10 reasons for traveling with us
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- 1. Our small group travel, max. 19 persons, gives you a highly personalized and unforgettable experience of Italy that you won't find on a large group tour with 50 participants.
- 2. Unique itineraries, all personally designed and experienced by us. We know Italy – we live here. Our itineraries are a wonderful blend of the major sites and delightful places that we've discovered off the beaten path where you'll find few tourists.
- 3. All included - no optional hidden cost excursions.
- 4. Best value – small group tours can be outrageously expensive.
Our tours offer highest quality and our prices compare favorably with both small and large group tour companies.
- 5. The best historic hotels, most are 4 star, dating from the 13th
to 19th centuries. They are located either in panoramic settings or inside the historic districts to maximize your free time on tour.
- 6. The best small restaurants with carefully chosen menus and great wines - all included, as much as you like.
- 7. Exceptional Italian tour managers and local guides – experienced, informative, attentive and fun – don't miss seeing Italy with a native!
- 8. Leisurely pace – your average day on tour begins at 8:30 or 9am and there is ample free time for your own explorations daily.
- 9. Minimal coach time – we want you to experience Italy on your own two feet, not from the highway. On average we spend two hours a day or less traveling, along scenic roads wherever possible. Our coaches are all very comfortable 20 to 28 seat air-conditioned Mercedes.
- 10. International groups – most of our tour participants come from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, England and Ireland which makes for a very entertaining mix! Read what they say about us on our Comments page.
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About Us |
Amber Road Tours is one of the very few Italy-based, US tour agencies. Our intimate knowledge of Italy is an advantage that our tour guests have enjoyed for more than ten years. All of our itineraries are personally designed by us, based on our experience of living and working in a country that offers an extraordinary wealth of history, culture, art, architecture and natural beauty, not to mention incredible food and wines.
Sonya Conti, originally from Northern Italy, is a graduate of the Università degli Studi di Milano in Fine Arts. Before joining Jonathan at Amber Road she worked for many years as a translator for travel magazines and book publishers.
Jonathan Bassett, an alumnus of Florida State University, organized and led tours from the USA prior to moving to Italy in 1995. He taught English in Italian middle and high schools for several years, working as a tour escort for a large company during the summers. Finding the large group tour experience inadequate for seeing and experiencing the Italy that he knew and loved he created Amber Road Tours.
Jonathan and Sonya live in a twelfth century house in a medieval hilltop village outside of Spoleto in Umbria.
Amber Road Tours, Inc is a U.S. company registered in the state of Florida, a member of the American Society of Travel Agents and the Better Business Bureau of Northwest Florida.
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Charleston, South Carolina Office
Paula Moland was born in Nova Scotia, took her degree in marketing from Brooks College in California and moved to South Carolina in 1993. She worked as marketing and executive director of her own companies for 18 years, pausing to travel whenever possible, Italy being her favorite destination. |
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Lisa Sample is a graduate of the College of Charleston in Hispanic Studies and Hospitality & Tourism Management. She loves traveling and spent a year living in Madrid teaching English for the Ministry of Education. Lisa has worked for many years in sales & design and will be looking after our upcoming Spain tours. |
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Our Tour Leaders
Luca Renzini is a native of Umbria. He is a graduate of the University of Florence in languages, has lived in France and the U.S. and has worked on tours all over Europe. In his off-season free time he is a referee for the Italian soccer league. He has been with Amber Road Tours since 2005.
Tours: Tuscany/Umbria, Amalfi/Apulia |
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The lovely and charming Mariaelena Ciacci is a native of Tuscany. She lives in San Quirico d’Orcia (near Pienza) in the beautiful Orcia Valley. She has been working as a tour manager for fourteen years and is also a licensed local guide for Florence and south Tuscany. She began working with Amber Road Tours in 2005.
Tours: Sicily, Week In Tuscany |
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Anna Sagaria was born and raised in Tuscany but her family originated from Basilicata. She studied foreign languages and literature at the University of Siena and has been a tour manager on coach and walking tours since 1997. She is also a licensed local guide for the provinces of Florence, Siena and Grosseto. Anna currently resides in Valencia, Spain.
Tours: Amalfi/Puglia, Week In Tuscany |
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Beatrice Bonsembiante is a graduate of the University of Trento in sociology, communication and mass media. She has worked in tourism for the last 10 years as an event organizer, tour manager and coordinator of the tourist office in her native Asolo.
Tours: Tuscany/Liguria |
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Laura Serafin is a graduate of the University of Padova and is currently working on her Masters in Planning and Management of Cultural Events at the University of Ferrara. She is the coordinator of the tourist office in nearby Castelfranco and is a licensed local guide for the Veneto Villas and the province of Treviso. Her home is on the hills of Asolo.
Tours: Veneto/Alto Adige |
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Aldo Valerio was born and raised on the Amalfi coast and has degrees in foreign languages and literature from the University of Pisa in Tuscany. Since 1999 he has lived in Sicily not far from the beautiful hill-top town of Taormina, the pearl of the Ionian coast. He has been working as a Tour Director in Europe and the rest of the world for the last 14 years and is very passionate about Italy!
Tours: Sicily, Amalfi/Puglia, Tuscany/Umbria |
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Alex Lavagnini is from Terni, Umbria, taking his degree in political science from La Sapienza University in Rome. For the last 15 years he has led tours all over Italy, Europe, North Africa and Central America. In addition to Italian he speaks English, French, Spanish and German. Alex drives sport cars.
Tours: Amalfi/Puglia, Week In Tuscany |
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Katarina Klemencic graduated from the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia as a Textile Engineer but then changed her profession to tourism. She has been escorting English speaking groups from different continents and nationalities through Italy since 1999. In the off season Katarina is a licensed yoga instructor and makes documentary films about women's health.
Tours: Friuli-Venezia Giulia/Slovenia |
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If you'd like to hear more about them please visit our Comments page. |
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Amber Road Tours