last 5 years using Rick Steves hotels and recommendations. We usually rent a car but as experienced a traveler as I've been I was not about to drive on the left side of the road in England nor did I think train travel would be take us where we wanted to be in the Cotswolds.
Tim Harrison picked us up at Heathrow and drove us north to his B and B Sheepscombe House in Snowshill. The next day he took us to a fox hunt on his property, saw some of his 600 sheep, and an amazing tour of his native Cotswolds. The next day he took us to Blenheim Palace and Oxford and all the way to Stansted airport. He was so knowledgeable, informative, and helpful. It was the highlight of our 9 day stay in Europe. I've never used a private tour before, preferring to arrange it all myself. If you are headed to the Cotswolds...check out his services. You get what you pay for...he's worth the money!
Cheryl handte <email>
Boalsburg, PA USA 11/08/2009
Umbria and Anne Robichaud
If you're visiting Umbria, do check out www.annesitaly.com for information on tours, trip planning, cooking and eating. We had a most memorable day with Anne visiting with the locals in Bevagna and Spello, and the best wine and olive oil tasting of our trip.
Julie
Olympia, WA USA 11/07/2009
Happy with Angel Tours
I just wanted to say that our tour with Angel Tours this morning was the highlight of our stay in Rome. Had we known earlier,we would have booked the Vatican tour, too. The guide, Jimmy, was fabulous! He really knows his history and was wonderful at answering whatever questions were posed. We were referred to this company by friends, and we do heartily recommend them to anyone we know who will be traveling in Rome. We had a great experience!
Regards.
Jean & Steven Orenstein
Jean/Steven
CA, USA 11/06/2009
Rome by the Glass, Rome with the best!
We searched all over sites like Rick's Graffiti wall, Tripadviser, and Froders for the best way to see and feel Rome. We contacted a woman on this grafitti wall named Sarah through arts_rome@yahoo.com, and booked three tours with her. The best night of our entire vacation was when we took the Wine Tasting Tour of Rome, which really gave us an authentic feel of Rome. It was not only fun, it was informative. Sarah sent us her husband, Ettore, who is a certified Sommelier(I think they both are), we visited two very real and raw Roman wine bars and sampled amazing wines, cheeses and meat, all while taking a walk through the historic city center. We were a group of four. I can't imagine a better type of tour! We also booked a Vatican City tour and the Ancient City, which were incredible as well, the best way to do Rome is to have a private guide, or at least try to get in a small group. While seeing the sites of Rome was facinating, and Sarah was an amazing guide who kept us capitivated with her wealth of knowledge, I think for all four of us, our night out sampling and tasting wine, cheese, and authentic Rome has been engraved in our hearts.
Sharron Tuffet
Portland, OR USA 10/29/2009
French Riviera Guide
Seven members of my family and I used driver-guide Sylvie DiCristo with Alpes Guides Interpretes for a day trip of the French Riviera. Sylvie's knowledge and sense of humor provided for an interesting and fun day. We experienced so much of the area and this tour was a highlight of our vacation. Sylvie can be reached at sylvie.di.cristo@wanadoo.fr
Connie Dineen <email>
Arvada, CO USA 10/29/2009
Rome Guide for Kids-Eco City Tours
Our guide in Rome was our Eco City Tours guide Tom. The small electric cars are a really really smart idea, you get around so fast,see so much and its not like a big black limo which just drinks fuel. We saw all the central sites in a few hours without too much walking and then did the Vatican with them without standing in Line. Kids do love this tour, we booked the Pagan Rome tour but then booked the Christian Rome tour because we all enjoyed it so much.
Cheers Eco Tours Rome
www.ecocitytours.com
Brent D
USA 10/23/2009
Madrid - Captivating Guide
A good, well told story even without the visuals can bring a masterpiece to life. But just imagine that you have both the story and the masterpiece. Both will become indelible in your memory. That is the experience that Hernan Amaya Satt provides with his wonderful museum tours. But wait, there's more! You have the pleasure of being in the company of an intelligent, charming and sensitive man with boundless energy who can delight and mesmerize you with his tales of the great artists of the Prado, their magnificent work and the times in which they lived. Don't even think about spending time in Madrid without including Hernan in your plans!
