Testimonials

02/01/2008
Nessa
December 6. 2007, Wednesday, Livorno We were four couples on a Mediterranean/Transatlantic cruise who had treated ourselves to this private tour of Tuscany. We were to meet our guide at 8 AM departure. But we were not able to get off the ship until 9:15! But our driver, Paolo, of Unforgettable Tuscany, was waiting for us, as promised, and I think my husband and I were both felt quietly relived. We had arranged this private tour and felt responsible for everyones enjoyment of today. Paolo looked like the handsome Gregory Peck and we all piled into his van and took off for a wonderful tour of Tuscany. Email to Friends and Family: Today we thoroughly enjoyed Castle of Montegufoni, dating back to the 14th century that is now used for vacation apartments, then the medieval towns of Siena and San Gimignano (the 14th century town noted for its 14 remaining towers (out of 72 originals)). We all truly had a great day. The unexpected tour of the castle and these two (planned) medieval towns were so wonderful! Paolo drove expertly through the hills and towns to our destination. He pointed out many very interesting local facts. As we drove up into the hills, we were delighted at the views and assured ourselves that no ships tour bus would ever get to these exclusive neighborhoods! Paolo had lived in these hills and so he knew of its rich history and local lore (past and present). The Castle of Montegufoni was incredible! This estate was build in the early 1600s and was converted to rental apartments for vacationers. As we walked into the main hall, we found a long, grand table, surrounded by elegant chairs and decorated with two large white rose arrangements. I dont know what made me do it, but I couldnt help but reach out and touch, and was shocked to learn these were REAL! We moved through this room to the back terrace to be awed by the view. Unfortunately, the awesome view had my camera to my eye and not my ear to what Paolo was talking about, which seemed to be a very good lecture about this castle. He was friends with the owner, hence the ease with viewing this estate. We walked around the grounds as well as visit some the rental apartments. As we left, Paolo handed us a full color booklet of all the rooms and rental fees. What an experience. So this is how the rich live it up! Next stop was Siena. Here Paolo walked us into the Piazza del Campo where we were to get lunch as we wish and arrange for our meeting point for departure. We loved the beauty of this Medieval town and really enjoyed the pizza lunch at one of the many restaurants. The walk through Siena was delightful. There is a large university, here, we noticed. Lots of young students walking around. I cant help wonder whats it like to go to classes or live a medieval structures. Yet, all these cities are very much in use and thriving. The Church (Duomo?), built with white and black marble, was outstanding. It was never finished, we were told, because of political-religious upheaval and the building materials was confiscated for a new church being built by a new pope. Oh, San Gimignano! To see it from a distance for its great towers and know that it is rich in history. Paolo explained that this was the center of traffic for many centuries. People coming from other parts of Europe to the Middle East and Africa would come through there. Hence, it was a power-house of trade and governments. Everyone with power and wealth had to build a tall tower to mark his place of importance. This is why there are so many towers in Italy. We loved walking through this town and going into the shops. Its not as big as Siena, but charming all the same. Unforgettable Tuscany gave us the ability to see what we wanted to see and Paolo came through as promised! Paolo got us back to our ship within our requested time for sailing. As we captured our Tuscan sunsets for our photo albums, we will remember fondly our day with Paolo and Unforgettable Tuscany tour.

28/10/2007
Kathy and Craig
Buongiorno Paolo, I just had to email you and tell you how much we enjoyed all of our tours with your company. Everything was very well planned and organized. We were so pleased with all of our guides, especially you. You made the trip fun and enjoyable and answered all of our silly questions. You and your company made Craig and I look good for the other couples that joined our tour. We have referred your company to all of our friends, and if we ever get to Italy again, we will call on your services. I want to come back and stay at the castle in Tuscany. Ciao e grazie, Kathy and Craig

24/10/2007
Jim from Florida
October 15-17, 2007 On the inaugural cruise of the Norwegian Gem we had the opportunity to visit 3 ports in Italy (Naples, Civitavecchia, and Livorno). Traveling with my elderly parents and wife, I compared the excursions offered by NCL and numerous private companies to find the tours that would provide comfortable accommodations for my parents as well as provide me with the best dollar value. After evaluating numerous companies, I chose Unforgettable Tuscany for all three of our port visits. We were met at the ships gangway in each port by a very courteous representative who chauffeured us around in newer, well maintained vehicles (8 passenger mini vans). It would be too long to point out all of the highlights of our tours but I do want to mention each of the drivers. In Naples/Pompeii/Amalfi area our driver was Sergio who went out of his way to show us points of interest along our journey. His enjoyment at his job really showed and he is to be commended for his knowledge and his ability to keep us captivated. His driving skills on the Amalfi Coast were great and it makes you really appreciate someone else behind the wheel. In Rome we had Alberto for our driver. While he was not as talkative as Sergio, he did answer every question we had and once inside the city he offered up a wealth of information. His knowledge of side streets and shortcuts allowed us to get to each site in short time with very little walking. On our trip to Pisa and Florence we had Andreas (Andy). His guidance thru these cities was the high point of Italy. His wealth of knowledge, his English, his personal attention to detail, and his enjoyment of his job made this trip the best. With my parents being somewhat disabled, he took extra steps to assist them to avoid waiting in lines and driving us close to sites to make the walk easier. For anyone taking a cruise where city excursions are offered by the ship, I would highly recommend using Unforgettable Tuscany as an alternative. In the end, we were able to see much more than the ship excursions offered, had personal attention from our driver, and did not have to contend with large groups of people. Comparing costs for all three port visits to that which the ship would have charged me, I saved over $600 (USD). Less money, better travel, and more attention wins every time. Jim Kerr Florida

