Anyone used Joe Banana Limos?

We are considering a half day tour out of La Spezia to just see PISA. This company is willing to accommodate our request. Wonder if any of you have any experience of this company. Would really appreciate any feedback. Used the search function but haven't been able to find anything.

Thanks

We are considering a half day tour out of La Spezia to just see PISA. This company is willing to accommodate our request. Wonder if any of you have any experience of this company. Would really appreciate any feedback. Used the search function but haven't been able to find anything.

 

Thanks

Has anyone used this company? I can find some glowing reviews, they are so good that I am suspicious when the price seems better than other companies. I really would like what I feel is a genuine review.

I used Joe Banana Limos in Naples last month and was thoroughly happy with his service. Joe's brother, Peter (translation) was terrific! He was funny, informative and eager to please. We had a great day seeing everything we wanted to see (and then some). I wish we would have booked all of our Italian port tours with him. You will not be sorry booking with Joe Banana!

From Tomats,

I had a sceduled day trip with Joe Bananas for Cinque Terre, with the ship docking in Portofino on a tender. As we get close to Portofino, the captain tells us that we won't be able to tender in Portofino due to the upcoming afternoon weather. We all saddened because Cinque Terre is so spectacular. Just then, the captain tells us he has found a dock in Genoa, not too far away and we will be able to get to Genoa soon.

Problem! How do I get in touch with Joe when the boat was moving, there was no service on my international phone. Joe to the rescue! Joe sent me a text that his driver was in Portofino waiting for us but he would scurry over to Genoa to meet us. Sure enough, when we arrived in Genoa, there was the driver. The day was saved by Joe. What a guy!

Our day in Cinque Terre was spectacular as expected. The lunch Joe chose was way up the hill, overlooking everything. Spectacular lunch. Home made pastas you could die from. The driver got us in and around. Walked with us showed us where to go and where to meet. Walked the ladies into a restaurant so they could use a nice bathroom instead of a pit.

Joe even called three times during the day to check with me as to how things were going. I'm a frequent traveler and side tour person and that's service.

I'd use Joe again, anywhere.

Thanks Joe,

You saved the day.

Hi, I traveled with my family (total of 8) on a Mediterranean cruise visiting Livorno, Rome, and Naples. We booked all 3 shore excursions via Giovanni and all of them were wonderful. All the drivers/guides were always ready to pick us up on time as scheduled, and the minivans were all in good condition. The information/narration provided during the drive to the sites were insightful. They also provide good recommendations for restaurants to eat lunch.

We definitely had a great time with Joe Banana Limos and would highly recommend them! We didn't have to wait for stragglers in a big tour group, sit in a large coach bus, and had much more flexibility in our schedule. Plus, it's cheaper than the cruise line's shore excursion since we had a group of eight.

We are just back from B2B cruises on the Carnival Magic and had 4 excursions booked with Giovanni (Joe). We went to the Chianti region from Livorno and had a wonderful day with a really great tour guide and an awesome luncheon at the winery for the 8 of us.

Next we did the Godfather Tour from Messina and I had co-ordinated a busload of 35 ppl. The drive was beautiful and the guide was also very informative and explained all the sites and showed us where to have the most amazing cannoli.

The second cruise we booked Joe for Cinque Terre and it was awesome, unfortunately I have now heard about the flooding and devastation there...what a shame, it was so pretty and the coastline was beautiful. The last tour we had Joe himself as the guide/commentator for the drive along the Amalfi coast..what an entertaining ride! Joe took us to an olive grove and we saw a demonstration and discussion there on olive oil making and followed that with a tasting hour....incredible. We continued onwards to Sorrento and then to Positano for a delicious luncheon overlooking the water. Just a very informative and entertaining group of tours with Joe Banana and nothing was left for us to worry about..Joe took care of everything and even presented all the women on the amalfi coast tour with a gift. It was a painless effort to arrange tours with Joe over the previous 18 months to make sure everything went perfectly, and he came thru for us!

thanks Joe....hope to see you again in the future !

We just returned from our cruise on Saturday and used Joe Banana Tours for our trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast last week. Paolo was our driver and was very knowledgeable about the area and considerate of what our wishes were for the day. Our group of six had a wonderful time with Paolo (he even presented each couple with a bottle of Limoncello at the end of our tour) and I highly recommend using Joe Banana Tours for anyone visiting this beautiful area.

