Mosaics & Palaces of
Bologna, Ferrara & Ravenna

Just wanted to tell you that the tour to Bologna, Mantova, Ferrara & Ravenna was so well received and we all thoroughly enjoyed the cities. Our tour manager was excellent and we don't say that lightly. She organized everyone beautifully. Her knowledge was truly awesome as everyone agreed, we have learnt so many facts about the places, families and the history of the area. Nothing was too much trouble and we all walked where necessary quite happily even though the heat sapped our strength somewhat. Times were perfect and our driver was wonderful in getting us everywhere safely. Thank you, also, for arranging our flight home through the previous one being cancelled. It turned out to be in our favour, it was much appreciated. There will probably be someone else arranging the next tour for our Society but Tailored Travel has done us proud on this Bologna Tour. With many, many thanks.

VR, Bracknell September 2024

What a stunning few days, a full itinerary of guided tours which introduced us to some fantastic works of art in Bologna, Mantova, Ravenna & Ferrara. So many delights to choose from but for me the highlights were the amazingly detailed mosaics of Ravenna. The fine art collection in the Pinacoteca Nationale and the Anatomical Museum in Bologna. Also the dramatic, neck aching, frescoes of Giulio Romano’s Room of Giant’s in the Palazzo Te, Mantova. Our main chatty guide was extremely knowledgeable about the places we visited and suggested a choice of local restaurants where we could enjoy the local cuisine, her specialty was the best gelato shop in each city! Our stay in the Hotel Touring was well located with such an easy walk through the beautiful colonnades to the centre of Bologna. Several of us took the opportunity, with a glass of wine, to take in the stunning views over roof tops of Bologna from the hotel’s guest balcony on the 5th floor. The weather throughout was on our side unfortunately the baggage handlers for our return flight were not! With our flight home cancelled Tailored Travel, liaising with Chris and Tamara, booked another flight for the Friday but from Pisa. This gave us all another sunny morning in Bologna but a very late return home. As a group we cannot thank Chris enough for organising us and Tailored Travel for their well organised and caring trip to such a beautiful area of northern Italy.

SG, Swindon October 2023

Thank you for arranging our trip to Bologna. We had a fantastic time and saw some really wonderful artworks. I was so glad that you were able to schedule the last day so that we could visit Padova on the way to the airport. Many members of the group had not seen the Giotto chapel before, so it was a very important part of our tour. Everybody was extremely happy with the hotel. Its location is perfect; close to the centre but in a quiet sidestreet. Perfect!  And we made full use of the rooftop terrace and its bar. Everything (except the flights which were slightly delayed) ran exactly to your schedule and we had terrific guides. A really superb trip. 

Bernard A September 2022

Thank you for giving us such good and detailed instructions as to how to complete the passenger location form for our trip to Bologna, even though in the end we didn't need it. Your list of instructions was so clearly laid out, and very well worded so there was no confusion - in fact a masterly work of clarity, and thank you very much. And, we had a lovely time in Italy, and thank you for organising that.

Lauraine B May 2022

Thank you again to your company for a truly memorable, superbly well organised tour to Bologna. The guides were all excellent - we learnt so much.

VM, Ashbourne November 2019

Members of our Society recently visited the palaces and art of Bologna, Mantova, Ravenna, Padua and Ferrara. Your tour manager was truly excellent! We were SO well looked after by her - her knowledge of the places visited was outstanding and described in excellent English. She cared for our comfort (mostly people of 70+) and her organisation was remarkable. I would like you to know that we felt she was an outstanding guide and it was a most enjoyable visit.  

MH, Slough October 2019

Thank you for a wonderful trip to Bologna everybody enjoyed themselves. Your guidance was very much appreciated. Our guide was perfect, knowledgeable and with a great personality, we all fell in love with her. Exceptionally helpful and jolly. You will be pleased to know the we used ‘the whispers’ with great success. The hotel suited us well. The terrace in the roof was great for drinks as we were so lucky with the weather. The Ferrari Museum visit was a welcome change from the churches and our tour manager managed to find a TV to watch England to beat Australia in the semi – final in the World Cup. Our restaurants for dinner were a great success. Thanks again.

MC, Oxshott October 2019

A massive thank you for all the work you put in to our visit to Bologna. Everything was really well organised and everyone really enjoyed the trip - 'stupendous' and 'brilliant' were two of the adjectives used. All your instructions were really clear and thus we all felt we knew what was happening. Even the weather was kind! We loved all the cities visited with Ravenna, on the last day, being the real favourite - the mosaics are stunning. All the guides were excellent. Nathalie is delightful - she was extremely caring and informative - a pleasure to be with. The others were both superb too - Anna in Ravenna is really knowledgeable. We learnt so much from all of them. Thank you to you again for the sound system - it made all the difference - everyone could hear clearly.

