Italy 2nd Time Around

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip! I had been to Italy in high school and wasn't impressed. What a difference a few years makes! Our tour guide, David, was amazing! The trip was fun, well-organized, and included the major sights you would want to see when visiting Italy. I loved it!

The Grand Tour of Italy

The Grand Tour of Italy was a fantastic experience. The tour director, Monique, was exceptional. I thoroughly enjoyed the Tuscany excursion; even though we lost our camera in Siena. But a happy ending; Monique was able to track it down and had it forwarded to our Rome Hotel. Capri and Sorento were also highlights of the tour. We will be booking a tour with Go Ahead in the not to distant future.

Not as great as I had hoped

Italy was lovely, but on this tour if you don't want to pay for the excursions there is not to do with the free time since the hotels were not located near anything .AND there is alot of free time. The hotels were nice BUT The hotel rooms were VERY TINY with limited air conditioning. Tour director was okay, the bus driver Antiono was awesome!

A True Immersion into Italy

The Grand Tour of Italy was everything we had hoped it would be ... and more! We not only saw the most popular sites of the country, but the smaller villages and places as well. My wife celebrated her 40th birthday in Assisi and it will be a memory we will treasure always.

Italy NOT on a Diet!!

My daughter, age 21, and I did our 2nd tour with Go Ahead and LOVED IT! This was a great condensed view of Italy's classic cities, both large and small. Hotels were close to towns so one could walk to the 'action" if desired after checking in for the day. The food, wine, and desserts were fabulous! All side trips were well worth the time and $ invested. Our tour guide, Monique, was extremely well-informed,( sharing her personal life in Italy compared to her American life was especially eye-opening), as were all the local city guides. Monique was great at telling us where to shop for authentic souvenirs in each city .The "craft" demonstrations were fascinating. We especially enjoyed the "water trips" on ferries, the gondola in Venice, and the small boat trip around Capri. No waiting in line for anything!! The tour bus itself was very comfortable , sufficient bathroom/ snack stops (!) with a well-mixed group of ages and personalities in our group. We are already planning our next trip!!

Trip of a Lifetime

The Southbound Grand Tour of Italy was one of the best tours I have taken. The tour director was professional , experienced and genuinely concerned about the quality of the tour and the safety and experience of the tour group. The locations we visited and the guidance of the various tour guides at each of our stops made the experience more rewarding and enhanced our awareness of the historical importance of the cities we visited. I highly recommend this tour to all who are interested in obtaining a comprehensive and rewarding experience of this beautiful country.

Doing a lot in a little time

Given the number of venues we toured, I was very pleased with the overall quality of the experience and the variety of activities. I especially appreciated in staying multiple nights at each hotel location, which cut down on the packing/unpacking. The tour guide had a nice touch with people in keeping them organized and on time, which was major concern when on tour with 40+ people. The tour itself provided more educational background than I expected, which was a plus, although I had prepared my own personal agenda in advance. The optional tours were generally well worth the expense and most of the local guides were very good. I did not think the guides in Venice or Pompeii were particularly good - the first seemed irritated and rushed - the second didn't seem to want to be there. The guides in Florence and Rome were very insightful. Lake Como was a very peasant surprise, especially villa and dinner. I would have preferred a hotel in Venice near the Duomo as opposed to out by Venice Beach. It limited the evening options. Sienna was magnificent and Assisi was the most peaceful venue. Capri was overly touristy although the boat ride was certainly beautiful. We had a good group co-travelers, which developed into friendships lasting beyond the trip. The churches in Rome were exceptional and never ending and the Pantheon was something which needs to be added to the Colosseum tour. The catacombs at the location we visited was very disappointing and did not compare with the tour under the St. Peter's Basilica. (need to alert future travelers that they need to reserve at least 30-60 days in advance on-line. The bus service/drivers were also very good. I would recommend the tour for anyone who wants to see a lot in a little amount of time without getting totally worn out from the travel.

Grand Tour of Italy

Overall, this was an experience of a lifetime. We saw EVERYTHING in Italy. It was a pretty fast pace - definitely NOT a relaxing vacation. I really like having everything planned for me with transportation and entrance into the best sights. We would have liked to have a bit more time within certain sites like Pompeii and Rome but we had too much time in other sites such as Capri where there is nothing but very expensive shopping. Once you've been around the beautiful island, it takes about an hour to eat and a half an hour to walk through the little town, then you're done. If we knew there were going to be little beaches, we would have brought our suits, but we didn't. Walking around Florence was fantastic! I felt very safe and very comfortable to not get lost. Venice was also wonderful when we could go off on our own away from the crowds. I recommend Lido. Very quaint, not crowded, very safe, and we stayed right across the street from the beach and swam in the Adriatic Sea! We were also a few blocks from the main street so we could walk around and eat, etc. Very comfortable!

nothing spectacular

Overall I give this tour a "good" During the walking tours, I believe that 43 individuals are too many and it allowed the group to spread out to a point where even the whispers were not receiving. I suggest a local guide should not have a group larger than 25. Also, at photo opportunties, not enough time was allow for all to get in position for their turn. The trip leader was excellent, overall, but she could have slowed the pace to correct the deficiencies above.

grand tour takes you away

Going from Milan and Como to Verona, Venice, Asissi, Sorento and Pompeii, Capri and Rome was an experience I will not soon forget. It clarified history and brought together the people and places into a memory that is warm. Our tour guide, Stephania, was super! She was always available, and was so knowledgeable about the areas we traveled. Thank you for a tour that will help me as I teach history.