What do you consider most important? Is it easy, fast bookings? Private transportation? High-end hotels? Maybe an app to keep track of your plans? Or do you look for something else?
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Personalized service and tailored itineraries
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Top-tier hotels are a must
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Private tours only … No group tours or excursions for me
Good point!
I totally agree. A group tour is a deal breaker for me. The moment I see someone holding a sign with a number on it, I feel bad for the people behind them.
Guides should be professional and flexible with schedule changes, like starting or stopping when we want. Tours must be private. I also want to be able to choose hotels or rooms beyond their suggestions (not just the ones they have deals with). All transfers should be included, and the vehicles should be top-notch like an Uber Black SUV.
I love your approach. I always appreciate when private guides come with a Plan A and a Plan B. Then when you meet them, they go over both plans and let you pick. Sometimes I end up mixing both or suggest something else to see what they can do.
I prefer going off the beaten path or having exclusive access. I don’t care about fancy transportation if I’m stuck in crowds. I also love having fantastic, knowledgeable guides.
How do you feel about skip-the-line access to super crowded places like the Vatican? If a company offered an after-hours tour, would that be something you’d be willing to pay extra for?
Absolutely! I’ve done private after-hours tours at museums, and we tried booking an early morning tour at the Vatican but couldn’t get a spot. I’m all for splurging on experiences like that.
In Italy: Private tours/guides, Private transfers with high-end vehicles (like a Maybach or Vito), 5-star hotels, Michelin restaurants or local Osterias, Spas (especially in Northern Italy), Private jets, Summer yachts, and helicopter transfers, and renting luxury cars (sometimes).
Sounds like you’d love a Ferrari waiting for you to drive on a track in Northern Italy, followed by a delicious plate of local risotto.
Going to Como Lake for lunch.
Have you been to FEEL?
Yep, last year but without the Ferrari, helicopter, and jet 
Haha, well played!
Viator private tours have been amazing for us. We’ve done them all over the world, including places like Sicily, Malta, the US, Italy, and Edinburgh.
I’m not knocking Viator, but I’ve found that the best guides come through a travel professional.
I’ve had great experiences with them. If I see a company with 2,000+ reviews and a 4.9 rating, I go for it. With a travel professional, I feel like I need to double-check that they’re the best.
Private tours with experts are key. I’ve done a Civil War tour in Washington DC with Context Travel, and it was amazing. The guide wasn’t just a tour guide, but a true historian who answered every question and debated perspectives. For me, that deeper level of expertise is what I look for, not just a guide who knows the basics. But I also want some flexibility – like a surprise stop for some ice cream at a local spot that’s been making it for generations.
Well said. I really like this approach.