VM, Muggington October 2019

This is just a note to say that everything went very well indeed during our tour to Bologna. Anna was terrific, the hotel was lovely, and so warm and friendly, and the local guides all came very ably up to the mark. You have been so very helpful and I have assured my colleagues in my Society, who will spread the word, that we have been in very safe hands. I understand that my successors are already planning a trip to Liverpool with you. You have done a terrific job in supporting us so ably. Thank you!!

DN, Dorchester October 2019

This is just a quick note to say thank you for all your efforts and those of everyone in Tailored Travel regarding the tour to Bologna. We had a wonderful time, and are now full up with culture for the foreseeable future. At the end of the trip everyone thanked me for my hard work and organisation, and I was able to sit back receiving the praise, knowing all the time it was nothing to do with me but rather all down to your and Tailored Travel's hard work. Also, if you get the chance to talk to our guide, please convey our thanks to her. She was such a knowledgeable guide, and was so helpful not only in reacting to problems but in foreseeing them so that they would not become an issue. Thank you once again.

TD, Aylesbury June 2018

I have recently returned from Bologna. It was an excellent tour, if rather tough on the feet! Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable, as were all the local guides. What really made the tour for us all was the use of radio microphones - no more shouting on street corners or whispering in churches! The hotel was a perfect choice - central location, good breakfast and extremely helpful staff. I had a single room with a view and a terrace - lucky me. I shall be pleased to recommend this tour and Tailored Travel to other societies in East Anglia.

AP, Bury St Edmunds September 2016

I am so sorry I haven’t written to you sooner to tell you what a wonderful success our tour to Italy was. Everyone loved it – the organisation of it all went extremely well, our guide/manager, Tamara, was excellent, though being typically Italian she talked a lot!(!) and all in all it worked perfectly. In fact we had our NADFAS monthly meeting yesterday and so many people came up to me to repeat what they had said in their thank you letters – how much they had enjoyed it and what a wonderful time they had had. In fact a whole lot of people who hadn’t been on the tour came up to say they had heard all about the wonderful tour we had been on too. So thank you, Sandy, for all your work, extremely efficient organising and attention to detail, your patience in answering all my queries and dealing with the more scatty members. I went off feeling totally confident all would go well on the tour and it certainly did. Thank you again for all your excellent work.

GD, Shaftesbury June 2016

I just wanted to say on behalf of the group what a successful tour we had. Everything went well and there were NO complaints! The hotel was a lovely place to stay. The staff were all friendly and helpful and most of the group booked to eat in the attached restaurant for the remaining evenings after the first two included dinners. My husband and I enjoyed the beautiful view from our room at the front of the hotel - thank you for that ‘extra’. Our tour manager Ludo was exceptional and ensured that everything went smoothly. I was particularly grateful to him for seeing us on to the coach on our return to Heathrow. Our coach driver in Italy was also popular, and one lady said she had enjoyed the drives each day to our destination. It was a full programme but we all coped and appreciated being able to see such important treasures. Ravenna was of course a highlight, and our guide there was outstanding. I think we’ve all been inspired to read more about what we’ve seen. So a very big thank you to yourself and everyone else at Tailored Travel involved in organising our tour. I have encouraged people to put a selection of pictures on the website so you will be able to see how much we enjoyed ourselves! Thanks again and best wishes,

SS, Horsham April 2016

We are all back safely after a lovely trip to Bologna. Very action packed, which some found difficult in the heat but everyone found their level of involvement and all reported a wonderful trip. Tamara was great fun, if a little manic but we all got on well with her and her sense of humour and enthusiasm. The other guides were also first rate. The hotel could not have been better and they were very friendly and accommodating. All together it was 'fantastico'. Thank you for your superb organisation. It worked like clockwork. Many thanks from us all.

PW, Oxford June 2015

On behalf of our DFAS I would like to thank everyone at Tailored Travel for the splendid organisation of our visit to Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrara and Mantua. When it became obvious that we were unable to go to Lucca due to flight alterations, your input and advice and suggestion that we visit Ferrara instead, was very much appreciated and avoided disappointment. Nothing was too much trouble for Sandy and she dealt with any queries swiftly and efficiently. Our guide/manager Tamara was excellent and everything ran smoothly, our extra local guides were always ready and waiting for us to arrive. The Vox listening devices were really useful with no-one worrying about being at the back and unable to hear and we were always split into manageable groups. We will certainly be using Tailored Travel again in a couple of years’ time, so I'll be in touch. Thank you again to all your team, we had great time.

