I am in the process if booking a tour to Florence out of La Spezia while on a cruise this summer and the company is requesting payment in full, 950 Euros. Needless to say I'm a bit concerned to pay the much up front. Has anyone used this company and paid up front. They seem to have good reviews from tripadvisor just a little worried about showing up at the port and them not showing up.
Posted by
Knoxville, TN, USA
7209 posts
First of all I would have to say - why? You're already in the Cinque Terre so why not see the sights and sounds and trails and villages where you already are? 950 Euro is an awful lot of money to pay somebody to drive you to Florence and back. Maybe you could plan another trip where you're not stuck on a boat and can actually take your time and see the major cities and sites that make Italy amazing.
Reading the http://www.excursionitaly.com/site/?page_id=367 website about this particular tour sounds like they're gonna "take you by" lots of things but it's up to you to pay extra and book and actually see them. They talk about lots of "driving" here and there and yonder. Personally I wouldn't do it.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
Dennis, it seems that with a bit of research, you could find a car service to take you to Florence and back, perhaps there is a regular shuttle service. The tour you cite does not include entrance fees, nor do they appear to even reserve for you. As Tim points out, it looks like some drive-bys. You can reserve for the two major museums listed, select a well reviewed restaurant for lunch-instead of where the tour decides to take you-stroll around Florence for a couple of hours and head back to La Spezia. Plus, you'd do this with your travel partner, instead of a bunch of folks you don't know. I think you could do it up nicely for half or two-thirds the cost of the tour, and have a better experience, imo.
Posted by
OP
Santee, CA, USA
73 posts
Maybe a little more info is needed. We are a group of 9 in our family. Muto was the only tour company I could find that could provide a private tour for our group. He has agreed to customize our excursion to suit our requirements. My only question is has anyone used this company and prepaid.