From: In.
| Inserted: 2010/03/01 19:21 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | WOW! I have been to Rome nine times and have used several tourists over the years. When I found Marco, the Gods blessed me. We have used him for the last two trips and what a difference. Each time I try to bring new people from my restaurant and all the people who met Marco loved him. We use his service for pick up and drop off at the airport and there has never been a problem. My wife left her one of her carry ons at the hotel and he helped us getting it shipped to the states. What service. We have been on several trips to Pompeii and Heraculaneum and the entire day and night was great. Several Frascati trips and winery luncheons were spectacular. I am planning a Harley trip soon. Great Man, Great company and great friend Scott Keith | |
From: CA
| Inserted: 2010/01/16 18:44 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 8 |
|
| 9.5 | We were referrred to Marco by a friend. He was given outstanding reviews and he lived up to them. Very charming, witty, knowledgeable, entertaining and patient. Very patient. We were supposed to go out to Tivoli but we awoke to pouring rain and decided to stay in the city instead. Marco took us to little known spots (we had already done the Vatican, Forum and Coliseum) all over the city and we had a delightful day. Marco knows his history and Rome. I have already referred him to friends who loved him also. We would definitely use his services again. | |
From: CA
| Inserted: 2009/12/04 6:49 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Rome Connection has wonderful guides that are very good at telling the story of each place you go. They do this with style, charm and personality. I took a group of 6 people to Rome, Florence and the Amalfi Coast / Pompeii. It was truly exciting each place we visited. The guides know the locals and the hot spots but best of all the secret spots. We travelled in style with very comfortable and new vehicles. I have told my friends if they go visit - they must use Rome Connection! | |
From: Florida
| Inserted: 2009/11/27 18:24 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Our tour with Marco and Rome Connection was just what we were looking for. We saw all the sites at our desired pace. It was much better than being part of a big bus tour where you are herded around like cattle, have to wait on others and potentially spend time in places that do not interest you. Marco was a great guide. He helped make our day in Rome a great one! | |
From: Florida
| Inserted: 2009/11/20 16:48 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 6 |
|
| 9 | Carlo gave us a great look at Rome. We were also very happy with Luca, our guide at the Vatican. | |
From: New York
| Inserted: 2009/11/20 13:03 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Dear Marco, I have to say that the tour you conducted for us in Rome was just fabulous. Our group of 8 people all felt the same. We saw all the places we wanted to and learned so many fascinating facts because of the wonderful commentary you provided along the way. Honestly, we couldn't be happier. Thank you very much, Marco. We so appreciate everything you put into your tour service. Ciao!! Sarah | |
From: Pennsylvania
| Inserted: 2009/11/19 7:30 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Dear Marco and Maurizio, Thank you for making our day in Rome an excellent experience. We would highly recommend your services to anyone wanting to explore beautiful city of Rome... Liliya, Victor, Irene and Gary | |
From: AZ
| Inserted: 2009/11/19 6:58 | ||
| Service: 8
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 8 |
|
| 9 | I was hesitant to hire a company without meeting them first. Rome Connection turned out to be just what I had hoped for. The driver met us at the cruise ship at the appointed time and gave us a complete tour of Rome. We were very happy with the car and driver and the information he gave us along the way. I highly recommend Rome Connection for anyone wanting a personalized tour service. My thanks to Marco and to Ivano for making our visit a very pleasant one. | |
From: TX
| Inserted: 2009/11/14 13:25 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | I had 13 clients including a wheelchair confined passenger overnighting after a 10 day Celebrity Solstice Cruise. Marco not only provided a wheelchair accessible van but one of the most interesting full day tours I have experienced. He shared with us his passion, love and knowledge of Rome and this tour became the highlight of the trip. Not an easy feat after 10 days of beautiful islands and magnificent history. | |
From: London
| Inserted: 2009/11/04 7:25 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | The trip was made enjoyable by the freindly and courteous staff that drove us around the 3 cities in Italy. I would really recommend booking via Romeconnection. | |
From: Ontario, Canada
| Inserted: 2009/10/25 7:20 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | We really enjoyed our tour with Marco. He was very professional yet fun and very knowledgeable. He offered us lots of options and made sure that we had time to do everything. He is very personable and that made the entire day that much better. His was the best tour that we had on our whole trip and if we were to return to Italy we would use his service again. It was definitely the best way to see Italy! Thanks so much Marco :) | |
From: California
| Inserted: 2009/10/21 9:33 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | We had a wonderful tour of Rome with Marco. He was not only knowledgeable, personable, funny but extremely accommodating and resourceful. He really took care of us three women travelling to Italy for our first visit. We were amazed at how much we were able to see in one day and that was due to his great organizational and planning skills and ability to negotiate the wild Rome traffic. We would definitely recommend Marco to our friends planning visits to Italy. | |
From: Massachusetts
