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Home > Past Comments 
Past Guest CommentsClick on the Year to be taken to Comments2011 - 2010 - 2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 20052011 CommentsToulon - I know that we have been communicating a lot over the past few months and that we probably won’t be doing so again in the near future, but I want to tell you how pleased we all were with the trip we arranged and the guide we had. Everything could not have worked out better. We were met promptly at 8:00 on the pier in Toulon by Maria holding a sign with my name. Maria was charming, which is always a plus, but she also knew exactly what she was doing. Our driver beautifully negotiated narrow, windy roads to bring us up to the highest peak in the Toulon area where we were able to get magnificent panoramic views of Cassis and the surrounding areas. It was perfect that the “afternoon vineyard tour and wine tasting” was moved to the morning. This gave us more time in Aix en Provence to enjoy a sidewalk lunch and then stroll through every nook and cranny of the beautiful town. One of our party had relatives who were living in Aix and they were able to meet them and join them for lunch. Please pass this information on to everyone involved, especially Maria. Our thanks to you and to everyone at PrivateShoreTrips.com for a wonderful time. Neal E., Boyton Beach FL, November 2011 Piraeus, Valletta, Messina – We just got in last night from the trip. All tours/transfers where great! We were a little rushed in Athens/Corinth, but no fault of the tour company. The ship came in 1 1/2hours late and we had a lot to see in a short time. But it worked out...we got to see everything and it was beautiful! Thanks so much for helping me get these tours/transfer together, everyone was so happy! Thank You so much for everything! Lori D., Barbara’s Travel, Yucaipa CA November 2011 Taormina- "I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the Etna North side tour you organised for us on 8th November. My daughter Victoria who was 21 said it was her best birthday ever, our guide and driver were fantastic and very knowledgable and they gave us a really wonderful day." Carol G., Middlesex, England - November 2011 Haifa, Ashdod and Piraeus - "Yes, we did enjoy our trip and I already started giving your name to some of my friends. Rahn the tour guide for our Israel trip was fantastic and very knowledgeable." Evelyn S., Arlington Heights, IL, October 2011 Toulon - "Our tour of Sanary and Bandol was excellent. Eva, our guide, was very good. Thank you for arranging this and hopefully we will do more business in the future." Deborah M., Kansas City, MO, October 2011 Monaco- "I cannot rave enough about our trip. We had Yuri as our driver from the port of Monte Carlo. He was fantastic! He lives in Nice and knew the area and brought us to places he knew that would please the group. He was sooo knowledgeable about the area and history. The excursion was seriously one of the highlights of our cruise. We were a group of 11 and everyone loved him! It was a great day.... thank you!" Debbie T., Garden Grove, Oct 2011 Cannes - "Thank you for helping me arrange the tour and will be in touch for future European Tours!" Emma R., Brooklyn NY, October 2011 Kusadasi and Piraeus - Turkey was fantastic. Driver and Orntune (way he told us to say it. My travel agent friends very impressed with you coordination. Looks like more unrest for athens tomorrow. So glad we limited to sightseeing. Athens was high level tour. Guide was very good; however, the day was damp and the mood dampened since the strike closed the main attraction. Bobby W., San Antonio TX, October 2011 Livorno, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Taormina and Monte Carlo- We had a great trip and other than some weather related issues everyone returned home safely and with wonderful memories. All your suppliers did well, with the highest grades going to the guide in Florence- she was fabulous. Lawrence in Dubrovnik was a strong personality, well informed and easy to understand. Our driver guide in Monte Carlo - Silvio - was terrific - very accommodating, flexible and entertaining. Angela in Corfu was OK, but because it was pouring rain the entire tour - which is principally on foot - we became a bit distracted and wet. She tried her best - but it was rough. We couldn't get into Taormina so we docked at Messina which worked just fine. I called the tour operator but he already seemed to know about the change. I think our guide's name was another Angela who was very accommodating, well informed and personable. All the minibuses and drivers were excellent. I met with some of our staff this past Wednesday and mentioned how pleased I was with your company. I hope it yields you some future benefit. I will continue to endorse PRIVATE SHORE TRIPS wherever possible and if I travel with friends on future cruises I will certainly contact you. Thanks again for your help.' Allen W. Minneapolis, MN - October 2011 Villefranche - We had a great time. Loved Eze. Thanks again. Linda M., Gallatin TN, October 2011 Livorno - The Tour went great. We were very impressed with Pisa. The guide and driver were excellent. Our visit to Florence was also exciting. The sites were amazing. We had enough time to see the areas and do some shopping and of course some eating! I really appreciated the bus being on time. With a group of 51- patience was in short supply. Thanks for your help and for the great experience. Miguel E., Chula Visa CA, September 2011 Copenhagen, Zeebrugge, Southampton, Vigo, Lisbon - I am back at the desk today after a very long time away from the office. At the very top of my list of things to do is to email you and thank you for the wonderful shore excursions our group enjoyed during the recent MSC cruise. In every case, you did us proud in terms of coach, guide, punctuality etc. These things, while fairly fundamental, took on added importance when, each time we disembarked, there were at least 15 or 20 coaches retained by the ship, with all the attendant marshalling, noise and general chaos which comes with that. We always felt a little special not to (a) have our nice coach and guide waiting there for us, and (b) to be able to go about our business of the day without all the fuss. I also completely appreciate the logistics at your end given each excursion was provided by a different operator in a different country. In terms of itineraries/inclusions, each was excellent. In hindsight I would possibly have done something other than the Cotswolds from Southampton (but what!!) – that itinerary, which was completely as we requested, involved a little too much “coach” time. Thank you so very much, and through you please, the various guides in each of the ports we visited. All were outstanding.We wont hesitate to use your services again. Cheers! Anne R., Wingsaway Travel, Melbourne Australia, September 2011 Glasgow - The tour was wonderful, and the guide was terrific. She was very knowledgeable and accommodated our needs in every way. Comfortable coach, experienced driver--I could not have asked for anything better. Anne L., Brighton MI, September 2011 Toulon- I would like to congradulate you on the excellent service of your tour guide for our Tour in Aix en Provence & Cassis. She was a pure pleasure...She was extremely knowledgeable,friendly and she made our visit fantastic. She was also very patient and always took time to answer all our questions. She also spoke to us in French our maternal language. She also advised us on our purchases ...Wine and the best place to buy the best Calisson's in Aix. I have only good words for your company and have already spread the news with friends and relatives. Continue your great work... You are the only company that asked for feed-back on customer service after our trip.This says a lot on your philosophy.... Thanks again. Our paths may cross again... Sincerely Robert F. Montreal Canada - August 2011 Warnemunde, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Nynashamn, Copenhagen -The tours went well, the tour guides were excellent, very knowledgeable (most of them history professors moonlighting as tour guides during school breaks), and professional. Well done! The drivers were very cooperative and worked well with the tour guides. Good Team! Next year, I will be planning for the Holy Land/Egypt cruise/tours with sidetrips to Dubai and Jordan. If you do these places, I will be in touch with you again. On behalf of my group, thank you. Lydia P., Mississauga Ontario Canada, Aug 2011 Monaco - The tour was fantastic. We really enjoyed our driver/guide. We did a lot of tours during our trip and I must say this tour was one of the best. I'll be happy to recommend to my friends. Shannon S., Temecula, CA, September 2011 Toulon and Villefranche - We had a blast. Many thank you to Stephan and Pierre for the extra things they did for us. The vehicles were comfy. One minor issue was during our first excursion with Maria, she and the driver had a miscommunication regarding where to meet us. We walked and walked, changed venues couple of times. That was not fun. But otherwise, all went well. Anthony A., Miami FL, September 2011 Kotor, Livorno, Villefranche - We really enjoy all the tours that you booked for us. Really made our trip that much more enjoyable and we were able to cover a lot more ground. All the tour guides were absolutely wonderful. I will definitely refer you to anyone that is going to Europe. I just wish you covered more than Europe! Deanna B., Palatine, IL - September 2011 Villefranche - We had a great trip! Thanks. Our tour in Villefrance of the five perched hilltop villages was wonderful. Silvio, our guide was delightful. We will definitely use your company again and refer to our friends. Thanks. Ellen F., Warwick, NT - September 2011 Copenhagen - We were all back to Canada safely. The tour was excellent. Thanks for your arrangements . All our tour members were very happy & satisfied with the services the tour company provided. We will recommend your company to our friends. It is our pleasure to have business with you. Take care. Raymond Y., Calgary Alberta Canada, August 2011 Monte Carlo - Thanks. Our driver / guide, Guy was a real pleasure to be with, was very knowledgeable and, perhaps most important, very flexible when it came to what we wanted to do. He was a lot of fun to be with. I would definitely recommend him to anyone traveling to Monaco and the French Riviera. Jim G., Bellaire, TX – August 2011 Livorno- My family and I enjoyed the Florence tour with Giuliano so much. He was informative, energetic, friendly, and courteous. We absolutely loved him and would recommend him so highly to future clients. He was terrific with children. We felt lucky to have him. Sincerely, Myra B., Brooklyn NY - August 2011 French Riviera, La Spezia, Civitavecchia, Naples - Just wanted to thank you for expedited reservation and amazing experience during all excursions. We liked all drivers/guides, however Umberto and Luca stood out as phenomenal. Umberto has so much knowledge about everything and we not only saw but learned a lot about many different topics. Luca was very helpful and consciences about my disability and needs. I will make comment on your web site but this was one of the best experience we had. We even talked to other people who took Disney excursions and they told us we were lucky to have the private tour when we told them about our experience. I am so thankful to you and your associates in Europe for making our trip a huge success and something we will always remember. I have already recommended your service to one of my friend and hope to spread the word. Prajna and Ashish K., Acton MA - August 2011 French Rivera - We had a perfectly wonderful tour with Katherine and Thierry. Our time with them couldn't have been better. Thanks for your help. Marilyn H., Greenwood Village, CO - August 2011 French Riviera - We had a wonderful time in Villa France with Yorgy. It was a really good tour and he was very knowledgeable and courteous. We will definitely do business with your organization again. Fausto M., Clifton NJ – August 2011 Athens and Kusadasi - We had a wonderful time and your services were fantastic. I will absolutely recommend you to my friends! Thanks again, Nicole A., Montreal Quebec – August 2011 Koper - We had a very enjoyable trip. Thank you for arranging our Ljubljana excursion. We were surprised to have that big bus all to ourselves. Needless to say, it was a very comfortable trip for us and our guide Tatianna was very knowledgeable and helpful. I have a friend whose family might be planning a cruise and I am recommending your company to him as I was very pleased with your responsiveness and service. We will definitely contact you next time we are able to gather the family for a cruise again." Celest A., Birchwood Place, Hong Kong – August 2011 Toulon and French Riviera - Rafaelli was wonderful. We thoroughly enjoyed all three of our shore trips. If you ever need us as a reference, please let me know. We could not have been happier! Susanna and Jack Q., Washington DC - August 2011 Copenhagen- "We had a great time in Copenhagen with our guide- he did a nice city tour and allowed us time to take lots of pictures. We had a good schedule, not too rushed...good timing with the canal cruise, he was there to pick up as promised. The ice bar was a whole lot of fun--it was great! Thanks for the set up and short notice for a great time in a great city!" Laurie F., Gainesville, VA - August 2011 Monaco - Thank you so much for your arrangement...We had a great time in Monaco. The Driver Guide was so wonderful. The only thing is that she does not like our kids to eat in the car. I hope we did not get her upset. Other than that we had so much fun. You are so great with respond to email and I will definitely recommend to all of my friends. I also will look for you for any of our trip in the future. Cindy P. and Lena T., Sunnyvale CA – July 2011 Livorno and Civitavecchia- "Both day trips we undertook in Europe through your company were fantastic. Prompt, efficient and flexible service. Both driver guides went beyond what we had expected and delivered a memorable experience for us in both Pisa/Florence and Rome. If you could pass on our thanks once again to your European counterparts, we would appreciate it. In particular, Fabrizzio in Livorno and Lucca (the Gladiator) in Rome should be commended on the exemplary quality of their service. Thank you once again for your organisation and we have already started to expose the virtues of your company." Graeme and Gayle P., Willoughby Australia - July 2011 Cannes - The shore trip was awesome! The driver guide was nice and professional. The itinerary was perfect! Just wish we could have been in port longer. We'll definitely want to use your service in the future.Thanks. Darla W., Humbold TX – July 2011 Toulon and French Riviera- "My family and I were very impressed with your service. The drivers on both days were on time and very friendly and knowledgeable! The cars were comfortable as well. Will highly recommend your service and will use your company in the future!" Anita M., Paradise Valley, AZ - July 2011 Istanbul - "I want to thank you for arranging the one day private tour with Alp in Istanbul. He was absolutely the best in every way. He was prolific, smart and fun, gave us so much insight into the city and the culture - and suggested things to our one day itinerary which was not on the schedule. I will absolutely keep you in mind for any future travel. Your service was professional and so reliable. Istanbul was fantastic with Alp's expertise and knowledge." Nancee H., New York, NY - July 2011 Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Piraeus and Venice - "We were very pleased with our tours and the quality of the service, guides, and vehicles! The guides were very knowledgeable and personable. They were able to key into our interests and focused the tour to accomodate that. One of the biggest concerns (as I'm sure you know), when hiring a private tour company in connection with a cruise, is getting back to the ship on time. We were so pleased that the tour guides and drivers were very aware of this and made every effort to return us to the ship in good time. In addition, it was a pleasure working with you in setting up the tours and finding out information. You responded promptly to my emails and provided lots of good information. The use of the tours arranged by your company were the highlights of our trip. When we did have questions and called the number provided, the response was prompt. It was good to have a contact number once we were actually traveling. I already have passed your information to two people I know will be traveling in the Mediterrean before the end of the year. If we were to make another trip like this past one, I would definately look into booking through you. I plan on posting something on Trip Advisor as soon as things slow down a bit around here. Sincerely," Linda T., Fresno CA - July 2011 La Spezia- "I am happy to let you know that of our entire 15 day cruise throughout the Mediterranean, our day in the Cinque Terre was the highlight of our vacation. Everyone in our family agreed that the guide you provided us with, Gabriele, was one of the best we experienced. His passion for, and knowledge of, the Cinque Terre left us wanting to spend more time in what has to be one of the most beautiful and interesting places we've ever visited. We also thoroughly enjoyed our cooking lesson and lunch at the Buranco farm. Laurie (sp?) was a great host and lots of fun to spend time with. Whenever circumstances (and budget...) allow we know that the Cinque Terre is a place to which we'll want to return. We can't thank you enough for providing us with a set of memories we'll cherish for a long time. I would be happy to provide referrals to anyone asking about Private Shore Trips. You guys are the best." The Thomas Family, Atlanta IL - July 2011 Civitavecchia and French Riviera- Thanks for the welcome home. Have been meaning to email you to let you know just how happy we were with your service. Everything has been such a delight...from our first contact with you, thru the wonderful service we received from the local companies that provided the drivers. We, and the folks who joined us at the last minute,were completely satisfied with the prompt, courteous, fun, knowledgeable driver guides..as well as the clean comfortable vehicles. We would very much like you toknow how much we appreciated the driver guides..especially Luca "the Gladiator" in Rome. He went way above and beyond in anticipating our needs, and taking care of my wife who is somewhat handicapped, and uses a walker to assist her. He really should be commended for representing the company so well. The same goes for the driver guide in France..outstanding! Rest assured we, and the couple who joined us will be touting Private Shore Trips to all our friends. I will also strongly recommend you folks to my travel agent. Thanks again....this is the first time I have set up shore excursions myself, and you made it very easy for me. Ray G., Newport Beach CA - July 2011 Toulon and Cannes- "We had a great tour guide in Toulon, Eva who was great. Also a very nice guide in Cannes who convinced us to avoid the 45 minute trip to Monaco because we had young kids w us and instead took us to an open air market then two villages--we would have never known about them. Each guide was nice, on time, had clean vehicles and got us back in time. Thank you, it was a great time." Steve B., New York NY - July 2011 Toulon- " We had a great time in France during our cruise stop in Toulon on our tour. Our driver, Eva, was awesome and the three of us enjoyed being with her very much. She lives in the area, so was very knowledgeable and knew the roads and towns well. She gave us plenty of free time, but was also there to help point things out and get us through the language barrier. Had a great time in Sanary and Bandol, shopping, wine and olive oil tasting, markets, as well as eats along the way. She took us to a village on one of the mountains for a great view and a fantastic lunch together. She spoke highly of your firm and we will sure call you in the future when we are in need of your services." Scott F., Katy TX - July 2011 Athens and Kusadasi- "Just wanted to let you know that we are back home and were very pleased with arrangements in both Athens and Kusadasi. In both places, we had very comfortable minibus with knowledgeable guide. Will recommend your services to friends - actually, I have already told my travel agent to go and check out your website." Micheline C., Verdun, Quebec Canada - July 2011 French Riviera - "Thanks it was perfect and he was outstanding. One of best trips ever." Troy R., New York, NY, July 2011 Villefranche (French Riviera)- "We had a great time. Our time in France and Monaco was great Thanks to Richard. He was pleasant, very knowledgable and did his best to accommodate several in our group who could not walk long distances. If we ever travel like this again, we would not hesitate to use your services again. I know we were a little nervous about booking the tour since we did not know anyone else who had used your services. All in our group were very pleased we took the chance." Judy S., Warren, NJ - June 2011 Messina - "We really did enjoy and have a great time in our visit to Messina & Taormina. The tour guided was very good, with a good Spanish and did a great job showing us everything of interest and managing our group of 19. We received a very good service from your company, I already did some referrals to a friend that have plans to visit Europe in a cruise ship next year. Thanks for the good service we received." Heidi D., San Juan Puerto Rico, June 2011 French Riviera - "We enjoyed the Private Shore Trip greatly. It was so wonderful to be able to stop and take pictures at places we wanted. This is the best kind of excursion. It is so much better than large group tours. This is the way to go." Roberta H., Midland MI., June 2011 Civitavecchia - "Yes, the tour went really well. They raved about the tour guide and said she was very knowledgeable. The only thing they would have liked was to eat lunch earlier, but they loved the restaurant that she took them too and were treated exceptionally well by the staff there. Thanks for all your help with this booking; I will be sure to call you the next time I need a private tour!" Ellen Tetu – Uniglobe Tour "N" Travel, Landenberg PA, June 2011 Istanbul, Naples and Rome - A huge THANK YOU for wonderful tours and amazing guides we had in all 3 cities -- Alp in Istanbul, Tony in Naples, and especially Luca in Rome! All of the guides were very knowledgable, warm, and welcoming, and they made our time in their city a wonderful experience. Alp seemed to know everything about everything -- there wasn't a question he couldn't or wouldn't answer for us, even our questions concerning Islam. We had a very interesting morning visiting the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the underground cistern which he allowed us to substitute for the grand bazaar which is closed on Sundays. He led us to a great Turkish restaurant near the water for lunch, and helped us order a huge variety of delicious Turkish dishes. There couldn't have been a better way to finish the day than our private boat cruise on the Bosphorus. The weather was perfect, and having the boat to ourselves made us feel like royalty! It was a great day. Tony, our driver/guide in Naples, was outstanding as well. After our tour of Pompei, the drive to Positano and Sorrento along the Amalfi coast was stunningly beautiful, and Tony somehow managed to stop and allow us out for pictures along the way! We loved his stories about the area, everything from his family traditions to the local food and drink. He took us to an amazing restaurant for lunch, high on the hillside in Positano -- it was our favorite meal of our trip. His love for his hometown (Sorrento) was incredibly contagious, and we look forward to going back soon. We had high expectations for Luca -- my sister and her family had him as their guide last summer, and we used your company's services because of their great experience. He surpassed our expectations and met the challenge he set for himself when we met him -- to make Rome our favorite stop on our cruise. His carefully laid out itinerary for us allowed us to see all of the major sites as well as some wonderful surprises, including a special peek through a keyhole in the door of the Knights of Malta and the best gelato we ever tasted. Our tour was not supposed to include the Sistine Chapel, but Luca (who seemed to be a friend of everyone in Rome) found us no-wait tickets for the Vatican Museum! It was an amazing day for all of us -- and then we got back on our ship, only to realize that my 17 year old son had left his camera in Luca's van. We called the emergency number, they called Luca, and "the gladiator" fought his way back to the pier to deliver the camera just before the ship set sail. In a word, he is a gem. We hope your future clients find our feedback useful, and more importantly, we hope to be your future clients soon :) Thank you again for everything. Randi and Jim P. Westport CT - June 2011 Valletta - Our tour in Malta was nothing short of fantastic! We were so happy with our guide. She was extremely knowledgeable and so kind. I am providing your information to our Travel Agent so that she may refer other customers to your business with complete confidence! Greg and Nancy B., Phoenix, AZ - June 2011 Monaco- "Helen and I had a great time on our tour. We visited Nice and loved the Russian Orthodox Church. The time we spent in St. Paul de Vence was the best part of our vacation. Helen liked it so much that we booked a shore excusion that allowed us to go back there two days later. We had lunch at Chevre d'Or in Eze and it was the most beautiful dining location that we have ever experienced. The town of Eze was as enchanting as St. Paul de Vence. Doing a private tour allowed us to customize our day to meet our interests. That was very beneficial. Our tour guide Richard was very knowledgeable and friendly. We really enjoyed the time that we spent with him.Thank you for helping us out. We will gladly recommend your service to any friends who are traveling in France."Bill H., Jacksonville FL - June 2011 Venice, Kotor, Piraeus, Kusadasi, Santorini - "Our trip was fabulous. Our flights were on time, the weather was great and the sites so amazing! Our tours and guides were excellent. I don't have their names handy but all were extremely knowledgeable and we loved their passion for their countries. Should we venture back to Europe we will definitely contact you again. I will surely recommend your company to anyone traveling in Europe." Louise R., Rocky River OH - June 2011 Split – “Trip was great and our Split tour worked out very well. The guide and the driver were fabulous. The guide was very informative, interesting and obviously very well informed. We were also glad that we had a small tour group – it works so much better and everything seems more personal. Thanks for all your help.