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?
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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
Happy with Miles & Miles
For our Mediterrean cruise this past October I was trying to find a personal tour company that we could hire a driver that would also be our tour guide on the internet. I was a little afraid but liked the comments I found on Miles to Miles. Being that I have bad knees and my daughter was 4 months pregnant we didn't want to deal with crowded bus tours that have to park far away from the sights that the cruise ship offered. I was sooooo very happy with Miles to Miles. we used them on several ports and they were very reasonably priced for their services and such fun. Francesco made our stop in Rome so much more enjoyable by showing his not only the usual tourist stops but the local places he loves. You can find them at www.toursofrome.it I highly recommend them.
Mariazinha Brown
Chino, CA USA 11/06/2009
Tours in Rome and Naples
You simply cannot do better than a day tour with romeinlimo.com. What a great outfit. We had only one day to spend in Rome, and one day in the Naples area.
Our guides, Duman and Raffelle picked us up at the cruise ship in modern, clean Mercedes vans that would seat 8 comfortably. While they offer suggested itineraries, they will modify on request for whatever you'd like to see. We saw more of Rome in one day than nearly anyone else off the cruise ship. In the Naples area we visited Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast, and then rather than driving back to Naples, we elected to take the ferry back.
Romeinlimo is a very professional and friendly service, and when we return to Italy next spring we will be using them again.
Keith Summers
Appleton, WI USA 11/04/2009
A REMARKABLE TOUR WITH ISTVAN A TOUR MASTER!
Traveling throughout the world, I have found that an educational tour is an expedient way to get an overview of a city and/or a country. Thus, I have had many experiences with this venue. I must say, without qualification, that of all the day tours I have ventured upon, my tour through Transylvania with Istvan has been the very best! Istvan’s knowledge of history brought Romania to life for me. The tour was skillfully organized to maximize the exposure to this amazing region. His depiction of the history of Romania was an honest portrayal. His desire to make the trip a living history and the know-how to accomplish the commission, made this for me the reality of a dream.
Our drive was pleasant, comfortable, scenic, and filled with historical facts and anecdotes that made this exotic country as interesting as any in all of Europe. It has now become favored in my eyes. Our first stop was the Sinaia Monastery, in Prahova County. I attended a Mass at the beautiful Byzantine church surrounded by beautiful courtyards. From there we went to nearby Peles Castle which was breathtakingly elegant. As one of Europe’s most beautiful castles, it houses one of their greatest collections of paintings. I was captivated by the exquisite architecture outside and the statues, sculptures, carvings and decor of the interior castle walls. It is an amazing work of art, built in a German Renaissance style. There are rich flavors of Rococo and Baroque amongst the Renaissance domination. The grand Armory room possesses a memorable uniqueness. The magnificent grounds of the castle, high atop innumerable pine trees, looking upon the beautiful Carpathian mountains left me spellbound. Istvan afforded me historical vignettes which enchanted me all the more.
The next stop was the Bran Castle. Although, it is known as Dracula’s Castle, the only real connection may have been a very brief two day imprisonment in the dungeon. Nonetheless, it is full of the mystique of Bram Stoker’s legendary tale. The castle is a monument to the beloved Queen Marie, the wife of King Ferdinand of Romania. The air of mystery follows you throughout the visit making the legend of Dracula into the reality of Vlad the Impaler. Istvan’s recollection of the historical perspective along with the folklore, enhanced my knowledge as well as preserving the mythical ethos. Finally, our last stop was Brasov. At this point, I was astounded by the resplendence of ancient sites. Brasov is a beautiful city surrounded by the Carpathian mountains; Transylvania at its finest. A beautiful day strolling around the Old Town Square was a culmination of the adventure I shall never forget. The old gothic Black Church was incredulous! The medieval sense is alive and well in the Old Town Square, witnessing the remaining bastions that once protected the city, including the White and Black towers. There are still remnants of fortifications that surrounded the cities to ward off the invaders. To authenticate the Old Town Hall, Cathedrals, Merchant Houses with the red bricked rooftops and narrow windows was surrealistic. I enjoyed relaxing in the Old Town Square, watching the town folk and reflecting upon both ancient and recent events. Istvan’s pleasant relaxed manner made this one of the most splendid days of my life.
Istvan was wholly responsible for this remarkable expedition which seemed more like a pilgrimage than a sightseeing tour. This adventure would not have been possible without Istvan’s guidance. From my personal experience, which has been significant, Istvan is the greatest tour master in the world! To be sure, this testimonial was completely unsolicited. The cost was reasonable, but the memories were priceless!
PAMELA WATKINS ELMORE <email>
Denver, Colorado, USA 11/02/2009
Touring Italy with Romeinlimo
We had several fantastic tours in Italy with ROMEINLIMO. They are such a fantastic company. I set up many tours in advance with people that I met online on the Cruise Critic. It is also possible to put tours together on their Facebook page. We toured with Raffaelo in Naples and it was an amazing day. We traveled to Pompeii, where the company set up a private guide to walk through the site with us. It was such an incredible experience. We also drove along the Amalfi Coast and toured the towns of Sorrento and Positano. We toured Rome with Duman, and this was the highlight of our 3 weeks. He was so much fun. It was like touring with a friend in his hometown. This was my fourth year of using this company and I cannot recommend them enough. I realize that some places are easy to tour on your own, given enough time, but if you are limited, I think a private driver is worth every penny. It is such a great experience to travel around with such knowledgeable, friendly people. By the end of our day with Raffaelo, it was like we really had a new friend. We also used Romeinlimo for all our transfers. We had many different things we were doing on our trip to Italy, and it was nice to have our transport options taken care of. There was a group of 6 of us in some places, and groups of 8 of us in other places, and it was nice to have everything taken care of. In most cases, arranging our private drivers with Romeinlimo was cheaper than any other transport options.
If anyone would like any specifics on our touring with Romeinlimo, please feel free to email me.
Stephanie B <email>
Salt Lake City, UT USA 11/02/2009
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
JewishRoma Walking Tours
Do consider a tour of the Jewish Ghetto with Yael of Jewish Roma Walking Tours. She could not have been more informed or more animated. Her English was letter perfect and her manner was warm and welcoming. You will amass an amazing amount of information in a short period of time. It would be impossible to appreciate the import or the historical context of the Ghetto or the Great Synagogue (or its museum) without a commentary such as Yael's.
If you happen to visit during the Festival of Sukkot, expect a visit to the synagogue's lovely Sukka to recite the relevant blessings (if you're Jewish!) and to enjoy a snack that she will provide.
If you are not someone who plans ahead, don't worry! You will be able to book it online in a matter of a day. It's not cheap, but it is SO worth it!
Barbara Ostfeld <email>
Williamsville, NY USA 10/29/2009
Rome with Miles & Miles
The only way to see Rome is with Miles & Miles. We credit Miles & Miles with making our visit to Rome memorable. Usually traveling with three small kids is hard enough, ask them to go sightseeing and it is a recipe for disaster. No so with Noemi and Francesco. They tailored our tours to their audience and made it run and interesting for all of us! We can't wait to go back.
Team Mueller <email>
London, UK 10/28/2009
Private Tour in Rome
Part of our 2 week trip to Italy included a 3 night stay in Rome. I would have to say that the very BEST part of our stay here was booking a private walking tour with Miles & Miles of the Vatican. We had the privalege of having Noemi as our tour guide and she was absolutely fabulous. Her knowledge of the museum was incredible. She was also able to get us tickets for a morning audience with the Pope! You will not be disappointed if you choose Miles & Miles for your private tours!
Mario Arseneau
Gardner, MA USA 10/27/2009
Jewish Ghetto in Rome
Michaela is full of energy,information, and opinions. She gave us a real sense of the origin, history,and contemporary life in the small Jewish community of Rome. This cheerful young woman is well-known as the expert and source of revenue for the community, so just a mention that "Micahaela sent us" will get you good service anywhere in the area.
Jane
Atlanta, GA USA 10/26/2009
Good Private tour guides
In Rome we had a few hours while on our cruise, we got into central Rome by private car $170 each way. Our driver called our guide Tim to hook us up, Tim met us at the Vatican city entrance, we passed a long line walking directly inside. After a quick walk through, we caught a taxi to the Ancient Rome area, passing the line for the Coliseum with Tim, this part was again quick because we only had a few hours left. We found another cab to the Pantheon and then another to the Trevi water fall and Spanish steps. Tim is from the UK, his background in art came out on top, he was funny and factual. He works mostly with Sky Tours Rome www.skytoursrome.com. After a gelato we met up with our driver by 430pm for the port. This day and tour was organised and value for our money, we feel that a private guide in such a short time helped and saved us time.
