In Italy Online - Comments From Our Clients

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To all travelers trying to plan your own holidays: I am a very diligent and organized planner, who spent many, many hours researching accommodations, etc. and using several different online companies to plan our 2 ½ week Italy/Spain vacation. I highly recommend using In Italy Online as a trip planner. They have access to many different locations which are not listed any where else. They have simplified the process and provide you with complete information. They communicate very well and are efficient at getting back to you quickly. In the long run, it is well worth having them do the leg work and give you the peace of mind that all is exactly what they have told you.

Shawn & Cathy C.

Dear Kristin,

Our trip to Italy was fabulous, due it part to the fine service you provided with tickets and tours. Our private tour was outstanding. Our guide Ava was extremely knowledgeable and very professional. We would like to thank her for securing our tour of the catacombs on a Monday when they are normally closed.

Thanks again!
Dan & Mary G.

Hi Kristin,

Last week we returned from an amazing trip in Italy. All the hotels, the food, and the locations were exceptional. Lerici Seaside Hotel was excellently located, allowing us to enjoy Italy away from the tourist crowd and at the same time explore the Ligurian coast. The Villa a San Gimignano was paradise! We experienced superb customer service at the Villa, which made our stay there much more comfortable. Marco was very friendly and made us feel right at home. I was so happy to follow your advice to stay for 4 nights at each site. We had enough time to sightsee and relax. Thanks so much for all your help, that made our vacation in Italy more pleasant and enjoyable. Best regards, Irena T. Hello Kirill, Work has been crazy but I wanted to write you a quick note before I finally get to post the details of my wonderful trip to the In Italy web site. My husband and I cannot thank you enough. We absolutely loved Sicily so much. Every moment of our trip was perfect. We loved the hotel. The beach was beautiful, the staff was friendly and helpful and the food was fantastic. And the tours? Perfection. We loved all four tours we took. The guides were terrific and we learned so much. Plus, who couldn't love Marsala, Erica, Segesta, Selinunte??? And Palermo? Gorgeous!! We're starting to save up for our next trip but I wanted to send you a personal thank you for all of your hard work helping us get to Sicily. You did a fantastic job and I am looking forward to planning our next trip with you! Have a great day!

Ciao! Best,
Michelle B.

Dear Kristin,

We had a great time. And all of the places you recommended were wonderful. We had no problems whatsoever in Italy. Getting to Corsica was a different story though. The only thing we discovered was that not many places are open on Mondays. So we had some difficulty finding a decent restaurant on Monday as Palazzo Bandino was not serving dinner that evening either. Thank you for all of your help with the arrangements. I have told everyone how great is was to work with you and have the recommendations that you provided.

Thanks again,
Teresa P.

Dear Kirill,

I wanted to thank you and the rest of the associates of In Italy Online for helping make our maiden voyage to Italy such a wonderful experience. I found the extensive information on the website to be of invaluable assistance, and your patient assistance with all my questions helped me feel much more secure in my planning.

We stayed at In Italy-recommended hotels exclusively during our stay, and found them to be consistently comfortable, with spacious rooms and bathrooms, generous breakfasts and pleasant staff. We appreciated the packet of information you supplied for each hotel, and when we took your restaurant suggestions, we had some of the best meals of our trip. (The restaurants in Chianti were particularly wonderful!)

Two of the highlights of our trip turned out to be the guided tours we took of Ancient and Baroque Rome with Eva, and of Pompeii with Elisa. Given the limited amount of time we had in each city, it was great to be able to see the sights without spending a huge portion of our day trying to figure out how to take public transportation from one location to another, and then waiting in entrance lines once we got to our destination. Furthermore, both guides were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and willing to answer all our question - even those that had nothing to do with the tours we were on! We would also like to express our particular gratitude to Rosario, our driver from Sorrento to Pompeii, and on from there to Naples. We needed to have lunch in Naples between our Pompeii tour and catching the train from Napoli Centrale back up to Rome, and Elisa had recommended a favorite pizzeria close to the station. Rosario, concerned that two Americans with suitcases roaming the streets of Naples would be easy targets for pickpockets, took the trouble to rearrange his schedule so that he could drive us to the pizzeria, wait while we lunched, then take us to the train station from there. We very much appreciated his thoughtfulness and concern for our well-being, and we would be grateful if you could pass that on to him and/or his employer.

The only thing we could have wished for that wasn't already supplied to us was an alternative method of transportation between Roma Termini and Fiumicino Airport. Our original plan was, of course, to take the Leonardo Da Vinci Express subway from Termini to Fiumicino, and then the hotel shuttle from there to the hotel. Unfortunately, by that time I had managed to injure my leg - nothing serious, but it made walking and particularly stairs difficult to do with a suitcase in tow - so the subway wasn't a very good option. In hindsight, I realize we should have called your contact people in Rome, but since we didn't think of that at the time, we ended up taking a very expensive cab ride directly to the Fiumicino Airport Hotel. Given my difficulties, it was the right choice, but if there is some middle ground between convenience and expense, I'm sure others might like to know about it as well.

All in all, our trip was wonderful, and we give In Italy Online much of the credit for that. Now that we have gotten a taste of Italy, we already have ideas for two more in-depth itineraries to see more of our favorite areas, and visit the places we couldn't get to on our whirlwind visit. When the time comes, we will certainly be using your services again, and in the meantime, will be recommending you to anyone looking for a great Italian experience.

Grazie mille, e arrivederci!

With best regards,
Mark and Jill R.

Hi Kristin,We had a wonderful time in Italy. Thank you so much for your help in planning our trip to Sicily. I had researched the island on and off for a year and simply felt I could not make the kind of decisions by myself that I needed to make. Using your guidance was the absolutely best way for me to plan our two week trip. It was a wonderful feeling as we went from one place to another that our destination would always be a special place. The hotels and villas we stayed in were so beautiful and always, always the people there were superb. I will always depend on your site for future travel to Italy.

Mary Beth H.

Dear Jessica,We had a great time in Italy and in Switzerland. The hotels you had picked for us were two of our favorites. I wished I had not taken the advice of friends for hotels in Venice and Florence, we were disappointed in both of them. The only trouble we had was returning our rental car in Florence, what a nightmare. We spent two hours looking for this garage that was so close we could walk, but we just couldn’t figure out the streets. I think a GPS would have been a good idea.

Thank you very much for all your help.
Julie W.

Dear Kristin,You did it again---we liked our hotel in Rome and the lovely people there. Also our tour of Vatican and transfers all worked---which still surprises me.

Thanks for your help
Sandy K.

Kirill,Just wanted to thank you and the rest of the staff at In Italy for arranging a very pleasant vacation for my wife and me earlier this month. All of the hotels offered clean rooms, good beds, and very helpful people at the front desk. The hotels in Como and Florence were particularly exceptional, and we can’t thank you enough for the assistance that you gave. I’ve already recommended you to some friends and will do so anytime anyone I know is looking for truly expert advice. If Italy has a temporary shortage of wine, gelato, or seafood, I can assure you that we had nothing to do with it.

Thanks,
Jon R.

Dear Jessica, Just returned from our wonderful trip to Italy totally planned by you. The hotels were all wonderful and so convenient to the museums, shops and restaurants. Your shuttle service worked out perfectly and the trains were also the way to go. Next time I think we'll take a smaller suitcase and go to a laundromat which we discovered is inexpensive. Thanks so much for helping us on our trip.

Fran A.

Ciao to everyone at In Italy, Please know how much my husband and I appreciate Kirill's expertise and his patience with us as we peppered him with questions. He would get back to us very quickly and has infinite knowledge of Italy. He also provided great suggestions and definitely cares about making sure we get the most out of our trip. As you know, I used you before to book our first trip to Italy and it was beyond wonderful, to say the least. We are thrilled with our itinerary and look forward to booking more activities.

Kindly,
Michelle B.

Dear Kristin,Before my trip to Italy I stumbled upon the InItaly web site. I was reticent to put so much trust into an agency that was just an online connection. I am pretty particular in my tastes and have traveled a lot so I can be easily disappointed if my experience is not authentic or in some way "cheesy". As I began to make inquiries with InItaly I found their feedback really candid and intelligent--my trust increased. They steered me away from some things when they could have easily just made a booking. On the basis of our emails I felt comfortable to book 2 apartments and two tours through InItaly, but still was slightly worried that I was entrusting a big part of the "success" of our trip with total strangers. Also, it was difficult to get reviews and recommendations online for their services except for the the quotes they themselves placed on their own site. Having now taken my vacation, I wanted to take the time to help others that are in my same place and say that everything InItaly promised was delivered as described and that their advice was correct across the board. I wasted a lot of time doing internet research before the trip because the materials they provided and advice they gave exceeded any guidebook, other internet information I found, and was only matched by conversations with locals once I was there. Thank you and great job InItaly!

Chris F.

Dear Kristin,Just wanted to let you know that our trip to Italy for 17 days was wonderful. Boy, the time just flew by and I wish I could go back again next year. The Mercedes Class A car worked out very well.. It was a very comfortable car to ride in. Parking places are very, very, very hard to find in cities like Siena and even the smaller hill towns. So thank you very much for working with me in order to get the car. It was unusually hot during our stay and we were so grateful for the air conditioning and my husband was so glad that he had an automatic transmission. We both were very pleased with our rental experience with your company.

Joyce P.

Dear Kristin and Staff,Our trip was magical! It helps when you start the trip off being wined and dined in Business Class.All our arrangements went smoothly and all of our private tours were spectacular. We especially enjoyed Elena in Venice as she took us through the back streets and we got to experience the everyday life of a Venetian. The tours through the Uffizi and the Vatican were fascinating and it really set the tone for us to understand what we were looking at when we were on our own.All of our accommodations suited our needs. The hotel staff in all places were very accommodating, helpful and friendly. The buffet breakfasts which were included with our rooms were fresh and delicious every morning. I would recommend any of these places again and again. We were glad we did not spend the extra money in Milan because we just needed a clean and convenient place to stay before we traveled to Venice. We did change rooms in the Relais Della Rovere in Tuscany. While the ambiance of the hotel was great our original room was on the first floor of one of the other buildings and was very dark with no view. We upgraded for a reasonable amount to a suite in the main building on the 3rd floor looking out into the medieval town. Its claim to fame was that Mel Gibson had stayed there. We absolutely loved our rooms in Florence and Rome with views of the Arno and Villa Borghese respectively. The maps we ordered of Florence, Tuscany and Rome were very helpful. Again, we would like to thank you for all your advice in helping us to plan the perfect trip!

Sincerely,
Carol P.

Dear Kristin,

Thanks once again for helping to make our trip to Milan and Lake Como a rousing success. We stayed for one night in the very comfortable and centrally-located Hotel Gran Duca di York in Milan, which allowed us to do a little clothing shopping and rest up for the drive to the lake. We also had dinner at the Ristorante Sadler, which was one of the most remarkable dining experiences we've had anywhere in the world. At 230 Euros for two (including a nice, moderately priced wine) it's not an every-night gig, but the service, ambience, and food were exactly what one would expect from a truly world-class restaurant. Spectacular in every way. Take a cab, though, you will get lost trying to find it.

