Dear Clients ,
Your comments and praise are very dear to us please feel free to write a message about the services rendered by Charming Italian Travel by Valentina Mortarotti.
All your opinions or suggestions will be helpful to us to improve in the future.
Thank you
Valentina Mortarotti
Hola Valentina ,
Our trip was great – we LOVED the hotel in Sorrento – we were so fortunate to have a room overlooking the sea , and the weather wos awesome. We also really liked the hotels in Venice and Capri . It was a very nice trip and my grandson really enjoined all the sights , as did my daugther , who never been in Italy.
They certainly liked beging met averywhere and not having to drag our suitecase all over the place looking for taxis to get to our hotels.
Thanl you for all you did for us , Valentina .
I send you a big hugs and will let you know our next trip
Big hugs to you , xoxoxo
Mary
Ciao Valentina!
Thank you again for organizing our morning. Daniela was lovely and very informative. Everyone liked her and learned from her but I do not think I would recommend her as a guide for families, specifically with teens. While she told us a lot of information, she wasn’t particularly engaging and energetic with the kids and it was almost too much and they lost interest. Overall she was so nice and kind.
Best,
Jen
Hi Valentina,
We had a fantastic day! The train was so easy, comfortable and on time. The guide in Pompeii (Imma) was really fantastic!! Our driver Salvatore was nice and on time to pick us up. A bit stressful figuring out where to stop for pizza (he had us stop after Pompeii) but he ended up dropping us off at a place right near the train station and the pizza was really great (at first we thought near the train station might not be so good but it really was!!)
Thank you!
Pamela
Valentina,
We wanted to thank you. We had a wonderful vacation.
The tour guides were absolutely fantastic! We can say the best guides we have ever worked with.
All of the transfers went smoothly and all drivers were so kind and helpful.
We cannot wait to return to Italy.
Again, thank you for the excellent job you did with planning our trip.
Sincerely,
The Robertsons
Ciao Valentina! We are finally back in the US and missing Italy already. Thank you again for arranging such amazing tours for us. We really saw everything there was to see in Rome and loved all of the guides. They were all fantastic, but if I had to choose my favorite I would say Silvia. We just really clicked with her as you no doubt saw from the photo she sent
But again, all three were fantastic and I would recommend them to anyone visiting Rome who wanted to take a tour.
Megan
Dear Valentina,
We are so sad to be leaving
!!!! But the trip was incredible and so perfect. Thank you so much for everything, we have nothing but Positive reviews and next time we come to Italy, we would love to work with you.
Stay well, ciao ciao!
All our very best,
Annabelle & Lauren
Thank you! And thank you for arranging such a great trip! We all had a great time and guides were fantastic! Thank you!
Meredith
Dear Valentina,
We had a fabulous time yesterday with Marco and today with Maria Amelia! Both are so delightful and so knowledgeable. I’ll never be able to remember everything!:) Lunch yesterday was wonderful!
My husband and I had a wonderful day seeing the Amalfi coast. Our driver/guide, Biagio, was delightful. We ate at a wonderful authentic restaurant in Ravello, at his recommendation.
Alicia
Hello Valentina,
I just wanted to send along a very belated thank you for arranging the most wonderful, seamlessly executed trip for us to Rome and Florence. We couldn’t have been happier with all of your planning, help and the guides and drivers were somehow all outstanding. Just when the kids thought they had found their favorite guide or tour, the next day they’d be even happier!
For me as a parent, this was my favorite and most memorable family trip ever and I definitely have you to thank for that in large part.
It seems that many of our friends are considering a trip to Italy so you can be sure that I will be referring you to all of them.
Many thanks again for everything,
Lindsay
Hi Valentina,
We loved Villa Beccaris. It was a really beautiful hotel and the views were spectacular. The service was also quite exceptional. I think if we were to go back we would most definitely stay there again – it was a nice location. The whole Piedmont region was spectacular.
I will give you a brief overview of the other activities:
The wine tasting was all fabulous, of course. We loved all of our wine tasting activities.
The castle of Morozzo was very special. The owner told us she had never opened her home to tours – just events/weddings, etc. She was so very kind to us, and it is obvious that she is passionate about the restoration she has been doing on this beautiful site. She was a lovely hostess for us, and she took us into the garden and even showed us a new baby deer that is on the property. We watched as she gave the deer a bottle. So amazing and sweet. This was an unforgettable day.
