Italian Delights

Customer Reviews

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  Alexandra

  · October 13th, 2024
  Everything went very smoothly and the tour was amazing! The tour leader, Sam Taylor, was fantastic and went above and beyond. Even when I was sick, he was very caring and helpful. Nothing went wrong and it was the best tour group ever!
  Trip date: October 2024
• LP

  Lorrie

  · October 6th, 2024
  Itinerary was well thought out. Our guide Mayra was fantastic, caring and knowledgeable. For group of 42 I think 2 guides or an aide would be especially helpful or the slower lot of us and unhinder the faster travellers. Some rooms were nice and a couple not so nice IE: sewer odor in room that was not eliminated with fan or airing. I found that when walking was required, the group was not organized as we got mixed into other people or groups. It was easy to get left behind and lost. Perhaps walking in row of two with 2 leaders would work nicely. While I was prepared to pay for the optional tours, Italy was very expensive and tips have become expected by all merchants and services. The food wasn't as good as I imagined, but that's a personal perception. Food was more expensive than suggested in the brochure. Also, Italians tend to eat in courses rather than a full plate. This made meals overly expensive. So often a salad or pizza was the better deal. Not alot of vegetables in the menus I noticed. But having said all this, the camaraderie of our group was superb. The sights were breathtaking and so worth the cost. Our bus was newer and comfortable. The pace was busy and necessary for the itinerary. There were some local tours that were not guided by educated leaders. This was disappointing. Italy has strange policies restricting who can guide, who can give information about the sites, etc. We did have a few local guides that provided amazing info such as the Pompeii tour guided by Hugo.
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  Trip date: September 2024
• MB

  Milton

  · September 30th, 2024
  The tour was too fast paced. I slower tour with more details would be better.
  Trip date: September 2024
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  John

  · September 30th, 2024
  An excellent introduction to Italy. Quite fast paced which I enjoyed but it was difficult for some in our group. Highly recommend.
  
  Trip date: September 2024
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  Lisa

  · September 24th, 2024
  Overall the trip was good. We got a little exposure to a lot of different things. As per many of the other reviews there is a lot of walking which was expected with a lot of inclines on cobblestone streets which can be a challenge. Mayra the leader is very pleasant. However communication on the trip was confusing at times. Time frames were changing immediately after being told one thing which made some people late, which made the entire tour late. The food that was included with this package was subpar. It is like the cheapest option was picked for us at every restaurant and hotel. Before the trip the itinerary changed leaving off one of the most desired locations for us. The excursions also changed which led to confusion. After being told the Vatican was not included as an excursion we bought our own tickets. The first day of the tour the leader offered tickets to the Vatican as an excursion at a cheaper rate than what we paid. Pompeii was one of the main reasons I chose this tour. However we were rushed through and only got to see a small portion. Our tour guide in Pompeii was great. During the trip we did the Murano/Burano excursion. Burano was adorable with many things to see/eat, etc. However Murano was a tourist trap. We were sent to see the glass demonstration and then immediately sent to the showroom to purchase items from this one company. The entire experience was about 30-45 minutes. We were not allowed to explore the island. There was definitely some type of kick back situation between expat and the Murano glass company. The Roman coliseum was the only excursion that was able to be prepaid. This was nice as we didn’t have to worry about it later. I prepaid about a month ahead of time. The first evening on the tour I let the leader know that we prepaid as well. The morning of the excursion (on the bus headed there) the leader was calling role for everyone who paid and she didn’t call our names. I told the leader again that we had paid so she called the emergency Expat number. They eventually found where I had paid but at this point it was too late and all the tickets were sold out. Unfortunately, they had to refund our money and we were unable to, go into the Colosseum. We missed out on this excursion because of the administrative staff at Expat. Tipping was a little awkward. An envelope is sent around for the driver and the leader. A suggested amount is asked for on the envelope which they cover by saying any amount will be suitable. If tipping in Europe is not the norm then why are we tipping? Shouldn’t it be just the cost of the trip?
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  Trip date: September 2024
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  Suzanne

  · September 23rd, 2024
  Mayra is a fabulous guide, very caring and patient. The Expat tour is fast paced, up early and taking in all the sight, and sometimes long days. We chose Sept to have less crowds, were told it was about half the summer crowds. The optional tours were great!
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  Trip date: September 2024
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  Gina

  · September 22nd, 2024
  This tour was gruelling but I can't believe the amount of places we went to in such a short space of time. Even though the group was big (41) it was filled with a lovely mix of people and everyone was friendly. Our tour guide was amazing and her experience of managing a large group was evident. Thoroughly enjoyed the Expat tour and would recommend this company to anyone wishing to see/experience a new country.
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  Expat Explore Travel commented on this review

  Thank you for your fantastic feedback! We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the tour and the friendly group atmosphere. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we hope to see you on another Expat Explore adventure soon!
  Trip date: September 2024
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  Maria Therese

  · August 21st, 2024
  The tour price, advertised as discounted, was very deceptive. My sister and I had to spend a lot of additional money to see several highlights that were advertised as included in the tour. We spent an additional $4500 on meals and tours. Two of the hotels we stayed in had: 1) no airconditioning ( in Lake Garda); 2) poorly functioning air conditioning and very rude staff ( Tuscany). At least our guide, Paola, and our driver Matteo, who work for Expat Explorers, did their best and took good care of us despite the hiccups.
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  Expat Explore Travel commented on this review

  Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We're so happy to hear that our team on the road took excellent care of you, but I’m sorry to learn about the issues you encountered. We’ll review our advertising to ensure more transparency and will... Show more
  Trip date: July 2024
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  Michael

  · July 1st, 2024
  The destinations were fantastic. The tour guide (Vinni) was fabulous! Such a great first experience with Expat. The bus durations weren't that bad, as the rest stops and/or touring a town helped break it up. But not going over 4 hours at a time, is ideal. Driver, Santino, was amazing! He really made the travelling experience very smooth. I look forward to the next adventure with Expat.
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  Expat Explore Travel commented on this review

  Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic tour. We can't wait to welcome you on your next adventure with Expat! If you have any more feedback or questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out.
  Trip date: June 2024
• DB

  Denise

  · June 16th, 2024
  Fast paced but with our Excellent guide Marysol it was fun
  

  Expat Explore Travel commented on this review

  Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We're pleased to hear you had a great experience with Marysol as your guide. We strive to provide enjoyable tours and look forward to hosting you again in the future!
  Trip date: May 2024