Reflections of Italy From $2,199 pp*

Well organized and tour guide was very helpful,

Making pasta together and having it as a meal while in Tuscany while st a castle

Our guide did a great job. The wine and weather in Italy also were awesome. So glad that Linda B set up this trip. Most hotels were great and just now I'm getting my pictures together.

Loved the tour of Vatican City and also the Colles eum.

I thought the service was excellent from the pick up to the airport to the take home from the airport. Everything was taken care of. All I had to do was sit back and relax. No confusion. Rooms at the hotels were 5 Star. Excursions were well educated tour guides. Selection of food was wonderful.

Venice was my favorite city. I like the waterways. Very organized.

Plenty of detail about the trip.

Our tour guide Luciana was so wonderful & helpful & being able to skip the lines on many attractions was a huge time saver.

I love Collette tours. This was my 6th tour with them. Although the Reflections of Italy tour is rated moderate activity, I believe it should be rated higher. There were so many stairs on this tour that it was often difficult to maneuver at the pace required.

Collette tours are always great.

they were all amazing. I sent a email to headquarters in Pawtucket, RI about the fantastic time we had with our tour guide Sergio Salazzo and coach driver Pio.

the best trip ever. I miss being there. all were wonderful. I enjoyed the pasta making

Tour overall was great. Would have liked a little more free time in some of the cities.

Venice was the best. My only complaint was the Hotel in Florence damaged our bag. Handle was bent over straighten up and pushed back in, now not operable. I saw before boarding the bus and should have addressed there.

It was a great and memorable experience. From scheduling the trip, to the transport service, and especially our tour guide, everyone was courteous and professional. Highly recommended.

Italy is a beautiful country. Each city and town that we visited was memorable in itself. The trip to Assisi and Venice tops the list, with Florence and Rome both tied coming in a close second.

Would use Collette again. Had a great time. Our guide was great

Our guide was very knowledgeable and loved his job.

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Not really the kind of tour I enjoy, nothing personal about Collette

I really enjoyed the places we went! Our tour guide, Luciana, was wonderful! She was informative, pleasant, helpful, and fun to spend time with. Our tour guide in Siena was very focused on the Paleo (which was not so important to our group) and the tour got rather long because it was hot and we stood at ll campo in the hot sun for quite awhile. Our tour guide in Assisi was knowledgeable, but rather monotone, so he could be encouraged to add a little more excitement to his presentation:) My personal opinion... I think the local tour guides should ask a few questions of the group to get a vision of what the group is interested in learning about before they begin. Our group has very similar interests, we are all Christians, and most of us do not want lengthy history lessons. We enjoy the basic history of the location, some details that give us a "personality" of the place, but not a "class" on dates and cumbersome details that can detract from the actual ambiance of the visit. Probably the thing I really feel could be improved upon are...The visits to see the David and the Sistine chapel: if tourists could have a recording to listen to while inside the museum, we could look for specific details in the statues, paintings, etc. Our tour guides try to tell us things beforehand, but there are too many things to remember! Also, it would be helpful to have a "map" of the inside of the Sistine Chapel before entering so that you know what details you are looking for. Something that was a highlight to us was climbing the dome of the duomo in Florence (as well as the bell tower). The view of the painting was magnificent and the engineering of the dome was quite unbelievable! In my opinion, it should be offered as an option to those able to do stairs! I was so thankful we had researched this ahead of time and had reservations! This was my third Collette trip and I did feel that this trip really was a little "packed" and not much free time. Perhaps, that was just my perception...I also think an additional day in Rome is needed....we definitely should've seen the Pantheon and also walked through the forum! We loved the quaint village of Assisi and would've enjoyed a little more time there. The food was great most evenings:) The meal at our hotel in Milan on the last night was not great but their breakfast buffet was good.

*I loved the pasta making experience at the Castello del Trebbio.. not sure if I'm spelling this correctly? On Sunday, July 13 we had an enjoyable and memorable wine tasting and pasta making experience here. Alberto (I think that was his name) was so informative and a great guide! I think the relational aspect of this tour was personally one of my favorites! I felt like we really "experienced" a personal part of Italian culture and history!

I really enjoyed my tour. The hotels were centrally located in the major cites and in Venice, which was great. The tour guide and each local tour guide, were all excellent. They were full of historical and fun facts. They were flexible if needed by our group and very pleasant to converse with.

We had a highlight of major Italian cities. Now I know the ones I want to visit again. Our stays in each location were brief, just enough to introduce me to each city. My favorite cities were Rome and Venice, must go back. The medieval hill cities and Tuscany were also incredible.

Excellent trip planning-we were able to see and do lots of things and yet have a little free time as well. Appreciate the way you work with our own leader to allow him time for teaching along with the local guides. Yes we would recommend Collette to others.