Elaine
Boston, MA USA 10/22/2009
Dark History Tours
Well it was that time of year again, myself and some former army buddies decided to take our wives on a cultural tour of Southern Germany, and see all the sites we never really paid much attention to when we were young and stupid.
Munich was our first port of call, and after spending a couple of days taking it easy (transatlantic flights seem to get longer as you get older!!), we decided to take a tour. World War 2 is something that is close to the hearts of guys of my generation, our dads fought in it, and our moms stayed home and worried, so we were really pleased when we came across 'Dark History Tours - Third Reich tour'.
And what a great time we had! even our wives had fun! Maybe it's a cliche but the tour guide Taf Simon really brought the history alive with little touches like original photographs, papers, and ID's he was able to share with us.
We really learned a lot too (and have since been on Amazon to buy more books on the subject!), I had no idea about the German resistance movement, and found it all fascinating.
Overall, a really great experience, my buddies enjoyed it, our wives enjoyed it (and appreciated the good value) and next time we're in town, we'll be sure to stop by and take in another tour.
As they say in Britain - cheers Taff!
Chuck
Dallas, Texas USA 10/21/2009
Private Guides: Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan
I highly recommend the following private guides if you are traveling to Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan/Lake Como:
Rome: Marta (infor@our-rometour.com)
Florence: Paula Migliorni
Venice: Fiona Giusto (fiona.giusto@alice.it)
Milan/Lake Como: Lorenza Scorti (lorenza.scorti@libero.it)
Each one is FABULOUS. Wear comfortable shoes and plan for TONS of information and great conversation.
Elizabeth Turner <email>
Anthem, AZ USA 10/14/2009
London Tour Guide - Exceptional!!
Sally Botwright is an exceptionally good tour guide. You will love her!
http://www.sallybotwright.co.uk/contact.htm
Susan
Sausalito , California USA 10/06/2009
Carla Zaia - Superb Rome Guide
My wife and I had the pleasure of a guided tour by Carla Zaia of some of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basilica in September 2009. Carla is a superb guide with an amazing bredth and depth of knowledge, including Italian and Church history, art history, and Italian society. In addition, she is very articulate in English, explains complex ideas adroitly, and has a winning personality. We recommend her extremely highly. Carla can be reached at: +39 349 759 0723 or at carlaromeguide@gmail.com
Elston Seal, Jr. <email>
Chapel Hill, NC USA 10/05/2009
Sorrento hotel, Amalfi coast tour
Just back from 2 weeks in Italy with my husband. We 'd booked the day tour of Amalfi coast with guide service, Monnetti taxi recommended in Rick's Italy book. We were supposed to have Raffialle, but Lorenzo showed up. Was prompt, excellent driver and polite, but lacked enthusiasm, and seemed more interested in his cell phone and texting than in providing a good tour. Sparse on history and facts about the region. We had to keep asking questions to get him to open up about anything. Just dropped us off at towns, and said see you in an hour. There was no need for him to be on his cell phone for personal calls while driving when he had time to make those while we toured the town. Burned out maybe at end of tour season, but still no excuse. For what we paid, I expected much more. You can do just as well taking the public bus if it's later in year, like mid to late Sept. onward. You'll not have to worry about driving, and get to all the same towns we did at a fraction of the cost. Call us disappointed.
On the up side, we loved Sorrento, and the family-run Savoia Hotel just off the main piazza. Small to medium size room, very clean, responded immediately to a clogged shower drain. Has an old elevator that reception gives you 5 cent coins to run!, and has the amazing smell of home baked goods wafting through the lobby. Comes with full breakfast and I mean full. Rose Maria is an excellent baker and cook, who was also very friendly, speaks reasonably well English, and went out of her way to be of service with train schedules, maps, information, etc.
