The Italian 'Grande' Reviews

We have just recently come back from "The Italian Grande Tour" with Albatross. We booked it through Global Journeys back in 2019 for 2020, but due to Covid we had to wait until 2022 before we could finally set off. All through the three years of postponements Georgie Walpole handled our booking with such ease, she was wonderful so thank you Georgie. read more I highly recommend Georgie and her team at Global Journeys.

I have to say it was a fantastic tour from beginning to end. Our tour guide Antonia was the best you could ever wish for. She treated us like family and did a fabulous job throughout, throwing in the odd witty remarks every day, we all adored her. Our driver Ermano was great too and an excellent driver, we all felt really safe with him. The reason we chose this tour was because of the 3,4 and 5 night stays. It beats one night stays hands down. The hotels we stayed in were mostly excellent especially the La Palma in Stresa which was my favourite. The Italian scenery was outstanding especially around the Amalfi Coast. So much was packed into the 18 days, we got to see and do so many things. We went in early September and the weather was perfect. There were 28 in our tour and we all got on really well, so much so we have set up WhatsApp and communicate often. I definitely would recommend Albatross and this tour to anyone wishing to see Italy and have everything done for you.

Antonia was an exceptional guide - very knowledgeable, enjoyable to be with, supported all the group, and spent a lot of My Time guiding us around. Outstanding accommodation and excursions. We knew we were experiencing Italy at its best. Would recommend to others.

We have recently toured with Albatross Tours on their Italian Grande trip; an 18 day coach tour from Milan to Rome. It took in most important sites from the northern lakes, Maggiore and Como etc to the Amalfi Coast. Some of the major advantages of Albatross' tours are the multi-night stays and the provision of many night meals at our accommodation read more or a local restaurant.

We had 4 nights in Stresa and 5 nights in Montecatini Terme where we stayed in lovely four star hotels. From Montecatini Terme, we enjoyed day trips to Firenze, Pisa, Lucca and the Cinque Terre. Albatross Tours allow for "My time" which allows patrons to explore on their own and have a break from the group.

Our tour manager was professional, knowledgeable and personable. The coach driver was an ever smiling Italian who made us all feel safe and confident in his driving skills. There were only 18 Australians and New Zealanders on our large coach so there was ample room to spread out. All our travelling companions got on well and were a happy group.

We booked our tour through Global Journeys. Our consultant, Madeline, helped us with our holiday planning and offered us suggestions that assisted our holiday planning. Albatross Tours provide well resourced holidays, for small groups and many extras. We enjoyed our holiday immensely.

Having briefly been to Italy before still did not prepare me for this amazing, beautiful and diverse country, not to mention so ancient and modern - classic and exciting! From the north to the south, Italia did not disappoint - from the gobsmacking historic places and buildings to the amazing mountains, lakes and the sea, there was never read more a dull moment. Aaaah, the canneloni in Roma!!!! DIVINE!! Best everrrr...pasta, pasta, pasta everywhere, of course!

The Italian Grande was everything it offered. The hotels, especially in Mira, were great with the exception of one that was very disappointing. The Tour Guide, Gianfranco, was just Top Shot as was the driver of the coach, especially on the hair-pin bends - so many heart-stopping moments - so exciting yet very safe. Loved going through a lot of towns en route to the next stop and they were often the icing on the cake. Ravello, so beautiful and that winding road up to Anacapri - Wow !! And what a view from the top of the rock that is Capri.

The group was all Australian which was a pleasure and a very cohesive group at that too - what a relief !! One word says it all of this trip ABSOLUTELY AWESOME ( oops, two words !).

The tour I thought was good value for the money. Accommodation was very good and the meals at dinner were very good except in one location. I did not like the bath/shower in 2 locations as there were no hand rails and dangerous for mature people like myself. The walking was more than expected but as I am a fit person was able to manage it. Would have read more liked longer in some places but nice not to be moving on each day and the 5 /4 nights in locations was good. The Tour Manager and Driver were exceptional and the Tour Guides in the locations were very good and knowledgeable and passionate about what they were telling us.

This was our first trip with Albatross after several tours with Insight so we were interested in a comparison between the two. We loved the 3, 4 and 5 night stays and the smaller group size. Our tour companions were all Australians and we got on well. Overall, the itinerary was excellent and we saw everything that we wanted to see.

The highlights read more of the tour were the days we spent at Lake Maggiore and the cruises we did at Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. This was the best way to appreciate the spectacular scenery and coastal villages. We thought the character hotels would enhance the local experience and expected quality to suffer. The hotel locations were great but there were some problems. Generally, elevators were too small and there wasn’t enough of them which meant a lot of stair climbing for those fit enough. The hotel at Montecatini only had 2 very small elevators (maximum 4 people) and one of them broke down the day we arrived and was not fixed until 4 days later. Bathroom sizes seemed to vary and some of our companions thought they were too small though we were reasonably happy with ours.