Can't say I have a favorite. Each place was unique and memorable in different ways.

I love the tours they provide. And all the guides that I have had have been amazing at explaining what everything is on my tours!

This is a place that I have always wanted to go to. They didn’t disappointment me with where they took me on this trip!

Excellent Cities and additional interesting side stops. I would recommend this tour to my friends.

Making and eating our own Homemade pasta @ Castello Trebbio in Tuscany.

Excellent tour guide

The castle tour .Wine tasting and opportunity to make the meal here

The Tour was extremely well coordinated. Our Guide Mattea was the Best. He really worked hard being responsible for 44 people. Especially since many were Seniors with Medical issues. The driver was Fantastic. The food was Awesome. We saw many beautiful historical sites and artifacts.

Great Tour. Our Guide Mattea was the BEST. As was our Bus driver. The sites were Awesome, the Food was Fantastic. We had 44 people and everyone got along great. The Tuscan Feast was my favorite.

I guess not having ever done a group tour I really did not know what to expect. The trip was great but there were some things we wished we had known ahead of time. There was some mention in the final travel documents we received that said some of the hotels MAY not have air conditioning in reality they all had air conditioning but NONE of them will turn it on before May 1st and then only selectively. Having to leave windows open all the time can be a problem for some people. There were two national holidays Apr 25th and May 1st that fell during our stay which caused excessive crowds (most noticeable when visiting Vatican City) and in some cases closures (definitely would have reconsidered our travel dates had we been advised of either of these) As far as the tour itself the tour guide was great and we got to see a lot of wonderful things but it was way more rigorous than any of us expected being that it was rated as "moderate physical activity" (I think my sisters monitor said we walked a little over 10 miles the first day and on average probably 6-8 miles every day) that is a lot for someone with some physical limitations (also may have reconsidered had we known). All in all it was a good trip but certainly not the trip of a lifetime we had hoped for. I don’t think I will be signing up for another group tour any time soon but if I ever do I will be doing a lot more research of my own first.

The tour guide was great and we got to see a lot of wonderful things but it was way more rigorous than any of us expected being that it was rated as "moderate physical activity" (I think my sisters monitor said we walked a little over 10 miles the first day and on average probably 6-8 miles every day) that is a lot for someone with some physical limitations. This is a very fast paced tour with not a lot of free time to enjoy the cities and what they have to offer. All in all it was a good trip but certainly not the trip of a lifetime we had hoped for.

The tour of Italy was well planned with a knowledgeable guide, comfortable accommodations and pleasant companions.

Tony, our Tour Manager, was exceptional, as were the local guides. My favorite was the guide in Siena, who included personal anecdotes as he described the various districts in the city and the local horse race.

Good organization, knowledgeable guides, Great main guide and leader of our pack. (Fredricka).

Well organized and orchestrated

Great trip..would definitely go with collette tours again.. great tour director..

Well organized .. great food..excellent wine

The tour was great. It far exceeded everything we wanted to see. The only complaint, and it is a small one, was the quality of the food. No matter where we ate it seemed as though it was the same food and it was very bland.

The tour was great. Not only did we love Rome, but most enjoyable were the visits to the winery and the monastery.

It was sometimes difficult to get information and/or know exactly who to contact. The trip itself was good...excellent tour guide and driver.

I wish we had had more time in Rome. There was a lot packed in 2 days. The tours of the castle and the monastery special treats.

This was a wonderful trip...everything went so smoothly...from the flights, to the hotels...which were wonderful, the optional excursions...with plenty of on your own time..I would definitely recommend Collette Tours ..thank you for such a great experience.

So many people ask this and it’s really difficult to pinpoint a particular event because the trip was put together so well and each city had its own uniqueness...the food, the atmosphere, our tour guides, our travel group...so much fun, laughter, and wonderful memories.

I know that when I am on a Collette tour I am going to be safe.

Each day in itself was special in/of itself. I was fulfilled with the largeness of the history of Italy. I have so much gratitude for all that was done before us and for us.

Yes, Beth Myette, our Group 1 registrations manager was great and very responsive to our many needs. Jack Brinson, sales Mgr was tops & always responsive to every question concerning the trip. Accounting Department was very good also.

Our Tour Manager, Sergio S. From Milan, was absolutely fantastic. He was So detailed, caring, knowledgeable of all cities & history. His great personality & extremely funny remarks kept everyone laughing & entertained. Sergio is the best Tour Mgr ever!! The tour was planned & organized very well. Favorites were the coliseum, The Academia Bldg, statues were awesome, plus Arts & The David, the town of Sienna was great, The Cathedral was fantastic, the Monastery Experience was really nice, the Castle & Winery was fantastic! St Peters Basilica was nice to see.! Some days there was a little to much walking for our age group(62-82) other than that, a perfect trip overall.

