We had a great time on our tour of Italy. Our tour guide was pleasant and knowledgeable. The one weird thing was that we needed to pay for the tram from the bus to the site in Pisa. Otherwise, we would have needed to walk. It seems that should have been included in the price. We were surprised how many local tour guides we needed to tip. Generally, the hotels were good. In Rome, however, the AC couldn't be regulated. We needed to have the front desk turn the air off when it got too cold in the evening and on again in the morning when the room began to get too warm. The lighting was bad in that hotel room also. And, there was only one mirror. In Sorrento (our favorite hotel) the hair dryer definitely needed to be upgraded. The Grand Hotel was beautiful. We liked the quaintness of the Venice hotel also. All in all, we had a great time and would recommend Smartours. It is a great way to see the world on a budget.