Hey everyone I wanted to just share a more detailed account in case anyone else is looking for potential private tour operators. I know how stressful it can be finding the right one and fortunately we were able to find the perfect one for us!
We began our search on Google looking for hotels and private tours. Easitalytour was the most responsive, Mario was the person who set up our private tours and suggested. Mario gave us great suggestions for our hotel accommodations, he was very patient with my questions, and was efficient in booking our tours. The two most important people of our trip would Mario (who arranged everything) and Max (our guide/driver).
When arrived in Rome after being delayed and on a rough flight, it was myself, husband, and our 12 and 9 year old. Naturally we all we're tired and a bit apprehensive about meeting our guide. We had heard some horror stories from other friends.
Max spoke very good English and was personable so we all were immediately at ease with him. His introduction was very light and friendly but the biggest plus was that he is child-friendly.
Max suggested that we take the children to the time elevator which was a perfect choice something entertaining but not too draining for our first day in Rome. We ate at a restaurant that was one of Mario suggestions (Pierluigi) it was delicious excellent service and fare, our waiter Jeorgio (if I remember correctly) was great fun and entertaining.
Our first full day with Max was for 8 hours and admittedly we thought after a few hours we might get bored or the kids might want to return to the hotel but Max always kept things interesting and light, that we hardly realized how much time had lapsed. Max took us to a wonderful place for lunch on the Appian Way (I believe most people refer to it as the chicken place). The Devil's chicken it's a must! Overall the day was a great way to start off our vacation.
On our second day we visited the Vatican with our previously arranged guide Giulia who also took us to the Sistine Chapel. Giulia's love of art was contagious that even my youngest became interested. After our tour of the Vatican Max picked us up and took us to Tivoli gardens, the villa este which was a another special sight. We finished up the day with a late lunch at Sibille; the food was just incredible (you will notice that I will say that about every restaurant I mention) all of the recommendations that we received from Mario and Max our guide were all excellent and Sibille was no exception. The location of Sibille was just amazing an old temple in the garden, a wisteria roof over our heads and of course the food was delicious and we loved the wine!
After spending time in Rome our trip continued on to Pompeii where we had another personal guide Antonella who was also very nice and knowledgeable. The experience in Pompeii was just breathtaking.
From there we went onto Positano well anyone whose had the pleasure of seeing this incredible coastal town will tell you the views are absolutely amazing. We ate at this incredible beach-side restaurant Chez Black. I can't imagine finding fresher seafood or pasta it was so good.
However there is a great deal of stairs EVERYWHERE so it did become a bit hard for the kids and us.
Now initially we planned to drive to Florence ourselves but after seeing the driving styles in Italy we decided to book Max again to take us to Florence. Max first drove us to Siena and then to a small town (which for the life of me I cannot remember the name of) and Max was able to get us a last-minute wine and cheese tasting tour. As I mentioned yesterday Max seemed to have friends all over the place and really helped us in getting some last minute reservations.
Eventually we arrived in Florence and we stayed at the Savoy another terrific recommendation from Mario. However this was our final stop with Max we all were sad to leave our new family friend. Really by the end of the tour it felt like Max was a close family friend we all enjoyed our time with him. We his knowledge, good humor, made for the perfect guide. He did everything possible to make everyone in my family see and enjoy beautiful Italy. He even stayed with us for a good-bye dinner at Latini and of course we had another unforgettable meal.
We did hire one last tour guide for Florence: Marco. Florence is a very beautiful city filled with beautiful architecture, museums, and great shopping, etc; Marco was able to provide very helpful information to address all these areas.
Our final stop was Venice in which we stayed for four days. However this was the one place we felt we could have shortened our trip. We stayed 4 days but probably would have seen and did most of what we wanted in 2 days.
I know this is a very long post but I just wanted to share my experience with my fellow travelers. Really I cannot say enough positive things about easitalytours because they truly made our trip special.
Here's a link to their website if anyone is interested www.easitalytours.com