At Lake Como, we stayed at the lovely Albergo Lenno. Lenno, as many of your other clients have noted, is not a place for nightlife, but it is peaceful and beautiful, and ideally located right across from the town ferry stop (this is not at all noisy or disruptive, but rather, very convenient and actually interesting). The hotel is casually elegant, with attractive grounds and lake views all around. The staff is friendly and helpful, particularly Luca at the front desk. The breakfast area is very inviting, and has both indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant downstairs offers a very nice prix fixe (not sure how you say that in Italian) menu that changes nightly, is very reasonably priced at 25 Euros, and has nice local wine list.

Kristin, this was our second experience with Initaly.com. Our first was three years ago, when you helped us arrange a trip that took us from Milan to Lake Garda to Venice, and back again. Since that trip, I've been proselytizing about Initaly.com with the fervor of a true evangelist; I actually started wondering if I was over-hyping your services. Having done it again, I have to say no, there's no hype. You run a great service, unique among any travel sites I've yet discovered. You all should be proud of running such an effective organization. We are hoping to venture further south in Italy some time soon, and I wouldn't consider doing it without consulting Initaly.com first.

Thanks again, and I look forward to exploring Tuscany and Umbria with your guidance.

All best,
Paul S.

Dear Kirill,We had wonderful time and will definitely come back. All your arrangements and locations were perfect. We’ll for sure recommend your site to all our friends. Thank you for your help.

Regards, Inna K.

Dear Kristin, Our trip was terrific and topped by stays at the three hotels we booked through your site in Cinque Terre, Lucca, and Florence - each was unique yet comfortable, wonderful views and centrally located. Staff at each was welcoming and gave us excellent service. This was our third trip to Italy and each time we learn about more resources and your site is a great help for planning a do it yourself vacation.Verona was a pleasant surprise and turned out to be a place we definitely have to revisit. Beautiful central historic area (no graffiti even) and marble streets, wide range of shopping, restaurants, and free of most traffic. All in all, the most relaxing and comfortable large city we have found in Italy.Warning in Rome: the taxis from Termini station now have a set fare that is much higher than in the past. Meter starts at 20 euros plus addition per person and per bag - 28 euros just to get 2 people with 2 bags to area of Piazza Navona. On top of 13 euro per person on the train from airport. Definitely best to set up with a shuttle service from the airport.

Sue and Don B.

Hi Kristin,First of all, thank you so much for all the assistance your staff gave me in preparing for my trip. I wouldn't have had a clue what to do or how to plan without your help. In particular, I would like to thank Julie for all her helpful advice. As for any comments, well the trip was amazing - a once in a lifetime experience. The only difficult part was trying to find our way around when driving. It was quite challenging and despite my best efforts, I still wasn't prepared. Not sure I'd do that part again.Thanks again for all your help. I wish you continued success.

Sincerely,
Karen K.

Great Trip!!! Everything that you booked for us was great and went smoothly...the rental cars, lodging and the tours. Especially Kristin as well as everyone at initaly.com that we communicated with was outstanding. Your website had great information and made booking with you reassuring of what we would get. I was recommended to you by friends that have used you and I have already recommended you to others planning to travel to Italy. Do you book travels to any other parts of the world? I would use you again to travel to Italy and if you book to other parts of the world.

Grazie, Grazie, Grazie!!!
Rich A.

Dear Julie:Just a quick note as I will write a lengthy thank you but we had the most perfect, wonderful vacation thanks to you and enjoyed every second of our trip. Please know we want to return to Italy and will only go with initaly.com. We will be in touch to start planning but for now, please accept our thanks and best regards.

Michelle B.

Greetings,

We have just returned from our trip to Italy, we had a wonderful time and we much appreciate all your help and advice. The locations in Venice, Milano and the Tuscany/Umbria region were wonderful. We were very lucky because the weather was just perfect, we rented a car in Florence and used a GPS devise to navigate through Italy and it was a life-saver, we recomend that anyone who plans to drive in Italy either bring one along or rent one. The instructions you gave us with our Hotel Vouchers were extremely helpful, travel by train from Venice to Milan and then to Florence was a wonderful experience. The time spent in the Tuscany/Umbria region will foreverer be one of our fondest travel memories, your suggestions were spot on! Thank you for all your help and advise, we hope to return to Bella Italia in the future...we'll be in touch.

Frederick & Irene B.

Hello,We had a wonderful 3 weeks, visiting Rome, Tuscony and the Amalfi. Too many great memories to elaborate but we were disappointed at being ripped off by taxi drivers, and "helpers" at the train station. Surely something could be done with these helpers who come on as good samaritans and then demand money. We are smarter travellers now and would avoid these situations but we have never encountered these scams in our travels elsewhere.The positives far outweigh this small negative but thought you would like to know.

David C.

We had a great trip to Italy. In the area of planning, now that the trip is over, I can say that In Italy does a great job of pre-selecting places to stay and taking the busy work out of planning the trip. All the hotels we stayed at, as picked from your recommended lists, were great. My biggest regret was not finding In Italy sooner as i think I spent about 20 hours searching for hotels and ideas prior to finding the site, and only about 5 hours planing the WHOLE trip, including confirmations and research of things to do, once In Italy was in front of me.Our favorite was Castello Apartments in Venice for two reasons... one was the people there as Nicola and the rest of the staff were great to talk to. The second bonus was the ability to cook in a kitchen after picking up groceries in a small shop around the corner. We travelled with our two seven year olds and being able to have breakfast and dinner back at our room not only made the day the perfect length, but gave us some of our best time together.In Rome we stayed at Hotel Ponte Sisto which had a great central location. We were in Rome during some scorchers so it was nice to be relatively close to everything where we could walk. We strategically used taxi's here to avoid the heat and get us of our feet so we could cover more ground during the day with our seven year olds. The surprise was they were actually not that expensive and well worth it. Great breakfast spread here, and the courtyard made it even better.In Italy does a good of documenting the pre-trip info you'll want to take with you about getting around, how to get between places, and small tips for various locations, I only wish I had printed more of it for easy reference while we were en route or changing cities.All in all it was the best family trip we have taken. I know we will go back to Italy, exactly where I am not quite sure where, but I do know that In Italy is firmly in my favorites folder and only a click away next time we start planning.

Thanks again and all the best,
Drew K.

This is the absolute best website I have ever found on Italy!!! This website is a gold mine of information. Thank you!!!

Thomas K.

Dear Gang at Italy Online:You asked for my comments - to sum it up - a BIG GIANT THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Generally, thanks to your frequent recommendations and trading of emails back and forth our trip was fantastic and the logistics an accommodations were superb. I never could have planned this myself, and I never believed each place I stayed in could be almost exactly what I what I expected and wanted. Also, the instruction documents you included with each location we stayed at was EXTREMELY helpful and on the mark. It gave us great instructions on how to get to each location from the airport or train station, and the contact numbers included were helpful- and the contact ALWAYS answered immediately.Venice- We arrived at 9:45 a.m. Per your instructions once we got our luggage we called the Castello Apartments. We knew the check in time was 4:00, but we were hoping to drop our luggage there and tour for the day. Well, not only did Antonio answer the phone immediately, he told us our apartment was ready right now, he gave us specific instructions on how to get the water taxi to get to the Castello Apartments - AND - he had me call him from the water taxi and proceeded to give the driver step by step directions to the Castello Apartments. When we arrived at the apartments, the apartment we had reserved was under emergency repair, but he had another ready for us. While it wasn't quote what we ordered, it was perfectly fine and he had our bill adjusted.The Castello Apartments were very nice. They must have been recently renovated because the building and the rooms were top notch. And the location (you'll see this repeated many times) was perfect. Far enough from the crowds and noise of the tourist areas, yet close enough to get to easily (easy 10 minute walk to St Marks Square and an easy 15- 20 minute walk to the Rialto Bridge. There is also a nice little breakfast provided each morning (pastries, cheese, coffee, juice etc.) I would recommend Castello Apartments to anyone, and would stay there again without question.Florence - Ciompi Apartments. Another upscale apartment not in the noise and crowds of the tourist area, yet a 5 -10 minute walk to the Duomo, maybe 15 minutes to the Accademia or Ponte Vecchio. These apartments were very nice, all had beautifully tiled floors, very large modern rooms, kitchen, wireless internet etc etc etc. I would not hesitate a bit to stay there again. A major point I would like to make, and this was true of the Castello Apartments, is that you are in a local neighborhood setting, not in a hotel in the middle of the city. You can go to local bars, markets, piazzas etc, and be among the locals if you want. I found a wonderful bar a block away from the apartment, and from there I got suggestions of local restaurants to try. As a matter of fact, at this bar I was talking with a guy who walked in about a specific restaurant that was recommended in a guide book and very expensive. Turns out he was the cook at a local place, and many of the people there recommended it. So I cancelled my reservations at the expensive restaurant and went to Semolina (sorry I didn't write down the address but it is a 5 minute walk fro the Ciompi apartments). We had a tremendous Bistecca Fiorentina. Excellent pizza, and the local wine was great. We also ended up buying shots of grappa for the owners, and vice versa.We went to Tata's one night- and that was a letdown, a tourist trap we fell into. I would never go there again.We also booked a private tour of the Accademia and the Uffizi through your site. Now THAT was money WELL SPENT. To be honest, one of main reasons I booked the tour was to avoid waiting in the lines for tickets. Cristina was our guide's name, and boy was she a professional She took us to the Uffizi first. Now if we were there without a guide we would have quickly walked through the thousands of art works there, I am not sure what we would have gotten out of it. While Cristina knew the history of almost every piece there (I asked her that question), her tour concentrated on the key works, and how their styles transitioned and progressed throughout the Renaissance. We would skip many pieces, but sometimes spend 15 minutes on a particularly important work. I would highly recommend booking this tour.One tip I can give if you are Catholic- Instead of waiting in long lines to get into the Duomo, go to mass on Saturday afternoon or Sunday. You gian immediate entrance and can look around the church all you want after mass.Rome - Our favorite city and our favorite apartment. What a gorgeous place the Campo di' Fiori apartment was. Our apartment had a huge master bedroom, another smaller bedroom, 2 baths and a huge living room and kitchen area, and right in the middle of a great spot in Rome. I was with my wife and two daughters (ages 20 and 23) and they just loved the boutiques in that area. At night, the piazza turns from a fruit and vegetable market to a night-life area for people in their late teens and twenties. And for the fathers out there - it is EXTREMELY safe.Again we booked a private full day tour in Rome, and again it was well worth it. Another well educated person, Giulio, who had obviously studied extensively Roman history, guided us through the Vatican Museum, St. Peters, the Pantheon, Colosseum and Forum. As with the tour in Florence, not only did we get to avoid the lines, we got a detailed historical description of the key features within each of those areas. He took us to the prison where St. Peter and St, Paul were kept (never would've found that on our own), the Forum (which is not the famous Roman Forum) where Julius Ceasar was killed before he was brought to the Roman Forum (actually near our apartment) and many other interesting facts. He also gave us superb restaurant recommendations.A couple of general recommendations- AVOID any restaurant directly near or on a well travelled via to a major attraction. These are usually overpriced and under quality. TRY restaurants near Piazza Santa Maria in the Trastevere section, a lot of locals eat there and they are more reasonably priced.Sorrento - We took a train to from Rome to Naples, then decided to take a cab to the docks to catch a boat to Sorrento Suites. Again for the fourth time, this was a beautiful, newer upscale apartment 2 bedrooms 2 bathrooms, far enough from the noise and crowds of the city, but a short walk to everything (maybe 15 minutes to the main piazza and 20 minutes to the docks). Giuseppe and Raphaella, the main contacts there, were extremely friendly and helpful . Every question was answered patiently and honestly (every restaurant recommendation was on the mark). While the property doesn't have a pool, you do get the use of the pool of a nearby hotel (3 minute walk) and it is gorgeous, on a high cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. A must is a boat trip to Postiano, where you get a trip right along the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. We stayed at Positano for the day, renting beach chairs and swimming in the beautiful waters.We also took a trip to Capri- my wife and daughters liked it because of the shopping- but I was disappointed in the commercialism there.ROME- Hotel Gladiatori - Only stayed there one night but boy what a great hotel (very expensive as I am sure you know. It is a boutique hotel so you get very personalized, friendly service. The bonus is a beautiful outdoor terrace on the top floor which provides and unobstructed view of the Colosseum (one block away). You can have breakfast (provided free) there, and at night they open a bar there where you can have a drink.Other Observations- you were right- I never needed a car, and having one would have been a complete hassleAgain please feel free to use any or none of my comments to assist you and others in planning their trip. To any future users of In Italy - trust these guys, they know exactly what they are doing. Not only did they help pick the right places to stay, but how many days to stay in each city, the order of cities to travel to, etc.

