‘Tour of Rome - Ancient & Baroque’ Testimonials

It has been a couple of weeks now since myself and my husband took a holiday with your company to Rome.  Unfortunately personal circumstances prevented me from writing earlier to say how much we enjoyed our stay.

The hotel was comfortable and all our drivers excellent.  Our Tour Manager Paula, and local guide Antonella were not only efficient and knowledgeable but excellent company too.  They were always helpful and cheerful and added much to our first real trip to Rome.

I had a particular request for Antonella with regard to a specialist interest I have of foundling wheels (I have been a volunteer researcher for the London Foundling Museum for some years).  I would be pleased if you could let her know that not only did I find the foundling wheel at the Santa Spirito near the Vatican, which I spoke of, but also at the Santi Quattro Coronati, which I would not have known of without her local knowledge.  She might be interested to know that although the wheel is still there (apparently used for newspaper deliveries) the nuns no longer use the wheel to pass out the key but use an electronic buzzer instead.  At this chapel we also discovered the recently renovated cloister garden - I would imagine a lovely spot to visit on a hot day in summer.

I am certain we will be booking another holiday with Riviera in the future, and perhaps at some time make a return trip to Rome.

With best wishes

I have just returned from my first holiday with Riviera Travel and writing to say what a wonderful experience it was. 
The pre-booking assistance was excellent. Our tour guide - Valerie - welcoming, friendly and so professional throughout our stay and Antanella (apologies for spelling) who took us around Rome truly exceptional in her knowledge and enthusiasm. Please pass on my sincere thanks to them both for a wonderful few days. Will certainly recommend your company to my friends and hope to travel with you again in the near future.
Regards

Just to let you know how much we enjoyed our Rome trip from which we returned last night.  Valera was an excellent host, friendly, helpful, really contributed to the enjoyment. Trips were well planned and balanced. Antonella was a really good guide, very knowledgable and enthusiastic. Hotel was good and weather excellent. This was our first Riviera and will not be our last.
Best wishes

6th trip with Riviera . Great tour, good hotel, knowledgeable reps as always. Never thought possible to see so much in 5 days.  Already booked another holiday with Riviera Travel and a City Break. Thanks once more to Riviera Travel Staff and Hotel were very good and we had a lovely big room. Thanks Vin & Shirley

Excellent holiday, excellent tour guide in Norman who was not only very informative but also very caring - he really had our interest and wellbeing at heart. The whole package was very well organised and we experienced an awful lot in a short space of time and avoided queues at the Colosseum and the Vatican museum. Hotel was excellent, well cited for metro and 15 minute walk to the Colosseum. Lots of local eateries near by and hardworking and friendly staff serving a wide range of fresh tasty food. Extra tour guide Danielle was an added bonus and she certainly knew her history of Rome which was delivered in such a warm friendly and sometimes funny way and really captured your attention! Very memorable trip! We have experienced Riviera holidays before and they never fail to deliver.
Well done!

A memorable trip. Lovely hotel in good location. Good structure to the trips which gave you a good taste of Rome even as a lone traveller. Norman gave untiring effort which made everything easy. Excellent guides at Vatican and Colosseum.  2nd trip with Riviera very good.

A well organised tour from arrival to departure. Our tour manager Julia was excellent and produced additional literature pertinent to our visit. She made everyone feel part of the group. The Hotel President was very good, clean with good facilities and food. The tour programme kept participants busy (although parts were optional) and a lot of Rome was covered in three days. Without the organised tours I doubt if I would have seen as much of Rome in twice as many days!
Having previously used a travel company calling themselves specialists in Italy, yet unable to organise a tour to Rome alone, I will now be using Riviera again for future trips. The whole experience was good value for money, even though I was a single traveller.

Our 4th trip with Riviera was excellent as ever. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. The hotel Universo provided a good breakfast and was reasonably close to the centre so you could walk if you wished to go back and explore further. The tour manager Gianluca was very attentive and available to answer any questions. If you go to Rome in the summer be prepared for heat and humidity.

Only best memories! It proved to be a relaxing but inspiring and educational experience. Many thanks to Riviera for the flawless organisation, nice hotel (Universo), Antonella’s knowledge, and particularly for our hard working, very professional guide Gianluca, who made our tour comfortable and so enjoyable.

Just arrived back from our Tour of Rome what an amazing trip so well thought out and planned.  Trips were very interesting and the trip to the Vatican which incurred extra cost was so worth it - no queuing in sweltering heat - Norman our tour guide went the extra mile what a superstar.  Many thanks.  Can’t wait for the next tour with Riviera Travel

My wife and I had not traveled with Riviera before but we were not disappointed The whole break, 5 days in Rome, was well organised and very professionally handled.
The tour manager was a Scottish gentleman called Derek who was absolutely great, very knowledgeable about Rome and fluent in Italian with a great sense of humour.  We also had two other lady guides, Atonella being one, who again were so engaging, entertaining and knowledgeable about their respective subjects and the history of the places we visited.  They really made the historic buildings come alive.
The tours of Romes historic sites and buildings the Vatican (extra cost option) were all well organised and fun.  We do not normally take organised tours, but with this one it saved so much time in not having to wander round the city aimlessly and also not having to que to get in to places like the Vatican and the Colosseum means it was well worth the extra.  Plus the information gained about the history of the Romans was most enlightening.
The other nice thing was that the organised tours did not take up all of the day, so after the tours we were able to explore more of Rome at our leisure later in the afternoon, and of course the evenings to dine out.
We stayed at the four star rated Best Western President Hotel, about a 15 minute walk south of the Colosseum.  Hotel was very good with nice staff, good breakfast buffet and a quite comfortable room with both a good shower and a bath.  All facilities were excellent although did have a few issues with the air con and the safe locking system, but no great hassle really.
Overall the holiday was great and we will certainly travel with Riviera again.
Once again many thanks to Derek and the tour guides.