Nancy Silkroski <email>
Bellevue, Wa. USA 10/03/2009
Uninsured tour operators in Italy
Please be advised to check that tour operators in Tuscany (and, indeed, all of Italy) have a tourist operators license and relevant insurance in order to transport and/or lead guiding tours. Legitimate tour operators will proudly display this on their website. Tour operators in Italy are also required to have a physical public office address. Many operators only function with a cell phone and/or e-mail contact. Be aware of these as you could well be booking an uninsured tour with a company that has no public liability insurance. This practise is extremely common in Italy. Many of the operators listed on trip advisor are not registered and do not carry insurance. If you are using a vehicle service make sure that the driver has an N.C.C. license to carry passengers. Once again, if not, you are not insured as a passenger. Caveat emptor!!!
David Jones
London, UK 10/03/2009
Paris walking tours with Richard
I just came back from Paris, where we did three walking tours Richard Nahem (www.eyepreferparistours.com). We had a great time; the Montmartre tour was so much fun. His blog is great:www.eyepreferparis.com/
Amy Parker <email>
Helotes, TX USA 10/01/2009
wine tasting tour in Paris
While in Paris recently, my cousins and I did a wine tasting tour with Donna Morris (www.bestfriendinparis.com). She was so much fun. We had some great wine at three different cavistes and learned alot about the different wines of France.
Amy Parker <email>
Helotes, TX USA 10/01/2009
White Hills Village Tour, Seville, Spain
Took the White Hills Village Tour in Seville, Spain (recommended in RS Spain.) Several of us agreed it was a good tour, but could have been improved. If you don't have a car, it is probably worth it. The tour does take a whole day.
Ray
Tigard, OR USA 09/29/2009
EXCEPTIONAL GUIDE BATH AND THE COTSWOLDS
We just returned from a trip to the UK and used Alan Price at Celtic Horizons. Alan is a retired school teacher with a wealth of knowledge (beware the pop quizzes) and a friendly, extroverted personality. We spent a day with him viewing estates, villages, and Stonehenge. It was an incredible experience and I highly recommend his services (quite reasonably priced).
Jim Stover <email>
Houston, TX USA 09/23/2009
Tour guide in Prague
We used Rick Steve's suggestion in his book on Prague and the Czech Republic to book a day trip and transfer to the airport through personalpragueguide.com run by Jana Kratka. Our day tour was absolutely amazing, our guide Jana Michalska took us to the real Budweiser brewery in Ceske Budejovice, to Ceske Kromlov and to Kromlov Castle and to see Hluboka castle. Our guide knew so much history and loved to teach, she was incredibly organized and already had information for each site for us to read in the car. Jana was fun and the tour was one of the best experiences we have ever had travelling. Personalpragueguide.com also organized a transport for us from our hotel to the airport. The driver was on time and charged us even less than we were quoted because the traffic was so good. I would definitely recommend personalpragueguide.com to anyone looking for a guide in or around Prague.
Renee
Seattle, WA USA 09/22/2009
Day Tour of Florence-Migliorini
If anyone is looking for a day tour of Florence I highly recommend Paolo Migliorini. She is knowledgeable and friendly, and we had a wonderful time learning about the city. She took us everywhere and we did not wait in any lines. She is a gem!!! Give her a call, you will not be disappointed!
Tuscany Tours by Paola Migliorini
120 Via San Gallo - 50129 Firenze, Italy
www.florencetour.com - info@florencetour.com
Wendy Span <email>
Los Angeles, CA USA 09/19/2009
Walking Tours of Prague
I would heartily recommend the services of Praguewalker, operated by Katerina Slobodova, for excellent walking tours of Prague for small groups (among others offered -- see website www.praguewalker.com -- but I have not taken any of those). Ms. Slobodova is highly knowledgeable, personable, reliable, and charming; her tours are well-organized and reasonably paced, and her prices are reasonable as well. She provides a memorable experience of this wonderful city.
Celia G. Lata
Durham , NC USA 09/07/2009
Pompeii- Gaetano Manfredi
Gaetano Manfredi is THE guide for Pompeii. His three hour tour educated us and then we followed up with three hours more. Without his excellent explanations we would not have gotten anywhere near as much from our tour.
