Go Ahead Tours Ratings and Reviews

Customer Reviews for Go Ahead Tours Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)

Go Ahead Tours Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)

Our most comprehensive Italy travel package takes you from the Eternal City of Rome to chic Milan.
Average Customer Rating:
4.655 out of 5
4.7
 out of 
5
(139 Reviews) 139
98 out of 101 97% of customers would recommend this tour.
Customer questions and answers:
29 Questions | 94 Answers
Customer Reviews for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Review 1 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by SGOBBA1  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:04/14/2012
Location:CA
Age:30-39
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by SGOBBA1  | 
May 11, 2012

Excellent trip

This trip was amazing. My wife and I had the time of our lives. Our tour director was excellent and made the trip even better than we thought it would be with lots of little extras. It was way beyond our expectations and our expectations were high.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 2 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
challenging
Challenging
by PIRTLEKING  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/20/2012
Location:MT
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by PIRTLEKING  | 
April 18, 2012

grand tour of italy

would have dropped the trip to bologna if i could.it was a waste of time would rather of gone to pisa or spend a extra day in somewhere else on the trip.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+1point
2out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 3 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by Anonymous  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/20/2012
Location:SC
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by Anonymous  | 
April 14, 2012

A REAL Taste of Italy!

I have wanted to go to Italy for many years - actually just to see Pompeii. My husband was a "dragee." When we finished the tour, I wanted to live in Italy and not go home! My husband had so much fun that he would probably tell you that this trip ranked up with one of his favorites! Our host was Sabra. She was SO knowledgable and flexible about doing things a little bit differently. Sabra made sure that all needs within the group were taken care of. Without all the knowledge and the personal care that we had, the tour couldn't be as good as it was. I am in awe that Sabra (and Luigi our bus driver) could do all that they did. Sabra accompanied her travelers when she should had taken time off for herself. Luigi was an amazing driver. Pompeii was nice but "living" through all of Italy was the best part. We took all the excursions offered, so the pace was a little more intense. No more could have been done (for us).
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+3points
3out of 3found this review helpful.
Review 4 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
challenging
Challenging
by TMMARTIN121  | 
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:03/20/2012
Location:TN
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by TMMARTIN121  | 
April 14, 2012

Grand Tour of Italy

Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
Our Grand Tour of Italy introduced us to many interesting places in Italy. It's a good way to get an overview for your next trip to Italy or simply to get the experience of a lifetime. It's one thing to see pictures of a place, but to actually be there and take your own picture is breathtaking. Our guide, Sabra, listened to things our fellow travelers would like to do and enabled us to see things we otherwise would have missed. For instance, museums are closed on Monday, but she made sure we made it with plenty of time to see Michelangelo's sculpture of David before the museum closed on Sunday. A group of us took an excursion( not available on the tour) to Pisa, and it was well worth the trip and the additional cost. It is good to know that there is flexibility in the tour, and you can make it what you want, doing as little or as much as you want. From the beautiful water and shores of Lake Como, the canals of Venice, the bridges of Florence, the countryside of Assisi, the beauty of Sorrento and Capri, to arrive at last in Roma, with all its history, not to mention the food and wine, and, of course, the shopping! Ahhh!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
1 / 5
1 / 5
Tour Value
1 / 5
1 / 5
Tour Director
3 / 5
3 / 5
Leisurely
moderate
Challenging
by BKEMP2  | 
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:03/20/2012
Location:MD
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by BKEMP2  | 
April 14, 2012

Grand Tour of Italy

Should really be called "Grand Tour of Italian Churches"
Nothing in any way redeeming about this tour. We didn't visit or explore the Italy of the people who inhabit the country. Meals were plentiful, but non-descriptive.
Came home with no fond memories of the country or the people.
Of all our travels over the past 30+ years, this was the all-time worst
0points
0out of 0found this review helpful.
Review 6 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by DENSORA  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/20/2012
Location:CA
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by DENSORA  | 
April 6, 2012

