Amazing Tailored Trip
Italy
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Jun 8 - Jun 16, 2022
When I booked this trip, with the help of Monica and Sonia, I expected to have to spend it with small groups with the usual confusion and mishaps. I can say that without a doubt this trip went so smoothly, we just could not believe it. We only had two excursions that were in a small groups and the rest of our tours and drives were just myself and my husband. We were picked up in luxury vehicles with friendly drivers who were always on time and knowledgeable about the region and made sure we stopped to see everything that we could. We learned so much about Italy through all of our drivers who were from each region and had a wealth of information. Every hotel we stayed at was exactly what we wanted and had a courteous staff with lovely accommodations.
In Venice, Enrico met us promptly and gave us lots of suggestions about how to get around. Enrico was delightful and was our contact through the whole trip. He checked in regularly to see how we were doing and to give us updates and important information. He took us on a food tour and made our time there feel very personalized. Elizabeth (sp?) gave us a personal tour of the Basilica and the Doge with so much information and insight.
In Florence, we drove around wine country with Massimo who was so kind and friendly. He stopped at several quaint towns and told us what to check out and made sure we knew all about the history of the area. We would have missed so much without his guidance.
On the Amalfi coast, our driver was Luigi who also gave us lots of information and tips about what to see. He made sure to stop at the best places to get pictures and see as much as possible in the little time that we had. I also have to mention that driving in Italy is stressful and all of our drivers were very professional and competent.
On our way to Rome, we stopped for yet another personal tour--this time of Pompeii. Our tour guide Gionni (sp?) was very informative and told us more than we could ever have learned by ourselves of the ruins.
In Rome, we had the only mishap of our trip that was caught by the hotel clerk who saved us a giant headache getting to the airport. I am still amazed that he was attentive enough to notice something was off.
I am still blown away by how amazing this trip was and how smoothly it all went. We would not have been able to pull this off by ourselves and using kimkim was absolutely the best decision. I would recommend them to anyone wanting to plan a perfect vacation.
Hotel Reviews
Courteous staff with lovely accommodations. We really enjoyed the breakfast and our room was nice and quiet.
Unique room with an amazing breakfast. This hotel was centrally located and was easy to get around to most attractions. Unfortunately for us, there was an event the days we stayed with lots of partying and street noise. The doors in this hotel are very decorative and nice but heavy and it was hard to keep from slamming them. Also unfortunate for us were the neighbors who slammed their door all night long. We also had an incident in the hotel rooftop bar where another patron tried to steal my husband's wallet. We kind of let our guard down in our hotel's bar with what we assumed were other hotel guest, but I guess you can never be too careful.
Hotel is a bit far from city center but they do offer a shuttle. The reason being is that it is right on the coast with fantastic views of the ocean and several restaurants and bars to eat and drink in the views. The staff was super friendly but for some reason they wanted to make a big deal about check in and being so tired we just wanted to get to our rooms. Also, the AC won't work unless the key is inserted and the hallways and lobby were pretty hot. They did make sure to give us an additional key so we could keep the air on while we were away. Be warned if you're staying here that this is a destination for weddings and we had a wedding party right outside our window with a band that played well into the night. If you have to have a quiet hotel, this may not be the place for you.
I love boutique hotels and this was one of the nicest ones we have stayed in. The room was very nice and quiet and breakfast was great. We did have a concierge named Stephania (sp?) who was completely annoyed to have to answer our questions. I would have loved to have eaten at the rooftop restaurant but it was booked well into advance apparently. I am however, so grateful to one of the hotel clerks who was on service the early morning of June 16th. I don't remember his name but if it weren't for his attentiveness to where our driver was taking us, we may very well have missed our plane. He also made sure to pack our breakfast since we were leaving before it was served.
Activity Reviews
Massimo was our driver and guide and we had him all to ourselves. I really enjoyed the wine tour. We samples many wines and had a very nice meal. Afterwards we drove around to a few other small cities and learned about their history and what to see and do there. Massimo also made sure to stop and show us the most picturesque views.
The staff was friendly and informative. They made sure to show us all the sights and gave us lots of information. They even played "That's Amore" when we went under the arches in Capri--which was hilarious and fun. The only complaint I have about this tour is they drop you in Capri for 5 hours. I would have preferred more time on the boat and swimming in the Mediterranean.
This was probably one of my favorite things we did on this trip. Enrico took us around to some of the local places we would never have found on our own. We tried a lot of snacks and drinks and got to see where some of the locals eat. Enrico was the perfect host.
Ciao Diane,
Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic review about your trip to Venice, Florence, the Amalfi coast, and Rome, as well as your beautiful pics!! It's a pleasure to see you enjoying every minute of your trip in a relaxed atmosphere. And this is what we always try to create: combine your desired trip with the smoothest itinerary we can suggest and plan it together for you and WITH YOU. The only thing you'll have to do is to enjoy it!!!
I wish you all the best, and I'm looking forward to welcoming you to Italy again! Ciao!