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Guests' Comments about
Private Guided Tours of the Vatican
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Guests' Comments about
Private Guided Tours of the Vatican
Dear In Italy,
We have to say thank you for such a wonderful experience! We not only purchased tickets in advance for sites we wanted to see but we booked hotel rooms and private tours. We are passing along your site to friends who will be touring Italy in 2008 with glowing references.
We enjoyed our stay in Milan at the Gran Duca di York Hotel, it was walking distance to all the sites. We were please that we had purchased our tickets in advance to the Last Supper because it was sold out for the day we were there.
In Rome we stayed at the Roma Boutique and we were pampered. The rooms were plush and the service was spectacular. We enjoyed breakfast in our room every morning, the private bathrooms and the added touch of slippers for both me and my husband was great.
The best part of our trip was our private tour for the 4 of us to the Vatican & Walking tour of Ancient and Baroque Rome. We booked this tour through you not sure what to expect...but WOW we were spoiled. Brenda treated us like royalty. We have such an appreciation for art, and history after spending the day with Brenda. She was very knowledgeable and fun to be with. She made our trip memorable.
We look forward to another trip to Italy soon and will be using your services again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
The Sowders
Dear In Italy,
We just returned back from our trip to Italy and wanted to let you know what a great time we had in Rome on our Full-Day Vatican & Walking Tour of Ancient and Baroque Rome. When we checked into our hotel in Rome we were greeted by a message from Wendy letting us know that when our driver would be there to pick us up and where to call if we had any problems. The next morning as we were waiting for the driver, Wendy called again to let us know that he was running a little late due to a small issue with his previous party but would be with us shortly. The communication was great and kept us from worrying. Then, our private tour with Giulio was great! We had the benefit of his expertise and enthusiasm for the whole day. The Vatican and Ancient Rome would not have been the same without the insider track and historical background that he provided. The whole experience was a great one and we would definitely recommend your services to friends.
Leslie J.
Hi Jessica!
Ciao from Philadelphia! We had a marvelous time in Italy, and thanks to your company, our last day was spent in one of the most exciting, spiritual, amazing places in the world- the Vatican and Basilica. Our guide at the Vatican was wonderful. She was so informative and was able to show us everything we should have seen. The tour was amazing! What a way to spend the last day! Thank you so much for your help and prompt responses also. I would suggest to anyone to book all the tours and tickets BEFORE they go to Italy. It made life so much easier than waiting in the long lines. I would not hesitate to book anything with your company again. Next year, if all goes well, we'll be doing the Amalfi coast, so hopefully we can find some things of interest to book! Again, thank you so much for your wonderful tour. We couldn't have done it without you!
Ciao!
Francesca
Dear In Italy,
Our trip was terrific thanks in many respects to the services we got from In Italy. The connections in the Rome airport for transfer were not terribly smooth but once made worked well. The high point was the Rome tour. Our guide, Theresa, was wonderful. She was knowledgeable, personable and tailored the tour to our interests and past trips to Rome. I cannot recommend her highly enough. I will certainly use your site when I travel to Italy the next time.
Thanks,
Ed T.
Hi Jessica,
We did work it out with Astrid, who is amazing, by the way. She met us, got us back in with our original tickets, so no line- waiting, whisked us through and gave us a marvelous tour. She really gave us her 100%! Please tell Peter or whomever books her that she is absolutely the best! We did our walking tour with Julian, who was charming and full of stories, legend and truth, ending at the Pantheon, which happened to be closed due to a Saint's Day. We went back the next day by ourselves to go inside. Seeing Rome through the eyes of your guides enhanced our trip incredibly and our daughter, who has studied ancient Rome at the university level, was even more thrilled!
Thanks Jessica!
Ciao!
Jill P.
Dear Jessica,
The trip was fantastic and the tour was the best money we spent. Barbara, our guide, was so wonderful and our visit to the Vatican was probably the best part of our vacation. We climbed the dome which was a great workout to top off the tour.
Thank you.
Trish H.