Fran
Miami, USA 10/24/2009
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
Private tour in Rome
We had only 2 full days in Rome as part of our 2 week Italy vacation and we wanted to get the MOST out of our visit to the Vatican...we decided to do some research and pick a private guide for that segment of our journey...in the end we decided on Miles & Miles based on all the reviews we saw...BOY were we HAPPY we made that decision...Noemi met us at our hotel right on time...in fact she was waiting for us in lobby ahead of time...everything perfect from there to the end...she REALLY knew her subject matter in museum...a really fun person to spend half a day with...seemed to know everyone at the museum...seemed to help us get around crowds easier...and in the end she managed to get us tickets for a wednesday morning audience with the Pope...what a treat to wrap up our Rome visit...can not say enough...go with Miles & Miles you will not be disappointed...
Kevin
Gardner, MA USA 10/22/2009
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
Eye Prefer Paris Tours
I was in Paris last week and did an Eye Prefer Paris Tour with Richard Nahem.It was fabulous. I have been to Paris many times before but Richard managed to show me and my daughter so many things I have never seen before. He took us to a tiny, charming cafe with the the most delicious hot chocolate i have ever had, a most charming antique and crafts area hidden in these beautiful cobblestone courtyards and then a magnificent secret rose garden. I would have never found these wonderful things on my own. Richard was also so warm and friendly and gave us so much information about where to go and what to see even after the tour. I highly recommend his tours
www.eyepreferparistours.com and he also writes a cool blog about insider things to do in Paris
www.eyepreferparis.com
For sure i will hire richard next time i come back
Jackie from Chicago
Jackie
chicago, Il USA 10/21/2009
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
Tour of Rome in a day-Rome Odyssey
On September 2 we arrived in Civitavecchia, Italy by cruise ship for a one day (12 hour) visit to Rome. I knew there was no possible way to see even the highlights of this city on one of the cruise's costly bus excursions.
A few weeks before we left, I contacted Roman Odyssey Tours (as I had seen it recommended both in Rick Steves' guide book and on his website) by email. From the very beginning, this company was professional and a true pleasure with which to do business. All my emails were answered promptly, my concerns answered and an itinerary for our day put together. We were met at the ship by a private driver holding a sign with our name. He drove us into Rome (approx. 1 hour 15 min) where we were met by our guide Rahul Raghavan. It was truly an amazing and wonderful day!
Rahul took us to every place that we wanted to see and then some. He is extremely knowledgeable, patient and answered all our questions without hesitation. Our driver would leave us off, Rahul would take us on a walking tour of a certain area and then our driver would "magically" appear when we needed to be driven to the next stop. We visited the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Roman Forum, Trevi Fountain, St. Peter's, the Vatican Museum (including the Sistine Chapel) and many other plazas and churches. It was a day my family and I will never forget. Rahul made the impossibility of seeing Rome in a day...possible! Highly, highly recommend Roman Odyssey Tours and Rahul.
Donna <email>
Camarillo, CA USA 10/19/2009
Romania tour guide
Good day! We are a family of 4 from Montréal Canada. Aistvan Janos Kaitar was our guide in Bucharest for 1 day. Mr Kaitar offers professional, friendly and complete services. He knows what "client services" means, returning calls and answering emails quickly. He showed us Bucharest's main attractions, including the Museum Village and the Parliament Palace, amongst others. He also took us to a very nice typical Romanian cuisine restaurant, with a beautiful decor and great food, at a very reasonable price. Obviously, Mr Kaitar masters his country's history and it was very interesting for us to learn about Romania. He guided us for 1 day, and then the next day, not only did he take us to the Gara de Nord train station, he helped us with our luggage, had our Eurail Pass validated at the ticket booth (great to have someone speaking Romanian!), and waited with us for our train. He also helped us board the train (heavy luggage)! We were sad to say goodbye, as Mr Kaitar had then become a friend to us! We highly recommend Mr Kaitar to anyone interested in visiting Bucharest and other regions of Romania. We would, without a doubt, use Mr Kaitar's services again, should the occasion arise! Also, last but not least, Mr Kaitar is a very careful driver! Multsumesc Mr Kaitar!!!
Suzanne & Jean-Pierre <email>
Montréal, Canada 10/16/2009
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
Miles & Miles Tour Company
Miles & Miles Tour Company in Rome is the BEST!!! We did a Rome City Day tour with Francesco and he is quite a treat. He has a great personality and he will show you HIS Rome, making you feel like you are a local and a friend, rather than a tourist. Then on our second day his wonderful mother, Caron, took us on a Vatican City tour. She is also delightful and has a wealth of knowledge. In you are in Rome, then hiring this family-run tour company is a MUST!!!! You will not be disappointed. Out of our two weeks in Europe, this was our favorite city, thanks to Miles & Miles.
Summer
Sarasota, FL USA 10/13/2009
Miles and Miles Tours
We have just completed our private group tour (12 people) with Miles and Miles touring the vatican which was exceptional with a highly informative with a personal touch. Our second day which was also oustanding as we visited the key points of interest in Rome as well as the out of the way places that normal tours do not take. We all felt right at home in a friendly way with our tour guide. I would highly recommend Miles and Miles to anyone traveling to Rome. I WOULD US THEM AGAIN IN A HEART BEAT!!!!
Ray Calderon <email>
St Louis, Missou USA 10/10/2009
MILES & MILES Rome/Italy private tour guides
Our group of four just completed a tour of Italy. The MILES & MILES native tour guides were fantastic! I highly recommend their services as they provide a complete Roman experience by blending an excellent historical perspective with their favorite sights, sounds, and tastes.
Rick
Houston, TX USA 10/09/2009
Rome tour
Really enjoyed and appreciated our private Miles and Miles tour of Rome (www.toursofrome.it). A little pricey, but we only had one day in Rome and this was the best way to hit the highlights. Fascinating tour of Rome in the morning (cut right to the front of the line at the Collesium), followed by Vatican highlights in the afternoon. So nice not to deal with co-tourists...it was just us and our guide, answering questions and giving us a great taste of Rome.
elizabeth
atlanta, ga USA 10/08/2009
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
Rome tips
Had 3 tours in Rome
The Vatican with Sky Tours Rome and then a driving/walking tour mix with Eco City Tours of almost all important sites in the centre of Rome, after that our tour with Rome Over the Top in the Colosieum. All gave good info while keeping the price down. We tried to book with Jewish Roma but they did not have any space so we used a guide book in the Jewish part of Rome. Did like Rome and would return, only thing didnt like was people trying to sell roses and tours in the streets, and rip of taxi drivers.
Sam R
USA 10/04/2009
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
Day Tour in Rome-Roman Odyssey
We had a wonderful tour of Rome with Carlo, a private driver and John, who was from Minnesota, our tour guide. He was very knowledgable and I would highly recommend him and Roman Oddessy.
Jeri and Stu
Sarasota, Fl. USA 09/30/2009
Jewish Rome
We highly recommend Micaela Pavoncello's tour of Jewish Rome. She is passionate, articulate, charming and knowledgeable. Our tour was enhanced by her addition of personal family stories and information. We came away with a greater understanding of Roman Jewish history and of the contemporary Jewish scene. If you are fortunate enough to have Micaela as your guide, you will have a thoroughly captivating experience. We cannot recommend her highly enough. Ruth and Murray from Toronto
Ruth Miskin
Toronto, Ont. Canada 09/29/2009
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
Great tours in rome Sky Tours
I found Sky Tours rome through ricksteve and we booked 2 tours with them before we left for Rome. - the morning Vatican tour and the ancient rome tour.They have great knowledgeable guides that gave us a very interesting tour and our kids loved it because it was not only dates and history but he made the tour fun for adults and kids. Our guide was Bob and it was so nice to meet someone who was obviously so enthusiatic about everything he was showing us, and he seems to know so much about everything. If we didnt book him we probably would have missed so much about rome and that we would regret it for ever. Thanks to all the guys at sky tours!
Tom O'Reilly
Dublin, Ireland 09/27/2009
Roman Odyssey Tours
It was worth doing the tour. The guide was very good and passionate in what he does. We enjoyed it very much.