Return calls promptly. Choose group leaders more carefully. Dave Goff was annoying and not helpful.

A bit rushed. Nice “extras”.

The tour itself was great. The food not so great. Practically the same food every day, from breakfast to dinner. They need find restaurants that serve a different variety of foods.

Because food was terrible, same type everyday, no variety.

I liked not having to think on vacation except what to do & where to eat on our free time. I loved the fact that we had free time to do what we wanted to do. I like being organized and Collette was that. I received emails from Collette. I loved the App. the Tour Manager and Local Guides were good.

Good hotels, good guides, good group restaurants, good tour inclusions.

Traveler does not have to worry about quality of travel, hotels food or any other detail.

History beyond imagination.

Sergio made this trip extra special. He is the best tour guide and took very good care of us. Collette put together a good itinerary and I will recommend this trip to others.

Perfect in every way except for repeating the history and architectural background of too many churches. Would prefer more about every day life in the cities and a little less about the past.

In Italy, the guide got us where we needed to be at all the right times. It was a very well planned trip, down to the last detail. Besides the return flight and pick up st the Airport by one guy who couldn’t handle the luggage, the trip was a success.

Great transportation in Country and nice accommodations.

The service was excellent. The tour director was delightful and very knowledgeable. The bus driver was excellent. It was a wonderful experience.

I enjoyed staying in Venice and seeing what it's like to live there.

The hotels and food provided were very comfortable and good. Some servers in the restaurants especially in Venice were rude. The tour director didn’t seem to realize that most of the people with the exception of two children were seniors. The tour group was much too large (41). People got lost. When local guides were used, the tour leader generally disappeared. In a group this size, it would have been better if she brought up the rear to keep the group together. She would have also realized she was going too fast for many in the group. Federica was also close to six feet tall where many of the women in the group were around five feet tall (2 steps for each of her one). The bus driver was wonderful and helpful.

For me, the walking was described as “moderate.” I felt the word used to describe the amount of walking was way off. Walking should be described in miles per day. One day, the group walked eight miles and I walked six. After that a few women and I started taking taxis that helped but meant certain sights had to be missed. At the Vatican, I only got to view the Chapel for only one minute because the local tour guide told a few of us to go a different way to the Chapel so we wouldn’t have to walk so far. Although I had a cane the guards would not let me pass so I had to wait until the group exited the Chapel. The local guide said a few words to the guards and took me by the hand to see the Chapel. This tour is for the average tourists. Seniors need to know more about the physicality of the tour. I am rating the tour manager average because she was unaware that many were having a hard time keeping up. She continued with her pace even though some of us were lagging 100 yards. She would stop and wait sometimes but would start up as soon as we caught up out of breath. She was very knowledgeable and would be a good tour guide for non-seniors.

I felt Collette was very organized and I have recommended them to several friends. I would defiantly use them again

The tour was great. It involved alittle more walking than I expected I wish we would have had the option for Comfort plus seating on the trip to Italy as the seats we had were horribly small with no leg room. We had very good flight accommodations on the return flight to the US

Outstanding trip! Italy did not disappoint and Collette sure knows how to highlight every moment. We had a terrific tour manager, excellent local guides and fantastic hotels. No one does tours like Collette!!!

This trip had the Wow factor! Colosseum, Vatican, Florence, Venice, Milan and all the little gems in between! Loved it all!

Well organized efficient and thorough with enough free time.

Well organized. Nice bus.

The trip to northern Italy was a great introduction to the wonders found in both monuments and lifestyles of the cities we visited. The trip was made interesting and vastly educational due to our tour guide Jovanka Mrdja. She was our tour guide on the tour of southern Italy 5 years ago. We agreed to the trip this March largely due to the fact she would once again be our tour guide. Her knowledge and enthusiasm are outstanding. We were, however, disappointed that she could not continue with us on our three day extension in Milan. Had we known that sooner we would have not continued with the tour.

The canals of Venice, Assisi and the statue of David.

The best part of our trip was having Yovanka again as our tour guide. Yovanka was my guide several yrs. ago when I traveled through Sicily to Rome. She's just wonderful. Very knowledgeable, keeps the bus time interesting & our walking tours fascinating. My daughter & I enjoyed our trip very much. I didn't think the food was as good on this trip as the Sicily trip. We felt rushed at times, not having enough down time to shop & just wonder around on our own. The local guides seemed to ramble on. Perhaps you could skip a city or two (Perugia, Assisi or Siena). Unfortunately the day before I headed home I got very sick. We were traveling home just the two of us. An airport porter was nice enough to wheel me thru customs etc in JFK. (JFK airport is horrible, I hope I never have to go to JFK airport again.) When I finally got to Tampa a young man was there to greet us. When we reached my home he pulled up to the front of my house (still on the street) took our luggage out of the trunk at which time my daughter gave him a $10.00 tip & he drove away. Leaving all our luggage on the street. My daughter helped me into the house & then retrieved our luggage from the street. We had been traveling for 18 hrs.

