“Matteo:
I honestly don’t know where to begin regarding our wonderful, 17 day odyssey to Italy other than to say it was an absolutely wonderful experience. You and your firm, Discover Your Italy, was intricately involved in making our 45th wedding anniversary trip so special. Thank you so very much.
Our trip first brought us to Milan, and a stay at the Hotel Spadari adjacent to the Duomo. Beautiful hotel. Attentive staff along with a suite upgrade and champagne and starwberries to help celebrate our anniversary. Our city guide was among the best we had during our visit.
From Milan, we took the high speed train to Venice which was a delight in itself. We conversed with a lovely couple from Milan who were going for the art extravaganza. Our hotel, Corte di Gabriella, was delightful. Possibly our favorite during the trip with its great courtyard and chef/owner. The one downside to this segment was being let off by the water taxi on the wrong side of the Grand Canal.
Our next stop was Florence, again by high speed train. Loved the city. Our hotel located right next to the Santa Maria Novella. Again, a great tour guide very much into architecture and the Renaissance. Possibly the best food we had during our vacation.
Our driver, Giorgio, picked us up in Florence for the drive to Chianti and was superb. Absolutely wonderful. We would recommend him to all your guests. The Castello di Spaltenna was beautiful, but our least favorite because of the haughty staff.
The next day included a great tour of Tuscany and the wine country which we both totally enjoyed.
Our next stop was tha Amalfi Coast and Postitano. Hotel Marincanto was beautiful and had wonderful, personalized service, Again, wonderful Wine and flowers for our anniversary. Our view was magnificent and included weddings on two of the evenings we were there.
Our trip to Capri was great, but I’d suggest including some on island arranged transportation for future travelers. The island is gorgeous, and we actually wish we had stayed there one evening. The Hotel Luna in Capri may be worth another visit.
We also did a car tour of the Amalfi region which was a bit long, and traffic unbelievably heavy. Many of the towns and villages we visited were very touristy. But, still very enjoyable. Our driver, Ivo, was also excellent and made several recommendations for stops.
Next came our visit in Pompeii and an excellent t tour. Even though this was May, it was exceptionally hot. Recommend wearing a hat. Taking water. Really no place to get out of the sun.
Our final stop was Rome, and we stayed in the wonderful Hotel Lunetta which was originally a hotel in the 1300s but is beautifully modern, but small. A stone’s throw from Campo di Fiori and 10 minutes from almost everything. While I was apprehensive about the Vespa tour in Rome traffic, it was an absolute highlight of our trip. So much so my wife wanted to bring home our guide, a Roman policeman who piloted her scooter.
Maybe the biggest disappointment of our entire visit was the Vatican tour. We had a private guide but that meant little when you are there with 200,000 of your closest friends. The entire experience was like being in a sardine can. Terrible. My advice for future travelers is to explore after or before hours Vatican tours to enjoy all this site has to offer.
In addition, as a further marketing opportunity and service to your clients, you might offer pre-arranged tickets to sites not already provided. Often obtaining tickets was very difficult and lines were quite long where we didn’t have skip the line, advance entrance. Also, we would caution against considering a travel day as a day in your location destination as you may want to extend your stay in certain cities.
But, make no mistake, we were absolutely thrilled by the service and suggestions made by Matteo and his Discover Your Italy staff. The accommodations, drivers, tour guides and the entire process was excellent. We could not have accomplished this trip on our own and have already recommended Matteo to several of our friends.
We will definitely be contacting you again in the future for a trip to Lake Como, Chinque Terre and back to Roma. Three days in Rome is definitely not enough. Thanks again for all you did. Excellent job. Thanks also for the champagne in Rome and the great little coffee pot. We have already put it to use.
Best regards,
David and Patsy McFadden”
David and Patsy McFadden (Nashville, TN) – MAY 2017
Duomo Cathedral, Milan
Florence
Gondolas in Venice
