Exeter International - Tampa, Florida

Michael S.

We just returned from a journey to Slovenia and Croatia. Our trip was FANTASTIC! The itinerary Silvia put together for us was diverse and interesting and really showcased some amazing aspects of both countries. The pace of our days was perfect for us, and there were no surprises or unexpected glitches. But I have to say the highlight for us – and this is consistent with the previous trips I've taken through Exeter – was the amazing guides and drivers who charmed us, educated us and took care of us. They were all first rate. We felt like we were among friends.

We're very glad we listened to Silvia’s hotel recommendations (they were so nice) and acted on many of her preferred restaurant recommendations. We ate extremely well and enjoyed the wines immensely.

Overall, we could not have been more pleased.

Thank you to Exeter and especially Silvia for bringing us this enchanted journey. We cannot wait for the next one.

Laurie R.

Croatia Trip Review for Five Couples

We are a group of 10 (five couples) who were matched with Ala to plan a fall trip to Croatia. Ala designed a terrific trip for us that was filled with interesting activities, great lodging, and a good balance of busy time and free time. It’s not easy to manage five couples who all had different arrival and departure plans and other assorted issues (food allergies for one, recovery from recent back surgery for another). All was handled well.

The “little things,” such as airport transfers and the timeliness and quality of the vehicles and drivers we had everywhere, were flawless. Ala was easy to work with and very responsive as questions came up when we got close to the actual trip. We had 11 days of picture-perfect weather and several highlights (all Ala’s suggestions) were Krka National Park, our 5-bedroom oceanfront villa at the incredible Maslina Resort in Hvar (several in our group said it was the best place they’d ever stayed), the sound healing under an open-air tent at Maslina, the wine tasting at Dubkovic Winery, the bicycle tour and farm lunch on Hvar, walking the walls of old Dubrovnik, and the all-day boat ride in the Elaphite Islands. I would be hard pressed to find a favorite but I know we would never have found some of these things on our own. And our guides in each location were terrific and well matched to our group personality. We requested guides who could joke around with us and that’s exactly what we got. Good guides can make such a big difference.

Restaurant suggestions were always good but sometimes we opted for just pizza or bar food instead. When we told Ala we’d like suggestions for good pizza places, two were presented for each location in our itinerary.

Croatia really surprised me. I had heard it was beautiful and always was curious about Dubrovnik but it really surpassed my expectations. I would highly recommend it and wouldn’t hesitate to use Ala.

Jonathan R.

My wife and I completed our second trip with Gwen's team at Exeter last month. Our first trip a few years back included Vienna, Prague, Budapest. This trip was Amsterdam, Berlin and Munich. Gwen is absolutely terrific and does a fabulous job of listening to client interests and preferences ex ante and then presenting options and framing the trips. Gwen's advice on hotels and specific rooms in hotels and the Exeter private touring options was consistently spot on. And ALL the guides she uses are terrific which really makes the trip. I was very pleased with both itineraries before the trips started and like any travel experience, circumstances and weather changed during the trip. Gwen and her team were always on top of quickly making changes. They possess the unique combination of pliancy about the route taken coupled with an adamantine resolve to give the client the experience they want and get them to see the things they wish to see. The team also has access to private experiences that were amazing. A tour of a tulip farm, a visit to a closed museum and medieval library, a wine and cheese tasting with a local expert. Not only did we have two good trips, on the second trip, Gwen started with all her notes and preferences from our first trip which made things even easier. I have used many operators in my travels and my experience with Exeter and Gwen Kozlowski in particular was truly top notch.

NA H.

We just returned from a fabulous trip that included Stockholm Sweden, Helsinki Finland and Amsterdam Netherlands, all arranged by Leigh Landis at Exeter International. Leigh was amazing. She put together individual excursions in each country, arranged hotels, assisted with restaurant suggestions and reservations, purchased train tickets and the tickets for the Silja Line ship to cross the Baltic Sea. Leigh gave us the phone number of an Exeter contact in each city in case of a problem but we did not have to contact them. Still, it was reassuring knowing that we had someone to contact if needed. Each of them reached out to us when we arrived to let us know they were available. The itinerary, guides and tickets were all arranged in advance by Leigh. She spent a lot of time with us before booking anything. We communicated by emails or phone. It was clear to us from our first contact with Leigh that she wanted to make sure the trip had exactly what we wanted.