Jessica,
I loved my experience with the tour that my husband and I were given. We met Julio at 9:30 in the morning across the street from the entrance of the Vatican after being picked up at our hotel - this couldn't have been more convenient. We drove passed a line that must have represented 3 hours of waiting to get in. Julio took us inside and we waited 5 minutes while he purchased our tickets, and then we were on our way. Julio was EXCELLENT. His knowledge of the history, the art and the religious aspects was amazing. He spoke English beautifully and even taught me a few Italian words that helped. He would point to a statue or a figure and tell us to remember the lines of it and then show us the similarities in other places - like the Sistine Chapel. We went from the Vatican to the Coliseum, where again we avoided the lines. Julio once again astounded us with his knowledge of the past, and as we walked into all the ruins his stories enthralled us. He made us appreciate Rome, more than we already did. I loved Rome! We had already been to the Pantheon, so we did little with Julio at that point, but it was already 4:30! We wanted to see the Jewish Ghetto, so we parted ways with Julio, and the driver drove us to the outskirts of the Jewish Ghetto. I have to say the day was wonderful and I surely will think of you when I return to Italy. I know I will return to Rome, I threw my coin in the Trevi Fountain!
Grazie!
Arlene P.
Dear In Italy,
We were disappointed with our tour. For the following reasons.
1 The tour guide, Giulio, was poorly dressed and untidy
2 We did have to wait in a long queue even if the guide pushed into the queue half way along.(not quite fair)
3 We missed out on some areas of the museum (on a previous visit two of our party had seen different "treasures"). Our guide did not offer any options on what we could see.
4 The tour finished before 5pm which was less than the 3 hours which had also included travel from out lodgings and time in the queue.
5 Our guide spoke without looking at us and often had to be reminded to speak so we could hear him.Sorry to have to complain but of all the various tours we arranged while in Italy the Vatican one was one of the most expensive and the worst tour
Geoff A.
Dear Jessica,
The private tour of the Vatican was the highlight of my trip. We loved being picked up by the mercedes van at our hotel, Vera our tour guide and being whisked past all the crowds. Vera was so informative and pleasant. The Vatican is so beautiful in pictures and on tv but in person it just takes your breath away with all the beautiful sites. My eyes were in rapid motion trying to see it all. I have informed everyone I know that the private tour is the only way to see the Vatican. I am so glad I found your service online and booked it prior to going to Rome. The rest of my group would not have stood in the mile long lines in the 100 degree heat for 2-4 hours waiting to get into the Vatican. My family was so glad I spent the money for the private tour. Your tour was worth every euro !!!!!!!
Thanks,
Sally P.
Jessica,
We completely enjoyed the arrangements made for our Italy tours. A tour of the Vatican without a knowledgeable guide would have been a mistake. Brayden (sp?) was our guide for the Vatican and she was definitely knowledgeable about the works of art and eager to share great information as we hit all the high points of the Vatican Museum and St. Peter's. She shared an "insider's" look at many well known places on the tour. We have already recommended to friends this type of tour and your method of handling it. Our Chianti tour was with Franco. He met our expectations completely. He chose a small and a large winery for us to taste/visit. We had a personal tour of the small one by the owner and an enjoyable experience at the large one. His choice for lunch was superb and a good cultural experience. He was most knowledgeable of the entire region and its history and made for a wonderful day. We'd recommend both selections whole-heartedly.
Bruce and Heather B.
Dear Jessica,
We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Rome. The private tour of the Vatican was definitely one of the highlights. Our guide, Paula, was great -- both friendly and professional, providing much insight and history. We were pleased with the manner in which she maneuvered us through what turned out to be an unexpected crowd on the day we visited. However, we were disappointed in the amount and quality of time spent in the Sistine Chapel. The tour lasted over 4 hours, of which we spent about 10 minutes inside the Chapel. Spending the vast amount of time outside standing beside charts to learn everything before you went in, rather than being able to talk as we went through was unexpected. However, I believe this is done due to the large amount of people and tours being done at one time and the inability for a tour guide to explain things above all the loud noise inside. We were also surprised at the level of noise and camera flashes going on inside the Chapel, an area that is supposed to be one of the most sacred places in Christendom. We were even more surprised that the guides and the officials seemingly did nothing to control it. So, while we enjoyed seeing the Vatican, learning all the history, and while Paula was excellent, we were surprised and disappointed in the chaotic atmosphere. The fact that Vatican officials allow this pandemonium, even at the height of tourist season, does not speak very highly of the current establishment.
