And who said that the aperitif is the exclusive monopoly of cities like Milan and Turin? Even Rome has its places, here are three that won’t disappoint you.
Glass act: 3 cool aperitivo bars in Rome
Litro
This spot in Trastevere (across the river from Testaccio) is well worth the trip fro its natural wines and shelves loaded with Italian liqueurs you’be never heard of. Come for apertivo, stay for prosecco cocktails (and bruschette), never leave.
Via Fratelli Bonnet 5. Cocktails about 7 euro
American Bar Hotel Forum
Not all hotel bars with touristy sounding names are created equal. This one, on the roof of the Hotel Forum in Monti, has the most delectable views over the Imperial Forum. At sunset, watch the sky turn the same colour as your Campari.
ristoranteroofgardenforum.it. Cocktails about 15 euro.
Enoteca il Goccetto
Fifteen minutes’ walk from the Pantheon, the sign at the front just says Vino and Olio (wine and oil). It’s a cosy, spectacularly Roman drinking den, so make it your go-to place and work your way through the 800-label wine list.
Via dei Banchi Vecchi 12; wine by the glass about 5 euro
What are our customers saying?
I have just returned from my trip to Italy, which was organised by Antonio. Antonio carefully listened to my requirements from the first call we had. He thoughtfully planned a trip to suit my family and was very patient during the process as we tailored it to the vision and expectations we had. He made fantastic suggestions for things to do and places to visit, to accommodate both adults and children. I ran into a issue when I was out there, and Antonio was more than happy to assist and help me, despite being on holiday himself. He made a huge difference to my Italian holiday experience. It was everything I had hoped for and MORE. Thank you Antonio for making my dream trip become a reality. I cannot recommend Expert Italy enough, there's simply no way I could have planned and executed such a wonderful trip.
I'm so glad I found ExpertoItaly! I was feeling overwhelmed by too many options on the internet and not knowing the best areas to stay in for our twin centre break to Naples and the Amalfi coast. Antonio took the hassle out of our holiday planning and went above and beyond. He listened to our needs and budget and suggested accommodation which was perfect for us, along with transfers between our two centres and also the airport. What's more, he was always available before our trip to answer questions and suggest activities which would interest us and our teenagers in Naples and on the Amalfi coast. We stayed in a gem of a village on the Amalfi coast, far away from the crowds and had a pretty authentic Italian experience in this gorgeous part of the world. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Antonio for your next trip to Italy. Thank you ExpertoItaly!
Genuinely helpful advice throughout from Antonio. For example, when he said the Amalfi coast is too busy in high summer to be enjoyable, he was absolutely right. Instead, he directed us further down the coast - that was a great idea. I like that Antonio sent me his phone number so I could contact him on holiday, I liked how quick he was to respond, suggesting things to do and places to stay even whilst we were away. Thanks for everything.
Antonio organised out 10th Wedding Anniversary, a 9 night trip to the Amalfi Coast, 4 nights Positano and 5 nights Sorrento. The holiday he booked was everything I could have wished for and more. I highly recommend Antonio, and I will be booking my next holiday with him. Thank you for making the trip so special.
From start to finish, Antonio at ExpertoItaly was outstanding at delivering us the perfect honeymoon. He was full of suggestions of where to go for our 9 nights in Sicily and perfectly happy to change the itinerary until we were happy. The choices of hotels and locations were perfect and it really makes a massive difference having someone with intimate knowledge of the locations helping you choose. Rather than endless checking on Trip Advisor and similar, trying to guess whether you will like a place, Antonio knows the locations. We stayed in 3 different places and they were all perfect, and we probably wouldn't have found them without him. All private transfers were organised and seamless, and Antonio was constantly checking "behind the scenes" that all was ok.Outstanding service, we will definitely use ExpertoItaly again and will recommend others to do so.
I booked Villa last minute for our wedding anniversary. Antonio was excellent in his prompt response and understanding of my needs. We loved the fact it was not a tourist area yet World UNESCO Heritage sites were easily accessible. The villa location was stunning! We would definitely return to Sicily as there is so much to see and appreciate. We loved the people and the food. Thank you Antonio for introducing us to Sicily.
I cannot recommend Antonio highly enough, he has been fantastic in ensuring we had the trip we wanted. We gave him a list of destinations we wanted to visit and he tailored our trip to meet our needs, pre booking all of our transfers and providing recommendations and suggestions on things to do and see at each location. He's knowledge and insight helped us make to most of our time in each destination. He was flexible and accommodating when we needed to make changes to the dates of travel and while we were away, he reached out to ensure we had everything we needed and answer any questions we had. He took away all of the stress of planning our trip, allowing us to just enjoy the beauty of a country that he has expert knowledge of. Thank you so much Antonio, we will be back in contact next year.