Bill G.

Dear Jessica,Everything went like clockwork. The places we stayed were excellent especially in Sorrento and Tuscany. The guides were exceptional. All in all a flawless trip.

Thanks,
Chuck M.

Hi Kristin,

Let me begin with a huge thank you you for your efforts in this matter. In going through my email correspondence with both you and Julie I still haven't figured out how our September dates were changed to June dates, but you managed to correct the problem and salvage our dream vacation. This is incredibly GOOD NEWS! As I mentioned in a previous email to you, this trip has been many years in the planning and has been derailed several times due to illness, kids' college expenses, relocations and on and on.

The bottom line though, is that I have used the services of In Italy in the past (ten years ago) and have recommended your group to many friends who have also turned to your expertise to plan their trips. Once again you have come through and both Barney and I are very pleased!

Sincerely,
Christy B.

Hi Jessica,Thank you so much. I have to say, I have never experienced such wonderful customer service as I have with you and In Italy. Everyone has been on top of things and so accommodating with all of my requests. Please pass along my compliments to your management.At my office, we stress "Ritz Carlton, white-glove" service for all of our clients. You have definitely raised the bar as far as client service goes.Thanks and have a great day.

Regards,
Michelle B.

Good Day Kristin, I live in Australia and my parents migrated from Italy in 1950. My wish is to visit Italy and experince the wonderful places and amazing history. Your photo collection is magnificant, I was able to travel to Italy overnight! Thank you.

Kind regards
Connie (Concetta)

Dear Kirill,This was the second trip to Italy where I used your web site for hotel, car, and museum reservations. The trip was free of concern about where we were going to stay or if we would be getting into a museum we really wanted to visit with having made the arrangements in advance. Your web site certainly made the trip easier and I will most certainly be using your site again to plan our next trip.

Thanks so much for your help!
Carol V.

Dear Kristin,Our trip to Italy was the best trip I have ever taken. This is in large measure to working with In Italy. Everything we scheduled through In Italy was excellent and made our trip much more fun. I would recommend your organization to anyone who might be going to Italy.

Cheryl A.

Dear Julie,

Your site is a must for anyone planning a trip even to the country's most cosmopolitan cities. It's a treasure trove of all things Italian, plus it offers a generous number of vetted accommodations with local contacts who speak English. I reserved rooms through you for my stays in Rome -- both quite comfortable and affordable -- first in the bustling and festive Campo de' Fiori (flower market) area and then at The Spanish Steps -- as well as a stopover in happily chaotic Naples.

Most of my time, however, was spent riding with friends in a Mercedes A180, rented through In Italy Online. Your website was most helpful!

Thank you,
Rosemary P.

Dear Kirill,We were a party of six. We booked our accommodations through In Italy Online. In Rome, we stayed at Rome Garden Apartment. In Positano we stayed at Positano Cliffside. These accommodations exceeded our expectations. We are completely satisfied with the services provided by In Italy Online. All information passed to us before the trip was extremely accurate. In Italy Online was thoroughly accommodating to our needs and readily responded to all of our inquiries before our departure. Most of all I found In Italy Online to be totally reliable. I could not find one single thing to complain about their support.

Sincerely,
Robert G. M.

Dear Kristin,Thank you so much for following up with me to see how my trip to Italy was! I feel so fortunate that I happened to find your website before my trip. I booked rental cars in Florence and Bari, booked a 3 night stay at Palazzo Bandino and the 1/2 day cooking class there in Tuscany, and booked our train travel as well. We also booked one of our hotels through you, plus a private tour guide in Florence (Elisabetta), and another one in Venice (Elena). What can I say....your site absolutely MADE our trip!! Elisabetta and Elena were incredible....they were so knowledgeable, so warm and friendly, and they were well worth the cost of the private tours. I hope to use their services again on our next trip to Italy! Everything we planned through your website went without a hitch! I would also highly recommend Palazzo Bandino in Montepulciano, their cookinig class, and also the Palace Grand Hotel Varese ....beautiful hotel closer to the Milan Malpensa airport than Milan hotels.

Thanks again for all of your help!
Gloria B.

Dear Julie,We had a wonderful time, we would have to say the best we have ever had. We thank you for a seamless experience on booking thru you. The hotels and staff were great! We look forward on booking with you again when we return to Italy!

Sincerely,
Maria & Manuel M.

To Kristin,

I would like to thank all the staff involved in our transfers that you arranged. The drivers and particularly the guides provided were very pleasant and informative. They were always early to pick us up and made our journeys with them a very pleasant experience.

We will have no hesitation in recommending your services to all our friends. Thanks again for helping to make our time in Italy a pleasurable and memorable experience.

Ken B. and all our travel crew

Dear Julie,We had a terrific time on our first visit to Italy..... All of the hotels and suggestions from In Italy Online were fabulous and right on target. We took the rail from Zurich to Como -- stayed in Tremezzo for a few nights. Lovely hotel - great service - awesome views of the lake. We especially enjoyed the indoor pool with (3) separate whirlpool/jet areas -- very relaxing! Only downside to this location was the "expensive" taxi from the train station. It was around $70 Euros one-way which makes it a little expensive if you're planning any day-trips and don't have a car. Next stop was Rapallo on the Italian Riviera. This was our favorite spot as it was gorgeous and more "pedestrian friendly". Last stop was Torino (past host of the Winter Olympics) to visit our son who is currently attending the University. Per In Italy Online, we stayed at the Grand Hotel Sitea. Fabulous hotel in the heart of some terrific shopping - a great mix of high-end and affordable stores! We truly enjoyed Torino and wished we had more time to explore. We would totally recommend In Italy Online to anyone planning a trip to Italy. Your website is loaded with invaluable information (like cell phone rental which we did -- it was easy). Many thanks!!

Jody & Larry G.

Dear Kirill,

What a marvelous company you are! We found our stay in Florence to be quite enjoyable and the apartment to be as we expected it from your site. You contacted us with our information ahead of time and now are seeking our input. Bravo!

I say this, because unfortunately we rented an apartment in Rome from a company called Rental-in-Rome, which turned out to be a disaster. They were as bad as you were good. I shall be happy to recommend your services in the future.

Mike R.

Jessica Scheible,We have returned from our trip and I just wanted to thank you and your company for everything. Everything went as planned and my family and myself were very happy with all we arranged. They were a little late picking us up at the airport in Rome and I was getting nervous that maybe I had made a big mistake, but they arrived and all went well from then on.We were especially happy with our guide and the tour in Sorrento and Pompeii. Other than the driver shutting the hatch on my son's head in Naples, everything was perfect. I am so grateful you were available and willing to work with me. I would be happy to be used as a reference any time I could be useful to you.

Thanks again,
Donna S.

Dear Julie,

I wanted to thank you for all your help with my trip to Italy. I had a wonderful time, and both hotels that your reserved for me were super clean and the staff helpful and very friendly. Thank you again, I am passing on your website to everyone I know who is planning a trip to Italy.

All best,
Asya P.

Dear Kirill - We recently returned home after a wonderful month traveling in Italy and were very pleased with all the arrangements we made through your organization. All your property descriptions were completely accurate and, since we were traveling by train, your directions from the stations to the hotels were perfect. This was especially useful in Venice where we loved getting lost each day but would not have wanted to do so while toting our luggage. Your suggestions for restaurants and activities were also invaluable to a couple of "Italovirgins." We did discover a wonderful little shop in Venice owned by Carlo Setti, who is a master mask maker. The shop is located on San Marco 1735. I remembered seeing a story several years ago on a TV travel show about a small workshop where an artisan still works at creating masks and other items in the traditional manner, but I did not recall his name and so had no hope of finding it. Then, on our last night in Venice, as we were wandering with no particular destination, we passed a small shop and saw a man working at a table carving a mask. As soon as we entered, the feel of the place was totally different from that of any other shop - no salesperson explaining great bargains, no mass-produced items, no pressure, just a display of obviously superior pieces at reasonable prices. We chose a beautiful and unique mask and asked about shipping it. We were shocked when he told us he would charge no more for the shipping and when we chose a second piece for a gift, he said, "That is the last of those, I am no longer interested in it, you can have it," and he only charged us for the first piece. The fact that this happened in a place where we expected everyone to try to make as much money from tourists as possible left us convinced that this man is completely dedicated to his craft.

Robert C.

Hi,All of our tours were wonderful, as well, and more than we ever expected. Eva in Rome, Elena in Venice and Valentina in Florence were charming, lovely women who were experienced, knowledgable and truly committed to our enjoyment. I cannot say enough about the quality of service these wonderful women provided to us.When booking through the Internet, one takes a big chance. I want to thank you for being honest, forthright and totally accommodating to all of our needs. Your agency is a credit to all of you and you should take great pride in the service you provide. I will recommend you to all of my friends and when we go back to Italy for our 3rd time, I will once again be calling upon you to help me plan our trip.

Con ringraziamento più profondo,
Jane M.

Dear Kristin,Thank you for the information sent to me this morning. I must say how impressed I am with your service. I had never dreamed that I could have booked an Italian holiday whilst living in Germany with an American based firm!! I have not encountered service like yours anywhere in Europe, and as for some of the ‘villa’ outlets I have contacted their response has varied between kind of helpful to downright awkward. Yours however, is in a different class. I know we bang on about the UK-USA special relationship, but whether you live this side of the ‘pond’ or on yours, thank you for it. Please bring back Lend-Lease so we may continue to help each other.

God bless America.
Graham C.

Dear Jessica,Julie and Jessica and everyone else at InItaly. Thank you so much for the excellent web site and all your help booking our hotels and tours. Every hotel was in a prime location and the guides on our tours were so friendly…you really have a great service. I didn’t do well on the Amalfi tour…due to the winding road….had that problem a couple of times on the trip……so…I know to take fast boats next time…and there will be a next time!!! I have told several friends about your web site, and when I go back to Italy (?) I’ll be back with you as well.