| Inserted: 2009/08/12 7:28 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | We had a PERFECT TIME Touring Italy with Our 6½ Year-old Daughter and “Rome Connection” Between 11 and 29 June 2009, my wife, 6½ year-old daughter, and I took an 18-day vacation to Europe. The vacation consisted of three main parts: 1) flying to and spending 3 pre-cruise days in Venice, 2) taking a 14-day Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Barcelona onboard the Crystal Serenity, and 3) flying back to the US with a one-day post-cruise stopover in San Juan Puerto Rico. As we did all the planning for the vacation we knew that we wanted to see as much of Venice and the other ports of call (Dubrovnik, Corfu, Taormina, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, Rome, Cinque Terra, Pisa/Florence, Monaco, St Tropez and Barcelona) as practical. But we also knew that we would have to do so within the constraints of the ship’s shore time (normally 10 hours in each port – nominally from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM) and the touring abilities of our daughter - who is a good traveler and would be taking her 4th cruise. As we looked at the Crystal Serenity’s shore excursions it became clear that they fell into main two categories, 60-person bus tours and special activities for small groups (e.g. touring the Lamborghini factory, taking a hot air balloon ride in Padua, etc.,). Neither of these options really fit what we needed. The bus tours offered no flexibility and conjured up visions of us at the back of the group with our daughter, unable to really see the sights or hear the guide. The special activities were clearly targeted at adults – so they were out too. The other thing that we took note of was the cost of the shore excursions which averaged $220/person (after excluding the most expensive excursions which cost between $1,500/person and $8,999/person). So armed with these constraints we began to look for alternatives that were available in the cities we were visiting, could be done in 10 hours, would be fun (or at least tolerable) for a 6½ year-old, and would cost around $700/day (~500 Euros/day). The obvious answer was to take the Crystal excursions where they made sense and to set up private tours at the other locations. But finding a reputable tour company that was not exorbitantly expensive proved to be challenging. Of course, as many of us find on the internet, sometimes there is just too much information and it is hard to differentiate a reputable company from a fly-by-night operation. Luckily I stumbled across a post by Elizabeth Mandarino – the Senior VP of World Travel - http://corporate.worldtravelinc.com/ - that highly recommended Marco Tavola’s “Rome Connection”. The recommendation and company turned out to be just what we were looking for, and the fact that Liz trusted Marco so much made me feel considerably better about the whole process. Especially since I knew that if the private tours flopped the entire vacation would probably be a disaster. After examining the tour options in detail we decided to take the Crystal excursions in Dubrovnik and Corfu, a Virtuoso (http://www.virtuoso.com/) excursion in Barcelona, and to “go it alone” in Monte Carlo and St Tropez. That meant that we needed Marco to setup drivers, guides and itineraries in Venice, Taormina, Sorrento/Amalfi Coast, Rome, Cinque Terra, Pisa, and Florence. Although Marco’s company is based in Rome, he has a vetted network of other companies throughout Italy that he continually works with so he knows who they are and knows that they will meet his exacting standards. What this allowed us to do was to specify what we wanted to Marco and to then have him contact the appropriate people in each city to work the details. Using email made it all very easy. Marco drafted initial itineraries and costs for each city based on our broad guidelines and emailed them to us. We emailed back our comments and the specifics of the ship’s port times. Marco then finalized the itineraries and costs (which averaged 540 Euros/day). Based on Marco’s responsiveness, professionalism, and knowledge of the sights that fit within our travel constraints, I knew that we were on the right track from the initial response that I received from him. So how did all of the private tours that we had arranged work out? In a word – FABULOUS!! They were all perfect. In fact everything worked out better than we could have hoped. All of the driver/guides were personable, professional, flexible, interesting and knowledgeable about the area and sights. In all of the locations the driver was waiting for us with a recent-year Mercedes sedan as we came off the ship (or tender as applicable). From there they asked what we wanted to see so that we could flesh out the high-level itinerary, finalized the overall plan for the day, and then started the tour. With all of our drivers/guides as we drove we were able to talk about the area, living in Italy, Italy in general, and whatever other topics came up. This made even the travel time between the sights enjoyable and interesting. Bottomline: Our 18 day European vacation/cruise was great and everything worked better than we could have hoped. The service provided by Marco and his affiliates was exemplary, very cost effective and allowed us to see far more of each city than we would have been able to if we have taken the 60-person bus tours. Along with the airline travel and cruise arrangements I viewed the private tours as one of the three “make or break” components of the vacation; they surpassed our expectations. I cannot recommend Rome Connection highly enough. If you need a driver in Italy, do yourself a favor and call Marco; he certainly helped us have an unforgettable vacation. If you want to read the full details of our tours with Rome Connection I have posted them on TripAdvisor at: http://rome-hotels.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g187791-d1090942-r36978251-Rome_Connection-Rome_Lazio.html Ciao, Geoff | |
From: MN
| Inserted: 2009/08/06 9:23 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Fantastic day in an incredible city! Marco was our guide and he did an awesome job of not just showing us aroung the city, but also explaining the background and history of what we were seeing. He made the tour a lot of fun with his sense of humor, and sense of pride in his country and city. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone headed to Rome - we loved it. | |
From: Minnesota
| Inserted: 2009/08/06 10:02 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | We booked three tours through Romeconnection.com. The first day we were met right off our cruise ship by "Joe Banana". He was curtious, friendly and knowledgeable. He opened the doors everytime we made a stop and was only too happy to take pictures of our group. He recommended restaurants that were not "touristy" and not pricy. He described the highlights of the tour and answered our questions. We also had tour with Marco. Marco helped us navagate through Rome. He suggested how long we should stay at each site, and he was on the mark. Marco was friendly, knowledgable and had a great sense of humor. Marco also is considerate and I hated to part ways, as the tour was ourstanding! On our last tour, we were met by Francisco. Francisco was knowledgable and friendly. He even took us to a winery, which was not on our ajenda, but he was only happy to comoly, and called many wineries to fit us in. I highly recommend RomeConnection.com, and can't say enough positive comments. They definately made our trip a successful adventure! | |
