Personalized trips to Italy
for independent travelers

This was a very nice hotel just down the road from the Vatican. It had an excellent breakfast and a number of very good restaurants right outside the hotel entrance. There was plenty of room to keep our luggage out of the way and it was quiet. The only criticism is of the bathroom. There was a frosted floor to ceiling window directly in front of the toilet. It's a bit awkward. The shower stall also lacked anywhere to put razors, soap, etc. forcing us to put everything on the floor.

We had a very nice room that had adequate space to get our luggage out of the way. Very good breakfast and it's location at the back of an alley meant it was very, very quiet. This hotel had 3-prong plug outlets (a Type L?) which we weren't prepared for but the front desk was able to provide us an adapter that worked. Excellent location away from the main tourist areas around the Basilica and Palace. Water buses were available right outside the hotel and a number of restaurants were a very short walk away.

Well located for the Colosseum and Spanish Steps/Trevi Fountain. Excellent restaurant right outside the hotel entrance. Very friendly staff. Good breakfast but we needed to reserve a time block each day as the staff wanted to ensure that the dining room didn't become too crowded. We had a spacious room that allowed us to keep our luggage out of the way.

This was a small group tour that we shared with 2 other couples. Sabrina, our guide, did a great job trying to keep us separated from the numerous large tour groups that you simply can't escape from on the Vatican tours. She provided great insight into the history of the museum, some of the Popes, and prepared us very well for our Sistine Chapel experience...which you have to experience in order to appreciate what Michelangelo accomplished. There is so much meaning to each of the ceiling's components that I would have never understood without Sabrina's help. We ended at St. Peter's where Sabrina cut us loose to experience on our own after giving us the history and recommendations for what to see inside the Basilica. A great tour.

This is well worth the time just to say you experienced an iconic part of what it means to be in Venice. The tour took us from the busy waterside down much quieter and very narrow canals. But don't expect to be alone on the canal. The gondola tour companies, at least ours, follow the same route and there will be gondolas in front and behind you. Still, it's a quiet, captivating experience that makes great memories.

This was the highlight of our trip. The transportation from Florence to Manarola brought some of the Italian alps into view. Manarola itself was everything we hoped to see on a Cinque Terre tour. Small town surrounded on 3 sides by steep hills covered in vineyards with the sea on the 4th side. Tightly packed, colorful homes and businesses in the town itself and the beginning of walking trails that provided panoramic views. The boat ride (ferry) to Monterosso provided stunning views of the coast, more villages, watch towers and church steeples. We took the train to Vernazza where we had lunch and some time to see the sights including the trail that connects the Cinque Terre towns. At this point our guide, Giovanni, left us to return to Manarola so he could get the van to meet us in La Spezia. Giovanni was awesome...more like a new found friend but he ensured we knew where we needed to be and when we needed to be there. Most importantly, once he got us to a town he let us go to experience it the way we wanted to. More a facilitator than a guide.

Great tour that started with the Doge's Palace and ended in the Basilica. The Palace included incredible ceiling frescoes, plenty of art work, and the tour of the jails. Our guide was very well informed who ensured we had plenty of time in each segment of the tour to take pictures and focus on whatever caught our attention. This was a small group tour that we shared with another couple that gave us plenty of opportunities to ask questions of our guide. St. Mark's takes your breath away from the moment you walk in.

This tour was just for us that involved a train from Rome to Naples, where a driver waited to take us to Pompeii where we met our guide, Natalia. Natalia provided very informative insight into what life in Pompeii was like before it was buried. We visited the forum with its temples, Roman bathhouses, bakeries, and several homes with wall murals and tiling preserved and gardens recreated. This was a fascinating tour.

We really enjoyed this tour which started with the forum, went to Palatine Hill, and ended at the Colosseum. It also included entrance into the Emperor's palace. Leonardo, our guide, provided a lot of detailed insight while keeping the tour moving, something we really appreciated since a tour like this should let the history speak for itself as much as possible. This was a small group tour that we shared with another couple and their son, giving us plenty of opportunity to stop and take pictures, ask questions, and make unplanned diversions to things that caught our interest.

Out of all the hotels we stayed in in Italy, this one felt the most familiar to the hotels back in the US (which could be good or bad depending how authentic you want). We had already stayed in two very authentic hotels so it wasn’t bad for us. Breakfasts were wonderful. Staff was so welcoming and attentive. Nicely appointed room. Location is convenient because you’re on one of the main drags in Rome. Being on a major road means it’s also not super quiet but that’s what white noise is for. This was also the only hotel we stayed in that had a GYM which I so appreciated after doing so much eating and drinking the previous week!

Cute older hotel between the shore and all the restaurants, shops, etc. The breakfast in the morning was wonderful. We loved being able to sit outside overlooking the gardens in the morning and evening. Our room was quite large. Only reason it didn’t get five stars was we had some issues with the thermostat in our room. We didn’t tell management so that’s also kind of on us though.

Beautiful older hotel, perfectly located on the edge of the historic city center. Breakfast in the morning was wonderful. Staff was attentive and pleasant. Only reason it didn’t get five stars is our room was pretty tight for two people. We did have a cute little balcony though.

We had a private class with a chef. So much fun and so much wonderful food at the end!

This drive was the most memorable of my entire life. Absolutely breathtaking. And bonus - our driver stopped at several photo op points to let us get out and take pictures.

We loved this beautiful hike and the conversation with our very knowledgeable guide, Enzo.

Absolutely gorgeous and so fun! Definitely take the chair lift to the top of Capri!

Must do for wine lovers!