Ted Duke
Fairfield, VA USA 09/06/2009
Rome Tour Guide - Federica
During a recent trip to Rome, my wife & I used Federica for a tour of the Vatican. She was amazing. Federica has a masters degree in art history and her knowledge and insight added greatly to our enjoyment of the Vatican. Truly an amazing tour.
She has a web site: http://www.touristinrome.com/
David
Toronto, Canada 08/31/2009
Paris walking tour; guided day trip to Champagne
I strongly recommend two tours if you're headed to Paris. Richard Nahem gives really delightful and informative tours of the Marais -- his website is http://www.eyepreferparistours.com/. And many people don't know that Champagne is an easy day trip from Paris -- we took an awesome, reasonably priced tour (two Champagne producers, lunch, Reims cathedral) and it was a highlight of our week. It's here: http://www.parischampagnetour.com/ Ask for Trong to be your tour guide!
Ann
Milwaukee, WI USA 08/30/2009
Vatican City Tour
The Vatican City Tour, Rome, Italy. We had a wonderful insightful time. Our Guide was excellent and knowledgeable. Let's do again.
John & Kris Vara
Glendora, Calif. USA 08/30/2009
Vatican tour-Rahul
We wish to thank Rahul our wonderful tour guide. My daughter and I were most impressed with our wonderful Vatican tour. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable,efficient and accurate in all his desciptions of the paintings and especially the Sistine ceiling. We would definitely suggest our friends and family in the future to use Odyssey tours. Thanks Rahul, you are an excellent guide and you seem to really enjoy your work.
Ros Epstein
Melbourne, Vic USA 08/29/2009
Guides in Prague
If you're traveling to Prague for the first time, we strongly recommend hiring a guide. We hired guides for two morning tours from PragueWalker, a company recommended by Rick.($100 US for three hours)
We were delighted with the experience and will not hesitate to recommend the services of Katarina's company.
Bob Allin <email>
Ridgewood, NJ USA 08/25/2009
Tour guide--Anna Maria Gehle
We recently spent two days touring Rome with Anna Maria Gehle and enthusiastically recommend her services. She is and archaeologist and historian in addition to being a licensed guide and her rates were among the most reasonable that I found. We did Ostia Antica, the Colosseum/Forum area and the Borghese Gallery with her and she really made each site come alive with her wonderful stories. I don't recall any questions that we had that she couldn't answer. Our group was two adults and two teenagers and she was very attuned to when the teenagers eyes started to glaze over! Anna Maria also made sure we had prenty of rest/water breaks. She happily answered all of our questions about getting oriented in Rome, as well. An excellent guide--I wish I had booked all of my tours with her. Thanks, Anna Maria.
Kathi <email>
Virginia Beach, VA USA 08/24/2009
Fiat Tour
In Florence, Italy, I highly recommend the Fiat 500 Touring Club. This is a truly special day tour that you will never forget! I have done lots of day tours in Italy, and think this one is by far the best and certainly unique.
Maren <email>
Seattle, WA USA 08/23/2009
Day Trip In Livorno
When arriving in Livorno plan ahead and have a rental car waiting for you on the docks - Drive up to La Spezia (Mapquest Directions will be given to you) It's an hour drive up the autostrada - park the car at the train station and jump on the train to La Cinque Terre and see the five villages - Walk the walkway between a few of them on the cliffs - SPECTACULAR!! -Back in the car and down to the ship - A fantastic day and very inexpensive!! Alternative is to take the car and go straight inland to San Gimignano and Volterra - two of Italy's best Hilltowns.
Greg <email>
Jupiter, Fl. USA 08/18/2009
Pass the lines scams
After traveling to Rome more than just a few times I can now send this particular feedback. Some Tour Companies in Rome who "cant" pass the line write on their sites that no one can pass the line and that those agencies who say they can are not telling the truth.
Thats wrong.
They are the ones who cant pass the line because they cant get the permission due to their ilegal status.
