Italy 4 Real

Italy4real provided us a customized, once in a lifetime trip. Their ability to mix and match planned tours and with a personalized tour based on our preferences was a major factor in why we chose them. All our hotels, restaurants, drivers, private tours, etc., were put in place for us ahead of time so all we had to do was arrive and enjoy, yet we had open time to be flexible and explore. Our trip was in September 2021 and they worked with us to plan our month long trip that started with a two week tour where we'd be on our own followed by joining the two week primo luxury small group tour. The first two weeks took us from Milan to Parma to Bologna to Florence to a beautiful agriturismo in Tuscany then to Sestri Lavante on the coast and back to Milan. Then we joined the 13 day primo luxury small group tour, which took us to some of the smaller towns and unique places that really made you go "wow we're in Italy!" Our our tour guide provided us with his expertise on restaurants, shopping, arranged for local guides, etc., and we had so much fun! You can read more about the 13 day primo tour on their website. Overall it was an amazing trip that was due to their expertise, behind the scenes hard work and knowledge on setting up a trip to ensure our comfort and enjoyment. We highly recommend Italy4real and won't hesitate to use them again for future trips!

Re: Italy4real provided us a ... Italy 4 Real replied on Monday, October 25th 2021

Thank you so much for the opportunity to create such a wonderful experience for you both. Designing a month long trip with many different pieces is a challenge we enjoy and are very good at. It's so important that clients like you enjoy every moment of their journey and that it runs smoothly and efficiently.

I recently returned from my first trip to Italy. I went with my family, a group of six: 2 in our 70's, two in their 50's, and two (a late teen and a 21 year old). Needless to say, I needed help planning this trip. Rem Malloy and Italy4Real were the answer. I told him where we wanted to go and basically the things we couldn't miss. We discussed transportation to and from Italy and within Italy. We discussed hotel needs as well. Rem came through with flying colors. He provided a detailed itinerary for us, citing even time to leave our hotel for tour meeting spots. Our flights were excellent, our hotels provided more than what we needed, and our tour guides for this little diverse group of six were all very attentive and knowledgeable. Rome and Florence are in themselves wonderful and inviting, but being so at ease with our arrangements and activities was a major plus!!
Thank you, Rem. I will be recommending Italy4Real to any other travelers I know.

Re: I recently returned from ... Italy 4 Real replied on Friday, January 17th 2020

Mary, it was such a pleasure helping you and your family tour Italy. We welcome you again on another trip with us and wish you the best in life!

We just returned from the trip of a life time, which was planned by Italy4real. The first part of our trip was to London with just my husband and I, then we met 3 other couples we didn't know along with Rem Malloy one of the owners of the agency in Milan for a 2 1/2 week tour of Italy, then we took off for another 5 days on our own again. Having a small group makes it much easier to navigate moving around and touring with guides. The people were we were with were really great and we enjoyed their company. Even though we were on guided tours for some of the time, we had plenty of free time to do what we wanted as well.

From the start of the trip to the end it was amazing. The private guides and drivers that this company uses are tremendous, friendly and knowledgable. The hotels we stayed in were top knotch and the places we visited were amazing. Breakfast was included everywhere we went as well as several dinners.

We went to London, Cotswolds, Lake Maggorie, San Marino, Verona, Venice, Florence, Sienna, San Giamango, Rome, Sorrento, Cava De Terrini and Vetri Sul Mare. Everyone thought we were crazy going for 25 days, but because of the excellent planning done by Deborah and Rem, the trip flew by.

I would not hesitate to recommend Italy4real for your trip planning! I have included just a few of the thousands of pictures we took during our amazing adventure! Just writing this review makes me want to do it all over again. Thank you Deborah and Rem for everything. We will never forget the memories we made thanks to you!

Re: We just returned from the ... Italy 4 Real replied on Wednesday, December 4th 2019

What a wonderful opportunity to be able to give you the trip of a lifetime! We wanted to make your trip special for you and we are so glad you enjoyed your experience with us!

I worked with Deborah De Maio. She was fantastic! She created an itinerary that was absolutely perfect for our Italy trip. She really listened to me about what was important to us. The tour guides she booked for us were phenomenal, and we had fantastic meals in all of her recommended restaurants. I would recommend Italy 4 Real to anyone!

Re: I worked with Deborah De ... Italy 4 Real replied on Wednesday, December 4th 2019

Thank you so much Christine for using our services, we are so happy that you enjoyed your trip. It was so important to us that every detail was perfect for you. Thanks again and we hope to see you on another trip soon!

Outstanding service. Well planned trip. We'll use this company again.