I appreciate your following up with us. When we return to Italy, we would definitely consider In-Italy for additional tour services.
Sincerely,
Sherri C.
Jessica,
Comments on the Four-Hour Private Guided In-Depth Tour of the Vatican:
Your guide spoke excellent English (probably the best of anyone who was a native Italian that we met). Your guide was excellent in helping us sort through everything we were seeing, which was quite overwhelming, and pointed out what was truly important to see and why. I consider your private guided tours as definitely the only way to go when visiting Italy!
Harold H.
Hello Jessica,
We arrived home Saturday after a wonderful vacation. Our Full Day Rome trip was a highlight. Although it started off a bit rocky, it worked out well. The certificate indicated that a driver would pick us up at our hotel in the lobby at 9am. We were in the lobby at 8:45 am and by 9:20 were becoming a bit nervous that the driver was not there. My husband called the agency phone number indicated on the certificate and they seemed surprised that the driver was not there yet. They said they would contact the driver and call us back. When my husband received a return call a few minutes later, they said there had been some confusion and no driver was on his way. We were instructed to take a cab to the entrance to the Vatican Museums. With 5 people this can often involve 2 cabs in Rome but fortunately we were able to get a larger vehicle to transport us. We arrived at the designated spot and were met by our guide and the agency coordinator. As I said, up to this point I was very concerned about my decision to coordinate this through InItaly.com. My worries, however, were completely unnecessary as we received the most sincere apology and our guide immediately guided us through the entrance and into the beginning of a wonderful day's experience.
Our guide, Catarina was a delight and her vast knowledge has us enthralled at every step. I had been worried that our 11 year old would be overwhelmed with the onslaught of information, but he was captivated as well. After a comprehensive tour of the Vatican, we were taken to a very nice restaurant following by an afternoon of more amazing Rome sights. The Catacombs were definitely the high point for our 11 year old while the Pantheon was the favorite of our 18 year old. We were all utterly amazed by the Coliseum and we also enjoyed seeing the Forum. At each location, Catarina provided an amazing amount of historical as well as some wonderful anecdotal information. When we said "good-bye" to Catarina at the Pantheon (we opted to go there rather than use the last part of the day to be driven back to our hotel) we were so sorry that our magical day was coming to an end. It was perfect!
We were also very satisfied with the transportation we arranged from the airport to our hotel as well as the transportation from our hotel to the cruise ship. I would definitely recommend InItaly.com to our friends.
Thank you for all your help in making our vacation such a memorable one.
Sincerely,
Lucy T.
Dear In Italy,
Glad to have a chance to tell you how much we enjoyed our Vatican tour. Our guide, Louisa, was just terrific. We had our two grandsons ages 13 and 14 and frankly we were very doubtful that they would hold up for a three hour tour. But Louisa kept them interested and involved and when our stay in Rome was over they both said that the Vatican tour was by far and away the highlight. They both gave her two thumbs up. Thank you and again thanks to Louisa for a wonderful experience.
Warren and Joanne B.
Dear Jessica,
We liked very much our guide, who was very capable and informative and kind. No any special comment - most probably you won't let know to other readers, that we found your price pretty much. But anyhow, it was a nice day.
Thanks again and regards
István K.
Dear Jessica,
Our "Four-hour private guided tour of the Vatican" was fascinating and just wonderful. I don't remember our guide's name, but she was excellent!!!!! Being able to spend uninterrupted time in The Sistine Chapel was incredible. My last "walk through" years ago was just too quick. The day before our tour, we visited the Vatican at noon on Sunday and stood in St. Peter's Square as Pope Benedict blessed the crowd of thousands in several languages. Even not being Catholic, it was one of the most touching and precious moments of our lives....we will never forget it.