“ Isabel J, Dorchester Ontario, June 2011 Civitavecchia and Livorno- "Our trip was fantastic. Private Shore Trips delivered as promised! our driver guide (Alberto) in Rome and our driver guide in Florence (I'm so sorry I can't think of his name) were exceptional! Thanks once again for getting all of our arrangements taken care of on such short notice." Valerie X., Mt. Vernon, IL - June 2011 St. Petersburg- "Six hours in St Petersburg seemed like an impossible mission, but Natalie helped us make use of every minute. We even fit in an incredible lunch of pierogies at a tiny cafe no tourist could have ever found. We saw everything on our list and even more. Natalie's English was perfect and her knowledge of the city and its history was remarkable. Truly an amazing day that we would recommend to everyone." Liz B., Saint Paul, MN - June 2011 Villefranche, Civitavecchia and Naples- "Great tours with very fine tour guides. We would all do this again with your company." David C., Gainesville, FL - June 2011 Helsinki - The guide was great and we enjoyed the tour. I will certainly recommend you in the future. Julie S, North Miami Beach FL - June 2011 French Riviera, Livorno, Naples - We had a great trip, the weather was perfect and the sights were amazing! Adam was our guide in Villefrance. He brought us to a beautiful town with an amazing view (can't remember the Matthew was our guide in Florence and was very informative all the way there and back. The lines at the Academia museum were like Disneyland, so it was refreshing when we could walk right in, because of the reservations that were made in advance. I did bring the confirmation of the payment for those, which came in handy since they did try to charge us again. All was resolved quickly when I showed them the confirmation. He directed us to a jewelry store to purchase a souvenier or two, and they were most helpful. I am sure they were eager to sell to us an item to bring back home too! Anthony was our guide in Naples and was WONDERFUL! He brought us to Sorrento and Positano, and stopped a few times to point out beautiful sights along the way, and gave us some history of the area. He made us feel as if we had come to visit he and his family! Of course, the stop at a restaurant in Positano where they served us what was picked out of their garden that day was the highlight of the day! The food was wonderful and the view fabulous. I would absolutely refer you to someone traveling abroad. Having someone meet us at the ship and deliver us safely back was great and we didn't feel 'part of a herd' with the tours from the ship! Amy M, Sauquoit NY, June 2011 Stockholm, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Copenhagen and Keil - "Everything was more than expected, coaches were comfortable, guides were very good, lady from Stockholm on second place, and the very best Sibylle from Hamburg. I will (have already) tell about you guys to all of my friends, and also to some travel agents in Croatia that I know. The prices are little high, but the service is excellent." Dario C., Varaždin Croatia - June 2011 French Riviera- We could not have been more pleased with our tours, our vehicle or our driver/guide, Silvio. Our tours were everything that we expected and hoped they would be, and more. I cannot recommend your services more highly and our compliments to Silvio. Thank you again for helping to make our experience in the French Riviera so wonderful. Patricia K., Miami FL - June 2011 French Riviera- I wanted to let you know how delighted Jerry and I were with our Shore Excursion from Villefranche. We thought our guide, Hamdi Mira, did a wonderful job for us. His English was very good, as he pointed out sights and provided us with some history of the area. He timed our events well so we had ample time at all the locations on our planned itinerary and he provided a couple of suggestions that made our day even more memorable. The balance of being escorted and having free time was perfect, and he was very prompt, waiting at our meeting places when we arrived. I was also very pleased at the number of photos he had taken for us as a couple. While we often use ship tours when we travel, we would not hesitate to use your services again. Thank you so much for our memorable visit to Villefranche. Vickie B., Clarksville MD - June 2011 Venice, Kotor, Piraeus, Kusadasi, Bodrum, Santorini, Mykonos, Split - Thanks for the e-mail. The trip went off without a hitch. Every driver and guide that we had were great. I am sure that the trip would not have been the same without the service, care and friendliness of each and every person that we had contact with. We met wives and even mothers of a few of the guides :) Venice would have been a nightmare getting to the hotel after the airport that first day without the pre-arrangements as suggested by you. We were looking in horror as the driver approached a square and said he would be "leaving us here" and we would be getting a water taxi. There were hundreds of people everywhere standing with suitcases!! But he actually led us to the water and we were surprised and "thrilled" when we were the only ones getting on the boat. (we had already seen more than a few stuffed with people). That driver took us to our first hotel and it took at least 35 minutes by water travelling in open water and then down the small streets to get us to the first hotel. Our first look at the city of Venice!! It set the whole Venice adventure for me and my husband who by now had taken 400 pictures. The arrangements to get to the ship and back were also of the same high quality. The tours of each country again were the best and I think we had the guides who were the most passionate and loved their individual Countries thus providing us with a tour through their eyes, knowledge and love of their Country. You know there is one thing I would request but I am not sure of the policy. We got the e-mails of most of the guides as we took pictures that we have already e-mailed but I don't have or misplaced the ones for Athens and I have misplaced the one for the Verona drive Lino Sorrentino...are you able to ask for those and if they agree send those to me. I have pictures of us and the guide in Athens done by the photographers from the ship of the 3 of us at the Acropolis that I am sure she would like. (We were also lucky enough to actually be by the Greek President's Residence when he came..our guide had only once in her life time seen him and he was waving to the people as his car turned into the driveway. There were only about 8 people on the road once security locked it down. She was very happy about this.) Sorry you probably did not want a narrative. But Ken the trip was great. Thank you for all your hard work and diligence in getting everything done and getting the guides. And THANKS for suggesting the airport transfers!! We have been looking at what to do for next year's adventure and we will of course contact you. We tell everyone about the private tours and how much better the experience is than going on a bus with 40 other people and then following someone carrying a coloured stick of some kind:) Thanks again :) Geri and Ed P., Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, May 2011 Tallinn - We had great tour. Eero was fantastic. He showed us all the sights, was very good with my dad (who had to use a wheelchair) and even helped us with a little snack at an outdoor café. A great time! Jaclyn W., Nottingham MD, May 2011 Toulon- “Our tour in France was wonderful. Eva was very pleasant and fun. We first went to Cassis--so quaint and beautiful--and I had some wonderful cafe au lait. Then we visited Aix en Provence after a ride through the countryside--just gorgeous. Eva recommended a wonderful restaurant for lunch--a bit expensive!--but we really enjoyed it. We walked through the narow streets and did some quick shopping. Then we were off to the most beautiful winery for a tour and some wine tasting. Just a wonderful and relaxing start to our vacation! Thank you so much for you help in planning the day!” Judy C., Glen Mills, PA - Judy's Island Travel - May 2011 Kusadasi - We are home and all settled back in the home routine. We had a wonderful time during our time in Turkey. Your guide met us right outside the terminal building. We walked a short distance with him to a deluxe van waiting for us. The driver picked us up and inside the van were bottles of cold water. We drove to Priene and learned quite a bit from our guide. On the way to Militus we stopped at an onyx factory and got a chance to purchase some beautiful pieces. Our stops in Miletus and Didyma were as informative as the first stop. We ended our tour at a carpet weaving store where we were served lunch. Once there we said goodbye to our guide and driver. We had a wonderful time and thank you so much for all that you did to help us thoroughly enjoy our day in Turkey. We will certainly keep you in mind for our future vacation plans. Gloria A., Clearwater FL - May 2011 Riviera (Cannes)- We were very pleased with our tour and tour guide. We will defintely keep you in mind and highly recommend you to all our friends, Best Regards. Kathy M., Smithtown NY, May 2011 Riviera - Our entire trip was absolutely amazing. The shore excursions we did with Private Shore Trips were excellent. I have already been contacted by a family who is considering heading over to Europe in late August or early September. As a matter of fact, we were communicating the same day you emailed me. Your ears must have been burning Ken. I have already forwarded your contact information and have offered to make the connection on their behalf. You may hear from me again very soon Ken, before the year is over. If not, they will contact you directly, if they decide to make Europe their holiday destination. I have told them to use our name as a reference. I don’t think we caused Fabian too much grief. Thanks for your follow up Ken. Greatly appreciated. Again, you may hear from us or our connections in the very near future. Ralph I, Ontario Canada, May 2011 Tallinn - We had a great time. Eero was a great tour guide – he really seemed to know all about Tallinn and the surrounding countryside. He really helped out with my Dad (who had to use a wheelchair for some of the time). I liked how he listened to what we wanted and needed. We had several elderly companions and they needed some extra time to walk and rest. My Aunt was a schoolteacher and asks lots of questions – Eero did very well answering them all. And finally, my husband really liked Vanil Tallinn ( a special liquor) and Eero found us a store where we could purchase several bottles. I really liked having a small group – we got closer to the attractions, a more personalized tour and could actually hear about the sites. Thanks.” Jaclyn W., Nottingham MD - May 2011 Izmir – “We had a great time. Your tour guide was wonderful. I can't remember her name, but she was perfect. Thanks again. You can us us for a reference any time.” Sterling Q., Spotsylvania, VA - May 2011 Copenhagen, Denmark - Just back from our cruise and wanted to let you know that the private tour in Copenhagen was excellent. Very knowledgeable and friendly guide who showed us many additional sights to those we had arranged. The timings were perfect and we had lovely weather to make it even better! Kathryn S., Idle Bradford, England - May 2011 Limassol, Cyprus- We had a really great experience with David in Cyprus. He tailored the agenda to our desires, and was very informative and personable. We would definitely recommend you guys again! Kim B., Wlmington NC - May 2011 Valencia, Marseille, Monte Carlo- We had a wonderful time on your tours. Thank you so much for taking good care of us and taking us to such wonderful places. I have advertised your company with everyone who I know is taking a trip. Your organization is great. Mary D., Ft. Lauderdale FL - April 2011 Marseille and Genoa- We had a great trip and both of our shore trips were wonderful. I was so glad we had arranged our own tour in Marseille since it turned out the Marseille marathon was being run that day so many of the ship’s excursions were not able to get around the city. Instead, our excellent guides, Marc & Olivier suggested we go to Aix-en-Provence first then return to Marseille to see some of the city once the streets were open. It was a perfect day and we got to see much more than we had hoped. It confirmed the value of having local guides and the flexibility of a vehicle at your disposal to accommodate last minute changes. Our guide, Gina in Genoa was also fabulous. She was charming and knowledgeable and again we were able to see much more than we expected in one full day. Both tours were well worth it. I can’t wait to return Europe and experience more through the locals. Thanks, Barbara C., Weston MA- April 2011 Istanbul- "Our group enjoyed our time in Istanbul very much. Our guide did a great job! We will use your services again!" Paul B, Ada MI - April 2011 Lisbon, Vigo, Tenerife, Las Palmas and Funchal - The tours all went beautifully, and the guests were extremely happy. They were particularly blown away by the wine and cheese component of their Tenerife tour. They cruise several times a year and said that we will be booking with your company for future excursions for sure. Thank you for all of your hard work and assistance in planning these tours! Cheers, Emily G., Personal Assistant to the Ash Family, Surrey, Canada - March 2011 Valletta, Malta- Malta was great – Josephine (our guide) was very good and made sure we saw the highlights along with explaining the history behind them. I definitely will utilize your services again in the future. Mark K., Phoenix, AZ- February 2011 Valletta, Malta- I just wanted you to know that our tour of Malta was wonderful - our guide was amazing and made sure we got to see everything possible in the time we had there. We loved Malta and hope to return some day. Thank you. Kathy F., Montana - January 2011 2010 CommentsMultiple tours- "I just want you to know that we had absolutely the best tours that were booked through you. When we did one through the ship, we really noticed the difference and missed our small van. Everything was handled expertly and after meeting the first one, I never had any worries from then on. You handled the last minute change from Athens to Crete and everyone was thoroughly impressed that you were able to put together something and actually came through. Thanks again, you made me look good !” Donna Ratte, Cruise Holidays of Palm Springs, Palm Springs, CA – November 2010 Riviera- "I have to tell you that this was the best of all the shore trips we have ever set up. Pascal, the driver guide was entertaining, attuned to our wants, and even suffered a flat tire, changed it, got in and said “Well I won’t make the pit crew at the Grand Prix, but we are underway”. He knew the area, was extremely versed, and was the best I have encountered in ten extensive years of travel. The three other couples with us were equally impressed with the trip. Thanks for your help – I’ll post to the port reports on Cruise Critics. There is some hesitation about using a US broker for trips, and I do not understand that hesitation. This was the best of the best!" Bob J., Port Charlotte, FL - November 2010 Riviera- "Our guide (Thierry) worked out great. He met us right on time and we had beautiful weather for the drive to Nice and Eze. Can't thank you enough for your help. Happy to recommend your company any time." Barb J., Glen Ellyn, IL - November 2010 Riviera- "We had a excellent tour with Guy, who showed us all that we wanted to see and more. One of our group who is a car nut was thrilled with the drive around the Grand Prix route, and we all loved the visit to Eze. As usual with a cruise ship visit, there is never enough time to see all you want to, but there is always the next time. You may be assured that you are on our list to contact when we are next in an area you service." Dave C., Mowchow, NB Canada - October 2010 Riviera- "Yorgi was a great guide….very knowledgeable, very personable, careful driver, and we enjoyed him a lot! Thanks and I shall recommend private shore trips." Gretchen S., Graham TX - October 2010 Kusadasi- "Our trip was wonderful! The excursion in Kusadasi was excellent. The guide was personable, knowledgeable and very accommodating toured Ephasus and an ancient Turkish village. He brought us to a rustic restaurant in the mountains that we enjoyed very much. I can not understand why more people would not take private tours !!! I have kept your information and have no problem referring your services in the future. Thanks Again. Phil B., Eli Lilly Canada - September 2010 Riviera- "We had a wonderful time on our trip and our tour with y'all to St. Paul de Vence, Nice, Eze, Monaco and Monte Carlo was terrific. Everything worked as planned and we enjoyed getting acquainted with the French Riviera. Thanks much!" Carolyn K., Austin TX - September 2010 Bilbao- "Our Bilbao excursion was great. We were only sorry that our ship didn't have a longer stay as we would have loved to see more. Our guide - Sergio- was excellent. You had mentioned that we would have a mini bus for about 12 pax, so imagine my surprise when they showed up with a full size bus !! I have been very impresed with your service and the extremely quick response to all of my e-mails and will be sure to recommed you to the other agents in our office." Travel Agent - Maureen H. - Beatty Group International - September 2010 Riviera- "We had a great time, and our driver Aladdin was very good. We will recommend your company to others. It was a great day and we saw so much. Thank you for your help." W. Long, Charlotte NC - September 2010 Bilboa- "The tour was fabulous, the guide was terrific with a wealth of knowledge. We will definitely recommend the tour and the guide (Eshter). Thanks for helping. The cruise has been great."Margie S., Margie’s Travelrite, Monroe Township, NJ - Aug 2010 Riviera- "The tour you set up for us was great! So much so that we actually tried to set up another with you , but you didn't have enough time. We now know we can depend on you and the quality you offer. Many thanks." Ellen and Marc F.Warwick NY - August 2010 Riviera- "The tour was great and the guide was great. First class and responsible. I would be please to recommend you as well as use your services again." Bryan G, Thornhill Ontario Canada, August 2010 Oslo- "We had a great time on our cruise. Ana, our guide in Oslo, was wonderful. We wish we had more time in Oslo; it was a short stay. The weather was perfect and the scenery was beautiful." Michele J., Jamestown KY., Aug 2010 Riviera and Civitavecchia- "I am still trying to get back on US time but I wanted to let you know that we were thrilled with the quality of both of our trips. The drivers were personable and knowledgeable and we all had a great day. I will definitely recommend your site to our friends when then travel in Europe. Thanks for all your help." Merle K. Bloomfield CT - August 2010 Koper-"We very much enjoyed our day in Slovenia. Juray was wonderful – very knowledgeable and oh so nice. Really, it was a delightful day, the perfect mix of action and seeing, and culture and history. My two teenagers are tough critics, and they were very pleased. Thank you!" D. Brown - Dallas TX - July 2010 Kusadasi, Istanbul, and Piraeus- "I just wanted to let you know what a fantastic time we had in Greece and Turkey. The drivers and guides were prompt, smartly dressed and very courteous. Their English was excellent and knowledge of the areas we were touring, superb. The vehicles were also very clean and comfortable. I cannot thank you enough for making our visits to these places a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience. I will certainly be recommending you to all my friends." Claire C. Mermaid Waters Queensland Australia - July 2010 London, Copenhagen, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Kiel- "We have been using your services for several years now and as usual every stop was perfect. Uniformly all stops this year were excellent. There were two highlights I need to mention. Our guide Hakan in Stockholm was simply the best I have ever had in 15 years of travel. He had all from the 9 year old to the 85 year old enthralled. Our guide Klavs in Copanhagan was the second best guide ever. He is a retired gentleman who went back to train as a guide. He offered so much more in the way of experience and perspective. I can not recommend him highly enough. He accessed the group on our initial meeting and said lets make a few minor changes which were super. We had lunch on the coast. Hit sites not planned and still hit all the planned sites. He took us off the beaten track to a Boy Scout camp where the scouts had a complete replica of a working Viking village. What a hit for us to really see how they lived and to put it all into perspective. Kids climbed and explored everything. The planning in St Petersburg was perfect and the guides perfect. Lunch in a box really was successful. We had picnics in the palace parks. It was so much more relaxed. We saw everything, shopped