AU
Tours
Southern Italy & Sicily
featuring Taormina, Matera and the Amalfi Coast
12 DAYS
$5,799
pp*
Save up to 15%
*Rate is per person, land only, double occupancy.
Journey through a crossroads of civilizations in Sicily and on to the spectacular coastlines of Southern Italy. Uncover Sicily’s capital Palermo and its Moorish and Norman influences. Explore Agrigento’s ancient Valley of the Temples and the Ancient Roman mosaics of Piazza Armerina. Travel to the historic hilltop town of Taormina. Visit a local winery for a wine tasting and agriturismo dinner. Venture to the ancient cave dwellings of Sassi di Matera. Explore Sorrento and stunning Positano, the pearl of the Amalfi Coast. Walk in the footsteps of ancient Romans in the excavated Pompeii. Allow the unique culture to capture your heart and get a glimpse into an age-old heritage composed of ancient monuments and cultivated lands.
Your Tour Includes
- 6 Handpicked Accommodations
- 20 Meals
- 4 Choice on Tour Options
Included Highlights
- Palermo
- Monreale
- Agrigento
- Valley of the Temples
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Your Tour at a Glance
Customize Your Tour
Getting Prepared
Know Before You Go
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Accommodation
NH Palermo
Nights 1-2
Baia di Ulisse
Nights 3-4
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Nights 5-6
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Nights 7-8
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Nights 9-10
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
NH Palermo
Night 1
Baia di Ulisse
Night 3
Una Hotel Naxos Beach Sicilia
Night 5
UNAHOTELS MH Matera
Night 7
Art Hotel Gran Paradiso
Night 9
Massimo D'Azeglio Hotel
Night 11
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Trip Reviews
Live, Unedited, & Independent Traveler Reviews
Rating
255 reviews
4.5
Out of 5
Based on 255 independent reviews
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This was a wonderful trip. Our tour guides were excellent. Especially memorable was the trip to Mt. Etna.
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Overall, I truly enjoyed the tour. It covered a lot of grounds and gave a good sample variety of Sicily and Southern Italy. I was very impressed by the farm to table experience. The hostess was extremely friendly and welcoming and made us feel like family. I truly loved Cefalu and its charms. Arigento and Valley of the Temples was a wonderful experience. Matera , Taormina and Pompeii were learning experiences as well. Exhilarated to experience Sorrento and travel the Amalfi Coast. Alberobello and trulli homes was a great learning experience.
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Valley of the Temples, in Agrigento, deserves more time than the tour planned. Thank goodness our tour manager, Christian, arranged for my spouse and myself, along with others who wanted to spend time there, avoiding a complete meltdown on my part. One of the main reasons we chose this tour was to spend time here. And the dinner "at a local restaurant and an evening view of the illuminated Valley..." is a complete fabrication; the restaurant was nowhere near the ruins and the only "panoramic spot" was on the bus as it was leaving the ruins.
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My wife Gay responded to your forms and we shared the same feelings. The tour was wonderful in every way and Christian was fabulous!!!! So helpful, brilliant , funny and we both feel that we’d be so happy to go on any tour that he would be guiding !!!!!!
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Top notch guides, excellent hotels, and reliable transportation
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Tour leader made the trip!
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Incredible activities and accommodations with knowledgeable tour manager who had great sense of humor and tons of patience
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I was happy with all that was included as well as the tour manager. I wanted the be a part of the real living- farm life over there in Italy. Going just out of season was great because less vacationer’s which meant shorter lines and less people to mill around for the tours scheduled.
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I felt the tour guide we had went above and beyond to sssure that my dietary needs were meet. I truly appreciated it
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Our trip to Sicily & Southern Italy this past October, 2023, was just AMAZING! Everyplace we visited, everything we saw & ate was absolutely wonderful & our Tour Manager, Enjo was the best! He was friendly, funny, informative & helpful in every way! My husband & I have been on other COLLETTE Tours & I can’t say enough about COLLETTE, they think of everything & we feel that you definitely get your money’s worth with COLLETTE! Thank you for a wonderful trip!
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Wonderful experience getting a taste of the culture meeting new people learning so much
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Great accommodations, great food, and Ilearned so much about Italy.
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Excellent cities of choice, experiences and guide
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The tour manager made our tour really enjoyable.
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Very well done and appreciated all of the sites seen. My most memorable place was my great-grandmother hometown. it was great to see where she grew up and lived before coming to the USA. The only hotel not up to par was the Hotel Michelangelo. Great location place but not the best room size for most of the group I was with (10 in my group).
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Manager went above & beyond to please and inform everyone! With a group of 42 folks, no easy task and she succeeded! Fantastic with recommendations when we had free time also. Rooms were all very clean and comfortable. We were satisfied completely. The inclusions were such a grand learning experience and with such fun!! Would do them all again!!! Great items for us to choose!!!!
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a lot of traveling on the bus without the use of the bathroom. The wooden marquetry was not worthwhile nor was the bufflao ranch
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need usage of the bathroom onboard bus. Tour manager was not sympathetic to that need nor was she tolerant when peope had questions about the schedule and or needed her to repeat them
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We saw so many things in such a short timeframe. Loved the interactions with the locals and learning about their culture.
