Selected Tours Italy s.r.l.

We used this company for two different trips and they exceeded all expectations. We traveled all over Italy. The personal touch and the precision of their plan made for a perfect vacation for us. The second trip, they planned trips for 40+ Rotarians in our group with rave reviews from all. I highly recommend this company for your next trip!

Fantastic virtual tour with Ana to the Colosseum. It was live!! Her passion for Rome and her love for the history and incredible knowledge is second to none ! The 40 minutes just flew by ! I got to visit Rome from home ! I totally recommend Selected Tours Italy's. Thankful to Ana for an amazing virtual tour, that we will without a doubt repeat! Looking forward to the next one.

Selected Tours Italy is simply the best way to see Italy. Ana Serra is incredibly energetic and knowledgeable and passionate about sharing Italy with the world! While international travel is very limited right now, take some time to see a LIVE virtual tour (not just pictures/slideshows...but LIVE at historical sites) and let Ana Serra show you Italy! I'm excited to say that during the 2020 Pandemic, I got to visit Rome without leaving the safety of my home! This was a wonderful way to see a part of Rome since I cannot visit there right now - Last time I was there, Ana was our guide and I am excited to be able to "go back" to Rome. Looking forward to more LIVE virtual tours!

Great Tours; Above and Beyond Support I cannot recommend more highly Ana Serra and the entire team at Selected Tours Italy. Use them. My wife and I were traveling to Italy for the first time; Ana was recommended to us by friends who had used Ana as their agent over 10 years ago. In a nutshell, their service was superb—both in the way you would expect but also in a way at least I was not expecting. •On the front end, Ana took the time to get to know us some through Zoom. Her team made proposals for tours in Florence and Rome and related transportation and accommodations. They responded well to our questions. They developed a satisfactory package. Our tour guides in both cities were personal and very knowledgeable. Our accommodations were well situated and comfortable—all we wanted. •We were traveling in December 2021 and January 2022. After arriving in Rome, we decided to take Covid tests. I was positive; my wife negative. This, of course, blew up our plans. It was more than a little unnerving trying to understand what we needed to do and should do under the circumstances. Italy required a 10 day isolation period for people with Covid. •The Selected Tours Italy team went into high gear for us. Within hours of learning I was positive, they had found a reasonably priced apartment for me—with a view of St. Peter’s. Not an easy task when you’re looking on behalf of someone who is Covid positive. The team stayed in constant communication with us. While my wife went home the next day, I moved to the apartment. •That’s not all. They contacted the Italian health officials and made sure I was dealing with a good English speaker (who was also very helpful). They organized appointments for follow up Covid tests after my isolation period. They went to the grocery store for me. They made a pharmacy run for me, which included hard to find at home covid tests. They were prepared to send me for medical attention if I needed it—I didn’t. My symptoms were mild. They checked in on me at least daily. And they gave me the tours we missed after the isolation period was over. •Think about it: if we had made all arrangements by ourselves, or used an agent who did not see their duty as extending beyond the contracted-for tours and services, this could have been a horrible experience. But Ana and team supported us 100%, for which I am very grateful. They are true professionals. We were fortunate to use someone who really did put our interests at the top of the list. If you are going to Italy, use Ana Serra and the Selected Tours Italy team. They will have your back.

We did 2 half-day tours with Ana Serra. Our first time in Rome and my wife and I really enjoyed the private tours that Ana did for us based on our interests. We loved how Ana brought to life all the old buildings and ruins. She was a veritable fountain of information and it was a pleasure to have her give us the guided tours. Definitely recommend her!

First thing I’ll mention in this posting: I hardly ever write reviews. That said, I cannot recommend Ana and her Team at Selected Tours Italy more enthusiastically! When I learned that Italy was allowing visitors and that my son was available to travel with me this summer, I was concerned because I didn’t know where to start in the planning process. Thankfully, my father saw my predicament and recommended Ana having been on one of her Rome Tours. After contacting her through email, the process started with a zoom call to capture my trip requirements, desires, ideas and budget constraints. Ana & Laura were incredibly helpful with brainstorming ideas and recommending activities! A draft itinerary followed shortly thereafter and I was blown away with the professionalism and organization. Little side note: I had initial concerns when my request for itemization of costs wasn’t granted (per policy), however when I received the total I was pleasantly surprised to find the quote was within just a few euros of my estimate! An incredible value given the organization, details and organization they were offering. Once the itinerary was finalized and we had sent over payment, I thought we might not hear from them for awhile. Was I wrong about that! Ana & Laura were incredibly helpful in guiding me through the covid travel requirements for airlines and Italy, making the process incredibly smooth and stress free. The value didn’t stop there. Laura set up a group chat so that we could communicate while there! It was like having a personal concierge throughout the trip! They were able to communicate changes with reservations. For instance, train times changed and they sent me the new tickets. Museum times and visitation protocols shifted but we never knew because Laura was checking things behind the scenes and proactively guiding us the whole way. All in all, the logistics handled by Ana and Laura made for the smoothest trip I’ve ever taken. The value of Selected Tours Italy services with logistics, scheduling, organization and last minute change handling cannot be overstated! Ana guided our Rome City and Vatican Museum tours. Upon reflection on our whole trip, my son and I agreed that the times with Ana were among our favorite while in Italy. Everyone should have an opportunity to see Rome through her eyes. She is passionate about it and her energy is infectious. Side note here: Ana & Laura know how much to schedule in a day without overdoing it. They were incredibly thoughtful in the sequencing taking care not to overwhelm or tire us out! Side note #2: We were SHOCKED by how few tourists we encountered while in Italy. Everywhere we went it was like this. Clearly the word had not gotten out since we were able to enjoy everything we saw and every place we visited with little to no crowds. This will change soon and I’m soooooo grateful we were able to experience it this way. The Italian people are always so friendly and gracious but it seemed everyone was even more so…everyone seemed so glad we’d come! Ana made recommendations for some of the activities and excursions we might consider and I’m so glad we took her recommendations as they were some of the highlights of the trip. I could go on and on and on…it really was the best experience I’ve ever had…and not just in Italy (I’ve been several times) but in international travel. I’ll be coming back to Italy often (especially since my father just moved there) but I’ll never return without Ana & Selected Tours Italy’s involvement and guidance. One last note…my son and I left Italy with two new friends in Ana & Laura. They remain two of the most delightful people I’ve ever met in my travels. They made our trip a top priority and they ensured a once in a lifetime travel experience for my son and I. I’ve already referred two other friends who are considering travel to Italy this year and I know for myself, I’ll be back soon and when we’ve decided timing, Ana & Selected Tours will be our first call!