The Vatican & St. Peter's Basilica were amazing. I was surprised that it was an added tour not included on the trip. My daughter and I loved the gondola ride & Venice. We got to wonder the streets and shop.

Overall their service was good. I was not happy about the seat selections on the plane. I had requested a aisle seat on all of my flights and when it came to finally seeing where I was on the plane I did not have an aisle seat on my last leg of flight from JFK to Tampa. I am claustrophobic and I was very uncomfortable flying from JFK to Tampa. I was also a single traveler and I think they accommodated the couples first and single travelers last.

I would give an extra day in Rome. We went to the Coliseum, Vatican, and Dinner with Three Tenors and Rome by night all in one day. It was too much. By the end of the day tour you were worn out. Then you had to get ready for dinner and tour of Rome by night.

The agenda and logistics was amazing.

The agenda and logistics was amazing.

Our tour was fantastic! Pilar our guide was so knowledgeable, fun, organized and helpful and Pio the driver was pleasant and kept all feeling safe and secure. The tour itself was just the right amount of travel and free time; the hotel accommodations were very nice and located in a perfect part of each city. The optional tours as well as the included tours were awesome. I loved the Castello del Trebbio visit! Definitely using the tour makes the planning and execution of a vacation so much easier...no worries about travel or language barriers. I also loved the guided tours and the knowledge that is imparted with each location. It made history come alive.

Loved Perugia and Siena as well as the Castello del Trebbio. Also loved Rome and the walking tour.

The tour of Milan should have included The Last Supper. Why it was not part of the walking tour was not clear, and including it would be no more difficult than other sites, such as The Vatican. We realize Venice is a difficult venue, but the hotel was clearly not as well-managed as the others on the trip. The hotel in Milan for the last night was the best of the lodging experiences.

See above. Several weeks before departure, the trip was advertised at less than half price! I feel I did not receive a good value for this excursion! One of the guides on a local tour was ill, and 3 days later, more than half the group had coughs, colds, and sore throats.

Did not appreciate seeing the trip listed for half price a few weeks before leaving & then discovering fellow travelers paid much less money to join our tour. This encourages postponing registration until the last minute, not a desirable outcome for your company.

Did not appreciate seeing the trip listed for half price a few weeks before leaving & then discovering fellow travelers paid much less money to join us on our tour. This encourages postponing reservations, not a desirable outcome for your company.

The entire trip was a perfect experience. Jovanka Mrdja is a magnificent tour guide, and she is very knowledgeable. I would love to take another tour with Collette.

Very well planned. I truly enjoyed the entire tour.

GREAT TOUR MANAGER AND GOT TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT WAS INCLUDED. THE BUS DRIVER WAS ALWAYS ON TIME AND HELPFUL. WOULD TRAVEL WITH THEM AGAIN. THE ONLY THING WAS THAT INSTEAD OF ONLY 8 DAYS I COULD SEE THIS TOUR AS A MINIMUM OF TEN DAYS OR EVEN 12. THERE WAS MORE TO SEE IN EVER TOWN THAT I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN

I REALLY DONT LIKE TO BE TAKEN TO VENUES THAT THE COMPANY IS MAKING A COMMISSION ON, I WOULD RATHER SEEK OUT MY OWN PLACES TO SHOP

We enjoyed our 'Reflections of Italy' tour. We got to see many wonderful sites in Italy, ate some amazing Italian food and took many awesome pictures. Our tour guide was friendly and fun. There were a few opportunities for improvement (in the front line customer service and our pick up at the airport in Rome). Personally, we loved Venice and would have rather had more time there instead of the short afternoon included in Milan.

We loved Venice! Our hotel was on the Grand Canal, it was what memories are made of!

Collette always provides excellent service and tour *******!

Daniel, our Tour ******, provided us with great experiences. His knowledge and humor made each day a memorable experience! Loved Assisi and Perugia and the small town flavor.

As the lead, many questions and concerns came up. All concerns were answered and handled quickly.

Our Coach Driver and Manager were very very good. They were always thinking of us the travelers. Getting us close to our day's tour, suggesting foods to match our tastes, handling any room concerns, etc.

Sergio was amazing. We had a large group and he worked non stop to make sure everyone had a fantastic time. I would highly recommend a trip with Collette and with Sergio as a guide.

Sergio was great!!!!! I would love to take another tour with him.

Collette did a fabulous job with hotel choices, guides, and entertainment. It was a once in a lifetime experience, thanks to them.

Venice was breath taking!

