Julie-Thank you so much for all your help with our Italy trip we had a wonderful time!! All your advice and direction on everything was great. We absolutely loved the villa in Positano it was way beyond our expectations and the owners were super nice and very informative. The apartment in Florence was great as well and the guide for the Vatican was absolutely outstanding. We appreciate you helping make our dream vacation become a reality. The place we stayed in was just renovated and is beautiful and it is a great location. Also I wanted to let you know that all your friends in Italy said to pass along their best wishes to you and Gianfranco. Thanks again for everything Jeff & Lerea Palumbo Independent Travelers May 2007

Julie- We all had an absolutely fabulous time in Italy. It really was a "trip of a lifetime". You did outstanding work in arranging superb accommodations ( with friendly ,helpful staff) and interesting and informative tours, with guides who exceeded our expectations. For 2 glorious weeks in June we truly were in Paradise. Heartfelt thanks from all of us. Mitch & Tom Howard Independent Travelers June 2007

Hi Julie- We just returned from our trip to Italy and Greece. We really enjoyed our time in Italy; I absolutely loved Rome! Our bus tours in Rome were very good and well-organized. I did want to let you know how absolutely WONDERFUL our private guide, Mario Mantesi, was for the Vatican. Mario was an absolutely delightful, articulate, intelligent person and he gave us the MOST wonderful tour of the Vatican. He spoke 8 languages fluently. He was there early and spent more time with us (5 hours!) than expected. Thank you for helping make our trip special. Kathy & Fran Sincere September 2007 Independent Travelers

The Tucci Family trip to Italy is now just a wonderful memory, and we all thank you for perfectly arranging the logistics. Hotels and apartments were excellent, and because of Bella Italia's personal connections, we were greeted like family. Tour guides in Rome, Florence, and Venice provided a wonderful orientation to each city so we could discover more on our own and provided lots of tips on shopping and eating. The bus driver you arranged for the day trip to Siena and San Gimignano and to transport us from Florence to Fano was very flexible and quickly arranged a vineyard tour and a stop in beautiful Assisi. Your recommendation of Fano as a place to stay on the beach was a wonderful surprise. Few people spoke much English and we really had to use our Italian language skills! It's hard to pick a favorite, but the whole family agrees that the most fun we had was the cooking class! The Tucci Family Independent Travelers June 2007

Our trip to Italy was absolutely wonderful. Everything was planned beautifully and came off without a single hitch. We toured three completely different areas: Florence (able to walk the entire city in one day) - fabulous art and architecture, Cinqueterre - 5 picturesque villages along the water with breathtaking views and a fabulous and challenging hike, and Genoa - a wonderful big city that is totally underated. We got a flavor of each - all different and special in their own way.   Advance planning was a key to our perfect trip - getting tickets ahead of time to the museums was brilliant, as were the train tickets. I also took a conversational Italian class and this really made the trip sensational. I loved speaking with the vendors, waiters, etc. and felt so much more at ease with the wonderful people of Italy. The hotels and restaurants and all the other advice from Bella Italia made this first trip seamless and all that much more enjoyable. Every day I say to myself, "Yes, I went to Italy!"   Donna Dailey Independent Traveler April 2007

Julie-   Thanks for the email, I was going to send you one this week as we are just getting back into the swing of things as we are so rested and relaxed after our wonderful trip!!   And, thanks to you it was lovely!!!   And, the people, and the sights, and the food, and the wine!  You know, it was the best!!!!!  I really don't think now after spending almost 3 months in 3 trips to Italy there is anything bad anywhere in the country.  It is all wonderful!!   We are travelers who read a lot before we go and maximize our time sightseeing in each area and really getting "into" the cities and towns, so the 3 full days and 4 nights in most places was great, it gave us time to relax and time to do all we wanted to do.    Stresa was beautiful.  Asti/Alba was great!   Lucca, as you know, was great!  The hotel is beautiful and you feel very pampered.  We rented bikes one day, thoroughly enjoyed our day and the fabulous lunch in the countryside , and explored inside the town and took the car and explored outside finding little hidden away parts.Lucca was an awesome experience.   Then on to Venice.  Our apartment was even better than what we had expected.    It was a fabulous 3 1/2 weeks for us and thanks to you it worked smoothly and in each town we had something fun and different.  When Italy calls us again, we will certainly call you to assist us again.  What a fabulous job you have - being a part of making people's vacations so very special.  Thanks again for sharing your time, knowledge and professional assistance, and hope to see you soon, maybe another Bella Italia Dinner in 2007?   Our very best wishes for a wonderful Holiday Season and hope to see you soon!!         Jeri and Roger Independent Travelers Sept 2006

