The consensus is in!  For young or not so young, artsy types or not, history buffs or not, religious folks or not, first timers and returnees...Laura customizes the most fun, intimate and rich tours of Rome to be had!

2011

JOAN and BRUCE MILLER

Harrisburg, PA

Bruce and I just wanted to thank you again for the wonderful tours you planned for us.  What a wealth of knowledge you have, you made our trip an unforgettable experience! I still can't believe that I stood in the Colosseum. All our best.. please keep in touch...you are a delight and a wonderful tour guide!

Fondly,

Joan

MARLEE MILLER

New York

Hi Laura,

My parents had such an amazing trip to Italy and loved having you guide them around. They would not have gotten as much out of it if it had not been for you. They learned a lot and can't thank you enough.

Thanks and talk to you soon,

Marlee

FELICIA KRUVANT

New Jersey

Laura,

Just wanted to thank you for taking the time and giving us a great tour. 

You were very knowledgeable and professional.  Touring Rome was fun! 

Wish I was there now.

Thanks again,

Felicia Kruvant

BRUCE TORTORETI

Thank you for your patience. I had a million questions, and I know you've probably answered them a thousand times, but it was nice to see your enthusiasm for a subject you obviously love. It is refreshing. Thank you and hope to see you again.

Regards,

Bruce and Shelley

TIM and MELINDA ELWELL

Michigan

Hi Laura

Sorry for late reply - we had an amazing trip but we were going constantly.  We just got home last night.

The time we spent with you made our visit to Rome very special.  The tour was a blast!  These places and our pictures have so much more meaning for us - thanks to you. 

Also want to thank you again for being flexible and willing to meet on such short notice.  

I am sooo glad we decided to do it.

Tim and Melinda

ALLISON ITALIANO

New York

Hi Laura,

Every time someone mentions that they are thinking of going to Rome, my first reaction is "you have to call Laura Weinstein!"  I don't know if you remember us (Aug 2009), but we remember you!  My children, Tyler and Hailey, would not have enjoyed Rome as much without your guidance!

We have friends who are planning a trip to Rome in August 2011, with their 14-year old son.  Needless to say, we passed on your name.  Just wanted to make sure you were still doing tours and if there is any information we should provide to them on your behalf. 

Hope all is going well with you! 

Thanks and best regards,

Allison Italiano

BARBARA FUSCO

New York

Hi Laura,

Sorry it has been a bit, but I wanted to thank you for the wonderful tour of the Vatican and other wonderful sights in Italy back in August.  My sister Lorraine and I had the most enjoyable time and were sad to leave. Again thank you for the tour and sharing all that great knowledge you have.  I hope you are well and have a great fall season.

Fondly,

Barbara Fusco

TOM and NANCY STUEHLER

Baltimore

Laura,

I just wanted to take another opportunity to extend a very big thank you from us for the magnificent tour you gave us of ancient Rome.  We all got so much out of the afternoon.  You were over-the-top smart - you would have been worth taking all over Italy if you hadn’t been leaving for the US, it would have been worth every penny. 

You had a wonderful impact on our grandson Zack as well.  A walking library of information.  I am sorry you were not able to hang out with us longer,

I truly loved being with you. 

Best Regards,

Nancy and Tom

...and from Nancy to my dad

Hi Jay,

I just wanted you to know what a wonderful time we had in Italy with Laura.  It was such a pleasure to be with someone who made the afternoon so informative in a most enjoyable way.  Zack really got a lot out of the tour and asked her some great questions.  She made the tour so interesting with all her tidbits of information.  I cannot thank you enough for mentioning her to us.  I just wish we could have had a couple more days with her.  We were just grateful that we had the one day and she made changes in her plans to meet with us.

Fondly,

Nancy

MELLASENAH MORRIS

Baltimore

Good morning Laura. Thanks for a great tour yesterday. You are a fabulous guide,

full of knowledge and definitely the right personality for the job. 

JOHN, JULIE and LAURA LIVZEY

Los Angeles

MARTIN and JULIE HOLDING

UK

En route to Florence - thanks for lighting our way in Rome! We will keep your details for next time!

SINDY CASSIDY

Orlando, FL

Hi Laura,

Hello - just wanted to say thank you for your wonderful tour while we were in Italy.  We had a wonderful vacation - it was so amazing!  We took 1175 pictures - insane!  I appreciate all the e-mails, advice, information - and time you spent with us.  Hope our paths will cross again.

My best, Sindy

SUSAN HAMLIN

California

We really enjoyed our afternoon at Ostia with you.  I know that YOU know that Jake really would have spent another 3 hours there with you if that was possible!  We all agree you are the best tour guide ever.  We will certainly be in touch when we are back in Rome. 

