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Reviews TAILOR-MADE HOLIDAYS
Family Trevanion-Santoso, 4 adults and 1 teenager, from Pearce - ACT
Italy: Tuscany (property Tignano 2 - ITC817) and Cinque Terre
France: Provence (property Le Pont de Mauragne - FPR209), Paris, Loire Valley and Normandy
2008 September 13 – October 11
Dear Travel and More,
On the whole, we had a great time and the accommodation you arranged was very good. In particular we thought the Paris accommodation was very good, central and had very good facilities.
St Germain des Pres was walking distance and it was also close to the Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. You could hardly be better located! The house in Apt - Provence - was very good too. We really enjoyed the fact that it was in the Luberon National Park, in a peaceful rural position amid large grounds. My children particularly liked the fact that when they got tired of touring, they could laze around the pool. I think that area around Provence was fantastic and Bernard and I would like to come back. We loved Tuscany too and the property in Chianti offered fantastic views. We would highly recommend it too.
Thank you for your help in organising the trip.
Rgds, Miryam.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gary Brown - 2 people from Kingsford - NSW
Italy: Venice – Bolzano and Dolomites – Verona – Lake Garda – Cinque Terre – Florence – Tuscan countryside – Rome – Naples – Pompei – Amalfi Coast - Capri
2008 September 23 - October 15
Hello,
Our trip was fantastic. We followed the itinerary exactly except for one extra day
where we managed to get the train from Firenze to Bologna to visit the Ducati factory.
Your timetables were spot-on and the trains were on time!!! Had perfect weather and your suggestions for places of interest were great. Managed to see just about everything on your lists and never really seemed rushed. Accommodation was great. The room in Venice was beautiful. The highlights of the journey were 1) Half day hike in the Dolomites from the chairlift at Carezza out of Bolzano. 2) Walking and Swimming at Cinque Terre where we stayed in a lovely room in Corniglia. 3) The motorcycle trips from Firenze through Toscana and Rome to Napoli then along the Amalfi coast with a day trip to Capri.
I had no trouble just walking in to the motorcycle hire places and renting a bike straight away. The room in Rome was very central to everything. Overall a wonderful experience facilitated by your expert scheduling and advice.
Thank you.
Gary . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Marilyn & Peter Poole from Cabarita Beach – NSW 2 months in Italy and France
2008 April and May
Dear Travel and more,
On this day last year (May 18), we were on the Amalfi Coast and how beautiful it was!
Having you organising an itinerary for us was the best thing we could have done. We managed to see a large amount of both countries (both of which we love for different reasons). We did manage to go to Millau to see the bridge, made a detour to see the Ferrari Galleria and a highlight was going up the Aiguille du Midi though because of a blizzard were not able to go the last stage in the lift. We now know what altitude sickness feels like!! And of course, the Cinque Terre is stunning. Peyrepertuse Fortress was breathtaking. Venice is so romantic. Spello was beautiful. I could write forever.
I had researched some of my own accommodation (some good, some not so good) as well. However the places where we stayed from your list were all terrific but a few in particular deserve a mention: Le fief des Cordeliers B&B in Montjean sur Loire by Angers, B&B Jeanne Maison d'Hôtes in Collonges la Rouge in Dordogne, Podere Montagione near Certaldo in Tuscany and Delia B&B in Rome.
Again, thank you for all the hard work you put into our itinerary and accommodation choices. We feel we certainly made the most of our two months.
Hope all is well with you.
Kind regards,
Marilyn & Peter.
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Christina & Russell Lyons – 2 adults & 2 teenagers from Ballarat - VIC
France – Carlucet in Dordogne and Arles in Provence
Italy – Bellagio on Lake Como, Siena in Tuscany and Fiumicino by Rome
2007 December 29 - 2008 January 8
Hello everybody!
We are back from our holidays and we have had a wonderful time.
Thanks again for organising our accommodation. We stayed at some wonderful places that we would enjoy to visit or recommend.
The little cottage in Carlucet was one of the best places we stayed at. We had Eric personally greeting us. He gave us maps and plenty of useful advice. He also left us a well stocked kitchen with plenty of goodies to make our stay very enjoyable. After a train trip / pick up hire car and negotiate motorway we were pretty tired and the recommendation of the pub 'The Black Duck' 5 min walk was ideal so much so we went the next night.
Thank you for recommending staying in Arles. The hotel was great and an interesting place to stay in. We found the town very interesting so much we will come back for a longer stay one day to explore it better. We had a lovely French meal walking distance from hotel. I am glad I took a walk to search out a place and book.
We had a long trip thru heavy snow from Nice to Milan and then to Bellagio. We phoned the owners when we arrived in Bellagio and they came to find us. We had to leave the car and take many steps to our apartment due to snow! We understood that the snow had limited our access… I think Bellagio could be a very interesting place to stay but our two days were wet, the only time we had wet weather on our trip.
The Bed and Breakfast in Siena was very nice, clean and warm.
Hilton Hotel was and excellent place to stay and finish off our travels close to airport. Thank you so much for this brilliant idea of yours to stay last night before we fly out.