We found the service from Antonio to be excellent. He listened to our requirements and came up with suggestions of locations to stay on Sicily to make our holiday highly enjoyable. The quality of the hotels were good as was the car hire arranged. Antonio was always responsive to questions that we had, plus he was at hand during the holiday to answer questions and make sure that we weren't lost when we checked in late at one of the hotels. I would recommend Antonio for holidays to Italy.
We would like to recommend ExpertoItaly as an excellent company.Antonio organised out holiday in Sicily . He selected excellent hotels and organised transfers between them . Everything went very smoothly . At late notice he changed our reservation, due to a family bereavement. There were no additional costs despite the time involved in such a reorganisation. Antonio provides a bespoke service to suit individual tastes. We visited Taormina, Catania, Modica and Siracusa ( the only place we had reservations about was Catania- a bit gritty for us , but the centre of the city has a beautiful Cathedral - the fish restaurants are excellent)Thank you Antonio
Antonio created a trip of a lifetime for us. They way he took time to understand what we wanted from our holiday, taking into account we were travelling with a baby, was amazing. We had the most amazing trip, his knowledge or Italy is second to none and we felt we had a personal guide with us the whole time. I’d recommend him highly and will definitely be going back to him. I can’t thank him enough!
Antonio organised a three centre holiday in Sicily for my husband and I plus two friends.The accommodation in each Centre was exemplary and transfers ran very smoothly. Antonio's suggestions of things to do and see made the holiday extra special for us. Antonio put in a great deal of time and effort to ensure we had a great holiday. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Antonio to anyone thinking of a holiday in Italy.
Bed bugs horror story!My wife and I used Antonio to help us plan our honeymoon. He chose an old hotel in Naples for us and said he'd been using it for many years and that it was a great hotel. After the first night there, we started seeing bites all over our bodies. We eventually found our bed was infested with bed bugs. The hotel transferred us to a new room but we found bed bugs there too. It turned out the entire hotel was infested - it was the absolute worst experience of our lives.We immediately asked Antonio for a refund for the hotel stay (>$1000) to cover our losses and damages. Instead of refunding our money immediately (which I hoped would be an obvious thing to do after something so terrible), he tried to make excuses for the hotel. He kept saying he never had problems with this hotel before. This seemed like a poor excuse and obviously didn't change the fact that my wife and I were attacked by bed bugs and our belongings were infested.He also tried saying that the bed bugs were a recent issue at the hotel and exclusive to our room but again, this had to be a lie. Not only did we find bed bugs in multiple rooms but we also found bed bug exoskeletons and feces (in multiple rooms) which indicated the infestation started long before we got there and was a serious health and safety concern for all travelers staying there.To make matters worse, the hotel offered to clean our clothes and bags. We were very clear that the items would need cleaned thoroughly and dried completely (high heat kills bed bugs). We left our clothes and bags with the hotel that afternoon. They had 18+ hours to clean/dry our belongings before we left the next day. Even with all that time to do a good job, we were horrified when they brought our belongings back to us. My backpack had a new white stain on it and our clothes were completely damp. It felt like they totally ignored our request re: proper drying methods and that they weren't taking the bed bugs seriously.In the end, Antonio refused to reimburse us for our hotel expense. It was the worst feeling in the world. We spent all this money on what we hoped was going to be a lovely honeymoon. Then in our time of need, instead of defending his customers, Antonio totally abandoned us. Just another example of corporate greed, protecting his own interests, and siding with the company instead of the customers who actually had to suffer through the experience. Ask yourself what you'd expect your travel agent to do if you had a similar experience with the hotel they booked for you...I'd highly recommend seeking travel services elsewhere, from a more trustworthy and honest source.