The truffle hunting was great too. The hunter did not speak English, but had a guide there that translated for us so it was all good. Of course I fell in love with the truffle dog! We were only out for a short time and he found 3 truffles (2 white and one black).
The cooking class as you saw from my review was excellent. Raffaela gave us a great tour of the market, and then we had a very enjoyable cooking class. Raffaela was an excellent teacher and made the class so much fun. And the spot where the class was, on her farm, was quite nice, as we got to see more animals – 2 pigs, 4 little dogs, 2 big dogs (sheepdogs!), a horse and a pony. So of course you know I love animals so I was very happy to see all the animals at her farmhouse.
The Murano glass factory tour and the tours of the studios was an unforgettable experience. We got lucky with our timing and when we arrived, as we were able to watch one of the glass masters create a Murano clown from start to finish in front of us. So amazing! We purchased a beautiful glass vase that will be a constant reminder of our wonderful trip.
All of our guides were very well informed and so very nice.
Really, Valentina, the trip was exceptional. I’ve already provided your contact information to two of my friends who may be planning a trip to Italy in the future. The whole vacation was amazing, and all of your recommendations and coordination was spot-on. As you did for us on our last vacation in Rome/Amalfi/Florence/Tuscany, the trip this year was beyond words. Now our thoughts are starting to wander to where we will go next time in Italy. We must be Italians in our souls.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
With love,
Judy.
Hi Valentina!
So sorry! Have been so busy with kids since I got home. Our trip was amazing because of you!!!! Truly can’t thank you enough for your help!!!! Tour guides were so knowledgeable and great with the kids. Transportation made everything so easy. It was all perfect!!! We will definitely be coming back to Italy and I will be in touch
Natalie
We thoroughly enjoyed every day, every moment.
We had great food at most of the wonderful restaurants you recommended.
The tour guides, Giacomo, Sylvia the art teacher (I think that is her name) and Alessandra were absolutely the best. Laura in Como was very nice. We all had a great trip.
THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR A PERFECT TRIP. I CAN’T BEGIN TO TELL YOU WHAT A DELIGHTFUL TIME WE HAD. EVERY DETAIL WORKED SEAMLESSLY.
THE GUIDES YOU CHOSE WERE PERFECT. WE HADN’T REALIZED ROME WAS GOING TO BE TEEMING WITH FOLKS WHO WERE THERE FOR SOME SPECIAL OCCASION (THE POPE HIMSELF WAS TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE THE FOLLOWING DAY). ALEX WAS EXCELLENT; HE HAD EVERYTHING SCOPED OUT AND WHISKED US IN AND OUT AND THROUGH THE VATICAN AND SISTINE CHAPLE WITH VERY LITTLE EFFORT. WE POSTPONED OUR AFTERNOON TOUR DUE TO THE CROWDS AND HE JOINED US FOR LUNCH. WELL, HE INTRODUCED US TO ONE OF HIS FAVORITE PLACES AND WE HAD THE BEST PIZZA EVER. I HAD NEVER BEEN TO THE PANTHEON AND HE MADE IT COME ALIVE.
IN FLORENCE, ELIZASBETH CHARMED US IMMEDIATELY. SHE ALSO KNEW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE PERSONNEL AT THE PLACES WE VISITED AND WE WALTZED THROUGH LIKE ROYALTY . THE UFFIZI WAS ALL I HAD HOPED FOR. I LOVE IT SO AND WE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED ELIZABETH’S NARRATIVES. OF COURSE, HAD TO SEE DAVID . WHEN ELIZABETH LEARNED OUR JORDAN WAS FIRST VIOLINIST IN THE ORCHESTRA SHE TOOK US INTO THE ACADEMIA MUSIC AREA. HER DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSIS OF THE PAINTINGS WAS WORTH THE TRIP. LOVED HER.