Our tour guide, Giulio was very knowledgeable about art ad history, and he kept our tour moving along well, adjusting the itinerary to beat advantage. He was able to give us good advice for our free time. The hotels we had were well located, especially in Venice where we were on the grand canal. The included meals were also very good. My main problem with your tour was the problem a couple of us had with trying to book an extension post trip in Milan. The Collette representatives I emailed or called gave me incorrect or incomplete information. They either seemed totally unaware of extending a stay( even though it’s discussed in a catalog I’d received) or told me the out of town airport was near the city center. Really? In an ancient city they had central airports? We didn’t book the extension, and the few travelers who did were very disappointed, and may have even left earlier than planned. I never had such problems when traveling with Trafalgar or EF Tours in the past. As a result Collette is not the first company I’ve recommended to nmrous friends who asked me about future group travel.

Every day was special on its own, and in total Very enjoyable.

There were too many people on the tour for just one guide. I understand there were groups from several companies. A second guide would have been very helpful. Tony was good but rushed so much that we older, slower folks had difficulty keeping up.

Loved every place we went. The group was diverse ,interesting and friendly.

It was a wonderful trip! A lot was packed into the 9 days. As always the tour was very well organized, first class hotels and tours. It was a bonus for us to plenty of free time to explore on our own. The included breakfasts and lunches were very good, but the dinners were average. The tour was advertised as moderate walking, but it was much more strenuous for some of the older people on the trip.

It is difficult to choose just 1 memorable experience. Each stop seemed to get better. The tour guides were excellent, providing much interesting information and history.

They are with you from the beginning, from helping you navigate the site on the computer to signing up & checking with you that all things are a go. Really liked the pick up at the house & airport! What more can I say?! Great company1

A lot of walking but it helped to walk off the food, which was fantastic! Everything is memorable, including the bad beds! Enjoyed the dinner & dancing after the monestary. We had a good group of folks.

Excellent service with everyone involved with our tour of Italy.

Tour was nonstop and we couldn’t have seen all we did without being on tour.

I feel very strongly about the experience we had at the San Jose Airport, it set the tone that really made the trip bad. Why didn't Collette verify with the passenger and airlines before 6 am with my sister-in-law being put on the unable to fly list because there was a typo on either you or airline side and both pointing the finger at the other, but who cares. At 5:30 am the customer should know they have confirmed flights with no problems. Not spend hour correcting the error.

I would say the even spent at the Opera House in Rome, was a highlight.

Amazing tour with an amazing tour manager and driver. Never less than top-notch professionals. They both had management and organizational skills. Sights chosen, restaurants and local tour guides were exceptional. Ease of booking, pre-flight materials received well in advance, made for a perfect experience. We would not hesitate to use Collette again!

This tour thoroughly met our expectations and was truly a "Reflection of Italy"! Ready to go back for more!!!

This tour was fabulous. An exceptional tour guide made this trip a most memorable one. Everything about it was perfect. I don't even have one thing to complain about.

This tour was fabulous. Our exceptional tour guide made this a most memorable experience.

Tour manager and all tour leaders were great--informative and helpful. The spirit of welcoming and sincere desire to please was evident. Loved this group of people.

Staff and experiences were well planned and enjoyable.

I had very positive feelings before and during the tour. I had a negative experience coming home and customers service at Collette has not help take care of the bad experience my husband and I had.

We saw and did so many things. Had so much fun.

Excellent experience from car that picked us up at our home to flight to hotels. Nothing is perfect but the service, hotels and most importantly our tour coordinator Lee was all outstanding.

Visit to Venice and awesome gondola ride.

Jovanka led a great trip. She was inspiring, kept us on target, and made it interesting and fun the entire time

Great time - Jovanka made it perfect

The service received from beginning of booking the trip, car service to and from the airport, meeting us in Rome and the personal attention of Denise throughout the trip made our vacation to Italy most enjoyable. The local guides added to the enjoyment. We recommend Reflections of Italy to anyone taking their first trip to Italy and are ready for an intense ten days.

Rome was fantastic but we should have arrived a couple of days before the tour to have time to see more of Rome. Assisi, Perugia,Siena and Tuscany were our favorites. The scenery was fabulous. We enjoyed the Castello Del Trebbio for the tour and wine tasting, the 14 century monastery --La Certosa and the Tuscan Feast. Venice was wonderful and we wish we could have spent more time there instead of going on to Milan. Leaving from Venice would have given us the time to spend enjoying such a wonderful historic part of Italy.

Our Tour Guide, Savio, was excellent in keeping us informed, on time. He was very knowledgeable of Italy, and what we were going to see. He was so helpful in helping us plan to see some sites that were not on our iteniairy. He was a great host!

Our Tour Manager, Savio, was the very best!

Fun, knowledgeable tour guides. Hotels, tours, internal transportation all arranged which makes it convenient and easy. Good hotel locations. Would prefer better food choices.