We had an amazing honeymoon, thank you so much for organising a great break!We were in Rome, Naples and the Amalfi Coast. Everything went according to plan.Our driver was waiting at the airport on arrival and got us to Leon's Place in good time. What a beautiful hotel with amazing decor, we really enjoyed our stay and used an open top bus to get round for three days!The high speed train to Naples was great. We got a cab at Naples to Chiaja de Charme, which was a good thing, as the drivers are mad, especially those on scooters! The location of Chiaja de Charme was ideal, not as grand as Leon's Place, but a perfect base for a short stay. We wandered up the main shopping street and also had a lovely evening meal down by the harbour/castle. We also took advantage of the open top tours for the best part of half a day, and enjoyed the complimentary pastries in the late afternoon/evening at Chiaja de Charme!Picking up the car at the airport was stress free, and the drive down to Relais Blu through Sorrento was straight forward, although we wondered if we'd ever reach Relais Blu. When we did - wow - stunning, spectacular views, amazing place, and even the photos on their website which were fantastic don't do the place justice. By far the best hotel we have ever stayed at - helped by great weather for the first three days there and the amazing backdrop and view of Capri (which we visited and enjoyed). They looked after us, a bottle of bubbly in our room on arrival, chef's specials lined up on silver spoons on a slate plate, along with great advice where to go, where to eat and how to make the best of our stay. We spent a lot of time in Sorrento, which is lovely, and also visited Pompei, took a drive over to Positano and Amalfi, and left with a sad heart.All in all, a truly memorable experience, fantastic memories (plus over 1500 photos) and unforgettable, a perfect honeymoon break, so a massive thank you for organising and advising. We've already decided to return to Rome and Relais Blu in the future, and would not hesitate to come back to you to help with our itinerary.
Antonio booked our honeymoon in 2012 and we had an amazing visit to Rome, Naples and Sorrento. He was the obvious choice to organise our 10th wedding anniversary and came up absolute trumps with an itinerary including Naples and Ischia.Two amazing hotels, the Caruso Place bang in the heart of Naples with shops, restaurants, attractions within very close walking distance. On the stunningly beautiful island of Ischia the Botania Relais Hotel and Spa was amazing and exceptional on every level. Beautiful setting and great facilities, wonderful pool, restaurants on site, food excellent and very helpful staff (as were the team at Caruso Place). Grazie mille Antonio!
We have just returned from a holiday in Sorrento and Ischia, organised by Antonio/ExpertoItaly.We went away to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary, so although we have spent many family vacations in and around Sorrento and know the area very well, we sought Antonio’s help to arrange something really special. He succeeded!Antonio listened carefully to our objectives, carefully steered us away from ideas that wouldn’t have worked and suggested things that we would not have thought of ourselves - from attending a wonderfully entertaining Three Tenors concert in Sorrento to staying at the enchanting Botania Relais & Spa on Ischia.He was always readily available before and during the holiday to discuss and adjust details. For example, when we decided - at late notice - to spend the final day of the holiday in Naples, en route from Ischia to the airport, Antonio arranged for us to leave our luggage in storage at a hotel there while we explored the city.Congratulazioni, Antonio - hai colpito la palla fuori dal parco!
Antonio and Expert to Italy planned, organised and executed a truly excellent and magical holiday experience for us. They understood our brief, suggested a wonderful itinerary that met our brief completely and all of the destinations exceeded our already high expectations (this was our 3rd holiday with Expert to Italy). We particularly appreciated the following:- Local insight and understanding to suggest places we had never heard of and that gave us a real taste of Italy- Commitment to proactively suggest and amend details of our holiday even when it was fully booked and paid for- The personal relationship Antonio clearly has with the hotels we visited- Attention to detail and all arrangements considered to ensure we could relax to the maximumWe thank you for a wonderful holiday experience.
Outstanding service from Antonio and his team. Thank you for a holiday we will never forget.
Antonio is the best travel agent we have ever worked with. without question. He helped to plan our somewhat complicated Italian road trip and really took on board what we wanted (in terms of itinerary, type of hotels, etc). He did a fantastic job at rearranging our trip twice as a result of the Covid pandemic and, when the time finally came that we could go ahead, he was full of great suggestions for places to visit, scenic routes to take, things not to miss, places to eat, etc. He was also in touch with us while we were away and was incredibly proactive, re-booking a restaurant that he had previously booked for us when he found out it was going to be closed, and proactively booking 3 (excellent!) restaurants at Lake Como when he realised that everywhere was getting booked up quickly. We can't thank him enough for providing such a great service and ensuring we had a really marvellous holiday.
We have been on three lovely holidays arranged by ExpertoItaly. Our hotels have always been well-chosen and we get great advice about where to stay and places to visit. Antonio listens carefully to our requirements and reacts positively to questions and comments.
An intriguing part of a much loved country that I had undiscovered.ExpertoItaly - Antonio was attentive, helpful and meticulous at every turn. A fabulous support in navigating new territories. Truly an expert and nothing is ever too much trouble. Appreciated and highly recommended.
Antonio was a huge help in planning our big trip to Italy. He listened to what we wanted, what was important to us and factored it all into the plan. We had the best trip. The hotels were lovely and well located. Throughout our trip Antonio was available on WhatsApp if we had any queries or needed advice. We definitely had a better holiday because of his support. If you want to experience Italy and get great inside tips speak to Antonio!