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Palermo Sicily Italy was the best part of the trip
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Palermo Sicily was the best part of the thrip
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The tour manager was absolutely excellent. He was extremely knowledgeable and very entertaining. There were many memorable experiences but one I did not expect was courtesy of a local guide who was the owner of the Varisco sheep farm. Her enthusiastic presentation was heartfelt and inspiring.
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Excellent experience from start to finish.
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Sicily was awesome very different from Italy. It was my third to Italy but my first time to Sicily. So much history Sicily has to offer I didn’t realize how much.
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It was a great tour! Great people. The tour manager was excellent, as was the bus driver. All the tour guides were very knowledgeable. We just loved it.
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Sicily was a great surprise concerning its history, culture, and seeing that it was really a tropical paradise. Monreale with its mosaics, the Valley of the Temples, and the beautiful beaches were the highlights. Southern Italy was very good, but the tour of Pompeii was very crowded and rushed.
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GREAT TOUR. GREAT TOUR MANAGER!!!
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Group of 46 was to large. Made it difficult to enjoy tour and limited free time, restaurant selection, and hotels were average at best. Rome hotel was 45 min to an 1.5 hr outside of city depending on traffic. Too many individuals unable to keep. Food was average and except for three meals provided were at the hotel restaurants. All the same meals.
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The itinerary, hotels, and tour leader and bus travel was phenomenal. Air travel arrangements not so much.
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If you are over 65, don't go on this tour. Rated a level 3, More like a level 4+. Pace is extreme. Some hotels leave much to be desired. Sights and tour inclusions are excellent however.
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Needed more time at featured locations.
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Too big of a group to travel with 46 people is too many.
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Great tour. Loved Sicily. The food, the accommodations, the history content, the places visited were all excellent. Although a very fast paced tour, it was great. I would have made it a full two weeks so that one could have some relaxation added in in between.
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Excellent Tour. Tour Manager Very Good!
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Overall tour schedule was excellent, brisk but that's what you pay for! On-tour hotel food choices/options could have been a little better. Our tour manager, Martina, was amazing and made an excellent tour truly memorable. She put her heart and soul into making sure each of us was having an exceptional experience, resolving any issues, etc. Plus, she had a natural gift for bonding with people, keeping us fully entertained and "two glasses happy" as she would say! Brava, Martina!! Grazie mille!
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I've already filled out this survey. Why are you asking for it again?????
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top rated hotels, tour guide was excellent and bus was first class
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To much time spent on the bus. , room request when booking and while on the tour were barley meet . Redundancy in meals provided on tour Tours with local guides seem to be on time schedule so some felt rushed The tour manager I for the Rome pre trip was excellent!
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The tour was everything and more than I expected. I didn't want the tour to end.
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Our tour manager, Ms. Martina Musso, made the travel experience exceptional and wonderful for me and my wife. She was totally committed and caring for all our needs. Her passion shined through on every tour making us all feel like family. She went above and beyond to get to know us and engaged with everyone. Fabulous tour manager!
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Mgr was great. three of the hotels were subpar.
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I already completed and submitted a review last week which explained everything about my trip. Hope you received it.
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Our trip was excellent because of your Tour Director. She was very well organized and had a terrific personality. She was amazing how she handle over 40 people, always very happy and a pleasure to travel with. She is a valuable asset to your company and I hope you pay her well and never let her gol
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The tour included so many highlights. It is difficult to pick one.
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Great itinerary with a good balance of scheduled and free time. Included meals at hotels were not great.
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I especially enjoyed the trips to Mount Etna and to the Valley of the Temples. I think that you could easily spend the entire trip in Sicily and do a more in depth tour. The tour manager, the driver and the location guides were excellent and very professional.
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Hotel Garibaldi was not 4 star and probably not even 3 star. Had issues with our rattling heating unit. First night the hotel reception who we found out controls these units, turned it off at 1:30 in the morning. We woke up freezing. 2nd night we woke up at 3:30 in the morning and we were sweating. It was 30 degrees Celsius. We had no control to change the temperature either night. We called reception and complained again. We told them to lower it to 22, leave it at 22 and NOT to change it or shut it off. The lobby was in bad need of an update. My wife spoke to our Tour Guide and told her what we thought of this hotel and if this is how it is going to be on the trip, we are ready to pack and go home. Very bad first impression. She assured her that it wasn't and asked my wife to trust her. We found out we were not the only ones having issues with the heating units. Paola told us that future tours will not be staying at Hotel Garibaldi. We had an issue at another hotel with the heat and they immediately offered to change our room. We were glad we trusted our tour guide Paola. We stayed and had a wonderful time. Paola was excellent.