Liberty Reyes
Brookfield, CT USA 09/25/2009
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
Best Driving Tours in Rome
Our trip to Rome was made special due to our time with Eco City Tours. We paid for a 6 hour tour in an electric car with a guide who spoke native English. She covered a huge area through Rome which gave us information on monuments which I think tousits dont usually see. The group was small, only 9 in total and we passed the line to the coliseum. It felt good using an eco friendly car too which was actually a good laugh to use at the same time. We would use them again in any city if their company was in other cities. www.ecocitytours.com ask for Brian from Ireland he was the best of the two guides we had over a two day visit with Eco City Tours in Rome
Sara
ct, USA 09/20/2009
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
Tours of Rome and Naples - Miles & Miles
Contacted Miles & Miles via the Internet and was impressed with the quick and complete replies to our emails. We were on a Mediterranean cruise and wanted to investigate using a local company instead of the cruise ship tours. Our group of 8 wanted to tour with a smaller group, not a tour bus of people. No credit card or money required up front. Confirming email locked in our tours in both Rome and Naples. In Naples we were greeted by Ivo at the dock. We drove to Pompei where M&M had a local guide waiting to give us our tour of Pompei. Franco, our Pompei guide, was wonderful! Ito showed us the Amalfi coast and took us to a local restaurant where we had a marvelous lunch.
In Rome we were met by Francesco for our one day tour of Rome. We visited St. Peter's Basilica and the Pantheon and then drove by many other sights in Rome. A whirlwind tour in a day of the highlights. Not able to go to the Vatican since our visit was on a Sunday. Had a wonderful lunch near the Pope's summer residence.
Both Francesco and Ivo were very knowledgeable of the area and able to communicate their knowledge in a very enthusiastic manner.
We would highly recommend M&M to anyone who is interested in customizing your tour and saving some money. The M&M tours for our group of 8 were less than the cruise ship tours and we were in a much smaller group. Just remember to carry cash in the local currency to pay the driver at the end of the tour!
NK
Raleigh, NC USA 09/18/2009
Miles and Miles tours in Rome
When in Rome, use Miles and Miles tours. They are the best! We had a great tour of the city by Francesco and of the Vatican by Noemi. They are both very knowedgeable and personable. They try to ensure that they are meeting your needs during the tour. We saw more in one day than I ever thought we would be able to, although we did not go into the Colosseum or the Forum area. We saw other sights that were just as interesting and less crowded. It was very hot while we were there and the air conditioned car sure did help.
Kay
Richmond, va USA 09/15/2009
great service and tour in rome
I would highly recommend Sky Tours rome as a great company. Myself and my Husband booked a tour with Sky Tours for the Vatican. As my husband has walking difficulty's i thought it would be a problem for us on the tour but it was not. They provided us with an extra person to help my husband around the Vatican and bring him in the elevator as the museum has lots of steps(and my husband cant walk)the rest of the group would have been held up and he made sure that the group wouldn't have been kept waiting. The tour was great we got a lot of information but the guide Peter also made the tour fun and interesting as well as knowledgeable. I would recomend this company to anyone, Thanks a lot guys for making my Vatican and Rome experience one that i will always remember.
michelle
New york, NY USA 09/14/2009
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
Through Eternity- Vatican
Through Eternity - 5 hour Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's with our guide Gabriel was fantastic. My son said he learned more about art in those hours than he has total in life. Gabriel really did a fine job of keeping us all interested and answering ALL questions.
Ted Duke
Fairfield, VA USA 09/06/2009
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
real nice tour in Rome today
Hi there gang, Rick Steves fans I am in Roma now with my other half. Before we leave we should share our experience with the eco friendly driving tour we had through ecocitytours.com. They use electric cars which run you around the city in no time ,actually its a long tour of about 6 hrs but was fun and full of little interesting facts and stories. Our guide was an official Italian guide who spoke excellent English and who knew his stuff inside out.
Thats it for Rome will write about Florence soon.
Mark Keenan
Rome , USA 09/04/2009
Tour of the Vatican
We were lucky enough to experience an amazing tour of the Vatican lead by Mindy from Jewish Roma. We were shown around the Vatican but with some content angled towards Jewish interest. Not only did all the adults in our party enjoy the tour, but our kids (who were aged 10-14) were all kept interested and engaged. Mindy had a passion and fantastic knowledge that shone through; there was no question we asked that she couldn't answer! Her indepth appreciation of the artwork mixed with the interesting historical background and stories was a great mix. She selected what we saw perfectly so that we were able to feel that our tour, which lasted just under 3 hours, had covered everything that we wanted to see at the Vatican. I would highly recommend this tour!
sml
London, UK 09/02/2009
Roman Odyssey Vatican Tour
Our Vatican Tour with Roman Odyssey was a delight!!!
Our tour guide Steve was a pleasure. Being a Cambridge graduate he was very well versed with the history of course, but he also went into details about language which was unique and very informative and gave us a much better understanding of the tour.
We have 13 year old twins who enjoyed the tour-which otherwise could have been boring- thanks to Steve's versatility to adapt to all ages. My girls talk about the tour and Steve, all in one breath.
Steve was punctual, the tour was smooth. we were not rushed at any point during the tour, all questions(many repetitive) were answered patiently.
Some of our friends who have been to Rome and used other tours did not seem to have as good a time as we did with Roman Odyssey and Steve.
A five star tour and guide. Would definitely use again.
Abhay Mahagaokar <email>
Basking Ridge, NJ USA 09/01/2009
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
vatican tour
Roman Oddessey tours were recommended to us by friends as a way to obtain a reasonable, no-line, high quality vatican tour. Our experience was entirely the opposite. We were forced to wait in the same line as everyone else (about 40 minutes), our tour guide suggested that he knew several "shortcuts" and we were turned away by the guards every time. He was also not particularly knowlegable and failed to show us the tapestry, map rooms as well as the papal and swiss guard apartments. It was a huge dissapointment! We would never go on another tour with them.
SANTA BARBARA, CA USA 08/28/2009
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
Through Eternity Tours of Rome
Their careful attention to my request for a private tour which would allow my husband who has difficulties walking and standing worked out perfectly!
Our tour with Marle was wonderful. After meeting us at our hotel we enjoyed her expertise as she toured us around the Forum and Colosseum as well as the Catacombs. Her extensive knowledge of Roman history put everything in context and her love and enthusiasm for the subject comes across all day. She was delightful to spend the day with, warm and friendly and so easy to be with. She was also very generous with her time spending several extra hours with us to be sure we enjoyed our experience in Rome. She took the time to help us get settled on the Metro before leaving us.
Our time with Gracelyn and her tour with us around the Vatican and St. Peter's was also excellent. She is also very knowledgeable about the Vatican and all its wonders. Their guides are incredible in their background and knowledge of Rome. Our trip continued to Greece where we also took many tours but none compared to the guides we enjoyed at Through Eternity.
Marilee
East Hampton, NY 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
Eye Prefer Paris Walking Tour ~ Paris, France
My parents (75 yrs. young) and I were in Paris for 3 short days. To make the most of that time we did 2 walking tours w/Richard of Eye Prefer Paris (www.eyepreferparistours.com). We had a great time and Richard was a very informative guide and a lot of fun too. He showed us the Marais and the St. Germain de Pres areas. As we casually walked around the city Richard showed us beautiful gardens and parks, historical sights, famous cafes, and beautiful buildings and courtyards, along with interesting facts of the past and present. We also stopped and tasted the best croissants’, yummy chocolate, to die for macaroons, with some window shopping along the way. We saw Parisian neighborhoods and got a feel for life in Paris which wouldn’t have happened had we been on our own. Richard was also very helpful with suggestions of places to eat, shop, and some don’t miss seeing sights. I would highly recommend Richard for his walking tours; it was one of our highlights in Paris.
Linda <email>
Chandler, AZ USA 08/10/2009
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
Jason Spiehler - Walks of Italy
Jason Spiehler of Walks of Italy (Rome)is fantastic!!!!! We did four tours with Jason and/or one of his associates, Justin. Our tours included the catacombs of St. Sebastian, Ancient City Tour, Vatican Tour and the Rome City Tour. All were awesome. Jason and Justin both are extraordinarily knowledgable and were great fun to be around. Another benefit is that they both speak perfect English. Jason is a Louisiana native (so are we) and Justin is from Canada. You will not be disappointed!!!!!!
Suzanne Lenfant <email>
The Woodlands, TX 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
Great Rome Tours
My wife and I had a great time in Rome with different tour companies. We did Jason's night walking tour and had a great evening. He really knows his stuff and is quite entertaining. We also did a great Angels & Demons tour with angelsdemonsrome.com. Our first tour, the Vatican, was not the best. We did it through myvaticantour.com and had this really nasty italian tour guide named Simona. My wife and I are Italian Americans and we speak Italian quite well. This 'lady' was harassing a co-worker of hers before her own tour started, insulting him in Italian for no good reason. She then started our tour and was bossy and quite bitchy throughout our whole tour.