Loved the smaller cities visited. Would not have thought to visit on my own.

Our recent trip to Italy was excellent! Our Tour Guide, Giulio was outstanding, his knowledge of the sites we visited was tremendous. He enabled us to get the maximum impact of all that we visited, with humor and in a friendly manner. He is a Collette treasure! Also Antonio, our Bus driver was excellent. He drove with care and safety, watching over us and our belongings with total security. Due to this experience Collette Tours will be our only choice in the future.

OUTSTANDING TOUR MANAGER, GUILIO, EXCELLENT BUS DRIVER, ANTONIO EXCELLENT LOCAL SITE EXPERTS.

I was very disappointed that our Tour Manager was not Italian. I could understand if this had been a multi-country tour but it was "Reflections of Italy." Fortunately, the local guides were all Italian and easy to understand. I only wish that the same could be said about the Tour Manager. During the bus ride to Assisi, the tour description stated, "Ease your way into the local culture as your Tour Manager shares a few key Italian phases." My recollection is that we only learned Buon Giorno (and Buenos Dias). Tours that I have been on with other companies have stressed the local culture and language much more - with daily language lessons during the longer bus rides. While we were in Italy there was a significant political and financial situation that was making headlines in the U.S. but were never mentioned by the Tour Manager. Finally the descriptions of the daily activities were misleading. Florence: "During your cultural tour of Florence you'll also view the Cathedral of Santa Maria deal Fiore, the Palazzo Vecchio and the Church of Santa Croce." FROM THE OUTSIDE!!! Milan: "Take in some of the city's amazing sights on a locally guided walking tour: view the Opera House La Scala and Vitterio Emanuele Gallery, and visit the Duomo-- this magnificent Gothic cathedral....." IN THIS CASE, 'VIEW' MEANT ACTUALLY GOING INSIDE BUT 'VISIT' MEANT LOOKING AT THE DUOMO FROM OUTSIDE.

On a tour entitled "Reflections of Italy," I would have expected to be more immersed in Italian culture. While the hotels were were nice, it was disappointing that the breakfasts did not include any of the wonderful fresh fruit that was for sale in the markets. Based on the tour description, we all thought that we would be going into the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence and the Duomo in Milan. Given the cost of the tour, it could have included admission to these two iconic Italian cathedrals.

Excellent service throughout the tour. Tour guide was so knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make the experience great.

Got into sites that that would not have had the time and patience to do on my own due to the "skip the line" nature of the guided tour group. Also some of the best experiences are not even available to the general public that Collettes has access to.

Collette tours are very well planned, all aspects of the tour are top notch. The tour managers on every tour I’ve taken are extremely knowledgeable and provide you with a super experience.

I have never been overseas before, Italy was my first tour in Europe. All aspects of the tour were wonderful so I truly can’t pick one but a really nice experience was a trip to a winery with a tour of the castle, a wonderful lunch and wine tasting. It was an off the beaten path experience which I really like. Colette has a way of providing these types of experiences which suits me just fine and will mean I will travel with Collette again;

Awesome organization Great tour guide Awesome city tour guides

Very professional Took all hassle out of moving from city to city Accomplished much more than we would have alone.

My trip to Italy with my fifteen year old granddaughter was wonderful. Tracy, our tour manager, was so organized and helpful. She enriched our experience with her knowledge of each area by giving wonderful options for dining and experiences .I loved all the locations we visited, especially Sienna and Assisi. My granddaughter's favorite was Rome. in fact, she would love to spend a year of college there.

My favorite memorable experience was Assisi and Sienna. My granddaughter's favorite was Rome.

The care, concern and professionalism of our tour guide made all the difference. She (*****) carefully appointed her time so that no one felt left out. It' s an enormous skill which often goes un-noticed because of her professionalism. Her background information was deeply scholarly yet delivered in such a way that no one was overwhelmed; they just accepted her information with gratitude. Before I travel to Italy with Collette again, I would first check to see if ***** was the agent representing your company. She made the trip the best tour I've ever been on.

We were celebrating 54 years of marriage and the tour guide, *****, arranged for performers to gather at our table at the end of the performance to present us with tiramasu with a candle and sing "Happy Anniversary In Florence she upgraded our acomodations and had a bottle of champagne waiting for us in our rooms.

Our trip to Italy was wonderful. Our tour manager was very knowledgeable and helpful. I had different interests which she found shops for me to visit. out bus driver was very skilled especially with the very narrow roads. I felt Collette prepared us for our trip. I would travel with Collette again and recommend them.

Venice was probably my favorite city because it's so unusual. I so enjoyed the whole trip i can't say I had a particular favorite.