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Hotel Garibaldi was not 4 star and probably not even 3 star. Had issues with our rattling heating unit. First night the hotel reception who we found out controls these units, turned it off at 1:30 in the morning. We woke up freezing. 2nd night we woke up at 3:30 in the morning and we were sweating. It was 30 degrees Celsius. We had no control to change the temperature either night. We called reception and complained again. We told them to lower it to 22, leave it at 22 and NOT to change it or shut it off. The lobby was in bad need of an update. I spoke to our Tour Guide and told her what we thought of this hotel and if this is how it is going to be on the trip, we are ready to pack and go home. Very bad first impression. She assured me that it wasn't and asked me to trust her. We found out we were not the only ones having issues with the heating units. Paola told us that future tours will not be staying at Hotel Garibaldi. We had an issue at another hotel with the heat and they immediately offered to change our room. We were glad we trusted our tour guide Paola and stayed with the tour. We had a wonderful time. Paola was excellent.
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We moved around a lot and there was always something good to experience. I especially liked seeing the Valley of the Temples. It included a lot of places I enjoyed seeing. I liked not having to drive!
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There was not enough free time
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Really packed a lot into the time we had and saw a lot. Tour Manager and all guides were awesome and full of information. I would have liked a little more discretionary time to explore some of the area's restaurants and less hotel food. Because there were so many hotel changes, we felt a little rushed, I would probably elect fewer optional excursions next time just to be able to relax a little. That being said, I felt we really did see the best of Sicily! The farm trip and the visit to Savoca were both fantastic. Accommodations were generally very clean and comfortable with the exception of one room that only provided a full size bed for a double occupancy.
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.Rome Pompeii Siicily Mt. Etna
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Organized , very personable,knowledgeable really liked the farm we went to that the family ran he seemed to be very well acquainted with them taste of Sicily food was cold but entertainment was good
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Enjoyable and fun. Tour was well thought out.
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Collette had everything organized beautifully and our tour guide, Rosarrio was excellent in every way.
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Extrodanary across the board!! Tour guide Paola was totally exceptional and well organize and related to all ages very well. Attentive to our needs and listened to our input and addressed them.
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Tour guide Poala was very efficient and friendly. She made sure we had a wonderful time!
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I liked everything about it. Excellent tour guide and overall great tour!
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Great tour guide. Saw much of Italy. Would have liked to have seen more of Rome. The food the first night was bad. The hotel at the last place we stayed charged me 20.00 Euro for wine I did not order, and told me to prove I didn't order it.
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Wonderful trip! Great guides and fellow travelers
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All the tours were excellent and memorable. Our tour director, Marisa, was fun, knowledgeable, and quite helpful in many ways. We were very fortunate to have such accomplished people in charge. The only negative was that 48 people in one group was way too large. Never had that experience before and hope it’s the last time.
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I think the tour covered highlights quite well. Family farm visit, dinner with oompah group, Pompey visit…. and a great bus driver negotiating all the curvy roads, The only suggestion would be a smaller group…although the tour manager handled all very well.
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Trip excellent with all the.hotels, places to see , and Bucket list locations from Greek temples to Pompei and Rome. Need better scheduling with airfare. Almost missed flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles going home. 1.5 hour too tight to get from Terminal A to Terminal Z.
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The farm visit we did in Sicily was outstanding
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Dinner at the winery was outstanding
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THE TOUR WAS FANTASTIC. WE HAD A GREAT COORDINATOR FROM UW OSHKOSH REPRESENTING COLLETTE.-THE TOURS, THE FOOD, THE HISTORY THAT WE EACH LEARNED FROM OUR VARIOUS GUIDES ON OUR MULTIPLE TOURS--THE SHAIRNG OF GOOD TIMES, THE FANTASTIC DRINKS, AND THE BEAURTIFUL REATURANTS. EVERYTHING WAS TOP NOTCH!! WHAT CAN BE SAID BE WOW! ADDITIONALY WE HAD A WONDEERFUL GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS VARING IN AGE FROM VARIOUS STATES THAT ALL CONGEALED INTO AN EXCITING GROUP.
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Fantastic tour group and great places to see!
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Pompeii was amazing. I also enjoyed the Sistine Chapel, Papal Basilica of St Peter and Vatican were all wonderful sights.
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It was a well planned trip.
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Great trip. Tour guide was tops, bus driver was the tops. Hotels were good. Included food was pretty bad.
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We saw and did so many things!
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Excellent tour company, timely, tour manager Federico Alvarez was absolutely fantastic!
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Wonderful experience. Great tour director and a great itinerary!
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Overall, the Sicily & Southern Italy Tour was very good. Our tour manager was terrific as were the included sites, Some of the hotels lacked sufficient storage, such as sufficient drawer, shelf or closet space. The hotels were otherwise clean and staff were all pleasant.
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Overall experience was excellent! Our main tour guide and the local guides were knowledgeable and friendly. They gave great suggestions for local restaurants and activities to enjoy in our downtime. We had a small group of fantastic people who made our first trip even more memorable!
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We had a great group of 15 fun people which made our first tour a great experience. Our tour explored locations that we had not personally considered. Mario was amazing and we had great local guides!
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Excellent tour manager with Dario Panniello. We saw many interesting, history and beautiful sites in Sicily and Southern Italy. The local tour guides were generally outstanding. A very nice tour.
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Wonderful places visited and great food!
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Only one afternoon that was not on par with the rest of the trip
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Francesca, the tour manager, was AWESOME! The local tour guides for the most part were very good. Diana in Sicily was a star. Roberta was also very knowledgeable about the churches she guided us through.