I am glad we did the Vatican tour first because our two guides after that were great people. Regardless you really do need a guide to see all that Rome has.
Michael
Boston, MA 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
Real Rome Tours - The Best
Will at RealRomeTours is fantastic; he toured 6 of us around the forum/colosseum with such joy & knowledge that it could not have been better. He kept 2 kids enthralled, and gave us more information than we could have ever found on our own. We experienced other tours in Rome, but RRT (especially with Will) was more thorough, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. He also gave us great pointers on getting around Rome, and how to appreciate the Borghese.
corinne
woodside, ca USA 07/31/2009
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
Enjoyed Through Eternity Tour
My family enjoyed a private 2 day Rome Immersion Walking Tour by Through Eternity. Our guide, Marle', was excellent - on time, professional and extremely knowledgable about the architecture, history, art and local sites of Rome. Since there were just the 3 of us touring, she was able to flex the schedule to spend time on our areas of interest and even worked in the multiple coffee stops needed by my husband and son. Marle' was able to explain history in interesting ways and made learning about Rome easy and fun. I highly recommend this agency and guide to those who want to get the most out of their trip to Rome.
Nancy Hall <email>
Seattle, WA USA 07/24/2009
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
Amazing Vatican Tour
I completely agree with larry who posted below about the Vatican Tour with Roman Odessy Tours and Raul. Definately the best tour we took on our trip and the most personable and informative guide! The group we were with was small, only around 10 people, so he was able to make sure we could always see and hear him. Loved the printed out photos that he carried to point out details, especially in the Sistine Chapel. If you only take one tour, take this one! Request Raul!
Angie
Bristol, VA USA 07/21/2009
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
Vatican Tour
Roman Odessey Tours was outstanding. Our Vatican tour with Rahul was extremely thorough. He was very knowledgeable, kind and helpful. Highly recommend this organization.
Larry Seibert
Madison, WI USA 07/17/2009
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
Angel Tours are full of trust
We had problems with cash a few days back in Rome, so we called Angel Tours to tell them to cancel our tour. Sean T the manager told us how to get to the American express office in Rome, and then told us we could send a check when we get home. The tour was excellent, we wont forget to look after the bill and can recommend Angel Tours and Angel Ken with great thanks.
Kim Phillips
USA 07/09/2009
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
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
Through Eternity Tour, Rome
My mother, two children (ages 11 and 8) and I recently spent 5 days in Rome, and our tours with Through Eternity Tours were the highlight of our visit. We took the group Ancient Rome tour with Thomas, and he vividly brought Ancient Rome to life for all of us, inspiring wonderful dinner-table conversation on the incredible lasting impact of the Roman Empire. We took a private tour of the Vatican Museums, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter's Basillica with Gracelyn, and she did an amazing job keeping two children entertained and engaged in the artwork for over 5 hours. My 8 years old has repeatedly told us how much she enjoyed our afternoon in the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. It was truly the highlight of our trip!
Susan
USA 06/26/2009
Walks of Italy
Prior to embarking on a cruise last month we spent several extra days in Rome. Like the earlier posts I read, at the Pantheon we heard an American, Jason Spiehler, giving an excellent tour. So we followed and were very appreciative of the information this young man was providing. He said that the Pantheon tour was a free sample for the public to see his style, knowledge, and pace and that he did multiple tours of Rome at different locations. So we and others showed up the next day for his Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tour. This was probably our best investment for the entire trip including the cruise. Jason's education was in history, art and theology at LSU and Yale. He said that he is featured in Rick's 2009 Italy guidebook. When we returned we found that he is the only tour guide recommended by the NY Times. We experienced about 10 other tour guides on the whole trip and none came close to Jason. Jason Spiehler - Walks of Italy Tours. From his card, his US contact phone no. is +1202.684.6916, Italy no. +39 334.974.4274. His web site walksofitaly.com is under construction.
Paul Scopel <email>
Marietta, GA USA 06/25/2009
Pompeii/Vesuvius/Ravello/Positano
My 3 girlfriends and I stayed in Sorrento for 3 wonderful days. On one of those days, we hired Renato Cuomo of "Limousine Service Sorrento"....provided a nice Mercedes van and took us on a day trip to Pompeii, Vesuvius, Ravello and Positano....Ravello was a bonus as he wanted us to see the not-so-touristy town...and it proved to be more beautiful than Positano!!! Renato's svc included transpo from the Naples station to our B&B, the day tour the following day, and the transpo back to the Naples station on our final day. You can email Renato at recuomo@tin.it.
Marian
Millbrae, CA USA 06/24/2009
Rome food and Private tour service
A good friendly guide who has a handle on their history, can be fun and entertaining and who can become a family member for a day is what we got. We booked with Sky Tours in Rome with our private tour for one day. We saw as much as we could see in the short few hours we had on a cruise stop in Rome. Our guide was official, she spoke very good english and Italian which made life comfortable when needed. She made sure the taxi guys treated us well and brought us to nice genuine Roman restuarants which are not too expensive but serve good Roman food. Not nuked or pre made stuff, I mean food made when ordered.
Check out www.skytoursrome.com
ask for Francisco in admin
Kate M
USA 06/22/2009
Vatican Tour
We took our only organized tour while in Italy with Roman Odysey and had Jay give us his 4-5 hour tour of the Vatican. We had our 9 year old daughter with us and she held up just fine. Jay was both very knowledgable and interesting to listen to. Our group was small (maybe 12 people?) and Jay could answer everyone's questions and tailor his comments to include everyone's interests.
Michelle Dillow <email>
Decatur, IL USA 06/21/2009
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
Fantastic Rome Tour Guide
After an escorted tour of Palatine Hill by an agency, we were turned loose in the Forum. While wandering around, we heard an American offering a free tour of the Forum. As the price was right, we joined one other couple. By the end of the tour our group had grown to about 25 people. The guide was Jason Spiehler of "Walks of Italy." We enjoyed this free tour so much that we paid (20 euros each) to go with him on an evening walking tour that same evening. It was well worth the money.
Jason is a fabulous tour guide. He is both interesting and knowledgeable. He does private and group tours. He is mentioned in Rick Steve's Rome Guide.
His phone number in the US is 1-202-684-6916. In Italy it is +39-334-974-4274. We recommend him wholeheartedly! He is the best guide we have experienced in three visits to Rome.
William Dixon
Scottsdale, Arizon USA 06/12/2009
Tours in Madrid
Madrid Museum Tours under the direction of Hernan Amaya Satt gave us the best experience in a major european city (Madrid) a visitor could ever want. Hernan's knowledge and insightful descriptions brought today's Madrid and it's history to us with great clarity; we, as grandparents, traveling with a teenaged granddaughter were especially fortunate to have found a guide who related beautifully across generations with a lively and interesting tour. We travel extensively and he is the best guide we have experienced. (www.madrid-museum-tours.org)
Carol & Steve Gutman
New York, NY USA 06/11/2009
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
Miles & Miles - Fantastic Tours of Rome
We had two fantastic private tours or Rome with Miles & Miles, I can highly recommend them. A family run business who definately show you 'Rome Through Roman Eyes'.
I spent many hours on the internet researching before I found the ideal company.
No up front booking fees, excellent pre-tour communication & tips by email even before our tour.
First tour was of the Vatican with Caron Miglio (the only non Roman born family member - she has been married to Roberto and living in Rome for over 30 years) She really knows the Vatican you couldn't wish for a more knowlegable guide. Gave us an interesting and informative tour with just the right amount of information tailored to our particular areas of interest. She stayed with us for longer than we had booked and took us to a delightful typical Roman restaurant and recommended wines etc before leaving us. A brilliant afternoon. (Caron even showed us where her two children - both tour guides - were actually baptised in St. Peters. Something which seemed natural to her - but really impressed me)
The next day we had a 7 hour driving tour with the very charismatic Francesco Miglio (Carons son) He showed us Rome as we would never have seen it for ourselves - even over numerous visits. He is very passionate about his country - his enthusiasm abounds. He took us to see all the major attractions, the little nooks and crannnies that are 'Real Rome' We visited the best bakery and coffee shop in Rome used by the locals. We were shown Pararomic Views of Rome whilst furnishing us with so many interesting facts you would never find in a tour book or with a 'group tour'. He took us to the Appian Way (not to be missed).