The best thing about the tour was returning to Italy with such a fabulous tour guide is ***** *******. She made the trip so worthwhile and fun with her detailed knowledge of the country and the things we saw and places we visited.

We would certainly have given the tour five stars but a couple of the accommodations were subpar. Our favorite memory? There were so many it’s hard to pick. Our tour manager ***** ******* made the entire trip great.

Tour was great and enhanced by the wonderful Tour Manager ******* and our bus driver *******. They really made the trip most enjoyable of their excellent knowledge and driving.

Everything was well planned and enjoyable!

Excellent guide, ***** ******. All transportation and events well organized.

Sistine chapel,winery, Venice

I had a problem after doing the Colosseum steps & both ****** & his driver were very considerate of me. ****** even called a taxi to take me to the Academy Gallery so I wouldn't miss David. Our driver was excellent, even had to get out of the bus to move a motor cycle & road barriers once! I have been on many Collette tours & have recommended them as often than I can.

I think ****** showed & told so much because of his love & knowledge of Italy.

Service was good. Trip was ho-hum.

Not much to write home about. Too many churches on the trip.

The tour guide made a poor decision with regard to our needs on the first full day of our tour which soured the whole trip. The hotel in Rome was the pits. The planning for the trip was not the best. A one night stay in Perugia with only a few hours to spend there wasn't well thought out. The tour guide's hints her job was tough and she was doing great didn't sit well.

See previous write-up. No more to be said!

Collette selected a great guide - *******. ******* selected very good local guides. She kept us informed with times and shared information during our bus drives. I would recommend Collette and will travel with Collette in the future.

We covered a lot of ground in a short period of time. The locations were a good mix. Standing in the square at the Vatican.

Meals and lodging were subpar to previous Collette tours.Am not sure if that is because this was a bigger tour group(38) as opposed to smaller groups on previous tours.For the older traveler,which we are, hotels need to have luggage racks or somewhere to place suitcases other than the floor(when you are only staying one night unpacking is pointless)

Winery tour,a knowledgeable guide and beautiful property

Outstanding service from the moment I discussed the tour with someone from Collette on the phone right up to the moment I was dropped off at my house after the tour. There are not enough words to describe how pleased I was with this entire tour experience. The Reflections of Italy tour was perfect. The cities we toured and the pace of the tour was exactly what I was looking for. As a solo traveler I never felt alone and the group always made me feel welcomed. The absolute best part of the tour was the tour manager, Sergio. Oh my, did he have us laughing!! He was so organized and very knowledgeable. I look forward to booking my next vacation with Collette tours.

The cities we toured were outstanding, but I must say my favorite was Venice. There was something magical about those canals!

The tour manager, the tour guides, and the coach driver were outstanding.

The tour was well-organized.

Details, details. Great attention to details. I hope I will get my sandals that I left in Rome (Mediterraneo Hotel). Good planning information, good communications prior to departure. Best ever tour manager.

Each stop had its unique highlights. Loved the celebrations of special guests' occasions. Celebrated my birthday in Florence and Venice. It was a wonderful time! Rome and Florence were incredible, the art, the history, the beauty.... Would love to return and to spend more time there as well as in Milan.

good tour manager and places of interest to visit

enjoyed the colosseum , winery, and vatican

A great well-organized trip with a wonderful tour guide and a skilled driver.

It was a great tour. I have nothing to complain about.

Excellent service and assistance from beginning to end. Very professional trip director.

Well planned trip and worth the money

Pace of trip was no too hectic. Pick up at home and airport by town car was perfect! Made that part of travel so much easier. I do NOT like having to tip constantly. This should be part of trip cost even if it means increasing the price somewhat. Constantly having to have "tip" money is annoying!!

Winery tour and Vatican tour.

The Collette staff was very thoughtful and helpful

Excellent value. The coach, the castle, the included meals were great.

the tour was very informative, the tour guide had a lot good information, the hotels were small but I guess that is normal for Europe, breakfast was ok, not great in rome, local guides were very good especially in Rome Cristian was awesome, the Chiatti winery was very nice, the Tuscan feast was also fun!. the only thing that I didn't like was we took to many stops on the way to Milan, ate lunch at a gas station, instead of getting there earlier an having more time to shop, and eat, and touring another castle should have been optional.

loved rome! so much good information! It was all so fun!

Excellent guides, covered a lot of territory! Group is great.... no lines

Excellent guides. Did not like the optional "Dinner with tenors" It was more of a comedic cabaret.... not worth the show or the dinner. Our second option was a trip to a monestary which was excellent.... but the Italian dinner show and music was horrible..... noisy and in a rec room.... like a bad Italian wedding!!! Why are they singing New York, New York???! Very touristy and did not reflect the Tuscan feast as advertised. These programs were Mis marketed and and really missed the mark.... a waste of money and time..... not authentic in any way..... never again!