WHAT CAN ONE SAY A BOUT VENICE. DARIA MADE SURE WE DIDN’T MISS A THING AND THE TOUR OF THE “CASTLE” WAS QUITE A BONUS. I TRULY SAW VENICE AS NEVER BEFORE. OH, WE LOVED OUR DINNER AT AL COVO. WE ALL ORDERED MONKFISH WRAPPED IN BACON – PERFECT
WHEN ALL THREE GUIDES LEARNED THAT JORDAN PLANNED TO MAJOR IN ARCHITECTURE THEY WORKED THAT SUBJECT INTO ALMOST EVERY DESCRIPTION. SHE SOAKED IT UP LIKE A SPONGE. MAYBE SHE’LL PLACE OUT OF HER FRESHMAN YEAR – - —
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE DRIVERS, ESCORTS “TO AND FROM “ WERE PERFECT. ALL YOUR EFFORTS WERE THOROUGHLY APPRECIATED.
THANKS AGAIN FOR THE PERFECT TRIP TO ITALY.
FONDLY, JO
Hello Valentina , I had one of your tour guides this last Saturday and Sunday, and I just wanted to tell you how wonderful she was. She was very knowledgeable, personable and really brought the tours to life. It made all the difference. Please thank her for me.
Luke
Hi Valentina !!! Thank you very much for the incredible experience you have planned for my family . It has been a dream Vacation and I am eternally grateful .
Ronah
Dear Valentina , our guide in Rome Chiara was amazing and we learned so much from Her !! Thanks a lot
John
Hola, Valentina. We’re home safe and sound and thank you soooo much for helping us to have a beautiful experience! Many grandes abrazos !!
Mary
2016 , May 50th Anniversary trip for Glen and Patti Brown, Dallas , Texas!
Amazing, memorable, so very special- not enough , adequate adjectives to describe the experience !
Our sincerest thanks to you for your council, expertise, guidance , arrangements and connections- all made our journey the best ever!
We are already planning to return to Italy and the magical city of Venice! Perhaps in 2018!
Ciao!
Our trip was great. You absolutely outdid yourself in your planning. Our guides, drivers were perfect. There was not a single hitch
the entire trip.
Our guide/driver Daniele in Rome was SO good. He kept us away from huge crowds and took us to a lunch place where we had
the best pizza of the whole trip.(the thinnest crust imaginable) He was so knowledgeable.
Hated to say goodbye to him. The next day we were on our on so went to the Capital
Museum (can’t remember how to write it in Italian) What a fantastic museum! So glad
Daniele told us to go there. We spent a few hours there but one could spend a couple
of days there.
Paulo who took care of us for the rest of the trip picked us up and drove us to
Cortona. He immediately said to tell you hello. He was the best the entire time we were
with him. We all loved him. He is so capable, such a good driver, and a lot of fun to be
around. If I ever go back to Tuscany I want Paulo to drive me around!
I loved our Hotel San Michele. Nice hotel, perfect location, nice breakfast, good linens and
bathrooms. We really liked staying in Cortona as opposed to staying at the Villa Petrischio
even though the villa is so fantastic and beautiful. I am glad we did the cooking class there
with dinner. We liked walking to our restaurants (about 2 or 3 doors away!) and walking
around Cortona when we had a few minutes to spare.
Our favorite restaurant in Cortona was La Bucaccia. Wonderful food and the owner was
great.
Our trip to Siena was great. My favorite place on the whole trip. We had a wonderful guide
Christina, who could not have been any better. So interesting! Then on to Monteriggioni and
San Gimignano. Beautiful countryside and towns.
Our wine county tour was lovely. We went to Montalcino (where we had Brunello wine
shipped back here) after a tour of the winery and wine tasting. We blew off the next
wine tasting in Montepulciano and went to Pienza and then just walked around in Montepulciano.
Daniel drove us to Florence and turned us over to Simona who was another outstanding guide.
We made a change the day before in our itinerary to see David in the Galleria dell Academia.
We enjoyed the Galleria Uffizi. We walked around with the hoards of people in the market and
shops. Too may people in Florence and Venice!!
Paulo drove us to Venice where we had to say goodbye to him.
The Locanda Vivaldi Hotel was very nice and again in a great location.
Our 1/2 day tour of Venice with Daria was very good. We visited a private residence palace which was very interesting (just us),took a boat tour of
the Grand Canal and visited Murano which was a wonderful surprise to me. We were not expecting many many showrooms of fabulous glass art by well known
artists from Murano. What a treat! Our dinner at Al Covo was the best of the whole trip.
