7-Day Off the Beaten Path Tuscany Vacation

We had a wonderful trip. "Tuscany in Winter" was my husband's idea to experience this beautiful  part the world beating summer crowds. We visited the lovely ancient city of Siena the historic Florence and the Tuscany countryside for a few days in between. We were able to enjoy the galleries, restaurants and other popular sites pretty much on our own and were welcomed very warmly in cold weather by all.

Our guide and driver were very professional and pleasant. They were very concerned about all aspects of the responsibility of providing the very best service possible.

My brothers and I asked our agent to plan a 50th Wedding Anniversary trip to Italy for our parents who had never been to Italy (or Europe, for that matter).  The trip was absolutely perfect.  Our parents are not big travelers, so we wanted them to be "hand held" a bit and our agent arranged just that.  They were picked up at the airport by a driver, so they did not have to worry about a taxi or finding their way to their hotel.  The trip was a 12 day trip starting out in Rome where they spent 4 days.  They stayed in a lovely boutique hotel (with a great location) with a fantastic roof top bar that was perfect setting for sharing a glass of processo while enjoying the views of this gorgeous city.  When they toured the Vatican, there were only 6 people in their party (including themselves).  They loved the small group size.  They were able to ask questions and hear everything the tour guide said.  We had a private driver take them for a day trip to the village where our father's dad came from.  Our agent was really able to personalize this trip for them.  From Rome, it was off to Florence where they stayed in another lovely hotel centrally located with amazing views of the city.  They also took a cooking class nearby and loved every minute of it.  They spent another day enjoying wine tasting in Siena and Chianti.  Every single excursion was well laid out and extremely well planned.  They ended their trip by spending 4 days on the Almafi coast taking another cooking class (just the two of them) and enjoying a private boat ride to the island of Capri.  It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and we were all pleased with the outcome.  I would highly recommend this agency to anyone who wants a trip tailored to meet all their needs and wants.

THE BEST VACATION EVER!!!!

I must admit that I was somewhat uncomfortable arranging a group tour to Italy with someone I communicated with only via the Internet and telephone.  However, after my first communication with our agent -- I knew that she “had it.”  She understood exactly what we wanted to do.  She was right-on in both concept and execution.

Our ten-day adventure in Italy began with a private transfer with an English speaking local driver from the Rome airport to our fantastic 3 star boutique hotel located right in the historical center of Rome.  During our three days in Rome, we had fantastic private tours of Ancient Rome, the Coliseum, and the Vatican Museums.  Extremely knowledgeable, English-speaking guides led all of our tours.  Sense of Italy had arranged for VIP, skip the line, priority entrance for all tours -- saving us from long waits in long lines.

After our busy 3 days in Rome, we departed via private van transfer from our hotel in Rome to the Chianti Region of Tuscany.  The transfer included stops on the Val D’ Orcia to visit the amazing Villages of Montalcino and Montepulciano.  The “light lunch” and wine tasting we enjoyed in Montalcino was one of the highlights of our trip.  In Tuscany we stayed 7 Nights in a beautiful, historic villa located on one of the best wine estates of Chianti (Villa Le Corti near San Casciano) where we were met with a fantastic welcome dinner. During our time in Tuscany we were transported by private van from our villa to private tours of Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa and Lucca.  On each of our stops we were met by knowledgeable English speaking guides that clearly were proud of the history of their country, and were anxious to share it.  Interspersed in all of this activity were numerous exceptional meals with opportunities to taste (and drink) very fine Italian wines.

When we finally were forced to leave Italy, our agent arranged for private transport accommodating our varying departure times from the Florence airport and train station.

Thanks to this travel company and our agent for designing the perfect vacation for our group.  The only complaint that I heard was that we ate too much — wow was all the food delicious.  I really don’t know how she did it.  All of the tours were great — the van drivers friendly and helpful, the guides knowledgeable, and the sites spectacular.  Our stay in the villa was a great experience.  We were treated royally everywhere.  We all marveled at our agent's ability to get us, the vans, the guides, the food and wine, etc. all at the right place at the right time.  She is a genius!!!!

Jeff E