traveller_062

Has anyone had any experience with a tour company called Avventure Bellissime? The
URL is http://www.tours-italy.com/. They have some one day walking tours of Venice and Florence that we are interested in but we haven't seen any reviews of them on this discussion forum.

Thanks!

smalti

Hello!

Ten days ago, we took a day tour of Ravenna (about 80 mi. south of Venice) provided by Avventure Bellissime. They were very easy to deal with (all via email and fax), and they gave us a terrific day. The best thing about their package was that the guide who met us was extremely knowledgable about her field (the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna) and was a total delight to listen to without being the least bit stuffy or tiresome.
The transportation was smooth and comfortable, and all admissions had been prepaid--no waiting. Just a totally positive experience.

The downside is: They are rather expensive. For us, the expense was well worth it, but it is something to consider.
Hope you have a good trip!

scottnajima

I just booked private tours with them for Milan and Verona. They have been very efficient in a "big company" sort of way, and even followed up promptly to get us Da Vinci "go to the head of the line" Last Supper tickets at 1/3 the cost of other agencies. But most of the communications is automated; booking through their web site and e-mail, very little personal touch here.

For Venice, I opted to go with a local tour company called "Walks Inside Venice". You are dealing with one of three guides (the owners) that are very knowledgeable about Venetian art, history, food, culture and architecture. They were more flexible in setting up custom itineraries, and have provided individualized service to give information about connections, prepaid public transportation, and so forth. I unfortunately won't be able to tell you how good they are until June!
http://www.walksinsidevenice.com/#/venice/home/