Anniversary Review: France, Italy & Switzerland, Paris, Milan, Piedmont, Stresa, Lake Como, Cinque Terre, Santa Margherita, Lugano

Eat somewhere else with a view of the Eiffel tower and then just go up the Eiffel Tower and have champagne.   The agency acutally had that as a suggestion.   We should have taken it.

We would stay in Stresa longer than 3 days and take the public ferry to lots of the little villages.   Thank you to our agent for suggesting Lake Maggoire in the first place!  Same for the wine area.   Stay longer in a town and go to new wineries.   We loved all the ones we went to but want to taste more.   Also, go see and stay at Lake Orta.   Heard it is amazing.

After the boat tour in Cinque Terra with the fun skipper who knew his history and geology, we should have stayed in Monterosso.   My DUMB idea to have the driver take us to Vernassa.   Two hours drive of extremely steep road and not much there anyway.   Monterosso bigger, better and more shops and eateries.   

Eat more Italian pastries and and drink more Italian wine.   Surprisingly, they were better than French pastries and wine.   Which really shocked us.   We have been to both countries before a number of times but this trip Italy stole our hearts and our stomachs!

 Don't wait so long to return!

Ciao, grazie.

Travel Company Comments

Dear Maggie,

Thank you very much for taking the time to write us such a detailed and heartfelt review. I know you had a long trip and many details to share, and we are always happy to receive a feedback like yours, which is not only appreciated for recognizing a job well done, but especially to allow us to analyze and improve our performance in the future. I am so glad to hear you and your husband enjoyed your trip to Paris and Italy; and most of all that we could be part of such a special celebration.

I took some time to talk to all the partners that were involved in your itinerary and they were all very happy to learn of your enthusiasm for the French and Italian culture, art and food. Thank you for the thorough feedback both on your accommodations and your itinerary.

The Hotels we booked for you in Stresa, Tremezzo and Santa Margherita Ligure were definitely the most scenic ones and this, coupled with an excellent and hospitable team, always makes them stand out among others. 
I wanted to spare a few words on your accommodation in Piedmont. I must say most of the best properties in the area are scattered across the beautiful Langhe hills, and not very close to major towns or cities, but closer to the famous Barolo wineries, so that is why we recommend them. The idea is to spend the entire time relaxing and enjoying the stunning local landscapes,however I do understand one can feel a bit secluded since the closest towns are a bit far.

The wineries we were able to take you to are some of the best of the area and in Italy, and we are happy to learn you enjoyed the wines to the point of making an order. Furthermore, the truffle hunter and his dogs really enjoyed meeting you and showing you how the hunt works. He sends his best regards.

The properties we booked for you in Paris and Milan, while always top quality, have the disadvantage to be located in the city center of two of the busiest cities in Europe, where spaces, noises and renovations can impact the quality of your stay much more than some "easier locations". However we value them especially for the level of service they are able to provide in terms of price/quality ratio, food&beverage, location and overall hospitality level. It is also true that Hotels serve a very generous breakfast, and I appreciate your note on the time we allocated for meals during your tours. We are always flexible to modify the schedule of each tour and activity based on each traveller's preferences and needs.

I wish we received some of your comments earlier, so we could have taken immediate action. What we can definitely do is to note down your feedback for our performance review, so we can keep improving the quality of our services for the future, and I thank you for giving us this opportunity. I am sorry to hear the Eiffel tower dinner did not meet your expectations fully. While the food is really good, I believe that the fact that the top tier restaurant was closed for renovations and we had to reserve your anniversary dinner at the 2nd tier restaurant, had an impact on the atmosphere of the dinner itself. I remember discussing this at length and I know you evaluated the alternative options we suggested. I still think that having dinner inside a landmark such as the Eiffel tower is an amazing way to celebrate. This also considering the fact that many other Parisian restaurants with a view lack instead of a unique setting like that of the tower.

We are so glad you appreciated your boat tours in Stresa, Lake Como and Cinque Terre. Italy is a country where sealife and water activities have always been part of the local history and culture, so it is very important to include some during a vacation in Italy.

I would also like to dig deeper on your very constructive criticism regarding the tour in Lugano and the Last Supper tickets in Milan. I see that because the Lugano experience was scheduled on a Sunday, most shops in the city were closed. Looking at your itinerary, it would not have been possible to schedule the tour on a different date, as we only tour Lugano from Lake Como. We thought that the town was worth exploring nonetheless, but after reviewing the day with your driver, I agree that perhaps spending a longer part of the day in Como, maybe keeping your guide, could have worked better for you and your husband, especially after learning that a 30 minutes break was all you needed during your daily schedule. Regarding the Last Supper, as I mentioned before, sometimes, no matter how early we request the tickets, they are so rare we cannot guarantee them. I truly regret not informing you earlier, and of course we will refund you for the cost of the 2 tickets.

I hope we will be able to see you again in Italy in the future, to offer you the opportunity of visiting this beautiful site. Hopefully by then, we will earn the last star in your next review! Please feel free to contact us any time, whether to further discuss this trip, or the next one.