We went on a guided driving tour of Italy, and it was amazing! If you are a car enthusiast, ask about that your. The highlights were driving a Ferrari F430 on a racetrack and driving Stelvio Pass. The other Italian must see sights were included as well as introductions to locals and off the beaten path restaurants. If you are traveling to Europe, it should start here. (We are going through them to plan a WW2 trip next fall)

Re: We went on a guided drivi ... Italy 4 Real replied on Friday, January 17th 2020

Brian it has been such an honor to work with you. You have become a friend to Italy4Real and a valued customer. See you on tour again soon!

I cannot say enough nice things about this company and this experience. We traveled with Italy4real from Late August-Early September in 2017. We were there for 16 days, but I could have stayed there another two weeks.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT US
My husband and I both in our mid-30s, work full time (40+) and we just do not have the desire or patience to plan out a trip. If it were up to me to do this stuff, my husband and I would never travel.
We also did not want to go on a large bus tour because we feared that some of the authenticity of an overseas trip would be lost when you are on a huge bus with 60 other people.
The best tour company for us would be one that specializes in small group tours that could take us into the small back alley places and introduce us to some locals.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ITALY4REAL
Italy4real is a small business run by a mother and son dynamic duo.
They are incredibly nice people, willing to answer any of your questions and are organized.
My husband and I worked mostly with Rem, who is the owner. Rem was fantastic. He gave me more than enough information to feel prepared for my trip and was always available by phone or email. I appreciated how accessible he was because I am pretty sure I was not his only client. An example of something he did that was above and beyond, he priced out travel insurance for us although he would make no additional money for this service.
A LITTLE ABOUT OUR TRIP
All I can say is that it was amazing! There were two couples on this tour along with our tour guide, Rem. (Yup...that is right...5 people total.) We traveled to Milan, Lake Maggiore, Florence, Verona, Venice, Bormio and drove up Stelvio Pass. We spent the first few days acclimating to the time change at Lake Maggiore. There we had a chance to take in the beautiful views in a quiet town. There Rem took us to a local restaurant where he obviously knew the owner. We got to have an authentic experience with people who were treating us like friends rather than just transient tourists. This was only possible because we were with Rem.

Rem offers that above and beyond experience that you could never get if you attempted to plan this tour on your own because he knows people everywhere you go. There were also so few of us that we did not overwhelm any place we stayed.

The rest of the trip was also just as wonderful, but I'd end up writing a novel if I talked about all of it.

HIGHLIGHTS
Wonderful accommodations everywhere we went, never having to worry about where to be and when, getting to sleep in until 9 am or later, being greeted as if we were friends of the places we went, Rem speaks Italian, getting to make a lifetime of memories in a worry-free way.
Also...Rem is hilarious.
REGRETS
When planning the trip costs can add up quickly. In Modena, we had the chance to drive on a racetrack in a Ferrari. THAT WAS COOL! when planning we got cheap and only paid for 3 laps. Now I wish more then ever I had taken Rem's advice and paid for the 4th lap. I guess we live an learn.
ADVICE
Look into this company. They are good people running an honest business who really do everything they can to give you the experience of a lifetime.

Rem and Italy4real helped us have the best vacation of our lifetime. He took the time to understand how much activity and what types of activity we wanted and then suggested a variety of amazing places. We had incredibly professional drivers and tour guides who were always prompt, friendly, and helpful. Rem and his team followed up consistently throughout the trip to make sure things were going smoothly! We will definitely use them again when we go back to Italy.

We just returned from a two week trip to Italy, Austria and Germany. Rem Malloy and his associates did an amazing job of organizing our trip. We had very specific requests and they accomplished each of them. Rem organized private tour guides in Rome, Florence and Venice that enabled us to get into Cathedrals and museums ahead of everyone. We were able to see things others may miss in a large group. In Salzburg for the Sound of Music tour and in Munich for the Castle tour Rem recommended small group bus tours which were perfect for those locations. Our Drivers and escorts were professional and made each transition easier. Each of the hotels he arranged were in the perfect location for our visit. We would highly recommend Rem Malloy and Travel4Real to anyone planning a trip large or small.

Recently returned from a trip with Italy 4 real, let me start off by saying Italy was amazing! I love the people and the culture; during my travel we met fellow travelers who will be friends for life! We took the Almafi coast tour w/ Rome included and added 4 days to start in Florence. Trip could have been amazing, but due to poor attention to detail on behalf of our Coordinator we had to take care of some things that were to be addressed prior to getting to Italy which made things Frustrating at times. Emails back and forth should have been a sign things would go wrong at some point. While I may work this company again, I will only deal with the Owners. I will address specifics with them to ensure these things are addressed and other potential traveler's aren't impacted. Safe travels!