Thank you again…
Marilyn H.

Dear Julie,I would like to thank you for all your help in planning our trip. Of course we were a little uncertain as to what to expect booking on line, but to our surprise everything went really well. When we arrived at the airport, the transportation you provided was there waiting for us which took us right to our apartment. The apartment was in a great location. The tour we booked through you was great they picked us up on time and showed us everything. I really want to thank you, so much you made our trip easy and hassle free.

Karen M.

Dear Jessica,I just returned from a wonderful trip to Italy which can be contributed greatly to the help and the services that I obtained from intaly.com. Every service that you offered from the Car, Cell Phone, Gps to the fabulous guided tours in Florence by Elizabeth and in Rome by Joanna was outstanding. I thank you for all of your help and will definitely tell all of my friends that they cannot go to Italy without inItaly.com. Please keep me updated on your services for use on future trips. Thanks again to all the help that I received from the entire staff of inItaly.com

Joe A.

Dear Julie,I wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful time in Italy!!! I especially wanted to thank all of our tour guides, Elena and Elisabetta in Venice, Maurizio in Florence, Stefano and Michael in Rome, and Costantino and Julianna and our driver Miguel in Naples. Everyone was so nice and extremely informative. We learned so much from all of them. We loved the fact that it was only the 4 of us on each tour. Even my kids (21 and 17) enjoyed all the facts we learned as well as the little bits of gossip here and there. It was totally enjoyable to have just educated and interesting guides. I doubt we would have had such a good time without them.The Rome Terrace Apartment was wonderful as well. You should mention in your description, however that is it located up a rather steep incline and that the washing machine is extremely tiny. Other than that, it was perfect!!!

Thank you all for your help. I have and will continue to recommend your website to anyone I know who is thinking of going to Italy.

Donna T.

Dear Julie, Our trip to Italy was absolutely fabulous!! We used so many of your services and everything went as planned. Upon our arrival to Rome we met out transportation without a hitch and he took us to our hotel.The next morning we had our private tour of the Vatican. Our tour guide was Paula and she was very knowledgeable and pointed out pieces of artwork and their explanations that we would never had realized if we were not with her.The next day we had one of the Rome walking tours with Michael as our tour guide. Once again, Michael has an insight into the secrets and history of Rome and its architecture. It was a most enjoyable and informative morning. Michael's enthusiasm about Rome and its history is quite contagious!!We departed Rome and had a private car transport us to Florence via Siena. Johanna was our guide from Rome to Florence and she was a complete joy. Upon arrival in Siena, we enjoyed a great lunch in the piazza. From there we were shown around Siena by Rebecca who is a local and was completely knowledgeable about this quaint village. We were only a week shy of the Paolo race that took place on July 2nd.We arrived safe and sound in Florence, completely exhausted from the beginning of our trip!! On our second day in Florence we were picked up by Massimo and taken for a tour of the Tuscan countryside. It was more beautiful than we imagined! We began in San Gimignano, the gorgeous medieval village up on a large hill. We walked around there for a bit, then Massimo took us to a great little restaurant along the way. We stopped again in Greve in Chianti to check out this small little town. Very quaint. From there we drove through Chianti along the wine road. We stopped at a great vineyard, where we were treated to a private tour of their wine cellar and had a private wine tasting - we cannot wait until our shipment arrives!!!Our next "In Italy" event was a cooking class at Palazzo Bandino in Chianciano Terme. This turned out to be a superb day! The only suggestion I would make is to ensure the customer realizes that it is quite a hike from Florence. This was certainly partly my own fault for not looked closer to the map, but it turned out that if you do not have a car, you need to take the train and then a cab to the restaurant. It is completely worth it though!! The train is very easy to figure out and we were lucky enough to come across people who were more than willing to help us when we had questions. Our Chef Luciano was so great! We learned how to cook some authentic Italian dishes and reaped the benefits of our cooking when we were done!I will certainly share your website with anyone I know that is going on a trip to Italy. I think your service is fantastic and I don't believe we would have seen everything we got to without the information provided on your website. We cannot wait until our next visit!

Grazie!!!!
Cheryl B.

Hello,We have returned from our Italian vacation and wanted to thank you for the assistance you provided to us. We had a wonderful time. The Initaly services were invaluable, for we would not have been able to see "The Last Supper" without the reservations. The GPS with the rental car was REALLY valuable, otherwise we would still be driving around the Tuscan hills looking for a way out! We were able to pick up the car in Florence without problem; however, had much difficulty with the return. We actually ended up returning the car to a remote location; however, Europcar was very cooperative and all worked well in the end.Once again, thank you for your assistance.

Best regards,
Linda S.

Dear Kirill,We really liked all of our accommodations we arranged through initaly. Lerici Seaside Hotel was absolutely beautiful. Our favorite staff was in the Palazzo Mannaioni. A couple of things we weren't expecting were taxi cab strikes and being ripped off at a toll booth on the autostrada outside of Florence.All and all we loved our trip and had a wonderful adventure. I felt really good about initaly's arrangements and your advice sections on the site. I also felt we had a little safety net with your local contacts if something went wrong. All this made my wife and I feel a lot more confident traveling on our own in a foreign country.Thanks In Italy Online. I'm sure to use you guys again ... you're GREAT!

Ciao!
Ron H.

Kristin, Cliffside Positano: The family is wonderful, Maria an absolute marvel and the two sons ever so helpful. When I asked for a bigger chef’s knife so I could enjoy cooking there better, Vito went into Sorrento and bought two! The apartment was just great, I would recommend it to anyone although the steps up to the road require quite a bit of effort. I think the 100 EU cleaning fee was a little over the top, as Maria is not a real good cleaner. Also the agent, Andrea told us there would be no electric surcharge as we did not use the A/C, and then he bagged 25 EU as a fee when there was obviously no meter or way to measure usage, just low rent hustling. Casa in Chianti: What a gem, maybe the best place we stayed in Italy on any trip. The hosts, Giana and Aldo were wonderful; we had complete privacy and enjoyed every minute of our stay. The views of the Tuscan Hills were both overwhelming and calming. This one was a grand slam.

Jay and Kris S.

Dear KristinWe cannot say enough about our trip to Italy. It was fabulous beyond our expectations. Every plan, every appointment, every hotel --perfect. We did not have one "hitch". Antico Palazzo di Roma was in a perfect location. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. Hotel Ca'D'Oro was situated on a blissfully quiet street so we could sleep at the end of our long days touring. And Palazzo Bandino was heaven. The host and hostess felt like our friends. The food was unbelievable and the itinerary was such fun. We were driven to several beautiful little towns and promptly picked up at the end of the day. We truly felt like we were family. We also had a personal tour of the Vatican and of Venice. Our guides, Barbara for the Vatican, and Elena in Venice were extremely knowledgable and professional. We learned so much and were able to get information we would have missed otherwise.We hope to return to Italy in the future and we will certainly use your services again. Thank you for your excellent service and for caring about providing your clients with a memorable trip they will never forget.

Best wishes,
Jim and Judi B.

Thanks for the site Kristin-

I printed out most of the information on the Ravenna mosaics (20 pages or so) and referred to them while I was in the churches and other buildings - thanks for the excellent art history guide!

Dear Kristin,

We had a great time in Italia and the hotels in Venezia (Abbazia) and Lake Como (Grand Menaggio) were very nice. When we go back, and have more time to plan, I would like to see if we can find slightly less expensive, clean places as long as they have private baths. Thanks for your help. If you need a better endorsement, let me know.

Ciao,
Jack S.

Dear Kirill, We had a wonderful time. Your website was most helpful. We enjoyed all our lodgings. It was delightful to experience the "off-season" as the only tourists at some amazing places. The unseasonable weather surprised us with sunny skies and comfortable out-of-doors. The vouchers worked very well and the hosts at each location were friendly and helpful. The reservations at the museums in Florence worked like clockwork, though with so few visitors, we probably did not need them. Thanks for your help. We are recommending your website without reservation.

Nancy R. B.

Dear Kirill, We wanted to thank you for all of your help in booking our holiday. Everything was marvelous! What more can I say! Everything went according to plan. We would definitely return to Lake Como and stay in the same hotel and, of course, we would book through yourselves - no hesitation!

Many thanks for a wonderful holiday!
Mr & Mrs W.

Dear Kristin, We had a wonderful trip – our only complications were in the area of air travel. The Hotel La Rovere in Rome was lovely, nice location, nice people and nice breakfast. Definitely a winner.The Hotel Abbazia was in a super location and beautiful and quiet – except for the bells of the church on Easter morning which were lovely. The room was fabulous, the staff was extremely helpful and breakfast was great. We also attended church Easter morning at the church that is joined with the Hotel – a beautiful church and a great memory of our trip.The Rome Airport Hotel was fine and convenient to the airport. Breakfast was great, the staff semi-helpful, they delivered the extra bed quickly and without fuss. There was some confusion on their part as to whether the airport shuttle was included in the reservation or an extra charge, and the shuttle quit running earlier in the evening than was useful to us on arrival which necessitated a cab ride.All in all, your recommendations were excellent and we enjoyed the accommodations very much. After our last trip to Europe we appreciated that you confirmed the reservations with the hotels, they expected us and there were no problems with our reservations. We booked our train tickets through the rail company you linked to and they were very helpful and everything worked perfectly. You were very helpful throughout the entire process and we would definitely recommend you and your services.Thanks for your help in making our trip a great success.I would highly recommend the boat trip from Sorrento to Amalfi – much better than driving it. Our best gelato was at Vivoli’s in Florence. The Bargello museum was a cool place that most folks don’t seem to visit.

Grazie and Buon giorno!
Daryl G.

Dear Kristin,Your tours, drivers and guides were fantastic, and we truly feel that each and every one of them is now a friend. The guides were extremely knowledgeable. Peter (guide) and Fabio (driver) were remarkable on our trip through Tuscany from Rome to Florence--we would recommend this excursion to everyone who has never been to Italy and wants to experience the Tuscany area. It left us with the desire to return as soon as possible. Julian and I gained a special view of an Italy that we fell in love with. Thank you for your reliable and expert assistance. As first time visitors to Italy, we felt that our investment of time and money for your InItaly tours was well spent.

Anne D.

Dear Kirill,We loved our trip to Italy. All the arrangements we made through initaly.com were perfect. The hotel was great, and all our connecting shuttles were always waiting for us. Thank you for making our trip memorable.

Stew & Jean G.

