Ciao Amici Discover Italy | Travel Consultant — Local services in Cranford

We can’t say enough good things about Filomena and Kelly at Ciao Amici! We waited 6 decades for our dream trip to Italy, and this trip exceeded every single one of our expectations! We truly didn’t think that we would ever be able to afford to go, having both been single parents and public school employees. Filomena worked her magic to tailor the trip to accommodate what we wanted to experience at a price we could afford, and even tailored slightly out-of-the-way plans so we could attend a Bruce Springsteen concert while there. We visited Venice, Lake Como, (Bruce was playing in nearby Monza!), Florence and the Tuscany region, Rome, and Ischia off the Amalfi Coast. Never having visited Europe before, we had no idea where to begin with planning, and we never could have arranged everything on this trip without their help. Every detail was planned out, so we never had to worry about train tickets, hotel bookings, tour guides, or transfers from one thing to another. What a relief it was to be in an unfamiliar country, not knowing our way around, and to have someone waiting for you at the airport or train station with your name on a placard, waiting to take you where you needed to be! Tour guides were fantastic, and actually became friends throughout the day. Hotels were top notch, and in perfect locations. This was, for us, truly the trip of a lifetime, and we are forever grateful to Ciao Amici for allowing it to happen for us! And for anyone who is thinking that they will never be able to get to their dream Italy trip . . . ....

Two couples decided we wanted to visit Sicily. We had a pretty good idea of what we wanted to see. We didn't want to take a group tour, though, and instead sought some expert help working out an itinerary, arranging internal transportation, recommending hotels, and finding local guides. Enter Filomina and her team. After a couple of conversations about our interests and some back and forth on an itinerary, Filomina put together a trip for us that included a driver, guides, and hotels. She helped with restaurant recommendations and reservations, and gave us some great 'pro tips.' And the trip was fantastic. I cannot say enough about the quality of the guides and our wonderful driver. We saw the marketplaces, backstreets, and cultural sites in Palermo and Monreale through the eyes of a local (who of course also made sure we fully experienced the cuisine!); our two archaeologist guides introduced us to the ancient Greeks and Romans; with local experts we learned about cheese making, visited the last workshop where Sicilian carts are made, and enjoyed chocolate in Modica; and our guide on Mt. Etna figured out the perfect hiking adventure for us on a very windy day before an elegant wine tasting and meal. Filomina gets the highest marks for her expertise, attention to detail, and ability to take our ideas for our trip and turn them into reality. Sicily is a very special place, and Filomina provided us with the opportunity to make the most of our time there. Highly...

Ciao Amici takes planning trips to a level I have never seen before. Filomena is incredible and you can tell she truly cares about your experience when she plans it for you. Not only does she recommend places she personally visits regularly to make sure they meet her highest standards but her personalized tour guides she sets you up with are top tier. They are locals to the regions who are incredibly knowledgable, speak english if you do not speak Italian, fun, outgoing and do everything they can to help make your trip the greatest experience. Our family has done a total of 3 trips (Florence/Rome/Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Torino/Lake Como) so far through Ciao Amici and each trip has been an unforgettable experience. From the cooking classes, hotels, tours, and site seeing, you will not be disappointed. Not to mention, they remove the stress and headache of public transportation by making that process seamless. If you are not taking a comfortable private ride, we have even had the assigned tour guides take trains with us to help us get around which was an amazing touch. When speaking to other people who have traveled to Italy, you can tell their experience was completely different than ours because of the private, personalized touch Ciao Amici provides. In addition, they are always reachable throughout your trip through the app they keep the itinerary on for you which is incredible. Moral of the story, you have not lived until you have traveled to Italy...