Finally we had a great time and will definitely travel and do our bookings with you in the future. This trip has taught us a lot where to stay and the type of accommodation we may need.
Regards,
Christina Lyons
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Karen & Don Holley - 2 adults & 2 children – from Sydney – NSW Paris, Venice , Florence , Monteriggioni (Tuscany), Rome
2007 June 27 – July 17
Hi,
Just wanted to let you know that we are back from our trip and had a wonderful time. All of the accommodation was good and in good locations. The people we had to deal with were also very good and helpful.
The Paris apartment was spacious and well maintained. It was very centrally located with a supermarket and metro station within easy walking distance.
Venice B&B was good and also very central. The breakfast which was included was of a good standard.
Florence B&B was very spacious and well maintained. The people were very good to deal with. Breakfast was brought into the room at a time to suit you and was very good. It was central to most things.
Monteriggioni was a lovely place to stay. Very quiet and lovely grounds. Breakfast was good. And the apartment was quite spacious.
Rome apartment was huge, nice and well maintained.
Thanks once again for your efforts with arranging accommodation.
Kind regards,
Karen Holley
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Napier family: 2 adults and 3 teenagers, 13, 15 and 16 years – Sydney - NSW Bellagio – Venice – Veneto – Siena - Rome
2006 December 23, 2006 – 2007 January 20.
Dear Christian,
Belated thanks for a wonderful month in Italy . The accommodation, travel arrangements, culture etc all met or exceeded our expectations. The Christmas decorations and food made a winter visit to Italy especially memorable. Thank you.
Bellagio: 6 nights. The winding road from Como was memorable as an introduction to Italian roads and drivers! Bellagio was magic. The apartment is small but perfectly located on a cobbled street. It was a delight to open the windows and shutters in the morning and look out over the rooftops to Lake Como and the mountains beyond. Adriana is a wonderful host and we managed to communicate despite my dodgy Italian. Christmas lunch at “Silvio” saw us sitting at a window table with a “chocolate box” view of Lake Como . Thanks for booking it for us! We sampled many courses win the company of locals and their extended families. The open fire at reception with the family dogs curled up in front of it completed the scene! We were welcomed by the locals and by the end of our stay were confidently taking car ferries all over the lake. We also managed a really memorable day trip to San Moritz. Most of the gardens and villas were closed over winter which was disappointing.
Venice: 3 nights. Thank you for recommending a fantastic genuinely authentic Venetian hotel located not far from the Academia Bridge . Arriving at the hotel jetty by water taxi set the scene for a memorable stay. Breakfasts were included and there was a broad range of choice with both hot and cold food. Staff was helpful making reservations at nearby restaurants and helping book concerts. We had a very sumptuous never-ending banquet on New Years Eve at a restaurant recommended by the hotel and came back to find gifts of Grappa and chocolates waiting in our rooms. “Buon Anno!” The gondola ride was wonderful bundled up in blankets and able to glide under churches that are only accessible at low tide. Even the Murano glass arrived safely following our return to Sydney .
Veneto: 4 nights, in San Zenone (near Asolo and Bassano la Grappa).This was a beautiful and very comfortably, recently restored farmhouse. The apartment was large and well heated with a wood fire in the kitchen. We ate at home a lot choosing to sample the local food. Our hostess made a special trip from Padua to welcome us and suggest villas and places to visit. We kept the washing machine busy. You would need a car to stay here but it is easily accessible to many places and we wish we had had more time to explore this lovely area. The traffic was fine for this time of year but can be a problem at peak times.
Siena: 3 nights in a farm stay. We stopped on the way at “Ferrari Galleria”, near Modena , for the Y chromosomes family members who overdosed on a huge display of racy cars through the years. Next stop was at our agriturismo by Siena where we met up with our NZ friends and their 2 teenagers. The landlords were wonderful hosts and we ate the best meals (and drank the best wine) we had tasted in Italy . Nadia even made our daughter a special “Senese” birthday cake for her 15 th birthday. The accommodation was comfortable and every room had its own bathroom. The dependence was an added bonus as a retreat for teenagers who spent many hours playing cards around the fireplace. The farm stay is very close to Siena and has beautiful views of olive groves and vineyards from its window. The food is all locally grown and organic.
Rome: 8 nights. The apartment was located near Barberini Square and Trevi fountain, a great location within easy walking distance of many attractions and shops. The apartment was very comfortable with a lift and good security but noisy, as is to be expected when staying in the middle of Rome . A special bonus was an “alimentari” directly opposite with welcoming smells from the coffee machine. The apartment was well heated and a handy washing machine again! We happened to have a problem with the door lock but it was quickly sorted by the caretaker who also helped providing local info rmation like where the nearest DVD store was located!
We really appreciated the comfortable and professional transfer to the airport from right outside our apartment! Thank you!
