Italy Bellissimo

Traveler Reviews

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  Zoe

  April 30th, 2026
  I will start with the positives- the guides. All of our guides were good, some were even pretty great. Our bus driver...
  I will start with the positives- the guides. All of our guides were good, some were even pretty great. Our bus driver was excellent. That being said, Trafalgar the company is where the issues are. They push their guides to sell sell sell! Every time we were trapped on the bus (which was close to daily) we got an hour or more sales pitch from our guide trying to force us into signing up for more excursions- worse, they were the food experience ones. (The food experience runs on avg $90+ per person for below average food and a lot of basic wine. Not at all the great experience you think you are getting, and these are the things Trafalgar forces their guides to push for HOURS) We already all spent over $4000 for our tour with barely any included excursions- and now when we would like to either relax or learn something interesting about the roads we are traveling on, instead we get an hour (once it was even a two hour sales pitch AFTER the guide returned our excursion sign up sheets they collected because apparently we didn’t know our own minds or budget- I know this because I timed it) This pretty much takes Trafalgar off my list of ever doing again. No one on VACATION wants to be trapped listening to an hour or more every time we are on the bus listening to sales pitches for venues you wouldn’t even send an enemy to. No one should have a tour coordinator shove their already signed and decided additional excursion agreement back at you because you didn’t meet trafalgar’s quota of bleeding you dry. I’ve worked sales before, I know when a good guide is being told they need to push overpriced garbage at their “Trafalgar family” and I know when the quota is finally met because THAT is when we FINALLY see the amazing personality and skill of our guide. (Our last 3 days out of the entire 11 were finally sakes pitch free for the most part) Sadly, this is the reason I will never recommend Trafalgar to anyone. This was my dream vacation. I saved for YEARS to do this trip. I wanted to have an amazing, once in a life time experience. Instead, I got hours of brow beating sales pitches for things no one wanted to sign up for after experiencing one of trafalgar’s “carefully curated, absolutely amazing dining experience “ of actually most expensive and yet absolute worst food I had the entire trip. What I brought back from this experience is this: Trafalgar is all about gouging every cent from their guests. They are relentless in pushing sub par “dining experiences “ and wearing people down with the endless sales pitching while we are trapped on the bus. There is no escape. The complaints over this have been growing every year- but Trafalgar only cares about taking all your money and giving you only bitter regrets. They will not improve or change, they will ride their old reputation of being excellent until they bleed this company dry, then sell it off. I feel so bad for their personable guides that are told to leech us dry and lie for Trafalgar about the quality of their excursions. This ruined our trip and is about the ugliest way to do business with people who already paid $4000-$6000 and more in the hopes of having their dream vacation. Do yourself a favor- any other tour company treats their clients better than this (remember those time shares and those terrible sales pitches that trapped you in a room until you signed up for decades of regrets and huge bills???? Well, here it is in the guise of a “reputable, luxury” tour company!Show more
  Traveled in April 2026
  

  Reply from: Trafalgar

  Thank you for travelling with Trafalgar and for taking the time to share such detailed feedback. We are pleased to hear that you found your Travel Directors and Coach Driver to be professional and capable, and that they contributed positively to parts of your journey. That said, we are very sorry to learn that other aspects of your experience did not meet your expectations. We take your comments regarding the balance of time on the coach, the presentation of optional experiences, and the way these were communicated very seriously. Your feedback suggests that this detracted significantly from your enjoyment of what should have been a special and long anticipated trip, and we are genuinely sorry for that. Optional experiences are intended to offer guests choice and additional ways to engage with the destination. However, we recognise from your comments that the way this was perceived did not feel balanced or in keeping with the relaxing travel experience you were expecting. We will ensure your feedback is shared with the relevant teams for review, particularly in relation to how these experiences are presented and the guest experience onboard. We are truly sorry that your overall impression has been affected in this way, especially given how significant this trip was for you. We appreciate you taking the time to provide this level of detail, as it helps us understand where improvements are needed.

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  ANDREW

  March 30th, 2024
  We liked where we went, for the most part (could have done without Murano Glass). Pacing was quick. Lots of walking...
  We liked where we went, for the most part (could have done without Murano Glass). Pacing was quick. Lots of walking and inclines that took a toll on some in our group. Tour director was very good.Show more
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  Traveled in March 2024
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  Olivia

  August 20th, 2023
  It was a wonderful trip. Would definitely reccommend.
  Traveled in August 2023
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  Pamela

  September 21st, 2022
  The tour guide Marina and coach driver Salvatori were excellent. Could of used more down time (for resting) but...
  The tour guide Marina and coach driver Salvatori were excellent. Could of used more down time (for resting) but otherwise had a fantastic time.Show more
  Traveled in August 2022
  

  Reply from: Trafalgar

  Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback about your recent trip to Italy. We are delighted that your Travel Director and Coach Driver made your trip memorable. Our Italy Bellissimo style is tailored for the traveller who would prefer to explore one country in depth. As a result, this itinerary may not be to the more relaxed traveller's taste. Nevertheless, we hope you return home with new friendships and memories lasting for a lifetime.