Best,

Susan

LAURIE and JEFF FLOWERS

Marblehead, MA

Laura,

We have had a great time on our trip - it went by way too fast! We are on the plane. Thank you so very much for being our amazing guide in Roma! It would not have been the same without you! Grazie!  I'll send some photos when we get home!

Part2

I can’t believe how time has flown by since we were in Italy last spring! We had such a great time and learned so much while touring Rome with you! 

Tuscany and Florence were great, but the family was wishing you were there to show us around Florence! I think you spoiled them with what a great job you did for us in Rome!

We hope to go back and do it all again, it probably won’t be until June of 2015 (after Rachelle graduates), but you never know it could be sooner – we all loved Italy!

All in all everything is going well for us, and we wish you all the best in 2012 and after!

Laurie

STEVE and NANCY FRENKIL

Baltimore

You are so sweet to follow up with us!  We board in 30 min, the trip was fab, in large part because of your great tours and advice that kicked off a great trip, Grazie!

CATHERINE O’SHEA

New Jersey

Laura,

Art and I just wanted to thank you again for our delightful and informative jaunt through 1,500 years of Roman history.  Your routing and pace were perfect for the "formerly young," and your grasp of salient facts and relationships from so many different eras was impressive.  AND you found clean WC's at the Coliseum!  What more could anyone ask?

Somehow, Bob's e-address seems to have evaporated from my computer. 

Would you be kind enough forward this note to him, thanking him for putting us

in contact with YOU?  He did us a terrific favor. 

Cheers, C.

RICH and PATTY ELLER

Baltimore

(to my dad) Laura was awesome.  She really helped make the trip.  Both Patty and I really enjoyed the time we were with her.  The trip was fantastic!

ERIC and FARIHA ABBASI-FEINBERG

North Carolina

Thanks again for the great tour last week.  We all agreed that it was the BEST way to see Ancient Rome.  We would have missed so much without you.  The rest of week was fun, and we actually reviewed a lot of the history you told us, so now we are all much more educated. :)

LOUISE KEMPER

Travel Experts

Baltimore

Hi Laura,

Just spoke to Marilyn Rosenstein the other day, and she was saying how much she enjoyed you and our day.  Looks like Italy is really back in the tourist business - thanks again for your great introduction to the various neighborhoods!

Best regards,

Louise

MIRIAM and JACKIE SCHECHTER

New York

Laura,

We just wanted to thank you once again, for your amazing tours. Your vast knowledge and ability to share it in a logical understandable way (allowing us to keep all those rulers straight) was impressive. You made all the sights, ruins, and art so much more meaningful to us. The tours were the highlights of our trip. Thanks also for all your advice and for sharing interesting aspects of your life in Rome today- we enjoyed hearing that perspective as well.

Leaving for Florence in the morning.  Thanks again and best of luck in all your endeavors. Hope to be back and see you again one day (meanwhile will recommend you to anyone we know coming to Rome!)

Best,

Miriam & Jackie

GORDON SINGLE and ASHLEIGH SCHAUBLIN

North Carolina

Hey Laura!

Thank you so much again for being the best tour guide ever, I seriously couldn’t have pulled this off  without you!  We made it back safe and sound.  Ash has been crazy calling family and friends telling them all about the engagement and how great of a time we had.  Thank you again so much!

My only disappointment is that when I looked through the photos I realized we only had one with you.  I can't believe it!  I may have to photoshop you in one.  lol

I hope all is well across the ocean.  Thanks again, we had an amazing vacation thanks to you!

Gordon

2010..........

SHERYL and WADE HASEGAWA

Washington, DC

Thank you so much for welcoming us to Rome!  Your tour was informative and easy

to follow.  It was the perfect way to start our trip - an afternoon filled with new understanding of the history of the city.  It made for great context as we explored the other parts of Rome and Italy during the week.

Speaking of which, your recommendations and concern for our enjoyment of the rest of our trip were much appreciated!  We only met the most lovely, helpful people in Rome (including you!) and hope to someday return.  Good luck with your ongoing adventures in the Eternal City. 

Thank you, thank you,

Sheryl

KAREN and JEFF ROSS

Albany

Hi Laura,

I've been going over the pictures from our holiday in Rome, and I wanted to write to thank you for the wonderful tour you led for us November 2.  I thought you did a splendid job of giving us historical background, of bringing Ancient Rome alive, and of interpreting the reality of life in those days.  We enjoyed the Forum and Colosseum and will never forget what it was like to see those wonders.