Wonderful tour of Rome!  Firstly thank you to Michelle, our wonderful tour manager, such a friendly lady who knows how to make each traveller feel cared for.  The local guides are excellent too.
The tours around Rome are marvellous, allowing us to fast track the queue at the Colosseum, and Vatican which is an extra but well worth it. 
On the free afternoons we found it easy to explore Rome alone.
Organisation from start to finish cannot be faulted.  We can definitely recommend Riviera Travel to our friends!

Wonderful! Rene and I really enjoyed this holiday. We hadn’t been back to Rome in 40 years and this brought back many memories of our first time there. The President Hotel was clean and comfortable, breakfasts good and staff helpful. Our guide was knowledgeable and very enthusiastic—and really good company! We saw all we wanted and had a great time wandering through familiar places—the Vatican, Colosseum, Forum and Palatine Hill. Villa Borghese was a joy.  Yet again we have had a great time with Riviera and look forward to more of the same.

Having been on a number of Riviera tours previously we knew we would be well looked after. From the moment we landed in Rome until the moment we left, that again was the case. Our tour guide, Bernie, had everything under control and it made the break all the easier. Allowing us to concentrate on all the information we were being told. Rome is such a fascinating city you need knowledgeable people in control, nothing was rushed and any questions were answered with ease. Only problem was, there is so much to see and not enough time to see it. Many thanks Riviera and all your staff, we look forward to using you again and again.

This was our third tour with Riviera to Italy, as we had enjoyed previous tours we knew what to expect. We weren’t disappointed. All you have to think about is what or where to eat, as the guides take care of everything else! We loved the tours and loved Rome! All the tours being booked in advance meant no queuing. The queue for people that hadn’t pre booked at the Vatican was over 2 hours in temperatures of 32!

On the day of departure the fire at Rome airport closed the airport until the afternoon, our flight was cancelled. Along with all other airlines flying out that morning!  So you can imagine the chaos of everyone (not just Riviera) trying to find flights, hotels etc. Chris our then guide (took over from Lucy)  stayed with us and kept us posted. It was great we were still at the hotel and not the airport, which meant we could pop out for lunch or last minute shopping, well a girl can never have too many handbags! 
Then we were told, that Riviera had found flights, a coach and a hotel over night. Can you imagine to our astonishment that the flight was from Naples the next day which meant an overnight stay in a fantastic hotel in Sorrento! Hoorah! We had a beautiful drive down to Sorrento, seeing Vesuvius, bay of Naples and the stunning Sorrento peninsula! A fantastic buffet dinner was awaiting us, with friendly helpful waiters. Then in our rooms was a a bottle of fizz, all compliments of Riviera! The fire etc was not the fault of Riviera!
Just absolutely fantastic customer service! We were not out of pocket at all, it was actually a Brucie bonus the extra stay in Sorrento! So would we use Riviera again, you bet we will! A big thank you to all the staff at Riviera!

Having considered the options my friend and I decided the best way to get our Mothers around all the sites in Rome was with an organised tour - not something we normally do.  What a FANTASTIC decision!! From the moment we landed we were able to switch off and put ourselves in the hands of our lovely guides and simply enjoy this amazing city and each other’s company!  Mornings were busy with our brilliant local guide Antonella and afternoons free to explore Rome further or find somewhere to escape from the afternoon heat.

We were already impressed but Riviera Travel came into their own with the big fire at Rome airport on our day of departure.  Never for one moment did they leave us without information or indeed leave any group without a guide by their side.  Our guide for the trip, Lucy, had to leave but passed the baton to Chris.  When our groups flight was confirmed he stayed with a less fortunate group whose flight was cancelled but Francesca took us to the airport!  Francesca was brilliant - navigated us through the chaos like a knife through butter and did not leave our sides until everyone of us were through the gates - thank you!!  A stressful situation handled efficiently and calmly ensured we all felt that way too!  The Mums are now planning the next trip!

Returned from the Rome Ancient & Baroque trip yesterday and as we had such a fantastic holiday I thought that I would let you know.
Both of the guides were very helpful and informative and tolerant of the sometimes silly questions that we tourists ask.
So well done and thanks to everyone at Riviera Travel.

This was our first ever organised trip and our first trip with Riviera Travel.  We would definitely book more trips based on our experience in Rome.

We would like to thank Norman, our Tour Manager for helping our holiday to run so smoothly.  He is thoroughly professional, supportive and approachable - and a good sense of humour.  Our thanks also to our local guide Antonella - who brought Ancient Rome to life for us.  A fantastic combination.

The Hotel President was very comfortable, with helpful and friendly staff.