till we dropped and still finished early. ." Lisa S., Princeton Jct. July 2010 Multiple tours- "Mike and family returned to the US last week and were extremely happy with their shore trips. They remembered everyone's names - who made their trip so much exciting. Thank you very much for all your help and will contact you for any future requests.” Jolanta S. | Director of Leisure, PLANET ONE TRAVEL – Houston TX – July 2010 Copenhagen- "The clients loved the tour and were very pleased with everything. I will definitely contact you again in the future when I have clients needing tours!! Thanks for all of your help with this - I know we didn't give you much advance notice, and you still took care of it!!" Linda D, The World of Travel, Del Mar CA - July 2010 Helsinki- "Our private shore excursion in Helsinki was excellent. The vehicle was modern, comfortable and air conditioned (we experienced extremely high temperatures across the Baltic cities!). Our guide (Mareet) was charming, knowledgeable and spoke word-perfect English. We really enjoyed our day in Helsinki - it was one of our favorite stops. Thank you again for your excellent service. I would definitely use you again and recommend your services." Annette B, La Jolla CA - July 2010 Riviera- "We have returned from our Mediterranean cruise and just want to thank you setting up our tour of Cannes, Nice, Eze and Monaco. The guide was great and kept us on pace. We love Nice, and of course, Eze was so unique! Definitely, a place to come back to! Again, thanks so much." Lynn C, Monroe GA, July 2010 Livorno- "The tour was one of the highlights of our trip. The tour guide was excellent." Scott J. - Napa CA - July 2010 Riviera-"Thank you so much for booking the tour guide for us in Monaco! He was GREAT!! When we got off the ship he was waiting for us. The car was comfortable and air conditioned and the driver couldn't have been nicer. He took us to many beautiful sites and told us so much about what we were seeing!! I will definitely keep you in mind for my next vacation and I will let my friends know about you as well. Thanks again!!!" Lori B. - New York NY - July 2010 Riviera- "It was fabulous! We had wanted the one shuttle van to fit 12 people and that one was already booked due to our late request. Instead we had 2 smaller vans and in the end that was better for us because the smaller vans could get to places the larger one could not! Everyone in my party agreed that this day was the best day of all our excursions. Our two tour guides, Yannick and Pasquale were excellent! I would highly recommend your company and would use you again ourselves. Thank you!" Dianne G., Machaniesville VA - July 2010 Riviera- "I was ill the day of the Villefrance shore trip and was not able to go so my information is second-hand but the other nine of the family had a very good time. Three of those that went had been to Monaco/Monte Carlo and Nice before. None (except my husband) had been to Eze before. All nine of them (children included) said they had a really good time and the tour guide was excellent. My husband's words: "Everything about the day was great!" Thanks." Pat D, Austin TX, July 2010 Split - Croatia - "The tour was great. We really enjoyed our time in Split. I will keep your contact information for our next trip.Thanks!" Brenda H, Hollis NH, July 2010 Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples- "Just wanted to take a minute to say thank you on behalf of my self and my family for the wonderful shore excursions you arranged for our trip to Italy. Our three drivers, Guiliano, Luca and Pualo could not have been nicer. All three were prompt, courteous and very helpful. Their input into the order and timing of our various stops was invaluable in enabling us to see so much of the three area we vistited. In addition, their suggestions for local places to dine and shop added greatly to our stay. Each driver also provided some special "secret" moment to our day. In Rome, Luca took us to an area that housed the embassy buildings of ambassadors to the Vatican. He stopped at one particular building and brought us up to the wooden entrance gate and had us peer through its keyhole. Seen through the hole was the Vatican dome framed by a series of vine covered arbours. It was a spectacular sight that we would never have found on our own or had seen if we traveled on the large cruise line excursion ship. Our Naples driver, Paulo, took us on a breathtaking tour down the Amalfi coast and stopped at a quaint cafe tucked into the hillside overlooking the Mediteranean coast for lunch. It was a spectacular dining experience. Everyone in our family agreed that selecting "Travels with Friends" was one of the best choices we could have made. We will all certainly be recounting the wonderful time we had to friends and other family members and will most assuredly recommend your company to them. Again, many thanks for helping to make our trip even more memorable." John K., Easton PA, July 2010 Malta, Sicily, Civitavecchia and Genoa- " Just got back from our trip and wanted to write you a few quick words to explain our experience with the tours you coordinated: “Excellent” The guides (and drivers) were on time, accommodating and knowledgeable. In Malta, Josefine was superb. She knew her culture and spoke clearly and with great English. We really enjoyed the Blue Grotto. In Sicily, our guide had so much information about her culture and was multilingual making it easy for our elderly who only spoke Spanish. In Rome, Danilo was fun, honest and flexible to our requests he was available at all times and kept us on time to return back to the ship. Loved it! In Genoa, Fluvio and in Marseille, Natalie were also available to answer our questions and directing us to places of interest. I know the rest of the group share my thoughts and you might here from some of them as well. After many emails of planning with you and Steve, I would like to thank you both for making our trip a success. I would recommend Private Shore Trips to anyone traveling in the near future." Gisela C, Miami FL, June 2010 Barcelona, Cannes, Dublin and Lisbon- "Just a short note to say how pleased we all were with each of your affiliates. each was on time, courteous and knowledgeable. We couldn't have asked for more. many thanks for your help." Harrison T, June 2010, Lake Forrest IL Civitavecchia, Naples and Villefranche- "Now, back in USA, I wanted to let you know, that we did have a great time, and the tours organized with your vendors were excellent. Is not easy to move a Group of about 40 people, with different ages and interest, and fortunately, your people there, showed a very high professionalism in all events and keep the group interest at all times. It has to be remarked, that your guide in Rome, Mr. Danilo was outstanding and fun at the same time, and we all enjoyed their explanations and jokes very much. We are already talking about organizing another cruise, and will certainly be in touch with you guys again." Gabriel B, June 2010, Miami FL Naples- " Amalfi Coast and Pompeii were great! The guide, Maria, was very patient and knowledgeable. What a beautiful please Amalfi Coast is! I would highly recommend this tour as well. And by the way, thanks again for putting this one together so quick for us. Thank you again. I would highly recommend your services!" Rico H., Menlo Park, CA June 2010 Livorno- "It was wonderful! Our guide's name was Luca Millori and he was really good. I really wanted you to know that because most of our group of 14 have traveled extensively and he was one of the best tour guides we have ever had. He was very thorough in making sure our needs and wants were met and his knowledge of the area was extensive and was presented in a manner that even our teenagers and college age kids loved it! He actually talked the whole way into Florence from the ship really giving us some great history. The place he took us to lunch was wonderful and believe me that is saying a lot to please 14 people. He was very pleasant and happy and really interacted with all of us. Like I said we have traveled extensively around the world and been on many tours and he was really the best! We did a private tour (with another company) of Rome today and as we all said it wasn't near as good as Luca's tour. Thanks again for your help and we will be sure to recommend your website." Patti M., Monroe LA - June 2010 Riviera- "I was planning on sending you a note to thank you for arranging the tour for us. As usual, I am a little behind, slowly getting back into my daily routine and catching up at work. Anyway, about the tour…I have never booked a tour like this before so I was not sure what to expect. The tour was fantastic! When we went down to the lobby of our hotel, our tour guide, Yurgi (sp?) was already there waiting for us. He was very pleasant, entertaining, and amenable to the requests of our varied and sometimes crazy group. He gave us good tips about the sights and the general area of the French Riviera, and we had a wonderful lunch at one of the recommended restaurants in Monaco. I would definitely take another tour like this and would recommend it to others. Thank you!" Janice S.,Walnut Creek, CA June 2010 Kusadasi- "Ephesus- our guide, Dennis and the driver were absolutely great. he is very knowledgeable and experience guide. Unlike many guides who talk only what they like to talk about, Dennis would spend time on subjects the clients are interested in. The minibus was new and clean- probably the best one among all the tours we took on this entire trip. I would highly recommend it! Thank you again. I would highly recommend your services!" Rico H., Menlo Park, CA Jun 2010 Dubrovnik, Piraeus, Villefranche- "I picked up my wallet today at FedEx. I was pleasantly surprised that not only was my credit card still in there, but so was the cash and my 2 pair of diamond earrings!I truly did not think I would see the cash or earrings. Kudos to you for working with such honest people. We had a wonderful time and the tours where fabulous. Our favorite driver was in Nice. He took us to places that we could never had seen or experienced had we gone on the large tour buses. You did a fabulous job and I look forward to sending any business I can your way." Debbie E. , Portland OR, June 2009 - Agent for “Honeymoon to Remember!” Cannes- "We had a very nice driver guide for Cannes. I will definitely use your service for clients. All the best." Sandra L., San Francisco, CA June 2009 - Agent for " We Make Travel Easy " Kusadasi- "We had a wonderful trip, the "Private Shore" excursion in Kusadasi to Ephesus & Sirince was outstanding. Our guide was there at the pier to meet us on time, the minivan was a brand new air conditioned Mercedes. Our guide was superb in every way, professional, pleasant and very knowledgeable. We could not have asked for more. We felt this excursion was well worth the money and made this one of the unexpected favorite stops. Our thanks to you and I will happily recommend your company and look forward to using you again." Sian A., Katy TX - June 2010 Riviera- Let me start by thanking you for the follow up to our recent excursion and the well wishes for our past cruise. We really enjoyed it, everything was great. In reference to the services received by your European Associate, I have to say it was the best! Among all the excursions we did on this cruise (and we did 4 out of the 5 ports of call), this was excellent. Pascale, our guide, was very knowledgable, polite, funny but at the same time respectful. He was by far the best guide we had. If the great service was the same in the other ports we stopped, we would have definitely booked them with you... Unfortunately, we had already booked them by the time I found you! Thank you for the good service and we'll definitely keep you in mind for future trips! Miuking B., Doral FL, - June 2010 Barcelona- "Just got back at 2am this morning. Our tours were simply wonderful and Cynthia was a wonderful guide. Barcelona was one of our favorites and she helped us experience it to the fullest. Thanks again for all of your help!" Robin L., Findlay OH, June 2010 Riviera- Excellent trip! Excellent tour guide !! Antonio provided excellent info at all stops, was extremely knowledgeable and had a wonderful personality. He made the trip that much more enjoyable. Thank you very much for your assistance and your time. We will definitely keep you in mind for our future European trips." Alan E., Aurora IL - June 2010 Copenhagen, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Stockholm, Tallinn, Warnemünde- "Thanks for your great service; all excursions went well. We're picked and dropped off on time. Your drivers and tour guides are all excellent. We'll surely recommend and use your company again." Mel V, June 2010, Walnut CA Zeebrugge- George, our guide was absolutely AWESOME! We had a great day and saw SO much. I will certainly keep your company in mind for my clients' private tour needs in Europe. Thanks for all of your help. Jennifer P, Merrimack N - May 2010 French Riviera and Kusadasi- "Both Nice and Ephesus were terrific tours. Our drivers and guides were outstanding. Hats off to both. Could not be happier. Thanks for all your help. Will contact you for any future needs." Bob C., Jupiter Fl, May 2010 Kusadasi, Messina, Amalfi, French Riviera- "I am glad to say our trip went well and our excursions were very good. The two guides in Italy, Luca and Franco, were great. The vehicles in France were vans and I wasn't crazy about that but the other cars were Mercedes and a VW in Turkey. Would recomend your comapny any time." Ian H, McCloud OK, May 2010 Riviera- "Wanted to let you know that we had a wonderful tour on the 28th with Brice. He was on time, friendly, informative, and easy to be around. He changed the itenary to fit our wishes and was a welcoming host. As it turned out, that day was our favorite day of the whole trip. We thoroughly enjoyed him and won't hesitate to recommend you and him to friends and family. Thanks for being a part of making our trip special." Tom and Mary H. Spring Valley, CA - May 2010 Riviera- "We had a great day on tour with Pascal. Weather was ideal and he was an excellent driver and guide. Very accommodating to our desires and interests. We went to Nice, Cannes, St Paul de Vence and even Monaco (though we were advised on the ship not to go there because of the Grand Prix race). Pascal made the effort to check with other guides before we drove to Monaco to make sure the roads were not too clogged, and we really appreciated that -- and greatly enjoyed the drive through Monaco. We'd recommend the tour to anyone with only one day in the area. It was the best way to see and enjoy a lot of this part of the world." Harry V., Jacksonville FL - May 2010 Istanbul and Kusadasi - "The two tours we took with you were great and I am sending you photos of our guides and some scenery. Kutay Berk was our Istanbul guide and he is pictured here without sunglasses with my husband Bill. He gave us an enormous amount of information about the history of Istanbul and the Ottoman Empire as well as the Byzantine church. He spent a lot of time explaining the mosaics at the church of Chora which was nice and helpful as there were so many of them in good condition. At the Topkapi Palace and the Blue Mosque he taught us a great deal about the role of the sultan and the Islam form of worship. Kutay was willing to take us to the Egyptian Bazaar and to the Rusten Pasa Mosque which was like a jewel with all the Iznik tiles. On the way back to the ship he drove us quite close to the Dolmabahce Mosque which I wanted to see. Hasan Kamit was our guide in Kusadasi and Ephesus and he was very good at relating the historical information along with commentating on modern Turkey. When we were in Ephesus we requested to go to through the Terrace Houses which gave us insight into how the wealthier Romans lived. We also were made aware of how painstakingly slow the whole process of excavation and restoration is. All the sites we visited that day were in beautiful countryside with rich agricultural lands and forested hillsides surrounding them. Hasan is from a nomadic family background and he took us to a carpet store that had a large selection of carpets including Anatolian kilims. Both our guides were willing to share their own personal lives with us which made our day with them very pleasant. Ken, we have appreciated all the care and attention you have given us and will definitely refer our friends to your tour company." Corrine C., Victoria BC, May 2010 Riviera- "We had a great time and thanks for all your help. I will definitely keep you in mind for future travels." Alon S., Burlingame CA - May 2010 Civitavecchia- "Ahhhh, Rome. Our guide, Luke, was fantastic. He tailored the tour to what we wanted to do and see within the time allowed. He even took us to places that only he knew about. In the Vatican, we had a guide named Olga who was also very knowledgeable. All 8 of us decided that a private tour is definitely the way to go and we wouldn’t hesitate to use your company again. I would be more than happy to give you a glowing recommendation any time you like. Just so you know, your prices were much better than Princess Cruise line and offered more than Princess did. Our cruise included Monaco, Pisa/Florence, Rome, Naples, Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi, Athens and Venice with Princess tours at all the ports except Rome. We all agreed that Rome was the BEST tour we had." Barbara E, Calabas NC, May 2010 Riviera- "We had a great day with our guide, he was friendly, knowledgeable and prompt. Our entire group had a real good time. I will recommend you organization to any one going to that area. If we ever go back to the part of the world again I will give you a call to set up another guided tour. Thanks again." Paul C, Otto NC - April 2010 Rome, Nafplion, Izmir, Valletta- "Everything went perfectly throughout the entire trip. Malta was a joy after Egypt! I could not have asked for anything better with regard to price, quality, guides and buses. I'll make sure and add a good recommend to your facebook blog when I return. Please feel free to use me for references. As someone who has traveled for years, been a travel agent for over 18, and have used many tour companies, I can be quite critical and jaded. I have absolutely nothing negative to say about my experience with PST or with the companies you booked. Thanks again for everything." Kathy P, Denham Springs LA, April 2009 - World Travels with Kathy, L.L.C. Riviera- "We enjoyed our day with your tour guide. He was very knowledgeable and accommodating. Cheers." Carolyn W, Excelsior MN - April 2010 Riviera- " We had an enjoyable day traveling to Nice, Monaco and Monte Carlo with Pascal. He is a very knowledgeable and engaging guide and catered to our interests and inquiries. I would recommend him unconditionally to others who seek to explore the areas we visited. Thank you for setting this up for us. We will pass along your name to others, and hope to take advantage of your services again." Judy J., El Macero, CA - April 2010 Athens- "Our group was well pleased with the tour of Athens. Vicky was a very fine guide and well informed. The bus driver was good and the vehicle was very good. Thank you for a very good tour." H Grams, Lodi CA - February 2010 2009 CommentsIstanbul- Just wanted to let you know how great our tour in Istanbul was. We had an excellent guide - Yassim - who gave us an excellent tour. We are trying to plan a trip next year. Maybe to the Baltic. Will absolutely look into your tour company if we do go. Thank you again for your help. Susan M., Brewster NY - November 2009 Riviera- "Hello.....I just need to thank you so much for the wonderful private tour we booked with your company this past week. We enjoyed our day trip with Yanik very much. He was fun to be with, was waiting for us when we arrived off of the tender in VilleFranche. We appreciated all the extra info he gave us regarding the French Riveria, and we got to see all the places we asked to see. He gave us extra time at the flower market in Nice, and gave us great tips on where to have our lunch. Everything was perfect, including the warm sunny day. We only wished we could have had more time. I would recommend your company to anyone interested in a private tour. Thank you very much for making our day in the French Riveria the best!!" Carolyn D., Omaha, Nebraska - November 2009 Riviera- "We were very pleased with the arrangements you made for us. All positive comments, no negatives." Bettyjane S., Allentown, PA - November 2009 Marseille, Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples- Our experience with your company's tours was exactly what we wanted. The drivers all spoke wonderful English, were prompt and very knowledgeable. We loved the little restaurants they directed us to and enjoyed the vacation immensely. Thank you for your help. Carol G, Upland CA - November 2009 Naples, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Barcelona, Villefranche, Santorini and Piraeus- Well, we have returned from the most marvelous vacation of all time!!! I want to let you know, our shore excursions were perfect! The tour guides were the best, the motorcoachs very clean and comfortable, everything was just wonderful. Even when we had a problem in Barcelona on the day we were to depart, Annabelle, helped me with our dilema. We actually arrived into port late, and we all missed our flihgts home, so I had to transfer everyone to a hotel and then rearrange all the flights. It was a headache for me, but eveyrone else enjoyed themselves on the beach for three days!!!! Once again, thanks for all you help and information you relayed to me. I will defintely be using your services in the future and I have already told several agent friends of mine about Private Shore Trips. Kathleen P, Maryville IL - October 2009 Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Athens and Istanbul- We cannot thank you enough for the shore trips you arranged for the five of us. We had so much fun and all of your drivers and guides were excellent. Let us begin with Pascal who drove us through Monaco, Monte Carlo, Nice, Gourdon, St. Paul de Pence, and to the Chapel of the Roses by Matisse. He was very informative throughout. Next came Florence with Sylvia our driver who made sure some of us had time for shopping. The highlight was Elizabeta, our guide through the Accademia. She made the visit to the David come alive with her knowledge of art history. She spent 45 minutes pointing out the many subtleties of David and the artistry and craftsmanship of Michelangelo in executing this famous statue. She was equally knowledgeable about the Doumo and baptistery. Sylvia took us to Michelangelo Piazza where we had a good view of Florence before leaving. Our final stop was at Pisa where we had ample time to explore and view the leaning tower from all angles. Constantino was our driver and guide for the trip into Rome both days. He was fun and considerate of everyone’s needs and treated us to some special insights of Rome including a neighborhood restaurant for dinner on our first evening when he did the Rome at Night Tour. Alfredo was our guide for the Coliseum, Forum, Capital Hill and Pantheon on the first day and the Vatican Museum, Sistine Chapel, and St. Peter’s on the second day. Then on to Naples and the Amalfi Coast with Rosario who provided us with a spectacular drive along the coast on winding, steep roads topped off with an absolutely fabulous lunch at a restaurant on the mountain above Positano. Next came Athens with Alexandra as our guide. She was most informative and kind during the visit to the Acropolis, Agora, Plaka and the Acropolis Museum. Finally came Istanbul with Murat as our guide. We made a stop at the Spice Market which was a wonder to those of us who ventured there – so much to choose from and so little time. Our tour through the Topkapi Palace was wonderful. And, we enjoyed the dinner and show in the evening; the belly dancers were very good. The next morning we were amazed at the Blue Mosque (it’s not all blue, that red carpet!), Hagia Sophia which is undergoing