Dear Julie: Thanks to you and Gianfranco for helping make our trip to Italy one that we will always remember. We have already referred several friends to you! Sally and I are especially glad that we followed your recommendation to hire private guides. The guides pointed out several things that we would have missed and provided information about the art, culture and history of Italy that is simply not available any other way. As you know, visitors with guides are able to avoid most lines. Because of limited time we had, we would have not been able to see the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum in Rome or St. Marks in Venice if we had not had the guides. Simply put, the guides made the trip. Thanks again. Sally and I look forward to working with you again in the future. With Best Regards, Tom Overton Tom Overton Independent Traveler Sept 2006

Julie, Dennie and I wanted to first thank you and Gianfranco for your services.  I can't imagine having gone on our honeymoon without that binder!  It was such a wonderful help having the train and museum tickets booked in advance!  And you provided us with so much good information about the sights and restaurants.  It was great, thanks so much! Secondly, we wanted to tell you that our absolute favorite day was the wine tour with Giulio.  He was such a fun and friendly and knowledgeable guide.  We had the most amazing day.  The wineries he chose were just perfect and he took us to lunch at an amazing little family restaurant in the country.  By the end of the day - which had been one of the best days ever - we felt like old friends!  It was really great. In Florence, some of the recommendations you made were right on the money!  We ate at Acqua al Due and it was really good.  And we saved Il Cibreo for our last night there - amazing.  Our meals were both delicious and I had the best dessert there I've ever had in my life.  And the service was impeccable.  Again, thanks for all of your help.  You really helped take any stress out of the honeymoon so we were truly able to just enjoy Italy - and we did! Take care, Allison Allison and Dennie Independent travelers on their Honeymoon August 2006

Dear Julie, Hi! It’s us and we’re back from our trip.  Got back on Tuesday.  It was great!  We absolutely loved the apartment in Lucca.  It was an ideal base for our day trips around Tuscany.We loved Cinque Terra, as I knew we would and wish we had scheduled more time there.  Rented a car and drove through Chianti one day visiting Greve in Chianti.  That was lovely too.  We spent a day visiting Pisa, and one just exploring Lucca.  Our time in Venice was fantastic.  What a fascinating city.  The guide you arranged for us was very good and we really enjoyed touring with her.  It added so much to our experience.  The hotel Abbazia was great with a wonderful staff and had the best location we could have asked for.    Overall, it was a great trip and Bryan’s parents were really pleased with all the arrangements we had made with your expertise and assistance.  Thanks so much for helping us see some beautiful areas of Italy, comfortably and enjoyably.  We hope to go back to Italy some day and see more of her.  We will certainly use your service again for a future trip and will recommend you to friends who plan to go as well.  It made it all easy and great! Thanks so much,   Susan & Bryan Independent Travelers Sept 2006

Julie-  We had a wonderful trip!  Thanks for all of your work.  Brian Brian Independent Traveler Sept 2006

Julie and Gianfranco, Just wanted to drop you a quick note of thanks.  Mike and I truly enjoyed spending our family vacation with you in Italy. Julie, your hard work in planning made our travel arrangements seamless and enjoyable. Gianfranco, your love of the country gave us insights we'd never have had the opportunity to experience. AND you kept us safe and happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Valerie & Mike, Heavenly Italia Tour Travelers Sept 2006

Dear Gianfranco, Just a note to thank you so much for giving us an absolutely awesome experience in Italy. Your hard work, attention to detail, and your love for your country made each day enjoyable for us. Yes, and even the walking was good for us! Jim and Scott claim to have lost 5 lbs. each!! We will certainly not hesitate in using Bella Italia next time we plan a trip to Italy.  Thanks again for an enjoyable time. Sincerely,     Jim & Lois "Heavenly Italia Tour" Sept 2006

Thank you Julie. Our trip was fantastic, you did a wonderful job in planning and documenting everything for us, we’d love to use you again if we get the chance…….and have been handing out your name and # every time we show someone our pictures! Renting the car was an awesome experience; we got to experience more of the local side of things, including 7 wineries in one day! Thanks again for your help!  Lisa, Littleton, Colorado June 2006