25/09/2007
Trip Advisor
When we were in the Florence Tuscany area, we utilized a tour guide named Paolo of Unforgettable Tuscany. He has a website at I believe www.unforgettabletuscany.com. We were in a cruise with a two day stop in Florence. For groups of 5-8, Paolo can pick you up and take you where you want to go. It costs about $100-$150 per son in USD based on where you want to go but does not include meals or entry fees to sites. We spent the first day in Florence and went to a couple of museums, near Pontevecchio and other things. Paolo can take you on a tour or you can customize your own as we did. The 2nd day we spent cruising several small towns in the Tuscan countryside. He arranged for a wine tasting at a farmhouse which was fun. Everyone in our group was very pleased with Paolo and his service. He was reliable, speaks English and on time. I used Paolo on a tip from Trip Advisor and we were very happy with him.

17/09/2007
Paolo, Thank you so much for the pick up at the port on the 6th and 7th. Our trip is winding down. But everyone was very pleased with the service and the ride that you provided. They were all amazed at how we were able to find someone so good who knew what we wanted to do and where to go. They were all most impressed. If ever in the area again, I would not hesitate to utilize your services again and would recommend you to others if given the chance. Thanks Again, Tim Juska & Group, USA

08/09/2007
Hello Paolo, I have been going through my photos of Pisa/Florence and wanted to thank you again for the wonderful tour! I can't believe we were able to see so much in one day and to learn so much history of Tuscany. The kids have very fond memories of you and have been talking about what they saw and learned. I spoke to others on the cruise ship who took the bus tour and they saw very little in comparison and they had to walk long distances from the bus parking lots to see the famous sites. We are so fortunate to have found you! I also wanted to say we enjoyed the Chianti you suggested and very much appreciated your advice about walking along the beautiful canals of Livorno - a pleasant surprise to end a wonderful day! Thanks again, I will be very happy to recommend your services to others who travel to the area. Cheers! Louise de Montigny

25/08/2007
Cindy from Ontario, Canada
Paulo: We have returned home from our wonderful trip & cruise. I would be remiss if I didn't send you a quick note to thank you for the wonderful day that we experienced with your company in beautiful Tuscany. Despite the fact that Aug 15th was a National holiday where virtually all the towns were closed for the day we were able to experience that region due to the flexibility and inginuity of Enrico. His ability to customize an interesting program around the challenges the day presented is a credit to him. Enrico was right at the gangway when we exited the ship and there were no delays in getting our day started. We loved Pisa... the tower is so much more impressive in person. Lucca was nice to see but clearly was shut down for the holiday so Enrico toured us in the country side. We were very impressed when the owner of the Valle de Sole winery came to see us and conduct a wine tasting despite the winery being closed. This was thanks to Enrico making a call to the owner. It is perhaps one of our most favorite memories of the entire trip and we had lots of great moments!!! We also loved the impromptu visit to the Italian Riviera... it was great to see how Italians enjoy their summers at the beach...too bad we didn't bring our bathing suits. Paulo... thanks again and should you have potential clients that are looking for recommendations feel free to contact me. You have exceeded our expectations! Regards Cindy Richmond Hill, Ontario Canada

14/08/2007
cruise Critic Board
We used Paolo from Unforgettable Tuscany a couple months ago and had a great time with him. I would highly recommend him. Paolo lives in Pisa and knows the area very well. His English is excellent. I wouldnt say he is chatty but he answered all our questions that we had and gave us a very good overall of the city and history. The tour was 100% customized. If you have any other specific questions, id be happy to try to answer them. Larry

