Guests of Friends of Victoria share what their Italy experience meant to them…In Their Own Words!
Friends with Friends!
Introduction: This is Part II of two articles featuring “In Their Own Words” from guests of Friends of Victoria. They have been kind enough to share their memories, photos, and a testimonial of their personalized, custom designed Italy experience…
(Part I featured “In Their Own Words” from my 2019 tour guests CLICK HERE!)
Since 2014 I’ve had the pleasure and privilege of introducing dozens of guests to the Italy that I love. This has only been made possible by the wonderful local destination experts and other Friends of Victoria that I collaborate with. To say that I am gratified is an understatement…I am overwhelmingly grateful!!
When I scroll through my thousands (yes, thousands!) of photos, I’m speechless with pure happiness… and when I look at the photos of guests – their YOUR smiles mean the world to me…because I have been a small part of making your Italy experience a precious memory. And, frankly, I can talk until I’m blue in the face about how fabulous, unique and incredible these tours and personalized itineraries are but when it’s in your own words…it speaks volumes…
“The best things in life are the people we love, the places we’ve been, AND the memories we make along the way.”
– Anonymous
I’m delighted, inspired, and very grateful…so, thank you for taking the time to express how much your experience meant to you! It means SO much to me that it meant so much to YOU! Making memories is what it’s all about!
♥ Grazie di cuore! ♥
(Please read and please share- maybe you, a spouse, a friend or other loved one will be inspired for 2020…)
♥ Girlfriends, families, couples, mothers & daughters, solos…what ever, when ever…we made it happen and you loved it! ♥
Friends with Friends!
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Rome & Puglia: Lorie’s Milestone Birthday
It all started in spring of 2018 when Lorie, who would be celebrating a milestone birthday in November, wanted to celebrate in Puglia with her husband, Kerry, and her daughter and son-in-law…and, with a little help from my Friends; Daniele in Rome and Ylenia & Michele, YLTOUR DMC, in Puglia, we made it happen!
“Victoria set up a world class tour for our family. Beyond our greatest expectations!
From the accommodations to the drivers and guides, everything was fantastic.”
– The Bartrons/Beckmanns
Lorie, Kerry, Jenna & Quinten
(And they loved it so much they referred the Crawford family to me…
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Rome, Florence and Positano: Family Vacation & First Trip to Italy!
The Crawford family had flights but had never been to Italy! And, like most first-timers, they wanted to do everything in 2 weeks! So, we met and, after discussing their priorities and my initial recommendations, I went back to the proverbial drawing board – reaching out to Friends and designing a total “package” with every detail (e.g., accommodations, transfers, trains, special excursions) so that their vacation would be favoloso…and it was! Read on…in their own words…
“I look back on this vacation designed by Victoria as one of best times my family has ever had and it was our first time in Italy. Every detail was not missed. As soon as we landed in Rome, we had a driver whisk us away from the crowds to our 1st stop at our accommodations in the city of Rome. Manager Daniele ( Friend of Victoria) was enthusiastic to show us Rome with a map and recommendations. Just across the street we had our first meal in Italy and it was a stand out, fresh homemade pasta with shaved truffles.
We did a lot of walking in Rome and discovered that coming back to our little neighborhood to be quiet and quaint. We were 10 minutes away from the Vatican. There were plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. A highlight besides the obvious, Colosseum and Vatican tours; we thoroughly enjoyed a pasta making class. The whole family got involved with the preparation, cooking and eating, of course!
Our second stop was Florence. We took the train (arranged by Victoria ahead of time). Another driver picked us up from the train station. Federico (another Friend of Victoria) greeted us at our second spot to rest. We had a lovely apartment in the heart of Firenze with ample room to spread out. Our host, Federico gave us some helpful tips on the best places to shop and dine. Victoria also shared her favorite gelato spots along with places to get small bites and sip wine.
Victoria arranged a driver to take our family to Pisa and Lucca for the day. We had an incredible meal in the countryside outside of Lucca, definitely off the tourists map.
From Florence to Naples we hopped on another train. Greeting us at the train station was another friendly driver, who drove us from Naples to Positano, along the Amalfi coast.
In Positano, our hosts Gabriela and Veronica (more Friends of Victoria) welcomed us to their seaside hotel. We dipped our feet in the Mediterranean ocean to cool off from the warm month of August. Our hosts, made recommendations for places to eat delicious wood fired pizza to a fun day trip on a boat to check out the gorgeous castle laden coastline and snorkel in beautiful caves, along the Amalfi.
Our last stop, back on the train to Rome, then home. We can’t wait to return as we left our hearts in Italy.
