Northern Italy Travel Review: Tuscany, Como, Artisan Tour in Venice, Leather Making & Mosaics, Wine Tasting & Local Cooking Class

We interviewed several travel agents before choosing our agent and this travel company.  The other travel agents just seemed to be going through a script and then provided an uninspired itinerary.  Our travel agent took the time to listen to our desires and from that created a bespoke itinerary.  Our agent excelled in both listening and creativity. He understood our desire to have an artisan experience and that we wanted downtime. 

We are a family of both artists and craftsmen, so we weren't looking for the generic tour the typical top 10 things to do.  We wanted a curated experience, a chance to meet artisans at work.  Through numerous phone calls, emails, and tweaks to the itinerary they made sure it was perfect.  Not a single detail was missed from the transportation to the tours to making sure they found a place for us to get Covid tested before flying back to the US.

The tours they provided were amazing, from the artisan tour in Venice, leather making and mosaics in Florence, wine tasting in Chianti, to Italian cooking lessons in Como.  What was unique is we got to meet the artisans, ask questions, and learn about their craft.  It was not just the artisan experience, but the guides they hand picked to provide the tours were experts in their field.  All of them were passionate about their cities and made us feel welcome. They were all so gracious and kind.  The other important factor was we never felt stressed or worried about how to navigate in whatever city we were in.

Our travel agent made sure the transportation was always on time and the drivers would always communicate ahead of time. The agent was also always available to answer any of our texts from how much to tip to where is the best Florentine steak at a local's restaurant.  Our agent was responsive within minutes and when he was not going to be available he let us know ahead of time. No question was ever too small and he never seemed annoyed by what were probably inane questions.

The itinerary provided was very detailed and included all the contact information for the drivers, guides, etc.  We never felt lost or stressed.  I have to say it was the most stress-free vacation we have been on. Our entire family agreed this is the best family vacation we have been on, and we have traveled a lot.  I would rate our agent and the travel company a 10 out of 10!!! I would not hesitate to use them again and have already referred them to my sister.  My only regret is that we couldn't have stayed longer in Italy.