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Catania was interesting and unusual
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Sicily visits and Pompeii Antipasti and pasta.
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Poor for Rome extension and good because of Sicily, southern Italy, and our wonderful tour manager and bus driver.
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Pompaii
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Alexa was very knowledgeable and filled with historical stories of all the areas we visited.
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It is hard pick the most memorable, because there were several and the were distinct
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The hotel in Giardini Naxos needed a make over 10 years ago. We had 4 included dinners at hotels. The only good one was at the MH Madera Hotel. The other 3 were really bad. Too bad. I didn't come to Italy to eat bad food.
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The food was a disappointment with few exceptions.
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The tour manager and the driver made it wonderful.
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We loved the hotel in Giardini-Naxos (the Hellenia Yachting Hotel) , though our room very disappointingly had no view of the sea.
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Tour of Southern Italy & Sicily was thought provoking, enlightening, editing and beautiful in every way possible.
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It’s hard to name a favorite experience because they were all memorable.
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Would go again ! Enjoyed the food and the sites
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Sicily is so beautiful; Taormina was my favorite. The farm we visited was a wonderful experience, great food. The evening at the restaurant with the Four Carmello's music and dancing was really great.
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Definitely the Amalfi Coast!!! It was spectacular!
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Amalfi Coast and Pompei Beautiful costal trip.
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As I said before , Marta made the itinerary come to life !! We were wowed by our Bus driver, Franco with his excellent driving skills. Robert: Loved Sa.........Savoca-. He got to sit and relax at the historic bar Vitelli's- a long time wish !! Debra: This trip included all the areas where my ancestors lived, thus everyday felt magical & filled with memories of the tales all my life. I truly can not pick a most favorite, as I loved it ALL. Swimming in the Ocean while at Taomina was great. Optional excursions were enjoyable.
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Sicily was my favorite. It's truly what I think of Italy. The places we visited were not a touristy as most of the places on the mainland
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Just a terrible experience from the beginning
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The problem with Alitalia was disappointing and I missed 1 1/2 days of the tour. But that wasn't Collette's problem. I would request that the flights be direct. Flying from Rome to Detroit to Phily was exhausting and too time consuming.
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Very helpful and accommodating. I usually do our travel planning so I actually was able to relax and not stress.
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Except for Palermo, the tour was great. Love Mattia and Maximo our driver was amazing. The farm dinners we’re awesome.
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Prices are comparable to other tour groups
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Visit to farms. Mattio excellent tour guide.
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The tour was educational and fun all the way through! We had a feast on a local farm in Sicily! It was a Fantastic evening!
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All details well taken care of, Great Itinerary.
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Positives - Good trip with a great group of people. Tour manager and bus driver were good. Location and quality of the hotels was mixed; some were good and some were average at best. The optional stops were very good. The visit to Cefalu and local farm was excellent with a very nice family dinner and experience. A walk to Old World Sicily at Savoca was equally entertaining and beautiful. Matera and Pompeii were fantastic places to visit. Improvements Required - Two of the hotel locations were poor in that they had no local restaurants or shops to stop in. This was extremely disappointing in that one was believed to be in Sorrento on the Amalfi Coast. The hotels in Giardino Naxos was very dated, had small rooms, and the first room we entered was not clean. The pace of the trip was not ideal. We did not spend enough time at some of the great towns on the Amalfi coast and other places. We would stop and have to meet back in 90 minutes or so which left little time to eat, explore and shop; this occurred at Taormina, Sorento and other places. Group meals provided by Collette at the hotels we stayed was disappointing as finding the unique restaurants would have been much more fun and better.
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Agriturismo with Chinnsia was soo fun. The food was fabulous & great value. She made the whole evening !
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There were two the first what is a trip to a farm and dinner there which was more than exceptional. The second was the city of Pompeii which I found fascinating
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Good trip. Organized. Would use them again
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The hotels were not up to par. Our room at the Matera Hotel smelled like body odor and had gnats flying all over the bathroom. The Hotel Degli Aranci in Rome was nice however our room was outside the main hotel on the street and looked out at the dumpster.We had bars on our windows. Terrible. Also the trips to the shops were a waste of time. They just wanted to sell us jewelry, limoncello or cameos and we wasted a lot of time there. I don't think one person bought a cameo.
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Going to the Volcano although we needed more time to explore
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Roma was my favorite part of the trip followed by the Amalfi Coast. I wish we could have seen more of Roma but time was limited.
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Great trip to Southern Italy and Sicily!
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The tour gave me the chance to experience ancient sights like Matera and Pompeii with a group.
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The whole trip opened up new experiences in vìsiting very different locations, sampling amazing food and wine, all coordinated by an excellent Tour Manager
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Some of the accommodations were very poor, the hotels had not been updated for years. Some were off were out of the way and food was not up to par.
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Sicily has such a rich cultural heritage . My favorite places were Catania, Taormina, Matera and the Amalfi Coast.
