Italy

We planned, with the assistance of two in-country travel agents, a four-week trip to Italy. We wanted to go to places we had not been and ended up moving around quite a bit as we saw many cities. The agents, Annalisa and Martina, were terrific, offering many suggestions and tailoring the trip to exactly what we wanted. The only uncertain moments we had usually involved transit from one place to another, and we got all the help we needed from Annalisa and support staff. They booked trains, walking tours, sightseeing tickets, and answered any questions we had. Because we didn't want to drive there (a really good decision if you want to see the "centro," or old part of an Italian city) they booked drivers for us to make transit connections and hotels, and to get to places that would have inaccessible otherwise. This allowed us to see and do things we would have never done otherwise. So five stars for our agents and their performance. A word of caution in paying for the trip: The Rough Guides IT people seemed to have problems processing credit cards. I would now start a week before the deadline in order to use the card I wanted to. It was a $350+ hit in currency conversion fees because of being forced to use another card.

Wonderful Time in Italy We were covered from the moment we landed in Rome. The drivers were great, the connections were flawless, and it was well-planned and thought out. The only hiccup was a problem with the trains in Naples, but it was not Rough Guides' fault. They were available on the emergency line to help as best they could on a Saturday. The trains had an electrical problem and no trains were running from Naples to Rome for 8 hours. The agent was able to contact our drivers, hotels, and guides to advise them of the situation. We asked for extra excursions on days of rest and they responded with great ideas. I would use them again 100 times out of 100. Very professional and helpful. Their planning made out trip a trip of a lifetime.

Great experience! Five incredible days!

Our trip was packed with a variety of different things to do in Italy. For the most part we enjoyed it all. We had some really great guides, particular mention to Graciela from Floence Town who took us on an unforgettable 5hr walk, lunch and wine tasting. Roberta organized all our hotels, transfers and tours. It was great not having to do that myself, which is so time consuming. Everyone was very professional.

A real luxury experience!

Our holiday is definitely one of the best ones I have ever had, we came back home with wonderful memories!