Donna Salerno Travel
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Travel Reviews
Danube Christmas Market Cruise
Donna:
Our trip was fantastic ~ Thank you for the perfect vacation! There were so many great adventures, I cannot even begin to tell you all that we saw and did except to say, our cruise line, the exceptional service, excursions, events, the little villages, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Christmas markets, lovely snowfall on the trees and grounds, and Christmas decorations everywhere made our trip look like a Christmas postcard. It is still mind boggling at the wonderful experiences we shared with our friends.
The Christmas Market cruise was wonderful, far beyond what we were expecting, we are ready to go again. Janet will send you some more thoughts, but wanted you to know “you did it again, the best!”. We thought we might check and see if there is a similar Christmas cruise on the Rhine in a couple of years, it was such a special way to get ready for Christmas, just will need to take an empty bag next time or fedex our clothes back. Again, you knocked it out of the park!
We appreciate all of your hard work and attention to detail because we had no glitches or any problems whatsoever. Again, the perfect vacation and thanks!
Best, J & D
December 2012
Italy - Rome and Sorrento
Hi Donna,
A few comments about the trip. Sorrento was wonderful, loved the hotel – small room but wonderful view with small balcony, breakfast buffet was excellent, attractive, plentiful and varied, hotel staff was incredibly helpful, cheerful every day. Spa personnel extremely personable. Loved the shopping. Our guide, Mario (for 2 days) was very knowledgeable but most of the time gave us WAY TOO much information.
Olive oil/cheese tour in Sorrento was interesting and tasty! Capri was my favorite. I loved our guide Enrica because she told us touristy things and gave us opportunities to do some things on our own. The coastline tour of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello was gorgeous.
We loved Rome – hotel location worked well for us. Staff was friendly and helpful. Surprised to find that Wi-fi was not free. Guide Barbara was absolutely delightful. She was a great match for us. She did a good job of giving some history, trivia, and keeping us moving. Food tour was so much fun!!!! Gary & I opted out of the music concert – too tired after 4 hrs at Vatican.
Enjoyed wonderful food the whole time. We often got great recommendations from the locals. Now that I’m home, I wish I had bought more. Prices seemed to be so much cheaper than here. You made great recommendations for packing. I had just enough clothes– and had room for gifts.
F & G, June 2012
Egypt
Donna,
I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful trip. I know I speak for Amanda when I say we had an amazing time. I still can’t believe I saw the pyramids—and even that I went inside the Great Pyramid. I was able to walk into the tombs of some of the kings. These are things people dream of doing, and I actually did it! And I was able to do it with your help. I will say that working with you was wonderful. I’ve booked trips before with other consultants, and once the money is collected, they haven’t really been there to answer questions. You answered questions right until we left. The fact that you were still working with us as we were waiting for cancelled flights to get rebooked and hoping to get a ride from the airport to the hotel was appreciated. The fact that you called us at the hotel to make sure we got in okay was also greatly appreciated.
I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know who is planning a trip. In fact, when people asked how I planned this trip, I mention you and say you were great with the entire process. We have an intranet at work where people post things. I put your information on there in case people are planning a trip and need some help.
We were pretty busy the entire trip. We were getting up at 6 in the morning and were busy the entire day. We appreciated a few ½ days on the cruise when we were able to relax. The day trips were exhausting, but definitely worth it. I saw more than I ever expected. We did a lot of shopping. Aside from the little statues we bought for co-workers, we ended up really helping the economy—from oil to papyrus, scarves, bracelets, and necklaces. We didn’t really do too much during the evenings because we were so tired, but we went to the hotel bar one night and met people celebrating birthdays and an engagement. We drank some Egyptian beer and did a shot (bought for us by the engaged couple) called a bloody brain. It was good. Our last night in Luxor, we went out with our tour guide and smoked some shisha. We were the only women out. Apparently Egyptian women stay in and go to bed early since they get up early to go to work.
Thank you again for planning such a wonderful trip for us. Amanda and I are already talking about our next trip ~ Italy!. When we’re ready, you will definitely hear from us. Once again, thank you for everything.
Michelle, February 2012
Hawaii Anniversary
Donna
Thank you for the happy anniversary wish. Everything went extremely well, hotels were fantastic, trip was incredible.
Thank you, again for your guidance in planning our special anniversary trip. We enjoyed the beauty of Hawaii and our unforgettable stay.
Talk again soon.
D & J ...Hawaii Dreaming
Istanbul and Cappadocia, Turkey
Donna:
Istanbul and Cappadocia were wonderful! We had such a great time- the whole trip was amazing. We really liked the private touring you arranged, and the balloon company was super safe. It was one of the most foreign places we had been to, and our eyes were opened about Islam and Turkish people. The last night, we felt totally comfortable walking around the Blue Mosque crowd on our own during the Ramadan festival at the end of the fast that day. The food is amazing there (trust me, we tried everything)! It was a great idea to stay at the two different Four Seasons with the trip to Cappa in between- we saw totally different parts of the city that way!