Thank you,
Jane and Bill B.
Dear In Italy,
The tour was great. Paula, our guide, was excellent. We particularly liked her enthusiasm given it had to be the millionth time she had seen everything. Her knowledge and willingness to share her knowledge was very much appreciated. It is not often you get a PHD as a tour guide.
Sally B.
Jessica:
The trip was excellent with our planning and weather. The four hour Vatican tour was very interesting especially the Sistine Chapel. The guide was good, but wished he had a stronger voice in projecting his information. Enjoyed the Ancient Rome, Forum and Coliseum and enjoyed the depth of knowledge our guide provided. Especially liked the Uffizi and Academia tour as our tour guide seemed to have a true passion of her knowledge. I would definitely look into your services in my next travels. Where to travel next not sure!
Thank you very much.
Tami D.
Jessica:
Barbara, our Polish guide was one of the best I have ever had....She knew the history and was wonderful. I had been to Rome three years ago and actually did do the Vatican tour but with a large group. A small group makes such a difference in what you see and hear. She was beyond super....The driver/car was also very nice. I will use you all again. You were great to work with.
Thanks again,
Jane P H
Thank you Jessica.
I cannot tell you how wonderful the entire trip was but one of the two highlights of our Rome trip was the Private tour of the Vatican. Katerina was excellent and we were very impressed with the entire experience. The driver was on time, and courteous, Katerina's knowledge was superb, the skipping the museum lines, the sites, and professionalism were extremely refreshing. Katerina's tour was second to none! The service we were given was the best ever from beginning to end inclusive of you Jessica. Keep up the great work I will definitely recommend your tours (website) to all my friends.
Elizabeth T.
Dear Jessica,
We thoroughly enjoyed our tour. Eve was very knowledgable and spoke excellent English. She kept everything interesting without giving "too much" information. We didn't feel like we were in school. We had a glitch in that President Bush was visiting with the Pope at the Vatican and St. Peter's was closed for several hours. Eve talked to us to find out our priorities and rearranged our tour in order for us to see St. Peter's. We missed the Catacombs, but St. Peter's was a priority for us. Hopefully, we will see that on the next trip. Again, we were very pleased with your service and would recommend it to anyone.
Sincerely,
Donald and Terri S.
Jessica,
The tour was fabulous and the tour guide Julio was fantastic. He was very knowledgeable, polite, charming and very entertaining. The tour was great, but I did not realize the amount of walking involved, my mother is 79 years old, but she soldiered on and loved the tour. Many thanks , and I would highly recommend your services to anyone.
Regards,
Gary
Dear Jessica,
The Four-Hour Private Guided In-Depth Tour of the Vatican was fabulous and Lisa was excellent. I would recommend her to all. The tour was all we expected and more; Lisa was able to give us peeks into what one would not ever see or know about. Rome was great...we loved the restaurant of Super Mario. I will look up the address and get back to you.
Jane
Hi Jessica,
Initially I was not confident that the expense of the guided tour would be something I would value. Friends had recently been to Italy and done a guided tour with much disappointment in what they received. This was not the case with In Italy and Antonella. We so enjoyed our time with her, and the effort she made to keep us happy. After spending almost three weeks between Spain and Italy, our time with Antonella at the Vatican was one of our highlights. She was personable, engaging, intelligent and animated - what more can we say?
Thank you, thank you, we are most grateful to have found your company.
Warmest regards,
Gregg and Cathy S.
Dear Jessica,
The tour of the Vatican was great. I have to admit, I was a little nervous booking it online, not knowing anything about your company. I did stop in at AAA and ask them if they had any service to help me, and they did not. Turns out the girl that helped me had been to Rome and when I told her about her about your company, she said she used it, and would highly recommend it. Giulio was our tour guide, and he was excellent!
The line was really long at the Vatican that day, but luckily, Giulio has a system that works, and we met him already in line, and it went by pretty quickly. It also gave us a chance to introduce ourselves, and learn a little bit about each other before beginning the tour. The tour itself was excellent. Giulio was extremely knowledgeable, and his English was great. Vatican City is truly amazing, and a must visit for anyone traveling to Rome. I will definitely recommend InItaly to all my friends and family visiting Italy.
