This was my third trip with EF and my second time of being in Italy with the company. I teach history at my local high school and World Literature at the University of Texas in Brownsville. I can honestly say that this trip was a great experience for both my high school and my university students. To walk the streets of Verona and see the house where Juliet is said to have lived (even though we knew it wasn't really her place:):):), to visit the coliseum, the forum, Pompeii, Palermo and other places was truly inspirational for my students. To watch the Venice glass makers create their masterpieces right in front of our eyes was stunning. The food was great, as always and the hotels were wonderful. This is a great trip for you kids whether you teach English or history. show less

For the most part the tour met our expectations. They gave good information up front, itineraries, hotel information and flight information were readily available. The trip covered many areas and gave a highlight of each. The rooms could have been planned better. I understand that a 4 star hotel does not mean the same thing in Europe but one of the hotels had major problems and the kids never should have had to stay there. The emergency phone # was helpful and the girl was very pleasant when I called to try to get them help but I'm not sure why the tour guide didn't do more. Thankfully they were only there 2 days and the rest of the hotels were of a much better caliber. I would have liked a call back though from the EF manager who was supposed to look into it the following workday which I did not get. Students should realize though that they are moving constantly from place to place so it is an exhausting trip. It is a good way to get their feet wet though and get an overall view of the country. Overall my child had a great time and felt it was worth the money. show less

This tour was an amazing whirlwind of the entire country of Italy - we visited everything from Venice to Sicily. I had never been to Italy before and it was a great way to introduce myself to the country. I definitely plan on coming back now that I have seen a lot of it and know what regions I do and do not like.
Because there is so much included in this trip, there is a lot of time spent traveling - most days we spent 3-8 hours on the bus and were constantly unpacking and re-packing as we moved from hotel to hotel (we never stayed anywhere more than 3 nights). On the days we traveled, we often had lunch at rest stops, which I was disappointed about since it didn't leave many days to explore true Italian cuisine (dinner & breakfast I found were not authentic Italian meals). I looked forward to eating authentic Italian and was disappointed in the food choices (meals are pre-selected for you). Also, we stopped at many restaurants as a group so choices were limited to cheese pizza or pasta usually. However, these are the concessions you make while on a group tour and it definitely did not ruin the trip, you just have to understand that's the way it is when you go!
Overall, it was an amazing experience and I am glad I went. It was worth the money and I cannot wait to return to Italy! show less

We loved every minute. It was exciting, energetic, fascinating, and very organized. We had 39 high school students and was able to have a relaxing tour, thanks to a very organized tour director. Thank You!! show less

Our first tour guide was horrible. This was my fourth tour with EF and I new what to expect. She was horrendous! After 5 days into our 15 day adventure EF rectified the situation and sent us the typical awesome TD that we expected initially. Our 2nd TD was awesome and helpful. She like the other 3 TDs in the past were passionate about their work and country. My only suggestion for EF, add some better meals for breakfast and dinner. Eggs are cheap and so isn't a better piece of meat/chicken. show less

The best time ever. show less

This tour was everything I expected and more. We saw so much of Italy I can't even tell you what was my favorite place. The hotels were better than I expected. Our tour director was phenomenal and our Bus driver was great too. The only con I have for the trip is that it was a little fast paced so I couldn't just sit and take in all the beauty before my eyes. Also the Italian bread breakfast took a lot of getting used to, it is nothing like an American breakfast. I would sooooo do this again back to Italy or off to a new adventure somewhere else in the world. show less

This is a wonderful tour! We got a taste of each region from north to south. In each place we were give the history as well as plenty of free time to shop and visit on our own. The accomadations were wonderful especially the room in Sorrento with an ocean view! We ate at the hotels and at authentic Italian resturants. I would recommend this tour to anyone interested in Italy. show less

I really enjoyed the tour. A lot of free time is included, so not as fast-paced as others, which I liked. I also enjoyed most of the meals. Some of the meals were really bad! One hotel crammed 5 students into a small room, that I didn't appreciated! But for the most part it was GREAT! Our bus drivers and tour directors were sooooooo great!!!! They completed the whole experience!!! show less

IT was one of my best times to spend time with EF and my friends show less