Sincerely
Sue
We went on the first part of the tour today with our guide in Rome and it was incredible! We are so thankful for y’all doing this for us, we would never of gotten to see all that we did without it! She is so nice and knowledgeable. I cannot tell y’all thanks enough. I can’t wait for the tour of tomorrow!!
Love y’all !
Cathy
Dear Valentina
I wanted to thank you for your excellent travel service that you provided for our family throughout our stay in Milan and Como. The itinerary, guides, drivers , timing , transportation, restaurant choices were all fantastic. You provided our family with a wonderful, exciting vacation that was planned to perfection ..
Thank you very much
Freddi and Harvey
Dear Valentina,
I wanted to thank you for putting together such a wonderful trip for us. You have truly made our 10-year anniversary unforgettable. This trip to Italy has always been a dream of ours – the one country that both Carl and I have always wanted to explore, but never made it there until now. All of the arrangements you made, and your assistance with everything made our trip better than we could have imagined.
Every single one of our guides were phenomenal – we felt like they were old friends taking us through the sites of Italy. Paolo made us laugh so hard with his fantastic stories. Daniel was so nice, and we quickly bonded with him over a love of good food, great movies we’ve seen, and old Seinfeld episodes that both Daniel and Carl could recite lines from (it’s amazing how movies and television cross all borders). Touring with Daniel was really like touring with a friend. Allesandra was so knowledgeable about art – the perfect guide for the Ufizzi gallery and Florence. And Mofaldo who substituted for Paolo that one day was absolutely the sweetest girl, and was so kind. She even helped some other tourists who had their car stuck, and couldn’t get it into reverse out of the parking lot. She’s such a gem. The guides for Pompeii and Siena were also very knowledgeable. How lucky we were to end up with such wonderful people to show us around such a beautiful country.
And the hotels were great selections. Palazzo Sasso was breathtaking, and driving around those tiny little roads on the Amalfi coast was like a rollercoaster ride at Disneyland – both scary and exhilerating all at once. Of course we got very lost driving around Florence that first day – we arrived too late to drop off the car at the rental agency, so we dropped it off the fallowing day. Did you know that the GPS navigation systems in the cars don’t know which streets in Florence are one-way streets? We must have passed by the hotel 4 times, as we circled block after block. It was quite an experience, but we enjoyed every second of it.
Now we are home – I am so happy to see our dogs, as I missed them so much. There is so much more of Italy that we need to see, so we want to come back soon and do Venice and some of the northern parts of Italy. We fell in love with the country, the people, the food, the wine….what’s not to love? We’re back in the US, but now we’re Italians in our hearts.
Thank you so much for all of your hard work to make this such a special trip for us. You took such good care of us, and we had an amazing time. We will look forward to planning our next trip to Italy with you.
Ciao my dear,
Judy Hoffmann
Valentina,
Thank you for planning an exceptional trip to Italy, truly the best vacation we’ve ever experienced. You did a wonderful job helping me plan our destinations, sight seeing, hotels, and dinners, ensuring we paced ourselves so that we could truly enjoy everything that we did.
Every detail – no matter how small – was planned and executed perfectly. Everything happened on schedule and we never had to wait in any lines – even with the G8 occurring during our visit to Rome!
The guides and drivers you selected were outstanding in the services provided. They brought Italy and all its treasures to life! We left with an overwhelming appreciation for Rome, Florence, Venice, Como, and Milan — and Charming Italian Travel — because of the passion and professionalism you and your associates brought to the experience. I look forward to recommending you to all my personal and business contacts as they plan their trips to Italy. No one could provide a better experience than you!
Sincerely,
PJ and Don Bate
Hi Valentina –
All is very well with us.
I can’t thank you and Roberto enough for your services on our trip. WE HAD THE MOST EXCELLENT TIME!!!! I knew Italy would be great but I had no real idea how beautiful a country it is and how wonderful the people are – and the delicious food!!!!
Our hotel accommodations were excellent – both in terms of the type, location, comfort and value. We really appreciated you contacting us to make sure all was going smoothly – the driving directions you gave us to the Villa outside Cortona were perfect – thanks for e-mailing them to me.
The transfers were also excellent – right on time, very professional and helpful.