We thought the tour was informative and lively and full of interesting anecdotes and "local color" about life in Ancient Rome.  You really did a very fine job, and we feel so lucky to have had the chance to have one of your tours. We will certainly pass your name on to friends who might be considering a trip to Rome, and if we are ever there again, I'm sure we'll be contacting you for another afternoon together.

Good luck, and we wish you all the best and many happy years in your beloved Italy.

Karen and Jeff Ross

(also on behalf of Regina Olchowski and Ed Potter, Atlanta)

MIKE and TAMMY KELLNER

Baltimore

Hi Laura, 

Saturday's post-cruise tour was wonderful, both Janet and Remo were great, thank you, it was exactly what we ordered, a perfect overview of Rome.  Sorry we couldn't meet, but I am glad that you enjoyed Genoa. Hopefully we will meet one day, either in Balto or Rome.  Thanks for all of your help setting us up!

ROSALEE DAVISON

Baltimore

(Docent at the Walters)

Laura,

Thank you so much for the wonderful tour and all the arrangements you made. We really had a wonderful time and learned so much from you. After all the Roman sculpture, I have fallen in love with Bernini. The Apollo and Daphne at the Borghese is so amazing. Your dinner rec was also spot on.  I have reported to Roxy so I am sure you will be seeing many Baltimoreans in the future.

Thank you again,

Rosalee

BECKY PETERS

Santa Cruz, CA

Hi Laura,

We truly enjoyed our tours with you. It was a highlight of our biking trip. Hopefully, I'll return to Italy again and can learn more from you.

Take care,

Becky

SALLY and PAUL GINBURG

Atlanta

Hi Laura,

Paul and I got back home on Monday night and continue to marvel at what a wonderful time we had in Italy.  Our highlight was meeting you and seeing Rome through your eyes.  You truly made it come alive for us, and although our heads are full of information, you made us want to learn more.

In Paris I did the Louvre and Eiffel Tower alone!!  I needed you!!

Anyway, just wanted to thank you again.  We definitely plan to begin saving and planning for our next trip and hope to be back in the near future.

Please send me the names of some of the books you had suggested we read that we would enjoy.  Reminiscing and miss Rome every day

Take Care,

Warmly,

Sally

CAROL and BILL DUNCAN

Baltimore

Tour was fabulous, the guide you chose for us, Janet, is such a wealth of knowledge, and (the driver) Remo knew exactly how to get here and was prompt.  Thanks for everything, we are already talking about our next trip to Rome and part 2 of our tour - this time with you!

LYNNE and ALLY FUQUA

Atlanta

Thanks for making our time in Rome so special. I know my teenagers didn't always act like it, but they really liked you and got so much out of our tours. And Ally and I loved it too. I hope we can send some more tacky American tourists your way. Have a great time in Wyoming, and I'll be back in touch!

Fondly,

Lynne 

JOE and BARBARA GAUDET

Massachusetts

Hi Laura,

Just starting to come down after the trip.  We had a great time.  One of the best parts of the trip was the ride out to Abruzzi with Antoine.  He was more that we expected in a guide and then some.  Great choice.  If you ever have the chance to use him again, I would.  Thank you again for all your work.  We have come away with some wonderful memories and pictures.

Lt ROB OLSEN

Seattle

Laura

Just wanted to drop you a quick line and let you know we got back here safely without any hiccups. And wanted to thank you again for the great experience and history that you were able to bring out in everything we saw.  It’s one thing to walk around and look at the wonders and be amazed but another to have someone like yourself who can bring out the details behind the history and make it more alive.  You were great, great with the kids and great with Cynthia and me.  So thank you again.

Take care ... stay in touch ... stay safe.

LAUREN KANTER and ADAM WEISS

DC/New York

Hi Laura,

Adam and I have returned from our honeymoon, and we wanted to thank you so much for your fabulous Heart of Rome tour. We had such a blast hanging out with you, seeing the sights and learning about the history. For the rest of the trip, whenever we saw bumble bees, we thought of you (and of course, the Barberini family)!!!

We are just so appreciative that you helped make our time in Rome so enjoyable. We wish you a wonderful trip with your family in August and hope to stay in touch.  If you are ever coming to NY, please do let us know as we would love to get together!  Perhaps at Sables - home of the best bagel and lox in NY :)

Best,

Lauren and Adam

ERICA and STEPHEN PERKINS

UK

Thanks for 2 great days of insight into the man (Caravaggio)!