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  Patricia

  June 8th, 2022
  Well organized, preparations, and planned well. Seen lots in a very short time. Skip the line tickets.
  Traveled in May 2022
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  Leaslie

  October 11th, 2021
  We saw so many wonderful places.
  Traveled in September 2021
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  Jasbir

  September 24th, 2021
  Beginning to end it was awe inspiring tour! Italy has so much history and a beautiful country. Roberto,our tour...
  Beginning to end it was awe inspiring tour! Italy has so much history and a beautiful country. Roberto,our tour director, Danelo wellness director, Ronaldo our coachman , all were par excellence!Show more
  Traveled in September 2021
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  johnnemesh

  November 17th, 2019
  Back in Australia, my wife Helene and I have waited a few weeks to thoroughly digest our action packed trip of a...
  Back in Australia, my wife Helene and I have waited a few weeks to thoroughly digest our action packed trip of a decade of Italy "Bellissimo". Barbara Marani as a guide was absolutely first class. She is a perfect blend of personable , friendly, and caring human being whilst also being a thorough professional and guardian in looking after the group's interests at every step of the journey, and also one and two steps ahead as well. We will always remember with warmth and a smile her first words every morning as we mounted our bus,..."hello, barbara talking and antonio driving!"....and the heads turning in every direction at the end of the tour when antonio got hold of the mike and stated,..ello, antonio talking, and barbara driving!!!!!!" Barbara made the trip exceptional....and as previous Insight users, and first time Trafalgar users, we will come again with trafalgar because of the standard of Tour Guide the company employs. A final thank you also to the skill and temperament of the bus driver always--Antonio.Show more
  Traveled in September 2019
  

  Reply from: Trafalgar

  It’s always great to hear when our guests are returning home from our guided holidays with fond memories and a thirst for even more travel experiences, as such we thank you for sharing your feedback here with us. Furthermore, we are delighted to learn that Barbara and Antonio ensured you had an effortless and memorable travel experience full of joy and laughter. It was certainly our pleasure to welcome you on this journey, and we look forward to travelling together again soon, wherever in the world you decide that might be.

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  Ruthie

  October 28th, 2019
  This was an incredible trip. We travelled to numerous cities and learned of the history and culture of each. Our...
  This was an incredible trip. We travelled to numerous cities and learned of the history and culture of each. Our tour director, Gordon Spicer, made this trip an unforgettable experience. His extreme knowledge made for a learning experience and his delightful sense of humor added to the fun of the trip. Our driver, Michaele, made us feel safe amongst the insane driving of cars, scooters and traffic of Italy. He deserved more rounds of applause than we gave him. Gordon was very efficient and helped in all matters. He kept a timed schedule and always made sure we were accounted for. The coach was always clean and comfortable. We did a lot of walking, touring and sightseeing. We had free time to shop and enjoy on our own. We stayed in nice hotels and enjoyed delicious meals. Gordon took us to the most spectacular and beautiful places. He brought us gifts and it felt as if we have all known each other for years. I think this trip would have been good without Gordon, but because of Gordon, this trip was AMAZING. If you book the Trafalgar Bellissimo Tour of Italy, most definitely request Gordon Spicer as your tour director. I guarantee you'll have the time of your life. Thank you, Gordon. We will never forget you or this trip.Show more
  Traveled in October 2019
  

  Reply from: Trafalgar

  Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts on the Italy Bellissimo guided holiday with Trafalgar; we never tire of hearing from our happy guests. Our Travel Directors take great pride in making our guests’ time on the road special. Their knowledge and passion for our destinations, along with the care and consideration that they provide to our guests at all times, makes all the difference when discovering new places. That is why it delights us to know that Gordon was able to help ensure that you had a seamless and truly memorable travel experience in Italy. Furthermore, we are pleased to hear that Michaele's expert driving made you feel safe while on the road. We are thrilled that you observed just how much our guests’ well-being is of great importance to us and we hope that you will join our highly skilled team again soon to travel to more unique destinations.

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  Karin

  September 30th, 2019
  It was a great trip!
  Traveled in September 2019
  

  Reply from: Trafalgar

  Thanks for sharing your feedback with us here at Trafalgar. It certainly pleases us to learn that you had a fantastic time away with us on the Italy Bellissimo guided vacation, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back to travel with us again soon.

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