restoration; the hippodrome and finally the Grand Bazaar. Our best shopping trip happened at the Grand Bazaar. Would we recommend your company to others, absolutely! We already have. We had great drivers and guides and enjoyed our trip so much. When we compared our excursions with others, we found that we got to see so much more and at a better pace. Again, thank you very much. Janet, Ross, Jane, Laurie and Kevin, San Diego CA - October 2009 Riviera-"Your driver/guide was wonderful. He took us to all of the important places, was very knowledgeable and spoke excellent English. Our trip was wonderful and I have two sets of friends who are planning this same trip next April and May and I have given them your name and raved about how efficient your company handled my request. Thanks again and if we plan another trip I will surely contact you." Lynn W., Metairie LA - October 2009 Athens- "Thank you so very much for booking our Athens tours. They were absolutely unbelievable. We are so impressed with the service we received. Elsa our Guide and Kostas our Driver were amazing. I will definitely be referring you business and hope to utilize your company for myself in the future. Once again for the great service." Margriet H., Langley BC Canada - October 2009 Athens- "The tour was great as was the tour guide. The cruise was fantastic and this shore excursion worked really nicely. I will keep you in mind for any further excursions!! Thanks again." Sue H., Tamarac, FL - October 2009 Riviera- We had an amazing trip and the excursion your company provided in Villefranche was outstanding. We had more than ample time for all stops and never felt rushed. After some initial confusion about pick up in Villefranche, we were escorted to Nice to meet our driver/guide. He was wonderful and got us to Vence just as the Matisse Chapel opened, so we were the first there to listen to the sisters describe every inch of that beautiful chapel. It was then suggested we visit a non - touristy town nearby called Tourrettes, which turned out to be the stunningly enchanting center for violet production in the south of France (tried violet ice cream!) From there we spent almost 2 hours at the Fondation Maeght, which was having a special Miro exhibition-what a treat! We visited Galimard and toured the factory for Fragonard before ascending to St Paul de Vence, where we had lunch at a place suggested by our driver that was excellent and very scenic. Colombe d'Or left the impression of being rather pretentious, so we were not sorry to have missed eating there. We finished in Eze with a drink at Chateau Eza - at the highest point overlooking everything! This was a suggestion by the British couple dining at the table next to us in St Paul, who have a house in Antibes. We told them about the amazing town of Tourrettes, and they said they have been wanting to visit! Spent a bit of time in lovely Villefranche before returning to the ship. Seeing it in writing, I can't believe all that we did, but I know it was a wonderfully relaxing day! Thank you for your services. We will definitely think of you when we return to Europe - hopefully soon! Karen and Len P., Parkland FL, October 2009 Riviera- The Cannes tour was excellent. The mini bus arrived at the dock on time. We had to take a small boat from our ship to the dock, but it was no problem as NCL had it all worked out. The tour guide spoke very good English. The weather was perfect. I would say don't change the tour--its perfect. We visited the Church in Monaco and although we visited many churches on our trip, this was my favorite. The view from the Eze was spectacular. We stopped several times during the tour to view Nice and Monaco and take pictures. It was the last tour on our trip and we couldn't ask for a better ending. I have many grandsons and someday God willing I hope to take them to Europe. Thanks for all your help and cooperation. I certainly would use your services again. Donald C., Carmichael, CA - October 2009 Riviera-We had a great time in France. Our tour guide was Stephaine and she was fabulous. We invited her to lunch with us which was a good thing as she helped with our ordering of food. She was prompt and informative and fun!!!! Also one heck of a good driver!!!! I have already given your name out to a couple others on the ship who wanted to know who we used!!! We will call you again when we need another tour. Joanne A.., Richmond, VA - October 2009 Riviera-We had a great time, the driver guides were excellent, and we all enjoyed it. Raj G., Morton Grove, IL - October 2009 Riviera- Guido was certainly the most amazing guide I/we had on our European tour. He certainly set a standard for the other guides we had, who did not even come close to him. We had fun, we felt very special and he showed us things that would have escaped us had we done the tour on our own or even with another tour guide. We will definitely call you should we do another tour and I’m sure we will because we love Europe so much. Many thanks for a wonderful time. Kim & Garry G., Glenda & Mike B. Scarborough, Ontario - September 2009 Villefranche, Civitavecchia, Naples, Livorno- Mainly you need to know how wonderful ALL of the guides were for each of our ports of call. Their devotion to their jobs, their cities and their culture was honest and fresh! And they were just down right GREAT DRIVERS!! We never felt that we were a "job" for them. They were excited about the day. They had great energy and were excited to show us the same places that they had shown so many others before us. Over all, for me, the thrill of the drive was worth every penny!! These are "professional drivers" in places where there are NO rules! (Italy) Wow! Aldo (our driver in Naples and Amalfi coast) is quite like a "rock star" around the Sorrento area. He is very well known by everyone. It was so much fun!! Aldo was my favorite as he was larger than life! He allowed me to see everything I wanted to see that day. The lunch at the Caruso was not to start for another 2 hours so we went on down the way to Positano for our lunch. This was a place were a lot of the guides brought their clients for lunch. It was called La Tagliata. It had a great view and the food was outstanding!!! And did I mention it was very well priced for the amount of food we got - at least a 15 course meal. Aldo was once again - a "rock star" at this place. We felt very special to be seen with him!! Lucca, our driver in Rome was known as the "Gladiator" and yes he was!! He could get anywhere in Rome in no time flat! No matter the traffic. He knew every short cut and back alley. We never walked more than 30 feet to the site of what he wanted us to see. He pulled right up to the very front of every place we went to in Rome. He showed us so many different things that we didn't even ask to see. We saw double the amount of things listed on the original itinerary - just because he was such a good driver guide. Sylvia, our driver in Florence was my father's favorite. The drive through Chianti was well worth it even though there was some fog in the beginning of the day. It cleared while we were in Greve and the sky was clear for the rest of the day. Florence was beautiful as we saw it from the park on the hill when we came into town. Our guide in the Uffizi museum was Sylvia (the same name as our drive guide). We were able to go slow and have her talk about the history of the museum and the history of the art in the museum. We learned so much! She was a fabulous teacher. We loved talking about art with her. We wanted to stay in Florence and be with her for several days. Our guide for the Nice tour was Pierre. My husband, Victor, fell in love with Pierre. He was calm and laid back.. He took us to a beautiful place that was a state park. This park was on the highest mountain behind the town of Eze. It was perfectly clear that day and we could stand on top of this mountain and see: To our right down the coast, past Antibes, to St. Tropez . To our left past Monaco far into Italy. This was a huge surprise to find this pretty park. It was an amazing view. We were so grateful that he had decided to take us there. We would have never known to ask to see something like this. The view was spectacular. He also took us to see the row of Billionaire Yachts in Antibes. He had us walk down the long dock that held all of the ships for the very rich. They were also amazing. Our guide in the Vatican was Daniella. She was fabulous. The Pope was speaking that morning so our Vatican tour of 3 hours turned into a 5 hour tour. She took us to see everything. She was extremely smart about art and history. Victor and I loved every moment of these museum guides as we are very interested in art history. Maggie M., Norman OK - October 2009 Civitavecchia and Cannes- We enjoyed our excursions with your company very much. The drivers and guides were professional, punctual, friendly and well-informed. The vehicles were comfortable, clean and generally of a superior quality. You and your staff were very helpful and responsive to our inquiries and requests; and your reservation information was complete, professional, and helpful. We will be sure to work with you in our future trips to Europe and abroad. Nancy K., San Antonio TX - October 2009 Livorno, Villefranche and Malaga- The tours were GREAT! Thank you so much for all your patience, help and assistance. I also spoke to Joanne A. and their tour with you to Monaco, Eze, etc. was wonderful also. We ended up having extremely spacious busses and great drivers and guides at all of the stops. I am more than happy to continue to refer your company to my family and friends that are traveling in Europe. We do not have plans to return until late next summer but we may be in touch again at that time. Debbie D., Richmond VA - October 2009 Athens and Istanbul- I would like to thank you so very much for your excellent cooperation and attention, it has been a real pleasure working with your company and you can be sure that we would recommend your services to other friends and relatives, as for us, next time we travel, be sure I will contact you. Maggie d. S., Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic - September 2009 Civitavecchia- "Our private shore trip in Rome was the best part of our vacation. Out driver/guide Luca was just great - very professional, knowledgeable and we had a lot fun spending the day with him. We managed to visit all the places we were planning to and more thanks to Luca. I'd definitely recommend your service to all my friends. It was a great experience. Thank you very much for making our vacation even better and please send Luca our thanks as well." Emily B., Brooklyn, NY - September 2009 Riviera- "I wanted to thank you for arranging our tour of the French Riviera. It was a wonderful tour and we had a wonderful guide. Thanks again, Anne G, Cincinnati, OH - September 2009 Riviera- "We enjoyed our tour and Stephanie was great! We would be pleased recommend your company." Marjorie R, Kingwood TX - September 2009 Riviera- We most definitely enjoyed our European cruise; it would rate up there as the best vacation ever. We also had a wonderful time on our Monte Carlo Private Shore tour. Our guide was fantastic. We will definitely recommend your services to our friends and family traveling to Europe. Thanks again for your help, responsiveness and professionally it was most appreciated. Theressa F., Olympia Fields, IL - September 2009 Riviera- On behalf of all my friends, we want to send you a very big thank you for an incredbile day we had in Monaco / Monte Carlo /Nice while on our cruise vacation. Our driver-guide for the day was Pascal and hats off to him. Everything about the day and what he planned for us will be forever remembered. Everything we wanted to do and see we did. His knowledge of the country and suggestions for lunch were right on. I will certainly pass along to cruise critic what a great organization you have and will recommend you for furture excursions to this unbelievable city as well as others. Take Care, Thank you again for everything. Garrett Group, Baton Rouge LA, Tillson NY and Flushing NY- September 2009 Riviera- Absolutely Incredible! We had put together several other private tours in Florence, Bruges, and Lisbon. All were good tours, but the tour we booked through you was by far the best. The guide provided, Stephanie, was excellent. She was extremely knowledgeable, warm and personable. With her outgoing and friendly personality, it was more like she was part of the group, rather than a guide apart from it. She kept us on track time wise, and made sure we saw everything as planned. Put simply, she was very informative and lots of FUN! This tour was everything a private tour with friends should be. We could not have asked for more! Anthony M., Brooksville FL, September 2009 Dubrovnik - "Our recent trip in Dubrovnik was excellent. The guide was well informed. The car and driver were good. They were waiting for us as we got off the ship and got us back on time, We enjoyed our day! Thanks." Lynda H., Stuart, FL - September 2009 Valletta - Malta "We have been back from our trip to Europe for over a month now. For all of my family is was truly a trip of a lifetime. The Malta tour which you booked for me was a great tour to start with. I selected the three old cities in Malta--Mdina, Mosta, and Rabat for our tour in Malta and it was a good choice. The Our Lady of Assumption Church at Mosta was beautiful, particularly the dome. St Paul's catacombs were really interesting and hard to believe they did that by hand. Walking the streets of Mdina was also special. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. She definitely was proud of her country Malta. It was a great tour and someday God willing I'm going to take my grandsons to Europe and Malta will certainly be one of my stops. Thanks for all the help. You guys came up big.." Donald C., Carmichael CA., September 2009 Riviera- We just came back from our cruise and I wanted to tell you that the tour guide Stephanie was fabulous and my wife Merle who works for Post haste Travel in Hollywood FL intends to recommend your company to her clients in the future. Robert F., Hollywood FL, August 2009 Riviera- I would like you to know how much we enjoyed our tour in Cannes. Our driver was Pascal and he was wonderful. He brought us to a scenic overlook that took our breath away. I would highly recommend him and your service. Thank you very much for being a part of our memorable european cruise. Gail C, Middleton MA, Aug 2009 Monte Carlo, Naples, Kusadasi, Katakolon and Piraeus- "Our cruise was amazing, we had the time of our life.
All our tours we had booked through Private shore went really well. They were all on time and very informative. Great service and very flexible.
I would like to thank you and all the staff for helping us make this a great trip.
Would recommend Private Shore Trips to everyone. Malaga, Livorno, Cannes, Barcelona, Lisbon, Vigo and Civitavecchia- I just want to let you know that all the tours were wonderful! They were on time and the tour guides were very nice and informative. Thank you so much for your help booking these tours and my family and I had an amazing time in Europe. I will definitely recommend you to all my friends and family. Thanks again! Khana F., New York, NY, August 2009 Villefranche and Naples- "So glad you asked for our feedback. The 2 tours were awesome. The tour in Nice with Breece, our tour guide, was so beautiful and relaxing. He was very knowledgeable and personable - we had a great time. The best part was being able to spend more time in St. Paul de Vence and foregoing another stop - we could make that decision "on the fly" because it was just our group. Agostino in Naples was also very good. We spent no time waiting in lines - he arranged everything and then stepped into the background and let us do our thing! We ended up with a private boat tour around Capri, a ride up on the chairlift to the top of the island, and a wonderful lunch at Columbus restaurant. My husband had the best raviolis of his life! We would definitely recommend Private Shore Trips to anyone who wanted to tailor their tours to their own interests and did not want to be part of a large, impersonal tour." Dani M, Mission Viejo CA - July 2009 Villefranche, Naples, Civitavecchia, Livorno, Dubrovnik- "We're back home from Europe, we want to let you know that we were very pleased with all the tours that you organize for us, it was a great group of people (drivers and tour guides) they were always on time and they were all extremely nice. It was a great experience and we will contact you in future trips. Thanks." Pilar G., Dominican Republic - July 2009 Greece, Turkey, Italy- I can't describe the feeling I had when we arrived in Athens to find Maria waiting for us with a big sign and a bigger smile. I felt relief that she was there and that our journey could begin. Maria was incredible - whisking us off to Cape Sounion and then through the Acropolis with her wonderful story-telling and history lesson. She took us to a phenomenal restaurant at the base of the Acropolis and by the entrance to the Plaka. The food, the perfect weather and her lovely company made for a perfect day. In Turkey we were met by Hakan, a true character and delightful guide in Kudashi. He was so knowledgeable about Ephesus and the Terrace Houses, we were rapt. He took us to a local restaurant for lunch and off to learn about Turkish carpets...another wonderful experience. Finally, our last tour in Naples started off in Pompeii. Our guide Agostino managed to get us through the throngs of people and see the sights - managing to capture some shade along the way. We were supposed to do the Amalfi drive to Positano and Sorrento but the traffic was crazy so he took us through the mountains and off to Amalfi. Unfortunately, on our way we received a call that one of our party (who remained on the ship) was taken to the hospital in Naples. My brother- in -law hadn't been feeling well and went to see the ship's doctor, who promptly sent him to the clinic. We made the decision, heartbreaking though it was, to turn around and go back to Naples. Agostino stayed on the phone, translating the diagnosis from the doctors to our family. he had the driver, the wonderful Nicolo, take us directly to the clinic and stayed with my father and brother until they released my brother-in-law. Though not the trip we had hoped for, Agostino came through for us and made a bad situation more bearable. I can't thank you enough for assisting us with our plans - I would have no hesitancy in referring other to you for their shore excursion needs. All the best- Fay T, Bala Cynwyd PA, July 2009 Livorno- "Francesco arrived early and the vehicle was a very nice Mercedes mini-van type (we don't have this type in North America). I had chosen the Chianti wine region tour which apparently is not the best choice for first-timers to that area. Francesco pointed out that most tourists choose Pisa and Florence as a first tour in the region. He gave us the choice but since our teen daughter decided to come with us we knew she wouldn't be too keen on a 3.5-hour wine tour drive through Tuscany. Francesco had the perfect solution - a trip to Pisa, a tour of Florence, and still time to visit one winery. We enjoyed the tower in Pisa, strolled through Florence and had lunch there (didn't get to see all of it of course, that would be a day in itself), and Francesco arranged a tour of a winery/olive oil producer in Tuscany. I scored a fantastic deal on some premium organic olive oil that I would have paid a fortune for here in Canada, and a couple of bottles of their Chianti as mementos of a great, great day. We really appreciated Francesco's flexibility with the tour and his eagerness for us to have an enjoyable time. He did mention that he was filling in for the tour guide who was supposed to do our tour that day but was double booked or something, so he didn't give us his card in order to keep things honest. It didn't matter to us that he was a substitute as we thought he was great anyway. Whenever we got out to see something he was always waiting with the car exactly when and where he said he would. I would certainly recommend him for anyone." Monique M., Callingwood, Ontario, July 2009 Naples- "We had a great time. Pascual did A great job. We really enjoyed it. Stefano also was a great help. Thank you." Awilda L, Coral Gables FL - July 2009 St. Petersburg- "We had a wonderful tour and the guide you provided was very good. She took us to all of the places we wanted to go, handled the history of St. Petersburg well, and most importantly, gave us insight as to what life for a Russian is like now that the Soviet Union is gone. I would recommend your company and if ever you need me for a reference, do not hesitate to ask." Shirley L.. San Francisco, CA - August 2009 St. Petersburg- "The tour was excellent, the guide was knowledgable, pleasant and flexible in meeting our requests (eg short lunch). Certainly better than being in a big bus tour with all the other passengers." Thanks. Susan W., Cheshire, United Kingdom - July 2009 Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Le Havre- "Just returned from London yesterday. Just wanted to let you know that all went well and the guides were outstanding. Had a fabulous time and looking forward to working with you again. The guides were very professional and on time. One was 30 minutes late, but we forgave him... He turned out to be a very good guide. I think it was in Belfast. Leaving for Honolulu for the month of August Wed, so have a lot to do before that date. Thanks again." Ed J. Ventura CA - July 2009 Marseille- Marie-Helene showed up on time with a very nice, clean Mercedes mini-van type vehicle. She had gifts for us - two small bottles of a local liquor and some French perfume samples. I thought this was a very nice gesture. She had water bottles available for us throughout the day as well. She was definitely the most professional of the 3 guides. First we went to a fortress and after about 2 minutes we decided we had seen about one too many historial structures by this point in our trip. It was the last day of our cruise and we were quite exhausted. We just couldn't take any more photos or hear any more history. I talked to Marie-Helene about this and asked if we could have a very strange tour and could we locate a specific French sporting store that my daughter loves because it sells a line of French equestrian equipment. Not only did we do that (had to buy an extra suitcase for all the equipment we bought) but upon hearing that my daughter does horseback riding Marie-Helene called a friend of hers and we ended up going to her beautiful property in Provence complete with horses and a show ring. The friend is an accomplished equestrian herself and did a show for us. She even let my daugher ride her horse. Even with the language barrier between us and the friend, it ended up being a day we will never forget and by the end of the day we all considered Marie-Helene to be our dear friend. After the riding show we went to Cassis and enjoyed a couple of hours strolling around this beautiful seaside town and had lunch there. We found a local market and bought some wonderful handmade Provencal ceramics. Marie-Helene was always waiting with the car where and when she promised. I'm quite sure Marie-Helene will never do another tour quite like ours and I will never forget how she tailored the day to our needs and wants. Monique M., Callingwod, Ontario July 2009 Riviera- The tour with Pierre was very good. Pierre did a terrific job for us. He was informative, engaging, and accommodating. Russ M., Vancouver Canada, July 2009 Riviera- We were very happy with the tour, and would not hesitate to use or refer your company in the future. Larry I., Woodbury NY July 2009 Riviera- We really enjoyed our tour. Our tour guide Yannick was fantastic -- very courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. Will definitely keep you guys in mind for future trips. Grace K., New York, NY, June 2009 Athens- "We were extremely pleased with the tour. Our guide was a delightful and very informative lady. We all enjoyed