Thanks for your help in organizing our anniversary trip!
AJ
Loving Jamaica!
Hi,
Donna, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. We hit the ground
running with a bunch of kids' activities right when we got back. We had
a wonderful time in Jamaica. Round Hill is exceptional.
We had a lovely villa with private pool high up on the hill overlooking the sea, complete with breakfast cook and gardener. Fresh mango, papaya and pineapple for breakfast in the open air of the villa living room was fantastic. Lunch beach-side and evening themed dinners were great, too. Never felt the need to go off property.
In non-peak season, Round Hill was not at all crowded and we enjoyed their delightful private beach. The staff was super friendly and attentive. We would go back and maybe even bring the kids as the place is very family friendly and easy to get to.
Thank you so much for setting it all up for us and helping with the last minute adjustment to our departure flight. We had a great time.
CG
Amalfi, Sorrento & Florence
Oh, heavenly days, Donna, our trip was
totally MAGICAL, thanks to you and your planning!
We truly savored every moment, free of any need to make plans (other than where and what to eat!) The hotels were lovely and we were able to get upgrades at both of them.
I must first highly complement the tour guides in Sorrento, for they were top-notch outstanding and truly made our trip to Capri and Ana Capri, and then to the Amalfi Coast, worthwhile. Francesco, the guide to Capri and Ana Capri, encouraged us to do the Blue Grotto AND the chairlift to the top of Ana Capri, which we still can't believe we did! We'll not want to travel to such cities again without having an expert guide.
Our trip to the Amalfi Coast was probably the highlight. We also enjoyed our guided tour of Pompeii.
Florence was totally divine, as well. The day trip to San Gimignano and Siena was nice. Most important to us, though, was that we had the most fabulous meals of our lives each day while relaxing and taking in the beautiful areas around us. We could have stayed longer, and are certainly eager to plan another trip with you.
Thanks for ALL! Fondly,
C & B
Italy - Rome & Tuscany Tour
We
had a fabulous trip. It was a dream vacation. Loved the hotels...the
locations and rooms were perfect. There was a nice balance between
planned trips with guides and time to explore on our own. And we
explored every day and had fun getting lost and finding our way to a
restaurant or back to our hotel! Traveling with just carry - on is the
way to go. On one of our day excursions, our guide Mauritizo took us to a
tiny town in Tuscany (Volpaia) which has a total of 52 people in the
entire village. We met Paola Barucci the owner of Bar-Ucci, The Caffe
in Volpaia.We were captivated by her warmth, charm and zest for life.
The time we spent there was one of the highlights of our trip.
Can't wait to visit again and look forward to planning another vacation in the future with you.
Thanks for all your help and suggestions. Flying home from Pisa was a good choice.
Ciao,
Carole
Europe Waterway Cruise
Hello Donna!
We had a wonderful trip with each and every port/town we visited being unique and picturesque!! Weather was perfect and the folks that we met on the ship were a hoot! Thank goodness we walked and walked and walked cuz we ate and ate and ate! Food was excellent. Amazingly enough, we didn't gain a pound...a true miracle, if you ask me! Thank you once again for dotting "i's" and crossing "t's" on all aspects of our European river cruise! Back to reality...which ain't so bad! KT
Africa Safari
Italy Amalfi Coast
Greece and Turkey
France / Italy
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Donna:
Our trip was fantastic ~ Thank you for the perfect vacation! There were so many great adventures, I cannot even begin to tell you all that we saw and did except to say, our cruise line, the exceptional service, excursions, events, the little villages, Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Christmas markets, lovely snowfall on the trees and grounds, and Christmas decorations everywhere made our trip look like a Christmas postcard. It is still mind boggling at the wonderful experiences we shared with our friends.
The Christmas Market cruise was wonderful, far beyond what we were expecting, we are ready to go again. Janet will send you some more thoughts, but wanted you to know “you did it again, the best!”. We thought we might check and see if there is a similar Christmas cruise on the Rhine in a couple of years, it was such a special way to get ready for Christmas, just will need to take an empty bag next time or fedex our clothes back. Again, you knocked it out of the park!
We appreciate all of your hard work and attention to detail because we had no glitches or any problems whatsoever. Again, the perfect vacation and thanks!
Best, J & D
December 2012
Italy - Rome and Sorrento
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Hi Donna,
A few comments about the trip. Sorrento was wonderful, loved the hotel – small room but wonderful view with small balcony, breakfast buffet was excellent, attractive, plentiful and varied, hotel staff was incredibly helpful, cheerful every day. Spa personnel extremely personable. Loved the shopping. Our guide, Mario (for 2 days) was very knowledgeable but most of the time gave us WAY TOO much information.