Dear Julie, I would like to thank you for making our trip so delightful! The tour guides, especially Luisa, were outstanding. We loved our accommodations in Rome and Venice. The car rentals and train,etc. were all perfect! And the book of information was a God-send! To have all of our pertinent information so thoughtfully organized was wonderful! Thank you again for your time and thoughtfulness on our behalf. Our very best wishes. Niki, Greenwood Village, Colorado May 2006

Hi Julie, Just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed Italy. We loved all the hotels and followed all of your advice. No Problems. Cinque Terre was our favorite area. Fantastic food, took more pictures of these 5 towns than anything else in the trip – so picturesque, did fine using the train, etc. In Lucca they are having a Puccini festival all this year with a one hour opera performance each night. It was wonderful. We bicycled around the walls. No problems picking up the rental car and it was the perfect size for us. Pisa was a one hour stop to take pictures. Liked Volterra very much. Had to buy some alabaster. The Hotel Belvedere in Chianti was a favorite. Monteriggione had a great restaurant ‘Ristorante Il Piccolo Castello’ and was such a cute little town. Restaurant La Tore on the main square in Castellina was great also. We bought lunch stuff on market day in Castellina – slices of wild boar stuffed with herbs on crusty bread – yum! San Gimignano was another favorite – took us a while to say the name correctly – bought award winning gelato, heard a wonderful harp player…. Stopped in Panzano at the butcher shop – what fun – he plays opera - the shop was packed.  Had our pictures taken with the butcher, Dario’ who strikes a sinister pose with his big knife. In Greve we went to the large wine tasting establishment where you buy a credit card for 10E or 15E, etc., then use it in the wine tasting area. Good was to taste the expensive Brunello’s. It was music festival week in the entire Chianti region so everywhere we went, day and night, there were bands playing. Rock bands, Jazz bands, school bands, marching bands. The Montalcino-Montepulciano region was good also – scenery was different. The Banfi winery was great. We all bought wine and olive oil. Orvieto was another favorite. The apartment in Florence worked out great. Good location – very nice lady.  So, thank you Julie! We enjoyed it all. Carol Carol June 2006

We really enjoyed working with you. Our trip went smoothly and we really had a good time. Italy was as great as we thought it would be. All of the guides that you reccommended were great and really worth the extra money. Julie Ciarvella Denver, Colorado Independent traveler 2003

The trip was fantastic. You went above and beyond what I and the family expected. Thanks a million. If we do take another trip to Italy you guys will be the first to know. Nicolletta Giuliano Fort Collins, Colorado 2003 and 2004 tours

We are thrilled with how our trip turned out and Bella Italia played a huge role in making it possible. John Calderhead, Denver, Colorado Independent Traveler 2004

Thank you so much for all of your assistance with our trip to Italy. We enjoyed every moment of it and I especially enjoyed talking to the locals in their language. We loved your country and it's people! Ann Marie Gallagher Dednver, Colorado Independent traveler 2005

Thank you for putting together a trip of a lifetime for Dan and I. It was a perfect 10. I am telling everyone and anyone who will listen to use Bella Italia. Della Spale, Lakewood, Colorado Independent traveler 2005

It was a wonderful tour. We loved everything we saw and would have loved more time in each place. I hope to do that in the next trip.The tour exceeded our expectations and only made us want to see more. Barbara Wertz, Colorado 2005 tour

"We have taken six very enjoyable, informative trips with Bella Italia Tours. The guide(s) is not only fun to be with, he imparts much about the history, art, food, and really anything the visitor might be interested in. Since the groups are small, the tour guide is able to devote much attention to each individual. This might include a special visit to a church, museum, park, even a side trip to a hospital to care for an ill guest. We can't wait to join other tours." Cece & Jack Gubbins, Greenwood Village,Colorado 1996,1997,1998 tours

"Absolutely the classiest of tours. Definitely a tour for people who are eager to learn and have fun!" Judy Stazel, Littleton Colorado 1997 tour

"We had a fabulous time and cannot think of anything we would change. We sure hope to join another trip with you pros in the future. Thanks again." Nancy Still, Gaithersburg, Maryland ,1995 tour