My friend and I have just had a stunning holiday in Italy, all organised by Antonio. All the travel arrangements (we went by train from London to Paris, Turin, Florence, Siena and further south to Foligno) went like clockwork, and we stayed in simply beautiful palazzos, with glorious comfortable rooms , conveniently situated for the sightseeing we had planned. The palazzo staff/owners were very welcoming, extremely helpful in booking restaurants and taxis, printing entry tickets for cathedrals etc . Having Antonio make the arrangements took all the stress out of the holiday planning, and he remained in contact in case any difficulties were to arise. This was my second holiday organised by Antonio, the first being equally successful taking my 90 year old mother in 2017 to Venice and Florence, and my friend and I are now starting to think about the next one!
Being a single woman, traveling the globe for trade fairs in my industry, and never quite knowing where to stay and how to attain the best experience, ExpertoItaly was recommended to me by a colleague in the UK and I am thrilled to share that this was the best investment I could have made.To my amazement, this company spent countless hours supporting my travels, mapping out my routes, train stops, airlines, restaurants, shops, and more to inspire the most remarkable trip! Always available, with the most dedicated support, I can't begin to tell you how this made my travels the most remarkable experience~!I was abroad for 13 days for both business and pleasure and I could have never had the experience I did without the support, patience, kindness, and knowledge of this company. As I traveled, I spoke with innkeepers, restaurant owners, and many who knew this company from previous engagements and always smiled when I mentioned their company. This to me is stellar as I knew that I was in the right care.I will certainly refer and promote EXPERTOITALY to many of my colleagues, friends, and family because everyone deserves to travel the world and feel safe, and secure and have the best itinerary to explore as they travel! Much gratitude to EXPERTOITALY, I will be forever grateful and you can count on my business in the future!For corporate or family travel, this company will ensure your best experience. BRAVO!!!
We loved our week in Villa Lighea booked through Expertoitaly. If you are looking for a romantic, water-front cottage, this is it. We swam in the sea every day.It’s a bit remote from the major cities of Sicily but we hadn’t planned a lot of sightseeing. We ate at a few great restaurants but mostly cooked at the villa. Great weather and warm water in September.Antonio was easy to work with and flexible when we had to reschedule due to COVID. We would book with him again.
Antonio arranged a great two weeks in Campania for us this year. It was excellent to get to places that were quiet, smart and friendly. Everything worked just right, even this crazy year. Previously he has sorted us out a car tour of Sicily, two return visits to that lovely island, and breaks in the bay of Naples. We had done quite a lot of Italy under our own steam, but ExpertoItaly really are experts with a fantastic set of choices , and you get a great personal service. We will be back again next year.
Outstanding service, advice and organisation of our holiday combined with an intimate understanding and knowledge of places to stay and see.go no further.
Expertoitaly (and Antonio) first came to our attention in 2014 when we were planning a celebratory trip to Italy for 2015. Although we approached a number of household names about our plans and itinerary by e-mail Antonio immediately stood out. He phoned back almost straight away to get to know something about us and what we liked to do.On the back of that discussion he quickly put together a trip and budget. Given his obvious knowledge of the country and his quick grasp of what we were looking for together with the attention to detail it was a 'no brainer' to put our trust in this company. As a consequence we duly enjoyed a 3 week multi-stop trip in July 2015 tailored to suit us perfectly!On return we almost immediately booked to return in October for a short break to 2 of the locations in Tuscany we particularly enjoyed - Lucca and Montepulciano both of which are delightful.We fell in love with Italy and have returned several times since then all courtesy of Antonio:2016 - A short break to attend the Opera in Verona.2017 - 2 weeks in Sicily2018 - the same - we love Sicily and would urge anyone to go. (where we finally got to meet Antonio in Ragusa which was great)We were due to return to Italy this year for a 3 week road trip - albeit with private transfers rather than actual driving - from Verona to just south of Naples - all immaculately put together by Antonio of course. Alas Covid-19 had different ideas.We can only say that Expertoitaly have dealt with this professionally and as speedily as circumstances allowed and have refunded all the monies. We have no reservations about using them again in the future. In fact Antonio is already on standby to reprise the 'lost' trip as soon as this madness ends and unhindered travel becomes possible again - just extended an improved.Andrew & Susan SmithTadworthSurrey
If you are looking to go to Italy for a holiday, Antonio at Experto Italy is amazing. We have just come back from our fourth holiday he has arranged for us. He sent us to places that days of googling would never have found.He also has a knack of keeping to budget even with my numerous demands!Fabulous fabulous!!