10/08/2007
Jennifer and Aaron
Paolo, My husband and I just wanted to thank you for the fabulous tour you provided while we ported in Livorno from the Norweigan Jewel (we also had another couple, Casey and Audriana and two girlfriends, Maral and Natalie, in our group). Every area we drove through and stopped at was amazing. We loved that we felt that we could explore what we wanted to in each city, see the sights, and then find you confidently awaiting our return. You were very knowledgeable about the sites and we were able to take back what we learned to tell our friends and family exactly what we saw.We also liked how you were able to get around the long line at The David so we didn't have to wait! And then, to top it off, you recommended a terrific restaurant to eat at and we were so happy that you took our invitation to eat with us. At the end of the tour we felt as though we found a new friend in Italy. It is that type of service that leads me to believe you will be in business a VERY long time. We have all of your information and will definitely recommend you to anyone we know traveling in the areas you provide tours for....and we are thinking of doing a more extensive Tuscany tour ourselves for an anniversary down the road, so you may hear from us again as well! Again, we cannot thank you enough for the outstanding services you provided! Gratzi :) Most Sincerely Jennifer and Aaron

22/06/2007
Buongiorno Mariano and Paolo, When you were our guides in Florence/Pisa and in Naples/Amalfi/Pompeii we were very pleased with your services.We were the small group from Emerald Princess 31 May and 1 June. Paolo took us to the Florida State Unversity building in Florence as part of the tour; Mariano took us to his family farm as part of that tour after we decided to skip Amalfi as we watched the tour buses unloading just before we arrived there. The reason I asked both of you for your business cards? We have 2 very good friends who are Travel Agents in different parts of the US and we sent them each a copy with a letter of recommendation. You MAY hear from future travellers as a result of the cards and recommendation. I certainly hope you both do. I think the correct word is GRAZIE for the day we spent with each of you. Sincerely, Mal and Marlene and our grandson, Jason

01/07/2007
I gave a short review of Paolo on another thread last week and my wife is in the process of writing up an extended review on our entire trip. we used him a couple weeks ago on our cruise. bottom line, he was very good and i would highly recommend him. extremely nice guy. he lives in Pisa and knows the area very well. If you have any specific questions, id be happy to answer them. Larry

10/06/2007
'll say this about Pleasant Travel...Mariano is the BEST guide we've ever had in more  than 25 years of traveling. He was born and lives there...his wife was born and lives there...his  brothers and sister were born and live there...his Mother and Father live there...(actually,  they all live together on the family farm and there are innumerable dogs and cats as well and some nephews, not sure about nieces.) He will pick you up at the dock in Naples in his Mercedes 8 passenger van (7 plus Mariano) and avoid Naples (when we were there the garbage had not been picked up in a month) and head straight out towards Positano, Amalfi, Pompeii and Sorrento. He is an excellent driver and knows back roads to avoid traffic. He will make a few stops for photos, bathroom breaks  and lunch at a real trattoria where you will see zero tourists. We skipped the town of Amalfi as we could see the tourist buses arriving and discharging hundreds of people. We shopped a bit in Positano, we took pictures of that amazing coastline, and we had Mariano arrange for  a personal guide at Pompeii rather than using those damned earphones. The absolute highlight of the trip...a stop at Mariano's farm for a tour AND his wife prepared and served homemade pesto and homemade salami and homemade olive oil and homemade  bread and homemade white wine! Then Mariano climbed his ladder and broke off a branch of RED SWEET cherries in that area of the farm and we really feasted. The tour was, in total, about 7 hours. Mariano speaks English very well; he a charming and personable man and he went out of his  way to make the trip a success...probably to the nth degree as my wife asked him where she  could stop and purchase some Italian olives for our daughter-in-law...while we were at Pompeii, Mariano purchased the olives and a bottle of Limoncello for each of the 3 couples in our group and would accept no money for any of it! We were told about Mariano by the owner of Limos in Rome; in turn Mariano told us about his  friend Paolo Bonetti in Florence and we hired Paolo for our tour there, again 3 couples, excellent driving, excellent English skills, a lunch you would not believe, pre-ticketed for the David museum,  many photo opportunities...Paolo was born and raised there and knows every backroad to avoid traffic and see the Tuscan countryside... his website is www.unforgettabletuscany.com and he's every bit as good as Mariano

10/05/07
I did use Unforgettable Tuscany for my tour of Pisa and Florence. Paulo, the owner, was very good to correspond with prior to the tour and also got our reservations to the museums ahead of time. Many of my friends have used him for various other tours and loved his service, so I don't think you can go wrong. May, 2007

06/11/06
Mrs B. Batten
We had to let you know how fortunate our family felt to have had you as our tour guide. You were very knowledagle about the history of the area and you seem to have a true desire to educate your guests about the region and share some of the culture. Your english is excellent and we found you to be punctual, thoughtful, attentive and accomodating. We felt you were by far the best tour guide we have ever had. We would highly recommend you to future travellers to the area and wish you all the best in your endeavours. Thankfully yours, The Batten's

10/09/2006
Cruise Critic Board
If problems should come up I can highly recommend Paolo in Livorno. We had him drive us to Pisa, then a nice country castle, and on to Florence. Then he took us to a great Italian family restaurant for an unforgettably fun time and great food. His English is almost better than mine and he knows the area. His web site is: http://www.unforgettabletuscany.com

23/07/06
Capsu 78
We have been working with Paolo for our tour of Florence/ Pisa on our upcoming Liberty cruise. I can report he has been excellent to work with, has made great suggestions as to how to maximize our time and has been prompt with well written emails. I have read only good reviews of his services and I feel confident he will be putting together a great outing for us. I have purchased many things in my professional life, from goods to services and I get a certain feel when a transaction is not going well. I have nothing but confidence in my pre trip planning with Paolo at Unforgettable Tuscany.