The guides in each city were so fantastic. They each had a wealth of experience as guides, planned the routes well and asked about our interests when we first met so they knew what we wanted to see and do. They were all spot on time! The guides made the trip a truly special experience. They helped us to understand each city, its history, special characteristics and helped us with questions about how to navigate the city and use public transportation. The guides expedited getting into busy museums or other venues because our guides had passes to jump queues. They maximized our time so that it was spent enjoying the sights and venues instead of standing in lines and figuring out how to purchase tickets. They knew where to go and when to go there. Some venues required advance tickets and Leigh took care of that. Leigh arranged our very own private saloon boat tour of the canals of Amsterdam. Leigh checked in on us along the way on our trip and sent us special notes. She arranged to have a gift sent to my hotel room in Helsinki on my birthday.

Leigh arranged really great hotel rooms with the best views possible. And our stateroom on the Silja line cruise from Stockholm to Helsinki had an amazing view so we saw the sunset and sunrise over the Baltic from our room and that was stunning. With Exeter involved in making the hotel reservations we were treated like special guests at each hotel by the staff.

The drivers were all outstanding. They were polite, helpful, on-time and made all our connections and excursions seamless and stress free. We actually started our trip in Gothenburg Sweden at the Volvo factory. After that Exeter took over and we proceeded on our dream trip to Stockholm, Helsinki and Amsterdam. We did no driving. We used trains and boats all arranged by Leigh at Exeter. And in each city we used drivers arranged by Exeter for excursions outside the city centers, such as when we went to the delightful town of Porvoo, Finland.

When we took the train from Gothenburg to Stockholm our train was over an hour delayed and it was late evening when we arrived in Stockholm. The driver who met us in Stockholm, arranged by Exeter, had waited for us. While waiting she arranged for the hotel to have food for us upon arrival. Also when we arrived at our room at the hotel Leigh had arranged for a lovely charcuterie tray to be sent to our room. So although we arrived late and were worried about being hungry, everyone involved made sure that was taken care of without having to ask.

I can't say enough positive about Leigh Landis and Exeter International. I feel we got more than our money's worth. Without Exeter we would have wasted so much time trying to figure out what could be seen each day in each city, how to get tickets, how to find a good restaurant and figure out how to make reservations etc. We did not have to worry about any of that. All the details were taken care of in advance and all we had to do was enjoy it!

We will be forever grateful for Leigh and Exeter!

Louise A.

We just returned from Austria and Germany. Trip planned by Gwen Kozlowski, everything was ontime and everyone was very nice. Guides were really good to excellent, hotels were excellent, drivers were great with very nice comfortable cars. Would recommend to all.

Nikki D.

This trip was as close to perfection as one can get.

Ala and her team created the most perfect Croatian vacation trip for me, my husband and the other couple that we were traveling with this month. I've had the good fortune to have travelled all around the world and never have I experienced such an incredible team to ensure that literally every detail, every activity, every hotel we stayed at was top-notch.

If you are even considering a vacation to this incredible country, I would highly recommend speaking with Ala and her team first. I know I will be recommending Ala friends and family that want to visit Croatia and I can do it with complete peace of mind knowing I am referring them to the best!
Nikki Davidson

Laura K.

We had the most wonderful trip to Prague, Austria and Budapest and one of the main reasons was Exeter International Travel. Lori and her team were incredible to work with. She set up wonderful guides and private tours for myself and my boyfriend and recommended spots that I never knew existed. If you want seamless travel without any headaches and everything taken care of for you in a professional manner, use Exeter International for your travel to Eastern Europe! fantastic and thank you.

Lisa P.

We traveled to Croatia with a group of 9 and had a spectacular time. Ala and Andjela did an expert job of balancing all of our preferences and creating an itinerary to work for everyone. September was an ideal time to travel as it was not crowded and the weather was perfect. It was warm enough to swim (for some!) but not too hot. We spent 2 nights in Split, 2 nights in Hvar, and 3 nights in Dubrovnik. We started the day in each new city with a walking tour, which I highly recommend, as a way to understand the history and culture of the city while getting to see key sites. All of the tour guides were excellent. A good tour guide makes all the difference.

Some of the highlights included a bike tour across the island of Hvar and a private boat trip to the Elaphiti Islands. Ala and Andjela helped us make all of our restaurant reservations and they were ideal, covering a perfect mix of traditional, scenic, and gourmet selections. We had no major disruptions on the trip but it was comforting to know that Ala and Andjela were just a phone call away if anything went awry. They were so on top of things they even called us to alert us that our car to dinner would be late due to a traffic accident and arranged with the restaurant for a later arrival. They also delighted us with an upgrade to a private boat transfer instead of the ferry.

Overall, we had a wonderful trip and were pleasantly surprised that it went off without a hitch even with such a large group. It was a great example of the value of great trip planners!