Europe: Back from Paris and Italy....Tuscany tour guide recommendation...
Jun 14th, 2006, 08:33 AM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Europe: Back from Paris and Italy....Tuscany tour guide recommendation...
We just returned from France/Italy...a wonderful two weeks.
While in Florence we did a wine tour with Alessandro Cammilli, and it was a great day. He picked us up at our hotel (Hotel Silla..which I would also recommend), and we toured castles, vineyards, towns (including the charming Siena) for the entire day. Alessandro is delightful. He is knowledgeable, interesting, and very accomodating to any requests. I would highly recommend him as a tour guide for the Tuscany region. We paid 260 euros for the four of us. His email is .... [email protected]
The Hotel Silla in Florence was excellent with great rooms and a nice garden area to have a glass of wine.
While in Paris we stayed at the Grand Hotel Leveque on Rue Cler, which we thought was a great location. The rooms are very, very small; however, the bathroom was new and immaculate (more important to me than the size of the room). The price was the best: 87 euros per night for a double.
I would also like to thank the French Tennis Federation for a terrific two days at the tournament. The tennis center at Roland Garros is a beautiful facilty, and everyone working there was friendly, helpful, and polite.
In Rome (my favorite city of the three we visited), we stayed at the Hotel Mozart's Vittoria Suite. It is a great apartment about a block from the main hotel. The suite has two comfortable singles (pullouts) in the living room in addition to the double in the bedroom. There is a kitchen (which we only used to chill wine in the refrig). Shuttered windows open out to the street so you feel like a part of the city. However, there is only one bath, but for the price (243 euros per night), a family can make it work. The staff at the hotel was excellent. There is a wonderful rooftop garden/bar, and the breakfast was good...as was the breakfast at the Hotel Silla in Florence.
While in rome, we also took two tours with Angel Tours - The Heart of Rome and the Vatican. We had the same guide for both, and she was terrific.
Definitely book tickts for the museums in all three cities (Paris, Florence, and Rome). My family was so impressed with me when we were able to walk right past the long lines.
I did not mean to ramble on; however, I learned a great deal from reading this forum, so I thought I should share my thoughts. Perhaps I can help someone planning his/her first trip to Europe as I was.
While in Florence we did a wine tour with Alessandro Cammilli, and it was a great day. He picked us up at our hotel (Hotel Silla..which I would also recommend), and we toured castles, vineyards, towns (including the charming Siena) for the entire day. Alessandro is delightful. He is knowledgeable, interesting, and very accomodating to any requests. I would highly recommend him as a tour guide for the Tuscany region. We paid 260 euros for the four of us. His email is .... [email protected]
The Hotel Silla in Florence was excellent with great rooms and a nice garden area to have a glass of wine.
While in Paris we stayed at the Grand Hotel Leveque on Rue Cler, which we thought was a great location. The rooms are very, very small; however, the bathroom was new and immaculate (more important to me than the size of the room). The price was the best: 87 euros per night for a double.
I would also like to thank the French Tennis Federation for a terrific two days at the tournament. The tennis center at Roland Garros is a beautiful facilty, and everyone working there was friendly, helpful, and polite.
In Rome (my favorite city of the three we visited), we stayed at the Hotel Mozart's Vittoria Suite. It is a great apartment about a block from the main hotel. The suite has two comfortable singles (pullouts) in the living room in addition to the double in the bedroom. There is a kitchen (which we only used to chill wine in the refrig). Shuttered windows open out to the street so you feel like a part of the city. However, there is only one bath, but for the price (243 euros per night), a family can make it work. The staff at the hotel was excellent. There is a wonderful rooftop garden/bar, and the breakfast was good...as was the breakfast at the Hotel Silla in Florence.
While in rome, we also took two tours with Angel Tours - The Heart of Rome and the Vatican. We had the same guide for both, and she was terrific.
Definitely book tickts for the museums in all three cities (Paris, Florence, and Rome). My family was so impressed with me when we were able to walk right past the long lines.
I did not mean to ramble on; however, I learned a great deal from reading this forum, so I thought I should share my thoughts. Perhaps I can help someone planning his/her first trip to Europe as I was.
Jun 14th, 2006, 12:13 PM
#3
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 151
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Hatch! Thanks for offer! DH and I will be visiting Paris in just a few weeks! So excited! Can you advise your mode of transport in Paris - what is the best? The safest? Easiest?
Also, how did you make reservations at muesems in Paris? Which ones? Did you purchase the pass? Pls. help! Thank you!
Also, how did you make reservations at muesems in Paris? Which ones? Did you purchase the pass? Pls. help! Thank you!
Jun 14th, 2006, 01:43 PM
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi...
I made reservations for the Louvre on their web site -
www.louvre.fr
The Louve has a ticket site on their web site. The tickets can be mailed. There is a minimal fee for the reservation.
I went to Context Travel for the reservations for the d'Orsay. Their website is
www.contexttravel.com
Neither of these museums require a specific day or time. The tickets are good for a length of time...months. Once again there is a minimal charge for the reservation service (well worth the charge not to stand in lines).
We walked to the museums, the Eiffel Tower (which is in the 7th where the Hotel Leveque is located), the Arc de Triumph, Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame. Actually, we only used the subway once, and that was to go to Roland Garros for the tennis. It was in the 16th.
If you stay on Rue Clec, you could live on the bagette sandwiches, pastries, crepes, cheeses and meats!!!
Only my son-in-law was into the more formal French culinary experience!
Hope this helps. Paris was wonderful, and I hated to leave. But when I arrrived in Florence and then Rome, I quickly asjusted
I made reservations for the Louvre on their web site -
www.louvre.fr
The Louve has a ticket site on their web site. The tickets can be mailed. There is a minimal fee for the reservation.
I went to Context Travel for the reservations for the d'Orsay. Their website is
www.contexttravel.com
Neither of these museums require a specific day or time. The tickets are good for a length of time...months. Once again there is a minimal charge for the reservation service (well worth the charge not to stand in lines).
We walked to the museums, the Eiffel Tower (which is in the 7th where the Hotel Leveque is located), the Arc de Triumph, Champs-Elysees, Notre Dame. Actually, we only used the subway once, and that was to go to Roland Garros for the tennis. It was in the 16th.
If you stay on Rue Clec, you could live on the bagette sandwiches, pastries, crepes, cheeses and meats!!!
Only my son-in-law was into the more formal French culinary experience!
Hope this helps. Paris was wonderful, and I hated to leave. But when I arrrived in Florence and then Rome, I quickly asjusted
Jun 15th, 2006, 07:22 AM
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi...
Yes, we visited Castello Vicchiomaggio in the Chainti region. In addition to a tour of the cellars, we had wine tasting and an opportunity taste olive oil and balsamic vinegar (aged 20 or 30 years). My daughter and son-in-law were really more into all of the tasting, and I know they bought wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to take home. We bought a couple of little bottles of the balsamic vinegar and the olive olive to take home as gifts. We also visited other wineries. It was a great day!
Yes, we visited Castello Vicchiomaggio in the Chainti region. In addition to a tour of the cellars, we had wine tasting and an opportunity taste olive oil and balsamic vinegar (aged 20 or 30 years). My daughter and son-in-law were really more into all of the tasting, and I know they bought wine, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to take home. We bought a couple of little bottles of the balsamic vinegar and the olive olive to take home as gifts. We also visited other wineries. It was a great day!