it very much". Jim L ., Ooltewah TN, June 2009 Riviera- We had great time on the tour. Our guide Brice was very informative. We look forward to travelling with you again. Thanks. Kruti C, Dover NJ - June 2009 "One of the very first things that one should admire about a person or a company is integrity. Mr. Steven Hurley and Travel with Friends certainly has that. Not everything goes well all of the time. When my wife and myself had difficulties with a tour in Barcelona, Spain that Mr. Hurley arranged for us, the details were verified and without question or delay the issue was resolved. A few days later, Travel with Friends had arranged another tour for us starting in Monte Carlo. Mr. Hurley went out of his way to assure that this tour went 'without a hitch' - and it did. Thus, via integrity alone, I would recommend Travel with Friends and would use them again." Walter F. Zoller, D.M.D. Titusville, FL, June 2009 Piraeus, Kusadasi and Naples- I can't describe the feeling I had when we arrived in Athens to find Maria waiting for us with a big sign and a bigger smile. I felt relief that she was actually there and that our journey could begin. Maria was incredible - whisking us off to Cape Sounion and then through the Acropolis with her wonderful story-telling and history lesson. She took us to a phenomenal restaurant at the base of the Acropolis and by the entrance to the Plaka. The food, the perfect weather and her lovely company made for a perfect day. In Turkey we were met by Hakan, a true character and delightful guide in Kudashi. He was so knowledgeable about Ephesus and the Terrace Houses, we were rapt. He took us to a local restaurant for lunch and off to learn about Turkish carpets...another wonderful experience. Finally, our last tour in Naples started off in Pompeii. Our guide Agostino managed to get us through the throngs of people and see the sights - managing to capture some shade along the way. We were supposed to do the Amalfi drive to Positano and Sorrento but the traffic was crazy so he took us through the mountains and off to Amalfi. Unfortunately, on our way we received a call that one of our party (who remained on the ship) was taken to the hosptial in Naples. My brother- in -law hadn't been feeling well and went to see the ship's doctor, who promptly sent him to the clinic. We made the decision, heartbreaking though it was, to turn around and go back to Naples. Agostino stayed on the phone, translating the diagnosis from the doctors to our family. he had the driver, the wonderful Nicolo, take us directly to the clinic and stayed with my father and brother until they released my brother-in-law. Though not the trip we had hoped for, Agostino came through for us and made a bad situation more bearable. I can't thank you enough for assisting us with our plans - I would have no hesitancy in referring other to you for their shore excursion needs. Fay T and Howard G. Bala-Cynwyd PA - June 2009 St. Petersburg-We had a wonderful Baltic cruise and stayed 4 more days in Copenhagen. We enjoyed the fantastic St. Petersburg tour very much. Dasha is a wonderful tour guide, she has explained the early Russian history to us well. I will definitely keep you in mind for the future European cruise. I will arrange another Mediterranean cruise to Greece and Turkey next year, will inform you later for the dates. Helen L., Placentia, CA June 2009 Livorno- "THE TRIP WAS GREAT, and I highly recommend using you. Thanks again." Jeff V., Henrietta NY, May 2009 St. Petersburg- I would like to thank you for the wonderful tour you have provided us in St.Petersburg. The bus was nice and very comfortable, the driver is very good and the guide, Titiana was so nice and knowledgeable and also very helpful. We are very happy with them and the tour.It was very nice and St.Petersburg is wonderful. I will recommend your company to anyone and again thanks for the wonderful service. I hope to book for more tours with your company in the near future. Sincerely, Lucia P. Mississauga, On. Canada, May 2009 Athens- "I just wanted to let you know that the tour of Athens arranged through you
and Private Shore Trips was (once again) fantastic!! Elsa, our guide, was more than knowledgeable of the history and current ongoing renovations. What a joy she was to be with for the day!! Please pass on our compliments to her. Thank you for recommending that we take a few hours to tour the Plaka... We had so much fun. Also, the driver, condition of the van, etc. were all superb. Dublin- We had a wonderful tour of Dublin. Our guide Mary and driver Phillip were both very knowledgable and accomodating. We were always dropped off very close to the venue we wanted to see. Everything ran very smoothly and we were able to see everything we had requested and more. We will be certain to recommend your company in the future to any friends going to Ireland and hope someday to make a return trip. Thank you again for such a pleasurable experience. Gilda S, Jonesborough TN, May 2009 Marseille- "Magnificent! Loved it, loved it! Guide was wonderful. We had William for both days and he was great!! Could not have been nicer, or more helpful or pleasant to be around. We were quite pleased." Debbie D., Richmond VA, May 2009 Istanbul and Piraeus- The guide was absolutely superb. Alexandra was nice, intelligent, and informative. We loved her. Turkey was also wonderful. I am very impressed with the way you handled things. We had set up a couple tours elsewhere with someone else and were not happy at all. Thanks for everything." Stephanie M., University Place WA - April 2009 2008 CommentsTaormina- "Thank you. It was a perfectly wonderful tour. We appreciate your flexibility and assistance throughout. In the future, we will keep Private Shore Trips at the top of our list." Kathleen C., New Brunswick NJ., November 2008 Naples- "We just returned from our cruise and had to say how great everything turned out, everyone was punctual and very knowledgable, it made our trip much more fun to be with just our group, i wont hesitate to recommend you and plan to use you again in the future..once again thanks it was wonderful." Judy C., Knoxville TN, October 2008 Athens- "Our tour in Athens was amazing, Costas was our tour guide and it made all the difference in the world. He was so knowledgeable about the Greek history it made it so much more meaningful. We had 8 in our tour and the van was great and we saw everything we wanted to see. Costas found us a wonderful place for lunch in Plaka, a real treat, tasting all the Greek foods.....it is the only way to tour, in a small group with someone from the area. I am sure we learned so much more on this private tour, then one of the ship's shore excursions. I will definitely recommend your website and the next time we travel we will definitely be contacting you. Thanks again." Bev F., Fripp Island SC, October 2008 Riviera- "Our trip was great and our guide Stephanie was excellent. She took us to all of the main points between Cannes and Monte Carlo. She's also a very good driver getting us in and out of very small places. Our favorite part of the tour was EZE village. We are planning another trip next year probably a cruise this time to/from Rome or Barcelona." Dale G., Miami FL, October 2008 Kusadasi and Istanbul- "Thank you for the Email inquiring about our guided tours in Turkey. I have been meaning to take the time to write to you in order to let you know how very much we enjoyed our time in Istanbul and Kusadasi/Ephesus. The tours you arranged were perfect and we could not have asked for better guides than the ones you provided. In particular, I wanted to let you know how pleased we were with Aret, our guide in Istanbul. As it turned out, Istanbul was the highlight of our trip (which included stops in Rome,Venice, Athens and several of the Greek Islands). I am sure this is due in no small part to having such a knowledgeable and experienced guide. Aret introduced us to, and entertained us with, the marvels of Istanbul. He gave us a real appreciation for Turkey and Turkish culture. He did this all the while being sensitive to our American culture and customs. He made us feel as if he enjoyed our company and enjoyed the task of showing us his part of the world. The experience of Istanbul is one I will never forget. Thank you for arranging such a perfect part of our trip. Sincerely yours." Kelly C., Charleston WV, October 2008 Istanbul and Kusadasi- "I just have to tell you how great the three tours were. "Denis" was our guide in Istanbul and was prompt, courteous, and very informative. He took us to parts of the Spice Market that we would never had seen on a ship's tour, and the trip up the Bosphorus was fabulous. In Kusadasi we had Sammy who was was very charming and outgoing and full of facts. He told us more about Ephesus than we could assimilate. We all concurred that we would use Private Shore Trips again!!! We most heartily recommend both guides." Lala M., Vera Beach FL, October 2008 Riviera- "The idea of booking a tour outside of the cruise ship was scarry, but we are so glad that we did. Our south of France tour was by far the best excursion we did on the entire 12 day cruise. Our driver Pascal was very knowledgeable about the area and about Europe in general. His English was spectacular and seemed genuinely excited about his job. We can't thank you enough for helping us book this tour and we will definitely keep you in mind for the next time we go to Europe. By the way, when you have more people book tours in the South of France, I would definitely recommend letting them know that if they miss Eze, they will truely be missing out. Thanks again!" Jim G., Willoughby OH, October 2008 Italy and Turkey- " The tours were great that we booked, I would certainly book more private tours, some of them are a little pricey, but the ones we booked were Marseille, French Riviera, Italy- "Everything was wonderful. The guides were very Of specific note, Florence was spectacular. My grandparents have been to the city many times and commented that they felt as though this trip they truly saw it for the first time. Sylvia's driving ability was impressive as she was able to squeeze into the tightest of spots and get us up close to everything. She navigated the city streets with ease, allowing us access to areas my grandparents had never reached due to limited mobility. My only negative comment is about the port of Marseille itself. Our guide was obviously very passionate about the city but we didn't find it that wonderful. I think she was disappointed when we asked to return to the ship after 3 hours instead of the full 4. Please know this was not her fault. In retrospect we would rather have spent the day shopping in the marina area. Live and learn!" Jaclyn G., Mableton GA., October 2008 Cannes, Split, Valletta- "Thank you for the email. We surely enjoyed the trip to Europe. The three tours we booked through you were excellent. The guides were excellent, with a real in depth understanding of the history and culture of the places we visited. Weather was very good in Cannes and Malta. A little morning rain storm in Split, but it cleared after lunch. Everything was very flexible and I believe we got to see everything that we wanted to. The group found the price to reasonable, especially compared to the ship tours and large bus groups that they deal with. I think we got to see some very interesting areas that the buses normally can’t reach. We have advised our travel agent of the services you provide and our satisfaction with them." George C., Whitby Ontario, October 2008 Barcelona, Villefranche, Livorno, Malaga, Lisbon and Vigo- "Thank you for warm welcome back, glad to be home. Thank you for all the arrangements we definitely we’ll refer you to all our friends traveling to Europe. All the guides were very informative and knowledgeable people. It was a pleasure working with you." Janna B., Granada Hills CA, Sep – Oct 2008 Katakolon and Sibenik- "Having just returned from my Mediterranean cruise with my husband and four friends I just want to say how much we all enjoyed our Private Shore Trips. The arrangements all went as planned and the guides - Katie in Katakolon and Karmen in Sibenik - were excellent. They both spoke very good English, were interesting and informative and were also good company. I would highly recommend them to any future travelers and will definitely use Private Shore Trips if I cruise again." Liz R., Wymeswold England, September 2008 Riviera- "We had a great time with your driver and tour guide. We enjoyed our trip to EZE, NICE and MONTE CARLO. I will be sure to pass your your company on to my friends who would like to go over there. Once again thank you." Ronald V., West Hurley NY, September 2008 Riviera- "Hi The trip was great. Although we paid for a 15 passenger van we received two mini vans. I do consider this an upgrade. They were able to get us closer to the top in Eze than we would have gotten with the 15 passenger bus. The guides were knowledgeable and friendly . I will recommend your service to others. I am writing a review to be posted on both trip advisor and Cruise Critic. Thank you for all your help." Bob C., West Hartford CT, September 2008 Kusadasi- Great job by Orchen in Ephesus. I was particularly impressed that your tour company uses both a driver and a guide. The enhancement of the tour was significant. We had 5 guided tours on this trip (none of them provided by Celebrity cruises ... I arrange them myself). Orchen's tour in Ephesus was in the top 2. Please pass on my best to Orchen. I told him I was going to write and give him "props." Jeff and Ann B., Lilburn GA, September 2008 Riviera- "Our driver and tour guide were fabulous. I would highly recommend Private Shore Trips to anyone. Our guides were so accommodating, and their knowledgeable of the area including many cities visited afforded our ability to see and experience much more than any tours offered by the cruise lines. Instead of the limited times and destinations offered by the cruise line, we were able to experience many “spots” known only to locals as well as the “cannot-be-missed” attractions. Our guide also provided historical facts about the places we were seeing which added to the flavor. We can’t thank you enough for the personable professionalism extended by your company. Please feel free to utilize me as a very satisfied customer reference at any time." Kathryn B., Indio CA, September 2008 Riviera- "Our tour was remarkable! I forgot our tour guides name, can you find out and let me know as I have some friends going to Nice in June. I will give them your information but would like them to use our tour guide. Thanks again for planning such a memorable tour." Wendy E., Metairie LA, September 2008 Riviera- "The shore trip was great! It was so much better to have a private tour, as opposed to the bus tours that the cruise line contracted with. We saw more sites than would have been possible any other way, our driver was knowledgable, and an expert driver, and she (Sabrina) got us back to the ship on time! She even had time to drop my older son off early so he could watch the USA-China basketball game on TV in his cabin. If I find myself doing another cruise in Europe, I will contact your company to set up the shore trips." Robert A., Bellaire TX, August 2008 Kusadasi and Istanbul- " We would be happy to recommend your service to any of our friends.. Your guides were professional, and knowledgeable, and aside from the heat we had a wonderful time....Thank you for your help." Don S., Studio City CA, August 2008 Riviera- "Just wanted to let you know that everything worked out great with our tour with Yannick for the French Riviera on 8/24/08 - He is an excellent tour guide and I saw everything I wanted to. It was a dream come true! I would highly recommend your company to anyone who may be considering a private tour - it is well worth the money!! Thank You!!" Karen H, Columbus NJ, August 2008 Riviera- "Thank you. We had a great time. Our tour in Nice, France and Monaco that you arranged for us was nothing less than excellent. We had Pierre as our driver/tour guide. He was great. He spoke English very well, got along very well with all us, and took us everywhere we could possibly go in the time we had. He also was always aware that my dad was in a wheelchair, and took us to places that were better accessible for wheelchairs. We had several tours for our Europe trip, and I would say that this tour ranked as the best or second best that we had. The driver/tour guide makes all the difference because of their knowledge of the area, their friendliness, their ability to communicate with us, and their ability to make the most of our time. With that, Pierre was excellent and did a superb job. I will definately keep you in mind for future tours for me and my family and also will refer you to others. Thanks again." Dipesh P., Portland OR, August 2008 Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki- "I can't explain how happy my group was. They said, It was an unforgetable trip! Let me tell you, the 4 days tour of Estonia, Russia and Finland were the best. All the tour guides were incredibly good. They were always on time and waiting for us.Thank you, I am very pleased I went thru Private Shore Trips. You can give me and my company Corporate Travel Services as reference anytime." Lynn S., New York NY, August 2008 – Corporate Travel Services Dubrovnik, Corfu, Katakolon, Kusadasi, Valetta, Messina, Livorno, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Palermo and Naples- "Mr Northover had a wonderful holiday and services you booked were much appreciated and enhanced his overall experience.. We shall certainly use you for future bookings.
Many thanks." Split, Croatia- "I just wanted to send you a note on how much our group enjoyed your services especially the driver and guide. They were so knowledgeable about the locations and were so pleasant to be with. Thank you very much for making our trip memorable." Jim M, Ft Lauderdale FL., August 2008 – Cruises Inc. Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki- "I can't explain how happy my group was. They said, It was an unforgetable trip! Let me tell you, the 4 days tour of Estonia, Russia and Finland were the best. All the tour guides were incredibly good. They were always on time and waiting for us.Thank you, I am very pleased I went thru Private Shore Trips. You can give me and my company Corporate Travel Services as reference anytime." Lynn S., New York NY, Aug 2008 – Corporate Travel Services Athens and Corfu- "We had a wonderful time in Greece!!! Our guides in Athens and Corfu were fantastic! They both were friendly and very informative, and they made our short visit worthwhile." Allison C., Humboldt IA, August 2008 France and Italy- "I just wanted to thank you, again, for assisting us with our private tours in France and Italy! We had the most wonderful visits and I want to specifically say how great the tour guides/drivers were. We enjoyed spending the day(s) with all of them and would recommend your company, and those specific guides, to anyone traveling to those locations. They helped in making our first trip to Nice and (3 ports in) Italy very memorable! We've been home a week and can't stop talking about our trip...I'm not sure we will! Merci... Grazie... Thank you," Cindy C., Ashburn VA., August 2008 Split, Piraeus and Istanbul- I just wanted to thank you and your company for providing excellent excursions for Mr Holmes & Family during their recent Black Sea Cruise. They had a great time. Sue O. (Personal Assistant to Mr. Holms), Chelmsford Essex UK., August 2008 Naples, Rome and Istanbul- "Our trip was fabulous and all the logistics worked out well, including your private shore trips. For our family, that was the way to go. Far more flexibility and personalization than the bus tours and more cost effective than getting the vans through the ship. We definitely will recommend your site and tours, and will sign up again on future trips! Thanks for your suggestions and help." Jim W, Estero FL, July 2008 Naples and Villefranche- "Our trips in Naples and Villefranche were terrific. The guides were knowledgeable, interesting, and very enjoyable. Our guide in Amalfi knew just where to take us for an amazing lunch and in Villefrance our guide adapted to a huge traffic jam and strike in France so that we maximized our time and enjoyment. They were flexible, prompt and it was all around superb!!" Myra G, Watchum NJ, July 2008 Sicily and Athens-" Thank you very much for contacting us. Our tours were wonderful from start to finish. In Sicily, we had Angela and she was superb. In Athens, our guide was ill and we had a replacement named Georgia. She was one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met. She was definitely better with the older people in our group. We ranged from 7-77 so it was a hard group to talk to. Everything was timely, and we would definitely use your company again. Thanks." Lisa C, Fountain Hills AZ, July 2008 Venice, Katakolon, Santorini and Piraeus- "We had a wonderful trip. All the tours that you arranged were fabulous. The guides were very knowledgeable, flexible, and more than accommodating. I can’t thank you enough for all you help. We will definitely use Private Shore Trips again and tell all our friends about you." Missy R., Fort Worth, TX, July 2008 Villefranche, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, Santorini and Dubrovnik- "It was absolutely wonderful and thanks to the fabulous tour guides we were able to see so much more than we had ever hoped. I cannot say one bad thing about the experience as a whole. Again, thank you so much for arranging everything. I just wanted to give you my feedback because this is how you will make decisions about tours in the future. I can say that I will definitely want to hire you again and I know that feedback is important in providing the best of the best for your clients. Katakolon- "Maria was fantastic! Extremely knowledgeable, energetic, entertaining & passionate. I highly recommend her to anyone visiting anywhere in Greece and will specifically seek her out for our next visit." James H., McDononga, GA July 2008 Gdansk - Poland- "Thank you for helping us with the guide in Gdansk. Everything worked out well and we were very pleased with our guide and driver. We will certainly recommend Private Shore Trips to our friends." Susan S, New York NY., July 2008 Riviera- "We are back from our holiday and everything went off without a hitch. The tour guide you recommended- Anthony, was fantastic. He really knew the landscape and was extremely well informed. My son asked many questions (some that he knew the answers to already) and Anthony was ready and able to tackle them. He was also funny and friendly- these qualities are very important when dealing with people. I am inexperienced with computers and was very nervous booking on line and giving my credit number out but you guys made it effortless which made the whole travel experience great. I will definitely recommend your company. Thanks again." Janet T, Toronto, Ontario Canada, July 2008 Kusadasi and Istanbul- Everything went smoothly on our excursions. The meal in Istanbul wasn’t the greatest, but our guides were pleasant and informative. The excursions booked through the cruise line were inferior to yours in many respects..including cost. We will be happy to use you in the future." Tom R., Diamond Bar, CA, July 2008 Riviera- "I should have written long before now to tell you how FABULOUS our excursion was in Cannes!!!!!!!! Marjorie and the driver (not sure of his name) were awesome. They made great suggestions about places to see at our stops, suggested a couple of places we hadn't planned (but loved) and were truly gems to us! We ALL loved them! I can't say enough nice things about them and the service. Many thanks for helping to make our trip wonderful..... the entire cruise was great too!!! We will definitely use Private Shore Trips again if we get back over there!" Kay W., Richmond Va., July 2008 Riviera- "Thank you for organizing a wonderful experience. Our guide was very knowledgeable and helpful. He made sure that we saw the changing of the guard