I hope to visit Italy again sometime soon. Thank you again for everything – I hope we can work with you again! – Best Wishes
Sarah & Bob
Valentina: Our trip to Italy was an absolutely fabulous “Fourth Honeymoon.”! The planning and and execution of our trip was superb. We loved the sequence of starting in Venice with its uniqueness, ancient history, and unparreled views. Then we went by first class train to Florence and the center of the Renaissance! Our hotel on the Arno and near the Ufizzi gave us unparalled views of the Duomo and Clock Tower from the roof top restaurant/bar where we sipped Prosecco. After the rush of Venice and Florence you had us treated as “royalty” at the Villa Petrichio in Tuscany for a romantic and relaxing stay. Finally, the climax was “The Eternal City”, Rome. What a conclusion!.
The hotels and staffs were absolutely excellent and they catered to our every need. The guides you selected were so knowledgeable and passionate about our tours, art, history, and their city. What is Italy without great food and we loved our cooking class in Tuscany!
We have already been spreading the word to our friends in Dallas about you when planning their trips to Italy. Count us as a return guest!!!!!!!!!
Lucy & Jay
Valentina,
We had a lovely trip to Italy. All of your recommended hotels were outstanding,
and we were often greeted with champagne, and every hotel gave us any special
request that we asked for — museum and restaurant reservations, etc. We especially
appreciate the attention to detail — meeting us at the Venice airport when there was
a water taxi strike or arranging for us to have a big hottub as we requested in the Tuscan
countryside. We will be back and will definitely enlist your help.
Cheers,
Gretchen and Heath
Valentina,
Thank you so much for helping with our trip! It was amazing — once in a lifetime! We will never forget all of the wonderful memories we made there. We loved all of the tours you set up for us, especially the wine tasting in Florence. WOW! That is a day my husband and I will never forget! What a 30th birthday! The castle was amazing, and the gracious hostess Patricia, was so welcoming and kind. I can’t say enough good things about our trip to Italy. And the restaurant you sent us to for my husband’s 30th birthday in Florence — I forgot the name…but it was incredible!!!!!!
I can’t thank you enough. Your guides were on-time, knowledgeable, and interesting. We especially loved Alexandra from Florence. She was top-notch.
Thank you much!!!!
Sharyn
Valentina :
We wanted to thank you for a truly magical trip to Central Italy for our 25th wedding anniversary. We just returned home last weekend and as I promosed, Valentina, I would send a detailed Email about our trip. We had an absolutely fantastic time. Italy is an amazing country full of wonderful people and a rich history. I thought I would comment on each place we stayed and include both positives and negatives. I am sure these comments help when you are planning for other clients and with referrals. I would not hesitate for one minute to book a second trip with Valentina through Charming Italian Travel to explore northern Italy. Expect referrals.
The design of the trip was great. Positano and Tuscany gave us a chance to unwind and relax before we ventured into the busy cities of Florence and Rome to see as many sights as possible. We did well with driving in the country and felt dropping the car in Florence and taking train to Rome was perfect. We had no issues with driving as everything is very marked and we had good maps with us. Our drivers and guides were on time, courteous, knowledgeable and interesting people. Amazingly, Valentina gave us her cell phone number in case we had any issues during our trip, but we didn’t. She also called us twice during our stay to make sure we were happy with everything. I found that remarkable.
Thank you so much for everything, Valentina. We had the most wonderful time of our lives. I can’t wait to return. Hopefully, it won’t be long.
Sincerely,
Lisa
Dear Valentina – We are home and somewhat caught up with our lives after spending the last 2 weeks in Italy. I can’t thank you enough for
arranging such a wonderful trip for us. We will remember it for the rest of our lives. We especially enjoyed our tours in Florence with Allie and
of the Vatican with Claudia. La Giostra for my husband’s birthday dinner in Florence was fabulous (although our dinner at Villa Petrischio was
equally memorable). The accomodations were all terrific and the transfers and tours went exactly as planned. I especially appreciate your moving up
our pick up time for the airport on Saturday morning (my husband gets very anxious about checking in with plenty of time to spare when we travel). I
also appreciate your having reserved a Magellan navigation system with our rental car, I hadn’t thought of that in advance and we couldn’t have
gotten around Tuscany without it. Thank you again for everything!!!