From: MI
| Inserted: 2009/07/14 5:47 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | 5 stars in every category! A true profesional in every way. Tons of info, fun, friendship, and custom tailored days to fit your personal needs. Marco makes your rome vacation truly worry free. Less worries means and more fun! Thanks again for everything Marco, we truly appreciate everything! -Mr. and Mrs. John Parkes | |
From:
| Inserted: 2009/06/18 13:12 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Good Day..Bonjour... Mes amis et moi sommes allés en italie et avons pris M. Marco pour être notre guide.Il nous a rencontré au port et ensuite nous avons visité Rome sur toutes ses coutures..WOW...Quelle belle journée..Quel beau souvenir..Mr.MARCO est un must si vous voyagez en Italie..Il est absolument exceptionnel..Ensuite le lendemain J'ai eu le plaisir d'aller visiter le village ou mon père est né et de rendre visite à la Famille....Mr. Marco you are the best and we often think about you.. Les gens du Québec...n'hésitez pas à faire appel à ce guide parfait..Vous aimerez son sourire et sa gentillesse.. YOU WILL NOT REGRET.. NICOLE | |
From: Texas
| Inserted: 2009/04/10 13:55 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | What a wonderful time we had in Rome with Marco as our driver and guide. He showed us all the important sites and shared with us so much of the history of this beautiful city. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable & professional but most importantly so very entertaining and fun. We are so glad we booked 3 days with him. They were by far the best days of our trip. He picked us up from the airport and off we we went to see ancient Rome. I learned so much that day. Later in the week we drove to Florence stopping in Orvieto and Montepulciano, 2 beautiful towns along the way. The people were so nice and friendly- I especially enjoyed the Giacomini ceramic shop. I couldn't leave without a few of their beautiful pieces. Our 3rd day of touring, Marco showed us some of the most important churches of Rome. Then after lunch we met with Alessandra for our tour of the Vatican, which is her specialty. Just like Marco, she was so informative and professional and at the same time so gracious and friendly. She knew so many interesting stories and made this experience perfect. She is another new friend we will always remember. Marco picked us up our last morning at the hotel and drove us back to the airport for our flight home. He made everything so easy and really took great care of us. We will never forget our wonderful time in Rome and our dear friend Marco Tavola. I'll always recommend Rome Connection to any one traveling to Italy. It was such a great experience! | |
From: Connecticut, USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/27 12:39 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | We were in Italy during our Mediterranean Cruise and we decided to tour Rome with Rome Connection instead of the Cruise Line. We received personal quality service and attention during our tour. Our group of six was comfortable all throughout our tour in the luxury Mercedes Van and we were so thrilled with our experience that we booked a second tour with Rome Connection for our visit in Naples that same week. | |
From: AL
| Inserted: 2009/02/13 15:01 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 6 |
|
| 9 | Marco was the perfect person to show us Rome. He was knowledgeable, professional. and fun. The van was perfect since everyone had a window seat. Highly recommended. | |
From: NJ
| Inserted: 2009/02/06 6:25 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | My family and I cannot say enough wonderful things about the day we spent with Marco in Rome. Since we were on a cruise, we had limited time. Marco made sure that we saw all of the highlights and coordinated a Vatican tour for us. We were not rushed at all. He picked us up at the ship as planned and we returned with plenty of time to spare. Marco is extremely knowledgeable and his charming personality made the tour even more enjoyable. We plan on returning for a land vacation and will definitely arrange tours with Marco and The Rome Connection again - in Rome as well as the other cities we are going to visit. I highly recommend The Rome Connection to all my friends and customers. | |
From: USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/06 13:54 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Alison Wonderland July 5th, 2007, 11:49 PM My family (husband, 2 daughters, 14 & 11 and myself) spent a fabulous day with Marco Tavola from Rome Connection recently. He has a great sense of humor and is very personable but also very professional. Marco's English is excellent and he really knows Rome and its history. In addition to visiting all of the major sites on our Rome "wishlist", he added a couple of quick visits to fun places that we never would have known about. I really can't say enough great things about our day; it was the highlight of our trip. The website is www.romeconnection.com (http://www.romeconnection.com). Marco always responded to my emails promptly. When you check out the website, go to the Gallery page. We are the Parks Family on June 19, 2007.:) | |
From: md
| Inserted: 2009/02/04 14:11 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 8 |
|
| 9.5 | Knowlegdeable, professional, courteous, lots of fun and always on time. Would use them again. | |
From: USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 13:09 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Hello Marco, Just returned from our cruise and wanted to say a big thank you for the tours you arranged for us in each of our ports! We enjoyed each of them, but mostly our Rome and Naples tours. Our drivers were polite, informative and alot of fun! We are so happy that we use your services and would recommend you to family and friends! Thank you so much! Jan Credo | |