Victoria’s vast knowledge and her connections with the locals made our stay in Italy, absolutely memorable. We look forward to working with her in the future on another journey to some different parts of Italy.”
Ciao for now,
– Renee, Paul, Finnley and Stella
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Tuscany: Gal Friends Go to Chianti Country!
Take three gal friends who all love good food, good wine, and dream of going to Tuscany (first time for 2 of the 3) + a fabulous itinerary planned and organized with my lovely Friends, Arianna & Alessio, of KM Zero Tours = Exceeding all expectations! Read on…
“I’ve traveled numerous Countries in Europe. But have to say that my experience in Italy was the best trip of all. Victoria set-up our tours and our accommodations. Everyone was friendly and helpful. Our tour team was knowledgeable, gracious, fun and so accommodating.
Would love to go back to Italy with my husband. If we go I will use Victoria and her team again. I miss Italy, Victoria and her team.
Thank you for all the memories.”
– Michelle K.
“How would I describe my recent trip to Tuscany? One word: FABULOUS! The farmhouse and hosts, tour guides, meals, cooking class, wine tastings, olive oil tasting and cashmere goat farm were all wonderful. I’ve been to Italy more than ten times and always resisted any type of group tour. The group of eight on this trip as well as the quality of the excursions exceeded all expectations.
Thank YOU for this wonderful experience! “
– Leslie G.
“Hi Victoria!!
Thank you so much for making my trip to Italy the trip of a lifetime!! I loved everything about the trip – the beautiful Tuscany countryside, the charm and history of Florence, the incredible food and wine, and especially the people!! Arianna and Alessio were wonderful guides and Miranda and Massimo were not only the perfect hosts, but became good friends.
I’ve tried to think of my favorite adventure during the trip, but all were fabulous!!
Can’t wait to return!!”
– Phyllis J.
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“We didn’t realize we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun.”
– A.A. Milne
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Florence & Chianti Country: Friends Connecting in Italy!
Maureen and Wayne had plans to go to Bologna for a friend’s birthday celebration. They wanted to spend a few extra days with long time friends…what to do? Since Florence is a short train ride from Bologna, we created the perfect friend time: a fantastic accommodation and Chianti country day trip with my Friends…
“Dear Victoria,
I can’t begin to thank you enough for the great experience you planned us in Florence with the Apartment at Palazzo Belfiore and the Chianti Country day tour with Arianna and Alessio (KMZero Tours).
The apartment was wonderful…our friends Nancy and Gordon Baker from Vancouver BC joined us there. It had everything we needed for a home away from home. Location was great. We walked everywhere. Restaurants and café’s in the neighborhood were great. Reasonable prices, variety and good food. Shopping and sightseeing close by as well. Federico and Chiara made us feel welcome and at home.
The Chianti Country Tour was better than we had hoped for. Arianna narrated (Alessio behind the wheel) as we drove through the beautiful countryside. Our first stop was the picturesque village of Montefioralle. We explored the village on our own taking pictures. From there we drove to the winery.
The winery, Aricola Savignola Paolina, was really lovely. Our guided tour through the winery and surroundings was fun and informative…everything that was required to be “Chianti”. We were served a spectacular lunch at the edge of the vineyard with a tasting of 5 wines. (We bought a case of wine!) After lunch we toured their new B&B on the property. Absolutely lovely.
From the winery we drove to Greve, a charming village with lots of fun shops featuring wine and kitchen items…
From Greve we went to a goat farm for a Goat Cheese tasting and tutorial with wine!! Cheese was really good. Didn’t realize there were so many goat cheeses.
After that we headed home…it was a long and very good day. I would recommend it to anyone.
Again many thanks.”
– Maureen, Wayne and Friends
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Post-Tour Travels in Tuscany: Friends in Chianti Country!
Sarah and Linda joined me on the “Live the Dream on The Italian Riviera & Lake Como” tour but they wanted to stay in Italy another week. And, Tuscany was their first choice. After discussing their timing and preferences, I proposed a personalized itinerary including time in Florence and then in the countryside of Chianti with my Friends at KM Zero Tours.
It was such a pleasure to work with Sarah and Linda – they were up for everything! And they dove into a full and fabulous immersion…visiting glass blowers, a cashmere goat farm, a boutique winery during harvest, a cooking class, basket making and more!
Sarah writes:
“… recommendations for travel after the tour were very personal, tailored to our preferences and needs. Everyone one who we came in contact with was kind, friendly, dependable and knowledgeable. My expectations of Victoria De Maio were met and exceeded beyond my craziest imagination.“
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A (Very!) Spontaneous Trip to Puglia: Couple on Standby!