in Monaco and he suggested that my husband would like a ride in a ferrari around the race track which he thoroughly enjoyed. I have recommended you to a friend who will be traveling to France next year." Leonie B, Sydney Australia, July 2008 Riviera- "Thank you for the tour service you provided us from Cannes. The two vehicles you provided were first class and the two driver guides were exceptional. Your service made our visit to Cannes and Monte Carlo a most memorable one. I would have no hesitation in using your service in the future and recommending your service to my friends." Don C, Caledon Ontario - Canada, July 2008 Riviera- "All tours ran smoothly and according to our needs. Guides very informative and friendly. We had a great time. Thanks again." Shelly T, Calabasas CA, July 2008 Riviera- "I wanted to take this opportunity to write you a quick note in regards to our Cannes tour on July 7th. Alexander, our tour guide, was just amazing. Our ship arrived in port a hour late and while we were concerned that we might miss our connection, Alexander was patiently waiting for us. As soon as we got into his van he was off to give us more than we asked for. He made sure we saw as much as possible and still have time to appreciate the absolutely beautiful areas. Our four children loved his good nature and were very comfortable with him. In just a few hours we felt he was part of the family. "Thank you for helping us with the guide in Gdansk. Everything worked out well and we were very pleased with our guide and driver. We will certainly recommend Private Shore Trips to our friends." Susan S, New York NY., July 2008 Naples and Livorno- "Just got back in the office from our trip and wanted to let you know how awesome your guides were. Pasquali on the Pompeii / Amalfi coast tour was outstanding! He made the trip very personal and fun. His information / recommendation on Pompeii turned out great and when we talked to people who were with other tour guides they said they wished their guide had done the same. My mother in law adopted him by the end of the tour and we invited him to visit us in Texas if he gets a chance. French Riviera- "We had a "wonderful"' time with your guides. As a travel agent, I would hightly recommend your company, and I already have to Wesley Rosenthal and Karel Kroos. Hopefully they have contacted you and booked an excursion or two. Thank you so much for all your help. I'm sure we will be e-mailing again. A lot of times I just give referrals on tours; if I'm doing to the cruise I just give them your e-mail." Corinne S, Columbus OH, June 2008 - Uniglobe Precise Travel Barcelona- "I Was very pleased with our tour of Barcelona. Had concern that we might have a problem with the airport meeting but it turned out well as the greeter was where she was supposed to be and the two groups were merged into one. Will keep your company in mind for all future trips." Rick O, Lady Lake, FL June 2008 - Josette's Travel Livorno- "My family and I were very, very happy with the tour. Collectively and severally the 14 of us travel a lot. At the end of the day, all were in agreement that this was one of the very best tours we have experienced. The driver arrived on time and drove very safely. The bus was very clean and new. The tour guide (Stefano) was knowledgeable, gracious and offered us all a lot of insight and information in touring Lucca and Pisa. The allocation of time between the two towns (more to Lucca and less to Pisa) was perfect. Thank you for an enjoyable and memorable experience. Please send our regards to Stefano." Keith W, Cherry Hill NJ, June 2008 Livorno-"Indeed the private shore trip to Pisa and Florence was fantastic. Our driver, Max was very friendly and helpful." Anna A., Nicosia, Cyprus June 2008 Messina- "Just a quick note of thanks. We had Gertrude as a tour guide on Sicily. She was very knowledgeable, and very accommodating, with all of us. Wwe will recommend your company to anyone and everyone wanting to see the Sicily."Brian D, Middleboro MA, June 2008 Barcelona, Cannes, Livorno, Civitavechia, Piraeus, Santorini, Dubrovnik and Naples- I am happy to relate that all the shore trips you arranged for us went off without a hitch. The tour buses were top notch, being nearly new. The tour guides were very informative and personable. In all cases I believe the tours to be as good as, or better than those offered by the cruise line. The great advantage was in having a group of only 10 persons. We were able to move around quickly and the smaller 14 passenger buses were able to get us into areas the large buses could not. I have been happy to recomment your services to several people already. Piraeus- "Our guide in Athens wasn't just good, she was EXCELLENT. We had a great tour. I think that our day in Athens was the most memorable of the entire trip, thanks to the wonderful tour with Helen. She was informative and engaging, and great with our kids (ages 9 and 14)." Linda F, Washington DC, June 2008 Marseille- "We are home and trying very hard to get back in our routine - it's hard!!! We had a fabulous trip and everything about it was perfect, including our excursion with Private Shore Trips. Our Guide was extremely knowledgeable and very accommodating to our needs. She made our trip to Provence and Marseille most enjoyable. Thank you for all your help and, if we should ever return, we will certainly use your services again and we will recommend your service to others." Judy H, Wakefield MA, June 2008 Riviera- "All went well. We were quite pleased by the prompt, professional service. Your drivers were knowledgeable and the service was first rate." Dennis S, Ann Arbor MI, June 2008 Kusadasi- "European cruise & Private Shore Trips were great! Dennis was our guide for Ephesus & he was out of this world! We were all so impressed with how he handled himself & his knowledge (not only about Ephesus, but everything). Diane could not really go with us on the tour due to the steps, etc. (she was in the minibus & thought she could walk without trouble, but then realized she was having a problem). Dennis had the driver take her to a few places to pick up some gifts & just explain to her about the area & that was so nice. The place he picked for lunch was out in the county & was one of the highlights of the tour (out of this world)! He is outstanding & everyone kept talking about him at dinner later in the evening. I will use you again, also I have told my friends about Travels with Friends & that your company is one they can trust." Theresa R. & friends, Reno NV, June 2008 Riviera- "Excellent tour and guide! We had a great trip and we will certainly recommend you in the future. thanks" Zack R, Cummings GA, June 2008 Greece, Italy and Turkey- " What a great time all of us had. Mostly because of our tours with the people you booked us with. I can't say enough about our tours, guides, drivers and vehicles...All of us were impressed with each of them and have already recommended your company to people we know who have upcoming trips to Europe. Plans are being drawn up for our next trip in 2 years..I must admit I was afraid something would go wrong, and being the one in charge of the bookings all of the blame would fall on me if one of the tours didn't show up...Well what a hoot when we got off the boat in all 3 places and there was my name on the bus....Once again thank you for all of your help." Peg T, Union KY, June 2008 Villefranche and Palermo- "We truly had the trip of a life time and your tour guides helps us make it that. Thank you very kindly, we would consider your again in any future trips". George H, Mount Joy PA, June 2008 Livorno, Naples, Kusadasi and Piraeus- "We had a wonderful vacation. Every one of the tour guides were great. My family was really impressed with their knowledge, service, and friendliness. I was pleasantly surprised with how much better an experience we had compared to the Princess Cruise Ship Tours. For example, our tour guide for the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii knew that Pompeii was closed until 11:30 AM and changed our itinerary to travel along the coast in the morning and go to Pompeii at the end of the day. The other tours just took people to the gate and waited for two hours. Thanks again. My wife and kids felt that each guide was a "friend" by the end of the tour. The guides in Florence and Ephesus were probably the highlight for us. The Mercedes vans that were used in most cities were always nice. I've already recommended you to a friend." Walter H, Union Hall VA, June 2008 Barcelona,
Malta and
French Riviera- "Malta was just a perfect schedule - enough to see the city and hear all about its history, etc...
looks like a very interesting port to drive by... unfortunately though we had such a limited time there! Monte Carlo, Livorno and Piraeus- "Let me take this opportunity to thank you and the three different companies that we toured with. Each tour group was wonderful. My parents were so impressed with the guides, drivers and the exceptionally clean vans. This trip was absolutely flawless and we owe a lot of that to your company and the tour companies that you put us in contact with." Christy N, Kilgore TX, June 2008 Izmir, Dubrovnik and Naples - " The trip was wonderful but even better were your Private Shore Trips. We took two shore trips with the cruise line and were very disappointed!! The price was high, the guides were not that helpful or informative and we felt like we were a bunch of cattle being herded in and out within a designated time frame! All three tours that we took with Private Shore Trips were FANTASTIC!! The guides were very knowledgeable, accommodating, flexible and absolutely wonderful people. Since we got home we are telling everyone we know that when they cruise to take their off shore touring packages only from your company and NOT the cruise line. Whenever we cruise we will contact you to see if you have tours for our location. I can't thank you enough for making our vacation a real experience to remember. Your tour guides are the best!!!" Shila H., Milton DE, May 2008 Villefranche, Livorno and Naples - "We had a wonderful time. The guides you provided were superb! Having our own car / guide allowed us to see so much more and to make adjustments to suit our needs... which we did with each tour. The guides were always accommodating. We would definitely recommend Private Shore Trips as the way to go. Cheers." Nancy P., Wake Forest NC, May 2008 Berlin, Tallinn, Helsinki - "Thanks so much for your attentions.. my tours all perfect.. i write my recommend to you in spanish no problem ok. Riviera- "We had a great cruise and a wonderful tour in France. Our driver was fabulous and showed us so much. He was able to get us into Monaco at a very busy time and showed us exactly where to go to see everything. We will go back in 2010 and will definitely use your tour service again. Thank-you" Ann H, Ft Myers FL, May 2008 Katakolon- "Thanks so much for arranging our shore excursion to Olympia. Our guide, Saska, was waiting for us at the pier.s She was informative, considerate and entertaining the entire tour. Our entire group of nine people were very impressed with her and the tour. Thanks again for your planning. It was wonderful!" Donna W., Davidson NC, May 2008 Riviera- "My French trip ended a month ago and we enjoyed it tremendously. Yannick proved to be very nice and great assistance in everything." Siriporn T., Bangkok Thailand, April 2008 Riviera- "Thank you...we had a great day with Anthony. We would definitely refer others to you...and we will call you again when we are in that area!" Judy G, Lakewood CO, April 2008 Riviera- "We are back from our Mediterranean cruise and the tour in Monaco, Nice, Monte Carlo and Eze on Thursday, April 24th. We want to let you know our tour guide, Anthony, did a fabulous job. He certainly made the tour great. He even suggested we visit the town of St. Paul. He was right. It was wonderful. He provided so much information that made everything more interesting. Thank you again and Thank Anthony for us again. We will be happy to recommend your services to all our friends. Again, thank you for making our visit an enjoyable occasion." Nancy S., York Pa, April 2008 Kusadasi- "The cruise was wonderful, as was the entire trip. The guide services we had in Istanbul through you were excellent. Dennis was our guide and he was delightful, spoke perfect English and mixed his knowledge with humor, which the group loved. He even took us to a little local favorite restaurant of his for lunch. We will look forward to working with you again in the future." Jacquie W., Cary NC, April 2008 Riviera- "I just wanted to let you know that all went perfectly with our arrangements. Anthony was great and we enjoyed a delightful day. Ended up doing Eze, Rothschild gardens and lunch in Nice. Perfect, thanks for your help." Susan L., Clay NY, April 2008 "Just would like to thank you. All the excursions in Greece and in Turkey were great, everything was just as described. I´ll recommend you!" Rosemary S., Amazonas Brazil, February 2008 2007 Comments"We had a great time on our tour. Antony was a wonderful guide. We loved his French accent. The weather was perfect. St. Paul de Vence was awesome. Thanks for everything and have a Merry Christmas." Bob and Kim G., Smithtown NY, November 2007 "Thank you. We thoroughly enjoyed our private tour in Nice. Our driver-guide, Jean-Luc, was excellent. We would be most pleased to use his services again. Our private tour was easily the best of any taken on our entire trip. I would recommend your service from beginning to end. Thanks again!" Lois T., Westminster MD, November 2007 "We had a great time and the guide was excellent. He took us to beautiful places where normal shore excursion tour will probably not. We definitely will keep your organization in mind for future European travel. Cheers." Raymond C., Fort McMurray AB Canada, November 2007 "I just wanted to write and tell you what a wonderful time we had exploring the French Riviera, with the help of your tour guides. We all were very pleased with what we saw and did. The drivers/guides were exceptionally helpful and friendly and we certainly could never have done it on our own. Thank you very much for a memorable experience :-)" Lori B, Masspequa Park, NY, November 2007 "Thank you! It was wonderful and Jean Luc was very amenable, patient and kind." Anita K., Encinitas CA., November 2007 "We want to thank you for the great job you did on planning and organizing our trip to Europe. The eight of us had a great time as well as being pleasantly surprised at how well the trip was organized, how gracious our drivers and guides were how pertinent your suggestions were. We will be having friends go in the spring and will be referring them to you." Denise Anglin and William Peare, Roslyn, WA November 2007 "I got home yesterday. The tours were wonderful. You have spoiled us." Diane A., Abilene TX, November 2007 "Everyone enjoyed all three tours. The guides were friendly and easy to understand. They were very knowledgeable, too. I even recommended Travels with Friends to our travel agent." Alex S., Antrim, New Hampshire, November 2007 "The trip was excellent. We very much enjoyed all the guides. Having our own tour really made the trip. When we took one of the ships tours in Sicily the final day, it was no where near as good as having our own guilder. Thanks again so very much. We will be recommending Private Shore Trips and I am sure we will be utilizing your services again in the very near future." Sue Ellen J, Roseville MI, October 2007 We, my family of eight , just used Private Shore Trips for our Mediterranean cruise and I can not tell you how happy we were. Seeing those bus loads of people leaving the cruise ship for tours with no individual say on what they will see or do. Private Shore Trips worked with us, made each port of call unique to our taste. The guides where there waiting for us, each guide was knowledgeable about there city, the history and lay of the land. We saw and did things we would have never been able to do otherwise on 12 hour port of calls... We will probably never use cruise excursions again.... you will think the same once you have used Private Shore Trips. Thanks again. Brian and Alex F., Hollywood FL, October 2007 "The tour was terrific. The driver was very informative and took us where ever we decided to go. I will highly recommend your company to all my friends if they need a guided tour. Thanks again for all your help!!!!" Len N., San Rafael CA, October 2007 "We all had a marvelous time & all the arrangements made with you went perfectly. Anthony even helped us book a restaurant for our evening meal on Saturday - he could not have been more helpful." Linda B., Glenrothes Fife UK, October 2007 "Thanks for arranging the Nice tour for us, the driver Antony was wonderful and professional, we were very happy for his service, please forward this message to Antony's office for me. Will recommend your service to everyone that needs private tour for Nice. Thanks again." Le S., Langly BC - Canada, October 2007 "Anthony, our guide / driver was considerate, thoughtful and all-round nice - all this made our day trip a very pleasant and enjoyable experience around Monte Carlo / Eze / St. Jean Cap Ferrat. It was also smooth dealing with you. I'd recommend Anthony specifically and your services in general to my other friends / family next time. Thanks and please thank him again for me if you have a chance." K.W., Hong Kong, October 2007 "Our tours were great....Sylvie in Florence was amazing....I would use your services again. Thanks." Colleen M., Ontario Canada, October 2007 Thank you. We had an absolutely lovely trip. The guides and drivers you provided were great. Everybody especially liked Stefan in Cannes, but then also Tanya in Lisbon was a joy. All were very informative and had nice personalities. We had Suzanne in Barcelona and she was great also. Thank you so much for adding pleasant memories for all of us. Marlene S., Boonsboro MD, October 2007 "The trip was fabulous, and our tour guide you arranged for us was the best in class! Thanks again!" Sandy G., Wichita KS, October 2007 Everthing was wonderful. All the tour guides were wonderful. I look forward to working with you next year when I take out more groups. Sincerely, Mary Ann Garofala, Journey Tours, October 2007 "Thanks for yor follow up. It is indeed tiring with a big group, but the arrangements you did for us were great and made less stress for me.
It was very good, the guides and bus drivers were always there before the excepted time. All went well and my people were very impressed with your services.
Definitely I will use you again and actually have told the consultants in my office to use your services. " We had an excellent day, as expected, given our previous experience. Our guide, Melina, was very knowledgeable and looked after us all really well. I have recommended your services to a couple of people we met on our cruise. As for us, we will certainly use your company again - not for us the experience of being herded around with a coach load of other tourists - we are now getting used to the personal touch." Janet D., Merseyside, England October 2007 "Our European vacation turned out great. The Athens tour meet all of expectations. The minibus was clean and the driver very good. The pickup was on time and the tour guide excellent. She was well informed, had excellent English and the presentation interesting and informative. She was especially good in the museum where we learned as much in a couple of hours as a couple of days on our own. We will definitely recommend you to our friends." Hank L., Williamsburg, VA, September 2007 "Well we are home and have had a trip of a lifetime. We would like to thank you very much for making our day trip in Athens and Cape Sounion with Elsa a wonderful day. She was there about an hour before we disembarked (we could see her on shore while we were on deck) and then when passengers began disembarking was waiting with our Family sign. She was a lovely person as well as a very informative guide. She was very passionate and knew her history very well. We had a great day, and learned with enjoyment, a great deal about Athens and Cape Sounion. Pass on our best wishes and a big thank you to her, and to you thank you for organizing a special day. We have already been passing on the link to Travels with Friends here in Australia, and would not hesitate to contact you again should we be going on another holiday requiring guides or shore trips. Thanks again for making our holiday special." June and Andrew T., Redland Bay Australia, September 2007 "We contracted for Izmir Private Tour, Option 3 on 12 Sep 2007. We had limited time ashore and requested to be met as early as possible. It was with great joy that we were greeted by “Dennis” of Kusadasi holding a sign having our name. In a short time we were under way in a very clean, comfortable van that easily accommodated the five of us with a smooth, cool ride and large windows to see sights. Dennis spoke English very well. We had an outstanding tour of Ephesus and places along the way. This private tour was everything we had hoped for and a superb introduction to Turkey. Dennis was extremely knowledgeable, polite, on time, organized and eager to please. He knew exactly where to take us so we could avoid time-consuming conflicts with other groups. The driver was outstanding too. He got us in and out of very tight areas and returned us to the NCL Jewel exactly on schedule. The tour was a truly memorable highlight of our entire cruise and we would highly recommend this private tour to anyone!" Harold B., Mount Calvary, WI September 2007 I am back from my wonderful trip and I just wanted to say "thanks" for all of your help. Everything went very smoothly and our guide was perfect. We enjoyed him very much and he was not only informative, but very nice to have with us. I will always recommend your company in the future to anyone that may be coming that way. Thanks again. Trina P, Lawrenceville GA, September 2007 "The excursion with Private Shore Trips from Cannes to Monaco on the French Riviera was terrific. It was far superior to our excursions arranged by the cruise line during our 8 port visits." Fred N., Cruising for Members, September 2007 "I certainly did enjoy my vacation, and want to thank you for the excellent service you provided, as well as the additional recommendations you were kind enough to research for me. The private tour exceeded our expectations. The driver was prompt, knowledgeable and courteous. Also, the hotel you suggested in Nice was perfect. I will surely consider your services in the future, and recommend them to others. Thank you." Eleanor W. Wilmington, DE, September 2007 "Thank you for your assistance in booking our tour in Cannes. Please mention our thanks to our guide PASCALE. He was extremely nice, courteous, knowledgeable and funny. He made our tour through Nice, Monaco and the other cities, very enjoyable." Albert V., Oxnard CA, September 2007 "I want to thank you and your organization for making our family reunion cruise a success. Each and every one of our 9 trips was perfect. Your staff in Lisbon, Barcelona, Marseille, and Villefranche were excellent and very knowledgeable. The guides/drivers were terrific with suggestions to keep the children in our group happy yet satisfy the adults. I truly appreciated your flexibility. Working with our group of 24 was a challenge and you rose to the occasion, especially when you alerted us to the cruise line change in itinerary saving our day trips. I particularly want to thank you for arranging the Flamenco Dancer Dinner and the birthday surprise for my 7 year old daughter. They took her on stage and had her dance with them. What an experience! I recommend your organization highly and without reservations. Thank you making our vacation perfect." Dr. Lisa M. Sheppard MD, Princeton JCT NJ, September 2007 "Sorry for the delay in getting back to you but the holidays make things so
crazy. We had the time of our lives. The tours were beyond our
expectations. Our guides for both trips were waiting on the pier for us.