From: ARIZONA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 13:08 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Hello to all! The entire family is back safely from our long, but too short vacation. We had a great time and quite an adventure. Italy was my favorite destination, starting with the first day in Rome, where a wonderful guide, Marco Tavola, of Rome Connection (www.info@romeconnection.com) greeted us and took us to the Old City (Civitaveccia) where the cruise ships dock. Marco gave us great information about his culture and the country side along the way. The hour plus ride seemed like fifteen minutes…. Once on the ship, we had a rest and gathered for our first family dinner which was at 5:45 sharp as we were leaving port. We had the most wonderful two waiters, Maros and Vladimir, who effortlessly and kindly looked to our every need. Edita was our bar waitress, who kept us in happy spirits. Maros, Vladi & Edita stayed with us as our wait staff the entire cruise and became like family. It was sad to part ways…. Day two brought us to Napoli, where we had a day excursion to Capri, a beautiful little island off of the Amafi Coast. We climbed to the top of the island in these lift chairs, which was exciting and panoramic…Lunch was exotic and filling. Then back to the ship. From there we cruised for a day at sea then visited Rhodos, a Grecian island with remarkable beaches and food. Izmir, Turkey was a great port of call with trip to Ephesus and Virgin Mary’s cottage, where I was offered many camels for my daughter, Lindsay, high bid was 10,000 camels. Tan was our tour guide there and was serious, but great. We celebrated our parents 50th wedding anniversary that evening with a private party and a great dinner, Maros & Vladi were at their best…. Istanbul was next port and a beautiful area with mosques and palaces, we even go a glimpse of Asia from Topeka Palace. The lunch was great and the Grand Bazaar was much like a flea market! Out tour guide, Hotty was the life of the tour for all the boys! Then we were on to Athens, after a day at sea, which was hot and muggy, but interesting. Poseidon’s Temple was beautiful and we swam in the ocean for the first time, all which did, did so in our chonies. Lunch was delicious with great Greek food, way too much! The acropolis, which means the highest part of the city, was interesting and we found that Athens was HUGE, and almost over populated. I saw a chic on a motor bike with high heels, smoking a cigarette and texting on her cell while in major traffic cruising about 50 kph. Katacolo, Greece was a day at the beach and shopping for sister bracelets. This seemed the most peaceful of our Grecian ports.Another day at sea passed us by a beautiful volcanic island and up to Livorno. We had a day on our own in Firenza, which I spent with Pat and we saw quite a bit but never got in any museums because we would have to queue for too long…. We did tour a beautiful cathedral, though. Sarah’s sweet 16th birthday party was fun with a delicious cake and music and dancing. We threw a message in a bottle from all of us, overboard between Our last port was Rome, which was spectacular! Marcos had arranged a private bus for sixteen of us and our driver guise, Andrea, was marvelous! He was not only reminiscent of a Roman God, he was eloquent and informative. I actually got in the Vatican after the Pope did a morning mass for the holy day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, patron Saints of Rome. Mom and I went through the exit line, and got in trouble, but got through. The Vatican was the most spectacular building I had ever entered; it had a peaceful, calming feel. Thanks to Andrea, I had my best and last tour of the cruise. I hope to see him again and show him parts of America, as he did for us in Rome. The last dinner was bittersweet, saying good bye to our newly found friends, our wait staff, Mares, Valid and Edita. If I could I would have adopted all of them, especially my Maros, oh, what a beautiful man….) Our next destination was our week in Italy! I will send an email about that within a few days. Gotta get back to work! Love to all…. | |
From: USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 13:06 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | We just got back from a 10-day Cruise that originated in Rome and had stops in Sicily, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Santorini, and Naples. We cruised on the Celebrity Galaxy and had a fantastic time in all of the stops. The best part of our cruise however, happened before we ever even got to the ship. We started in Rome two days before we sailed and had set up Transfers to and from the airport, hotel and cruise ship along with a Guided tour with Marco Tavola of Rome Connections (www.romeconnection.com ). Marco was right there (with a bottle of wine) as we exited the airport to take us to the hotel. He met us the next morning to take us on our daylong tour of Rome. Marco drove us effortlessly through the streets of Rome, no easy task, while explaining and pointing out all of the sights along the way. We talked about Rome the whole time with Marco telling us about the people, politics, traffic, current events, and of course, Italian food. We arrived first at Ludus Magnus, the school of the Gladiators. We then walked across the street to the Colosseum with tickets Marco had gotten prior to arriving and avoided the long lines. We made stops at Circus Maximus, Palatine Hill, the Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum of Traiano, and the Piazza Venezia where we saw the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, dedicated to the first king of Italy. We made a stop for lunch at a café Marco recommended and then we were off to the Vatican. Marco had arranged a guide for us, (highly recommended) through the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel (breath taking), the Basilica and into St. Peter’s square. We also made stops at the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. After a wonderful dinner and a walk to the Spanish steps, we called it a day. The second day we had time to kill before heading to the cruise ship and Marco suggested a stop at Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano Lake on the way. He arranged a private tour of the castle that turned out to be the perfect end to our visit in Rome and the start of our cruise. Marco dropped us off at the pier (with another bottle of wine) and said he would be there when we got back to take us to the airport. This was our first trip to the Mediterranean and we had arranged tours at many of our stops. Our tours at the Acropolis in Athens, Ephesus in Turkey and Pompeii in Naples were great and very enjoyable but upon reflection all eight of us on this trip looked back and decided Rome was by far the best. By the time Marco dropped us off at the airport to head home, we all felt that we had not only hired the best guide in the Mediterranean, but had made a good friend as well. We all will recommend Rome Connection to our friends and family, which is how we had heard of him in the first place. | |
From: South Carolina
