Italy Essentials: Choose Your Journey

Our Guide, Sasha, Was Fantastic - the Tour was OK But the Hotel Not So Good

I will start off by saying that our guide, Sasha, was fantastic! Great knowledge of all the history! Each location was great - Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri. However, I am going to call out the hotel that they put my husband and I in. Hotel Villa Maria. Not sure why we were not with the rest of the group but the hotel at best deserves MAYBE a 1. MAYBE. The walls were paper thin, we could hear everything going on in the room on either side of us. Not a good night for sleeping and I personally would not recommend the hotel to anyone. Beds were hard, pillows hard as well. And while some of those two items are personal preference it didn’t make for a comfortable stay. I should add that we were growing concerned that the bus wasn’t going to pick us up on the second morning. We were where we were told to be 15 minutes before we were supposed to be there waiting and the bus finally arrived 30 minutes + later than what we were told. Add to all of this four people who were not in our tour jumping on the bus leaving no seats (this was on day 1). So got on the bus and no seats were left for actual paying customers. No one bothered to check the list as folks got on the bus. But Sasha was fantastic. Probably would not book a tour from any company like this again. Too many people which makes it difficult to do much of anything in the locations you visit.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback with us. We’re happy to hear that Sasha made a positive impact on your experience with his knowledge and guidance, and that you enjoyed visiting Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri. On the other hand, we apologize for the issues with Hotel Villa Maria and the comfort level not meeting your expectations. We’re actively reviewing the feedback regarding accommodations to ensure our guests have a restful and enjoyable stay. The delay on the second morning’s bus pick-up and the seating issue on the first day are certainly not the standard we aim to provide. We’re investigating these incidents to prevent similar occurrences in the future, and we’re sorry for any inconvenience they caused. We value your insights and will use them to improve our services. Thank you once again, and we hope to have the opportunity to provide you with a smoother, more personalized experience in the future. Safe travels!

via Tripadvisor

Take a day trip to Pompeii, skip the overnight to Capri!!!!

The trip to Pompeii was incredible. The tour guy , forget his name, was picked up in Naples and works at the archeological site at Pompeii. After that tour, it went downhill. We payed for one night in Sorrento and then a tour of Capri and the Blue Grotto. We waited on a parking lot for 2 hours. None of the tour guides could figure out what bus to put us on. Finally, after we had to keep asking the various staff, we were put on a bus to Sorrento. Arrived late. 7pm, sun had already set and couldn’t walk around the town. Picked up the following morning and taken to Capri. Unfortunately waters did not allow for the Blue Grotto per Coast Guard. Understandable. However we went on a 1 hour ferry ride, and were then told to explore the shops. Everyone was complaining that we weren’t guided on a tour and that there was way too much time spent just mulling around a crowded port. We had to be very assertive trying to figure out where to get our bags and make sure we were on the feeey back to Naples, in order to get us to Rome that night. Thank goodness for Marcello! Anyone should take a day trip to Pompeii and forget about Capri. Disorganized, a lot of money, and not worth the trip.

via Viator

Decent and for the price

Lots of time on the bus which is to be expected. There were a few others that made it annoying, nothing the company can do about that. The hotel was more 3 star than 4, bit that can be because of different country’s understanding. I would do it again.

via Viator

Pompeii is a must see, but this tour is just too short making it exhausting

A 2-day guided tour of southern Italy leaving from Rome is just too much in too short of time. Four different tour guides over the two days. There was a lot of time on the bus, too much time moving luggage around, and not enough time to enjoy the locations. Naples was a quick drive through the city on a big bus (the city is not much to look at, except for the waterfront). Pompeii was the highlight of the tour and is something to see, but I would suggest going on your on to really appreciate it and to have more time to explore it. Sorrento is pretty but the time there is very short through the tour. The hotel in Sorrento was nice and the food good. Capri was extremely crowded in June and there was too much time standing around waiting for a bus. The Blue Grotto trip was just not worth it given the several hours in the boat in the hot sun waiting for your time to get in to see it. We were extremely exhausted after those two days, and looking back on it, I would not do it again, especially after being on the tail end of a 17-day trip to Greece and Rome.

Response from the operator: Dear Jerry, thank you for sharing your feedback about your recent Rome to Pompeii, Sorrento & Capri 2-Day Tour. We sincerely apologize that the experience did not meet your expectations and that you found it to be too rushed. We understand your concerns regarding the amount of time spent on the bus, handling luggage, and the overall pace of the tour. Your feedback about the brief visit to Naples, the crowded conditions in Capri, and the experience at the Blue Grotto is duly noted. We regret any inconvenience caused and appreciate your insights. We strive to provide enriching and enjoyable experiences for our guests, and we're sorry that this tour fell short of that standard for you, especially after your extensive trip through Greece and Rome. If there's anything else you would like to discuss or if there's anything we can do to assist you further, please don't hesitate to contact us directly. Once again, we apologize for the disappointment and appreciate your understanding. Best regards, Gray Line Rome

via Viator

Lovely Taste of Italy spoilt by unprofessional coach team

We booked an 9 day trip to Italy .It was beautiful and the locals friendly but the whole trip was poorly run.In the 9 days it was not explained that guests would be sat in a coach seat for 2 whole days going to Italy and 2 days returning. There were infrequent breaks and not enough time to move around. Most clients legs swelled up through inactivity. Our Shearings tour guide who took us to the hotel confessed he knew nothing about Italy. The hotel food was very basic (pork or omelette and chips, 2 pieces of lettuce and 2 tiny tomatoes) and the same every night.No vegan or vegetarian options. Coach toilets were locked (unable to use for 3 hours) because staff couldn’t be bothered to empty. Toilet was Rodded then tea and coffee served(fingers stuck inside cups). Driver and workers were very unprofessional and indiscreet- talking loudly about clients who had decided to move hotels as they were unhappy , and making personal comments about them.The price of tours was very confusing - The website and printed sheets varied for exactly the same trip and it was not clear with the price what was and wasn’t included. I loved Italy and the hotel staff were lovely but it was spoilt by the Shearings staff.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your experience. We want to clarify that this is the page for Gray Line Rome, where you booked the "2-Day Tour in Southern Italy from Rome: Fall in Love with Pompeii, Sorrento, and Capri" We kindly request that you leave your feedback regarding this specific tour here. We apologize that your experience with Shearings did not meet your expectations. However, we would like to clarify that Gray Line Rome is a different company, and we strive to provide excellent service and memorable experiences for our guests. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the beauty of Italy and found the locals friendly. Best regards, Gray Line Rome

via Tripadvisor