“When my husband and I made a spur of the moment trip to Puglia, Victoria was able to put together a fantastic itinerary in a matter of days. We had interesting and fun experiences every day and can’t thank Victoria and her Italian travel partners (Ylenia & Michele, YLTOUR DMC) enough for such a wonderful time!
Puglia is a truly a special region with amazing food and wine, friendly people and unique cities. We can’t wait to go back and explore this wonderful part of Italy.”
– Leslie & Jim
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“A picture is worth a thousand words but the memories are priceless.”
– Anonymous
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Rome, Positano, Puglia: Mothers & Daughters in Italy!
Sometimes clients want a combination of independent and planned travel. Sometimes, they already have their flights. Often, they know where they want to go but need expert advice and help with logistics and details.
That’s exactly what happened with two cousins and their daughters. After meeting, learning their priorities, exchanging ideas and deciding on the framework for their 2-week trip, I designed a plan that would provide all of the logistics for Rome and Positano (accommodations, transfers, trains, drivers as needed) and a detailed itinerary in Puglia – all with Friends of Victoria! Daniele in Roma, Gabriella & Veronica in Positano and Ylenia and Michele in Puglia!
The result? A very special mother-daughter vacation…
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Spontaneous Side Trip: Solo in Cinque Terre
After a summer bike trip in Tuscany, Linda was in Liguria and heard I had some great contacts there and could they help her with a day trip in Cinque Terre? Certo! BeautifuLiguria to the rescue! Linda enjoyed a fabulous guided hike, walk and private cooking class!
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Off the Beaten Track in Florence A Walk with Maria
As soon as I came across Maria’s page on Facebook, I knew she was someone I wanted to meet and become friends with and to have her become a Friend of Victoria! Maria offers something near and dear to my heart – artisan walking tours featuring visits to art and craft workshops.
Counter to my policy of meeting everyone I refer clients to, I didn’t hesitate to recommend Maria and my decision was justified by glowing reports…
“Our time with Maria was wonderful! She took us to so many little shops that we may have missed had we not been with her!! (I especially loved the demonstration of the making of marbleized paper.)
Plus, she was such a nice person and a pleasure to talk to.”
– Phyllis J.
“I am happy to write about my experience with Maria in Florence.
Maria was a breath of fresh air in the chaos and excitement that Florence holds! As I had been to Florence many times in the past, I truly wanted to avoid the “must sees” and be taken off the beaten path. Maria did this!
She created an artisan tour, introducing me to special people who create and keep the artistry of Florence alive with their craft. Maria led me to places in Oltrarno to have the best coffee and gelato, and we took time at a local market to taste meats, cheeses and wine! She explained the city to me from an insiders prospective, and added a few unique and truly Italian shops where I felt honored and happy to purchase something special. We had a lovely time-she is knowledgeable, unhurried and truly knows her way around this beautiful city.
In fact, I enjoyed my time with her so much that she carve out a day 2 months later when I brought my niece to Italy-we enjoyed a lovely lunch together in the Tuscan hills, where she shared more information about food and the surrounding region. She also put me in touch with another local guide so that Chelsea-my niece-could see David! I consider her a ‘friend’ now, and when I return, will always contact her to take me to more of her secret places!”
– Linda R.
“When I was in Florence in October, Maria and I met! We instantly connected over cappuccinos and then she took me on one of her artisan walking tour experiences and I just loved it. Every one of the dedicated and talented artists I met made an indelible impression – truly a unique experience. All this and a delightful lunch to celebrate our friendship.
Friends and friends – what a pleasure!”
– Victoria D.
It’s YOUR Turn!!
Are YOU ready to put Italy on YOUR 2020 radar?
Say “si” let’s design and plan YOUR personalized dream trip (or let’s go together -2020 tour dates coming soon)!
Italy is waiting for YOU!!!
There’s no better time than NOW! Let’s begin…
Learn More About: My Italy Trip & Tour Design Services
Learn More About: Friends of Victoria
THEN… Contact Victoria Today!
♥ Friends of Victoria referred to in this post:
Rome: Daniele, A Peace of Rome B&B
Florence: Federico, Palazzo Belfiore
Puglia: Ylenia & Michele, YLTOUR DMC
Chianti Country: Arianna & Alessio, KM Zero Tours
Positano: Gabriella & Veronica, Hotel Pupetto
Cinque Terre: Emanuela & Anna, BeautifuLiguria
Florence: Maria, Florentine Experience Shopping
