Emi Carletti

We had a lovely time in Italy and really did appreciate all the pre-planning done. Our logistics and travel in between locations was very thorough and understandable.
ROME- Our guided tour in Rome was fabulous due to Marco, our guide and our getting it done early before the crowds/heat. Getting our daughter delivered to the hotel was seamless as well. The hotel was nice but a little small as far as space goes. The elevator was hit or miss. The best part was the rooftop area where we could escape the crazy crowds. The included breakfast was nice but nothing great. We stumbled onto several good restaurants but would have liked maybe more recommendations and actual reservations due to said crowds.
FLORENCE-The cooking class was our favorite part and Thomasso our chef was superb. Some of our best meals were in that class. Our wine tour was also excellent and Christina was fun. Great locations and not too far from city center. Our hotel was great…again the gathering space was very small for us but we found a little bar right across the street that made up for that. Very centrally located and was VERY LOUD Saturday night until the early morning hours. One room smelled strongly of cigar smoke but we made it work. Better breakfast at this hotel. As in Rome, you really need reservations for both food and tours which we didn’t have enough of. The Duomo line was around the building everytime we passed and it wasn’t’ open often enough for us to go through with the time we had.
LAKE COMO-Beautiful location and much less crowded than other two locales. We didn’t really have any set plans for Como and that was probably a mistake. I arranged a private boat tour of the lake and it was lovely…Lake Como Boat Tours was responsible and Ricardo was very thorough and sweet. We rode the funicular up to Brunate and would have liked to know more about this area as it was right near our hotel. We got on it very early in the morning so we didn’t get in the crazy lines but nothing was really open at the top. However, the views were fabulous and so was the weather. I guess the takeaway from saying you want to go to Lake Como is that is a huge area and I wasn’t aware that the Villas were so far from the town of Como. WE did not see either Balbianello or Villa Carlotta due to their distance away and no tickets available. The ferry, which we were told would be the best way to get around the lake, had ridiculously long lines every morning and it was very hard to figure out where you really needed to go. I think more planning would have been helpful as far as that goes. Restaurants were easier in Como but we did try to go to one that was simply the rudest we have been treated in a while so I suggest not even trying at Numeronove…they have great reviews but it was very obvious that they did not want Americans in their establishment. One place that we really enjoyed in COMO was Vineria Vitani…very nice kid behind the bar and lovely atmosphere for wine tasting.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip and not having to worry about traveling between cities was great. We did run into terrible delays at Milan airport on the way out and would advise not to use that airport no matter the cost. We missed our connecting flight into London, had to scramble to get on a flight to another state inside the US then had to drive home from there. It was brutal. I suggest connecting in the states to an airport that goes straight to your destination. Lessons learned!!

Our family (me, my husband, and our two sons aged 21 and 27) travelled to Athens, Rome, and Sorrento May 22 through 30. 2024. This was a ‘once in a lifetime’ trip for all of us. Both of the boys have always been very interested in ancient history, so that informed our choices on this trip.

Everything in Athens was perfect! Hotel staff was friendly and helpful. The guides we got were very knowledgeable and easy to talk to. The sights were amazing, obviously. Food was good! Shopping was fun! Locals were lovely! Weather was gorgeous! Really, I couldn’t ask for any improvement. If I could find a Diet Pepsi in the city, I think I could move here.

