Italy on a Budget Tours

Dear Olivia, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We are truly sorry to read that your experience did not meet your expectations. We always take our travelers’ comments seriously, and while we regret that your overall impression was so negative, we would like to kindly clarify a few points for future travelers reading this review. Regarding the accommodations, Puglia is still one of the more authentic and less mass-touristic regions of Italy. For this reason, many properties in the area are family-run guesthouses or B&Bs rather than large hotels with 24-hour reception, elevators, or extensive facilities. Their style is often simple and traditional, which is quite typical of the region. In some cases, family-run accommodations manage rooms in nearby buildings, and the assigned room is located a short walk away. We understand this may not have been what you expected, and we are sorry it affected your comfort. At the same time, we would like to emphasize that all accommodations were carefully selected by our team, taking into account the tour budget while ensuring the best possible balance between quality, location, and facilities. We would also like to clarify that, after your itinerary was sent, no further accommodation changes were made by our team. With regard to the meals, as stated in the tour description on TourRadar, the only meal included in the package is the Welcome Dinner on Day 1. This dinner was arranged at one of our trusted partner restaurants, which currently holds a 4.6-star rating on Google. The Day 1 activity in Bari is indeed a walking tour that also includes a few complimentary tastings of local products along the way. We are sorry this did not suit your plans, especially as you had already joined a food tour independently the day before—something we could not have known in advance. At the same time, we hope that a few complimentary local tastings offered during the walking tour would not normally be considered a negative aspect of the overall experience. Concerning the tour format, as outlined on the tour page and confirmed before departure, this tour operates as fully guided only when the minimum group size is reached. When the fully guided departure is not confirmed, the tour runs as a partially guided itinerary. In this format, travelers do not have one tour leader accompanying the group throughout the entire trip, but instead join daily activities and excursions operated by our trusted local partners, while our team remains available throughout the tour to provide remote assistance whenever needed. We understand that this format may have felt less personal than expected, but it was clearly communicated before the tour departure and accepted prior to travel. Regarding the age range of 21–49, this recommendation applies to the fully guided version of the tour, where travelers share the experience with a group of like-minded people within a similar age range. When a departure operates in the partially guided format, however, the local tours and excursions are not organized exclusively by us and are therefore open to travelers of all ages. Overall, we were genuinely saddened to read your review. Many of the points raised—including the tour format, the accommodation style, the included meals, and the pace of the itinerary—were clearly outlined on the tour page before the booking was made. At the same time, other concerns, such as the confusion regarding your accommodation or your disappointment with the Day 1 activities, could very likely have been addressed quickly and effectively had you contacted us during your trip. We are always happy to assist our travelers and do our best to find prompt solutions whenever possible, and we truly believe that this would have significantly improved your overall experience. On a personal note, I was especially sorry to read your review, as I personally organized your trip and, knowing that your departure would operate in the partially guided format, I did my best to accommodate your requests wherever possible and enhance your itinerary whenever I could. This included arranging options such as a/c where available along your journey, upgrading the original walking tour in Bari to a Bari walking tour with local tastings, organizing a comfortable day trip to Polignano a Mare, Ostuni, and Locorotondo instead of a simple train visit to Monopoli and Polignano a Mare, and including breakfast in Gallipoli. I genuinely hoped these additional arrangements would make your experience even more enjoyable, so I was naturally very sorry to learn that your overall impression of the tour was so disappointing. Thank you again for sharing your perspective, and I sincerely wish you and your daughter many wonderful travels in the future. Kind regards, Anastasia

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, we truly value all comments as they help us improve and provide clarity for future guests. We’re pleased to hear that you enjoyed the individual tours included in your itinerary. At the same time, we must admit that your rating came as a surprise, and we would genuinely appreciate a bit more detail on which aspects did not meet your expectations. To clarify, the 4-day / 3-night experience is structured as a partially guided package, combining accommodation and independent time in Florence with selected guided excursions. Specifically, your program included: – Day 1: arrival, check-in, and a Florence walking tour (organized privately for you) – Day 2: free day in Florence, with optional activities available (such as cooking classes, museum visits, and guided tours, which you chose not to add) – Day 3: full-day excursion to Pisa & Cinque Terre (approx. 12 hours, 7:00 AM – 7:00 PM) – Day 4: Tuscany tour (approx. 7 hours, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM, in a semi-private minivan tour) This structure is clearly outlined in the experience description and is designed for travelers who appreciate a balance between guided activities and personal time, rather than a fully escorted itinerary. Additionally, following your initial request to cancel due to personal reasons related to accommodation, we worked instead to adapt your booking so that you could still participate in all planned tours while arranging your own accommodation independently. We also adjusted the total cost in your favor, allowing you to avoid the cancellation penalties that would normally apply when cancelling 20 days prior to departure. Throughout your trip, our team remained available to assist you in real time. Given that you mentioned enjoying the tours themselves, we would truly appreciate understanding what specifically led to your overall rating, as this would help us improve both the experience and how it is communicated. You are also welcome to reply directly to our previous emails. Thank you again for your feedback, we remain at your disposal and hope to welcome you again in the future.

This review is completely false and contains inaccurate information! Accommodations: The list of hostels was sent to the client by email weeks in advance prior to the tour. He had enough time to revise the info and raise any concerns he might have had including the possibility to upgrade. Nothing was done from his side! We would like to clarify that the hostels used are part of important hostel chains in Italy which offer high standards for budget accommodations. If you are not an hostel person, online you also have the option to book a different type of accommodation. Transportation: The tour is conducted by fast speed train between cities and all train tickets were provided and included in the tour package! Walking: All the cities which are pedestrians can be easily visited by foot and all the orientation walks included in the itinerary had the of length of 3 hours. Rome, which is a bigger city with more things to visit, have a length of 4h max with multiple stops for photos. Guides: We have no record whatsoever in 20 years of activity about guides being late 40 minutes which is absurd. This can be proved anyway with our daily log. Social Media: We have a dedicated team for all our guests during the tour which can be contacted to the dedicated whatsapp number, phone and email provided to the clients. The social media managers are not in charge or informed about the operation of a tour. Even though this client was informed, he continued using the wrong channel to have answers. Overall Experience: Regarding us we are sorry if his expectations where different but the whole team supported him for the entire week with absurd complaints by also offering free of charge non due upgrades which obviously have not been appreciated.

Thank you so much for your lovely words about our Mamma Mia tour! We're really happy you could experience Italy from the South to the North with no stress, enjoying every stop (Rome, Nples, Amalfi, Florence, Tuscany, Pisa & Cinque Terre and Venezia) and creating beautiful memories! We're glad you learnt new facts about our culture and we really appreciate your recommendation! Hope to see you soon around Italy to discover more!