If you read on a tour website that the company in question "does not pass the line, and that "no one can" keep searching. They are telling lies. Even when I was on Ricks Europe through the back door tour we passed lines of people into the Vatican and other sites in other cities
Lisa Brown
USA 08/13/2009
Real Rome Tours
My wife and I went to Rome in July for 7 days. We used Real Rome for 3 tours because we thought they would be small groups and quess what they were. Rich and Steve really knew their stuff especially steve on the ancient Rome and the audio in the vatican was great.
USA 08/09/2009
Hydrofoils in Napoli
When arriving in Napoli forget about the ships tours - walk a few hundred yards and jump on a hydrofoil to either Capri, Sorrento, Amalfi or Positano - It will cost you afew Euros each and you'll be there in about a half hour to spend the whole day sightseeing instead of being hered on a bus for about $200 each and wasting most of your day in Napoli.
Greg <email>
Jupiter, Fl USA 08/09/2009
car tour Rome
Sky Tours in Rome gave us a tour by private car, it wasnt too costly and our guide spoke native english, the tour route was long covering many areas we never even heard of before, it took 5 hours; we did walk often which I liked and the others in my group felt it was so far the best money spent on this trip, sorry we are now in Paris using a french keyboard, cant find full stop:
anyhow use them or look, them up
www skytoursrome com
Jen
USA 08/06/2009
Amazing Tuscany Wine Tour
If you want to experience true Tuscany, then look no further than Franco Fadda’s Wine Tour Experience. The day my friend and I spent with him touring in and around Siena on the Brunello di Montalcino tour was truly one of the most amazing and memorable experiences of my life! Our day started early, at 9am with Franco picking us up himself at our hotel which was outside of Siena’s city center. We then proceeded to drive through the most beautiful views of Tuscan countryside that words nor pictures could even fully detail. Franco was very patient and allowed us to stop several times to take in all of the beauty with our cameras, all the while, explaining the history behind what we were seeing. We visited two wineries within Siena and even the church where Franco’s parents were married (which I found to be absolutely beautiful) before heading to lunch. The lunch Franco took us to was at Alberto and Marzia’s organic farm. Alberto was very welcoming and treated us to an amazing four-course meal he and his wife prepared themselves from the freshest ingredients I’ve ever tasted. Afterwards, we took a little tour around Alberto’s gardens and even sampled fruit straight off of his trees.
Following this delicious meal, we continued on to visit another beautiful church, followed by a leisurely stop in the charming, nearby town of Montalcino for coffee and stimulating conversation with Franco. While in Montalcino, we also made a nice, little detour at a high-end wine shop to have another wine tasting and view some of the priciest wines I’ve ever seen. Winding down the tour, we made our last stop at Capanna, a family-run winery which boasted some of the best views of the day. Benito, who showed us around, was an absolute delight and it was here that I realized that dessert wine can be delicious! We finally arrived back at our hotel around 8pm, not wanting the day to end and with great sadness, had to bid farewell to Franco.
When booking, I didn’t have any real expectations for this tour, but now, I can definitely say that this was more than just a wine tour and Franco is more than just a tour guide. He made the experience easy, fun and comfortable from start to finish, is beyond hospitable and went out of his way to give us real, personal insight into what Tuscany is all about. He is truly passionate about what he does, is exceptionally knowledgeable and not only introduced us to wine, the art of wine making and all that goes into it, but he showed and taught us about the food, the people, the history of the region and about life in Italy in general. I learned so much more than I expected to and I will be forever grateful to Franco for giving me such an incredibly eye-opening experience into the heart and soul of Tuscany. I will definitely be back and highly recommend Franco to those looking for an unforgettable Tuscan experience. You won’t regret it!
This tour needs to be put into Rick Steve's guidebook!!
His website is: www.francofaddawinetourexperience.com or you can directly email him at francofadda@hotmail.com
Sheila
Novi, MI USA 08/03/2009
Stonehenge with International Friends
International Friends is a company that specializes in small group tours. We went to Stonehenge, Salisbury and Avebury with a total of 7 people. No lines and no waits! Our tour guide, David, was incredible! This was the best tour that we have ever been on! I highly recommend it to all!