How would you like to have someone else plan an exceptional Italian experience that is better yet less expensive than if you did it all yourself? From an incredible heritage tour in Calabria to an amazing visit to the Vatican museums and everywhere in between, Ana and Laura can help make your time in Italy magical. It all started when my wife (who plans everything in detail) reached out to Selected Tours Italy about a heritage tour of Calabria for my 50th birthday. Ana began by scheduling time on a video call to find out where we were planning to visit and also what each of us enjoys during our time on vacation. She then set to work customizing a package of experiences, hotels, and transportation that would get us to each location efficiently and comfortably. Prior to this call, we had some things already booked on our own including a tour of the Colosseum using a large tour company who’s name begins with a V. The difference between Ana’s tour of the Vatican and the “V” company‘s tour of the Colosseum was stark. Ana met us at a set location near the Vatican entrance, she was very friendly and engaging, providing us with all the details for our visit that day. She then proceeded to tour us through the vastness of the Vatican and St Peters hitting all the main points while being mindful of our timeline. The following day, the large "V" tour company’s guide was late and went through the motions, talking the whole time and not really caring about what we wanted to see or providing an experience. Did I mention Ana's tour was less expensive than comparable large company tours? Then came our visit to Calabria where we went on a heritage tour that Ana arranged with our guide Pino. Our guide met us on time at our hotel and took us on a several hour trip through the history of my family. He also brought a professor from a nearby university along, as well as copies of all the historical documents of my grandparents and great grandparents. We visited the houses where they grew up and the church where they were married, including a private meeting with the current priest of 40 years. Pino had spent a significant amount of time researching to make our visit incredible, even inviting a distant cousin who shares our same last name to meet us for coffee. For the last part of our amazing journey to Italy, Ana arranged transportation from Positano to Naples with a side trip to Mount Vesuvius and a winery for lunch/wine tasting. Both our driver Mario and the Vesuvius guide Paolo were fluent English speakers who were eager to provide us with plenty of local history while we traversed the incredible landscape of the Amalfi Coast and Mount Vesuvius. The lunch and wine tasting on Mount Vesuvius was the finale to our visit, yet far exceeded our expectations. There are so many more things I could mention but in the end our overall experience was excellent. You can tell that Ana and Laura as well as their team of drivers and tour guides truly understand what being Italian is, and the hospitality that comes along with that. They are eager to showcase their amazing country and provide all visitors including those of Italian heritage who want to revisit their roots.... a truly unforgettable experience. I cannot recommend Ana and her team highly enough. We will return soon and are already working with Ana to plan our next Italian adventure. Gracie mille Ana and Laura

Selected Tours Italy s.r.l. was the best thing that happened to us in 2021! Actually, it all started in 2020, when the pandemic hit and everything shut down, including our Dream vacation to Rome. Our Dream trip included a private tour with Selected Tours Italy s.l.r., who created a customized trip with all of our wants and needs in mind. Ana Serra, our tour professional and her team went out of their way to accommodate us through the postponement, none of us knowing how or when we would ever travel again. Ana kept our payment and allowed us to use a voucher for whenever countries opened up again. Over a year later, this past Fall, the emergency lifted and traveling was once again allowed, so we set new dates and Selected Tours Italy s.r.l. went the extra mile to help us plan. They helped us navigate the "new normal" of traveling during a pandemic. Ana Serra and her team, specifically Laura, were our contact for help and communicated with us often. Back in 2020, we booked our original Hotel without using Selected Tours (big mistake). The hotel also gave us a voucher to use before the end of 2021, but canceled our reservation ONE WEEK before our arrival date! The team at Selected Tours Italy s.r.l. scrambled and found us a fantastic room in the heart of Rome, within walking distance to all the best sites and eateries! Needless to say, our trip was magnificent! We had a private car and driver every day. Ana Serra is a passionate tour professional who helped us see Rome through her eyes. She shared details we never would have learned in a large tour group. Knowing I am an artist, Ana took us to see so many sites, ancient ruins, works of so many artists and architects! Sharing her love for Italy, Ana Serra gave us her heart for the Eternal City and the Italian People. Selected Tours Italy s.r.l. gave us such a magical experience, we would never use a different tour company. We travel often and have NEVER had a better experience! If you visit Rome, PLEASE choose Selected Tours, s.r.l. to host your experience. An additional note: Ana and her team also went to bat for us after the original hotel failed to refund our money. Ana even introduced us to a trusted attorney in Rome to help us maneuver the details and language barrier. Together, they were successful in helping us obtain our refund. They went above and beyond for us, even after we left Rome, communicating with us-treating us like family!