We just returned from our cruise on Saturday and used Joe Banana Tours for our trip to Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast last week. Paolo was our driver and was very knowledgeable about the area and considerate of what our wishes were for the day. Our group of six had a wonderful time with Paolo (he even presented each couple with a bottle of Limoncello at the end of our tour) and I highly recommend using Joe Banana Tours for anyone visiting this beautiful area.

We also had Paolo for our tour of the Amalfi Coast and he was the best guide we have ever had! We had a group of eight and everyone had a wonderful time. This was our third tour with Joe Banana and each one was excellent. You will not go wrong with hiring Joe for your excursions.

My husband and I had a tour of the Amalphi Coast last year (May 2010) and felt it was lacking in a few areas. This last October, 2011 we wanted to try a different company as we were not pleased with our tour last year. I can say that Joe Banana Limos far exceeded our expectations. Our driver went out of his way to ensure a memorable experience for everyone in our group. He was very knowledgeable about the area and not only took us to the places on our "wish list" but to a couple places off the beaten track. The tour proved to be the highlite and our favourite tour of all the tours we had on our Med Cruise. Our driver, Paulo, who also acted as our photographer often having to juggle as many as 5 cameras, was exceptional. He is truely a credit to Joe Banana and a wonderful ambassador for his country. We have already recommended this company to a couple who will be touring this region next year and will continue to do so in future.

• Visited October 2011
  

What a fantastic way to see the Amalfi Coast! My husband & I booked JoeBanana Limos from Australia and i must mention that the booking process itself was very easy - great communication from Joe himself - very quick to respond to my emails and all was booked in an instant! Very professional!!

We were doing a Mediterranean cruise and decided to use JB Limos for our Sorrento shore excursion and we cannot speak highly enough of the wonderful service we received from our lovely driver Paolo who was waiting for us at the Port of Naples when we debarked from the ship.

He took us on a 9 hour excursion of the amazing coastline, taking us to hidden treasures, fantastic lookouts while giving us a brilliant in-depth explanation of all the history and culture of the area. Paolo also gave us time to do our own exploration of the towns, shopping time etc, and he was always punctual with the meeting time we had agreed on.

He also suggested a wonderful trattoria for lunch, La Tagliata,which was absolutely phenomenal! The views were breathtaking and the food delicious.

I must say the Paolo went above and beyond what we expected from a driver, he was more like a friend - and his knowledge and passion for his native countryside is evident as he takes you from one beautiful town to the next.

Paolo from JB Limos gave us an unforgettable experience of the Amalfi Coast and we have no hesitation whatsoever to highly recommend this company to everyone considering this this beautiful part of the world

Has anyone used this company? I can find some glowing reviews, they are so good that I am suspicious when the price seems better than other companies. I really would like what I feel is a genuine review.

Hi:

We just did a 12 day cruise on the Carnival Magic in October. It was our first time to Europe. My wife and I decided we wanted to do the Amalfi Coast. The ship excursions are really expensive so I did some research and decided to try Joe Bananas Limo. I liked that they were flexible and the prices were good. I posted the trip on ************* and we got 8 people because I'm not a fan of large excursions because I end up wanting to punch out that couple who are always late....

We sure struck gold with this tour! The host/driver Paulo was great. He made sure that our requests were looked after in his route planning. He was born in the area so he knew his stuff. We were a full 9 and a half hours. Enough free time to explore but loads of info so we knew what we were seeing. Combined with a great sense of humour it made for an incredible day.

I can't compare other companies because I didn't use them but this one hit a homerun with all eight of us.

Before you decide on any company I know I would make sure your host was local because it sure makes a difference.

Hope this helps.

Rick C

Niagara Falls, Canada

Has anyone used this company? I can find some glowing reviews, they are so good that I am suspicious when the price seems better than other companies. I really would like what I feel is a genuine review.

Joe Banana Limos are truly the VERY BEST tour guide you'll ever have in any port! We used him in Naples for the best city tour of Naples we ever had, his brother Paola took us from the Vesuvius, thru the city to the best pizza place ever and all points of interest in the city!! Very personable and knowledgeable.... our friends had Joe for the Amalfi coast and absolutely loved Joe!!! Do not hesitate to use Joe Banana Limos!!! Price and service you get from anyone else!!! We have been to Naples several times and highly recommend Joe Banana Limos!!!!!