We visited the cappuchin monks crypt where the walls are lined with their bones. Too many sights to mention here, every one of them amazing.
We were interested to find out what was just outside Rome so Francesco drove us to the most amazing Restaurant for lunch a short drive through beautiful countryside. Pagnanelli was overlooking a Volcanic Lake which took our breath away - it was the most romantic spot imaginable. The owners have had the restaurant in their family since the 1800's - they looked after us so well, they were very hospitable. Francesco helped us with the menu as it was all in Italian. |After our meal, the tour of the amazing wine cellars (where tables are set up for dessert) was the icing on the cake after a delicious Italian meal. If you have time its a must.
Miles & Miles are well worth paying for. it was our first visit to Rome, The tours put us in good stead for the next four days when we were sightseeng on our own - we felt we had a real insight into Rome and knew exactly where we wanted to go.
Although the company is Miles & Miles their website is: www.toursofrome.it
Their email is info@toursofrome.it I always got a prompt reply.
Angela & Collin Douglas
Liverpool, UK 06/07/2009
The private tour guide in Tangier-Morocco has great enthusiasm and plenty of good tales to tell!!
I just wanted to express my gratitude for Rebecca Breed help with our visit to Tangier this past winter.
We wish to thank Rebecca for recommending an excellent guided walking & driving tours of Tangier by Jamal arrangement. i emailed(jamaltour1@gmail.com) Jamal did a fantastic Job, put the same enthusiam into each tour, was obviously passionate about Tangier and it's history, and made us feel as if we "had gone back in time". Having gone to many countries where the local guides have been impersonal and (going through the motions) Jamal has left us with a lot of knowledge we didn't hitherto have, and memories of a wonderful day-trip. We also will certainly recommend him to anyone we know of who intends to visit Tangier-Morocco. Many thanks again.
Susan D. Robinson <email>
Pennsylvania, USA 06/07/2009
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
Best Tour Guide in Rome?
When we first decided to go Rome, my partner went into research overdrive. I had come to realize that this is rather typical for her, but as a relative newbie I still found it impressive. Within minutes, I was presented with a list of hotels in various price ranges, websites for consideration, restaurants to look into, and sightseeing options. I did some of this homework too, and together we assembled a very good dossier to refer to while were planning (and while we were there - it turned out to be a great reference for food choices) but in truth there's really no comparison between my work and hers.
One thing she found was a tour guide for a couple of our events: Jason Spiehler, whose advertising flavor claims he's the Best Tour Guide in Rome, and based on our experience, I wouldn't put up an argument over the title.
We first reached out to him via email, (Info@walksofitaly.com and walksofitaly@hotmail.com are the email addresses he provides) which allowed us to plan visits to the Vatican and to the Forum well ahead of time (the email connection also got us a discount on what was already a pretty darned good deal.) I'm the first to admit that guided tours can be thoroughly deflating, but under the right circumstances and with the right guide, they can add immeasurably to an experience. And, for us at least, Jason was definitely the right guide: originally from Louisiana, he's brilliantly spoken and charismatic; he has a background (and an advanced degree) in Historical Theology, and knows his art history inside and out. He's funny, too - those subjects may sound dry, but Jason has a really good sense of humor and brought things to vibrant life.
The Vatican is incredible no matter how you slice it. Bernini, Michelangelo, Rafael - you can't really go wrong. But when there's someone there to tell you about Pomodoro's Sfera con Sfera, and joke about how it looks like the Death Star, it helps.
And it enhances your experience of something like, oh, the Sistine Chapel if you know something about the historical context; about Michelangelo's career, his professional relationships and rivalries and how they fit into his work there; about the physical process of creating frescoes, and the challenges of learning this process, on a ceiling, under a Papal order, when you've spent your life training to be a sculptor. Jason was able to give us this and then some, in a way that was entertaining and alive. And he talked us through the imagery on the Ceiling and in the Last Judgement fresco behind the altar that Michelangelo painted 25 years later.
And he talked us through the statuary, the tapestries, the trompe l'oeil, the architecture, the Pieta... Of course he didn't cover the whole Vatican, nor the entire Forum: no one could in a day. But let me tell you, people - finding this guy was more than worthwhile.
And that's not even getting into the tour we had of the Forum! We had a guide at the Galleria Borghese as well (do NOT miss this museum - astounding sculpture and painting; make sure to reserve ahead of time) who was perfectly fine, but not nearly in Jason's league. Highest marks for Mr. Spiehler, really.
*As a bonus, not to do with Jason or tours - if you end up going to the Testaccio neighborhood, try Lo Scopettaro. Go WITH ROMANS if you can: you'll get the full Roman meal. Absolutely have the artichokes if they're in season. Amazing.
7 Lungotevere Testaccio
Phone: +39 06 574 2408
Mick <email>
New York, NY USA 06/03/2009
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
Fantastic Rome tour with Miles&Miles
I was on a Mediterranean cruise with only a 1 day stop in Rome. I shared a tour with 2 other couples on our cruise and we had an awesome day with Roberto of Miles&Miles! I can't believe all that we saw in such a short stop. We first stopped to see a panoramic view of Rome and then concentrated on the ancient Roman ruins with the coliseum being the highlight. It was great skipping the long lines entering the coliseum! Then we ventured into Renaissance Rome and stopped at the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. We then visited the amazing Pantheon. This was followed by an amazing lunch at Italian restaurant outside the Vatican. The afternoon was spent with our private tour guide inside the Vatican, who was Roberto's wife. She did a great job touring us through the Vatican museum, the Sistine Chapel and finally St. Peter's Basilica. This was a day I'll remember forever...thanks Miles&Miles!!!
Juan Archilla
Wake Forest, NC USA 05/20/2009
Juno Beach D Day Normandy
We recently had a tour of Juno with Philippe Guerin. It was overwhelming. His knowledge of Canadians at D Day was beyond all expextations.
Roy T. Vopni
Kingston, , Ontari Canada 05/17/2009
Irish in Rome
We saw Angel Tours Rome mentioned in Ricks book, gosh those guys do a great job, they are well run, friendly, funny and to the point. We only wish they had tours in other parts of Europe. We didnt stand in line at any time, the tour groups max numbers are only about 10 and the Guides speak real English.
Rick R
USA 05/16/2009
Another unforgettable trip to Umbria
Just returned from another wonderful trip to Umbria - our first trip since purchasing a house in beautiful Le Marche. We took a tour in Umbria with Annie Robichaud (annesitaly.com)as we have every year. Anne's tours are always the highlight of our trip. She has a passion for Italy and appreciation of Italian culture that is truly infectious. Her art history background is evident in both the detail and depth of knowledge she brings to everything from frescoes to door frames.Capping off the tour was a delicious meal at Annie's family farmhouse nestled in the hills of Assisi. She is also an invaluable help to us wherever we go in Italy as she helps book our hotels and tour guides in areas outside of Umbria.
Alyssa and Bill
Bergen County, NJ USA 05/14/2009
Vatican
My buddy and I took a Vatican tour with Susan Simcox. It lasted almost 5 hours. She is a little eccentric, but she is an excellent guide who seems to be well-respected in the Vatican. Her email is susanmsimcox@yahoo.it.
Eugene White
Santa Fe, US 05/13/2009
Rome Guide
My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our time in Rome because we had a guide that we found on this forum, Sarah arts_rome@yahoo.com, who not only told us all the facts and specifics about the place, but made us all(including my 10 year old daughter) feel like we were a part of the history and energy of the city. We contacted her only a week before our trip and she was able to accomodate us for the Vatican tour and Trastevere tour. She also helped us get s reservation at the Borghese museum and for the Uffizi in Florence. She had both numbers on her phone! And thank goodness we had one, the line there was outrageous! We all wished we could have brought her along with us to Florence, because even though it is an easy town to get around in, there is so much art, it is mind blowing. If you go to Rome, make sure to have a guide!
John Franklin
Denver, CO USA 05/10/2009
Tiber Tours Rome
Today we enjoyed our tour of the Vatican with Rossa from Tiber Tours Rome. He is an Art Historian from Dublin, full of facts and fun history as well. For sure we would use him again if we came back to Rome. He managed to get our group into the Vatican without standing in any lines.
