Martin Travel advisor Missy Sharp took a six-day tour of Italy with Pleasant Holidays, which offers vacation packages to destinations worldwide. We asked Missy to tell us about her trip and what made it so memorable.
I went on an escorted tour of Rome, Venice and Florence, three of the top destinations in Italy. We started in Venice and stayed at the lovely JW Marriott, which is on a private island outside Venice proper. We rode water taxis back and forth to Venice, where we saw the Doge's Palace, St. Mark’s Square and more.
Then, we took a high-speed train to Florence, where we stayed at the St. Regis Florence, one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever seen. I could see the Arno River from my window. Florence is incredible, and everywhere you look, you find something lovely. We saw the Florence Cathedral (Duomo Firenze in Italian, often simply called the Duomo), which is massive, and the Uffizi Galleries. Florence was my favorite city on the trip, partly because I felt almost like royalty while staying at the St. Regis.
From there, we went to Rome, where we stayed at the Sina Bernini Bristol, which is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The hotel is located in a historic building, but the décor is contemporary and luxurious. We were only about a 5-minute walk to the Trevi Fountain. There is so much to see in Rome. A highlight for me was seeing the Colosseum for the first time.
Pleasant Holidays took such good care of us, including planning and coordinating everything.
Founded in 1959, Pleasant Holidays is one of the largest travel companies in the US, offering vacation packages that include flights, hotels, cruises, sightseeing, guides and more. At Martin Travel, we work with Pleasant Holidays to create customized trips for our clients. Many people don’t want to go on big group trips. They like being able to pick and choose what they want to see on their vacation, but they want to have structure built in and support in making everything happen.
Working with Pleasant Holidays, I can create a customized itinerary that works best for each client. First, I ask each client about the trip they envision, and then I put together the whole trip, including transfers, hotels, attractions, private guided tours and more.
Pleasant Holidays offers different types of travel packages. I went on an trip with a small group, and they took care of absolutely everything. It was a worry-free experience.
If you’re traveling by train in Europe, as we were, it’s best to take smaller pieces of luggage. Unless you’re in business class, there is not a lot of space to store luggage on the train.
Booking a customized trip with a travel advisor and Pleasant Holidays takes away the stress of trip planning. If something goes wrong, you have a 24-hour emergency number to call, so you’re not on your own. With package pricing, you also have a better idea of your costs. You don’t have to pay for each hotel, transfer or train ticket separately.