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The Amalfi Coast was beautiful but scary. Loved the town of Matera but did not really enjoy the town of Alberobello. Wished we were staying in that town. My favorite memory was the Cefalu Farm and dinner. Loved Cinzia as she made it such a fun time. Also enjoyed the winery with dinner and the Flavors of Sicily dinner.
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It's a wonderful tour. Got to see a lot of areas that were included in the price. When we were in Silcily, we stayed at a hotel right on the Mediterranean ocean, sunset was spectacular, with dinner out by the pool on that Friday night. Outstanding, I won't forget it.
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I did so on previous page in great detail. So refer to that review
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The whole tour of Sicily and Southern Italy went way beyond our expectations. We discovered information from the Allied Landing Forces Museum regarding the British involvement during WWII and loved the whole experience of Sicily - the scenery, the way of life, and the interesting history, which we knew nothing about before our visit.
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Some favorites were Mt. Etna & the views of a smoking Etna from the Greek theatre in Taormina, Giardini-Naxos, Agrigento & the Valley of the Temples & Monreale & the Norman Cathedral. We had a couple issues with hotels. 1- they had AC but for the most part it felt like it was barely working. 2- we had a gorgeous room with wonderful views in Giardini-Naxos but the shower leaked. Also, the beach is very rocky so bring swimming shoes.
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Amalfi coast and visit to Pompey
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Tour was great. Excellent guide and excellent driver. Only problem was that the trip was too fast-paced. No time to relax, just rush, rush, rush.
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Have been to Italy before. Won't be going again
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Well planned. Interesting locations
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We went to family farm in Sicily for a tour & a meal. They showed us how to make rice balls the family was really adorable & the woman who was our host was so funny. We could easily see how genuine they are & how they enjoy sharing what they love doing. The food was amazing!!
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I chose the tour for the itinerary and that was up to my expectations! However, there was at least one day that we were on the bus too long although there were stops. When we had dinners arranged, a choice would have been better than a fixed menu. A map included in our packets would have been helpful, as well as our tour guide displaying our daily trip.
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Some of the hotel locations I didn't like.
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This was an outstanding tour of a very interesting and picturesque area. This was our seventh tour with Collette and while they have all been very good to great, this one stoodout because of our Tour Manager Paola Balzo. She did an outstanding job and should be commended for the way she did her job.
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Tour guide and driver were excellent. Tour provided some amazing experiences
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This tour covered all the highlights (and I am already longing to return to see more of Sicily. As a tourist you do not always feel welcome if you are visiting an area that has perhaps seen too many visitors. Not so in Sicily, we felt so welcome everywhere we went. This was most evident at my favourite optional tour, the Agriturismo Case Varisco. Cinzia was a delight, and having the men on the tour helping her prepare food was a definite highlight.
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Scenery was great and Mt. Etna had a small eruption when we were there.
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1)The perfect time of the day to see the smoke coming from the mouth of Mt. Etna, amazing. 2) The sight seeing ride on the Amalfi Coast 3) the Fish Market in Catania, amazing to know that man still there shopping and waiting until the end to find “bargain” for the sale of day 😅😅😅
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The tour guides were great.
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The scenery Did not care for activities to not opt out because already checked out of hotel such as cameo factory, inlaid wood out of date
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Stops at very high end places and very touristy places. Matera was very interesting but Arbolobello was terrible and it rained very hard. Also tour manager often talked for ever when we had little time to see some shops and sights. She had a hard time counting so many heads! Would have enjoyed more time in Sicily at less touristy sights.
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The Roman ruins and Sicily
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Day at the winery. Informative and delicious food and wine
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We had a lovely experience except for the group was too big. And there were two groups within that group that were each about 16 people. It didn’t make for people mixing well
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All of it...trip was fabulous...winery was wonderful!! Oranges were delicious, wine was tasty, also!!
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Seeing Pompei was really thrilling.
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Not enough time to wander around towns and shop, as previously mentioned. Our tour manager was truly great; I was impressed with the hotels but would have preferred smaller meals.
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Our guide, Daniel, was very organized and knowledgeable. We especially enjoyed the Amalfi Coast and Pompie.
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Detailed view of impressive sights. All things taken care of so could just relax & enjoy!
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Having Daniel was the highlight of the tour; he patiently explained everything we asked about; he provided maps and other helpful handouts, and he made sure that everything ran smoothly.
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Taormina was our favorite overall. It was beautiful! We would have loved to have stayed longer.
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Southern Italy and Sicily are beautiful areas of the world. We visited several incredible places (Matera). Because we staid 2-3 days in each hotel and did not leave hotels until 8-8:30 am the tour was not very tiring. Bot my husband and I loved the tour. (My only issue was that Collette website did not let me check balance owing if I booked the tour through the third party)
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Amalfi coast drive was one of the highlights.
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Touramina and Matera were the highlights and the drive on the Amalfi coast.
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Just what we expected a bus tour to be. Fast moving but we saw a lot.
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Great local tours especially liked Matera. Also tour manager was very knowledgeable and had a great sense of humor. Local tour guides were all very good.