Olive oil/cheese tour in Sorrento was interesting and tasty! Capri was my favorite. I loved our guide Enrica because she told us touristy things and gave us opportunities to do some things on our own. The coastline tour of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello was gorgeous.
We loved Rome – hotel location worked well for us. Staff was friendly and helpful. Surprised to find that Wi-fi was not free. Guide Barbara was absolutely delightful. She was a great match for us. She did a good job of giving some history, trivia, and keeping us moving. Food tour was so much fun!!!! Gary & I opted out of the music concert – too tired after 4 hrs at Vatican.
Enjoyed wonderful food the whole time. We often got great recommendations from the locals. Now that I’m home, I wish I had bought more. Prices seemed to be so much cheaper than here. You made great recommendations for packing. I had just enough clothes– and had room for gifts.
F & G, June 2012
Egypt
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Donna,
I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful trip. I know I speak for Amanda when I say we had an amazing time. I still can’t believe I saw the pyramids—and even that I went inside the Great Pyramid. I was able to walk into the tombs of some of the kings. These are things people dream of doing, and I actually did it! And I was able to do it with your help. I will say that working with you was wonderful. I’ve booked trips before with other consultants, and once the money is collected, they haven’t really been there to answer questions. You answered questions right until we left. The fact that you were still working with us as we were waiting for cancelled flights to get rebooked and hoping to get a ride from the airport to the hotel was appreciated. The fact that you called us at the hotel to make sure we got in okay was also greatly appreciated.
I will definitely recommend you to anyone I know who is planning a trip. In fact, when people asked how I planned this trip, I mention you and say you were great with the entire process. We have an intranet at work where people post things. I put your information on there in case people are planning a trip and need some help.
We were pretty busy the entire trip. We were getting up at 6 in the morning and were busy the entire day. We appreciated a few ½ days on the cruise when we were able to relax. The day trips were exhausting, but definitely worth it. I saw more than I ever expected. We did a lot of shopping. Aside from the little statues we bought for co-workers, we ended up really helping the economy—from oil to papyrus, scarves, bracelets, and necklaces. We didn’t really do too much during the evenings because we were so tired, but we went to the hotel bar one night and met people celebrating birthdays and an engagement. We drank some Egyptian beer and did a shot (bought for us by the engaged couple) called a bloody brain. It was good. Our last night in Luxor, we went out with our tour guide and smoked some shisha. We were the only women out. Apparently Egyptian women stay in and go to bed early since they get up early to go to work.
Thank you again for planning such a wonderful trip for us. Amanda and I are already talking about our next trip ~ Italy!. When we’re ready, you will definitely hear from us. Once again, thank you for everything.
Michelle, February 2012
Hawaii Anniversary
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Donna
Thank you for the happy anniversary wish. Everything went extremely well, hotels were fantastic, trip was incredible.
Thank you, again for your guidance in planning our special anniversary trip. We enjoyed the beauty of Hawaii and our unforgettable stay.
Talk again soon.
D & J ...Hawaii Dreaming
Istanbul and Cappadocia, Turkey
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| Blue Mosque | Istanbul at Night | Dolmabahce Palace |
Donna:
Istanbul and Cappadocia were wonderful! We had such a great time- the whole trip was amazing. We really liked the private touring you arranged, and the balloon company was super safe. It was one of the most foreign places we had been to, and our eyes were opened about Islam and Turkish people. The last night, we felt totally comfortable walking around the Blue Mosque crowd on our own during the Ramadan festival at the end of the fast that day. The food is amazing there (trust me, we tried everything)! It was a great idea to stay at the two different Four Seasons with the trip to Cappa in between- we saw totally different parts of the city that way!
Thanks for your help in organizing our anniversary trip!
AJ
Loving Jamaica!
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 |
 |
We had a lovely villa with private pool high up on the hill overlooking the sea, complete with breakfast cook and gardener. Fresh mango, papaya and pineapple for breakfast in the open air of the villa living room was fantastic. Lunch beach-side and evening themed dinners were great, too. Never felt the need to go off property.
In non-peak season, Round Hill was not at all crowded and we enjoyed their delightful private beach. The staff was super friendly and attentive. We would go back and maybe even bring the kids as the place is very family friendly and easy to get to.
Thank you so much for setting it all up for us and helping with the last minute adjustment to our departure flight. We had a great time.
CG
Amalfi, Sorrento & Florence
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 |
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We truly savored every moment, free of any need to make plans (other than where and what to eat!) The hotels were lovely and we were able to get upgrades at both of them.
I must first highly complement the tour guides in Sorrento, for they were top-notch outstanding and truly made our trip to Capri and Ana Capri, and then to the Amalfi Coast, worthwhile. Francesco, the guide to Capri and Ana Capri, encouraged us to do the Blue Grotto AND the chairlift to the top of Ana Capri, which we still can't believe we did! We'll not want to travel to such cities again without having an expert guide.