Time Traveler Trip

Our tour experience is Great!!!. We had Sabra, Tour Director. She is the best tour director. She took ownership, enjoyed taking us around, has the knowledge of the areas visited but most of all, she ensured our safety and coordinated personal agendas like our 25th Anniversary. Our evening dinner with fellow travelers was set up like a wedding reception TRIP TO REMEMBER!!!, which made it the talk of everyone's trip. Another was one of the traveler got sick. She stayed up in the wee morning hours to make sure she was doing okey, get her prescriptions, and still do her job the next couple hours (hardly had sleep). THATs DEDICATION. Hotel Accomodations were great with the exceptions of Wi-Fi Internet Access. Some you had to pay, reception was poor and few people took time to get on. I would like your company to acknowledge her tireless effort and GREAT JOB!!!. Please let me know she notified about this letter.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, First Time Travelers
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 7 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
2 / 5
2 / 5
Tour Value
2 / 5
2 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by KLINTHICUM1  | 
Number of past tours:4
Traveled on:03/20/2012
Location:MD
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by KLINTHICUM1  | 
April 6, 2012

St. Francis of Assisi

This was the best site of the tour - if you love churches this tour is for you.
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 8 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by BDBK195  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:03/08/2012
Location:TX
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by BDBK195  | 
April 5, 2012

Had a great time.

My tour of Italy was just as Go Ahead described it. We visted 10 cities plus Pompeii, The Colossium, The Vatican,and wine tasting. It is a walking tour and not for the faint of heart. Our hotels were modern, and clean .
Chiara ( our tour director) was informative and fun. She went out of her way to make our group feel welcome. Chico the bus driver was a gem. Our group was small (15) and the weather was beautiful. I am sure this added to the overall charm of the trip.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 9 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
moderate
Challenging
by MKELLEY79  | 
Number of past tours:6
Traveled on:03/08/2012
Location:IA
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MKELLEY79  | 
April 2, 2012

Grand Tour of Italy

The tour was informative, beautiful, meaningful and most enjoyable. It was fantastic.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 10 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
moderate
Challenging
by MKELLEY50  | 
Number of past tours:6
Traveled on:03/08/2012
Location:IA
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MKELLEY50  | 
April 2, 2012

Grand Tour of Italy

We enjoyed this tour very much. We loved the wonderful food and wine. We enjoyed immersing ourselves in the history and culture of Italy. A very well rounded tour.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 11 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by CYNHTIA  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/05/2011
Location:GA
Age:30-39
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by CYNHTIA  | 
November 30, 2011

Fantastic Tour of Italy

Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
Our tour of Italy was so much better than we could have ever hoped for. I would highly recommend Go Ahead and/or the Grand Tour of Italy to anyone. Everything was taken care of for us so all we had to do was sit back and enjoy all the beauty of Italy. We had the opportunity to go places we never would have thought to go on our own and we always had knowledgeable guides with us to show us around. Because it was our first time in Italy, we didn’t want to plan the trip alone. This guided tour allowed us to comfortably see everything on the tour without having to worry about the details. Everything was taken care of for us and the tour was run flawlessly by our Tour Director. We saw and learned far more than we ever would have alone. The tour itself was fantastic as it covered about a dozen cities during 1 trip. We had expert Tour Guides in each city and we never left feeling like we missed anything. The trip was a perfect combination of organized guided tours and personal free time so we had the best of both worlds. I still have trouble believing how much we packed into a 2 week trip. City by city, this tour proved to be a great value for the money. What more could you ask for? We can’t wait for our next Go Ahead tour!!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+25points
25out of 25found this review helpful.
Review 12 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by MELODEE  | 
Number of past tours:8
Traveled on:11/05/2011
Location:MN
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MELODEE  | 
November 30, 2011

Perfect introduction to Fabulous Italy!

