We a family of 4, are going to Florence(July 2011) and are planning to go for a day trip to Tusacany. We are not crazy about going to Chianti but looking for going Siena and San Gimignano. Can you please recommand a touring company which I can reserve on-line before going ? Thanks,
-Jane
Posted by
OP
Moutnain View, CA, US
25 posts
Noone, indeed has recommendation about how/where to book this trip?
Posted by
Carbondale, IL, USA
1201 posts
these guys look like fun. http://www.500touringclub.com/
Posted by
Happy Valley, PA
672 posts
In March 2011, we took a full-day (10 hr), private tour into Tuscany with Giuseppe Aulisa of Florence Tour (www.florencetour.com; [email protected]). Guiseppe and his wife, Paola Migliorini, own the company. Their 8-pasenger mini-van was very comfortable and Giuseppe (a native of Florence) is a font of knowledge and very passionate about whatever he's describing. We worked out all of the arrangements with Paola by e-mail months before we left and Giuseppe was very punctual in meeting us at our hotel in Florence on the arranged day. The way it worked was that Giuseppe dropped us off at the center of several towns, and then we arranged for a time to meet him to go on to the next town. The Rick Steves Florence and Tuscany guide was all we needed to negotiate the towns (Volterra, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, and Siena), so it was pretty easy. We were always a few minutes late getting back to the van, but Giuseppe was very patient about it. I highly recommend Florence Tour if you are considering a day trip into Tuscany from Florence. We will definitely take a future tour with them if/when we return to Florence. One caveat, as with any private tour, it is more expensive than a bus tour, but we felt it was well worth it.
Posted by
Northern Virginia
26 posts
We stayed in Siena for 4 nights this May and did 2 days of tours w/Rick's recommended Tours by Roberto - Roberto Bechi. We really enjoyed our Crete Senesi tour w/Roberto and our Chianti tour w/Anna. They mentioned they can pick you up in Florence.
Posted by
OP
Moutnain View, CA, US
25 posts
Thanks for the info. Anyone has experience with Viator (http://www.viator.com/tours/Florence/Siena-and-San-Gimignano-Day-Trip-from-Florence/d519-24283GROUP) or Gelobetrips (http://www.globetrips.com/Florence/Siena-and-San-Gimignano-Day-Trip-From-Florence) ?
Posted by
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
203 posts
It is my understanding that Viator is a middle man, not an actual tour company. They assign you to a tour company that you don't know about until you get your voucher. I've researched them and found wildly mixed reviews based on this very fact.