Thank you again...and a special thank you to Giulio!
Diane C.
Dear InItaly,
We just got home to Arizona and wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time with Antonella and Lisa at the Vatican Museum. Antonella was very friendly and was especially gracious to our daughter Kimi. We had the four-hour tour and we are so glad to have seen the picture gallery, it added so much to the overall tour. Antonella kept us moving but we never felt hurried and if we had a question she was happy to take the time to give us an answer. The highlight of our tour was the Sistine Chapel and we were given plenty of time to take it all in.
When we come back to Rome we will definitely be booking a return trip to the Vatican Museum with InItaly to get even more insight to this amazing place.
Mille Grazie Antonella and Lisa!
The Rendahl Family
Jessica,
We had such a good time in Italy. One of the things we will always remember is the time we spent touring the Vatican with Antonella. She tailored our tour to fit our level of interest. I could have read the tour books for hours and still not have remembered all the interesting info about the Vatican and the people behind the Vatican that we learned from Antonella. I will definitely recommend your company to anyone who is going to Rome.
Nancy
Dear In Italy,
Both were superb tours, thanks! Lucia (Florence) could be a history teacher, she obviously loves her work. Katerina at theVatican is actually an art history teacher, and devout Catholic, so the insights she had into the Vatican art museum and Sistine Chapel were incredible. I'm sure they're not all art history teachers, so we got lucky.
Excellent guides. We will recommend you to anyone we know going to Italy.
John C.
Jessica,
Just a note to say how much we enjoyed and appreciated our 4-hour guided tour. Leisa took everything at our pace and the knowledge that she shared with us was fantastic. It is never an easy job to keep children interested, but she did this with ease and with fun. Our trip to the Vatican was a real journey of faith for us and we were allowed to experience more than we could have ever hoped for.
Thanks to you, your company and give Leisa a special thanks from us all.
Paula, Derek, Rebecca, Ryan, Elizabeth and Billy
Hello Jessica,
I just wanted you to know how much our party of six enjoyed our tour of the Vatican museums and St. Peter's with Fabrizio, your Initaly guide.
We met our contact at the Hotel Columbus right outside St. Peter's Square. She conducted us to the entrance to the Vatican museums, where we met Fabrizio. After quickly receiving our admission tickets, we began a fascinating tour of the museums with him. He was immensely entertaining and well informed about the museums. In fact he was well informed about many other things; he gave me a history lesson about 19th century Cincinnati and Chicago as well. Of course, his English was impeccable. The tour lasted about three hours, and was well worth the cost. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
Please give my best to Fabrizio.
I also wanted to let you know that our visit to the Borghese Museum went without any problem as well. The tickets were waiting for us at the appointed time upon our arrival. It's a good thing we booked the tickets through your site in advance. We found out that the earliest we could have bought tickets if we had just showed up at the museum would have been for three days later.
Thanks again for your work on our behalf.
Kind Regards,
Craig Z.
Dear Jessica,
We are back home, safe and sound. The Tour of Vatican was outstanding! Our tour guide, Peter, was fantastic, very knowledgable and very interesting to listen to and learn from. He is a very engaging presenter! Thank you very much, we will definitely get in touch with you on our next trip to Italy.
Have a safe and happy 2007!
Ellen P.
Dear Jessica,
We really enjoyed our private guided tour of the Vatican. The guide was on time, friendly and very knowledgeable. Thank you very much for making the arrangements for us.
Kind Regards,
Susan T.
Jessica,
We had a wonderful time in Italy. Our private tour of the Vatican was one of our most cherished highlights of the trip. Our guide was very extroverted and informative - we really enjoyed our time together. She truncated some of the many, many things go see and focused on the really important areas/pieces - it made an overwhelming visit manageable and interesting.... Any more would have been lost to the senses.
Dave R.