The Vans were roomy, beautiful and thankfully air conditioned. We were
brought into the city centers where the larger tour buses were not allowed
due to their size. It was amazing the knowledge of our guides and their
English was wonderful. Then there was Florence and Pisa. Our guide Stefano was wonderful. There was so much art, and the history that Stefano gave us was amazing. Stefano took us to a little cafe for lunch where we got a taste of local Italian cuisine which was absolutely delicious. Both our guides spoke English well and were so knowledgeable of the areas we
toured. We would have never experienced all that we did without their
expertise, and knowledge. "First of all, we want to Thank you for your service it was first class, all of our tours were great, all of the tour companies used were great, and we had a super time. The guides we had in each port we great, and we appreciated the vast amount of information we were given. "We had a wonderful trip. It was go-go-go most days and we actually got overloaded with ruins and history, if you can believe it. As for the tours; "We had a wonderful time, the 3 tours we took were great. Santorini was great, Demtra was fantastic, she did a great job. The Florence tour was with Letta, she ran a little late because of traffic but she did great job too. Last was Frank in Nice, he gave us a wonderful tour. The vehicles were good, let me know if you would like me to do a testimony for you sometime. Thanks for the tours." Jerry B., Fort Worth TX, September 2007 "We arrived home last night and we want you to know that our trip and all the private tours were fabulous. Everyone was there on time, flexible and informative. We could not have asked for more. I have given your e-mail address to dozens of friends and recommended the service. We are so, so, so glad we did not participate in any of the excursions for the cruise ship. The groups were too large and too impersonable. Thanks so much for all your work." Marv and Peggy G. and Dave and Deb R., Malibu CA, August 2007 "Just got back from our cruise in the Med and wanted to drop you a line. We took 4 excursions while traveling the 12 days in Europe. 2 of those tours were average at best and 2 were outstanding. You should be happy to know that the two outstanding ones were booked by "Travels with Friends". Our last two days on the trip brought us to Cannes and Livorno. In both cases the driver/guide was prompt, courteous, and very helpful. We got to experience much more in these two tours than any cruise line excursion could possibly provide. No comparison. I will never ever book another tour with a cruise line if a private tour is available. For almost the same money one gets so much more." William B., West Palm Beach, FL, August 2007 "The tour was great. The driver was very informed and provided us with many tidbits of local information. I would recommend this to anyone." Ben R. Wantagh NY, August 2007 "She was a wonderful guide – all in all a fabulous experience, thank you." “Kathy R., Redwood City, CA, August 2007 "In Rhodes we also had an absolutely wonderful guide. We had a great day and lunch with him and were very pleased. English was excellent. In Olympia, we were all getting pretty tired and told our guide we were like a shortened version of the original sight as it was still very hot. He did an absolutely wonderful job stopping under trees and keeping his explanations short and directly to the point, but very informative. We then went to the museum where it was cooler and talked for awhile and learned a little more. Great trip. " Pam N., Indialantic FL, July 2007 "Our trip was unforgettable. We were delighted with our driver. She was friendly and very professional. I would definitely recommend your services to our friends. Thanks again!" The Robledo's, Culter Bay FL, July 2007 "Ann met us in Villefranche and was so lovely...We spent the day with her and had a great time touring just the most beautiful places...Eze is somewhere you can't describe to people...Nice was incredible as was Monte Carlo, Monaco and driving the Grand Prix track! We fit in everything we wanted to see without feeling rushed." Annette R. and Family, Melville NY, July 2007 "We enjoyed the tours that Travel with Friends provided in Turkey. Our guides were very knowledgeable and met all of our expectations. We will certainly use Travel with Friends again and would be happy to recommend your services to our friends." Pat L., Toronto, ON Canada, July 2007 "In Instanbul we once again had an abolutely wonderful guide. We spent a nice day in the City and the guide joined us for lunch so we were able to get some real insight into Turkey. He was great." Pam N., Indialantic FL, July 2007 Amalfi Coast and Pompeii - "Can't say enough about this day and the Guide. The guide we had was so passionate about Pompeii, knew his stuff and made you feel like you were back living there 2000 years ago. The teenagers with us on this trip were amazed and loved every minute of the visit. The driver navigated the curves and tight streets like a pro and always made us feel very comfortable." Mike F., San Diego CA., July 2007 "The Vatican was just incredible. Our guide dropped us off to meet our Vatican guide. She had just a wealth of knowledge about the Vatican. We could have spent the whole day there. I was just amazed by how much she knew. If I went back, I would definitely request her. She was above and beyond what we expected. By end of that tour, I felt like she was one of our friends! I think we might have spent an hour longer there than expected, but she kept in contact with our other guide to let him know where we were. After we were done with that it was time for lunch. Our guide wanted to take us to a place away from all the tourists restaurants. He took us to an Italian restaurant that had the best pasta we all have ever had in our lives. We are still talking about it! We then went to the Trevi Fountain and then it was time to go back to the ship. It was hard to take the ship tours after being spoiled with our wonderful private tours. Next time we go somewhere, I will definitely email you and set up more tours. Thank you so much for all your help. I will definitely recommend your company." Debbie S., Scottsdale, AZ., July 2007 "I just got back from the Mediterranean cruise and wanted to thank you and everyone from your company for the wonderfully arranged tours at the ports I booked for. We had a great time and your tour guides and/or driver guides were fantastic! A special mention has to be given to Matilda from Naples…..she was more than a tour guide! She was extremely professional and was very informative, and she brought us to the best restaurant in the Amalfi coast!" Doris L., Vancouver BC, Canada, July 2007 "Then Florence and a guide named Daniel. Daniel was nothing short of wonderful and we had a great time with him, learned a lot about the City and thoroughly enjoyed our day. We would recommend him to anyone and are still talking about the day we spent with him." Pam N., Indialantic FL, July 2007 "Gianni in Rome was great also. We squeezed so much into one day in Rome that it was incredible. Who knew that our cruise ship would be beached in Civitivecchia for another three days! We could have spread it out accordingly. 'Our driver was a charming companion. Overall, it was exactly as planned, and I couldn't have asked for anything better. While I may not be going to Europe again soon (one never knows), I will not only keep you in mind but definitely recommend you to friends." Anita G., New Windsor NY, July 2007 “Thank you for all your help – we LOVED our tours. It was a big leap of faith booking it on line and everything went perfectly – thank you for that. Our tour guides were all wonderful! We hope to be in Europe again soon and we will definitely keep this in mind.” Suzanne P, Bedford NM, July 2007 "All of the guides made you feel welcomed in their hometown and were willing to answer any questions we had. I want to thank you for your help in arranging these tours and will gladly recommend your service to anyone needing excursions." Mike F., San Diego CA., July 2007 "Both of our trips at Civitavecchia and Villefranche were wonderful. The "I wanted to let you know how pleased we were with our guides but also how terrific the web site is. I can honestly say that your guides went out of their way to accommodate us. My husband is 80 and has trouble walking but they made sure he saw and did what he was able to. The cruise line mass merchandises their excursions and they really do loose something. This was spectacular to have private guides and the pricing was certainly less than anything the cruise offered. In some ports they don’t even offer the private car and guide so this was a vacation saver for us since you gave us the opportunity to see sites we never would have. Thank you and continued success." (Lisbon and Barcelona) Jill D., Bronx, NY, June 2007 "We have only fond memories of our experience with your tour operators. We would highly recommend Travels with Friends for anyone! We will use your company again when we try to repeat this trip. Thanks so much for your good work!" Annette R. and Family, Melville NY, July 2007 “Both tours were good (Athens and Nice). Athens was great because we were picked up in a twelve-passenger mini bus (Mercedes, I believe) which had an aisle from front to back, two seats on one side and single seats on the other, plus we had a driver and a guide , with a microphone , who talked to us the entire time - the female guide spoke very good English. In Nice and the French Riviera we had only the driver/guide in an eight-passenger SUV - we were taken all over the area (Nice, Eze, Monaco, St Paul de Vance) and our driver was pleasant and informative. In short, we were very pleased with the service and certainly would recommend your company to anyone, including in Dallas the Cruise travel agency we used to book our cruise.” Abe W., Dallas TX, June 2007 “Just wanted to let you know the trip was fantastic. Our private tours scheduled through you were great. Much better than the ones we scheduled through the cruise. The guides were friendly, personable and really made the trip! The entire process of coordinating these tours through you exceeded our expectations. We'll be glad to be a reference for you if ever needed.” (Naples and French Riviera) Greg L., Louisville KY, June 2007 “I can't say enough about each tour and guide you booked for us. As my group said "I batted 1000". "Our trip overall was great and the tours worked out wonderful. Each of the tour drivers was prompt, prepared, friendly and so accommodating! They were informative all along the route and were good about making suggestions and altering the time frame here and there when we requested. We felt that we really covered a lot of ground and now understand why we were so tired at the end of every day. We surely made the most of our time there. I don't really have any suggestions, as the itineraries seemed about as full as they could be and well thought out in terms of how they were sequenced. I thought the drivers were quite careful (we took note of it), considering the crazy way everyone over there drives." (Rome and French Riviera) Christina S, Shelby Twp., MI, June 2007 “We had a fabulous trip and our shore excursions in Barcelona and Villefranche could not have been better. We have been recommending you to our friends”. Kevin and Barb K., Dubuque IA, June 2007 "The three tours arranged via your company were excellent. Our whole group enjoyed the land tours very much. We will certainly use your services in the future. Thanks again." Stanley W., Lake Forest Park, WA, June 2007 "We enjoyed every tour very much!" Joan, O., Maitland FL, June 2007 “I can't even begin to tell you how amazing the trip was!! The tour guides you provided were Great and we'd strongly recommend your company to fellow travelers. "Florence: Sylvia was fantastic. She got us in to the head of the line to to see the David in about 5 minutes, took us to a great little restaurant for lunch, steered us away from some sites that weren’t all that great, and was a delight besides. She is absolutely tops. “Our private tour was very enjoyable. The driver we had was very knowledgeable and accommodating. We all had a excellent time. Our wives enjoyed a little shopping, our lunch in a country French restaurant was truly memorable. The van we had was very comfortable. This tour was a good start to a very enjoyable cruise. Thanks for the great service.” Rich S. Fort Lee NJ., June 2007 “We were very pleased with our tour guide – He was very knowledgeable and we had a memorable day. We were supposed to have lunch in Monte Carlo and due to heavy rains, we did not stop there. Our guide suggested another area “St. Paul” (a medieval village) on the East side which he said would not be rainy. He was absolutely correct and we enjoyed a lovely lunch there in picture perfect weather. Our tour was terrific and my husband and I will always remember our special day along the French Riviera. Thank you.” Nancy R., Kinnelon NJ, June 2007 "We loved Anthony! He was wonderful, very flexible and recommended a great place for lunch. We’ll keep you on our list for next time." Marcia H., Saratoga CA, June 2007 "All the guides were very knowledgeable about each of the place we went (Rhodes, Athens and Katakolon). We wish we had more time in Greece. There are too many places in Greece to visit." Amelia V., San Diego, CA, June 2007 "Helen was very informed, bringing the city to life for us. She could have used a bit more organization to her presentation, but her tangents about Greek mythology and the countryside we passed through were fascinating." Athens and Corinth- Roger M., Washinton DC, June 2007 "We truly enjoyed our two private tours arranged through your website. We were spoiled by our first one in Athens, since we were greeted with both a driver and a guide with a mike in a mini-bus. Great. The Nice tour was very good as well. We ended up having a nice lunch in Antibes, and we did walk up to the Chateau Eza for a look from the restaurant terraces. I will recommend your services to anyone, happily. Our trip was truly enjoyable - the only downer being the crowds, especially Venice, Rome and Athens - best to go in April or first two weeks in May, or in the fall. For your info, we were very happy with the Celebrity cruise line and more specifically with the Millenium ship. Again, dealing with you has been a pleasure, and we hope to "do business" with you in the future. Thanks and best regards," Abraham W. Dallas TX May 2007 "We had a wonderful time. Our private tour was great--Christina did an excellent job. I will definitely recommend your company to others." Kristen L., Houston TX, May 2007 “Thanks so much for your kind and very professional follow up!
Yes, we did enjoy the private driver-guide to Monaco. We spent a very informative 5 hours with him. He did include Eze Village on our itinerary, which, even though I had visited before, was once again just as charming. "The two tours that we took were wonderful and I would certainly use Travel With Friends again when I return to the Mediterranean. I was a little nervous especially doing everything by the internet, but not after meeting Yannick (in Villefranche) who was very accommodating. Even though we could not go to Monaco and Monte Carlo due to the race, Yannick make the tour very interesting and enjoyable. Paul in Rome also did a great job especially with the weather and the senior citizens in my group. I would highly recommend Travel with Friends to anyone traveling to Europe." Joel J., Philadelphia, PA, May 2007 “Our trip to Greece and Turkey was great. The guides and transportation booked through your company were excellent. Thank you for your follow-up. I will definitely recommend your services to my friends and associates.” Bob B, Ashburn ON Canada, May 2007 Thanks so much for all of your assistance! I will certainly remember your services for future use and will be recommending you to anyone who is asking after services you provide while in Europe. Thanks again!!” Lois R, Yardley PA May 2007 "A million times THANK YOU!!! Working with you, & Travels with Friends, has been the greatest pleasure from our first communications with each other, all the way through to receiving your most welcome "Welcome Home" right on our first day home. "We had a wonderful vacation and your guide was excellent and very professional." Kelly N., DeWinton, Alberta Canada, May 2007 "Everything was grand! Thomas did a great job showing us Nice and the area. Thanks for all your help!" Gale H., Indianapolis, IN, May 2007 "The Marseilles tour guide was probably the best and most professional. We were 10 so we had the mini bus. She had a mike hooked up so everyone could hear. She really gave us a sense of life in the region. She was informative and very pleasant and very interesting. The bus was immaculate and she even had a step for me to easily get in. It was a wonderful tour." Maris L., Freehold, NJ, May 2007 “Our trip to Greece and Turkey was great. The guides and transportation booked through your company were excellent. Thank you for your follow-up. I will definitely recommend your services to my friends and associates.” Bob B, Ashburn ON Canada, May 2007 "The tour guide at the Vatican was wonderful, he really made the paintings come alive so I really developed a better understanding of what I had seen so often in pictures and books." Christian Rome Tour- Maris L., Freehold, NJ, May 2007 "Our Travels w/Friends experience was outstanding. The van was waiting for us first thing in the AM and our driver was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. We enjoyed moving at our own pace and traveling in a comfortable air conditioned van. I would highly recommend travels w/friends and will definitely use your service next visit to Europe. (I did spread the word to many of our fellow cruisers!) Thanks again." Karen E., Rockford, IL, April 2007 "The tour bus was on time and the driver was courteous and the guide was excellent. Would rather have had more time in San Gimignano than Sienna. Overall, it was very good." Elizabeth W., St. Augustine FL, April 2007 "The tour was excellent, the tour guide knew her stuff. It is a pity that we did not take the whole day tour because when I asked the tour guide, she was already booked for the afternoon. I have already given your name to my fellow cruisemates. Thank you again. We definitely will use you again. I also told my travel agent about you." Dewi T., La Verne CA, March 2007 "I just wanted to take a minute and let you know that I am your biggest fan….and if you ever need a testimonial, I would LOVE to provide one for you. I was so happy with EVERY ONE of the tours, tour guides and itineraries. The buses were there waiting, the tour guides were prepared and extremely knowledgeable and they were all so willing to make ADJUSTMENTS to our itineraries to accommodate the need for SHOPPING for my group. We just love every single one of them. 2006 Comments"Thanks for a fantastic tour of the Riviera. Our guide Gregory was simply magnificent. By far this was the best tour we experienced on this trip. His knowledge of the area and his presentation was beyond all of our expectations. We will highly recommend your company and Gregory on the travel chat boards. Again thanks for a great experience." Scott and Joni O., Avondale AZ, November 2006 "Our "Best of Riviera" tour was great. Traffic was a problem between Villefranche and Cannes but that couldn't have been avoided. The guide was very good, spoke excellent English and was very, very knowledgeable. We had a group of 8 good friends. The van fit us perfectly. Private tours are the only way to go. The alternative would have been to get on a huge tour bus with 50 people we don't even know and ride around listening to a tour guide who may not even speak good English...that makes no sense at all. Travels With Friends is Great. Thank you very much." Tom and Carol S., Louisville, KY, November 2006 "Our guide, Thomas, picked us up in Villefranche and gave us a fabulous tour of Nice (flower market), Monaco, Monte Carlo and because we had several travelers who could not navigate a lot of steps he suggested we go to St. Paul de Vence instead of Eze. He talked his way right up to the inner section of Monaco for drop off as we had handicapped people. It was a good suggestion and a perfect day and a great driver/guide. Thank you." Vivian P., St. George, UT November, 2006 "All of our 5 tours were wonderful. The drivers and guides were very knowledgeable about the destinations. Thank you again for your assistance." Shelley W., Newport Beach, CA, November 2006 "Great job on the tours they were excellent. The driver guides were excellent each and everyone one of them:
All in all was worth the time, energy and money! Bravo! They all catered to our needs. All these driver guides were more of friends to us than driver guides. I hope they enjoyed our company as well. Thanks TWF. Great job!" Evelyn, M., Burtonsville, MD November 2006 "I just wanted to commend you on a job very well done on our cruise vacation excursions. All the guides were really excellent and we got to see much more than the people on the big bus tours. We will certainly recommend your service to others." David K., Silver Spring, MD, November 2006 "Thank you so much. We enjoyed the guides you provided for us. We have ALREADY mentioned your company to others. I hope we were gracious enough for your people. We were a bit unsure what to tip and hope the guides were satisfied with what we did give. I really appreciate your attention to detail with our tours and we were extremely happy. Thank you." Carolyn M., Lake Mary FL, November 2006 "We had the best time and are so pleased we used your service. All three of our drivers were excellent and the experience they gave us of their cities was wonderful. Nothing was too much trouble and it turned our excursions into really special events. We would have no hesitation in using your services again and have already recommended you to colleagues and friends." Janet D., Birkenhead, Merseyside, UK, October 2006 "We enjoyed our vacation so much and our private tours were wonderful! Katrine picked us up in Cannes and we had such an enjoyable day with her. She was a wonderful guide and she made our day so special! There were 8 of us with her that day and we all enjoyed the day -- it was one of our best on the trip! "We just got back yesterday, Oct 22 and I am very glad to bring the good news that all the tours have been a wonderful success!!! The buses were very comfortable and the tour guides have been great and considerate of our senior citizens. "I have just returned from our Mediterranean Cruise and want to thank you for the wonderful private tours you assisted us with. I have already given your website to two prospective clients who inquired about our tour of Rome and Athens. Thank you once again; we will be using your assistance in the future." Pamela E. New Haven CT, October 2006 "We had a wonderful time in Athens, our tour guide was Nick or Nicolas. He was the best guide ever; he was very informative and speaks English perfectly. His knowledge of the city was unbelievable; he was very flexible and took us to where we want to go. I am a travel agent and we sell cruises, I will refer your tours to all my clients. Thanks for everything." Gina D., Anaheim, CA October 2006 Thank you for a fantastic Tour of Athens - our Driver and Guide were just great. The Acropolis (we spent most of our time at this venue) was more than we could ever have imagined. Our only suggestion to you is that more directions could be given regarding the location of finding our Bus and driver as we left the ship. I have to say that once we found the Bus, our frustration was short lived and we still had our full 4 hour tour." Margaret S., Waiuku, Franklin District, New Zealand, October 2006 "We had a wonderful time in Athens, our tour guide was Nick or Nicolas. He was the best guide ever, he was very informative and speaks English perfectly. His knowledge of the city was unbelievable, he was very flexible and took us to where we want to go. I am a travel agent and we sell cruises, I will refer your tours to all my clients. Thanks for everything." Gina D., Anaheim, CA October 2006 "Thank you for the help in Cannes, the drivers were very, very polite and friendly. They also had a lot of knowledge of the area we toured. I most certainly will keep you in mind if we come to Europe again." Ruth P., Rocky Mount, MO, October 2006 "Our guide in the Riviera (Mark) was excellent and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. He was knowledgeable, friendly, a careful driver, and followed through on all our requests. We'd