“I absolutely adored every enthralling, enlightening aspect of my Golden Week experience in Tuscany–a glorious time of female bonding and fun, as well as a feast of our senses absorbing it all!”

“The Golden Week in Santa Margherita Ligure was terrific. Susan put an excellent trip together, filled with many interesting tours seasoned with a variety that everyone would enjoy. Her shopping, dining, and other recommendations were always to perfection. It was like we all become a family during our stay.”

“This trip was clearly designed by an artist–everything flowed along beautifully, a delicious transformational experience of La Dolce Vita!”

This was my first tour and I was a little worried. But this trip was soooooo good and I am going to book Sicily in 2024. Our group was amazing! Fun fun fun!

Great trip led by Susan! The group of women were diverse and fun to be with. We had a lot of laughter!

Great group of women. Fun to get to know one another. Susan Van Allen knows how to lead a tour. I appreciated her work to keep us informed, engaged, moving, with plenty of time for relaxation. I’m sure each tour participant had different expectations regarding the overall experience, and Susan knew how to cater to each so everyone felt included.

This trip was unlike any trip I’ve ever been on. From the booklet that Susan sent prior to the trip to our daily text messages, everything was organized and well-planned — plus Susan kept us informed every step of the way. Even when the weather upended our plans, Susan pivoted and provided wonderful alternatives. Being able to stay in one hotel — and what a wonderful hotel it was! — provided us with a familiar home base from which to set out on our daily adventures.

But the best was spending a week in the company of a group of compatible women — we came from different backgrounds and perspectives but we blended into a group of women who enjoyed each others’ company. Plus, it was a perfect number of travelers — not too many and not too few. Thank you, Susan, for creating this experience and for such great memories! I hope I can join you on another trip in the future!

Susan is an amazing guide, and by the end of the week she is a good friend. I believe I would follow her anywhere. She sees to the needs of each person with care and makes sure that nothing is overlooked. She provides the best kind of unique travel experience. Sign me up for another!

Susan did an excellent job planning and executing the trip. Her extensive knowledge of the area and the people made this a memorable experience. Susan provided us with very knowledgeable local guides that enriched our experience. We also had plenty of time to do some exploring on our own. This was a great trip.”

“Amazing…All my passions were enlightened at each breathtaking step…I recommend it highly.”

Susan was a great tour director! She was very organized, took care of us, and was very interested in getting to know each of us.

“Italians really know how to enjoy life. I would love to do this once a year!”

“It doesn’t get any better than traveling with Susan Van Allen. Her choices and talents are so appreciated. She goes out of her way for each of the guests personal needs. I love traveling with her and feel very spoiled now to travel with anyone else.”

“What a wonderful trip. Susan made it all so enjoyable and fun – and always with the exclamation point to finish each day. Our group managed to mesh very well. It is always nice to let people go at their own pace.”

It was a wonderful trip!

A tremendous learning experience at each site. Guides were excellent.

Loved every minute!

“Dear Susan, Your zest for Italy and life and independence for women traveling, changed my life and led me onto more amazing travels and new friendships world wide!!”

I’m still tingling from our amazing trip to southern Italy! I prayed it would be a wonderful experience and I got an amazing dream experience! The PLACE, the WONDERFUL WOMAN in our group, the perfect location of our hotel, my perfect travel companion–my niece Lori, all allowed for a spectacular and beautiful memory. Only Susan Van Allen could have made it all possible! She brought it all together for an Amazing Week! Thank you Susan!!!

This was my first trip to Italy & I’m so glad it was with Susan Van Allen. It was so great to go to a different place each day. Whether we went by ferry or bus each trip was an unforgettable experience. I was sad when the trip was over, but our farewell dinner was absolutely delicious and a great ending to a wonderful tour. The trip was well organized, informative, and totally enjoyable.

“Susan exceeded my expectations! Would love to tour with her (and the ladies) again!”