An excellent experience and one we would recommend to all our friends.

I would like to thank Paula, our tour guide, for looking after us so well, particularly when rain necessitated a change of itinerary. Indeed, the alternative visit was, for me, one of the highlights of our tour.  Seeing Rome in the wet was a gift which made our stay all the more interesting.  Thanks also to Antonella, for her knowledge on every subject, and to our resourceful coach drivers. They all contributed to make our few days carefree, quirky and memorable. Thank you, Riviera.

An excellent holiday from start to finish, we would never have visited all the sites on our own, we learned so much from our Italian guide Antonella (she obviously loves her job as tour guide) Michele the Riviera Travel courier was also excellent, very competent and had so much knowledge whatever you asked her. We stayed at the Hotel Universo, friendly staff, lovely clean room, good choice at breakfast (bit busy at times) a very enjoyable holiday. Thank you Riviera Travel.

Our first time with Riviera Travel and hopefully not the last, we were very impressed with the whole trip which was well organized from the beginning. The last minute change to our flight from East Midland to Birmingham was well handled and proved to be no problem to us.The Hotel President was fine, although our room was small, it was clean and quite pleasant at the back of the hotel. Breakfast could be a bit frantic and busy but the choice and service was excellent.
Our Tour Manager, Michelle was a delight and together with our Tour Guide Antonella they made our trip, for my family and I, a most enjoyable experience, we can not thank them enough.
Well done all at Riviera we look forward to using you again sometime in the future. Well Done.
Malcolm & Dorcas Lane and Daughter and Granddaughter Karen and Imogen Gunn.

This is the first time we have travelled with Riviera Travel and were very impressed.  Valerie, our tour guide was excellent, so knowledgeable and had a fantastic sense of humour.  The local guides, Antonella, Flavia & Daniella were excellent and so informative.  Hotel President was in an excellent position and the buffet breakfast plentiful.  Our room was at the back of the hotel which was lovely and quiet.  I wouldn’t like to have had a room at the front of the hotel as it would have been noisey with all the traffic.  Rome is a fantastic city to visit and Riviera certainly made this trip for us memorable. 

We shall certainly holiday with Riviera again.

Our group of three really enjoyed the trip to Rome.  Our tour manager, Norman, was excellent and nothing was too much trouble for him to ensure that everyone was happy and comfortable.  We also had an excellent local guide (Antonella) whose knowledge was detailed and extensive yet lively and interesting.

There is so much to see in Rome and you need to be prepared with good footwear and plenty of water - the temperatures were in the eighties even in mid October!  Any cat lovers should make time to make a quick visit to the Anglo- Italian Cat Rescue Centre in the ruins of Julius Caesar’s house where he was murdered on the Ides of March while the senate were meeting there and a small donation would be appreciated by them.

Our hotel was the Universo, which was really well placed near the transport terminus and the sights.  The staff were helpful in recommending restaurants and organising evening bus rides.  Our rooms were clean, comfortable and had a modern decor and there was a very good buffet breakfast.  Bar prices are also very reasonable.

We have just returned from our trip to Rome - Ancient and Baroque and I felt that I really must let you at Riviera Travel know how pleased we were with all aspects of our trip.  The Hotel President was very good -  clean and comfortable and with complementary toiletries.  The breakfast buffet was fresh and plentiful.

Our tour manager was Norman and he was absolutely brilliant and a wonderful ambassador for Riviera. His extensive knowledge of Rome and his recommendations and advice throughout the holiday were invaluable.

Antonella our tour guide when we visited the Vatican and also for the trip to the Collesium and the Forum and the other local guide (I’m terribly embarrassed to admit that I am unable to recall her name) who took us on the walking tour were both very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and brought their subject matter to life.

I am newly disabled and frequently freeze when walking but Norman went over and beyond the call of duty to help me to fully participate in and enjoy all of the tours and I am extremely grateful.  My three friends who accompanied me, tour guides, drivers, airport staff, other members of the group, Riviera Travel and especially Norman were all faultless - thank you.

This tour was excellent, our tour guide Valerie was excellent, very knowledgeable and had a really good sense of humour and people skills.
I would recommend this tour and we plan to visit Venice next year with Riviera
The hotel, The President was up to our normal high standards

We have just returned from a 5 day trip to Rome. Everything was perfect & our guide, Norman, was absolutely brilliant. Our 2 local tour guides were also excellent. Norman looked after us from the minute we got to Rome to the minute we were dropped off at the airport to fly home. The trip went far too quickly & I would recommend this trip & Riviera travel to anyone.  We will definitely use them again.

We were on the Rome tour, 19th to 23rd May 2014.  We had a great time, the President Hotel was very good, newly refurbished, and in a central position, excellent breakfast, nice bar and pleasant staff.  Our tour guide Val was very knowledgeable and helpful and had a good sense of humour.  The two local guides were also excellent.
This was our third trip with Riviera and they just get better each time.

We have just returned from Rome where our Tour Manager was Mesia and our local guide Antonella.  We really enjoyed the trip, Misia was very good at looking after us and nothing was too much trouble.  She was attentive to all our needs as some of the other guests were quite elderly.  Antonella was superb.  She was so knowledgeable and we learned much more from her than we expected.  There was quite a lot of free time after the organised tours, which suited some people but not others.  There was also a lot of walking and although this was mentioned in the brochure it was more than we expected.  However, no complaints, this was our seventh trip with Riviera and we have never had cause to complain about anything.  Thanks very much for a wonderful holiday we will come with you again.