Dear Jessica,We had a wonderful trip to Italy! Our guides and drivers were exceptional. It was fun to start our tour w/ Teresa in Rome, an American, after all, yet one who is totally comfortable with the Italian language and very knowledgeable of the sites of the city. My sisters, mom and I enjoyed hearing her story of going to Florence to study and never leaving. She was also very organized -- there was so much to do, so she kept us moving and we got it all in.The trip from Rome to Florence via Orvieto with Peter and Marco was exceptional. They were kind enough to start our journey by stopping at Trevi Fountain, which we missed the day before. It was a beautiful morning in Rome and starting our trip there got it off to a great start. By the way, from Wed on the weather, too, was exceptional -- thanks for ordering it! It made the journey north that much more beautiful, and the stop in Sinalunga at Amarosa is a wonderful add-on. The journey, the scenery, the lunch, the wine -- they were all great! And, Lucia in Florence was a delight. She, too, is very knowledgeable, and as we were beginning to feel the effects of being on the go since we landed, she worked with us and didn't seem to mind when members of our group needed to rest. One could truly spend a day in each museum, but doing it in a few hours worked for us. Finally, our stay at Villa Zuccari was almost magical -- the setting of the hotel and the villa itself is superb. Our rooms in Rome and Florence were nice (not arranged via In Italy Online), but to end our trip in Italy at Villa Zuccari was the best! Everyone of the hotel staff was gracious and helpful, meeting all of our expectations and then some. After busy days, we ate two dinners at the restaurant on site, both of which were delicious. Our final night we ate at Redibis in Bevagna, which is quite a find. I would recommend giving plenty of time to really savor the atmosphere of the restaurant as well as the meal (which we did not do). Oh, and thanks to information from folks at the desk, Sunday morning we attended mass in Trevi, at Chiesa di San Francesco. Trevi doesn't seem to be a highly traveled tourist town, so we felt immersed in local culture and it was a wonderful experience. As you can probably tell, I was very pleased with my experience with In Italy Online. The arrangements I had made with you folks went so smoothly, making our trip such a pleasure. I would highly recommend your website to anyone traveling to Italy and will use it again for my next trip.

Many thanks.
Ciao,
Katy F.

Dear Julie,I want to thank you for a great web site. As hostess for our family Christmas gathering this year, I wanted to find something different to add to our traditional festivities. There are now about 70 of us, from my parents on down. Needless to say, I have to look for inexpensive ways to celebrate. One idea I had was to ask each adult to name a place they wish they could visit. I am sending for information and brochures, combing the internet, and checking out bookstore bargains and looking for authentic recipes. Then I am fixing a folder of information for each person, based on their wish. Several family members have mentioned they would love to visit Italy , and some were specific to say Tuscany, Italy . I now have a great website to mention in their folder. Thank you for helping me add a bit of Christmas love and wishes to our family Christmas.

Susan S.

Dear Kristin,

Italy was great! I now understand why so many Americans choose to live there. Milano has more extraordinarily beautiful women per capita than anywhere I have been. The Duomo is a marvel. The Galleria is right next to it and is also very interesting, especially if you have some money to spend. The Brera is great. We did not have enough time to do Milano justice.

The Piemonte is beautiful, kind of like Napa Valley, but without the busyness and wine factories, and the hills tend to be much steeper. Vineyards tend to be very small and tucked into little ravines and gullies. Tuscany is like Piemonte, but a bit more open and rolling. Chiantis are made here, and they are wonderful. Our goal here, like Piemonte, was wine tasting, and the wines are truly wonderful, for the most part. Here we stayed at the Palazzo Bandino. The people were very nice and try hard, but we had to go off the farm to find really good wines, and the food was nothing special. Still, we would go back.

Roma is the center of the world. Some think that when Rome falls it will be the end of the world. I kinda believe it. The Hotel La Rovere is very nice, staffed with very nice and helpful people, and but a stone's throw from the Vatican City. The Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel are awesome sights and must be seen. The Roman ruins are spectacular and very interesting, especially with a knowledgeable guide. The various monuments and fountains are beautiful and not to be missed. But the greatest sight for me was the Borghese Galleria. The building itself is thought be some to be the most beautiful in the world. But the most beautiful thing I saw on the trip was Bernini's David and Diana. That was all by itself worth the trip.

Every reservation booked through In Italy was flawless. We had to pay for the Brera twice (not In Italy's fault) because I had no docs and they, perhaps naturally, could not find theirs. We got ripped off twice by taxi drivers, but the vaunted thieves and beggars were almost not to be seen. Minor things. I want to go again!

Special thanks to Jessica and Kristen.

Frank G.

Dear Jessica,This is a great website. I live in Italy and am constantly looking for routes and methods to get around by train, bus, air, etc. and this is truly a one stop shop for ALL my travel needs. The resources are great. Thanks for putting this out for everyone to use!

Veneece M.

Dear Julie,We had a wonderful trip, and thank you for all your assistance. We were very pleased with each of the places we stayed and much appreciated the value of your web services and the many tips which assisted in planning a most enjoyable trip. There were only two minor glitches, both of which were our own fault, and neither of which proved "fatal" to our enjoyment of our two week experience.The first related to the fact that our train reservations from Milan were to Viareggio, but that destination did not appear on the "departures" sign because the final destination of the train was Grosseto (which we didn't know.) Since the sign didn't list the number of the train, and inquiry of some roving "Carabiniere" indicated the train we were waiting for was delayed, we patiently waited while our train departed without us. I had read this was the "busiest travel weekend of the summer" so was worried we would never get a seat without a reservation, but that proved not to be true. The only minor downside was that our reservation had been on a direct train, whereas we were easily able to get seats on a later train, but had to change to a connecting train, necessitating carrying our bags up and down a flight of stairs to get to the other side of the tracks.The other "glitch" was that I forgot our tickets (purchased in advance) to see Michelangelo's "David" were for Sunday, the day we traveled from Viareggio to Florence. We trekked over on Monday, only to find them closed!Obviously, these were minor setbacks and the only true disappointment was having to leave!

Thanks again for all your help.
Joyce

I want to thank all of you for this wonderful website. You have given me such joy to see all the beautiful pictures and information. My Dad was from Sepina, Campobasso and I long in my heart to see this town. My heart longs to see beautiful Italia. Someday I will go and from all the information that you give to us, I will find my way in Italy.

Thank you.
Phyllis L.

Julie,We just returned to the US last night. I must tell you, every hotel we booked through InItaly.com was wonderful, especially Antica Torre Toscana. We were very impressed with the service, cleanliness and staff at each hotel, and would certainly recommend them to our friends. The pictures on your website were accurate and not at all misleading. Thanks to you and the rest of InItaly.com's staff for all your help!!

Patricia R.

Dear Kristin,I just wanted to send a short note to say thank you for the help you gave on our Italy trip. Gregorio was our tour guide in the Vatican and he was PERFECT! We had our 3 kids (14, 11, 8) with us and he really engaged them in the tour and kept it interesting for them. I can't say enough about how much we enjoyed our tour with him. It really was great. We also used InItaly for our car rental and it also went off without a problem, so thank you!! I also read up on the Palio on your website and we went into Siena on the day before (couldn't get tickets through you...it was sold out) and we enjoyed watching the pageantry, seeing the track in the Campo, the contrade tables set up for the evening dinner, etc. Although it rained and the last practice run did not get run...it was a good day for us!

Best Regards,
Jane P. S.

Dear Jessica,My trip to Italy was incredible. Every accommodation I booked through In Italy worked perfectly (including the rental car and airport shuttle service). I can't imagine how I would have done it without your wonderful web site. It would have been like throwing a dart at the wall. All the apartments/hotels were conveniently located and the paperwork was always in order. A major reason for my trip was to travel to my father's village Marsiconuovo in Basilicata. Your site does not cover this region, so I had to find an accommodation near the town on my own. It wasn't easy, but I finally did get a reservation at a family-run hotel/restaurant Il Bernadino in a nearby town called Marsicovetere. The room was barebones, but clean. The staff (mostly the mother doing everything) was friendly. And the dinner they served that evening was incredible, even though the house wine was served from a plastic Pepsi bottle. Room, dinner and breakfast cost $50 euros. Unbelievlble. No one seems to travel to Basilicata, unless they have family from the area. And that's a shame. The landscape is breathtaking, and my side trips to Matera ("the sassi" town of stone) and Maratea, a pristine fishing village on the Mediterranean side where the beach has black sand from the surrounding volcanic rock structures, were wonderfully interesting and beautiful. You should condsider putting Basilicata on your radar. Anyway, I am still dreaming of my trip and thank you for all your assistance. It couldn't have gone more perfectly.

Rosemary P.

Hello,As usual we had a wonderful time in Italy. The bulk of this visit was to see southern Italy: Pompeii, Sorrento, Amalfi Coast (Positano,) Sicily. Our past visits have taken us to Tuscany: Viareggio, Pisa, Lucca, Venice, Florence, Ovierto, Siena, ... and we always visit Roma!

We are enthralled with the architecture, totally seduced by ancient, classical points of interest, the numerous palazzos, seeing medieval towns, and the many works of art. And, there is still so much more to see... so I'm confident we'll return in the near future.

However, this time, we also spent 2 days in Milano. The Duomo was fascinating, and the shopping was great, but we found the people cold, rude, and unfriendly... unlike other Italian cities or towns... I doubt we'll ever return to Milan.

We've had a couple of unpleasant experience on past visits with gypsies, but there is no excuse for rudeness. So we'll simply never recommend Milano to anyone. Rather, we'll tell folks to the areas we have enjoyed and warn them to be careful of gypsies ... as in any country.

We look forward to our next visit and relish the thought of fine Tuscan cuisine.

Sari A.

Dear Julie,

I just wanted to say thanks for the great site! I am in the midst of tentatively planning a trip to Italy (Amalfi) for next year in July. My best friend is getting married in Sorrento. We will likely do a fly and drive type vacation from Newark, New Jersey airport. Your site gave us a great start with great suggestions. We will be back.

Jeri A.

Dear Kristin, Our trip couldn’t have been more perfect. (Except for the fact that we missed a whole day in Rome because of flight delays) Our In Italy Shuttle Service was there for us even though we arrived in Rome 12 hours late! Dennis was a wonderful guide and kept my husband and me intrigued with the history of Rome. Elisabetta was the perfect guide for explaining the art and history of Florence. Her energy and passion were captivating. It was as if both tours were designed especially for us…hidden treasures included. (I’ll elaborate more when I have more time.) The Daniel’s Hotel in Rome was perfect. Great location! We would definitely stay there again! Our room at Villa Fiesole didn’t have a view but it was perfect as well and we loved the view of Florence from the terrace.

Thank you for all of your help in planning our trip.
Karen and Ted B.

Dear Kirill,I want to simply say thank you for all of your help at Initaly.com . I am currently in Iraq as a combat firefighter and this will be my first vacation from the "sand box" and you have made this vacation very easy to work out. Your customer service should not go unrecognized. If there is something I can do to show others how amazing your staff is please let me know. Please inform the staff at Initaly.com of this email expressing my thanks.

Thanks,
Jason L.

Hi:I can call myself a real globetrotter (especially in Europe). I must admit that what you are offering and informing about is very professional. Congratulations.

Best regards,
Witold K.

Dear Julie,I enjoyed your site as it had what I was looking for. I wanted to see pictures, and read about markets, sites, what roads to take, place to go regarding Calabria. I've searched all day, and FINALLY, got to your site which was very informative. A virtual tour would have been nice too...Thanks! Keep up the good work....

Timina S.

Dear Kristin,We had a great trip and have many wonderful memories. We would like to let you know that the accommodation you booked for us was great, with both the hotel in Venice and the apartment in Florence offering great accommodation and proximity to the sights. The information you provided as to services in the area was also very useful. Thank you for your service.Michael Dear Jessica, First of all I would like to thank everyone who helped me organise our trip to Italy. We had the most amazing holiday, and everything worked like clockwork. The hotels we chose were excellent, the shuttles to and from the airport were on time, the tour of the Vatican was amazing (our guide confirmed with us the night before), and the car hire was excellent.We spent four weeks in total in Italy, and found the people so friendly and helpful. We made use of public transport everywhere, except in Tuscany where we needed a car. The weather at times was not the best, but it did not matter to us.Italy is a truly amazing country and we will definitely be back, and will of course, make all our bookings through initaly.com. We have told all our friends about the wonderful service you offer.