LB, Alsager May 2015

We returned home on Thursday evening after a lovely holiday. No incidents to report and everyone stayed well (phew!). These are my main concerns because I am absolutely relaxed that all arrangements made by you will be efficiently done! The hotel was good. We all liked it and although the rooms varied tremendously in position and facilities everyone was happy. We have all travelled extensively and do not expect standardised chain-like accommodation in an old city centre. In fact, that was the charm of the place. The first night I was very impressed with the helpful staff on duty on the reception desk and hoped she would be there most evenings. In fact the reception was always staffed with welcoming and knowledgeable people. Our Tour Manager Tamara was conscientious and worked hard to co-ordinate us, the coach and the guides when we arrived at the different destinations. She was considerate too and recognised the need for coffee and loo stops! She also gave us interesting facts about Italy, politics, agriculture etc, but never too much, which was good. The guides were all very well-educated in the History of Art and spoke excellent English. Everyone was very impressed with the standard of the guides and told me so. Ryanair has earned some brownie points because most of our party would never consider flying with them and were pleasantly surprised. There was good legroom and the staff were professional and some, who had been with them before, noticed a great difference in the whole experience. It was such an easy journey with the very short transfer to the city centre and our hotel. Finally, I would like to thank you for a very well-arranged holiday. It was good to have the familiarisation of Bologna on the first day because it helped us get our bearings. It was good to have Ravenna on the second day because that was what we were very keen to see. Mantova and Ferrara were both appreciated too, thanks to the guides. All the cities were so individual, which seemed surprising in such a small area. I can be relaxed on your holidays because I know I don’t have to think about small details too far in advance because you deal with them one by one. So, Congratulations, you have got the recipe right, and we are all looking forward to the next trip. With very many thanks.

JC, Lancaster October 2014

The Italy trip was a resounding success, and I am so grateful to you for all the information and advice. The travelling went smoothly, the hotel was wonderful, and the first and last night dinners more than satisfactory. On the Monday we were able to eat altogether on the roof of the hotel, which turned into quite a party. My only problem now is that I don't think we'll be able to accommodate all the people who are already asking when they can put their names down for our extended visit in 2015!

AD, Woodbridge October 2014

I would like to thank you very much for all your hard work in organising the Society trip to Italy, thanks entirely to you it was a great success, you thought of everything. I am having so much praise heaped upon me which, by rights, should be yours. Not one person complained or moaned about anything, how about that.

MR, Stourbridge May 2014

Just a few lines to let you know that our tour to Bologna and other cities went very well. We had sunny weather, no one lost their purse or fell down a hole. Anna was an excellent guide as were all the other guides in the various towns. Thank you for all your hard work in organising things.

SE, Stratford-Upon-Avon June 2013

On behalf of our Society, I would like to thank Tailored Travel for arranging a most exceptional tour to the ‘Arts and Palaces of Bologna, Ravenna, Mantova and Ravenna’. I choose the word ‘exceptional with care since it cannot often happen that a group flies out in the wake of an earthquake at its designated destination! Thank you for fielding the phone calls before our departure and managing to ensure that our tour could go ahead, despite the news headlines of ‘Earthquake in Emilia Romana’!

EH, Putney May 2012

I want to compliment you on your arrangements for this most enjoyable tour to Bologna. Before departure I noted some rather unfavourable comments about the hotel and I would like you to know we thought the facilities, staff and location were admirable. The bed was so comfortable my wife is now telling me we need to replace ours!!

PC, Oxted May 2011

A very successful trip to Bologna. All went very much according to plan and Anna proved excellent. I have come back for a rest! A big "thank you" to you, Sandy, for setting everything up so meticulously. The fact the trip went so smoothly was largely down to your detailed planning.

MH, Oxted May 2011

Our tour to the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy was very successful. Everything went according to plan and everyone seemed to enjoy the places we visited. Anna was an excellent Tour Manager. The change of hotel to the Tre Vecchi was I believe, a good move. There were many restaurants nearby, and it was very close to the centre of the city. Thank you for organising the Tour. I am now looking forward to our tour of Dublin!

MV, Dorking May 2011

A note to say thank you very much indeed for the very well organised trip in Bologna, Ravenna and Ferrara. It was very well done, everything ran smoothly and we were particularly impressed by the quality of our week long guide, Natalie, who was first class. Many thanks.

JD, Norfolk May 2009