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Our tour began in Sicily with 5 nights there and then across to the Toe of Italy and over to the Boothill area and finally to Pompeii and Rome. So much Beautiful country and History to enjoy. Our tour was in the Spring of the year and is the most beautiful time to see Italy. Snow on Mt. Etna while Almond trees bloomed below. The first green leaves sprouting on the grape vines and gardens being prepared by the local people. Visiting Pompeii on the last day was a truly memorable experience which was improved by a knowledgeable local guide. The tour bus driver was amazing. In Sicily I don't think that there is a mile of road that is straight and he maneuvered that bus as if it were a sedan around curves and over roads which seemed impossible. A truly enjoyable trip !
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The group is too big (40 people). Overwhelming for Luciana. Time/day is too short. We started at 8:30. In few days, we were done half day. We were not told that there is group (29 persons) within this trip, leaving us (11 persons) awkward and out of place in the beginning. The group did not want to rotate seats; only within themselves. Dinners should be in local authentic restaurants; not in the hotel. Breakfast should be combined with other hotel guests. Otherwise, menu is limited (mostly American Continental); tables are assigned. We want to enjoy local Italian dishes. Luciana and local guides were excellent (Jackie, Diana). Matera guide was good. But in Pompeii (Pasquale?) was not good (not engaging, boring). Bus driver (Giuseppe) was excellent. We did not visit Salerno due to traffic, but this should be expected. Shopping should be optional; or after the tour is done. Otherwise, we wasted our time.
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The only bad thing about the trip was the number of miles traveled by bus. I think we could have skipped a UNESCO site and stayed longer on the amalfi coast or in Naples area. Great dinner last night in Rome.
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All the city and sites I visit was great!
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Saw a lot with an exceptionally wonderful tour guide. Would have liked to spend more time in the bigger cities.
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Our tour guide was great. The Farm Dinner and tastes of Sicily are highly recomended. I felt our hotels where not located close to other events that you could do on your own. had too much free time in hotel....felt stuck in area with nothing to do.
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Cefalù was great with her and her family at the farm. The food was amazing. So much, so good. They were warm and friendly. Amalfi coast ride unforgettable! Positano was beautiful! Naples was were my grandma was from , so meaningful to me. Pompeii had so much history and and interesting facts. The Greek ruins showed how much they influenced the area. Loved the churches. We were able to attend mass at St Agatha church on Sunday that Deanna told us about. Loved Jacqueline knowledge of the area. All tour guides were super. Mattia and Massimo the bus driver made the trip!
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Our guide, Mattia di Carlo. was informative and personable. He educated and entertained. The various structures, buildings, churches and cities came to life because of him.
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Favorite was the farm dinner
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Because of the time of year
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the dining out with group and music
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Sicily has so much to offer. Before I took the tour I knew little about this region. I definitely would go back again
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Already explained how I felt about my trips!
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The pace of the tour, the quality of the guide and the hotel accommodations were top notch. Our bus driver was also multi-talented.....and I'll leave it at that as a surprise to the next tour.
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The travel to and from on international flights could have been better arranged for the follks from Baltimore. Overall, the pricing, what we saw and travel on the tour bus was quite good.
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Staying across the sea from Sorrento and seeing Mt Vervisous from the shore.
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There were so many memorable experiences...Darion was awesome, the Greek Temples were amazing, the beautiful seaside villages or Taormina and others were a vacation spot we would come back to in the future, the winery was so much fun!, and Matera and Pompeii were so impressive historically...I really can't pick my favorite, as we loved the whole trip from beginning to end!!
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There were so many memorable moments but we especially enjoyed our visit to Matera where we met a local artist.
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Pompeii was so very interesting
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The entire tour was memorable.
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see the previous comments.
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Too many people on tour never again
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Beautiful tour of the Amalfi Coast.
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On the the beach at Naxos, Sicily.
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Farm Case Varisco in Cefalu - Hostess had exceptional personality, food was great, very entertaining optional tour
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The visit to Matera was highlight of tour.
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So manywinderful experiences that it is difficult to choose .. Cefalù , an optional tour was one of my favorite stops- the setting , the host and the food just outstanding!
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There were so many memorable experiences - swimming in the Meditterean Sea, having sandals made in Amalfi, the views from Taorimina and Mt Etna.
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Pompei was probably my favorite.
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Eating at good restaurants especially the night where we had live music. The visit and meal at an agritourismo was a treat.
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Going on a tour made it Stress free travel
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Mt Etna, Taormina, Matera, Pompei
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It was a good experience.
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All of the details were so well organized for us from buses, hotels, route and sights. Great guides too.
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Read what I have written today about activity levels to truly help customers judge which tour to go on.
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Exceptional experience in 🇮🇹 Italy!!
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Terrible mini bus!!!!! Totally uncomfortable
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The tour met my expectations. I think you should have non- smoking groups. Some of our tour group were smokers and did not show much courtesy to others by not taking their smoking away from the group. When they returned to the bus, you cold smell the smoke on them. I thought the dinner meals at the hotels were not very good. Better to allow more free time so 43 people are not trying to be fed at once and can have better selection of what to eat.
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Mattera, Taormina Small towns of Sorrento and Salerno--very authentic.
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It was all our favorite. Every stop had a great and memorable experience.
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Taormina Greek theatre was a highlight
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Liked the places we saw as well as th food and wine.