This has been my dream vacation. Susan Van Allen is the most thoughtful, caring and warm individual. She made all of us feel at home and was there to assist us in every way. I cannot praise her enough.

“My thanks to Susan Van Allen for making her book come to life!!! I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this Golden Week. Susan’s heartfelt desire for everyone to enjoy their time was evident each and every day.”

“Fantastic! A great combination of busy and relaxing.”

The entire trip was a total delight! Well organized, so many different adventures, people were wonderful!

Susan Van Allen is truly “One in a Million”!! Susan puts her all into designing the most creative itineraries with exceptional attention to every detail. She cares so much about her clients’ individual needs and makes every woman feel like an Italian Princess. Warm, Caring, Funny, Intelligent… a true expert on everything Italy. My Mother and I have taken two trips with her so far and cannot express how much we loved everything about them! I would recommend Susan to everyone who wants the best experience of Italy and to have those memories to cherish forever.

“A great time traveling with Susan Van Allen, she takes great pride with her groups. I loved traveling with all the ladies and sharing this experience with all.”

“Susan made me feel like every detail of this week was planned for me personally. I did have reservations about going on a scheduled tour, but was delighted to see the activities were not rigidly dictated by time constraints. I was not rushed through to keep to a strict schedule, but allowed enough time to enjoy each activity. I also appreciated the amount of free time that was built into the schedule. It allowed me to personalize my experience in this beautiful city. Perfect.”

“Awesome, as always! (Venice 2018)
I’d go on vacation with Susan anytime. She really works hard to make sure everyone is safe and having a good time. The food, the shopping… wish I was still there.”

“Susan Van Allen is the BEST Travel Guide ever! Her expertise and knowledge was the key to everything! Susan takes you to places you would never find on your own! I would absolutely refer her to anyone! And I myself would travel with her again!”

“I loved our Golden Week! Susan goes above and beyond to make sure everyone is having a good time and does her best to accommodate every need however necessary. The group size is ideal and having Fiorella as our guide was excellent. I hope to do another tour with Susan and would not hesitate to recommend these tours to friends.”

“My week far surpassed my expectations. I can’t imagine a more beautiful place to visit and will definitely go back. The group was wonderful. Susan was terrific and I had tears in my eyes saying goodbye to Fiorella. A truly wonderful experience for me.”

“Susan was just the best. She did a super job. I look forward to taking another trip with her.”

“Susan Van Allen is amazing, she went above and beyond to make this trip extraordinary.”

“Love the personal service all along the way…Susan takes us all on a journey that brings every aspect of Italy to life!”

“Susan’s humor, knowledge and surprises really made this vacation one of my very favorites!”

“Perfection! You gave us what you promised and then some. I think the biggest compliment was that I didn’t want to leave”

“Susan is an inspirational guide who creates an aura of beauty and joy in some of the most beautiful places in Italy! Truly fell in love with Florence—so much so that began to plan a return trip with Susan almost as soon as we returned. Highest of recommendations only!”

“Susan Van Allen infuses her tours with enthusiasm, engagement and enchantment! She is exceptional in her knowledge of the areas we visited and ensured we felt both part of a group yet individually independent. We had the trip of a lifetime last year, (Florence 2016), and this year was even better!!!! Hard to believe our first experience could be topped, but since it was—already saving up for the next trip with Susan!!!!”

This is an extraordinary tour. You feel like a privileged Venetian insider when you spend a Golden Week in Venice with Susan Van Allen, visiting both the must-see sights and the hidden treasures of this beautiful city. And Susan, an extraordinary guide, makes everyone feel relaxed, as she shares her love and deep knowledge of Italy with the group.

I loved how Susan blocked coffee breaks into the day, as well as aperitivi! I think the pacing is good on these trips—a nice balance.

“It was an incredible experience to see Italy through our awesome host Susan Van Allen. The work behind the scenes that takes place to ensure an unforgettable memory for me was etched in my journal and heart. So thankful I said Yes to this trip!” 

“Loved every minute.”