Permanent money scam

In general, the tour is very interesting and informative. The bus is comfortable and has free Wi-Fi.

1. Accommodation was sometimes at 3* (3 nights) sometimes at 4* (4 nights) (the tour was free of charge for 4*). 3 * hotels do not correspond to the declared category. Real shitholes with meager breakfasts. The hotel Sole (city Rosolina Mare - near Venice) unrealistically stinks in the rooms. At the Elba Hotel in Rimini, the room is more like a dog kennel and it’s completely impossible to sleep because it’s not a hotel, but a hostel in which there is a constant student movement and a nightly disco opposite.

2. Half board was paid, dinners were at hotels. When the accommodation was in 3 * the food was terrible. In general, at all dinners (7 days in a row!) There was pasta, so pasta was definitely tired for a week. Conclusion - you should not pay for dinner.

3. The tour includes 4 sightseeing tours: in Rome, the Vatican, Venice and Florence. Mariella was the guide in Rome and the Vatican and it was a failure.

The pace of her excursion does not allow anything to be seen in detail or photographed. She says she's not interested. There is a tour "Introduction to Italy" (without excursions), I would recommend taking it, and additionally taking excursions in Florence and the Vatican, the rest you can see for yourself.

4. Of the additional excursions, a very good excursion to Pompeii and Naples (but it is also the most expensive 65 euros + 15 entrance ticket to Pompeii). If you are lucky with your guide, after the tour you will have about an hour of free time on the Naples embankment where you can swim. Quite an interesting excursion to Pisa, but it takes 1.5 hours, and things are really there for 15 minutes, so the rest of the time they "pour water" and drive in circles. It is not worth taking an excursion to Siena - you can see everything yourself. Night Rome for an amateur - it's easier to take a walk yourself.

The top of the tour operator's greed is that they charge a fee of 25 euros for a radio module with headphones (to hear the guide well). Headphones are really needed, because. the groups are huge (about 50 people) and you can't hear anything without them. But taking extra money for it is beyond.

6. In Venice, gondola rides will be offered for 25 euros per person, so one gondola (5-6 seats) costs 80 euros. Count yourself.

7. Entrance tickets (Vatican, Pompeii, etc.) cost 5-10 euros more than the face value.

8. Accompanying people actively sell excursions and other additional services such as set meals in certain restaurants for 15-30 euros, depending on the location. And in general, they are very actively driving on the ears, saying that all the shortcomings are solely due to the internal negative mood and that you need to tune yourself to the positive.

9. Be prepared to tip the guide and driver at the end (it is highly recommended to do this) for 10-15 euros each.

In general, tips are often required and included in the bill (10-15%), sometimes they also charge an additional fee for service in a restaurant of 1-5 euros per person. In hotels, you must pay the city tax yourself, 0.5-6 euros per night per person. For example, the tax in 4 * in Rome - 6 euros per night.

10. Payment for excursions and all additional services is in cash! Cards are not accepted, and the amounts are solid at 150-300 euros per person. No proof of receipt of money is issued! Apparently "optimize" taxes.

In general, if you calculate all this, then the tour turns out to be no economy. So I would think ten times before buying it.

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