Great time was had by all!
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My kid said it was the "perfect trip."
A fantastic trip all around from the itinerary, logistics, tour guide Cristina, and even the provided meals! One of the best EF tours I have been on. Highly recommend!
I loved this tour because we got to spend 2 days in Rome instead of 1 day. There is so much to do in Rome, that you need 2 days. This is an amazing itinerary which allows you plenty of time in each city so that it does not feel rushed.
My daughter had the time of life on this trip.
There were aspects that I enjoyed and some that didn't create a positive experience. 1. Hotels- I knew the hotels would be 3 star rated hotels but I don't know the criteria for the rating equivalency in the US compared to Italy. In some cases I would say they were 2 star hotels. Walls were dirty, bugs in room and on bed, bathrooms and windows were broken and in one location the hotel was in an area with run down buildings, graffiti, etc. I wasn't sure how a school tour was booked in this neighborhood and then we had to walk at night through it. The food wasnt really good at some of the hotels and we had dinner and breakfast there sometimes. Some were better than others. I persinally think we were booked in hotels far from our destinations to save money but the quality wasn't good. On the positive side, the customer service was good from the front desk staff and they were friendly. 2. Flights, the tour requires you to arrive 3 hours early which is excessive. If you need any special accommodations that require special seating or upgrades, forget about it. Ef doesn't care. They really leave you in a bind and say they can't help you. They won't take your request in advance and they won't adjust after. They say the contract doesn't allow, however the airlines, repeatedly said they were lying and they were the only ones who can make the adjustments to a group booking. They don't confirm the flights until 1 month prior which doesn't leave alot of time to manage the reservation on your own. They didn't care about my accommodation and told me that I would be released from the group booking 24 to 48 hours prior to departure to make changes on my own. That never happened and the airline told me that wasn't a thing and apologized for my experience with EF tour and said they are the only ones that could help me. I will add Lufthansa is not flexible to change a group booking directly with them and require that thr tour agent does it unless they release you from the group but EF would not release me. EF will accept advance room request for an upgraded price but don't do the same for flights. I will never tour with them again 3. My child had fun with his friends but the days were so packed it took away from the enjoyment for them. The kids wanted the ability to have true free time. Everything was restricted. In some cases they got free time but only in a designated area. Free time or days didn't allow for you to stay at hotel or offer options. Everyone had to go to a specific space and have so called free time. It didn't feel like free time to them. In some cases you got free time before seeing the area so you didn't know how to spend your free time. I think it would be better to offer free time in between tours. Have the ability to stop along the way. Maybe the EF guide creates space for that. 4. Website, they offer a checklist on their site. It would be helpful if it you complete a task to show completed. 5. Bus, our first bus was old and had a wood rooftop. There were termites flying in it. Yes, termites. 6. Food, the food was not good in most of the places. Someone told us this was known. They know the restaurants don't have good food. So why keep that relationship. One place fed us slop. It was disgusting. Most kids didn't eat and ended up going to McDonalds. One restaurant the worker yelled at our guide and was rude. Why continue to do business with them. We went to one that served us braised beef and green beans. That was the best in Florence. But in general, EF needs better restaurant partners. We are still paying for meals and they should be quality. Besides that, the tour Guide was great. No complaints with her. We all loved her. I appreciate the experience and some of the great places that we got to see and meeting new people but EF in terms of customer service and the quality of the hotels and restaurants were not great.
Great experience...
Very trustworthy and great communication
My son recently attended this tour - he had a GREAT time, has lots of new friends, photos and stories to share! However, due to a few issues, he said it was 3.5 stars. Food: He said the meals provided were really bad; they were able to find better options when they were out on their own. This was disappointing because food is such a great way to experience a culture and he felt they really missed out on healthier, better options. Hotels: 2-or-3 star hotels at best; one room was so “disgusting” they had to change rooms and still had to clean their own bathroom. This was unsettling and made him feel less safe and also that the hotels may have taken advantage of the fact they were young and part of a group. Flights: Eight hour layover on the way there, and EF neglected to fly them home in time to make the last bus to our home town; both issues his teacher/group leader handled like a pro but made for really unnecessarily long travel days. Group: My son’s group was small so they were paired with another smaller school group from another part of the country - great idea, new friends were made! We were told that would be the case ahead of time and didn’t see any issues. However, once they arrived they learned another group would be joining them, this time a few adults and a couple kids, mainly there for vacation, and he said they were drinking and complaining and always late to the meet up. This was not disclosed before he left; as parents we were uncomfortable learning this afterward. Again, his teacher handled it all but that shouldn’t have been something either school group had to contend with. Again, he loved it - great experience, great friends, great leaders and he loved the bus driver. These small, avoidable details really could have made it 5-star for him.
I would rate our recent tour to Italy 3 out of 5 stars. What I appreciated most was the breathtaking scenery and educational depth of the itinerary. The weather was beautiful, and the views—mountains, rolling landscapes, and expansive blue skies—were picturesque. Each city showcased impressive architecture, rich in detail and historical significance. The remnants of the Etruscan civilization, in particular, were deeply inspiring. It’s unfortunate that the legacy of the Etruscans, as well as the profound influence of other melanated peoples such as the Berbers and the Moors, is often overlooked in mainstream narratives. These civilizations contributed significantly to the cultural, architectural, and scientific foundations of the Mediterranean world. The Moors, for example, preserved and advanced knowledge in mathematics, astronomy, and architecture, much of which later influenced the European Renaissance. Their contributions, along with those of the Etruscans and Berbers, can still be seen in the design, infrastructure, and urban planning of many Italian cities that are now major tourist destinations Unfortunately, these foundational contributions by melanated civilizations are rarely acknowledged, despite their lasting influence on Italian culture and infrastructure. I must also express my disappointment with the lack of hospitality we encountered. As a group made up predominantly of melanated students, we were often met with dismissive or cold behavior from locals. This left us feeling unwelcome in a country whose rich cultural heritage is, in many ways, built upon the contributions of people who look like us. That contradiction was difficult to ignore and certainly impacted our overall experience. Italy has so much to offer in terms of history and beauty, but true appreciation of its legacy must come with an acknowledgment of all the cultures that helped build it—and a hospitality that reflects that shared heritage.
Italy is beautiful to begin with. Navigating Italy with EF tours made it more manageable and affordable. Free of stress.
Awesome Educational Trip!
My daughter had the time of her life!
My child had a wonderful tour through Italy. The school loved their tour guide so much they are trying to get her for their next tour.
Floriana was wonderful!
Reply from EF Educational Tours
We're glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing and for being part of the EF Tours family!
We hit the most important high spots of any trip to Italy, particularly a first trip. Some of the local guides were not so great. Their English was not always accessible, not easy to understand.
My Bell'Italia tour was truly a fantastic experience and a dream come true for me. Being able to share this journey with our students allowed me to extend their learning beyond the classroom, making real-world connections to the cultures and places they've only seen in textbooks. Witnessing their excitement and growth as they experienced the world firsthand was incredibly rewarding. Thank you once again for making this possible.
My experience in Italy was absolutely amazing. Wow! The things I saw and learned was just breathtaking.
Reply from EF Educational Tours
We’re so glad to hear that your experience in Italy was amazing! Thank you for sharing your excitement, and we’re thrilled you had such a great time on tour!
Very good and organized
The places we visited over the course of our trip were breathtaking and I was able to visit everywhere I possibly could have asked for and more.