“Hi Matteo,
Thanks for reaching out! Our trip was fantastic and I’d be happy to share some feedback with you.
Our time in Rome was great. The hotel was very courteous and helpful. The room was good, small but functional. We had a great tour with Giulia at the Vatican, she has a great personality, was super friendly and we learned a lot from her! It was only a shame that the Vatican Museum was so full of people which made it a bit difficult to truly appreciate the art. Next, our Vespa tour was one of my personal favorites. It was so fun and I loved being able to see things that would’ve taken me more time by foot. The tour guide was a bit challenged when having to speak English but he tried his best. He also had two really great recommendations which really made our trip amazing. We had the best meal at Ai Bozzi Da Giovanni in Trastevere and the best gelato at La Romana. We might have gone there more than once (or twice!) for gelato but don’t tell our family!
Our time in Tuscany was truly fantastic, we had time to relax and slow our pace after all the walking in Rome. The driver was a bit late to pick us up in Florence and felt so terrible that he wanted to make it up to us, so he offered us water, took us through the scenic route and made a few stops along the way and even offered to take some photos of us. I cannot recall his name but he was the best driver we had throughout the trip. Friendly and was really considerate of us while driving through the many curvy roads. Arriving at Castello di Spaltenna was remarkable. What a beautiful property! We got there just as all the flowers were blooming and the property was filled with all different kinds of roses, just gorgeous! I could’ve stayed here for a week simply enjoying the pool, beautiful scenery and the birds. In fact, I might just have to come back to Tuscany with my husband 🙂
The breakfast at Castello di Spaltenna was also my favorite of the trip. They had an amazing selection I wish I had back here in NYC every morning!
The wine tour was very fun too! Our driver told us a lot about wine and the countryside, he also was super friendly and offered to take photos of us as he stopped along the way whenever we would be impressed by the view (which was every 50 meters or so!). At Monterinaldi we had a fantastic time, we loved trying the wines with the meal which was also so delicious. I’d also like to thank you for the hot air balloon recommendation, I reached out to your contact and arranged that for an early morning we had at leisure. It was definitely a once in a lifetime experience! I must have taken 500 photos just while being up in the air.
My only poor review for the entire trip would be the driver from Tuscany to Florence. He wasn’t very friendly which is ok but his driving was really really terrible. Throughout the many curvy roads he was constantly breaking very hard and right after accelerating hard. I had to hold on to my seat the entire time and upon arriving at the train station I realized I had back pain. I guess his constant breaking and accelerating aggravated my lower back. I would definitely not recommend you use this person in the future.
Finally, Venice. What a beautiful creation! We loved everything beginning with the taxi boat to the hotel. I could not get over the view from the grand canal! We had a quick lunch at the hotel and headed off to our first tour with Alejandra. She was a great tour guide through Murano and Burano, she also told us a lot of really insightful information about Venice. The tour at Murano was beautiful, we loved the glass art and seeing an artisan construct a glass horse in under 3 minutes right in front of us was incredible! Burano was also such a beautifully colorful island, every corner was just so photogenic. We also loved that Alejandra took us to a lace store and we were able to see a lady working through the intricate lace design. Also so impressive!!
Our last tour of the trip was fantastic! Our tour guide (I forget his name unfortunately) was also super friendly, knowledgeable and so proud of his city. We loved all that the thought us about St Mark’s Basilica and even more so, all he showed us for the “hidden Venice” portion of the tour. It was truly special and memorable.
And now, I would like to thank you Matteo for arranging such a fantastic trip to fit my budget. I honestly reached out to a few T+L A-List agents to then select my top choice, and they all had a hard time helping me with my small budget. You allowed me to see a remarkable side of Italy during my first time there and my cousin for her first time in Europe. I do feel like you were able to give us great value for the money and I truly appreciate it!
All the best,
Alexandra”
Alexandra Bisono (New York City, NY) – MAY/JUNE 2018
Sunset in Rome
Vintage car in Rome
Colosseum, Rome
Chianti countryside, Tuscany