Just returned from a fab trip to Italy - all organised by Antonio. His time and effort to get what was just right for us was amazing.. he had a lot to put up with! We have used Expertoitaly before and will do again.We visited Ischia and Naples. Both very different and wonderful. Ischia is perfect for a good rest (visits to the Giardini La Mortella and the Ravino Gardens are a must). The Gardens & Villas Resort is a beautiful setting, very private, calm with amazing staff. Also the little town of Lacco Ameno has some really nice restaurants. Naples was very HOT! but we still managed to spend 7 hours walking about just soaking up the atmosphere and visiting some of the fantastic historic sights. Visit to the underground roman town is well worth it - it is mind boggling to think it was built thousands of years ago.
This is the third occasion that Antonio has organised an Italian holiday for me. As it was a Birthday celebration involving a party of 10, the arrangements were complex, involving a villa, guides and attendance at the Palio on July 2nd. Without exception everything went exactly as planned. The recommended villa on the Montestigliano Estate, south west of Siena, was wonderful. Our guide made sure we had a full understanding of the history and culture of the Palio which meant that, with a spectacular view over the Campo from the apartment booked by Antonio, we were able to appreciate the event that much more.We shall certainly be going back to Italy with Expertoitaly.
We had an amazing trip organised by Antonio, we visited Naples for a few days then stayed in Sant’ Agata. Both hotels had fabulous amenities and restaurants. The trip was effortless and everything was meticulously arranged. Antonio was also on had for anything we needed during the trip.I would definitely recommend Expert to Italy and we will definitely use this company again in the future
Antonio with his meticulous planning and caring service has been solely responsible for the best Italian holidays we have had. His ability to offer excellent hotel accommodation which provides for every need and requirement is second to none . Hotels that are not main stream , that provide high quality of service in excellent locations are one of Antonio’s strength. It’s great to have a provider that know and understands his market. Grant B Stupart
July 2018_________________________________Have just completed another 10 day holiday arranged by Antonio at Expert to Italy. We went with Antonio's suggestion and spent 2 days at Matera and then the remainder in Pisciotta in the Cilento. Matera was amazing and felt completely different to anywhere else we have been in Italy. We loved Pisciotta and the hotel was wonderful with lovely owners who were great at suggesting things to do. We visited a buffalo farm, a vinyard and tooks boats to isolated coves with lovely clear water. All arrangements were absolutely faultless. We would never have found such lovely places without Antonio!2016_________________________________We have just returned from a fantastic holiday suggested no arranged by ExpertTo Italy. Once again the organisation by Antonio was flawless and everything worked perfectly. We spent 5 nights by lake Maggiore and 3 in Cogne in the Italian Alps. Both hotels and locations were fantastic - particularly the Bellvue in Cogne. Please see trip advisor if interested in the hotels as I will give a more specific review there - I'm not a fanatic reviewer but both really deserve it. We have used this company for the past 5 years and Antonio seems to have a real gift for finding fantastic hotels and matching locations to his clients. I would not usually put the level of trust in anyone to arrange holidays for me that I have with Antonio but he has delivered every time and I can unreservedly recommend his services. Italy is a beautiful country with huge variety - if you describe what you like to Antonio and let him make suggestions then you will not be disappointed. Very definitely 5 stars from me. So - Antonio and team, please keep it up!Jon
Antonio delivered more than expected! Our family of four stayed at two beautiful villa's on the Amalfi Coast. Both of the locations were top class. Antonio provided excellent service and was always available if we had questions about the details of our trip. He was easy to work with and we would recommend his services to others traveling to Italy.
This was our second holiday with ExpertoItaly, and it was just as good as the first! Antonio provided us with fast, efficient and personal attention. His choice of hotels was first class. Real attention to detail means that you get a holiday that really suits your personal requirements. Brilliant!
We have just made an amazing journey by train, taxi, boat and bus through France, a night in Paris, then a night on a mountain in Switzerland, train across the alps on the Bernina Express, 5 days on Lake Como and 6 days on Lake Maggiore. We stayed in the most glorious quality hotels. We made visits to local towns and attractions using buses and boats. Every connection on the journey was planned and executed wonderfully.This is 5 star planning, 5 star service, 5 star experience all personally organised by Antonio at ExpertoItaly. We must never forget the James Bond moment of being whisked across Como by Luca in his luxury Taxiboat from Varenna to the Hotel Filario in Lezzeno with Pavarotti as our musical accompaniment then met on the jetty by a lovely suited receptionist. A dream. Thanks Antonio.See views from our rooms Como then Maggiore.
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Package holidays are sold by ExpertoItaly Ltd (Reg. 12035194)
TTA membership Q8055
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Call us on +44 (0) 77 3838 5790
Registered office: 33 Miles Close, London, SE28 0NJ
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