30 Jul 2023
Wow. Our guide was amazing. The things we saw were incredible (statue of David, etc) but our guide's immense knowledge of the art, the history of the people who made the art and their relationships with the popes and power structures, his knowledge of how art changed over time, his knowledge of art techniques and architecture, really enhanced our experience in this amazing city. It would have been incredible even if we had gone on our own, just the sheer beauty of it all, but being escorted by someone who put it all in context made it unforgettable. I went with my sons, aged 17 and 21. Before this tour, we toured Pompeii, Rome on Segway, an food (walking) tour of Rome, the Colleseum, the Vatican, and St. Peter's Bascillica, all with small groups of personal escorts. All three of us thought this tour was fantastic, and for sure on the short list of the best ones. (The Pompeii tour was also extraordinary - and we would do all of these, except St. Peter's and the Vatican, again.) On a technical note, we traveled from Rome by train to get to Florence, which was included in the price. On our other tour from Rome by train (to Pompeii), a tour guide met us at the train station. On the Florence tour, the guide met us in Florence. It was a little confusing. So be advised, you will need to navigate the train from Rome yourself. It's not a big deal - the train ticket is booked for you, and it has a train number on it. At the train station, you look on the "departures" screen for the train number. About 10 minutes before the train departs, it will display the platform number from which you board the train. The trains in Italy are very fast (150 - 185 mph) clean and efficient - it's not like a subway or Amtrak or light rail or regional transit system like the SF Bay Area's BART or the Paris Metro. It's more like an airplane on the ground, except more spacious and comfortable.