definitely recommend your service." Harriet G., Boca Raton, FL September 2006 "We had wonderful times in Naples, Rome, Florence and Pisa. All of our three drivers were excellent. We definitely will use your services in our next trips in Europe. Regards," Harry l., Woodridge IL September 2006 "I just want to drop you a line to tell you how much we enjoyed our two tours we took with your company and what a fine job both Danny in Livorno and Alberto in Naples did for us. They were very prompt, courteous, extremely friendly and knowledgeable about their respective areas and made the separate tours an absolute delight for all of us. I will make sure to use you in the future and to pass on your name to others who may be interested in coming to Europe and in need of excellent tours." Don D., Westford MA September 2006 "We had a wonderful time in both places (Barcelona and the French Riviera), and the tour guides were great. I will be sure to recommend your services in the future to anyone who asks." Cathy L, Diamond Bar, CA, September 2006 "I want to thank you for all your help with our shore excursions, the experience was amazing. We took the Voyager of the Seas and we were four adults traveling with an 18 month old baby. The guides paid attention to all of our needs. They also recommended places to visit as well as restaurants. All of our guides spoke both English and Spanish fluently, which made it easier to communicate with them. All the guides were knowledgeable, friendly, careful drivers, and followed through on all our requests. We are very happy to have chosen Travels with Friends and I recommended you to all the people we know. Hopefully they will use your firm for their future travels. I really appreciate all of your time and efforts in helping us have an unforgettable vacation." Alina R., CPA, Carolina, Puerto Rico, September 2006 "We had a wonderful time! Our guide in Monte Carlo, Pascal, was an excellent guide and a real sweetheart. He was very knowledgeable, spoke and understood English perfectly - no trouble understanding him. He took very good care of us - we wish he could have traveled Europe with us. The Florence tour was also very nice. We had some difficulty understanding our guide, Diego. However, he tried very hard and did a good job showing us around. We are very happy to have chosen Travel with Friends and I recommended you to other travelers we encountered. Hopefully they will use your firm for their future travels. I really appreciate all of your time and efforts in helping us have a wonderful vacation." Gloria W., Roselle, IL September 2006 "Both private tours were wonderful. We enjoyed them immensely. I will definitely use your service for my travels in the future. Thank you so much." Connie A., Houston, TX September 2006 "All three of the “tour guides” that you lined up for us were absolutely perfect. Each one of them (Yannick; Daniel and Constantine) were very personable, professional and knowledgeable, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for like services. For people going on a cruise with limited time to spend in each “port”, it’s definitely the way to go. We heard a lot of grumbling from other passengers about their experience with the larger groups on packed buses." Gary S., Wilmington, NC August 2006 "Our trip was wonderful! Our pick up at the airport, two tours, and transportation to the pier all went well. I would definitely use your company again for future travel needs." Joan W. Manalapan, NJ August 2006 "Derek did a fantastic job for us and we had a very positive experience on our tour." Mary P., Bedford NH August 2006 We had a great tour of the French Riviera with Jerome. He is very knowledgeable and friendly. We were able to see so much in a single day! I would definitely recommend Travels with Friends. Thanks for your help," Karen N, Westborough, MA August 2006 "We had Yannick as our tour guide and he was very informative. I definitely will contact you again when we go for our next visit." Gayle K., Yorba Linda, CA August 2006 "Our tour of the Amalfi Coast was wonderful. Aldo was a great guide. He was waiting for us when we came off the ship. He loves the Amalfi Coast and shared that love with us. He stopped often so we could take pictures. His choice of stops was wonderful, especially the view area with the fruit stand. We all bought delicious cherries and plums to take back to the ship. Lunch was at a wonderful local restaurant where we had a great family style meal. We would recommend Travels with Friends to anyone." Jackie and Michael Z., Oak Park, CA August 2006 "Jim and I couldn't have been more pleased to be greeted at the ship by Maurice and treated like royalty on our tour of Pisa and Florence. He was just amazing with all the traffic and was able to get us into both the Uffizi and the Academia Gallery without any wait. He would get us to a tour site and would let us know where he would be at all times to pick us up. He showed us to a quaint local restaurant for lunch. Maurice was a pleasure as our guide and we would highly recommend a private tour with your company to others. Thank you again for making our European trip a pleasure." Lori and Jim W., Irvine, CA August 2006 "Both our tours were wonderful. In Rome, Eduardo was great. He took us exactly where we asked and was very patient with us (stops for pictures, directions, bathroom stops and conversing with my daughter who studied in Rome last year). In Naples our guide Fabrizio was amazing! We thought we were just getting a driver and when we found out we also had a guide....we were "pleased as punch". He was so much fun, the kids adored him (by kids I mean ages from 18 to 21). He arranged lunch for us and showed us everything we wanted to see. Those were our best tours yet! We tried to do some of the cruises tours and....not so great. We will definitely recommend your agency to our friends." Adria U., Columbus OH August 2006 "We had a wonderful time. The private tour in Italy (Pisa/Florence) was wonderful! We had a driver and a tour guide who went out of their way to make us feel comfortable. The tour guide even had water bottles for us and the bus was really comfortable with a good AC which was greatly appreciated (it was hot in Italy!)." Olga C., Blauvelt, NY, July 2006 "I wanted to let you know that the Cohen Family thoroughly enjoyed their experience with your company. They are raving about the tour and guide you provided. We will definitely keep your company in mind for future booking. Thanks." Tommie at Globetrotter Travel July 2006 "Sorry this is so late....as I told you both my daughter and brother and sister-in-law were on this trip and they are Cruise One Agents. They thought you were GREAT!!!! Fabrizio made Pompeii come alive. My daughter is just working with a group for the Med now and is recommending they use you." Barbara C., Dover DE, July 2006 "Marianna was superb and we really appreciated the extra effort she gave us. We were excited to see the ruins of Pompeii and to see the sights in Sorrento and along the Amalfi Coast. I was a bit nervous about arranging a separate excursion from that offered by the cruise ship, but with 11 of us in our group we just couldn't afford their prices. We appreciate the commitment by Travel with Friends and the arrangements they made for us and setting us up with such a fantastic hostess for our tour." Dave H., Provo UT, July 2006 "We had a marvelous vacation, and enjoyed our tour with Sylvie tremendously. She was waiting for us right on time at the dock, and conveyed us to the sites we requested with grace and charm. We are passing your contact information to our friends Nick and Stacy, who are traveling to Villefranche within the next couple of weeks, so that they can be similarly enchanted. Thank you for helping make our travel experience so pleasantly memorable." Candace F., Alpharetta, GA July 2006 "I wanted you to know that our guide named Max in Villefranche was excellent. We were on the Celebrity Millennium. He was our first private guide on our long 18-day trip. He knew and showed us all of the sites we had wanted to see. He also took us to a wonderful outdoor cafe in Saint Paul and we loved the food. He was always courteous and knowledgeable. I recommend him highly. We were 8 people, and he was gracious to all of us." Diane, D., Columbus, NJ July 2006 "Thank you very much for the Nice-Monaco-Eze private tour! Our tour guide, Yannick, was the BEST!! I highly recommend him and your company to anyone wanting a great informative and personal experience of the French Riviera! Yannick was very enthusiastic, professional, informative and fun! He tended to all of our needs and questions diligently and nicely. Again, thank you for our great tour experience!" Arlene A., Vallejo, CA July 2006 "We had a wonderful guide in Villefranche. Ingira was very knowledgeable about the area. Her English was very good. We learned from our first excursion to ask for a quick bite to eat. It may be our group, but we didn't want to waste time eating. All in all, I would recommend your company. Our tour guide was great; the motor coach was very comfortable. I would only recommend that your guides ask what type of lunch your customers prefer." Len N., Scotts Valley, CA July 2006 "I just want to let you know that my family and I really enjoyed the private tour we had from Villefranche to Monte Carlo, Nice and Cannes. Our guide, Ingira, was very nice and informative. Thank you, and if I go back to Europe some day, I will use your company for a private tour, again." Lisa L., Highlands Ranch, CO, July 2006 "Yannick was extremely flexible, which was just what we needed. He made several suggestions to help us squeeze all we wanted to see into our day." Joe M., Owings Mills, MD, July 2006 "We had a great day on our tour of the French Riviera. I will definitely recommend your company to any friends visiting the area. Jerome did a great job for us. He was very informative and friendly." Kevin W., Hernando, MS, July 2006 "Just wanted to report back to you that the tour was great. Myrta did a fabulous job and we all appreciated her knowledge of Greek history. Costas did great and both were very nice people. We felt like we were with family all day. Thanks again and we will certainly refer your Company to others." Doug B., Marion IN July 2006 We had a fabulous time. The tours you planned on the French Riviera and in Rome were wonderful. The tour guides knew just where to take us and were very knowledgeable I will definitely recommend you and your tour company. Once again, thank you for everything." Barbara B., Delray Beach, FL, July 2006 "I want to give you special thanks for everything. The tours were wonderful. They were always there on time, very friendly and caring. I will definitely keep you in mind for my future trips and I will recommend you to people who are already asking me, how we did it." Mary D., New York, NY, June 2006 "I want to tell you how much we enjoyed the tour. I was with Giorgos. He was marvelous--so knowledgeable--no professor of ancient studies could have been better. Moreover, he had a wonderful sense of humor and was very kind and caring. Just a joy! I understand Penelope was a very good and knowledgeable guide as well. Thanks so much for making Athens a great experience." Gary H., Pacific Palisades, CA, June 2006 "I wanted to drop you a note to thank you for arranging an excellent guide and driver while we were in Athens. They were both excellent and handled the situation with the demonstrations very well. We enjoyed our stay in Athens and learned much from our guide." Stuart R., Saratoga, CA, June 2006 "The tour was perfect! The driver and guide Yannick could not have been better. He made our day in the area delightful. I felt that people love to complain so here is our letter telling about how great our guide and our time was spent." Helene and Morton G., Boynton Beach, FL, June 2006 "We had a wonderful vacation, and the tour guide you provided for us was excellent. (Antony) He was right on time, very informative, and we covered a lot of ground in just one day. He worked hard to accommodate our needs and desires. Thanks for everything!" Felicia C., Warren, NJ, June 2006 "Jerome was our tour guide and he was terrific! He met us promptly at the designated spot and was very friendly and informative. This was our first stop on the cruise and a port that I knew would be wonderful to see and all I can say is that it was even more beautiful than I had expected. This was my first time to Europe and having such a great guide certainly gave us a wonderful beginning to our trip. In the future I will recommend your company to my clients." Marion S., Ontario, Canada, May 2006 "Jerome was our tour guide and he was terrific! He met us promptly at the designated spot and was very friendly and informative. This was our first stop on the cruise and a port that I knew would be wonderful to see and all I can say is that it was even more beautiful than I had expected. This was my first time to Europe and having such a great guide certainly gave us a wonderful beginning to our trip. In the future I will recommend your company to my clients." Marion S., Ontario, Canada, May 2006 "Thank you so much for your assistance in organizing our tour in Athens. Our guide, Mariza, was very knowledgeable and made our brief visit delightful. She included many details of interesting information with her narration and was very helpful with our plans to stay in the Plaka area. Some of our group choose to go back to the ship so she accompanied them after helping us with details of how to return to the ship. Some of group felt she spoke so rapidly that they had difficulty understanding her at first - later, they said when she was talking directly to the group and not on the bus that there was no problem. Please extend to her our thanks and greetings. I will certainly recommend your services to our clients and hope to be able to take advantage of Travels with Friends guides in the future." Cynthia E., Jack Fry Travel, Ridgecrest, CA ".....this day was with out a doubt the biggest highlight of our entire trip thanks to you & your staff at "Travel with Friends". At exactly 8:00 AM I got off the ship and waiting for me in the parking lot was a young Italian man with a big sign JIM G.. My wife & I and another couple climbed into a brand new 6 passenger van and were off to Rome. He was polite, a great driver and wow, did he ever know the back streets of Rome. I gave him a list of the things we wanted to see, told him we were going to skip lunch and wanted to be back at the port of Civitavecchia by 4:30 that afternoon. In addition to stops at the Coliseum, the Forum, Trevi Fountain, St Peter's Cathedral (which we were able to get into even though it was Sunday), we drove by the Seven Steps of Rome, Circus Maximus, the Pantheon, Palatine Hill, along both banks of the Tiber River and several other favorite sites of his. Your connection in Rome did a great job in putting this tour together and getting us this particular driver." Jim G., Daytona Beach, FL May 2006 "I have given your site to so many people at the cruise ship for their future trips as we were so ecstatic with our overall shore excursion experience, specially the Naples excursion. Augusto was excellent. He even sang for us." Martha F., Bakersfield, CA May 2006 "My vacation was terrific, and the tour booked through Travels with Friends went very well. We went to 5 locations that day, and it was nice to be able to see what we wanted, when we wanted. The guide was excellent, and we enjoyed it very much. Thanks." Janice G., May 2006 "On the 16th of May I hired your company for a tour of Monte Carlo and the Riviera. The tour and the tour guide were wonderful!!!" Lois B., Warwick, PA, May 2006 2005 Comments"I can’t thank you enough for the excellent service. The private tours you arranged far exceeded any expectations.
When we walked off the ship and saw our drivers waiting we all felt like Royalty. They made wonderful recommendations regarding our itineraries. The vans were absolutely immaculate. They always opened our doors and assisted us in and out of the vehicle. They were so knowledgeable about their destinations. "We thought the tour and the guide (Marcean) were great. He spoke very good English, we did not have any trouble understanding him. He was polite, personable, knowledgeable, informative, and his driving was excellent. We enjoyed our tour with him." Doris S, Vineland NJ, November 2005 "It was wonderful. We thought Nice, Monaco and Monte Carlo were beautiful. Our guide and driver was great. I would recommend your company without reservation." Patricia W., Elkridge, MD, November 2005 "We had such a nice European trip and the best part of the trip was our private tour in France. Pasqual was a great tour guide and I wish we would have had more private tours when we went to Italy for our tours in Rome, Florence & Pisa. Pasqual was prompt, courteous, very informative and had a great personality. He made the whole trip fun and exciting. I am not saying that just to give him a better review but all 6 of us agreed that he made the trip all the more worth while. If we ever go back to Europe, I will keep your service in mind and will recommend your company to all my friends if they ever want to travel to Europe." Linda H., Colton, CA, October 2005 "We had a fantastic time! Our guide was great, and had a terrific personality. He was also quite the historian!!! We saw more in one day than anyone else on the ship. I will tell all my clients to contact your company. I could not be happier!!! Here's to next time." Donna Underhill, Royal Palm Travel and Cruise Everything, October 2005 I just want to thank you for your part in a wonderful, unforgettable vacation. We enjoyed the excellent tour and commentary on our tour of Monaco, Monte Carlo, Nice and Eze with our driver, Yves, on Sept. 20. As well, we were very comfortable and felt very safe with Yves driving. We had heard some comments from other passengers who were on large bus tours, and were glad we had chosen to tour the way we did. It was a great way to start our cruise. We would certainly recommend your services to other travelers." Barbara K., Surrey, BC, Canada, September 2005 "Our European vacation was the greatest and it all started with our 4-hour Private Riviera Tour with Jerome. He was a delight to be with. His knowledge of the area, his wit and his fluency in English made the first stop of our vacation a winner. Please extend our pleasure to Jerome and if we or any of our friends plan to visit Villefranche and its surrounding areas we would recommend "Travels with Friends" and most certainly Jerome." Angela G., North Ort, FL, September 2005 "Your tour guide worked out fantastic. We had a wonderful day and Mariana showed us a great time. We got to see everything we wanted and she was not only very informative, but patient and sincere. I would highly recommend your services to anyone. Thanks and I look forward to using your company again!" Joy A., Coral Springs, FL, September 2005 "We thoroughly enjoyed our private tour with your company. The tour guides were outstanding and so helpful. Thanks for providing us with a great tour. We shall keep you in mind when we return to the area." Riette and Robert B., Bluffton, SC, September 2005 "Our tour with Travels with Friends was superb, our guide was extremely pleasant and clear in his commentary. It's tours like this that can make a lovely holiday even better than expected. The whole party felt the same way. We would gladly book with you in the future and would recommend your tours." Martin G., Ingleby Barwick, Stockton, UK, September 2005 "Everything went very well. Thanks for a great service." Fred H., Roswell, GA, September 2005 It is with great pleasure that I write to you about our day with Yorgi! We had the best trip ever. He took us around Villefranche, then to the MOST beautiful spot on the coast, Eze. I could have stayed there forever. We knew nothing about it, till we were dropped off at the end of the lane. It was so breathtaking that I can't talk about much else. We went to Monaco, Monte Carlo, and back to Nice to the top of a mountain to look up and down the coast. He found the BEST places to stop and I think we saw more than any (ship tour) folks did. I will be back in May and look forward to another day with Yorgi!!!!" Maureen H., Roswell, GA, September 2005 "Our tour was wonderful! We enjoyed every minute of it. Our guide was Yannick. He was very informative. Not only was he open to any requests that we had, but he also made several interesting suggestions to us about what to see in the area. I would certainly recommend your company to anyone I know who might be visiting the Villefranche area. Thank you again for providing such a great service and for being so helpful to me in planning our visit." Anita S., Milford, CT August 2005 "Thanks so much for all your help. Our guide was fabulous!" Bonnie W., Roslyn, NY, August 2005 "Thank you very much we had a marvelous time and Anthony our Tour Guide was wonderful. He was accommodating, extremely well informed in every area we visited, his English was very good, he allowed us to tour as we had requested but was more than helpful and right on the mark in his recommendations of time needed in each area, he was always there upon our return to a designated meeting spot. All in our group felt that we had made an extremely wise choice and would not hesitate to use Travel with Friends in the future and certainly would recommend others to do the same." Marie D, Boston, MA August 2005 ""Travels with Friends" was the highlight of our (12) day European land tours. They had the best guide with the best vehicle at the best prices. You just can't beat the combination. We would highly recommend it to anyone planning a tour and you will find that Steven Hurley is very helpful and knowledgeable in setting up your dream excursions." Dennis & Patti McKenzie, Nevada City, CA, August 2005 "We had a marvelous time, and your guide was fantastic! It was the perfect launch to an incredible family vacation!" Mark A., Miami, FL, July 2005 "Franco was great!!! A very good driver, spoke English and was very accommodating. In addition, the minivan was new and most importantly had a good air conditioner. It was the experience we were looking for. Touring on our schedule, where and when and flexibility. I will be glad to book future tours with you and also tell friends about you." Marci Z., Houston TX, July 2005 "I just wanted to let you know that your driver, Pascal, was the best driver/guide on our trip! We went everywhere we wanted to go, spent the amount of time we wanted to spend and were truly enamored of all we saw of the South of France, from Monaco to St. Paul de Vence. Many thanks for a truly wonderful trip." Norm G., Toronto, Ontario Canada, July 2005 "We had a blast. The driver was on time, friendly and very courteous. The French Riviera was beautiful. Thanks for all you did to coordinate the excursion, our group really enjoyed themselves." Monika L, San Diego, CA July 2005 "Our Rivera Tour was wonderful and Frank was exceptional! Took us everywhere we wanted to go and was very knowledgeable. Too bad we couldn't have had him for all the private tours we took. As you know we were a group of 12 and everyone felt the same way." Earl and Genie K., Palatine, IL, July 2005 "We had a great tour. Yannick was knowledgeable, easy to get along with and fun. Thank you for arranging it for us. We will suggest you to others as well." Starr W., Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, June 2005 "We had a wonderful trip and really enjoyed our time on the Riviera with Jerome. He was excellent and so pleasant to work with. We were particularly impressed with how efficiently he used our time. We saw everything we asked for and more. I am keeping your site book marked and will certainly recommend you to my friends. Thanks for providing such excellent service." LuAnn R., Norcross, GA, June 2005 "Our tour guide, Yannick was WONDERFUL, and fit in nicely with our family...he was very knowledgeable and friendly...... Very impressed with everything we saw.... would love to go back when scheduling will allow more time instead of just a day-long tour. We have passed along your web site to all our traveling friends." Laura D., La Mesa, CA, June 2005 "Thank you, thank you for everything you've done to make our stop in Villefranche one of the most memorable. My clients were all very pleased with the driver guides and your suggested itineraries. My driver (Jerome) was so pleasant and informative!! The stop in Mougins was our favorite, thank you for recommending it. Maryann W., Maryann's Travel, New Hartford, NY June 2005
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Last Updated:
12/21/2011