Ciao Fiorella & Franca!
Sorry it has taken until now to email you back. We just arrived back last Wednesday afternoon (October 29), because we were in Tuscany with our friends after your planned portion of the trip. Our heads are still spinning with all that we saw and learned!
It is very hard to summarize in a few words such a wonderful trip! We appreciate all the great planning you did for us.
The tour companies you partnered with made a big difference in our Italian experience. Their expertise and enthusiasm for their subject and city made history, art and culture understandable and enjoyable. With these guides, we gained insight and knowledg 
e that made our trip a very memorable one. Every time we had a question they answered most professionally. A couple of times we visited museums and churches on our own and we realized the big difference it made to have a knowledgeable guide. In the crowds at the Colosseum, Vatican, San Marco etc. we valued our small group and skip the line tickets even more.
All the hotels we stayed in from the Villa Igea in Venice to the Yes Hotel in Roma, the Hotel Prestige in Sorrento and the Hotel Silla in Florence were wonderful! If we had to pick favorites it would be Villa Igea and the Hotel Prestige. All the staff at each hotel were very professional and even more important I felt they were genuinely interested in our having a good experience in their city. Anytime we needed help, directions or a place to eat they always gave us good advice. (For example the shuttle driver at the Hotel Prestige went out of his way to be sure we knew where to go after we got off the shuttle.)
The morning breakfasts were excellent. They sustained us through all the wonderful tours. The breakfasts at the Villa Igea/Savoia & Jolanda more than exceeded our expectations. Sitting on the Venice waterfront and eating breakfast was the best way to begin our adventure in Italy!
All the drivers and people you arranged to help us get from city to city were very friendly and made sure we reached our destination.
The only problem we had was the fast train from Venice to Rome didn’t stop at the Termini station, but the staff on the train helped us figure out which station we should get off and we took a taxi to the YES hotel. Also the tour guide in Pompeii was very good but our group size was larger than anticipated and it made a big difference. I think at the last minute maybe some groups were combined. However, these are two small incidents in a trip that had many details. We tell you only because we appreciate all the work that went into the planning for us and it may help you to plan for someone else.
Thank you for all your help and time spent in making our Italy experience the best!! Grazie!! We would easily recommend Cultural Italy to anyone!
Arrivederci!
Richard and Lorraine Siver