Dear In Italy,
We had a wonderful tour that exceeded our expectations in every way. Our guide was interesting, well-informed, and attentive to our interests. The Vatican was a "must" but was not something any of the four of us expected to be a highlight of our time in Rome.
Thank you so much for assigning us this particular guide and for making the logistics of the experience so manageable. We have already recommended to friends that they should book too.
Earline K.
Dear In Italy,
Our tour of the Vatican was excellent. Our guide was very knowledgeable and personable. She added a lot to the experience. I think the thing we appreciated the most was that we were able to do this with our group of 4 rather than the large other tours we saw and were on at other sites. We could ask questions and basically go at our own pace. The transportation to the Vatican was very good (on time, early actually) and delivered us right to a point near the front of the tour line.
We're certainly glad we booked the tour.
Doug and Ellen W.
Jessica,
Just to let you know, Selma and I greatly enjoyed our Vatican tour yesterday afternoon. Sally was an excellent guide--so personable as well as informative and well organized. Please convey to her how much we enjoyed her tour.
Mike M.
Hi Jessica,
Our Tour of the Vatican was one of the highlights of our trip. Our Guide was extremely knowledgeable and personable. She allowed us to set the pace, and made every minute very interesting.
Bob and Jan F.
Hi Jessica,
We had a wonderful time on our private tour of the Vatican. Being picked up at our hotel was probably the one thing that made us choose your service. When we arrived at the Vatican, there were literally not hundreds, but thousands of people waiting in line for the Vatican Museum Tour. Having our guide already standing near the front of that very long line was so wonderful and we appreciate her getting there early and holding a place for us. She was able to move us through the crowds with ease without being pushy. She had an obvious love and knowledge of the art she was showing us. There were rooms we did not see this time (we had been there before with another guide) but we did see quite a bit. We would have liked to have a little more explanation while in St Peter's itself. After the tour when looking through our guidebooks, we realized there were some things of interest that were not pointed out..........such as the placques in the floors showing where the next larger cathedrals would have fit. The only other thing I would say is that our guide cut her time with us short because she had to meet another tour group at noon which would have been impossible with our tour lasting 3 hours and not beginning until after 9 am.
But that is not a complaint. She did a wonderful job, spoke wonderful English so we could understand her and was very personable.
We will certainly recommend you to our friends and look forward to another tour with you when in Italy.
Sincerely,
Gayle W.
Dear In Italy,
The guide I had was Theresa and she was absolutely outstanding. She was very personable and extremely knowledgeable. I learned so many new things that i can't write them all down. She knew the Vatican as though she had grown up there. I had lots of questions and she was able to answer everyone satisfactorily. No minuses but if they want the best ask for Theresa. Meeting us at the hotel and waiting in line were all pluses. everyone was so friendly and I would recommend this tour to everyone.
Joe
Dear In Italy,
We used your service for a private tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel with a driver and English speaking guide. Our tour was for Tuesday, 10 October. The driver showed up promptly at 8:15 a.m. at the Marriott hotel. We met our guide at the Vatican security line and from then on she ushered us quickly through the crowds of people. It was wonderful. We did not have to wait forever and started the tour. Our guide, Teresa, was incredible. Her knowledge about the history of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel and the works of art throughout was excellent. Historical informational tidbits on the important figures involved with the entire Vatican State gave us much insight to historical facts we were not aware of. Bravo to Teresa from Buffalo, NY who studied in Florence and majored in Art History and Women's Studies focusing on the Renaissance. Please share this with her.
Nancy and Jim R.
Jessica,
You hit it right on when you hoped that our trip to Italy was fascinating, relaxing and exciting because that is exactly what it was. The highlight of our trip was the In Italy Tour. The tour directors were very knowledgeable and extremely personable and accommodating. The transportation was great and the driver was courteous and precise with being on time. After observing other tours that were large, we were pleased to have this personal tour for the 4 of us as we were able to ask questions and get a reply without having to listen to things that did not interest us. We saw everything we wanted to see and then some without having to wait in any long lines. I took many pictures to keep in my archives to promote In Italy for my clients. Thank you again for a wonderful tour.