Overall a fantastic experience and made so much easier to organise with your experience and recommendations. There is no doubt I would have spent hours on the internet trying to find the perfect accommodation. It was so much more enjoyable to work through the choices you came up with having first eliminated everything that was not suitable. The rental car bookings went through without a hitch and the navigator was a life and time saver (except when it lost signal). We even got upgraded to a people mover when we went to collect our car at Venice airport. Though we did get stung with an extra days rental in Florence after getting lost in the Tuscan countryside taking the scenic route!
The only drawback to travel in winter is that less tourist info rmation places, villas and gardens are open. But there are definitely no long waits for museums and galleries and the winter sales are well worth the trip. We are looking forward to booking our next holiday with Travel and more and have no hesitation in recommending you to friends and colleagues.
Grazie mille.
Mary and Bill.
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Naomi & Rob Wood - 2 adults – from Coogee (Sydney) – NSW
Rome – Positano – Palermo – Umbria – Siena – Venice - Bellagio
2007 October 17 – November 6
Trastevere, Rome –apartment
A contemporary take on urban Roman life. Great restaurants and cafes nearby and you can walk to everywhere. A village feel in the middle of Rome! Apartment very well appointed – everything you need.
Positano, B & B
Spectacular views. The perfect B & B for the couples who want to be left alone. Close to all the magic that is Positano.
Palermo , apartment in the historical centre
Everything you need in this recently renovated apartment – just add food! Which you can get at the busy market on the corner! Sit on the patio and watch the Sicilians live life right under your nose!
Umbria near Spoleto, B & B
Best olive oil in the world. Pigeon pate, wild boar salami, a soft bed and yummy breakfast! Gianfranco and Liuba will look after you. Beautiful scenery.
Siena , B & B
Beautiful and very c omfortable but not much attention given by the hosts.
Venice , boutique hotel
Your own private square, stroll to everywhere very easily including St Mark's. A romantic little hotel in a romantic city. Extremely friendly and helpful staff.
Lake Como, Bellagio, apartment near Villa Melzi d'Eril
Well fitted-out apartment. Stroll to lakeside walks. Great base from which to explore the area of Lake Como .
The Travel and More Service is like none other. The quality of accommodation that Travel and More supplies is very high, with only the best offered. At the same time their attention to detail and budget requirements meant that they only respond with the most appropriate recommendations. They were able to offer us insider advice on everything from accommodation, transport, and air travel. Their knowledge of their countries is invaluable and we would not have been able to plan such a fabulous honeymoon through our much-loved Italy without them!
Mille grazie!
Baci baci xx Naomi Just & Rob Wood
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Family Polito - 2 adults and 2 children – from Petersham (Sydney) – NSW
Paris – Rome – Venice -Lake Como
2006 October 3-25
Dear Travel and More,
I'd love to jot a few words down on our trip to Paris, Rome, Venice & Bellagio last October 2006.
Your consultants were both extremely patient and listened to all our considerations during the preparatory stages of planning our trip. Travelling with two kids can be a nightmare! Not so, with all our pre planned & organised travel itinerary and car hire put together by the boys and girlas at Travel and More.
The Paris apartment was in the famous Marais district a couple of blocks away from the Picasso Museum . Again so close to bus and metro stops to travel around Paris without any problems. The apartment was sooo French!! Artistic in its decor and cute in it's set up.
The Roman apartment (near Piazza Fiume) was lovely. Clean with all the amenities of a home. It was centrally located so getting around Rome was so easy just a short walk away from bus stops & the metro, food shopping & restaurants.
Venice was also great. Far enough away from the huge crowds of Piazza San Marco but also close enough to all the central spots of interest and the vaporetto stops to the islands of Venice .
Bellagio was fantastic. The apartment was right in the middle of town sooo central. It was clean & cosy with a beautiful view of Lake Como & the Alps from our bedroom window. It was terrific we enjoyed every aspect of our trip!!!
I would highly recommend Travel and more for any future travel arrangements.
Yours Tina & Rick Polito
69 Palace Street Petersham.
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Greg Kaeding and family – 7 adults and 2 children - from Mandurah – WA
Rome , Matera , Sorrento and Florentine Hills (Villa Collina – ITB429)
September 23 – October 14, 2006
Dear all,
Thank you for your work planning our accommodation last year.
Despite being a little unsure of using a service not based in Western Australia, we were very pleased with the range of properties you sent us, the range of prices and the flexibility it gave us to travel around Italy. We found even the cheaper accommodation of a high standard of presentation and quality and all hosts without exception greeted us warmly and addressed any concerns (we were a family of 6 from 80 years to 4 years). Even the last minute hotel accommodation in Matera was above the normal standard or design for hotels.
We were however a little affronted by our hosts in Sorrento as on departure they were accusing us of not having left all the linen, (I think for one moment they could not find a sheet from the bed, but found it about one half hour later). we would not I think have looked like suspicious guests!!!!
They did however allow my elderly father in law access to the house lift which was not only most useful, but very necessary with such large stairs. the property in Sorrento was beautiful and the location could not be better.
We will again be going to Italy or the south of France next year so we will again be in contact.
Best regards,
Greg Kaeding. |
