We had been to most of the major cities in Italy but for this special occasion we wanted to be a bit more off the beaten path. Landed Milan, Malcesine, Dolomites, Trieste, Ravenna, Bologna, Tuscany, Capri, Sorrento, Taormina, Siracusa, Agrigento and Palermo. 1st day in each city was a private tour. Other day trip tours to special places were also with private guides. I cannot rave about the wonderful, knowledgeable and personable guides that MariaLaure selected for us. They single handedly made the tip the success it turned out to be.
Lots of transitions – cars, trains, ferry boats, meeting places – all went perfectly without any miscues.
MariaLaura was a genuine pleasure to work with. She knew what we wanted and kept an eye on us for the entire time.
We travel a lot but this was a once in a life-time experience and it was perfect in every way.
I am a private person so my contact information is vague but I would be happy to share my experience verbally via MariaLaura.

This was my second trip in which MariaLaura at Fantastica Italia created a fantastic agenda for me and my family – this time we had an extended stay in Barcelona, Spain prior to getting on our cruise ship. Even though was a shorter trip prior to us going on a cruise, MariaLaura planned incredible experiences for us in which we will have lifelong memories. She always goes above and beyond in her customer service as do the companies she uses. They are always prompt, friendly, very knowledgeable, and professional. MariaLaura always pays attention to the even the smallest details and requests and makes sure they are included; she really has a way of making our trips personalized, unforgettable, and really adds the “WOW” experience to our hotels and vacation experiences!!

She introduced us to small private groups and private driver experiences that have completely changed the way we travel and makes the entire travel experience incredibly fun, personalized, unforgettable, coordinated, and professional. She also has good recommendations, like “walking dinner tours”; we had not heard of this prior to working with her and now we pretty much request them on each trip as they are always one of our favorite experiences!!

I have recommended her to various friends and family and will continue to do as I know they are in good hands. Of course, I will also continue to use her from my trips and would recommend MariaLaura’s services to anyone planning a trip to Italy or Spain!

Heather at Fantastica Italia created what can only be described as a magical, seamless, once-in-a-lifetime experience for us.

This was our first trip to abroad, a celebration of a big milestone wedding anniversary, and I also travel with a disability, which meant the details truly mattered. Heather listened carefully to every hope, concern, pace preference, and comfort need we had, and curated an itinerary that felt completely personalized to us.

From the moment we arrived, everything flowed effortlessly. The hotel selections were exceptional, the tours were perfectly paced, the winery experiences were unforgettable, and every guide she selected brought warmth, knowledge, and genuine passion to our trip.

And the private transfers completely changed the way we travel.

After experiencing Italy this way, being met personally, traveling comfortably between cities, never worrying about logistics, luggage, directions, or timing — we honestly cannot imagine traveling any other way again. Every transfer was smooth, professional, relaxing, and beautifully coordinated.

Heather removed the stress from international travel and replaced it with the ability to fully experience the beauty, romance, and joy of Italy together.

Florence, Chianti, and Rome each had their own magic, and every detail felt intentional and deeply special.

We now have memories we will treasure forever, and we would not plan another Italy trip without Heather and Fantastica Italia.

Last month I took a solo trip to Northern Italy with the guidance and expertise of Fantastica Italia.  It was truly magical.  With MariaLaura’s help I was able to curate a trip that let me experience Italy as I had always imagined.  The details were taken care of, such as transfers to and from airport and train stations, tickets that needed to be purchased and guides that were on time and unbelievably fun to be with.  This was all tracked using an app that they were able to add to as I was in Italy, making things very easy for me.

I spent the first 5 nights in Florence at Hotel Santa Maria  Novella, which was in a lovely piazza, the window looking out at the Basillica was my favorite part of the room, which itself was lovely.  Fantasica Italia set up day excursions based on what I wanted to see or do, such as joining a group to tour Cinque Terre, Pisa and a private cooking class.  My walking tour concluded at the Galleria dell’ Accademia seeing Michelagelo’s David.

From Florence I went to Rimini, a beach town that happened to have an air show on the day I arrived, which took my breath away.  The reason I wanted to stay in Rimini was to see San Marino, the country within a country that stamps your passport!  My guide was so knowledgeable about this country I soaked in all her information.

From there I was on to Venice, which did not disappoint.  I had a gondola ride, a walking tour with a boat tour on one day and an excursion to Murano the next.  My time in Murano was incredible and my guide, Isabella, was terrific.  I was able to blow glass myself and I purchased some beautiful one-of-a kind glass works of art, which were shipped directly to my home in Phoenix.

From there I headed even further North to Bolzano, a picturesque town that is the gateway to the Dolomites mountain range.  I thoroughly enjoyed this place, it was straight out of a fairy tale, with shops, restaurants and even a choir singing in the town square one afternoon.  Seeing Ötzi the iceman was on my bucket list and now I can cross that off!

Over to Milan with a walking tour that included the Duomo and Last Supper.  Standing in front of the Last Supper was moving in a way I didn’t expect.  My hotel was wonderful and well placed to walk to the Duomo in 7 minutes.

I will definitely be a return customer!

MariaLaura helped me organize a trip to Emilia-Romagna, Le Marche and the Veneto, including meeting up with another party of travelers in Venice. The trip was wonderful. All of the transfers went smoothly, the guides were helpful and knowledgeable, and the hotels were welcoming and comfortable. All of the concierge staff were friendly and willing to offer suggestions and advice. I would recommend MariaLaura’s services to anyone planning a trip to Italy.