We were rather disappointed with our time in Rome, although some of it was beyond anyone's control. On our first day there we had a tour scheduled for ‘Ancient Basilicas and the Catacombs.’ We were instructed to meet the tour guide in front of a hotel a ten-minute walk away. As we loitered around the front of the hotel for 15 minutes, (since we were told to arrive early), we spoke to one man who said he had the tour of the catacombs, but it started at 2:30, not 2:00 like we thought. So, we waited and wandered around some more. Finally figured out that was not our tour and found the correct guide. We were also told it was not a private tour, which is why we had to meet someplace that wasn’t our hotel, but we were the only people on the tour. The tour guide was lovely and interesting. The next day was a free day. It also happened to be the day of a cycling ‘tour of Italy’ event. Streets closed, crowds, grumpy taxi drivers. The third day we had a tour scheduled for the Colosseum, Palatine hill and the Forum. Got to the meeting place 15-20 minutes early and tried to figure out where we were supposed to be. There were tour guides there, but none of the names of the tour companies matched anything I had. The original tour guide didn’t show up. Finally figured it out and got underway. This tour was really not very pleasant. Maybe because she was late or was called in at the last moment, she moved like she was in a race. Barely time to take any pictures. Often she was so far away that the audio cut out on the headsets. “You see my scarf? Andiamo!!” Her commentary sounded like memorized bullet points from an index card. And then we got to the Colosseum. I could not believe the crowd. Impossible to see anything, impossible to hear the guide, really miserable. Looking back at my conversations with Emi, this is really where I would have hoped for a little more local insight. Maybe we shouldn’t have done the traditional tour of the Colosseum. Maybe we could have just done the floor tour. I would have appreciated her input here instead of just saying “you have to buy tickets for the floor tour yourself.” Pretty disappointed in the three days we spent here.

The next morning we were on the train to Naples. No problems on the trip and the driver met us even though we were about 45 minutes late. The hotel in Sorrento was amazing. I have never stayed in a hotel that nice and I’m sure I never will again. The tour guide for Pompeii was excellent. I wish we could have spent more time there – visited the museum and the gift shop. The boys went to Herculaneum the next day while my husband and I walked around Sorrento. (There was some confusion as the number of people on the tour was never changed from 4 to 2, as requested.) Again, the boys said the guide was excellent. Then back to Naples the next morning for our flight.

Overall it was a great trip. We saw so many amazing things and met some wonderful people. Since we are not big travelers and we are unlikely to ever do a trip like this again, I felt the pressure was on me to plan and execute a trip as close to perfect as possible. And it was, mostly. Just wish the days in Rome had worked out better.

Can’t say enough good things about this company…they made our honeymoon vacation in Italy, seamless and stress free. Emi, our consultant from Rome, created a wonderful itinerary for us with great tours and accommodations, car service when needed and a timeline that kept us entertained but not overwhelmed. The couple of hiccups during the trip ( a train strike and mapping error) were handled quickly and easily. We will certainly be using this service again again and highly recommend it to others!

Hotel Reviews

Unconventional Hotel Sorrento 3* Sant'Agnello

Sant'Agnello

Wonderful little hotel tucked away from the main hustle and bustle. Clean, nice view from our balcony, wonderful breakfast and very helpful and friendly staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Cosimo de' Medici

Florence

Great little hidden away gem!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Super close to the train station and very convenient to many attractions

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Pillows were very firm otherwise everything else was great

Hotel Ca' d'Oro

Venice

Great little hotel off the beaten path. Very clean and comfortable. Unfortunately we were only there for one night and had to leave early so didn’t get to take in the breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Off the beaten path so was nice and quiet. Just over 20 minute walk to the train station

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nord nuova roma hotel Rome

Rome

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close enough to the train station to walk there. Also easy walking distance to many attractions.

Staff

Very helpful but not the most approachable

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean, very comfortable and lots of little niceties thrown in

Activity Reviews

Amalfi Coast experience from Sorrento

Sorrento

This area is a must see. Our guide was very informative. Wish we had more time in Amalfi

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Chianti colors and flavors: Tuscan countryside with wine tastings

Florence

Amazing!! This is a must do, even for a non wine drinker! Lol

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Antonia ( I believe), was terrific! So informative, understandable and friendly

Transport

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

Wonderful to have a day to wander and explore the area

Quality of Experience

Accademia Gallery Tour

Florence

This was an interesting tour but sometimes difficult to hear or follow with all the information. Nice to see but not a must

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Tuscan Cooking class and S.Lorenzo Market

Florence

So much fun!! A must do!!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stefano and Thomas were awesome. Wonderful teachers and made the whole experience so much fun!