Joanne
Dear Jessica,
Our trip was wonderful and our four-hour in-depth tour of the Vatican was great! Our guide was SMART, fun and very kind! We used other tour companies while we were there and yours was the best. I have bookmarked your web site on our computer for future visits and have passed it on to a number of people who will be visiting Italy in the near future. Again, our guide was great and thank you for the great experience!
J.
Dear Jessica,
The tour was very good, and probably in more depth than expected. Our tour guide was very sweet, and actually stayed with us for an additional hour! So we got a five-hour tour for the price of four. (Don't worry, though--we tipped her well.) It was surprising that she was not Italian but Polish. Once I got used to it, I could understand most of what she was saying. Our driver, Marco, was a cutie-pie, and gave us a quick verbal tour along the way to the Vatican. I think the one thing you need to highlight in your advertising is the following: We got to the Vatican at about 8:30 am on a Monday. You'd think not too busy, right? No. The lines were stunningly long, and we were told the people in the line would wait about three hours before getting in. Not us--we felt like VIPs, cutting right in front of the lines, and waited for no one! It was wonderful.
Regards,
Sara
Jessica,
Thank for the info and your interest. Sarah, our guide, was very informative and certainly very knowledgeable. She didn't seem very enthusiastic about the topic at hand. I am sure it's hard to be so every day doing the same thing! That would be my only 'minus'. My wife and I wish she had been a bit more excited about all the info she told us about rather than just rattling off lots of info.
When we arrived in Rome, we were told by several folks that Mondays are bad days to go to the Vatican due to the volume of people. They are right. You might suggest to future folks to avoid the Vatican on Mondays.
Thanks so much for squeezing us in on such short notice.
Hector and Susan H.
Jessica,
Our trip was fantastic and thank you so much for your help. I wanted to let you know that our tour of the Vatican, Catacombs, and the Coliseum was one of the highlights of our trip. Katrine was very knowledgeable and wonderful to spend the day with. She actually showed us a couple of things on the way that I would have never known about had she not been there. I know that we would not have experienced Rome quite the same had we done it by ourselves.
Thank you so much for everything!!!
Sara S.
Dear In Italy.
What an incredible journey!! Italy was a phenomenal experience, and I have to say I was nervous about booking with a company off the internet---but it turned out to be our favorite day of our three week vacation!! Everything happened on time and as scheduled. Our tour guide, Kathryn couldn't have been a better fit for our family. She was enthusiastic and knowledgable about every aspect of Rome from the art history to the ancient history to religious history and every other detail along the way. She has an incredible warmth and genuineness that made us feel at ease within minutes. Our tour of the Coliseum and the Vatican could only have been better if we were with her for a week. We did not have any experience with paintings and sculpture before coming, but by the end of the day Kathryn had shared her passion with us in a way that helped us appreciate a whole new realm. She also covered everything that we wanted to do and see in a whirlwind adventure. Amazing. She deserves a huge raise and bonus!! I just can't say enough about what an awesome job Kathryn did and we are still amazed at her wealth of knowledge and her ability to make you feel like you were really there in history. Thank you for being such a reputable and honest company that introduced us to Rome in a first class way.
Sincerely,
Paula S.
Dear In Italy,
Jack and I loved our tour of the Vatican. We knew we were in good hands with Sarah when it seemed she knew everyone there! Sarah was extremely knowledgeable and flexible to accommodate what we wanted to see and spend time in seeing. She even gave me some great photography tips! Sarah gave us great detailed information and pointed out different things that I quickly saw the other guides didn't do. The ability to have a small private tour and proceed at one's own pace was a definite highlight of our trip. We also purchased the private Vatican tour for our daughter and her fiance' and they absolutely loved it and said it was they highlight of their trip as well! Thanks and kudos to Sarah!!!
One of my favorite "finds" to Italy were the bandaids. I know that sounds weird, but with all the walking one does, the gel bandaids specifically made for specific foot areas are a lifesaver. The first day we arrived in Rome I got two large blisters and was working on a third. I knew this would severely affect me getting around. I went into a farmacia at the Spanish Steps and quickly found the gel bandaids -- they must be very accustomed to travelers. Pricey but well worth it and they are found at every farmacia. Once applied I didn't even know I had blisters!