Thanks again.
Kind regards,
Pat M.

Jessica: First of all without "In Italy's" help we would not have had quite the vacation we had! Your suggestions were right on and your input invaluable! We started out in Naples because I lived there from 1955-1958, while my father was in the service. So I had to go back. We walked into our hotel room and I looked out at the bay of Naples and said, "That apartment building right below us is where we lived!" It was amazing. We took two of your tours while there and they were fantastic. Lara and the driver Gennaro took us to the Amalfi Coast for the day. It was a great day and the guide was so informative. The second day we went with Elissa on a walk through Pompeii and the city of Naples. She was even more informative then the first guide. The only bad part was our ride home the first day, the driver said he had a new young wife, at least that's what my Italian caught, and we figured he must have thought he needed to get home quick! He drove like a crazy person on the highway! Most tourists don't go to Naples and I sure don't think they should try to drive there. We left Naples and caught the train to Firenze. The trains were a wonderful way to travel through Italy. You feel safe and going first class was not expensive and they were much cleaner then otherwise. Florence was also a big dirty, noisy city but full of wonderful things! We had Maurizio for a tour of the Chianti region and he did a great job. I blame him for my husbanding drinking too much vino and sending home cases of wine! Elisabetta knew Florence inside out and gave us a walking tour of the city. We really enjoyed Chianti Vistas though it was very simply furnished. We got very involved in their grape picking and wine making. It was wonderful. The old signora Luisa at Chianti Vistas gave us a tour of the 500 year old villa. She could speak no English but I was able to understand and translate most of what she told us. The family hasn't lived in the villa for about 50 years but it is still furnished (much of it is original very old furniture) and the bathrooms and kitchen have been updated. It is only occupied by "rich" Americans who rent the whole villa. The location of Chianti Vistas is so nice. It’s very quiet and in the middle of the wine region but not far at all from Florence. The only thing we had a little difficulty with was the checking in and checking out. No one seemed to ever be around, maybe because this is the beginning of the off season. We finally tracked down the owner's wife when we came in and she kindly helped us but we could see she was not used to doing it. When we left we wanted to pay money for two loads of clothes that we had washed but could find no one so we left the money on their doorstep! We got to know the winemakers well! The food in their beautifully decorated restaurant was fantastic.We then drove over to Cinque Terre and stayed at Villa Cinque Terre. That was the most wonderful hotel! We had a wonderful person, Matteo, who helped us with everything. He spoke very good English and seemed to be around constantly. The bathrooms in that hotel and the best in Italy! We really enjoyed our hikes and the cliffs! The weather was great and the sea was beautiful. Then we turned in our car and took the train to Venice. We stayed three days there at the Ca' D'Oro hotel and it was fine. It was very difficult to find the hotel as it can be in Venice and things are tucked away into such backwoods spots! We walk all over the place for the whole time. The last morning we left we even got to see a bit of the dueling umbrellas as it was raining. We had a grand time in Murano even though we had been warned about the high pressure glass salesmen, we did not find it true at all! Our guide in Venice out did all the others. Her name was Elena and she was born and raised in Venice. She could take us everywhere and anywhere and gave us just the right amount of history and detail. After Venice we took yet another train to Lake Como and really enjoyed a quick trip to Bellagio. I was at Lake Como at Girl Scout Camp many years ago. We then took the train through Switzerland and into Germany. Never once in three weeks did we have a bad meal. You can go anywhere and get good pasta! The only scary part is the driving. It’s hard to interpret the signs all the time and sometimes things aren't mentioned on some signs. We never had any trouble with anything being stolen but we were always cautious. We did not take good jewelry and watches with us. We kind of over dosed on art at times. There are only so many cathedrals and artworks you can put into a short period of time! As much as anything, we enjoyed being out of the main areas and just walking around little out of the way places. If I can give you more input just let me know.

Carole S.

Dear Kristin and Jessica,Our trip was truly wonderful... this was my 3rd time there and I now believe that Christmas time is the absolute best time to travel in Italy. We had virtually no waits at any of the museums and churches and there were no crowds. The weather was brisk and a little rainy, but we bundled up and walked everywhere in spite of the cold. I would rather walk in brisk weather than hot and humid weather any day. Everything was beautifully lit and very festive.The guides you set up for us were all wonderful. Elisabetta in Florence was especially good. She was so outgoing, enthusiastic and involved our 17, 14, and 9 year olds with questions and illustrations. We would definitely recommend her--she is delightful! Her knowledge of history and the arts is extensive and was very helpful in directing us to restaurants, etc.We also were very fond of the guide provided for the Vatican--Luciana spoke phenomenal English and was excellent in her knowledge of Rome's history, architecture, and art. We asked her dozens of questions and were impressed by her breadth of knowledge as well as her love of the Vatican and its art. She had spent time as a girl in the Vatican--kind of an insider because of a friend's father who worked there--it was fun to hear stories about her experiences. She also took us to the catacombs which were fascinating and rich with history of the early church. She was easy to be with and very flexible when we requested a stop at the Quo Vadis church on the Appian Way.Peter gave us a tour of the Coliseum and the Forum. He is a Brit who has lived in Rome for 30 years. Again, his knowledge base was incredible--and our children really enjoyed him. He was easy for them to understand and is a magnificent storyteller. He recreated the story of Mark Anthony and Augustus, and Julius Caesar's death. He told stories of what life would have been like for a gladiator and what a spectator would witness at the Coliseum.In short, the guides made the trip for us. We learned much more than we would have, and we saved valuable time because they could navigate us through the ticket process and the high points of the museums and historical sites. Plus, it is always fun to get to know someone who lives in the country you are visiting.As for the accommodations, the Hotel Abazzia in Venice was perfectly charming. A convent converted to a hotel, it was clean, the bathrooms were modern and done in marble, the breakfast was good, and the gentleman at the reception, Mateo, was so friendly and outgoing and helpful. We even were awoken each morning by the church bells next door which was delightful. And it is a 2 minute walk form the train station which is a definite asset in Venice!The Hotel Antico Palazzo di di Roma was huge disappointment. I think you should strongly consider removing it from your website and wished I had stayed with my original reservations at a different hotel. Both of our bathrooms had mold in the walls that was visible--in our room the plaster wall above the bath was literally covered and the rooms smelled of mold. The hotel was full so we couldn't be moved. We all left Rome with sinus infections which I am sure were a partial result of the mold. The breakfast on Christmas morning was depressing. There were no clean tables to sit at--all were piled with dishes and trash. They ran out of food (every morning in spite of reassurances from the front desk that "they would talk with them about it") and on Christmas morning they had 1 person working in spite of the fact that the hotel was full. My 9 year old daughter was already sad about not being at home on Christmas morning and the dreary reception we got didn't help matters. The first night we needed extra sheets for the bed because they weren't made properly for the 3 children and the desk attendant said we would have to wait until the next day because he didn't have keys to the linen area. They didn't leave enough towels for our 3 children and we had to ask numerous times before they actually gave them to us. The only redeeming factor was it was across the street from Santa Maria Maggiore making it possible for us to attend midnight mass there on Christmas Eve.Well, I think that is all....thank you for all of the help you gave us with our trip planning. It will be trip we will cherish together as a family and we appreciated your facilitating so much of it for us.

Yours sincerely,
Liz H.

Just a note to let you know we used your site to make three reservations when in Italy. One was for a full day tour of Rome, one for tickets to the accademia in Florence and one for an airport transfer in Florence. Thank goodness we booked these through you. Your services were reliable and made our trip more enjoyable knowing we would be picked up and wouldn't have to stand in lines for admission to museums etc. Thank you and we will use your services again. You do what you say you will.

We recently used your airport shuttle service, agriturismo booking service and car rental. All were excellent. The shuttle service was exactly as advertised, and although the driver spoke almost no English, he was very pleasant and did his best to communicate with us through our limited Italian and his limited English.

The car rental was handled smoothly and the car was exactly what we needed.

Palazzo Bandino was excellent. We enjoyed our stay immensely. The apartment was spacious and well furnished and the staff was wonderful. We particularly enjoyed the cooking class--great fun and delicious results. Dinners at the Palazzo were uniformly outstanding and the first day wine tasting was delightful. I highly recommend the Palazzo to other visitors

In Italy is an excellent service and if I get another chance to go to Italy I will certainly use it.

Lucy W.

Dear Kirill,

I just wanted to say thanks very much for all your help in arranging the tours and hotel transfers from Rome. My wife and I have been to Italy so many times, but this time was a bit different. All the services we booked through you were extremely helpful and made our trip much more enjoyable.
The private van pick up we booked through you was very good. The driver was incredible. On the way from the airport in Rome to our hotel, he gave us an abbreviated car ride through Rome, pointing out the great monuments and landmarks. As I mentioned earlier, my wife and I have been to Italy so many times, and will continue to do so, however, we had both our mothers with us, therefore, this was a little special. They had never been there before. Our driver and the service worked out well. He was a little late, due to traffic, so he wanted to make it up to us by showing us around a little.

Our private escorted tour of the Vatican and Rome with our own driver was incredible. Our guide’s name was Peter. He has been in Rome for about 20 years, so needless to say, he knew every corner of the city. He took us to a great trattoria for lunch, and then resumed our escorted tour. His car was spacious and well equipped. I would recommend him and his group in a heart beat.

Finally, our three-hour walking tour of Naples was fantastic! I recommend this tour to any traveller interested in seeing Naples. After seeing Naples, my mom commented, that there would be no Italy without Napoli. It was an adventure to say the least. Naples is fantastic and so over criticized!!! Our two guides, Gennaro and Andrea, were prompt, courteous and typically Neapolitan. They were proud of their city, and, quite frankly, I don't blame them.

Again, I thank you all at In Italy Online, and will definitely take advantage of your services in the near future.

Sincerely,
Peter R.

Dear Kristin, We could not have been happier with the villas or hotels that were booked for this trip. In every location, the desk managers were very helpful, spoke excellent English, and were extremely helpful in directing us toward our visit's goals. They were all very nice people. Each location was uniquely different, excellent service, very clean, and all had a delightful environment.

Your service is the best. I don't think we could have gotten the charm and value by using a travel agent. We will tell all our friends.

One suggestion: more detailed maps with the written directions.

Thanks again for making this a great trip!!

David

Thank you for providing such terrific information for us who cant afford $300/night hotels. Ive searched many internet sites and even Fodors and Frommers, with their budget minded proclamations, insist on publishing hotels that are $165 as budget options. Its getting more and more difficult to find affordable rooms on the internet, the big companies are somehow squeezing out the lower priced competition. The information contained in your site is so realistic and in tune with my style of travel. I really appreciate it and will direct my travel dollars toward you whenever I can use your services. And my friends.

Lynette F.