My wife Helen and I came on the tour to celebrate my 90th birthday at the end of the month. Helen will be 92 in December. I was a bit worried we were letting ourselves in for something too energetic, but we echo all that Hazel Smith wrote, with the addition that Julia was particularly concerned to look after us, for example taking us to the lift at the Colosseum and checking regularly that we were alright.  It was a very friendly group, too.

MY DAUGHTER ELAINE AND I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM ROME-ANCIENT AND BAROQUE TOUR WHICH WE THOROUGHLY ENJOYED. OUR TOUR MANAGER WAS JULIA WHO WAS FANTASTIC. SHE LOOKED AFTER US SO WELL. WE HAD FLAVIA AS OUR LOCAL GUIDE WHO WAS ALSO SUPERB. SHE DIDN’T HURRY US, JUST KEPT EVERYTHING AT A LEISURELY, MANAGEABLE PACE WHICH WAS GOOD AS THE WEATHER WAS SO HOT. NO COMPLAINTS AT ALL. A LOVELY TOUR AND I CAN CERTAINLY RECOMMEND RIVIERA TRAVEL TO ANYONE WHO HAS NOT TRAVELLED WITH THEM BEFORE.

We have just returned from this tour and have had a fabulous time in lovely company and with a super tour manager, Michelle and local guide, Flavia.  We would highly recommend Riviera travel for a visit to somewhere so steeped in history as the advice and knowledge of the guides really does help to avoid any pitfalls and they enhanced the experience with their knowledge of the area, whilst not being intrusive.
The trip was at a time when Rome was very busy and extremely hot (34 degrees) but the excursions were well organised and I would not recommend a visit to Rome for the first time unless as part of a group. It would have been very difficult for us to see all that we saw, just as individual travellers, as we would have spent most of the time queuing in the baking hot sun.
Thanks a lot again to Michelle for making our tour such a pleasant and memorable experience . There were a few minor blips with the Hotel Milton such as our room not being ready until after 3:30 on arrival but it did not detract overall from our holiday. We cannot wait to choose our next tour with Riviera Travel.

We have just returned from our tour of Rome and yet again Riviera Travel did not disappoint.  The tour was very well put together and well organised.  Our Tour Manager was “Mohamed” who was very knowledgeable, kind, caring and a true gentleman, nothing was too much trouble.  Thank you Mohamed.  Our tour guide “Antonella” was brilliant and told us a lot about the history of Rome.  The only negative was the Hotel Milton Roma being slightly dated.  The people we met on this holiday were very special.  We look forward to booking future holidays with Riviera Travel.  Many thanks.

Have just returned from the Rome Ancient & Baroque Tour which was very enjoyable.  Tour was very well planned with excursions in the morning, therefore giving us free time in the afternoons.  Excursion guides were so informative and interesting. Our tour guide Julia was excellent - she looked after us completely from day of arrival to day of departure. Julia was not only very informative but very approachable and exceptionally good company.  Julia is a great asset to Riviera Travel.  Our hotel - Universo was of a very good standard and very well placed for not only the historical sites but also for restaurants, shopping and public transport. Would recommend this tour to anyone who is interested in visiting Rome.

I have just returned from a wonderful 5 day tour of Rome.  The whole trip went without any hitches all thanks to the brilliant work of Mohammed the tour manager and Antonella the tour guide. Both were full of enthusiasm for the history of Rome and with great knowledge of the city past and present.
This as my first trip with Riviera but I do not intend that it will be the last. The only difficulty is deciding which one!
Thank you.

We have recently returned from our trip to Rome.
We both enjoyed the trip and would like to thank Valerie our trip representative, who looked after us so well, and made sure our group was first in line.
My husband had some problems with blisters, and we were welled looked after by Valerie
Thank you, this is our third trip with your Company, and we look forward to our next holiday with you
Best wishes

My friend and I have just returned home from a wonderful five days in Rome. We cannot praise Muhammed enough for the kind and professional way he looked after two ladies in a foreign country . The holiday was very busy but we new it would be and prepared ourselves for this. The hotel was the usual standard that Riviera use. No complains at all. The highlight of our trip was just coming across the service that the “Pope” was taking at the Cathedral five minutes from the hotel, This was our third time with Riviera Travel and it wont be our last. Thank you

We really must compliment your tour manager Valerie for looking after us so well on this tour to Rome.  Not everything went as planned due to a couple of strikes by the Forum officials but Valerie managed to shuffle the visits very well and we visited most of Rome’s premiere attractions - even seeing the Pope!  Another we must compliment is Antonella.  Her extensive knowledge of the history and archeology of Rome is truly impressive.  We learnt a lot and many of the myths - especially of gladiators, were dispelled!  Good hotel, excellet guides - well done Riviera!