Thanks Rossa
Trent
USA 05/09/2009
Rudolf City tours from Helsinki, Finland
I was lucky to find these guys (www.rudolfcity.com) when I recently visited Helsinki. They are a husband and wife team running day tours to Turku, Porvoo and an evening sauna/forest tour. They are so much fun and it's obvious they care about you getting the best experience. We first tried their Turku tour which is the longest and goes to the original country capital, but to be honest the best part of the day was an amazing lunch in a small restaurant in the islands that only the locals know about (they are all about giving you a chance to visit out of the way places). We had such a great time with them that we ended up trying all of their tours and although they repeat themselves in there commentary some times they are all well worth it. There evening tour to the Forest/Lake and trying a sauna was even more relaxed than the day tours, they have a video from the forest/sauna tour: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZkaUa3BMqU. They don't pick up from the hotels but have 3 places in the centre of Helsinki they leave from and after we asked directions from the hotel reception we found them with no problems.
Alisia <email>
London, USA 05/08/2009
Volterra Walking Tour
My wife and I took a 1/2 day walking tour of Volterra, Tuscany with TuscanTour. Our guide, Annie, was very informative. I'm generally familiar with Etruscan, Roman, and Renaissance history, and found it great fun to discuss with Annie where Volterra fit into the picture specifically. The experience made college art history courses come alive. I definitely saw a lot more by spending a few hours with a local expert. We found out about Annie from Rick Steves' show, and really enjoyed the experience. Highly recommend it.
John
Houston, TX USA 05/08/2009
Day Tours and Wine Tasting in Italy
Italy is the capitol or culture and Art: is known for its history, its monuments and its culinary tradition!
www.italysegwaytours.com offers the chance to discover Florence Pisa, Milan and Rome trough Segway and Bike tours.
The Segway tour is the most appropriate to visit the entire historical center in less time then simply walking.
If you are bike lovers, www.italycruiserbiketours.com will allow you to discover new bicycle path between the streets full of history of Rome, Pisa and Florence. The cruiser bike will allow you to pedal in comfortable way, thanks to the larger seat, compare to a normal bike. If this is not enough, and you want to know more about Italy, you cannot miss a wine tasting www.italywinetasting.com
Claudio <email>
Chula Vista, CA USA 05/05/2009
Rome and Italy
I just returned from a short vacation in Italy. A friend recommended I try to organize some activities with Susan Simcox of Rome. She was very helpful, generous with her time, sincere, intelligent (she attended University of Chicago) and most interesting. I found it especially interesting that she is currently studying the restoration of oil paintings, so she has good knowledge of artistic methods and materials. She has an excellent group of guides, drivers, archeologists, enologists, craftsmen and artists with whom she works to cover all facets of an Italian vacation. Better still, she takes her clients to amazing ancient and modern places that are free of crowds. But probably most important is that she understands people travel on a budget. Whatever your interests are, you are in good hands with Susan and her Italian team.
Mr. Mark Davies
New York, NY USA 05/01/2009
City Guides in Tuscany
In October, 2008, I & 3 friends spent a few weeks in Italy. The very best thing we did was arrange for 'city' guides before we left the States. We were met by the prearranged guide, at the prearranged place in each of the towns we had chosen. It's well worth the price - you see & learn about the most important sites of the area. Having someone who can answer your questions on the spot adds to the experience. We loved Volterra, especially, & our guide, an American now living in Volterra, could not have been finer. You can contact Annie Adair at info@tuscantour.com
Jane Williams <email>
Hillsborough, CA USA 05/01/2009
Volterra, Italy Encore
Reluctantly,I make my comments about Volterra - reluctantly because it is a Tuscan town not over run with tourists - & it would be wonderful to keep it that way therefore keep our praises to ourselves! But Volterra is an outstanding, charming old Etruscan original settlement. To get the most from your visit, we recommend hiring a 'city' guide. We made our arrangements before leaving the States with Annie Adair at info@tuscantour.com. Annie is a delight who knows all there is to know about the town which she loves 7 where she lives.
We stayed at Albergo Etruria - charming small hotel.
See the 2 comments above regarding Volterra as well.
Jane <email>
Hillsborough, CA USA 05/01/2009
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
Tour of Volterra
Just two days before we were to leave for our trip to Tuscany, we still had not been successful in finding a tour guide for any of the places we had hoped to visit. Then I stumbled across Tuscan Tours (http://www.tuscantour.com) in a posted comment on line. I emailed Annie Adair immediately and she responded quickly with a resounding “yes!” We were thrilled…here was someone who, not only had quick response time and fair tour prices, but offered tours in the off season! And, what a great tour! We spent hours touring the village of Volterra & visiting a local alabaster carver’s workshop. Then we relaxed for an impromptu wine tasting at a local restaurant. Volterra is a lovely medieval village with lots of character and fascinating history. Annie has spent years studying the language and history. Because she is from the United States, we were able to have great conversations about the differences in the culture, environment, economy, education and foods. Annie’s tour was one of the highlights of our trip and we hope to make it back to Tuscany to tour other cities with her!
Pamela and Mark
York, PA USA 04/20/2009
rome private tour
Hi Just back from Rome we had a fantastic two days with Francesco and his family touring Rome it was my third time in Rome but the first for my teenagers i saw things with them that I have never seen before but more importantly because you tour on a mercedes van you can see so much in a day and with such beautiful view from the different Hills.Francesco is very knowledgeable and bring you in some areas never seen with other group tour Will come back and tour with him the Wineries and Umbria !
sylvie Bergeron
london, USA 04/20/2009
D-Day and Paris tours
Recently returned from Paris & Normandy. Can recommend two tours mentioned in Rick's 2009 Paris guidebook. We used Battlebus for a 1-day D-Day Tour. Jules, our guide, was remarkably informative and really brought D-Day alive. The maximum of 8 passengers was a huge plus. We used Paris Walks for a 2-hour walking tour of Marais. Our group was larger than we would have liked,(24 people), but the guide was entertaining and informative.
Thomas
Fargo, ND USA 04/19/2009
Context Tours are Winners!
I can not say enough about the fantastic Context Tours my daughter (age 27) and i took while in Rome last month. We used the suggestion by Rick Steves to book with this company as they are non-profit, have high standards, and limit their group tour sizes to 6 people. We took a Vatican Tour which focused on Art History but our tour guide, Hilary, beautifully tied art history with cultural history, politics of the time and architecture. Never were we bored,plus she had a great way of injecting just the right bit of humor to keep us perky, and she knew her way around the Vatican and Sistine Chapel that allowed us to breeze by other mega-sized tour groups. Our Context Tour with Daniela featured a 6 hour cooking tour which began by going with her to the neighborhood fresh markets. What a treat! Then to her house to watch, help and enjoy a 5 course true Italian meal with all the comforts, hospitality and simple elegance that is Italy. We will plan to do more tours using Context Tours when visiting Italy again next year! Thanks Rick--for recommending such a great company.
Luisa Craige-Sherman <email>
Bolton Landing, NY USA 04/19/2009
Brewer's Berlin Tours
I took the "free" walking tour that Brewer's Berlin Tours offers, and it was great. The tour takes you to the most famous sights in the city, and my tour guide was very enthusiastic and informative. I highly recommend it:
www.brewersberlintours.com
Bethany
USA 04/18/2009
Through Eternity Tours Can't Be Matched
Our family took two tours with Through Eternity during our recent Spring Break trip to Rome and can't say enough good things about Brandon (Colliseum/Forum) and Justin (Night time walking tour). Our 8 year old son and 14 year old daughter were both thoroughly engaged by their storytelling styles and relaxed, informed presentations. My husband and I also took tours with Through Eternity 4 years ago (we also used one other company) and would never book a tour with anyone else again when visiting Rome. They are the best--hands down-- because their guides clearly come with a passion for art, history and Italy.
Kim Wright
Annandale, VA USA 04/16/2009
Private guideBudapest
Can highly recommend Gabriella Torok for private tours in Budapest. She has her own website and speaks excellent English. We did a 4 hour intro to Budapest on our first day - saw the main sights, found out how to use public transport, enter baths, good restaurants and where everything was. Then we did a day to Danube Bend. She can structure the tours to whatever interests you have.
A and A <email>
Australia 04/15/2009
Cararra Tour
On Rick's Guide Book recommendation, we engaged Sara Paolini for a half-day Cararra Tour. This turned out to be one of the best tours we've had in Italy. Sara is gracious, well-informed, and a genuinely caring person. Not only during the tour, but in correspondenced before and after, she couldn't have been more helpful.
Jeane <email>
Lakewood, CO USA 04/14/2009
OUR Best Private tour guide in Morocco
My husband daughter and I recently took our first trip out of the U.S.A and decided to take a dream trip to Morocco. We started reading this guide well before we left to get an idea of where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. The tour guide Jamal was fantastic.
