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Reviews VENICE
Karen Neely, husband and friends – 8 adults – from Hastings – NEW ZEALAND
Rome & Venice
2006 August 27 – September 1 and September 13-16
Subject: Holiday now over.
Hi - Just a note regarding our holiday accommodation which you arranged for us in Rome and Venice . Sorry we didn't pick up on you trying to communicate with us prior to our arrival in Venice .
Both sets of accommodation were terrific.
In Rome the housekeeper even cooked a meal for all of us two nites. It was her suggestion and was gratefully received and the meal was more than ample. She also obliged us for washing and ironing our clothes. All of which we paid extra for and the price was discussed and agreed to. The place was delightful and very central to everything. Certainly better than staying in a hotel.
Venice was even nicer accommodation. A little hard to initially find but once again not badly situated. It was very handy having a washing machine/drier in the place cos it saved taking home a load of washing.
All in all thank you for your help in locating these accommodations. We will certainly pass on your name for others to use and in the future there may be the opportunity to deal with you again ourselves, although it may take a year or two to save for it. If you need a recommendation from us for your site we are more than happy to oblige.
Once again thank you. It made our holiday a little more special with your help.
Karen.
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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 , 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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