This is my second tour with Collette and both have been home runs. Collette has items that are personal/exclusive to them and not available to the other tour companies. The feeling of a family run business is obvious compared to the corporate feel of the other guys. Highly recommend!

Touring the town of Siena and Venice, especially Murano Island

All items delivered as agreed

Places & local guides were excellent

All staff from booking to tour were great. Liked Delta airlines very much.

Even though my trip was cut short due to personal injury what I did complete was great.

All accommodations were not equal--most were a 3 or 4, but Venice was a definite 1. All local guides were very knowledgeable, but some very difficult to understand.

Favorite city: Siena Favorite experience: Gondola ride in Venice Also enjoyed the glass blowing demonstration in Murano. Group dinners were also very enjoyable.

Difficulty with pick up at Rome.airport.After customs companies holding signs..no Collette. Your pick up was after leaving inside of baggage claim. Instructions unclear as where to meet rep. Had to call ...did not want to leave area because once you left you could not return inside .

Difficult to name one venue. Enjoyed Rome and Tuscay visit to winery, luncheon, etc.

It was a perfect tour. We went to all the sites we had read about for years. Italy is so full of history and art. The tour director was so personable and knowledgeable. The hotels were great and well located. The bus driver was incredible.

Michelangelo's David in Florence.

The itinerary was great - our guide ************* was wonderful - we always felt safe

Loved Siena and Perugia - good pace / not exhausting

Amazing adventure. Great atmosphere. Nice local suggestions for free time.

Tucson feast was the most incredible night.

Wonderful time in Italy with Sergio, the BEST tour guide ever!!!

I enjoyed all the cities/towns we visited but Venice was by far my favorite. It exceeded all my expectations! Wandering through the narrow streets, getting lost, and finding different paths provided a rewarding experience that will be remembered. I look forward to returning.

Handled by travel agent. Your service offered an extra night at the initial hotel for $300 and I was able to book the hotel myself for $123.

Too much 'on your own time'. I prefer more structure

Excellent!!!

Our tour guide was wonderful along with the other forty people on our tour!! We could not of asked for a better group!! We are now truly friends! Loved Italy! No worries everything went great!! An unbelievable experience that we will treasure forever!!!

Booking the tour was easy and Collette followed up with a package of information that helped enormously in getting started. When I had questions they were answered immediately.

It is difficult to pick a favorite experience because every step from Rome to Milan passing through Assisi, Perugia, Sienna, Florence and Venice was exciting, educational and rewarding. I want to add that our tour guide, did a wonderful job. He was always upbeat, informative and helpful. I also watched while he was busy attending to the business of guiding, moments when I don't think he was aware I was paying attention, It was then I could see how focused he was on taking care of the paperwork and details of the tour so that he made it seem almost easy to lead us through much of Italy. It can't have been easy, but he made it easy for us. I did note that several on our tour had had before and had liked him so much that they insisted on having him when they booked subsequent Collette tours. Yes, he is that good.

Collette representatives made registering for the trip very easy. Helpful emails provided additional information. I would recommend Collette without reservation.

Best tour guide ever.

The Reflections of Italy tour we took was fantastic. The tour guide that we had was very informative and very familiar with the areas that we visited. If you get the chance, book a tour with Gary Bowling as the tour guide. We would gladly book another tour with Collette. They are great!! The local tour guide that lived in the areas that we visited gave us insight as to the history and background of the areas, they were fantastic. Food was great, Hotels were great , couldn't be happier with the experience. The only draw back was a lot of walking but that was expected. In speaking with other tour participants, it was realized that an number of them had beem on other Collette tours and had the same sort of experience that we did on other tours. Collette is the only way to go!!

Our tour manager, Gary Bowling, was excellent!! He was articulate, informative, went out of his way to help out the people in his group and was able to provide informative and entertaining chatter on the long bus trips between destinations. In my opinion, they need to find a way to clone Gary and assign them to all of their tours!! There weer so many interesting places on this tour, it is hard to pick out one that stands above the rest, but the tour to the monastery and the dinner and dancing afterward seemed to be the biggest hit on the trip. At least the one where the most wine was consumed by all!! gondola ride with the accordian player and singer in Venice was great too!!The

Excellent

Our travel agent was knowledgeable and offered suggestions to make our vacation a memorable experience. The only downside the US experience was the car service to and from the airport. During both legs of the journey, they failed to show up.

Well hard for me to determine as our travel agent had all the contact with Collette.

We believe that the gratuities for all parties should be included in the fee for the tour. Having to scramble for currency, and wait in line to tip does not in any way add to the tour! The only other suggestion would be additional legroom on the buses. Very tight!

Collette as an organization was easy to deal with. No problems answering all my questions no matter how trivial. Will definitely travel with Collette again in the future.