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Great trip and outstanding tour manager, *****
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Great tour, just the right length. Was surprised at the history and cross culture heritage of the region, and very much enjoyed the food and sights.
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Amalfi and Catania were highlights for us.
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The itinerary for this tour was great. Our guide ***** was exceptional. He's very knowledgeable, patient and organized. Our driver *******, always made us feel safe. The local guides and our side tours were great too. We had a wonderful group of people on this tour which added to the positive experience.
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My favorite was the bus tour around Rome
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Every minute was terrific. Loved the itinerary.
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I thought the tour was managed very well. Good hotel choices, tours, tour guides, and bus driver.
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The Amalfi Coast is a place I have wanted to photograph for over 28 years. It was worth the wait.
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The places we visited, the excursions offered, the guides, hotels and meals all made for a great experience.
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Only negative is that the days were jam packed. Sometimes starting at 6 A.M. and ending at 10 P.M.. The days were too long for many of the seniors on the tour. Many people got sick. There was also A LOT of walking.
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so much information provided - favorite was bus through the Amalfi Coast - very professional bus driving necessary for this - stunning scenery - unforgettable
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We visited cities and places that were rich in history - Matera, Pompeii. places - valley of the temples - saw natural wonders = Mt Etna and Mt Vesuviues. Seeing the cathedrals in Palermo and Monreale and Chefalu were very special to me. ;I cannot find just one place that was more memorable than the others. Perhaps the Amalfi Coast comes the closest.
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Some changes required regarding washrooms, additional tour guides
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There are many things to do and see in Sicily and Southern Italy...this tour provided a good sampling of those things.
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The most favourable memory we visiting the family on the farm and dining in their restaurant and seeing the Sicilian way of life. The drive up the Amalfi Coast was also a treat.
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Love Sicily, but mainland was great, too.
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good hotels, good food, interesting stories & sights
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Too much walking due to bus not being able to park in a convient location when dropping us off to visit a site or going to dinner. Worse night was in Rome, we walked a good half hour to get to the restaurant when there were many restaurants much closer where we did not have to walk so far. The restaurant was very small and could not accommodate the group in the dining room and some people ate by themselves. The food was not up to par based on all the other wonderful meals we had. Very disappointed, we were not able to see the beautiful coastline of the Amalfi Coast due to the fact that we were sitting on the opposite side of the bus. The tour manager should have switched the people over halfway on the Amalfi Coast so everyone would get a chance to see the beautiful scenery.
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I explained too many stops and forced to visit inlaid wood shop, winery, Cameo shop
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Your brochures said "moderate" walking....I think it should have said a LOT of walking up hills, cobblestone pavement, etc. The tourguides walked way too fast for some of us to catch up to them & unfortunately we missed some of the comments, etc. Also, the last supper in Rome...why did we have to walk over 20 minutes to get there when there were other restaurants we passed that would have been just fine. Plus the restaurant was too small for our group. Dinner was adequate but we were crushed in that room. In fact, one couple had to sit in another room by themselves. The food in this establishment was sub-par compared to the rest of the places we ate at. Also, the only reason my wife and I went on this tour was because my wife always wanted to go to the Almalfi coast. Your brochure said explor the Almalfi coast. We only stop at a tourist little area for 10-15 minutes to get some pictures & soveneirs. Then we got on the bus and rode the rest of the way. Where is the "EXPLORE"". Plus we unfortunately has the driver's side of the bus. We DID NOT get to see the coast only the buses coming at us the the moutains. Why did I save so much money to explor the coast, and only get to see the road, busses, etc. VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED. Maybe the tour guide (half-way through our drive) could have asked the people to trade seats so EVERYONE could get a view of Almalfi coast, etc. My wife was very, very DISAPPOINTED. This was supposed to be her dream vacation.....NOT!
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Agri tours, Agrigento, Pompeii
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Love Amalfi coast, Mt. Etna, Albero Bello
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Places we visited were really great
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The favorite experience was the Amalfi Coast drive.
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Our favorite moments were at the farms the food was excellent and it was nice seeing how the Italians live. We were disappointed at one of the farms because in your ad it said we get a tour of the farm and we did not.
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There were many nice people on the tour that we enjoyed meeting. Sicily was beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed the experiences each day.
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The people on the tour and the beautiful scenery.
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Difficult to pick one thing. Everything was great and out of the way places were well chosen
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Tour Leader was excellent. Very knowledgeable about the history and the areas we visited. Loved Sicily and especially southern Italy. Though Rome was not a tour visit, we did do a bus tour and a walkabout to see several select sites. Terrific!
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Taormina was just so nice.
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I loved the Sassi di Matera and Alberobella.
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I enjoyed the mixture of historic Italian cities, the charm of the smaller towns and the beauty of Amalfi and Capri. Plus acres of farm land with orange, lemon, olives groves and grapevines.
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I loved the hotel on the Bay of Naples. We had a wonderful room and it was beautiful. The hotel in Rome was beautiful too, but we only stayed one night so couldn't really enjoy it. Loved the shopping in several places. I think my favorite though was Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast. Those were very interesting.