Our trip to the Amalfi Coast was probably the highlight. We also enjoyed our guided tour of Pompeii.
Florence was totally divine, as well. The day trip to San Gimignano and Siena was nice. Most important to us, though, was that we had the most fabulous meals of our lives each day while relaxing and taking in the beautiful areas around us. We could have stayed longer, and are certainly eager to plan another trip with you.
Italy - Rome & Tuscany Tour
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Can't wait to visit again and look forward to planning another vacation in the future with you.
Thanks for all your help and suggestions. Flying home from Pisa was a good choice.
Ciao,
Carole
Europe Waterway Cruise
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| Cochem Germany |
Westberg Germany |
St Charles Bridge Prague |
We had a wonderful trip with each and every port/town we visited being unique and picturesque!! Weather was perfect and the folks that we met on the ship were a hoot! Thank goodness we walked and walked and walked cuz we ate and ate and ate! Food was excellent. Amazingly enough, we didn't gain a pound...a true miracle, if you ask me! Thank you once again for dotting "i's" and crossing "t's" on all aspects of our European river cruise! Back to reality...which ain't so bad! KT
Africa Safari
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Hi Donna,
We had a grand time on our safari. All went very well and we saw an amazing amount and types of animals, including the famous crossing of the Mara River.
Thanks for all you help in making the arrangements. Enjoy the rest of summer
EL
We had a grand time on our safari. All went very well and we saw an amazing amount and types of animals, including the famous crossing of the Mara River.
Thanks for all you help in making the arrangements. Enjoy the rest of summer
EL
Italy Amalfi Coast
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Hi Donna. I just wanted to let you
know that we are home safely from our trip to Italy. We had an
absolutely amazing time, one of our favorite vacations to date!! Every
detail was perfect, thank you so much!
We will definitely be planning another international trip in the future and will contact you when we do!
JB
We will definitely be planning another international trip in the future and will contact you when we do!
JB
Alaska Cruise
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LOVED
THE REGENT NAVIGATOR SHIP and all the amenities! Ate way too much
wonderful food. Saw lots of eagles, whales, sea lions. No bears
or moose. Most favorite excursion was the helicopter to Mendenhall
Glacier with the dog sledding. Went Halibut fishing but didn't catch a
Halibut. I caught a Turbot...not an edible fish. One fellow in our boat
did catch 2 good sized Halibut and we went to the beach camp and the
guide filleted the fish and we ate them in a yummy stew right then and
there! Another great excursion! Would rate the whole trip a 9 out of 10!
Excellent service, fun things to do on board and a great mix of good
folks to chat and play with!
Thanks once again for this suggestion, Donna!
Kimberly & Dan / Regent Alaska Cruise Experience
Thanks once again for this suggestion, Donna!
Kimberly & Dan / Regent Alaska Cruise Experience
Italy & Switzerland
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Donna
Everything was great. Driving in Florence was a bit crazy, but we were very happy to have a van, which accommodated everyone. Robin and Bobby just got in from Switzerland. They were very happy with everything. Thanks for all your help.
R & R
Everything was great. Driving in Florence was a bit crazy, but we were very happy to have a van, which accommodated everyone. Robin and Bobby just got in from Switzerland. They were very happy with everything. Thanks for all your help.
R & R
Greece and Turkey
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| Istanbul Market |
Blue Mosque |
Athens Parthenon |
Yes, we're back and have made it
through jet lag. We had a grand time in Istanbul and Athens. Brad
enjoyed the trip and had lots of good memories. The hotel accommodations
were perfect - giving us enough privacy with Brad having his own space.
We highly recommend a fish restaurant in Istanbul called Balikci Sabahattin near the Four Seasons in Sultanahmet. Reminder for those that visit Turkey: Obtain the $20 Visa at the airport before they stand in the passport line.
We look forward to our African safari in July. We have received the interesting pre-trip information already. We will keep in touch.
E & A / Customized Greece and Turkey Experience
We highly recommend a fish restaurant in Istanbul called Balikci Sabahattin near the Four Seasons in Sultanahmet. Reminder for those that visit Turkey: Obtain the $20 Visa at the airport before they stand in the passport line.
We look forward to our African safari in July. We have received the interesting pre-trip information already. We will keep in touch.
E & A / Customized Greece and Turkey Experience
France / Italy
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| Jardin des Tuileries | Sacre-Coeur Basilica | Notre Dame de Paris |
Donna....
cataloging the right shots has taken far longer than we anticipated to
Portofino and Paris. We had over 700 shots. Trip was awesome! Again,
many thanks --
Joe & Angela / Loving France and Italy!
Joe & Angela / Loving France and Italy!