This was a fabulous vacation from the dinner our first night at Hotel Larrio in Como where they greeted us with a special printed menu to our last day in Roma with the Vatican tour. November was the perfect time to go to Italy because we did not have to fight the crowds.
Giuliana, our tour director, was fabulous. She went the extra mile many times. A tour director can make or break a trip & she made ours. Loved all the information including Italian life, history & culture & her marvelous sense of humor. There were only 14 on this trip which was a concern of mine because I was afraid excursions we wanted to do would not have enough people. Giuliana made it so we could do everything we wanted.
There were not enough for the Gondola Ride(which I still can't believe) & she arranged for 4 of us to go. Walked us over arranged price & champagne. All we had to do was get in & enjoy. It was fabulous!
She also arranged several extra special excursions for all of us... including a night tour of Roma. If the extension in Rome does not go then you only have about a day & 1/2 in Rome. It didn't go on our trip :(
When you do this trip sign up for the extension it will be worth it.
All the hotels were European but somewhat bigger rooms than most in Europe. Some had bathrooms with issues....Florence went from ice cold to burning hot but it was a terrific location. The hotel on Lido was a great hotel but a poor location because you wasted time getting to & from Venice on the Vaporetto. There was no going to hotel to rest a bit & then back again. Lake Como, Asissi & Sorrento were overall the best. Breakfast is always a question with not the best food but you can always find things you like. Lunch & dinner in Italy more than make up for it. Italian food is fabulous. But a warning, gelato. We got what tasted like USA ice cream once. Ask for a taste first so you get the true creamy Italian Gelato. If they won't give you one then don't buy.
Asissi was a wonderful surprise. I had no idea what to expect. It is such a beautiful city. We had great views from the hotel of the countryside. The bartender in the hotel was fun... mixing drinks we had no idea what we were getting but tasted great.
I thought that I would get tired of frescoes but it never happened. We never tire of churches & go in everyone we find. There is something unique in each. A downside in many churches in Italy you can't take pictures. Remember to get postcards.
This is a high paced trip esp. if you do most of the excursions which we did. We were aware of this before we went & assumed we would need a vacation from our vacation :)
The highlight - I can't say because each place has it's own special memory.
We picked this trip because it covered so much of Italy & Pompeii & the Vatican were included.
We flew Delta & they changed the seats goahead had given us. After talking with goahead & Delta, the airline has the right to do this & Delta did not even try to get us seats together for our long flight. Lucky for us another couple was in the same position & the man seated with me volunterred to change seats so each couple could sit together. Why when you leave Europe with seat assignments at the airport do we always get seats together? Maybe just a USA thing where they just don't care!
What would I change - only a hotel in Venice even if you have to pay a little more. Otherwise everything was fabulous. Notice this word is here several times.
There are many places I have not mentioned but I have run out of time. I loved everything except plane ride. But who loves the plane ride.
I have told everyone that if they only get to go abroad once they need to go to Italy & have recommended this tour.
Recommended for: Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+10points
10out of 10found this review helpful.
Review 13 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
moderate
Challenging
by LTISCHER  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/05/2011
Location:OH
Age:40-49
Gender:Male
I traveled:solo
by LTISCHER  | 
November 30, 2011

Fantastic Tour of Italy

This tour covered a lot of ground and provided an excellent view of the country as well as it's rich history & art. The guided tours covered all the major points of interest in each city and also allowed sufficient free time to see more or to just walk around and meet people. Our group went off-season (November) which was excellent! There were no crowds and no lines for anything, and also ample room on the bus. It was a totally enjoyable experience, I learned a lot, and everyone in our group was sad when we finally had to say good-bye.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by Anonymous  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/05/2011
Location:MN
Age:Under 30
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by Anonymous  | 
November 30, 2011

Mother Daughter Trip

I took this tour with my mother, and we had the best time! It was great to have tour guides in each city to keep us busy and on the move. And I loved the amount of freetime we got. Good amount of time with mom!
+7points
7out of 7found this review helpful.
Review 15 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by LINDASMALL  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/22/2011
Location:NB
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by LINDASMALL  | 
November 22, 2011