My wife and I just returned from a 16-day trip to Italy, which was arranged through KimKim and their local travel affiliate, Meet & Greet, Italia. Highlights included Venice, Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Rome, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast region, and Pompeii. Thi trip was the first opportunity for my wife to experience the beautiful country, and for me, a special return after 40 years, when I lived in Rome for a year as an architecture student. Celebrating a special anniversary, l already had a good idea of the special regions and towns that would offer my wife a great sense of Italy’s beauty and ultimately enhance our romantic getaway. Working with Emi at KimKim hi later her business associate, Francesco, I could not have been happier with they expertise, courteous and friendly accommodations, and tremendous service over the course of 8 months, especially in our final weeks leading up to our departure. Emi continuously went out of her way to address my questions, concerns and/or changing itinerary priorities, in the most professional way. I never had to wait more than a day for updated responses / itinerary changes, and most times the response was immediate. Francesco’s efforts were equally impressive, including real-time updates to our online itinerary, which kept my mind at ease before and during the trip. Both Emi and Francesco were accommodating to our own requests, including one request to change our hotel in Sorrento, after reading FB posts from customers who were being relocated due to hotel renovations underway. They also changed a scheduled boat tour of the Amalfi coast to a driving tour at my request. In both cases, their accommodation was a huge help, especially when we confirmed the ongoing issues with the hotel, and realized that the original boat tour would have been canceled that day due to high winds. So Emi and Francesco planned the perfect getaway and the memories will last a lifetime! I highly recommend KimKim, especially Emi and Francesco for a beautiful taste of Italy!!

We had Emi as our agent and she was beyond amazing. First, she as patient with us as we had started our planning and we were figuring out our different options. Once we finalized that it looked like she found the best hotels for our needs. We have never gone to Europe and were hesitant about using and agent, but we are SO glad we did. We will be using KimKim for future travel!

I can’t thank Emi enough for planning a spectacular vacation. Our hotels were great. Our private tours and events were spectacular! Cooking class! Boat tour! When I had a question while in Italy, I received a response to my text within minutes, I have told multiple friends that they have to use KimKim to help plan their vacation. I can’t wait to plan our next trip with them.

Activity Reviews

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

Vierri was amazing! He made this more than a class—it was an experience. He is so knowledgeable and a wonderful teacher. I can’t say enough about this evening. This was one of our favorite events of the trip.. Our pizza and gelato was surprisingly fantastic considering our skill level.

Quality of Experience

Vierri!

Private Gondola Ride

Venice

This is something that we felt we needed to do in Venice. While it was nice, it felt like a Disney ride—they take you through a preset course with all the gondolas in a row. If you want to take a gondola ride, make sure to schedule in advance. The line to buy tickets was really long.

TUSCANY'S GEMS: PRIVATE TOUR TO PISA, SIENA AND SAN GIMIGNANO

Florence

Claudia was a wonderful driver for our day. We did not have a wine tour scheduled while we were in Tuscany, Claudia called immediately and got us scheduled for lunch and wine tasting. It was a fantastic day!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

AMALFI AND POSITANO DISCOVERY BOAT TOUR - SEMI PRIVATE (max 12)

Sorrento

We actually had a private boat tour with Theodoro. He was wonderful! We couldn’t have asked for a better guide around the coast. He was so knowledgeable. This was one of our favorite days of our vacation.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emi and Francesco were invaluable in planning my trip to Italy. As a single mom traveling with two teenage boys I was overwhelmed by the planning and needed help. It was easy to communicate with Emi and Francesco through the KimKim platform throughout the entire process. They were attentive to my requests and always replied in a timely manner. I was satisfied with the hotels and transportation chosen for us. I had requested to splurge a little at our last destination (Sorrento) and the hotel did not disappoint! The high speed train transport in business class was comfortable and easy to navigate. The tours they chose in each city were lead by friendly and informative tour guides. The only change I would make is to the private gondola ride in Venice. It was a lovely ride but departed from one of the main tourist areas and was very crowded. There were other gondola rides we saw that were off the beaten path which I would have preferred. I was able to use WhatsApp to contact the team a couple of times during the trip with questions which was very helpful. Our tours of the Colosseum, Palantine Hill, and Roman Forum and of Pompeii were AMAZING and will be remembered for a lifetime. I would advise to arrive at the tour meeting locations early. I used Google maps to find my way and it got me close to some of the locations but I had to spend some extra time finding the right place. Also, bring your own wired earbuds because the ones provided for the tours hurt our ears. We attended a pizza and gelato making class in Florence which resulted in the best gelato we had the whole trip (and we had a lot). This was the favorite activity of my teenage boys. This is the first trip I've taken that I did not plan entirely myself and I am looking forward to using KimKim again for my next adventure. I would recommend Emi and Francesco to anyone traveling to Italy.