Just returned from Rome having had a very interesting and enjoyable 5 days.  This is our second trip with Riviera, having been to Prague about 5 years ago.  Very well organised, Muhammed was very professional and did above what was required, doing all he could to help people.  Antonella, our Italian guide, was excellent, giving us a real insight and passionate about the history of her country, explaining so much to us.  The hotel was first class, we found a lovely restaurant. Romantica only 100 yards up the road and some of us went there for evening meals.  The Colisseum was only 15 minutes walk away from the hotel and metro about 10 metres away, bus just round the corner, so everything was very convenient and accessible if you want to do some sightseeing on your own.  The Vatican was very busy, the Sistine chapel was crowded, with loudspeakers telling everyone to be quiet, but was told it is even busier in the school holidays.  All in all an excellent tour of Rome, can’t call it a holiday as we now need a rest, so much was put into the five days.  Comfortable shoes are a necessity as many streets are rough or cobbled, and some energy!  Well done Riviera, would recommend this tour, and once again thanks to Mohammed and Antonella. Now looking at others for next year.

We have just returned from a tour to Rome and would like to especially mention our wonderful Tour Manager Valerie.  Please please pass on our thanks to her for making our trip such a great one with her witty sense of humour and lovely caring nature.  She has such enthusiasm about everything she does which in turn makes you feel upbeat and enthusiastic yourself.  We would go on any Riviera Tour in the future if Valerie is there to take care of us yet again.

What a fantastic trip, this is my second experience with Riviera, thank you for making it so enjoyable. Your tour guide Valerie is an absolute gem, she went out of her way to ensure everyone had a great time and their holiday was stress free. The hotel was lovely, room, staff, food great. Angeletta (hope i have spelt it correctly) our guide for the organised trips was excellent, she was so knowledgeable and made our days out really interesting and fun, she answered all our questions with a smile.  My husband and myself cannot fault our holiday.  I look forward to travelling with you again.

Just come back from a wonderful trip to Rome.  Michele, our Tour Guide, looked after us all extremely well.  Our local guides were excellent.  Daniella took us on the coach tour of the sights, then the walk through the centre of the city and brought it all to life, especially the wonderful Piazza Navona.  We were guided around ancient Rome by Antonella (who also accompanied us to the Vatican) and was the most marvellous history teacher.  Our hotel was first class.  We didn’t manage to throw our coins into the Trevi Fountain as it was closed for maintenance but we shall certainly return!  Well done Riviera Travel; our second tour with your company and now looking forward to the next one.

Have just returned from this tour, we had a fantastic time, the tour is well organised and our tour guide was excellent, thank you for making our first trip to Rome a memorable one, looking to book our next holiday with your company.

We both had a lovely break in Rome, in the capable hands of our friendly & knowledgeable guide, Norm. Our other guides en route were also great. We found a good balance of planned excursions & time to explore for ourselves. The air conditioned hotel was very comfortable, with an excellent breakfast buffet. They even provide a free tea & coffee tray on request. Agree with another reviewer that decent walking shoes are a must. The cobble stones in the city can be tricky & Rome is far from flat! ( how many hills was it, Norm?)
Only one tiny point. Our original brochure doesn’t mention optional guided trip to Vatican museum, so we booked it on line. However, there WAS an optional trip on Tuesday, which because it was guided, wangled St Peter’s in too, which we missed out on. Ah well. Good reason to book another year!! We are Riviera fans!

Just returned from a fantastic tour of Rome everything was just right our tour manager Susan was so good and helpful even to where the best places to eat.  The tour guides Flavia and Antonella were excellent and very informative and sometimes very funny it made everything brilliant and the young man that escorted us to the airport for our return flight [sorry didn’t get his name ] was charming, all the coach drivers were too.  We had a wonderful time so well organized will use Riviera again.  A very big Thank you to all concerned.

We had a wonderful tour in Rome which was brought to life by the fantastic guide, Antonella - her knowledge about the city was unsurpassed and made all the ancient attractions come to life.  Our tour guide, Enrica,  was very patient, helpful, informative and good at her job which helped the whole thing go very smoothly.  I would urge Riviera Travel to try and negotiate a different arrangement at the Villa Borghese; all the ladies had to place their handbags in a box at the entrance which is a recipe for trouble, bearing in mind all the boxes from other parties as well; we actually finished the visit with one extra bag belonging to some one from another party and it took quite a while to sort out.  The additional tour of the Vatican City was well worth taking.  Overall, we had a great time, learned a lot and would thoroughly recommend it.

Just back from Rome.  Excellent trip and very happy with the way Riviera dealt with the unpredictable consequences of the Beatification influx.  Ann is an excellent rep - loved the dry sense of humour.  Also the local guide (Antonella?)  excellent.  Informative, concise and accurate.  Highly recommended.

A wonderful tour.  Good balance between organised travel and free time to explore.  The tour manager was wonderful, and always able to offer suggestions and advice based on sound knowledge (good sense of humour, too!) and the guide was second to none.  We were there on a particularly difficult weekend for getting around, (double canonisation) but this was no obstacle to the coach drivers who found their way around the road closures and crowds.  Thoroughly recommend!

Like our previous experiences of Riviera this latest trip exceeded expectations. Both tour manager and local guide (Ann and Antonella) were excellent. It was a pleasure to be escorted around Rome by someone with so much knowledge, Antonella certainly brought the city to life.
On future trips would it make more sense to include the Vatican in the itinery (rather than as an optional excursion) to enable a timed entrance slot (our queue was small but we still waited 2 hours). This isn’t a complaint but the trip would have been even better without the 2 hour wait.
I will most certainly use Riviera again as they never fail to deliver (next trip already booked).