The dinners at the hotels were of average quality except for Maiori where the food was poor. Breakfasts at all locations was very good. We found ants in our bedding each morning at Maiori and when we mentioned this to the staff we were told that it was a result of the climate and nothing could be done about it. This hotel also had a policy of no wifi in the rooms and you had to go to reception to use it. Several of our travel companions complained about the wifi on the coach. It seemed that only a certain number of passengers could log on at one time. I was keen to track our progress using the Vamoos app but I gave up early in the tour because I couldn’t get wifi access when I needed it.

On some of our stops we had too much time and at other places not enough. We found the activities that were included in the tour price were as much or less than what you would expect with Insight. Their claim that there are no optional extra costs is only because they don’t offer any. This is why, I expect, that we found we had too much time to ourselves at some places. You could wander around the streets, have lunch, shop or visit museums at your pleasure and own expense. To my mind theses are optional activities even though they are not organised or advertised. Our Tour Director was a local with more than 30 years experience but he lacked the professional experience of the Insight Tour Directors. In summary, we feel that you get better value for your money with Insight even if you have to pay for the optional experiences and tips to the Tour Director and driver.

Had a great time & saw some fantastic places. Small group tour of 24 people was a good size. Tour guide & bus driver were excellent. Some of the hotels were not as good as we have had in the past, but overall a great trip.

This is a really good trip with lots of included meals. The trip covered a lot of varied places and activities, some stunning scenery (coastal, lakes, mountains) as well as museums, cathedrals and pretty towns. My main criticism is that too many meals were in the hotel and not in local restaurants (only 3). With the small group size, it was implied read more that more meals would be in restaurants rather than the hotel. The best eating experiences were at the restaurants. The hotels were generally well located and had good facilities. The castle was a unique experience. There was a good mix of local walking tours and free time, however, a couple more entry fees could've been included.

The Albatross Italian Grande was absolutely wonderful and another holiday organised perfectly by Georgie from Global Journeys! We loved the longer stays of 4 and 5 nights, and the accommodation was excellent. The highlights were Stresa on Lake Maggiore, the CastelBrando near Venice, Montecatini Terme in Tuscany, the Cinque Terre and Maiori on the Amalfi read more Coast which was absolutely stunning. Beginning the tour in the Lakes and finishing it on the Amalfi Coast was just perfect.

The itinerary was exactly where we wanted to go in Italy and it did not disappoint! Also everything was included which was an added bonus. We had a fabulous time visiting so many cities, towns, villages and tourist spots throughout Italy but still had plenty of free time to ourselves. Our tour guide Elena was wonderful, extremely knowledgeable and helpful in every way to make sure our trip was a wonderful experience. Marco our coach driver was amazing and mastered the tricky roads of Italy perfectly! We travelled in September and we had perfect weather for the whole trip. Thanks again to Albatross and Georgie for such an amazing experience we will remember forever!

Great itinerary and loved the extended stays in most locations. The smaller group size made it easy to get to know everyone quickly. The tour guide was knowledgeable and looked after us well. Overall a fantastic trip. Dealing with Global Journeys made the booking process simple.

I booked what was our first overseas holiday through Global Journeys. I found them to be extremely helpful and very efficient.
Their online checklist worked well and I was able to check updated details of our holiday as we progressed. When our flight was unexpectedly cancelled and we were left with very little information or instruction from the airline, read more I contacted our consultant, Jemma, who couldn't have been more helpful or supportive during what was an extremely stressful start to our holiday.

With regards to our tour with Albatross - "The Italian Grande" was an amazing experience. I chose Albatross for several reasons including longer stays, small groups ( we had 26 people), all inclusive activities and their itinerary which read like a dream and included all the destinations (plus so many more) that were on my wish list for Italy. I am thrilled to say they lived up to all that was promised and more.

Their tour guide Prisca was very special, I will never think of Italy without thinking of her sense of fun, love for her country and her dedication to ensuring we all had the best experience possible. While we were in Italy my husband had an allergic reaction and was forced to spend a night in hospital in Italy. Prisca was so very supportive and came to the hospital with us and stayed for several hours until we sorted out what was going to happen.

We travelled in May and were blessed with the most beautiful weather. We also were very lucky to have a lovely group of people to share our experiences. I would hesitate to recommend Albatross to anyone who was interested in group tours. The trip was completely stress free and of a very high standard.

This is a bucket list tour. Sensational. The tour guide was amazing, the coach and driver were superb. So much food and drinks provided and very tasty. The places we visited were beautiful and the hotels were fabulous. Thank you Albatross.