Claire S.
Thank you Jessica~
We had a wonderful time in Rome and can't wait to go back. We loved the tour of the Vatican and St Peters (as well as The Forum /Coliseum, and Pompeii). It is amazing how much art is kept in the Vatican Museum and all throughout Rome!!! Thanks so much to Italy online for all your help and suggestions. Everything went smoothly in spite of airline delays, etc.
Thank you,
Cheryl S. and family
Hello!
We had a wonderful trip and the tour we had was fascinating!!! We would highly recommend this to others versus the big group tours. Our tour guide (Sara) was GREAT!!! She is very knowledgeable and was able to answer any questions we had. Our next trip, we'll definitely look to see what other tours are available.
Thank you-
Joann W.
Dear Jessica,
We can't say enough good things about our Full Day Rome and the Vatican Tour with Gregory! He was fantastic: prompt, polite, respectful of our senior-citizen parents' special needs, and sooo enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the subject matter. He even went a little overtime because he didn't want us to miss a thing! He was so interesting. We are very grateful to him and really feel like our trip to Rome was extra-special because of him. (Our mother even called him her adopted son!)
Thanks also to you and Initaly.com for your help in making wheelchair arrangements and answering all our questions in a very timely manner. We will recommend your services to anyone considering a trip to Italy.
Ciao,
Patti S.
p.s. Roberto's driving skills were also appreciated!
Dear Jessica,
Thank you so much for an awesome experience. After a minor glitch with transportation, In Italy got right on it and made sure we had an incredible experience. Sarah was an amazing guide with a wonderful sense of humor. Our children ages 15, 16, and 17, will tell you Sarah was the best guide we had. Our only regret is that we didn't book our other city excursions with you as well. In Italy provided a complete tour of Rome with some special "keyhole" experiences as well. The knowledge of our tour guide, Sarah, was impressive and she definitely connected with all eight of us, meeting all our needs and answering our questions. I would highly recommend your services. It was worth every Euro!!
Thank you again,
Michelle and Family
Jessica,
The tours were excellent.
Although we started off with some difficulty because one of the guides became sick everything worked out well. We had to change our schedules but you compensated by providing an extra hour during our Vatican tour.
Francesca was an excellent guide and provided tidbits of information relative to the Vatican that were very informative and enlightening. She also provided a history of why and how St. Peter's was built, the story behind why Pope John XXIII's body has not decayed. The underground crypts and the grave of Pope John Paul were emotionally breathtaking. She was extremely knowledgeable concerning the works of Raphael and Michelangelo. She provided information about why Michelangelo did certain things in the Sistine Chapel and why Raphael incorporated an image of Michelangelo in one of his own masterpieces. She explained the tapestries, how they were woven and showed us the changes in these tapestries for different time periods. She was excellent.
Paolo was also excellent on our tour of Ancient Rome. Her knowledge of the history and why things occurred were immeasurable. She provided us information separating truth from fiction concerning all of the ancient stories about Rome i.e. Romulus and Remus, the Vestal Virgins, Julius Caesar, the Forum, Nero, the Coliseum etc. She explained why the Coliseum was built , what was there previously, how they had mock ship battles etc. Her in-depth knowledge of the Forum and how it was built throughout the years was immeasurable. She then walked us to the Pantheon and once again gave us the history of this gorgeous building.
Both of our guides were knowledgeable, courteous and enlightening. Often I saw people standing around us hoping to hear what our guides were saying. Our entire party was extremely pleased with our guides and I honestly believe they could not have been any better.
I would recommend your services to anyone visiting Rome.
Ron M.
Dear Jessica,
Thanks so much. Our tour was a major highlight of our visit top Rome and Venice. My wife and I are returning to Italy next month (to Bellagio, for a little relaxation). Thanks so much, I am sure will be calling on you again in the future.
Sincerely,
John M.