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 13:03 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Marco, What an amazing trip we had and Rome Connection made it so much more special. Your guides in Livorno/Florence and Naples were top notch. Venetio in Florence was incredible and took us to all the special places, riding through the Tuscan countryside from Pisa to Florence was absolutely incredible and Florence was so special. On our ride back to the cruise ship he tooks us to his favorite place for gelato. And of course we were so lucky to have none other than you for our guide in Rome.....you made it so incredible. We saw all of Rome that was possible in one day and the tour guide you booked for our Vatican tour was so knowledgeable, it was great. By the end of the day we all felt we had made a new friend. Although we wished we had booked the wine tour with you for the following day....the ship excursions are no comparison to the tours Rome Connection offers. And then we had "Joe Banana" in Naples and what a way to see the Amalfi Coast. Each of the guides selected such wonderful places for us to have lunch and enjoy the true flavors of Italy. We all agreed that the tours we had in Italy were by far the best of the trip and can't wait for a return visit, where we will be contacting you again. For anyone who is uncertain, you should not have any qualms about booking a tour with Rome Connection. The guides were there to meet us at the ship's port each time and the mercedes vans (we had 8 in our group) were very comfortable. This is definitely the only way to see Italy. Thanks again for making our trip so memorable and fun. Beverly Fineis Fripp Island, South Carolina October 2008 | |
From: Iowa
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 12:50 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Marco,Here is the photo I promised you. We traveled with Rome connection on November 6. We had a great time, saw lots of history, had some wonderfulgelato, and the best cappuccinos we are still craving it. Thanks for all the correspondence we had to prepare us and the great time we had. Also for my bottle of wine that was very kind of you. Can't wait to come back to Rome and have you as our driver this time. The only way to tour Europe iswith a driver, made our trip wonderful. Happy Holidays, Debbie, Brad, Julie and Kevinfrom Iowa | |
From: Massachusetts
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 11:46 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Senor Marco Tavola of Rome Connection, we met him as a guide... we left him as a friend. He did it all and did it with professional courtesy and enthusiasm. He serviced 23 of our family members for 9 days by co-ordinating transportation, lodging, dining, entertainment, venue tickets, touring and most importantly, he acted as intermediary between us, first time visitors to Italy, and family native to the country whom we had never met... not much Italian spoken on our end and no English spoken on their end. From the time the wheels touched down at Rome's airport to our family re-union 100 miles inland and all the touring in between, right up to departure for home again, we were in his capable hands. Magnifico! | |
From: Pennsylvania, USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 11:01 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 8 |
|
| 9.5 | It was a pleasure spending time with Marco. He was punctual, very entertaining and extremely knowlegeable. I have recommended him to friends and collegues planning to travel to Rome. We found him very flexible in his tour as he tried to fit the tour to our needs. | |
From: CANADA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:46 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Bonjour Marco , je voulais vous remercier pour la très belle journée que nous avons passé à Rome . Je suis très heureux de vous avoir fait confiance . We will do business again in 2 years , because we might go to Corse and go back to somewere in Italy . Thank you for the picture . Have a good day. Marc David Dubé | |
From: Palm City FI
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:45 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Marco Sorry it took so long to get back to you. We truly enjoyed our tours with you and you great guides. While on the cruise we let it be known that you service was excellent and passed you name to a number of people we met I know you will see some new business from our endorsement to friends and family. John Costantino | |
From: Alberta Canada
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:43 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
|
| 10 | Hello Marco. I wanted to thank you for the wonderful day trip my family had with you this past Sunday. We were all feeling a little ill and probably seemed a bit under-enthused about the day. But we truly did enjoy ourselves and certainly saw a lot more of the city than anticipated. I think the highlight of our day was the view of the city & listening to the canon sounding the 12:00 noon alarm. I could have stayed there all day. We absolutely love Italy and hope to return in a few years. But... If you ever need someone to manage your office or if you’re looking for English-speaking guides, let me know!! You can give me a crash course and then put me to work! Thanks again. Dianne Perpelitz | |
From: USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:41 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
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| 10 | Hi Marco! We just wanted to thank you again for a wonderful day in Rome. As you know it was our 25th anniversary and you made our day very special. We were able to see all the most important sights even though we only had one day in Rome from the cruise ship. Our experience was very educational as well as so much fun. You will definitely be our guide again when we return to Italy. Thanks again for a memorable experience. I have attached a picture of us enjoying the chianti. Fondly, Elena and Don Wells | |
From: Pittsburgh, PA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:39 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
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| 10 | Marco, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for spending the day with Paula and I...it was such a wonderful day. We talk to our friends back here in the States, and point out the day we spent with you was one of the highlights of our trip. We would recommend you to anyone. Hope things are going well for you and your family. By the way, how is your wife enjoying that beautiful necklace you bought her? All the Best, John and Paula Hotz Pittsburgh, PA | |
From: VA NJ
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:38 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