A superb trip with compatible companions accompanied by Prisca our fantastic tour guide whose expertise and lively personality ensured that we had a fun hassle-free holiday full of fabulous experiences in a variety of Italian cities, towns and villages.

The Albatross Italian Grande Tour is exactly as stated - "Grande". Great hotels used, beautiful towns stayed in. The tour guide was wonderful, extremely knowledgeable and helpful. The itinerary was very good, some days were busy, but there were days that you could relax and take it easy. There are lots & lots of positives about the tour, our only negative read more was probably not staying near Amalfi, but staying in Naples, which can be quite a busy city. But overall we had a wonderful time and would not hesitate to book with Albatross or Global Journeys again.

Staying at only 4 hotels was great. Good tour group. Disappointed with the tour director, very disorganised. The lakes area was magic.

The Italian Grande was a once in a lifetime experience. Our tour guide Antonia was absolutely wonderful. Her extensive knowledge of all aspects of Italy from customs to food, language, ancient and modern history, politics and everything in between, plus her sense of humour made her commentary on our bus outings a delight to listen to. The tour was well read more paced with plenty of free time to explore on our own. The included tours of picturesque countryside and historic towns and cities were comprehensive and informative. We certainly improved our fitness with the walking tours and our own exploration of the places we visited. The included meals were excellent. The hospitality of our hosts particularly in the Tuscany region where we were treated to amazing feasts featuring local produce and wines were a gastronomic highlight not easily forgotten.

I picked this tour because it went to all the places in Italy I was keen to visit. I didn't mind not having much time in Venice, Florence or Rome as I have visited them before. I also liked the idea of spending more time in each hotel (minimum 2 nights, maximum 5 nights) which meant you could unpack and return each day after your excursion - this worked read more really well. We were also given plenty of leisure time (including 1 full day) when you could do your own thing. The tour met all my expectations and there were no unpleasant surprises. The tour guide was excellent, we were well informed all the time and everything went very smoothly. He even added in a few special surprises including a stop in Bologna and a visit to the War Cemetery in Cassino, which weren't on the itinerary.

There were many highlights but the Italian Lakes Como, Maggiore and Orta were definitely one. Another was our visit to a farmhouse in Tuscany where we had an olive oil tasting and then a delicious Tuscan repast in the most beautiful setting. The hotels were for the most part of very high quality although not all were quite up to the same high standard set by our first hotel in Stresa. I would also have preferred to stay in one of the Amalfi towns other than Maiori (e.g. Amalfi or Positano). You need to be prepared for the crowds even at the end of the season (late September) and although we were blessed with mostly good weather there were a couple of days - especially our day in Florence - which were a bit dampened by rain. It would have been nice if there had been an indoor alternative for Florence (e.g. going inside the Cathedral) rather than walking around in the pouring rain. We had 25 on our tour which is a good number and I would not have wanted any more than that - it meant we had plenty of room on the coach and less waiting time. We were well looked after by all the agencies involved. I'd certainly recommend Global Journeys, Albatross Tours and The Italian Grande tour to friends.

This was an excellent tour, my first, but I was not disappointed in anything! It was a wonderful holiday. It was wonderful spending a few nights in the one place and seeing the area around our accommodation so well while learning as much as we could about the history and present activity in the areas. The bus and water cruises were splendid and gave read more us a variety in our days, sometimes part bus, sometimes on the water, as well walking from one spot to another, at leisure or with a guide. It was not too strenuous for well and fit people. Most of the guides were excellent where one was required, e.g. Florence. It was very good commencing the tour in the north of Italy where it is quieter, before moving on to busy Florence, Amalfi Coast and Venice. Meals were good, some better than others, but in all we were very well catered for, the accommodation very good as well. Our tour director Helen was wonderful and she did a great job, as did the bus driver who managed the "tricky" roads in some places so safely and confidently. Such an amazing country I would recommend everyone to visit it. Thanks to Michelle everything went to plan and her support and preparation for our trip was excellent. Thanks again Michelle.

Being our first overseas trip and guided tour, we did not really know what to expect, however, we can say that we were very impressed with the Italian Grande tour by Albatross. Our tour guide was exceptional, coach and coach driver were brilliant, hotels and food included in the tour were of a high quality and our fellow travellers were great fun. read more We visited all the popular attractions but the other places we either stayed in or visited were chosen carefully by Albatross and we loved and appreciated each and every one of them. We feel that we have been spoilt by the quality of our tour guide, Vanessa and she and Albatross have set a very high standard for future tours that we will do. Hannah at Global Journeys was helpful, positive, bright and there when we needed her always responding to our needs. I would highly recommend Global Journeys and Albatross Tours to all!

An excellent tour - well paced, good value for money, and highly recommended. The tour guide was very good and made the journey a delight. Some of the included meals were outstanding, and there was a very good balance of structured activities and free time.