18/07/06
Lair Bear
Originally Posted by Lair Bear If you know Paolo and have used him as a guide in the Pisa/Florence area let me know, please. I am curious what people think of his services. Is he good, English OK, car in good shape, knows what to show you, etc. We have had good reports about him, but like to know who knows more about him. His address is: info@unforgettabletuscany.com Yes, there is a Paolo there. We used him last year on our Liberty cruise in October. I was with a big group and we put together four different tours with Paolo. He speaks very good English. Last year for our group of eight, I wanted to have Paolo as our driver. I guess his car didn't have room for eight so he used another driver's car. We had a great time, but the car stalled out a few times. Not to worry. Paulo got it started right away, but did stay with it in Florence and kept it running. He may have a different car by now, but I know his personal car was very nice. He took us to Pisa first for about an hour, took us to the Tuscan countryside where we needed a bathroom break, so we stopped at a Castle that is now a hotel run by his friends. From there he took us to Florence, where he had pre arranged for our tickets to see the David. That was great to not have to wait in line. He took us all over Florence, showed us the highlights and gave us recommendations on what to see deciding in which direction we wanted to go. We had plenty of time to eat and shop. You can pretty much tailor the tour if there is something you want to see, just ask. I'm sure if he hadn't had trouble with his friends car he would have walked with us to some of the sites in town. Others in our group went to a Tuscany wine tour and another to the Uffizi museum. He is great to work with and won't let you down. I know our group will use him again next year when we sail on the Freedom.

15/06/2006
My Wife and I just got back from a Transatlantic cruise to Europe. We booked driver/tour guides for Rome and Florence. We found there names through the internet.We could not have made better decisions. For Florence we used Paolo Bonetti. What a gentleman and all around great person. His rates were very good and he was a wealth of knowledge. He can be reached at www.unforgettabletuscany.com.

14/06/2006
Patricia Robert
Dear Paolo, You beat me to it. I have been hoping to find a minute before leaving for New York tomorrow to thank you for such a great trip. You were terrific. Above and beyond all our expectations. We really all agreed that you made the trip delightful. You are a great driver, considerate, thoughtful and always seemed able to anticipate our next move. Thank you so much and we will definitely keep in touch and refer you to friends. We wish you luck in your new business. All the best, Patricia Robert

10/06/2006
Ben & Lynda Goldman
Dear Paolo, As we are sharing photos of our trip with friends and family, it is impossible to view any from Tuscany without realizing that the wonderful day we had there was due in very large part to you. Your choice of Castello da Verrazzano was perfect! We (wine snobs) had never heard of it and never would have found it on our own. All six of us agreed that the visit to Verrazzano was one of the highlights of our vacation. Breaking up the long ride with quick stops in Montegufoni and Greve and San Gimignano (where I bought mouthwatering Pecorino al Tartufo -mmmmmmm) was a wonderful way for us to see the countryside without the ride becoming tedious. Thank you for everything - your patience with months of e-mails before we arrived, your promptness in meeting us at the dock, your exceptionally comfortable vehicle, your knowledge and passion for Tuscany, all the planning that went into the day and of course your courteous professionalism. We hope to see you again in the not-too-distant future for another day in "Unforgettable Tuscany". In the meantime, we will be recommeding your services on Cruise Critic so that others will have an opportunity to turn a short visit into a long memory. Thanks and Very Best Regards, Ben and Lynda Goldman

02/06/2006
Jacob Brentjes
On June 2 our driver Paolo took six of us on a marvelous tour of Pisa and Florence. I would like to extend my thanks to him for a great job and lots of fun. He is now mentioned favorably in my website http://www.brentjes.com/Livorno.htm Jacob Brentjes
www.brentjes.com/Livorno.htm


20/12/2005
Rose Johnson
Dear Paolo, so nice to hear from you. My clients are still talking about their tours that they took with you and your guides. It was wonderful !! You will be the first on my list to call. We will keep in touch, God bless,Rosie.

05/06/2005
Susan Cuervo
We were so pleased with the service you provided that I will not hesitate to recommend you to my clients. Additionally, the business that I own, Cruise One, is part of a franchise network across the US and I will share your information with my business associates.