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| 10 | We had a great time with you and you were such a great guide and made us feel so much like family. My sisters and my friend Colleen all thought you were hot. The tours you arranged for us were great and it was great being able to speak both in English and Italian with you. Of course as you know we spoke the Calabrese dialect with was just to funny. We told so many of our friends already about your services that I should probably work for you in the USA as a booking agent for you. I look forward to planning the possible trip next year with your help to the Almafi Coast. By the way remember that I am back in Italy in November going to Venice. I know you said that you do not Venice but you were going to see if you knew of guide for me that you would recommend for 2 days. It was so nice having you pick us up at the airport then arranging to take us to our cruise ship and then pick us up from the cruise ship. I only wish you offered the same service in Venice. So if you know of someone please let me know. Thank you so much again for everything. The Porporino Family The Capalbo Family The Pesaro Family And Colleen Woods | |
From: USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:36 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
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| 10 | Hey Marco, Thanks for the memories...we had a wonderful time in Roma....can't wait to visit again! The tour was great, way beyond our expectations really. Enjoy the rest of you summer, hope to tour again with you soon! Best regards, Kim | |
From: South Carolina
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:33 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
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| 10 | Marco, What an amazing trip we had and Rome Connection made it so much more special. Your guides in Livorno/Florence and Naples were top notch. Venetio in Florence was incredible and took us to all the special places, riding through the Tuscan countryside from Pisa to Florence was absolutely incredible and Florence was so special. On our ride back to the cruise ship he tooks us to his favorite place for gelato. And of course we were so lucky to have none other than you for our guide in Rome.....you made it so incredible. We saw all of Rome that was possible in one day and the tour guide you booked for our Vatican tour was so knowledgeable, it was great. By the end of the day we all felt we had made a new friend. Although we wished we had booked the wine tour with you for the following day....the ship excursions are no comparison to the tours Rome Connection offers. And then we had "Joe Banana" in Naples and what a way to see the Amalfi Coast. Each of the guides selected such wonderful places for us to have lunch and enjoy the true flavors of Italy. We all agreed that the tours we had in Italy were by far the best of the trip and can't wait for a return visit, where we will be contacting you again. For anyone who is uncertain, you should not have any qualms about booking a tour with Rome Connection. The guides were there to meet us at the ship's port each time and the mercedes vans (we had 8 in our group) were very comfortable. This is definitely the only way to see Italy. Thanks again for making our trip so memorable and fun. Beverly Fineis Fripp Island, South Carolina. | |
From: USA
| Inserted: 2009/02/03 10:27 | ||
| Service: 10
Comfort: 10 |
Courtesy: 10
Price: 10 |
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| 10 | Hello Marco, I just wanted to send you a quick note thanking you for the great service you and your colleague provided to us on our adventures in Rome and Naples. You came very highly recommended and we were more than pleased with the choice we made to tour with Rome Connection. We will not hesitate to recommend you further when we have an opportunity to do so. | |
Marco,
12th June 2008
We just got back from a 10-day Cruise that originated in Rome and had stops in Sicily, Athens, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Rhodes, Santorini, and Naples. We cruised on the Celebrity Galaxy and had a fantastic time in all of the stops. The best part of our cruise however, happened before we ever even got to the ship.
We started in Rome two days before we sailed and had set up Transfers to and from the airport, hotel and cruise ship along with a Guided tour with Marco Tavola of Rome Connections (www.romeconnection.com ). Marco was right there (with a bottle of wine) as we exited the airport to take us to the hotel. He met us the next morning to take us on our daylong tour of Rome. Marco drove us effortlessly through the streets of Rome, no easy task, while explaining and pointing out all of the sights along the way. We talked about Rome the whole time with Marco telling us about the people, politics, traffic, current events, and of course, Italian food. We arrived first at Ludus Magnus, the school of the Gladiators. We then walked across the street to the Colosseum with tickets Marco had gotten prior to arriving and avoided the long lines. We made stops at Circus Maximus, Palatine Hill, the Arch of Constantine, the Roman Forum of Traiano, and the Piazza Venezia where we saw the Vittorio Emanuele Monument, dedicated to the first king of Italy. We made a stop for lunch at a caf Marco recommended and then we were off to the Vatican. Marco had arranged a guide for us, (highly recommended) through the Vatican including the Sistine Chapel (breath taking), the Basilica and into St. Peter's square. We also made stops at the Trevi Fountain and the Pantheon. After a wonderful dinner and a walk to the Spanish steps, we called it a day.
The second day we had time to kill before heading to the cruise ship and Marco suggested a stop at Odescalchi Castle in Bracciano Lake on the way. He arranged a private tour of the castle that turned out to be the perfect end to our visit in Rome and the start of our cruise. Marco dropped us off at the pier (with another bottle of wine) and said he would be there when we got back to take us to the airport.
This was our first trip to the Mediterranean and we had arranged tours at many of our stops. Our tours at the Acropolis in Athens, Ephesus in Turkey and Pompeii in Naples were great and very enjoyable but upon reflection all eight of us on this trip looked back and decided Rome was by far the best. By the time Marco dropped us off at the airport to head home, we all felt that we had not only hired the best guide in the Mediterranean, but had made a good friend as well. We all will recommend Rome Connection to our friends and family, which is how we had heard of him in the first place.
Chris > terimac1@msn.com
Marco,
11th June 2008
We arrived at home in Colorado. All tired but happy to be home. We ended up with one less bag than we started with but British Air say they know where it is. But, if you see a large green bag send it our way. Thanks again for all of your time. We all really did have a great time.We were trying to remember the name of the castle that you took us to on the way to the ship.We were thinking it was the Bernini Castle. Is that right? I am also working on my post for the Cruise Critic Forum.I will include the castle as one of our stops as well.You treated us so well, it is the least I can do.