Fantastic trip

Images for this Review
(click to see full-size image)
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
User submitted photo
Our Grand Tour of Italy was amazing, this country has so much beauty and history, and the food and wine were wonderful. Our tour guide Chiara made our trip fun and worry free, and helped us understand Italy and all it has to offer.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
Review 16 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by KFORREST21  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:11/05/2011
Location:NJ
Age:60+
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by KFORREST21  | 
November 22, 2011

Wonderful Grand Tour of Italy

Having not used a tour company since l968, I was a little hesitant. My traveling companion had a very good experience with GoAhead four years earlier on a trip with her daughter. We had a wonderful time and truly enjoyed a trip of our lives. GoAhead told us no lies in their promotional literature , in fact, I think the tour was better than advertised. Of course, that may have been due to the group I was with - a very small , friendly fourteen. We had the very best tour director Guilianna and our bus driver Alessandro was excellent. In each city the local guides were equally as well versed. I hope to do another tour with GoAhead in the next few years. Thanks to all who made this trip THE BEST!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Family Vacations, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+5points
5out of 5found this review helpful.
Review 17 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
challenging
Challenging
by LMYKINS  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/08/2011
Location:NY
Age:50-59
Gender:Female
I traveled:with friend(s)
by LMYKINS  | 
November 19, 2011

Most scenic trip ever

Tour was extremly informative with every guide very knowledgeable about the tour they were giving.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, First Time Travelers
+1point
1out of 1found this review helpful.
Review 18 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by BECCAJBOUD  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/22/2011
Location:MA
Age:Under 30
Gender:Female
I traveled:solo
by BECCAJBOUD  | 
November 18, 2011

The GRAND Tour of Italy!

I recently returned from the Grand Tour of Italy. The trip was a whirlwind of amazing architecture, beautiful scenery, wonderful history, and some of the best food I have ever tasted! Riding the gondola through the canals of Venice was one of the most magical experiences of my life! Seeing Il Coloseo was unforgetable, and the wine tasting in San Gimignano was absolutely a highlight of the trip! Pierluigi is amazing!
I am missing Italy already and can't wait for my next Go Ahead Tour!
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Solo Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Food & Wine, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+6points
6out of 6found this review helpful.
Review 19 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Value
5 / 5
5 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
active
Challenging
by MELVINSMALL  | 
Number of past tours:1
Traveled on:10/22/2011
Location:NB
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by MELVINSMALL  | 
November 16, 2011

A trip of a Lifetime

It was everything I expected , and more. Made me fall in love with Italy, so much history to see, and understand . Our tour guide made it worry free, and helped us understand Italy and all that it offers.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Anniversary Trips, Art, History, & Culture, Trip Of A Lifetime, Honeymoons, First Time Travelers, Experienced Travelers
+2points
2out of 2found this review helpful.
Review 20 for Grand Tour of Italy (Southbound)
Overall Rating
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Value
4 / 5
4 / 5
Tour Director
5 / 5
5 / 5
Leisurely
challenging
Challenging
by HHESSLER4  | 
Number of past tours:2
Traveled on:10/22/2011
Location:MI
Age:60+
Gender:Male
I traveled:with my spouse/significant other
by HHESSLER4  | 
November 16, 2011

A Worth While Trip

The trip to Italy was really great! We especially enjoyed the Lake Como region for it's beauty. The historical aspect of all of the locations was of great importance to us, particularly the leaning tower of Pisa(an extra optional tour). We were not familiar with Perugia, so that was a learning experience for us. Having visited many countries of the world we would compare Italy very favorably as a destination for travel! Our guides were excellent and friendly. Our companions were also enjoyable. However, we were surprised at the number of tourists that were traveling in Italy at this time of the year.
Recommended for: Active Travelers, Art, History, & Culture, Experienced Travelers
+4points
4out of 4found this review helpful.
1 2 3 4 5 ... 7 next>>