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I have already outlined my reasons.
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The city of Metera, had no idea it even existed.
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Pompii, Matera of prior human habitats
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Personal interaction with a working family farm in Sicily. My husband and I own a farm in Virginia & naturally I was interested in this optional choice. Every day's planned schedule was so memorable that I can not choose just one experience.
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Ancient sites...awesome, foods delicious, wines good and beUtiful,scenery...Amafi coast ...
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Enjoyed tour and Sicily, hotel in Naxios was bad
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Too much time on the bus going from Sicily to Catania, which I could have skipped altogether. To much emphasis on shopping instead of suggestions for other cultural sights during our free time.
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a lot of favorable moments. the best is Alberobello.
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Although we were delighted with the itinerary, we were disappointed in the superficial approach to seeing this history-rich island. The tour of Palermo was merely a drive through on the way to Monreale - which was a wonderful and focused visit. The Valley of the Temples showed us three temples but gave little exposure to why the community developed in the "Valley" or how extensive it was. The hotel here was exceedingly poor with littered grounds, failure of the water system, out in the boon-docks so there was nothing to do or see during free time. (Wish we could have visited Piazza Armerina since we traveled very near it on our way to Catania.) Materna and Alberobello were fascinating and a selling point for this itinerary. The Amalfi Coast spectacular. "Free time" gave us very little time to really look around a town - 1-1/2 hours is not much when we had to find our own lunch and look around, too. There was quite an emphasis on "shopping" which is not at all our emphasis. We would have preferred to visit museums that would have enhanced our understanding of Agrigento and Pompeii. The limoncello and cameo factory stops added nothing to the tour. The dinner tour to the family farm in Cefalu was superb! The dinner in Giardini Naxos with the musicians was a trial - the food and wine were not tasty and the musicians were so loud and constant that it made dinner conversation all but impossible. The Sorrento seaside hotel was lovely. We were amazed at the number of people on this tour - which definitely required a lot of walking on cobblestones - that were not able to walk very far or on hills. There were some travelers who frequently grumbling about having to get out of the bus "again". (Please note: a woman on a scooter NEVER caused any delay - she was marvelous!) The tour director always had good alternatives for these folks, but the comments got a little old. We came home thinking we had only skimmed the surface of Sicily. The local guides were all very interesting in their focused tours, and our tour guide was an efficient and fun tour director, but overall we felt the need to buy informational books along the way to fill in the holes that we felt remained in our exposure this magnificent island.
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Self Explanatory This is not the right time, but we found the food at Collette Dinners very poor
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Agrigento and Matera had great history to see and hear about. Taormino had beautiful gardens and vistas, while the Amalfi Coast was just spectacular.
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The drive along the Amalfi coast was breathtaking. I enjoyed visiting the wineries. The ruins of Pompei were awesome! Climbing Mt Aetna volcano was great. Weather was freezing!
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The ride along the Almafi Coast , was an AHHHHH moment
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In Sicily the Greek Temples. In Italy the Amafi Coast was spectacular.
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Our tour guide, Jovanka, was knowledgeable, interesting, and made the trip special; along with our bus driver, Franco. Every place we went (with the exception of the WW2 museum, the local guide was not good or helpful) was absolutely amazing. I can't say enough good about this trip. The accommodations, the food, the tours and guides were wonderful. When I am asked what my favorite part of the trip was, my answer is everything.
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mattera was exceptional, especially getting to see it from both sides
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The dinners and the wine that were included were amazing!
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This was our FIRST bus tour. Experience mostly positive. However, two comments : you should have a policy that departure of the bus will occur within 5 minutes of the time given. If you're not there, you'll be left behind. We waited once for 25 minutes before leaving. Steve knows the circumstance. Do what you say. Mean what you say (like with little kids). : we read in your brochure that the normal sized pull-along could not be accommodated. If brought along, the traveler would be required to pay $4.00/day/bag. We did not bring our pull-alongs and found that required us to pack quite differently than we normally do. It looked like about half of our fellow travelers brought their pull-alongs. Were they charged $4.00/day, or did you just let that go? Do what you say. Mean what you say (like with little kids).
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The Amalfi Coast Drive was our most memorable and sadly most disappointing. It was the most beautiful part of the entire trip but we were stuck on the side of the bus away from The View. Halfway through the Dr they should have made everybody switch sides so that the entire bus got photo opportunities of the Amalfi Coast. It would have been the fair thing to do.
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Matera was the most memorable. However, we should be given a map of the towns as part of tour materials. Luckily, we ventured out and found much to see on our own. Things that the tour could have included without great expense, or at least be given highlights of a town which would be of interest. Same applies to the Palermo, Taormina, Amalfi,etc. Collette should include more, I.e., the church in Amalfi, instead you get dropped off and then "good luck"! Free time especially in Taormina and Alberbello was too long. We could have seen something else as part of tour. We had no choice but to sit and wait for our coach, we were stranded during the time when things were closed. P. Would have liked more time in Sorrento in the evening when Sorrento comes alive. Again, if hotels had been more centrally located, the experience would have been much better. The meal at the winery was poor. The winery tour itself was very good.
