First of all, working with Alessia Moro was a real pleasure. She was very intent that we enjoy our trip and her suggestions were right on target. When I had questions or concerns last week, she answered my messages promptly, was very reassuring and did not laugh when I was a bit ridiculous (like asking to be moved from a hotel when we really just needed to turn on the a/c or asking for a private driver from Como to Florence before I realized it was 4 hrs and $500 plus away). She was also mindful of our budget and time constraints and planned the most for our money and time. In short, she was a delight and I would highly recommend her services to any traveler to Italy. Second, we greatly appreciated the private tours at each of our stops. The guides were punctual, knowledgeable, cordial and each clearly loved and were enthused about their respective cities. Having a guided tour early on each segment helped us acclimate to the city and plan our other time. I can’t really recommend one guide over the other but Monica in Venice was outstanding, as were our guides in Florence and Milano. The combination of tour and wine tasting in Como on our first full day was great fun and good antidote to jet lag! Third, Alessia did a great job with arranging transportation – this really eliminated some headaches for us. We had the same wonderful driver, Andrea, on our first and last days. He was prompt, efficient and friendly – and seemed happy to see us for that second trip. Having the private water taxi in Venice was a godsend – we would have been lost without it and the trip to the hotel through the canals was a grand and exciting introduction to the city. We arranged for the same service back to the train station. Fourth, the hotel selection was very nice. We particularly enjoyed the Monna Lisa in Florence and would certainly stay there again if we are lucky enough to return. We also really liked the Aqua B in Venice – it was like having a private, relaxing oasis in the middle of the city – and arriving directly at the door by water taxi was such a treat! Fifth, we loved our cooking class in Florence! We made pasta, ravioli and tiramisu from scratch – and neither of us are really much of a cook. The chef was delightful, the class members were enjoyable and our meal was delicious – served with a bounty of local wines! Likewise, we greatly enjoyed the tour and meal at Castello di Verranzano – the trip through Tuscany was beautiful, the tour guide excellent and the food and wines were sublime. We also appreciated having a schedule that detailed the plans for the day and helped keep us organized. Alessia provided very detailed information on hotels, drivers, tours – complete with meeting points and contact numbers (which we never needed because it all ran so smoothly!). Our schedule also allowed us plenty of time to explore or relax on our own – a very nice balance of the planned and unplanned. We had a great time and hope we can return to Italy before too long. I would highly recommend Cultural Italy to any travelers to Italy. Your company, through your agent Alessia, did a fabulous job and we couldn’t have had a better trip. I do reviews on Trip Advisor and will certainly give you very high marks! Thanks so much!