Portland, OR USA 07/27/2009
Do Not Ride Horse Drawn Carriages in Rome
Please, when you are in Rome, DO NOT TAKE the horse carriages around the city. In the past 8 months 2 horses have died due to exhausation or spooking in the chaotic traffic in Rome.
Sara <email>
Rome, RM ITALY 07/22/2009
Madrid and surrounding cities
I highly recommend http://www.madrid-museum-tours.org/index.html tour company. Looking to maximize our four days in Madrid and being a group of 7 persons (grew to 12 persons once we did do the tour); we looked for a day tour that would include The Royal Monastery of El Escorial, Valley of the Fallen, Segovia, and Avila. Mr. Hernan Amaya Satt was able to customize a tour that meet and exceed our expectations. The tour was resonably priced for the amount of sightseeing and attention to detail Mr. Satt put into our tour. Mr. Satt recommended that we also do a Prado tour with him. We are so happy he did. He brought the paintings of the Prado alive for us. I totally enjoyed looking thru a mirror bring part of Velasquez- Las Meninas painting into focus.
Our whirlwind day was passed with feasting our eyes on one wonder after another and Mr. Satt bringing its history alive. We saw not to be miss El Escorial, Valley of the Fallen, Segovia’s magestic aquaduct and Avila’s impressive wall.
Thank you Mr. Hernana Amaya Satt, for giving us a day of total enjoyment and let us not forget the delicious lunch we had at Hospedería located at the Valley of the Fallen.
Velma <email>
Mission, Texas USA 07/21/2009
Mad Max Tours
Mad Max Tours are brilliant!
We went on the full day stonehenge tour.
It was such great fun. Our tour guide, Charles, was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor.
Mad Max Tours - check em out!
<email>
Bath, UK 07/14/2009
Normandy Battlefields Tour
Hi all! If you want to go to Normandy and take a day tour to battlefields go with OVERLORDTOUR! Tours are perfectly organised, people - professional and extremely nice, prices - below average. Have fun!
Lola
Frankfurt, Germany 07/14/2009
Scotland: Inverness and Stirling
After a short Holiday to Scotland, I found two things anyone traveling to Inverness and Stirling should know.
In Inverness, there is a historic one-hour walking tour of Inverness that leaves from the IT steps. Happy Tours also has a nighttime Crime and Punishment tour, among others. www.happy-tours.biz
In Stirling, the Hop-on/Hop-off tour bus is no longer running. The castle is still accessible by foot from the bus or train station. Walk up the hill with your back to the train and bus stations, veer to your left and look for Kings Road; the castle is at the end of the road, up the hill.
Rebecca <email>
Concord, CA USA 07/12/2009
Private tours - Assisi, Italy
Anne@annesitaly.com is the place to go to find Anne Robichaud, a fantastic tour guide. She'll tailor your tour to your needs and desires -- I've benefited several times over the years, from her extensive knowledge of all things Italian, but particularly of Umbria. There are so many things to choose from: lovely hilltowns, museums, unique churches, festivals, wine tastings, private dinners in gorgeous villas, etc. Anne makes every effort to include delightful, out-of-the-way places you wouldn't find & couldn't access on your own. She even does private cooking classes in her own home! Thumbs up for this guide!
J. Walters
Laguna Beach, CA USA 07/11/2009
The Vatican museum, Sistine Chapel & St. Peter’s & the Colosseum
We had a wonderful tour of the Vatican. Our tour guide, Rahul Raghavan was awesome, our group was fairly small, and he even stayed with us a little longer as it was obvious we were not getting bored. Rahul knew his stuff!, was organized, and had great insight in to the history and facts in this area. He took his time, and knew when to stop, pace the tour, and wait for the bigger crowds to move on. There was a restaurant that was also our meeting place for this tour, we also opted to try this one evening, and I have to say it was by far the best meal and service we had in Rome, and though Italy (throughout a number of cities). Restaurant: Hostaria Dei Bastoni, address: 29,Via Leone IV. Roma-00192. This was also recommended in Rick Steve’s Italy book.