CATHY ISAZA

Rocky Mount, NC

Hi!  We made it safe and sound back to Rocky Mount.  We had a great time in Italy.  Your tour was wonderful!  We will definitely recommend you to friends, and I'll give your name to our travel agent.  In comparison, the tour group that our travel agent recommended to us was pretty sad.  You told us much more information than he did. :-)

Cathy and Rick

ELISE and STU RUBENSTEIN

Baltimore

Thanks for a fabulous day!  You were terrific! The books created great visual pics - thanks for schlepping them around. The next day when you were at the wedding, (our son) Harris was firing questions at the guide you chose for us, Evan, and he was great! We loved our day with him, too! He was smart, animated, and very entertaining.  He wove a great story, and when we arrived at the Sistine Chapel, we knew all that we needed to now to appreciate it. Great tours all around, thanks for organizing!

BOB CARFAGNO

Philadelphia

Thanks for your great tour of the Vatican last week, everyone loved it.  I am glad that I had the chance to meet you - you are very cool.  Best of luck and if you ever get to Philly (or Balty), let us know!

Bob and Cheryl

LARRY and TRACY WEST

Albuquerque, NM

Hey Laura!

Back at work in Albuquerque, but still thinking about Italy.  Thank you again for showing us Rome; your knowledge and insight made the experience so much richer.  We'll never forget it, wonderful city, and we hope someday to come back and see more. 

 

In the meantime, you are welcome to come out for some green chili by us :)  Thanks again and our best wishes for your future success.

Ciao,

T&L

AMY SMALL

Connecticut

Laura, When I took the tour with you last year, I kept thinking that my boys would just love to do this with you. I am so blessed to have this come to fruition at least with now two of them. Patrick and Barrett. I'm sure the others will follow and you will meet the rest - Andrew, Kevin, Beau, and my daughter Sam. When the boys come home and are rested, I'm sure they will write a cool note/testimonial for you.

Fond regards,

Amy

FRANCES BORCHARDT

Churchton, Maryland

I told Stephanie that your tour was one of the best things about our trip to Italy. You gave us such an appreciation and understanding of all the art we were about to see on our journey. I have given your name to others. Hope they contact you as well.

Frances

SUSAN HUTCHINGS LYLE and CLINT RODENBERG

Palm Springs, CA

Dear Laura,  

We wanted to let you know how much we appreciated the wonderful day you gave us at the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Cathedral.  You definitely mesmerized all four of us by the way you wove the historical facts in a succinct and magical way.

When we were in Umbria (Orvieto, Assisi, Spoleto, etc.), there were many days we would refer to something you had said that was relevant to something we saw in these

hill towns.  It really made the trip fun.

We ended back in Rome for one night and enjoyed our last breakfast looking out at

the Borghese gardens, and all the domes and roofs of Rome!  It was hard to leave.

You certainly contributed to making our trip a memorable one.  We thank you and hope to see you again.

Regards,  

Susan

KARL KRAMER

Baltimore

Laura,

We just wanted to thank you again. Tessa and I decided to spend the entire time in Rome, even though we might have gone to Venice. We walked everywhere and saw almost everything.  We had never spent so much time in one place, but it worked out perfectly for us.  My primitive Italian was greeted in  positive manner which was quite gratifying.

Seeing the Ancient areas and the Vatican and Borghese were really some of our favorite things, and this we could not have done on our own. We really appreciated your insight and knowledge. We like to put things into an historical context which would have been impossible without your guidance. And you were able to shape the tours into what we had said we were interested in.

Thank you for our Roman Holiday.

VINCE CULOTTA (via Connie Berman)

Maryland

Hi Laura, I teach for Baltimore County schools, and I was attending a meeting with a Psychologist who was telling us about the wonderful trip that he took with his family and how he had the best tour guide. He stated that she grew up around here, and I said your name and he looked at me with surprise! The man is Vince Culotta, and he was in Italy with his wife Cheryl and 2 kids for Easter. He said that you were marvelous!

MARC HERMAN

Woodbury, NY

Dear Laura:

We just wanted to drop you a note to thank you for the spectacular tour you offered of Rome.  Our experience in Rome was breathtaking.  We felt it was the “trip of a lifetime”.  With your “insider” knowledge, we spent our time touring locations and not waiting in lines. This allowed us more time to see more sites. Because of you, the trip was informative and enjoyable. The amount of material you presented gave us a picture of life in early Rome.  It was wonderful to have you as our guide.

Your approachability made it easy to ask questions and your knowledge of the sights provided perspective and insight. Your passion about the ample history of Rome was obvious.  This allowed us to explore many more subjects and visit many more attractions than we generally would have been able. 

Thank you again.

Fondly,

Marc, Hillary & Zachary Herman

TRAVEL AGENT (anon)

The Cascino family loved loved loved you.  You are head and shoulders so much better than the guide I used in Florence too, and I wish you could guide in both cities.

Thank you again…