Activity Reviews

Best of Venice guided walking tour with gondola ride

Italy

I loved seeing the city and learning about the architecture. I did not like the earbuds provided for the tour. They hurt our ears which made my kids take them out and ask me questions instead of listening to the guide. We came across a funeral for a gondolier that had died and got t see the special gondola that was being used.

Pizza and gelato making class

Florence

This experience was perfect. Everyone loved the pizza and gelato. We were so hungry after preparing everything. I even tried anchovies on my pizza. Drinks including wine and soft drinks were provided too and we socialized with another American family which all made for a lovely evening.

Quality of Experience

Colosseum, Roman Forums and Palatine Hill

Rome

Wonderful tour with amazing sights to see. Earbuds hurt our ears, would like to have better quality listening devices.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pompeii Excavations half-day Tour

Italy

Guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. I liked how our guide was slow and relaxed and even spent some extra time there. We were able to see a lot without rushing. He made sure we stopped in the shade a lot too. Again, the earbuds were uncomfortable and hard to keep in my ear. It was interesting to see all the archaeologists working on the site while we were there.

Day at leisure in Sorrento

Sorrento

We were able to hike to Bagni Regina Giovanna from our hotel. Enjoyed a day of sunbathing and swimming in the Bay of Naples. The kids enjoyed jumping off the rocks.

Emi and Francesco were absolutely amazing. Emi did a fantastic job planning the trip of our dreams, while Francesco was fast and accommodating - making our time there a breeze! When our train was canceled last minute, it literally took 10 minutes for them to book us a new way of transport, saving the day and our trip. We will absolutely be using this service again and have already recommended it to all our friends and family. Thank you, thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Rome Times Hotel

Rome

Friendly, accommodating - first-rate service all around. Highly recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A quick walk to some of the best places to see and surrounded by fantastic restaurants.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Antica Torre di Via Tornabuoni

Florence

Beautiful hotel with friendly staff. Amazing stay all around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Rome in a Day Tour with Colosseum and Vatican Museums guided tours

Rome

Good, semi-private tour. Guide got into a few weird religious things, however, that didn't feel relevant or needed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Florence walking tour on Medici's footsteps

Florence

Fantastic and informative walking tour. The guide was funny, smart, and enjoyable to listen to.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Duomo tour with Brunelleschi's dome & secret terraces

Italy

An absolutely amazing tour. The guide was affable and knowledgable - and incredibly patient and comforting when I ended up succumbing to my fear of heights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Accademia Gallery Tour

Florence

The tour guide was funny, smart, and enjoyable to listen to. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Uffizi Galleries Tour

Florence

A wonderful experience with a fantastic guide. Thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Rome Walking Tour

Rome

Beautiful tour that really helps you acclimate to the city. The tour guide was gregarious and funny - we enjoyed learning from her.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just back from an amazing family vacation! Emi’s recommendations and planning allowed us to see and experience parts of Rome, Milan, Turin and Florence - both through relaxed self exploration within the cities and small group tours for daylong excursions in smaller towns nearby. The hotels, and train travel she organized made it easy to relax and enjoy the trip. Questions arose while we were traveling, and she was quick to reply - so nice to have a friendly local resource! Would definitely recommend and use this service again for future trips. Thank you Emi!

I had a nice time in Salerno. My drivers were on time and helpful, my guide Anna in Salerno was excellent - she new her history and showed me the old part which I found interesting and even showed me street art which I love to see. It was nice to try some local fare as well and the host was lovely. Everything went well without a problem. The accommodation in Salerno was great - a small boutique hotel next to the train station and not too far from the ferry was perfect.
Well done Emi you did your job as requested. I'll use you again.