Just back from Rome Ancient and Baroque. Excellent holiday, with great Tour Manager Christopher and local guide Antonella. She was an excellent mixture of facts, stories and humour - nothing too heavy and entertaining as well as informative.  This was my first visit to Rome (second holiday with Riviera) and I was well pleased with the itinerary and the organisation.  Thank you.

We have just returned from a short break in Rome and wanted to say what a fantastic time we have had.
Christopher our tour manager was brilliant and Riviera are very fortunate to have someone like him living there so on top of all the changes that may occur. He was helpful, funny and charming - and the tour guide Antelnello (sorry not sure on spelling) and he worked so well together - what a great team.
An exhausting but fascinating tour of Rome - thank you.

My husband and I have just returned from a super trip to Rome - our first with you. It was very well organised and very smoothly run. We would particularly like to thank our outstanding guide Antonelle Murlott and our superb tour manager Paula who saved us enormous sums of money when we arrived at Rome airport without first checking in for an Easyjet flight home. Paula calmly sorted every thing out so huge thanks to her. If the staff we met in Rome are typical then we will be recommending Riviera Travel to our friends.Thank you

As first time Riviera travellers and having recently returned from Rome (Ancient & Baroque), we would like to say how much we enjoyed the trip which was faultless and well organised, from initial booking until returning home. The hotel was superb and the mix of escorted tours and free time were well thought out.
Special thanks must go to our tour manager Paula whom we found to be both friendly and efficient, always ready to answer any questions asked.
We will have no hesitation in using Riviera Travel again.
Many thanks
Ian & Lynn Mill,

We have recently returned from your Rome ancient and baroque tour from Oct 9th. to 13th.
From the beginning to the all to soon end it was well organised and enjoyable. Our tour guide, Valerie, was superb with local knowledge and always there with ready assistance should it be needed.The local guides were also a great asset.
All together they ensured a holiday became a special event and an enjoyable experience. The balance of organised tours and free time was excellent. The accommodation at the Royal Santina was very good.
We are both now looking forward to our tour with you to Venice next September.

many thanks,
Andy & Gill Hodgson.

We returned from a tour of Rome last Sunday (13th October) and would like to thank Riviera for another well organised and enjoyable trip. In particular our thanks go to our tour guide Valerie, who was superb in every way. She had visits well organised and was always there to look after us. She also kept us entertained throughout and nothing was too much trouble. She was even prepared to wait as long as it took at Rome Airport for the Monarch flight to Birmingham to check in (there were long delays due to some
malfunction) even though she herself was flying into Heathrow. Please pass on our comments to her if possible

A very well managed tour and Rome surpassed all expectations.  Although we were a large group of 54 Julia managed us efficiently and with good humour throughout.  The local guides were knowledgeable but the star of the show was Rome itself.  What a wonderful city.  I would without reservation recommend this tour.

I thought I’d write to let you know how much I enjoyed the tour. I especially valued the expertise and understanding with which Mohamed Khemiri organised and led it. He was extremely helpful and very generous with his time. He enabled me to locate certain features of the city (for example the house where the poet Keats lived and the Bernini sculpture of St Theresa in one of the churches) that, without his assistance, I’d have been unable to find.  I’ve been on a number of tours abroad and think he is one of the most helpful and thoughtful tour managers I’ve encountered. 

Yours sincerely
Paulina Palmer, Dr.

Having just returned from the above mentioned holiday, we thought that you might like to know that it was an exceptionally good trip. Everything about the holiday was well organised and the hotel and its location was ideally placed to explore Rome.

In particular, the trip was enhanced by the huge contribution made by our very helpful and knowledgeable travel manager “Misia” who went the extra distance to make our holiday so successful. She deserves a pat on the back for the splendid way that she organised and looked after the large number of people on this holiday.

In addition, special thanks also to the very good local guide “Danielle” who looked after us so well on our trip to Baroque Rome and then St Peters Basilica.

Thank you once again for a great holiday and we look forward to travelling again with Riviera at some time in the future.

A first holiday with Riviera for my daughter Sarah and me - in fact our first trip abroad and it was absolutely amazing. We were looked after by our tour manager Mohammed who was hugely knowledgeable, very professional and friendly. We also had excellent guides in Barbara & Antonella who brought the city to life for us. We met many lovely fellow travelers who made us feel relaxed and able to enjoy our new experience. I am now looking at my next Riviera holiday and hope to go to Tunisia next year with my other daughter.

This was our first trip with Riviera but it has set the tone for many more.  Everything went so smoothly and we saw an amazing amount.  Our guides, Gianluca and Daniella went out of their way to make the whole holiday a great success with their knowledge and expertise.  Thank you.

This tour was a three day concentrated core of activities with supplementary “free windows to explore”  that engaged attention at all times. It should be noted that the expert commentaries of our historical guide Daniella were an essential and very welcome aspect with the assistance of the personal radio communicators. In hot and crowded situations, especially in the Forum and the Colosseum, she provided much insight and understanding. She was extremely well supported by Gianna Lucca who “looked after the flock” and resolved numerous problems that occurred with patience, politeness and good nature. These persons upheld the high standard of guided tours that we have come to expect and deserve considerable praise..
Our main recommendation is that good comfortable shoes are the key to a very enjoyable tour and that in the ear canal hearing aids would be much better than the squat external type provided.