I'd like to highly recommend a tour guide in Morocco, Jamal Jamali, who grew up in Casablanca, has lived in Morocco for close to 20 years. he is a licensed tour guide, great with kids of all ages, her enthusiasm and love of Morocco shines through.
In Casablanca Marrakesh and Agadir-Morocco. Our tour guide was great, very prepared, very knowledgeable, and very interesting.
Jamal is a wonderful Casablanca-based tour guide. He took us through the Old City, where he lives with his family, as well as a three-day trip up north to such spots as Tangier, Tetouan, Asilah and many others. He was not only knowledgeable, but also patient and flexible with our itinerary and truly made our trip out of the ordinary.
I highly recommend Jamal as a Private tour guide in Morocco. Our own tour guide Jamal has an exclusive a.C van.
He is fabulous by all means! Educated in US; Speaks Arabic, French, English fluently and Hebrew. Lots of energy. Many american families have used his services. He has been giving tours to families and larger groups for many years.
our Private tour guide In Morocco (Mr. Jamal) did everything, from pick us up from the ferry, book our hotel, take us to dinners, and tailor our tours as we requested. He provides many different tours to different cities. His information can be found below:
email at: jamaltour1@gmail.com
C -Phone: 00212.649.55.84.30
Rebecca Breed <email>
University of San Francisco (USF) , CA USA 04/11/2009
Rome for kids
The kids loved the Coliseum of course, they loved the Dome on St Peters church. We had one of Ricks Angel Tours guides, too much info on the Vatican tour I felt, very factual and not enough stories. On the coliseum the kids loved the guide, more down to earth and funny, along with enough info.
Hotel forty Seven is good, with a nice location.
Ricks food places are spot on.
His 2009 book was an essential guide but not enough info, its too dumbed down.
Visit the arca pace, an amazing place.
No lines to any site we just walked in.
only 3 days is recommended for kids
oh, and mouth of truth, although it was crowded the day we went.
Ragu D
USA 04/09/2009
Day tour in Rome
We recently returned from Rome and booked a 3-hour private tour with Sarah May (arts_rome@yahoo.com) for the Vatican City. Tour included Vatican Museum, Sistene Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica (she also does tours of the Forum/Palentine Hill/Colosseum and wine tours). She was AMAZING - very informative, knew her stuff, and was flexible with us as we were traveling with our 1-year old son. I contacted her on short notice and she fit us in, no problem. I would HIGHLY recommend her - great prices and we didn't have to walk around in a herd with a large tour group.
Jill Hayes
Hahnbach, Germany 04/08/2009
Day trips in France: Mont St Michel and Loire Valley in France
We just returned from a 12-day trip to France. We rented an apartment in Paris, so most of our time was spent there. But we did manage to get away for a few days
1. Mt St Michel is an absolute must, and you have to do it overnight! During the day, the place is overrun with tourists, but at night and in the early morning it is MAGICAL. We used www.westcapades.com (a private tour for the 4 of us was only 80 euros more than the group tour, definitely worth it!). Marc, the owner, was an absolute delight! He catered to our needs and made us feel welcome! We arrived from Paris into Rennes in under 2.5 hrs. Marc met us at the train station and took us to Fougeres (an old castle under renovation - fun experience for kids). From there we went to MSM. We stayed at www.lemoutonblanc.com - very comfortable. We walked around in the evening when darkness set it and then again early in the morning (sunrise was at 7). The place was deserted. It was an unforgettable experience! Keep in mind that breakfast is a problem in the island - most places don't open until 10am, so we had to eat the buffet breakfast at hotel, which wasn't so great. The abbey opens around 9:30 (?), and there is a free English-speaking tour at 11. We were the only ones who knew about it, so we got a private guide who made it very special, even taking us into the crypt that is otherwise closed to tourists. The 4 museums on the island aren't worth the visit. We left MSM around 1 and headed for St Malo and Dinan. We were a bit short in time (had to be back to Rennes at 6:15), I wish we bought tickets for later train. If you don't want to use a tour guide, bus service is available from Rennes to MSM.
2. Loire Valley was a day trip. Make sure to purchase train tickets ahead of time - you can get to Tours in just an hour on the fast train. Clos Luce and the castles that we visited (CHENONCEAU, CHAMBORD, CHEVERNY) we very interesting. Be prepared to pay for the entrance between 8 and 12 euros per person. We used accodispo-tours.com (again, didn’t want to rent a car) and were very unhappy. The driver/guide Pascal was controlling and rude beyond belief!! We couldn't understand half of what he was telling us. And when we asked him to speak louder and slower, he told us that we should listen better. We only got 45min in the da Vinci place (CLOS LUCE), and then had to wait for the van for 10 min - not even an apology. Pascal told us we couldn't eat or drink in the van. My 8 year-old daughter who was tired and starving by the end of the day, got carsick, and I finally had to put my foot down and tell him that she will eat even if he didn't want her to. All in all, it was very unpleasant. I would recommend using other company (check loirevalleytourism.com) or renting a car.
Dina <email>
Indianapolis, IN USA 04/05/2009
Rome tour comparisons
During our week in Rome we used 3 Rick Steves-recommended tour groups– Through Eternity, Context Rome, and Angel Tours. Each tour had 4-8 people in its group. Through Eternity (Brendan) gave an outstanding tour of the Vatican (41Euros for 5+ hours). This was by far the most educational and best value of the three. Angel Tours (Tom) was rougher around the edges but provided a good orientation to the Forum and Colosseum (25Euros for 2+ hours). Context Rome at 205Euros, including transportation, for its 7-hr Tivoli tour (Liz) was not a good value. The guide was disorganized and poorly prepared, provided little of the interesting anecdotal kind of information we got on our other tours, and nearly 3 of the 7 hours were spent in driving or eating lunch. As such, we were rushed through some areas and did not have time to see others. Priced significantly higher than other Tivoli small-group tours, we expected much more.
Margi
Santa Barbara, CA USA 04/04/2009
paris greeters
www.parisgreeters.com - if this isn't correct Google them! Our best day in Paris was spent Sarah from Paris Greeters. They are an organization which pairs up tourists with local volunteers who love their city. Sarah showed us around her neighborhood - Monmartre. I had also expressed an interest in flea markets so we went under the ring road and to a huge flea market. Sarah was a volunteer and we took her out to lunch but she wanted no payment. She was great and we still keep in touch on Facebook - she made our first day in Paris perfect.
bronwen
maplewood, nj usa 04/02/2009
Volterra, Italy (tuscany)
Do you want an old world stop when you are in Tuscany? We had a wonderful time in the ancient, walled city of Volterra. In late May there were very few tourists, which gave us a better feel for the city. Our family stayed in the old monastery and it was wonderful, inexpensive and full of charm. It had a parking lot and we were able to walk anywhere we wanted from there. It wouldn't have been nearly as much fun if we hadn't hired Annie Adair as our tour guide. We chose a morning walking tour of the city from her array of offerings. We learned so much more of the fascinating history and she was a great interpreter in the alabaster workshop. You don't need to be "on a tour" to hire a guide and it is absolutely worth every penny in added memories.
Diane <email>
AZ USA 03/22/2009
Trip Planners & Tour GuidesAdair
If you're headed to Italy (specifically The Tuscany Region & Rome) you MUST contact Annie Adair of Tuscan Tours and Suzanne of Bella Roma Tours to help you organize your trip. Annie Adair assisted me in all aspects of my trip planning (we had 60 in our group) plus she gave us a wonderfully animated personalized tour of Volterra, which was the highlight of the trip. And Suzanne's walking tour of Rome was hilariously entertaining, while also being incredibly informational. She knew so many "inside" stories about all the Roman "players" and our time with her was much too short.
Carol <email>
Seattle, WA USA 03/21/2009
Brunello Tour with Franco Fadda
I already posted a comment about Franco Fadda in the Mouthwatering Italy section of the Graffiti Wall prior to noticing this day tour link. Please see that post if you are interested in a fabulous day full of Brunello wine, pecorino cheese, history, sightseeing, an incredible lunch and great company. Franco's website is www.francowinetourexperience.com
Christy Schurter <email>
Rantoul, IL USA 03/18/2009
Paris Day Tours
We had a wonderful tour with Richard Nahem of Eye Prefer Paris tours. I lived in Paris years ago, and I just brought my best girlfriends. I was afraid that I couldn't do it justice, and Richard was there to help. He showed us around the Marais - the market, the shopping and the beautiful Place des Vosges. It was great.