Thanks again,
--Rich Parks-- richp445@comcast.net
29th October 2007
Hi Marco,
We really enjoyed the tour services. Got to see a lot, wish we had more time in Rome (traffic held us back a little). All of our drivers did an excellent job of getting us to around and Roberto and Giovanni were extremely knowledgable. Our driver in Florence, Phillipo, didn't talk much, but got us where we needed to go.
I will definitely recommend your service to friends and family coming to Europe.
Thanks again, Kevin Bossart.
25th October 2007
Hi Marco
What a great time we had on our trips around Naples and with you in Rome. (Sept 07)
You are clearly a man who knows his country, and knows Rome (and all of its back routes) and its history. We all thank you for your courteous, caring and very knowledgeable guided tour around the fabulous city of Rome. You really opened our eyes to the cities wonders and we now plan to return for a much longer visit, Thanks again from the us (Alan & Elaine Perrett) and our family and friends who were with us, we cannot recommend you highly enough.
Regards
Alan Perrett.
perrett.alan@googlemail.com
20th August 2007 BACK TO THE ROOTS TRIP ...
If you're planning a trip to Italy, do yourself a BIG favor and contact Marco Tavola at Rome Connection to arrange for touring services... he's amazing! (www.romeconnection.com) We tried to wear him out and couldn't do it. He picked up 23 of us (all family and ranging in age from 15 to 87) at Fiumicino Airport (Rome) and dropped us off there 9 days later. During those 9 days, he and his driver, Flavio, and the Rome Connection bus never left our side. The prime purpose for our family trip was to re-unite with family in Italy that we had never met before, and to tour the sites, of course. We would expect that most tour guides can handle the touring aspect of their business fairly well. However, what set Marco Tavola apart from all the rest was the willingness and expertise he demonstrated in working with us months in advance as the prime contact between our U.S.A. Boston family side and our Italian, Isola del Liri family side, especially since there was a huge language barrier issue. He did it all, including the arrangements for our fabulous accommodations and dining experiences, with the result being an incredible two and a half day festival of sorts with almost 50 family members participating. Needless to say, he became part of our family. Regarding the touring aspect of our trip, Marco made suggestions and pre-arranged everything (NO waiting in lines! NO wasted time!). MOST importantly, rather than having us frozen into an inflexible itinerary, he LISTENED to US regarding our preferences with the end result being an even more fantastic Italian experience. We hired him as our guide and left him as our friend... and we wouldn't hesitate to do it again. Above All Expectations doesn't even come close to describing the incredible effort this Roman Gentleman expended in servicing our group's needs.
Frank & Claudia DelloRusso
Boston, Massachusetts USA
fdelloru@yahoo.com
We just got back from a cruise and had a private driver and guide in each city. We used Marco from Rome Connection ( per info posted on the site from someone else who used him). Marco set up tours in Messina, Naples, Rome, and Florence and I can not say enough good things about all he did. We had guides in three of the cities and they saved us hours of time by having a place in line for tickets. We saw so much more and learned so much more than if we had taken the tours offered by the ship. There were eight of us in our group so that helped, cost wise.
Enjoy !
Chris & the Bragsters
Homeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue
Makena & Bogie
Kimo at the Bridge
3th July 2007
Marco,
Now that we have returned home and have had time to really think about the cruise and all the stops, I wanted to let you know that your tour of Rome was one of the highlights of our trip. Your knowledge of the history and ability to convey your passion for history in your explanation of the sites we were shown truly added to our enjoyment of the trip. It wasn't a run of the mill tour. We are planning on returning to Rome and will definitely use your services again. Thanks again for the wonderful trip and the great Chianti.
Jeffrey S. Wilkins
Systems Administrator, Shared Services & Support Technologies
McKesson Corporation
McKesson Pharmacy Systems
30881 Schoolcraft Rd.
Livonia, MI 48124
T 734.427.2000 ext. 8681
F 734.762.3019
C 734.777.3354
jeffrey.wilkins@mckesson.com
Marco,
26th June 2007
Now that we are home we are reflecting on our trip and reminiscing about the wonderful time we had through the wine country. We can not thank you enough for sharing so much of your country, your knowledge and recollections of the history, the beauty of the sites, the fragrance of the flowers, the quaintness of the vineyards and places you took us to, the food you shared with us and the intimacy of your life. You truly helped to make our trip the most memorable I and the boys have ever experienced. It and you will be remembered for many years to come.
Wishing you well and thank you again.
Linda S. Zara
linda.zara@smithbarney.com
Dear Marco,
20th April 2007
We just returned home from our Insignia cruise last night. We so enjoyed our Rome tour with you that I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate the effort you put into the tour. We learned so much and had fun at the same time. We couldn't have asked for a better day! Thanks so much.
I also wanted to let you know that I posted a reply on Cruise Critic Europe - Eastern & Western Meditteranean section. It's under the thread "Private Tours Rome & Naples. My user name is "Lainetique". Hope you can find it.
Lastly, we saw the picture of us on your website. I think all five of us ... look molto bene!
Thanks again, Marco.
lbwolo@hotmail.com
Lainie (and David) Wolovitz
10th Febr 2007
Just a note to thank you so much for our tour on January 30. What a wonderful day and you thrilled and exhausted us with your knowledge. You were such a gentleman and a wonderful guide and made our short layover so much more amazing. I have already recommended you to everyone that I've talked to and have passed your name on to other pilots about to embark on Rome that want to experience your city. Thanks again and we will hopefully get another Rome trip to enjoy Pompeii and your other services!