Our first trip with Riviera was a great success.  We had a brilliant tour guide in Anton who went out of his way to look after us.  He gave us all the information required about the locations we were visiting, making sure we did not miss anything.  He even traveled with us on the Metro to make sure we got where we were going safely.  He brought in two specialists to handle two of the trips and they were excellent. 

The hotel was first class.  The room was clean and comfortable.  The entire hotel was very smart with no signs of wear and tear, it looked very new.  The staff were very friendly and seemed to enjoy their jobs.  Tea & coffee facilities were provided on request.  Room service (which we didn’t try) was free of charge.

This trip ticked all the boxes.  Riviera, noticeably go that extra mile to provide value for money and satisfaction.  We are going to book our next holiday with them and maybe more to follow.

We have just returned from a fantastic break with Riviera to Rome, I can’t think of one negative thing to say.  We were well looked after by Pilar, our excellent tour manager, who gave us the confidence to get out and about in our free time, really enhancing our enjoyment of the city. Antonella, our tour guide, was brilliant, full of interesting insights into the history of Rome, and never dull and boring.  The hotel was of a good standard, well located, and the staff friendly and helpful.  I would have no hesitation in recommending Riviera travel to family and friends, we were very impressed with how well organised everything was.  Thank-you!

This weekend my wife and I returned from a Riviera holiday in Rome. I wouldn’t normally bother with feedback but I feel compelled to let you know how impressed I have been with Riviera - from booking, our telephone enquiries, your postal information and updates, all very well handled.
However, the main reason to correspond is to congratulate you on providing us with Misia, our tour guide. She was exceptional - caring, informative, humorous, spoke excellent English, and was generally a delight who enhanced our holiday. An absolute gem. The whole experience will no doubt draw us back to using your services again.

Another excellent Riviera break. Pilar was a great tour manager, knowledgeable about her city, helpful and full of information, both historic and practical. Our local guide, Antonella (from Scarborough!) is an active Rome based academic and researcher with fascinating insights into the ways in which our knowledge of the ancient world is being continually updated. Her tour of the Colosseum was outstanding, explaining how it was used (not the Russell Crowe version!) and functioned ... and similarly for the Forum. The hotel was fine; friendly staff and reasonably priced for bar and food for anyone wanting to relax; alternatively plenty of places to eat nearby… and over 6000 to choose from in Rome! The hotel is just 30 seconds walk from a metro station, with just a couple of stops to the Colosseum. So easy.
So much to see in Rome; this was a very good taster, with a good balance between managed tours and free time.

We have just had a wonderful break in Rome. Our guide, Misia was excellent and gave us any information we needed keeping us fully informed at all times and nothing was too much trouble. Our other guides on specific days were also good and were very knowledgeable. We loved the morning tours which then lleft us free for the afternoon and evenings. Also we often missed the worst of the crowds.We stayed at the Ripa in Trastevere which was an excellent base for the restaurants in the area and the streets came alive at night with entertainment and local craftspeople. A memorable holiday, thanks to all involved.

Hi - I have just arrived home from another excellent holiday with Riv Travel.  This time to Rome.  The travel arrangements were first class, the accommodation (even for a ‘single’) was first class, the Tour Manager was brilliant and set the right balance between information and overload. The Hotel staff were friendly and helpful.  I had a fantastic time.
I have been with other companies where ‘singles’ were given third rate rooms but always have a lovely room with Riviera.
Our Tour Manager escorted us to the airport on departure and saw us to the check in desk.  As a single I felt secure and looked after.  Huge thanks to all concerned.
( I have recently been to Istanbul with another company - 2nd rate room - only 6 on tour but manager ‘lost’ us - had to get taxi back to Hotel - put in a taxi and left to fend for ourselves at departure - will I go with them again?  NO WAY.  Will I travel with Riviera again -  most
definitely.) PS When are you going to start Christmas Markets?
Again, congratulations and thanks for making holidays so special.  I have previously been to Berlin and Normandy with you.

Have just returned from a fantastic 5 days on the Rome - Ancient and Baroque Tour. It was the first time I had travelled with Riviera Travel and I am very impressed! Our tour guide Michelle was excellent and made the trip run smoothly and Antonella made our trips out come to life. A fantastic and very good value holiday, thank you Riviera.

Wonderful holiday certainly gave a taste of what this great city has to offer. Very knowledgeable and helpful Tour Guide who certainly went the extra mile.

We enjoyed our time in Rome very much and due to the splendid guide we were able to dodge most of the crowds (especially the tour ships whose multitude of buses and passengers arrived at the venues like a hoard of locusts).  From start to finish the Main Guide (Christopher) and the other tour guides were excellent.  We saw so much in five days and enjoyed it all.  This was our first time with Riviera and we have another tour booked in September. If its anything like Rome it will not disappoint. As a seasoned traveller its easy to point out the bad points, or areas for improvement, but in this case we haven’t got any ...well done Riviera !!