Kristin, You are amazing!!!! Caravaggio show - spiritual, mystical, and profane - working on a piece: "Untitled 27" The juxtaposition of Rothko and Caravvagio Carmela at the Tramonto D’Oro, her mother, Mauro the driver from Positano what a crew and what a place. Hiked from Priano to Positano in the hills, then lunched on the beach at le Tre Sorrello's - simply magic. No tourist!!! All locals - now thats heaven. Micheal was a real treat! The only guide who requires an examination at the end of his tour. We spoke of you - were your ears burning? Ricardo, very nice but a bit more for the basic viewer - we spent alot of time going over elementry history of the Sistine while freezing in the Vatican square. I didn't have the heart to interupt and ask to move on. Would have preferred to spend more time with the art work than poster boards. He meant well. Marcello at the Ponte Sisto wins first prize for crazy reservations connections and overall great guy. As you knew - trip far too short - I wasn't thinking! I was focused on getting to the show - which they extended to the 6th of February due to the popularity - next time, one month - remind me.

Thank you again!
James J.

Dear Julie,

JUST LIKE TO SAY WHAT A FANTASTIC WEBSITE. I have trawled the net looking for information on Italy, then found your site. Who needs another site with this one. FANTASTIC.

Dear Jessica, I am just starting to plan the first trip that my husband and I will take to Italy. I found your website via the web. Yours will the ONLY site I use to plan ahead. Thank you so much for help the foreigners to not feel so stupid and to help us find the local Italy that we want to truly see.

Thanks!
Cindy J

Dear Julie, Thank you for such a website! I have used it since 1999 - my husband's and my first trip to Italy -- we have visited every year since then! It is so rich and there is always something new.

Regards,
Janet M.

Dear Kristin,

Just to let you know that your website is the best on Italy we have ever seen. Thanks to Initaly.com we have found treasures like Sabbioneta which otherwise would have remained unknown to us. Your website is so beautiful and so well and regularly updated, that it gives both my husband and myself immense pleasure. I advise everyone to go and visit it, and, when feeling a bit low, to get uplifted by it.

Best wishes for continuous success!

Ellen and Wouter G.

Dear Kirill,

Bob and I want to thank all of the staff who help us book our hotels and Vatican tour!!!

Each and every hotel was a wonderful experience...and each one was totally different as we had hoped.

In addition, we were extremely pleased with the personal tour of the Vatican. Our guide, Erica, was both delightful and most knowledgeable. She made the experience one which we will remember for a lifetime.

Thanks, once again, to all at "In Italy Online". There was not one "hitch" in our bookings through your service.

Sincerely,
Mary S.

Dear Julie, Just quickly. IT WAS PERFECT...ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. And I will be happy
to give you all the details.... I will write when I have more time and I'm not jet lagged!

Stephanie P.

Dear Jessica, I just want to let you know how much I enjoy and appreciate this great site. I have many friends in italy and sometimes through this site I have given them some tips of things to do or to remember so we can do things when I am in italy.

Talking about holidays..... I had many of my friends over visiting Holland this year and it was really remarkable that half the Italian population seemed to be here on holiday. We could hear Italian spoken in the smallest villages.

Thank you again and am already looking forward to the next newsletter.

Patrice G, Alkmaar, Holland

Hello! I just wanted to email you quickly and tell you that your site is FANTASTIC for anyone looking at travelling to Italy! My husband and I are in love with Italy, from Australia, although we have never been, and are hoping one day soon to get there! Your website is so informative and the pictures are just fantastic! Well done! Thank you from the many travellers that adore Italy!

Zoe

Dear Kristin:

First, let me apologize for taking so long to get back to you. How was the trip? Let me give you an unusual evaluation.

I'm not sure if you are aware that I made an Excel spreadsheet Day Itinerary/Schedule starting with leaving Atlanta on day 1 and ending with returning to Atlanta on day 11. The schedule listed both B&Bs names, addresses, and phone numbers as well as each days guided tour and the name and phone number of the tour agency. I listed, at the bottom of the schedule, your name, address, phone number and web site. (I also listed the same information Flight Specialist, whose toll free number in the US is 800-221-4551.) We have given copies of this Itinerary/Schedule to at least 2 people who are planning independent tours to Italy, and have given your name and web address to many others. Most of the people that we talked with about our trip were amazed that we could do all of our planning and reservations through you. We couldn't brag on y'all enough. So, if you are getting any inquires from Monroe, Loganville, or other "near" Atlanta towns, Glynda and I are happy to have spread the word.

Around the corner is Zio (Uncle) GiGi's, (I hope my spelling is correct) a local restaurant that became our favorite. It was recommended by our host and he was right on the money. Another good thing about Casa Fiorentina is its location. We had time, after we returned from our day trips, to explore Florence for 2 to 3 hours then return to the room for a rest before going out to dinner. And we had our choices on where and how far to walk, close like to GiGi's, or a longer walk to IL Latini (spelling). The in-room high speed Internet connection was also great. It was nice to not have to depend on CNN for their interpretation (left slant) of the news. Through AOL I could also keep up with the Braves.

I can't begin to say enough about our Tuscany day trips and the guides. First, somehow I lucked into the best order for us. Lucca & Pisa on the first day with Julianna was wonderful. (By the way, did you know everything was invented in Florence. We didn't, but thanks to Julianna now we do. Well, maybe not everything, but the credit card for sure.) Ricardo has to be our favorite guide for Tuscany. The highlight for me was the tour to Chianti. The American cemetery and its memorials was an unbelievable start, the Greve Saturday market and the butchers shop are things I think you don't normally get to do on a standard tour. The wine and olive shop in the cave, the winery (and meeting David the owner, a real character), and stopping at some little village on the way back combined to make the day complete. On Sunday we got to see David and then a combined car/walking tour of Florence. (And Riccardo's helping us get our train tickets to Venice and also arranging for a water taxi for us is just a small part of his professionalism).

Our driver for Siena & San Gimignano was Maurizio who entertained us with B B King blues on the way down and "Who Shot the Sheriff" on the way back. The local guide in Siena was especially informative about the race. (She's a Shell, but now lives in the Porcupine district). Again, I don't think we would have learned near all of the things with just a standard guide (the blessing of the horses, all the different districts, the world's oldest bank, and some of the more obscure things about the cathedral). San Gimignano is a neat place. I think Maurizio was glad my son-in-law and I survived the climb to the top of the tower. (Not too tough for Paul, as it was when he climbed the Duomo tower in Florence, but that was my first and last tower climb.) Also, if we had $4,000 and a place to put it, we would have an outside porcelain sink of flowers and a rooster.

Montepulciano proved that at 68 I could still walk up a 45 degree hill (providing there's a wine shop at the top). What a neat town. And our driver was just as neat. Ewen, a Scot who came to Florence for 5 months, met a local girl, and 5 years later is our guide. (I wasn't worried about being able to understand Italians speaking English, but I was worried about the Scot speaking English. But no problem.) A little wine tasting, purchasing a few bottles and its on to Pienza. The one thing that surprised me about Tuscany is all the different topography. Pienza is as different form Lucca as Florence is from Pisa. I really enjoyed the trip from Pienza with its flatter rolling terrain back to Florence with its wooded hills. And then there's Chianti and Siena with their (to me) typical countryside.

The Eurostar to Venice was great trip. First train for the kids. And, you have had to travel a Eurostar to really know what it's like.

I can't begin to tell you how much we enjoyed Venice with Castello B&B. Venice started with a little problem, but that was not really a problem at all. Our first night's 2 double rooms were actually a room and a half for the kids and a half room for us. Then Nicolas moved us to a regular room the next night, but he let the kids stay in the one they had. Nicolas is great. We got to visit with him each morning and then 2 afternoons. He told us how he and his wife started the remolding 10 years ago with the finishing the first room to rent 7 years ago. What a great place to stay. (And like Riccardo, he arranged for a water taxi for our trip to the airport.)

Anyone who goes to Venice and doesn't get Elena for their tours is missing out. All 3 of her tours surpassed anything we had expected (even after our Tuscany tours). All of the places she took us (walking and boat), all the neat little things she pointed out, all of the interesting things she told us made the 3 days of Venice a lasting memory.

(It's hard to choose between Elena & Ricardo as the best tour guide, especially since it's 2 different types of tours in 2 different locations, but Elena wins out on the basis she took us to 2 wine bars, whereas Ricardo only took us to 1 winery.)

I wish that was the end of the trip report, but it's not. I got pickpocketed on Friday night. I'm tired. It's been a long day walking all over Venice. We went back down to the waterfront, and I'm acting like I'm in a Kroger's in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Just plain stupid. But we didn't let it spoil the trip. Thanks to the laptop at the B&B, I was able to get an Italy 800 phone number for VISA and was able to cancel all the cards before there was any use (although they tried unsuccessfully to use an ATM). So live & learn. They got some of our money, but none of our happiness. Next trip to anywhere, hopefully, I will be a lot smarter.

So here's your trip report. Probably a little more than you expected, but I'm also using this as somewhat of a travel journal.

I would be glad to share with anyone about our trip and your services, and the professionalism of your selected tour guides. Never once did we feel pressured to "hurry up" or that we were being "shopped" (the shops we did go to were either ones we selected or ones that were great suggestions). I especially appreciate the flexibility the guides exercised. Always the question was, "is there something else you would like to see or do". I would hope anyone else who is considering a trip to Italy could have as great a time as we did.

And now a question for you. Are there any sites like yours for other countries (i.e., InFrance, InSpain,etc.)?

Armond H.

Hi, I just had to write you guys, because I am impressed with how you write your web page. Very professional. Very clear and understandable. Up front yet attractive-- by that I mean you mention that it's a noisy part of town, but the rooms don't face the noise. So, you're not hiding anything from the tourist, yet you are providing the remedy at the same time. Listing the advantages and disadvantages. What a novel concept. I just had to write and say I like your web pages. It makes me feel comfortable choosing you, if I had to stay in your area. Location in relation to Train and Air is important to me. Just knowing where your accommodations are in relation to landmarks. If one is from outside the area those small things become important. Also, I saw your map at http://www.initaly.com/itmaps/cinqtmap.htm. It's the best one I've run into in my exploration of Liguria by Internet. The small towns are highlighted. Why can't they all be like you? I've been exploring web pages for 2 weeks. The pictures of the rooms help. Just knowing what I, as a tourist, would be running into. The Features, the Facilities-- having it spelled out. What rates to expect without having to contact the busy receptionist. All my questions are being answered. I'm definitely bookmarking your pages and will come back should I have plans for accommodation in Italy. You should list your webmaster or copy writer for publicity. S/He is very good. Thank you. Thank you so much.

K. T.

I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR BEAUTIFUL WEBSITE. I
THROUGHLY ENJOYED EVERY PAGE. I AM A SINGLE MOTHER OF THREE, WORKING FULL TIME AND LIVING IN A SMALL APT IN THE BRONX, NY. MY LIFE LONG DREAM HAS BEEN TO SOMEDAY VISIT OR BETTER YET, LIVE IN ITALY. YOUR WEBSITE WAS ENJOYABLE AS WELL AS INFORMATIVE. MAYBE SOME DAY I WILL BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE ITALY PERSONALLY. THANKS AGAIN FOR TAKING ME OUT OF MY OFFICE FOR JUST A MOMENT.
REGARDS,
MARIA

Dear julie... Our trip to italy was FANTASTIC..i will send you an in depth summary of our trip as soon as i get some time..you and your company are among the very best agencies i have ever had the pleasure of dealing with...thank you so much for making our trip a wonderful experience...