Lisa and Geoff
Air Canada
Ciao!!!!
lisahaines@yahoo.com
8th Nov. 2006
Dear Marco,
We both want to let you know what an unforgettable time you showed us in Rome!
I know we couldn't possibly have seen all the sites on our own but most importantly, we wouldn't have had such a great time while seeing them. The Restaurant you took us to was very nice and romantic at the same time.
I wish I had taken a picture of the Appia Way and the Catacombs. I wonder if you have a picture of them that you could email us?
Also, who is the author of that Rome book that you had on our tour? ( We should have bought one from that man who was selling them!) It's a very cool book and we are starting to forget the names of the places that we saw.
Thanks again for the incredible tour. I will definitely recommend you to all my friends and also to Mill's Travel.
Best wishes,
Ross & Deborah McGillicky
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
info@ijd.ca
Dear Stefano and Marco:
Marco, Rome was definitely the most memorable part of our trip due to your great help and depth of knowledge and terrific driving! Thank you so much, we will never forget our day with you!
Italy Wedding
Italy Wedding venue's available in Tuscany, Rome and many more!
03th Nov. '06
Michele Shoresman
Shoresman@wulaw.wustl.edu
Marco,
You are a wonderful guide and I have told many people about your service. We learned so much more and saw so much more than the average first time visitor to Rome due to your expert guidance. The best part of having you for a guide was that you truly listened to what we wanted to do ansd see. On top of that you were sensitive to just how much this older couple could actually do and you make the difficult parts easy so we could do and see more.. I'd sum it all up by saying your caring style plus your in depth knowledge made hiring you for tours a real bargain and a definite plus for our Rome vacation. I hope to some day come back and bring my daughters.
Thank you for all the assists in and out of your van. Not putting too much weight on it at those times helped it heal faster.
You will truly be a friend for life and you must never come to the US without looking us up!!
Hugs, Marge
26th Oct. '06 mrb@permahealth.com
Marco,
How are you? Just wanted to write and let you know that we had a wonderful time on our recent trip to Italy. Rome was one of the highlights of our trip because of you. You definitely made it happen...We were so happy to see all that we had planned (The catacombs, Colisseum, Trevi Fountain, Vatican, Pantheon)... The memories are to be cherished forever...The best was the Colisseum, but the best part was how you got us to the front of the line (we felt like movie stars).... Also the Vatican (Andrea was terrific), we learned so much about the history of the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. We want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts and hope to see you sometime again soon ( I wished for our return to Italy at the Trevi Fountain)....
Grazie !!!!!
Sandra and Todd from Florida.
16th Oct. '06
sandracastro72@yahoo.com
"Dear Marco,
Thank you so much for taking care of my daughter in Rome. They had a wonderful time. I can not express how happy I was with your services.
Best of Health,"
10 October 2006
Elaine Valinsky Ete515@aol.com
- Dave B., Richmond Virginia
"We are back in the US and wish it were not so! Thanks again for the awesome tour of Rome. It was the best day of our 12 day vacation (and there we some very good days). Dennis is still taking about the gnocchi. I will never forget how to pronounce Chi-ti-ta-vechia. I checked the website for the picture of us but couldn't find it and it never went through to my husband's Blackberry. I will certainly recommend you to my friends and plan to talk about you in the cruise blog when I can find the time to write it properly. Again, thanks so much!"
6th October 2006
Patti Brown plbrown570@comcast.net
"Our driver for the day was Marcoanother winner! Marco is getting ready to take his exams in November to be certified as a tour guide, and so was very well versed in all of the history. I don't think we asked him one question all day that he was unable to answer."
read all at >>
Ciao Marco!
Ricardo and I want to thank you again for a memorable trip to Rome last week. We are looking through our many photos and video and enjoying it again. We didn't forget that we promised to send pictures of the champion golfer Phil Mickelson for you to see. They are attached. Hope you and your family remain well and that your newest little one will arrive healthy as well. If you get to arrange a camping trip with your little ones, we hope it will be enjoyable and successful.
Again "mille grazie" for the wonderful Roman experience.
Sincerely, Bernadette and Richard
bcwaystack@comcast.net
22th August 2006
"I wonder if you would pass on our thanks to Marco for the tour he did with us on 10th August. We had a fabulous day and we managed to see so much, despite being a little restricted to what we could do with an 82 year old! We all had a great day and thought Marco was very courteous, friendly and very knowledgeable about Rome. He helped to bring it all to life and we are definitely planning on a return trip to see the things that we missed. Thank you again."
Kind regards.
m.diggle@btopenworld.com
10th August 2006
Liz Diggle (and Martin, Isobel, Lauren, Kara and Joe)
We just returned from Rome (pre-cruise) this month. We chose to get a driver and we spent 10 hours going where we wanted. We used Marco Tavola of www.RomeConnection.com. You can also call him at 39-335-8039363. He was great. He made us feel so at home driving around all day. He took us where we wanted to go and had some suggestions himself. He provided bottled water for us and his mini-van was very comfortable.
It wasn't a standard tour with a guide, but he had enough information and to be very helpful and information about Rome. We also wanted Pizza for lunch so he found a little cafe by St. Peter in Chains church. We learned about not just Rome, but felt like we had met a family member also.
Thanks for being a great guide.
Vic and Donna Magill (Space Center, Fl.)
July 28, 2006 DonnaMagill@cfl.rr.com