We have just had a wonderful break in Rome. Our guide, Misia was excellent and gave us any information we needed keeping us fully informed at all times. Our other guides on specific days were also top notch and were very knowledgeable whilst making it fun too. We stayed at the Ripa in Trastevere which was an excellent base for the restaurants in the area and the streets came alive at night with entertainment and local craftspeople. A memorable holiday, thanks to all involved.

I just wanted to pass on my thanks to our Tour manager Michelle. She was so professional, approachable and confident in her role. This meant that my first holiday abroad in years was so enjoyable and well organised that I hope to book another holiday with your company. More importantly, I would have the confidence to travel on my own in future.
The choice of hotel, tours, organisation of booking tickets etc all were great…..Okay, I have nothing to compare but was told by several on the trip that they have travelled with other companies but yours is the best!
Michelle was an absolute gem please pass on my thanks and appreciation.

PS Any plans in a year or so to do China trips without the river tours?

Thank you for organising the travel. Everything went well. All guides excellent.

We had an excellent trip to Rome. Our guide Pricsa was superb, extremely organised and informative. The local guides who took us round the Roman Antiquities, were very knowledgeable and clear in all their information.

This tour was wonderful and the highest of compliments to our main guide for the tour, Valerie. She was efficient, friendly, knowledgeable and injected humour into everything. She helped the group gel together and was a complete treasure.
The two independent guides, Elisabetta and Anthonella, were also fantastic. Both were very knowledgeable and personable. They really brought their respective subjects to life.
The hotel was well situated and the staff there could not do enough to help. It was clean and the breakfasts were marvellous.
Thank you for a wonderful holiday!
Emma Colgan, Leone Colgan and Steve Caines

We have just returned from a very enjoyable short break to Rome. We wanted to let you know how well organised the holiday was. In particular we would like to say that the services of our tour guides Anne and Antonella were excellent. They were both very knowledgeable and helpful; Anne was always on-hand to answer any questions we had, and had a very easy going and helpful manner. The guide who showed us round the Colosseum and the Roman Forum on Thursday was also very knowledgeable.

We agreed with Antonella’s concerns about the serious overcrowding of the Vatican Museum, and suggest that this is taken up with the Vatican authorities.

We would have no hesitation in recommending Riviera Travel to others, and would certainly consider booking with you again.

Just had a fabulous trip to the eternal city with Riviera.I liked the way the inclusive tours took place in the morning leaving us free to explore in the afternoon on our own.The tour manager was a font of knowledge about Rome and was one of the most helpful and patient people we have met.The local guides were superb and the tour of the Colisseum was a highlight-she made it come to life. Excellent value-well done Riviera.
Travelled on 16/10/2012

I am writing to inform you of the enjoyable time my wife and I had on your Rome holiday—Ancient and Baroque. We found the days excursions and freedom very good, the guide was very informative and helpful. The hotel was satisfactory and very accessible. Overall a very satisfactory if not very time filled vacation, I think we covered nearly every site to see around Rome.

Having recently returned from an “Rome-Ancient and Baroque” tour with my Mum I have to say we had an absolutly fabulous time, the Rep was wonderful and most helpful throughout, this is our second trip with Riviera and will certainly use you again
Travelled on 07/05/2010

my husband and myself have just come back from a trip to Rome.  it was called the ancient and baroque experience. it was truely an experience. The trip was very comprehensive and we visited all of the major attractions. I think the pantheon and the colloseum were our favuorites. The vatican museum and the sistine chapel were also exquisite. Our tour manager, was excellent and very informative.  the tour guide was also very informative and an excellent guide. The hotel was clean and comfortable and in a good spot for bars and restaurants. We will definitely be returning to riviera travel for future holidays.

My husband and I have just returned from a short break in Rome, what a wonderful time we have had, Our Riviera guide made sure everyone felt safe and enjoyed themselves, he along with two other local guides told us everything we needed to know about the sights we were about to see. It realy is a truly wonderful city and well worth a visit,we are about to book the Clasical Italy trip for 2011 which ends up in Rome for three days.—-Can’t wait Well done Rivera !!!!!
Travelled on 11/10/2010

We just took a short ‘Riviera’ break to Rome and it was SO good - the organisation was brilliant, the hotel was perfect and centrally located.  The Rep really made it a very enjoyable holiday - she was informative, helpful and very friendly - nothing was too much trouble.  In the short time we were there we saw quite a lot of famous attractions and the guided coach tour was very well organised. We would certainly travel with this company again.
Travelled on 07/11/2010

This was our first organised trip abroad and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The tour manager was excellent as were the two guides. Each morning was well planned and informative. The trip by coach round Rome on the first morning was an excellent idea and the guide gave us a lot of information. The walk round the Trevi Fountain, via the Pantheon to the Piazza Navona was really good as was the visit to the Forum and the Coliseum. The visit to Villa Borghese was well organised and our tour manager then led us to the Spanish Steps. After each visit he was able to point out cafes to go to for lunch which was very helpful. The hotel was in a good position near to many restaurants. We ventured on the metro on our last full day and wished we had done it before, it was so easy. The weather couldn’t have been better, we have taken some lovely photos and have lots of wonderful memories. Looking forward to booking another holiday with Riviera. Thank you.
Travelled on 10/05/2012