Lisa Cohen-Dumani <email>
Gaithersburg, MD USA 03/10/2009
Rome Tours and Venice
Our stay in Rome and indeed in Italia was the trip of a lifetime. Venice was the city my boyfriend like most but I felt more at home in Rome. We had two days in Rome and 3 in Venice. Our tour in Rome was with Sky Tours Rome www.skytoursrome.com and in Venice with a private guide booked through our Hotel San Marco. Our hotel in Rome was Ceasar house. We loved all these hotels and our Sky Tours walk leader. I will get the name of the guide in Venice and will post it soon.
Ps, our sky tours guide was very good with children.
M Kruger
usa 03/09/2009
From Seville to the white villages
I found Paul McGrath´s tour in The RS guide for Spain. He takes small groups to some beautiful white villages outside Seville. Stunning scenery, great guide, my husband and I agreed it was the best day we spent in Spain.
Paula Abbot <email>
Los Angeles , Ca USA 03/03/2009
Tours out of Florence - Accidental Tourist
Wonderful tour group. Had a great day cooking (in someone's house) and also a tour of winery and olive oil maker in Tuscany. Wonderful hosts; great time; very responsive to inquiries. wwww.Accidentaltourist.com
Rick
Marietta, GA USA 02/23/2009
Private tour in Rome
We had two days in Rome and wanted to make the best of it. We also wanted to be pampered, so we booked two private tours with Roman Odyssy Tours. It was GREAT! We had Rahul on the first day and Justin on the second day. Both were extrememly knowledgeable and were flexible with our schedule. This was the best tour I've ever been on and we were completely satisfied.
Tina Morrow
San Antonio, TX USA 02/20/2009
Berlin Tour
My brother and I were in Berlin in October, and we took the Third Reich Walking Tour. It was amazing! We had a great tour-guide who knew many amazing details about the history of the area. You could tell he truly enjoyed his job! It was about 3 hours, with a quick lunch break in the middle. Wear comfortable shoes and definitely take the tour. It meets at the Starbucks in front of Brandenberg Gate ...take the paid tour. It's much more detailed than the free tour.
Celeste
CANADA 02/20/2009
Rome by Jason
I spent five days in Rome and was luck enough to stumble across Jason Spiehler (toursofrome@hotmail.com) giving a free tour at The Forum. Jason is easily one of the most knowledgeable and personable tour guides I've had anywhere. His passion for Rome and its history made his tour unforgettable. I subsequently took Jason's tour of the Coliseum, a nighttime walking tour, and the tour of the Vatican Museum/Sistine Chapel. Jason's rates were on par if not cheaper than the other package deals I saw and I would challenge another guide to do as good of a job. I won't hesitate to look Jason up next time I'm in Rome.
Steve T
London via St. Louis, MO, UK 02/20/2009
Rome according to Jason
We just returned from a trip to Rome, and took 3 very enjoyable tours with Jason Spiehler (toursofrome@hotmail.com). We ran into him in the Forum, where he was giving a free tour, and so we followed up with a (paid) tour on the following day, …and then another. He has a master’s degree in historical theology, and had a lot of interesting color commentary for the Forum, Vatican, and a night-walk through central Rome. Our 13 and 9 year old kids enjoyed the tours as much as we did. During our second and third tours, we recognized people from previous outings -- apparently many of his attendees are “repeat offenders”. These tours greatly enhanced our experience of the Eternal City.
Claire and Dave
Seattle, WA USA 02/18/2009
Rome Day Tours
During our cruise, we had just one day to see Rome..and we were lucky enough to find Miles and Miles tours of Italy(www.toursofrome.it). We saw all of the major sites in Rome--and then some more!! We accomplished more in a day than most people see in a week! Our guide was prompt, knowlegdeable and FUN! They far exceeded our expectations and I recommend them highly.
Cathy
Atlanta, GA USA 02/11/2009
Rome at Christmas
We had a fantastic time in Rome over the 2008 Christmas Holidays! Roman Odyssey Tours showed us the City, Ancient Rome & the Vatican. We also booked a private tour with them to Pompeii & Sorrento & it was the most wonderful day...in large part because of our great driver Sam & our super tour guide Michela. She was so knowlegeable & patient & informative, it made our day trip the most fun of the entire trip.
Joni <email>
Arlington, TX USA 02/11/2009
Hop -On Hop OFf bus Stockholm
This is for all who will cruise Nothern Europe and stop in Stockholm.It is a beautiful country ,but if you do not take the ship tour,do not take their hop-on hop -off sightseeing bus that is on the pier waiting for suckers.It is a rip-off.The prices are the highest in Northern Europe and more important,they take you 5 minutes to change for another bus which never comes while the original bus takes off.All the drivers lie,it is a most unpleasant experience in such a beautiful country.Take a taxi or even walk .It is a very nice walk and you can pace yourself to spend as much or as little time as you want exploring your interests.Avoid the bus
Alan G
alan goldberg
west palm beach, fl USA 01/27/2009
Free tour was great!Real Rome
I was in Rome in January and wouldn't normally be the touring type, but let me tell you, in this city there is so much to see and so much hidden below the surface, a guide makes it mean SO much more. We went with Real Rome because of their free tour offer, but even the tours we paid for were great value, just €25 and €30. All in all, some 8 hours touring for €55 was fantastic value, and we only shared one tour with 2 others, had our own guide for the other 2 tours. Thanks Real Rome!
Jeremy Simpson <email>
Birmingham, AL USA 01/22/2009
Rome guide and looking for Paris guide
We went to arts_rome@yahoo.com to book our tours in Rome based on feedback we found on this site last fall. We had a young lady named Sarah who was our guide for the Vatican, Ancient City and a private Roman wine tour. All three were fantastic, and the groups were small. We are now planning our fall trip to Paris and plan to go with guides that are recommended on this site. This board is really great for little tips that make a world of difference.
Lori Bambil
Tuscan, AZ USA 01/21/2009
day tours in Rome
If you are visiting Rome and planning a trip to the Vatican, don’t go with the tour company Enjoy Rome. We did and had a bad experience. Rosa was our guide and tried to do an excellent job, but she was handicapped by the lack of good audio equipment. She borrowed the equipment from the Vatican offices and had to go back to replace it because the transmitter wasn't working after only a few minutes. Then the second transmitter stopped working after only about 1/2 hour. Rosa tried, but it was virtually impossible to hear what she was saying.
Since this will likely be a once in a lifetime experience, ask your tour operator if they provide their own equipment. Most groups did, and made out much better than we did.
Harold Baal <email>
Lakefield, ON Canada 01/13/2009
Fly Fishing for Michelangelo's Trout in Tuscany and Umbria
Italy is so much more than the typical tourist can experience but I was one of the lucky ones. Over the Christmas Holiday, while reuniting with my foreign studies student past, I found an old friend who is now a professional fly fishing guide in Umbria. Luca Castellani has a web site at http://www.flyfishing-tuscany-umbria-lazio.com to answer any questions but basically, he will take you to the river (more than 30 km of reserved, private water for fly fishing) and provide all that is needed for a delightful and amazing day. You won't experience anything like this anywhere else on Earth. I recommend a fly fishing day as a side trip to all those traveling these regions. FYI, As a vegetarian, I was happy to learn it's all catch and release.
Susan Gilbert <email>
St. Petersburg, FL USA 01/10/2009
Context Tours (Rome, Florence, Paris, etc)
Context tours are remarkable. No more than 6 people, and I've gone on tours in which I was the only person. The guides have university degrees (often PhD) in the area in which they lead tours. I've used them in Rome, Florence, and Paris. I have always found them engaging, learned from the guide, and never caught them in a misstatement (often a problem with tour operators). They are also willing to adapt the presentation to the interests of the group, since the group is so small. A little more expensive, but so worth it.
Sherry
USA 01/08/2009
Walking tour of Split, Croatia
We had a fantastic tour guide give us a half day walking tour of Diocletian's Palace and the area surrounding it in Split. We lucked into this by just going to the Tourist Information booth and asking if they could book us a guide. But a better way is to directly contact Nick Siminiati at nsiminiati@yahoo.com. Nick is an extremely knowledgeable and interesting guide. He is also a film maker so he only does guide work part time. Nick gave us every bit of historical detail that he could think of during the wonderful tour, never looked at his watch, and in fact went overtime with us. We enjoyed his knowledge and his company so much that we spent an extra hour with him at a cafe discussing the politics and history of Croatia, a fascinating and beautiful country.
Barry Bochner <email>
Alameda, CA USA 01/04/2009