Has anyone used this company? I can find some glowing reviews, they are so good that I am suspicious when the price seems better than other companies. I really would like what I feel is a genuine review.

I was also on the Magic in Oct. I was with newcruisers04 for two of the tours she arranged with Joe Banana Limos. I also know newcruisers04 personally. I know how wonderful Joe himself was in communicating with her over the course of 18 months to get our excursions tailored perfectly for us! His tour guides and drivers are the best. Personable and very knowledgeable. Joe himself is warm and charming. I am going to Hawaii on my next cruise and I wish he worked there too.

Save yourself alot of time and effort and just book with the best tour operator in Italy! Joe Banana Limos.

Joe Banana Limos was a great tour company to go with. We did two tours with the company- Florence/Pisa, and Naples/Sorrento/Positano. Each tour was excellent with informative, friendly drivers. I would not hesitate to use them again next time I travel.

Has anyone used this company? I can find some glowing reviews, they are so good that I am suspicious when the price seems better than other companies. I really would like what I feel is a genuine review.

I used Joe Banana Limos (JBL) for 3 private tours of groups of 8 from our Oceania Insignia cruise in November. The best by far was the full-day trip with Paolo as our driver/guide of the Amalfi Coast. He grew up in the area and knew lots of interesting insider facts and places to go. Even took us to a small neighborhood pizza place for a "real experience". Could not recommend more highly. JBL also arranged for Floriana, our Pompeii guide, who was excellent too. Definitely the highlight of our entire cruise. Book it!

The JBL driver for our full-day Florence trip was sick with a fever and it showed. Luckily none of us caught whatever he had. Basically he drove us to and from Florence with no commentary. Disappointing.

Because our Florence driver was sick he arranged for a last-minute fill-in driver for the next day's full-day tour of Pisa and Lucca. Same experience as day before with basically just a driver. No commentary. But! He did steer us to a FANTASTIC authentic restaurant in Lucca which was my husband's favorite dining experience of our entire cruise. So, not 100% disappointing.

Giovanni, Joe of JBL, was a delight to work with. I had 3 tours totally 24 people who consistently shifted their priorities, etc., etc. He quickly responded with flexibility, good humor, and great ideas. I wouldn't dismiss using JBL in the future based on our 2 illness-related tours. Paolo was SUPERB!!!

I found a much better price for our transfer from the ship to the Rome Airport using Rome By Limo. So shop around for that.

I used Joe Banana Limos (JBL) for 3 private tours of groups of 8 from our Oceania Insignia cruise in November. The best by far was the full-day trip with Paolo as our driver/guide of the Amalfi Coast. He grew up in the area and knew lots of interesting insider facts and places to go. Even took us to a small neighborhood pizza place for a "real experience". Could not recommend more highly. JBL also arranged for Floriana' date=' our Pompeii guide, who was excellent too. Definitely the highlight of our entire cruise. Book it!

 

The JBL driver for our full-day Florence trip was sick with a fever and it showed. Luckily none of us caught whatever he had. Basically he drove us to and from Florence with no commentary. Disappointing.

 

Because our Florence driver was sick he arranged for a last-minute fill-in driver for the next day's full-day tour of Pisa and Lucca. Same experience as day before with basically just a driver. No commentary. But! He did steer us to a FANTASTIC authentic restaurant in Lucca which was my husband's favorite dining experience of our entire cruise. So, not 100% disappointing.

 

 

 

 

Giovanni, Joe of JBL, was a delight to work with. I had 3 tours totally 24 people who consistently shifted their priorities, etc., etc. He quickly responded with flexibility, good humor, and great ideas. I wouldn't dismiss using JBL in the future based on our 2 illness-related tours. Paolo was SUPERB!!![/quote']

 

I'm wondering if anyone else has had any disappointments with their Livorno excursions with JBL. I have read raves about Paolo and Giovanni specifically, but from what I assume neither do the Livorno port excursions. I am looking for 2 tours from this port and had tentatively booked with JBL. The first email contact was excellent, but there has been a delay with confirmation vouchers. Giovanni explained that he was having computer problems, and although we do not cruise until May, I would like to feel comfortable with my decision before organizing these tours which involve other people. I'd appreciate any feedback, positive or negative.

 

Thanks so much.

