Europe Food & Wine Tours & Vacations

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

My husband and I just returned from a two-week vacation in Italy. With the help of Zicasso and our travel company, we were able to fit every wish into this short time.

We started out in Rome, then went on to Florence for some amazing history. We then traveled to the Tuscany and Chianti countryside for private cooking and wine experiences. We loved the small villages we explored and the little family-owned wineries and olive farms.

A highlight was staying in a bed and breakfast in Ponzano that overlooked the beautiful olive gardens and countryside. We explored the small villages of San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Montalcino, and felt like we had discovered authentic local life.

The tail of our trip was spent in the beautiful Lake Como area, with a day trip to Lugano, Switzerland.

The month long trip throughout Croatia and Slovenia exceeded expectations. The itinerary was Zagreb, northern counties, Lake Bled, Ljubljana, Rovinja, Plitvice lakes, Split, Hvar, Dubrovnik and many points in between and around those areas. The terrain is beautiful, the culture tremendous, the people friendly, and the wine and food exceptional. The planning of our itinerary with this agent was half the fun and her suggestions and recommendations proved very sound. We wanted a combination of self guided and private tours. The arrangements with car rentals and cars, guides, and drivers were great. All the guides were extremely knowledgable, friendly, intelligent, and able to answer all our questions. The vehicles and drivers were first class. The wine tours and cultural tours were great and allowed us the freedom to enjoy without worrying about driving. The country is very easy to travel in and encourages tourism well. We were there from The middle of May to the middle of June. This travel agency was first rate and easily gets a 5 star rating. The 2 hours we spent on the phone with our agent ironing out details was time very well spent.

The Plitvice Lakes National Park was spectacular.  We enjoyed the tour of Split/Trogir.  The wine tasting tour and dinner on Hvar were also highlights.  The cable car ride and the walk around the top of the walls provided a different perspective of the Old Town in Dubrovnik and were well worth it.  Our tour to Montenegro was very interesting and a day well spent.