We also took a tour of the Colosseum. After our Vatican tour was so good, we set this tour up on a whim at the end of our Vatican tour. Although this felt a little unorganized at first, as they had a tour guide change at the last minute, once it got going, Jennifer did a great going, Jennifer had great information to share. I would recommend Roman Odyssey, and have done so since being home a number of times. All the items in Rick Steve’s book came through as well, all recommendations very positive!
Teresa
Boise, Idaho USA 07/10/2009
Travel Guide - Amalfi Coast
I just had to recommend a wonderful day guide on the Amalfi Coast.Anthony Buonocare, E-mail: anthony buonocore [buonocoreanthony@yahoo.it]
The guide we hired never showed and this fellow showed up in less than an hour. He lives in Amalfi and is very knowledgeable
of the Amalfi coast and Naples.We loved his humor and price. He even bought me lunch. He was the hit of the week.
Frank Oliveto <email>
San Francisco, Ca USA 07/10/2009
Airport Pickup and Vatican Tour
Roman Odessey Tours was excellent for our airport pickup, on time and even helped us find the desk to pickup our Roma Passes. The Vatican tour we took was private and hourly and was so insightful and funny in some ways. What it was, was not boring !! Would use you again, hopefully sooner than later.
C Barker
Grapevine, Texas USA 07/09/2009
tours- cruise port help
First time to Europe and the best tour was our own. With the help of Rick Steves book and "Insight Guides-Mediterrean Cruises". Who ever said you don't have enough time on a cruise should checkt he guide, it has the how too from each port...Land tours cost much more and you don't have a chance to mix with the locals.
Mary <email>
Arden, NC USA 07/08/2009
Madrid & vicinity tours
I cannot say enough good things about Hernan Amaya Satt and www.madrid-museum-tours.org. I messaged all the private guides Rick Steves listed for Madrid, and only Hernan addressed my inquiry fully. His price was the best, too. He gave us a wonderful tour of the Prado and, per my requests, drove us to a very reasonable, delightful, and authentic lunch and then to other points we wished to see outside Madrid. He even went out of his way to make sure I got to see the famous aqueduct in Segovia. His boundless knowledge and charm made our day with him the highlight of our 3-week trip to Spain, and I highly recommend his services. I will definitely hire him again next time I am in Madrid!
Kathy Adams <email>
Piedmont, SC USA 07/06/2009
Day Driver - Italy
If you are looking for an excellent A++ day driver in the Rome/Florence area, contact reservations@driving-guide-tuscany.com or call (039)335-657-5008. Thierry is honest (drove an hour back to Rome from his home to return a lost billfold in his van with no extra charge), very reasonable cost, very engaging and just outstanding in every way.
BK
Sioux Falls, SD USA 07/06/2009
Avignon Wine Tours (Cote de Rhone and Luberon)
Avignon Wine Tours has to be one of the best tours we've ever taken. Francois Marcou is spectacular. With over 25 years experience as a Maitre'D and Sommelier(before starting Avignon Wine Tours 2.5 years ago)Francois was the perfect guide. Not only did we get to go to 4 fantastic wineries but also a formal wine tasting lesson that was very informative. Francois not only knows his wine and the Provence region but he has a wonderful sense of humor, is kind, very knowledgeable, and a great driver. We ate lunch at one of the most quaint and beautiful spots in Provence at Le Gare de Bonnieux (very reasonable too at 13 euros). Francois clearly has connections at all the wineries and many of the restaurants. We did this tour our first full day in Provence and it helped orient us so it really helped faciliate the rest of our independent sightseeing plans. When we get back we'll do this again. Truly a memorable experience. BTW, we accidentally left our camera case in his car (he called to tell us) and we wrote it off. But he drove back to our B&B (out of his way) the next day to drop it off for us. It was just one more thing that Francois did to set him apart from all others. I can't recommend Francois highly enough.
Erik Giesa
Seattle, WA USA 07/06/2009
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
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
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 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 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
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
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
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-Arts 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
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
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
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
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
day tours in Rome-"Enjoy 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 (Nick)
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