We used Joe Banana Limos from Livorno for a Chianti Region tour and had a fabulous driver/guide..Francesco as his name. My report is on Trip Advisor but I can assure you that if Joe can send this awesome guy, you will have an amazing day. We saw so many beautiful places and scenery and Francesco stopped at Greve for a impromptu visit to a town market. He was more than willing to stop and let us take

photos whenever we wanted and take our time. The winery was really interesting and we had a delicious meal and wine tastings.

Rick and Lori

I'm wondering if anyone else has had any disappointments with their Livorno excursions with JBL. I have read raves about Paolo and Giovanni specifically, but from what I assume neither do the Livorno port excursions. I am looking for 2 tours from this port and had tentatively booked with JBL. The first email contact was excellent, but there has been a delay with confirmation vouchers. Giovanni explained that he was having computer problems, and although we do not cruise until May, I would like to feel comfortable with my decision before organizing these tours which involve other people. I'd appreciate any feedback, positive or negative.

 

Thanks so much.

We have jsut returned from our Mediterranean cruise where 10 of us had a fantastic tour with Joe of Joe Banana. He wanted us to see as much as possible in our given time and was flexible to accommodate the earlier departure time.

We were among the first ones to arrive at Pompeii and our guide (arranged throught JB) was great. We saw a lot of the ruins and were leaving the site as other tours were arriving.

We went part way to Positano (weather was not great and time limitations) and then spent the rest of the afternoon in Sorrento where Joe had arranged a simple lunch for us.

Joe was helpful in retrieving a forgotten camera and making arrangements to have it returned to the owners.

It was a most enjoyable day and we were thrilled with Joe's service. :D

I thought I should post a followup post re JBL, now that we have returned from our cruise. All went well for all 3 tours we booked. We had 7-8 people on each of the tours and the group's participants were different on each tour. I felt all 3 days went well. My only comment, and this is not reflecting JBL, but my decision to go to Siena, I felt involved too much time driving.

On the first day, we visited San Gimignano and Siena, and the logistics made for a more tiring day. Our second day in Livorno, we visited Lucca and Pisa and this was a really pleasant day, despite our afternoon rain. In Livorno, we had Catherine, an expat US citizen who has lived in Italy almost 30 years. She was easy for us to understand and yet very able to converse with the locals and tried to help us experience Tuscany as they would.

The 3rd tour was from Amalfi and we visited Ravello and Positano. Paolo was a treat and I'm sure everyone was very entertained and enjoyed his banter. He gave us a small gift at the end of the day (I'll leave that as a surprise) and emailed us a picture he took of my husband and myself during the tour.

Both drivers were very professional and were waiting for us when we arrived in the port. I'm sure you will find that you will be happy should you choose JBL for your excursions.

While there may be many choices for Tour companies in Italy, I can't imagine that there's anyone better than Joe Banana Limos. We just returned from a 12 night cruise, and, by far, the three tours (Florence and Tuscany with Francesco, Rome with Alex, and Sorrento and Amalfi Coast with Mario) that we took with JBL were the highlights of our entire trip. There were eight of us, and we all agreed that these tours were the best of all. Do yourself a favor, and book with JBL. You couldn't possibly be disappointed.

Just returned from the Mediterranean where we (family of 8) used Joe Banana Limos at our Naples Port. Giovanni was so helpful with all my emails, thank you Giovanni, I felt completely at ease with all the arrangements made on line. We requested Paolo because my daughter and her husband used him the pervious year. He was professional, informative and entertaining! Paolo took us to an amazing place for lunch just outside of Positano...AMAZING food and views. Thank you Giovanni and Paolo for helping to make our short day in Naples a day we will remember forever!

Marilee Dullea

We will be in Livorno overnight and want a private tour of Lucca. Joe Banana sounds great. Would love his website, thanks. Do you pay at the end of the tour or before leaving home?

We will be in Livorno overnight and want a private tour of Lucca. Joe Banana sounds great. Would love his website, thanks. Do you pay at the end of the tour or before leaving home?

Here's the website: http://www.joebananalimos.net/

Here's what it says about paying:

We don't need your credit card number, payment will be at the end of the service according to the quoted rates. We only accept Cash payment (Euro/Usd), and Traveler cheques. We do not accept credit card payment.

Thanks so much for the info. Will contact him.