Gene c.

Hi, I used your site for my geography homework. It is one of the most helpfull sites i've seen for homework. I needed to create a holiday in europe and i found your site about italy. It gives so much information about each place in italy. Thank you. The pictures are great also. It has cut my time doing my homework down considerably. Sam

P.S. (thank you for not putting pop ups in your site. They drive me crazy)

HI Jessica: Sorry it took so long to respond, it's been very hectic since we got home. Hotel La Rovere: Great location, lovely people, but spartan rooms. Expensive for the minimalist accommodations. Agropoli: Beautiful place, great food and Luigi & staff were very accommodating. We'd return to this location. Piazza Armerina/Baglio: Gorgeous, but very remote. They are installing screens on the windows-a needed addition in farm country. Those flies are big! It's a lovely spot to just stay and will be fantastic once it's finished. The pool was filling up when we left. But Sicily is much harder to get around in than we anticipated. Dennis & Stefano were wonderful guides. Visiting the Vatican with Marta just made us want to go back. Booking those tours was the best planning we did. We really loved Rome. As a travel hint: I'd recommend to anyone who is flying from Catania to Rome to go a day early. Getting our bags in Rome took 2 hours and we almost missed our flight home. We made it only because it was delayed. Kate R.

PS--we can't wait to go back.

Dear Julie,

I just wanted to say "thank you" for your web site. I have been on it for an hour now, and as we are planning a trip to Italy end of September. I have gained more insight and knowledge from your web site, than any book I have rented or bought and video I have seen.

Helen B.

Dear Kirill, Bottom line was that the arrangements were impeccable. Cars, hotels were all ready and available. Great work. One by one: Abbazia in Venice was charming, small, and quiet. The desk folks were very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was great. Nice location for us as we got off the train and had a 5 minute walk. Castello de Petroia in Umbria was very unique....staying in a castle, eating with the owners, meeting other travelers. Food was great and plentiful. Castle was very quiet and comfortable. Leopoldo.... a wonderful surprise in Tuscany. Big room, nice shower, great views on the terrace for breakfast, wonderful beds,quiet, terrific location to see Siena, San Gimignano, others. Very nice people throughout the hotel. Milan Hotel....very nice and quiet. No restaurant within walking distance so we got a bottle of wine and caprese and made the best of it. Beds were excellent. Nice way to get started on the trip home. Overall rating would be a 9 on the scale of 1 to 10. We experimented with non-chain hotels and made the experience more rewarding because we did. Now, about driving in Rome....... Ron H.

I was sorry to see your excellent page spoiled by the US dialect spelling of 'traveler' and 'travelling'. As an international translator (UN and EU etc) I am taking the liberty of pointing out that double 'll' is the standard international English spelling (as is 'theatre', 'centre' , 'colour', 'labour' etc), and that the United States dialect tends to be offputting for people from every other English-speaking countries except the US (and to a lesser degree Canada). Only the World Bank and IMF (being US-run) use these spellings. All other international organizations ban US spelling. Otherwise your service is excellent.

Kindest regards
David G.

Dear Jessica, The trains made travel very easy and we used them for travel between all cities, using the car only during our stay at the castle. I did the numbers beore going and found it less expensive to buy tickets as we went along than to buy passes. There is no reason to travel first class. Second class seats are very comfortable. When possible we reserved seats, not knowing how crowded a particular train might be. Italian trains run on time and leave on time. We found it easy to use metro in Milan, Florence and Rome so we didn't try busses. By limiting our trip to five destinations in three weeks we were able to settle in a little. Only in Milan did we stay one night at each end of the trip. Our itinerary took us Milan - Venice-Florence-Umbrian countryside-Rome-Varenna (Lake Como)-Milan. We limited our "must-see" list and stopped when we were tired. Food was excellent throughout. We sought out small restaurants on side streets when we could, very often family run and always friendly. Because small tables are close together, we were almost always able to have conversations with others over meals. Our Italian was extremely limited, but almost everyone spoke at least a little English and wanted to be helpful. We experienced absolutely no anti-American feeling. I recommend that everyone who dreams of going to Italy should do it. Thank you for your help.
Susie and Bill O.

Kristin; Thank you once again. Your service is just incredible. I'm a therapist and many of my friends travel alot. I will pass on your name and brag about the service at initaly.com. Jack and I are off Monday morning. I only pray that all goes without incident and we don't need to call you for help. But, I really think we will get lost alot in the car. It won't be the first time, I've been lost even here in the Reno area at times. I downloaded many of your sites for "light reading on the plane". We are packed and ready to go! Much appreciation, Grazie!!
Geri and Jack

Dear Julie, I just felt compelled to let you know how much you made my trip to Italy simple. As this trip was the first overseas for me and my husband, we were a little apprehensive. Through your website, we were able to book accommodations that were outstanding with no trouble! We were also able to find out so many ideas for things to do in Italy, we were delighted! I just felt like I should let you know that we appreciated you and your website! Shelley C.

Dear Kirill, I just wanted to pass along a few comments about our first experience with In Italy. Initially, Gayle and I had planned to just rent a car and go with no set itinerary. Then a friend told us about their wonderful stay at the Villa Belvedere in Tuscany. We took a chance and booked our entire trip with In Italy. I'm always a little squeamish about doing things over the internet (but, so far have had great success). We arrived in Milan, and checked in with Europcar for the car we had reserved through Auto Europe. They were out of the intermediate sedans we had requested, but were given an "upgrade" of sorts to a Nissan mini-van. Turned out to be great (though something a little smaller might have been nice driving the Amalfi coast). Then, off to Siestri Levante and the Hotel Villa Balbi. Despite being nearly delirious from our flight and subsequent drive, we found the hotel with little problem. It was such a delight to settle in to such a nice place after so long a trip! And, after I mentioned that the airline had lost my bag, they immediately called to confirm that it would be delivered to the hotel (it finally arrived late the next day). Great service, and such a nice base of operations for exploring the Cinque Terre and Portofino. To sum up, we could not be more happy with our decision to book our trip with In Italy. Every reservation went without a hitch, each hotel was just as advertised (or better), and the In Italy staff was very helpful and accommodating throughout the process. All in all, it turned out to be one of those magical trips where everything seemed to work out perfectly, much to In Italy's credit. Of course, these were not economy accommodations. I'm sure you could stay at much cheaper spots, but there is something comforting about knowing where you will be staying each night and that you can be confident it will be a nice place. I would not hesitate to recommend In Italy to anyone planning a trip to Italy (in fact, I already have!). Thanks!
David B.

Dear Julie, This is the second time I have used the services of In Italy and I know I sound like an advertisement but my wife and I have been more than pleased with everything that we have done with them. When, not if, we go back we will use their services again. Back to the real world for another year. Alfred C. Y.

Kirill, I just got back from Italy, and I wanted to compliment you/your office on how well the pre-confirmed reservations were for both the Uffizi and Accademia. We walked in, they punched the number into their computer, and handed us our tickets. WOW! We were so impressed on how well it worked. No long lines or hours of waiting. Thanks so much! I will recommend your service to everyone I know who is traveling to Italy. Ciao,
Marcia K.

Dear Jessica, We had a fantastic trip to Italy. Everything we planned through In Italy was executed with perfection. In addition good luck was with us and the weather was outstanding -sunny and mid-70's every day except one where we had a light rain in the A.M. We also avoided the transportation strikes. Let me first recount the events as they occurred, and then I'll come back and give you specifics about our accommodations. On flight from the US arrived a little early, and as we exited customs our driver, that you provided, was standing there with a sign with our name on it. Given we had had a long trip from Colorado, it was nice to get off to a good start. We arrived at Cappellette di San Luigi about 9:30 AM not expecting to check-in, but hoping they would hold our bags while we began exploring. To our surprise, they were able to check us in, which gave us a chance to relax in our room and change clothes before venturing out. That evening when we returned to the hotel from dinner, there was a message from our Vatican guide confirming what time we would be picked up the next day. She arrived early the next day and it was great being driven to the museum and walking straight in. Our tour of the museums was great, but either our memories were bad or more of the museum has been opened, since we were last there 30 years ago. We couldn't see everything in the 3 hour tour, so I'd recommend the 5 hour tour to people who are really interested in art. After the tour, we were dropped off at the Borghese gallery as planned. There, we went straight to the box office, where our tickets were already set aside in a separate envelope. We would list the Borghese as a must see place in Rome. The restoration work was fabulous and the art (especially the statue of Apollo and Daphne by Bernini) was spectacular. The second evening we talked with Elisa about our trip to Pompeii and our pickup at the Naples train station. Speaking of the train, as I said before we left, booking through RailEurope is the only way to go, and using their 800 line in the US is the best way to make sure you get exactly what you want. We had read some horror stories from people on your message board about their experiences with traveling by rail. I can only imagine that the problems were caused by them. We found the Italian rail system to be easy to understand, on time, and (by taking EuroStar trains) very comfortable. Our guide for Pompeii was Michela. She and our driver who had arrived at the rail station separately, were both standing on the platform with signs with our name on them. We found Michela to be very knowledgeable about both Pompeii and Naples. This was our morning with rain, but we all had umbrellas and managed well. Our tour of Naples went well despite a big demonstration by unemployed workers right near the Archaeological Museum. Because of the demonstration, the museum was closed - this was the only thing on the entire tour that we missed. You can tell Kristin that we found getting in and out of the Naples Mergellina station was a piece of cake as she recommended. Checking out of Cappellette di San Luigi went smoothly with no issues over the remaining amount due. Next came the rental car. The combination of leaving on Saturday morning along with Kristin having set us up to pickup our car from the location the furthest north in Rome, made our exit from the city to the A-1 very easy. Since I haven't driven stick shift in 10 years, it was nice to have my readjustment time occur while on an express road and then in the countryside south of Siena where the traffic was light. By the time I finished the week, I loved driving in Tuscany and can't wait to do it again. We arrived at our villa about 6 PM, and Sergio was there to greet us and show us around. I'll give you the villa specifics in a minute. Our last items booked through In Italy were the Gallerias dell'Accademia and degli Uffizi in Florence. When we arrived Sunday for our reserved time at Accademia it was closed due to a staff strike which lasted through Monday. Our next day in Florence was Tuesday. We had a 4 PM reservation at Uffizi that day, so we went to Accademia first to see what they would do for us due to the strike. When we arrived, there were two huge lines - one said reservations and the other tickets. We walked to the front of the lines where a man was monitoring things at the door. We showed him our voucher for Sunday, and he ushered us into the ticket booth area where they gave us tickets for immediate entry. Our entrance to Uffizi was just as smooth in the afternoon. We are extremely pleased with everything we booked through you, and would highly recommend In Italy to all of our traveling friends. Next year we are thinking about traveling to France, so if you've heard of an In France sort of equivalent of In Italy let us know. Actually, even if we do go to France, we will probable drive to Northern Italy for part of the trip. We want to visit Lake Como and Turin. Turin primarily because it has one of the best Egyptian museums in Europe, and we are into Egypt in a big way. Please thank Kristin for us, for all of her help. Until next time.
Ciao,
Bob N.

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