limo/van tour rental

[rene1]

We are in the process of reserving driver/guide van tours in Cannes and Florence. Noted that most companies do not require pre-payment at the time of reservation, or it is optional. Does anyone have experience/thoughts on pre-paying reservations to insure that the car and driver show up on time? Also, what recourse would we have, if any, in the event of pre-paying and the car and driver do not show up?

[sondi 14]

We are using a company in Livorno this year on our cruise that doesn't require a deposit. We used this same company, Benvenuto Limo/Taxi last year

in Naples and Rome and they were very reliable. The drivers were waiting

for us in both ports when we disembarked and we found them to be great

and very knowledgeable.

Sondi

[wwinfl91]

Be sure to use a credit card that will allow you to file a claim for services not rendered against the company just in case they don't show up. Hopefully they will but most credit card companies will help you try to get the money back if you work with them on it.

 

Have a great next cruise.

[ClaudiaF]

None of the companies we used in Med asked for deposit, if they did we didn't use them.

We had paid one company a few years ago for a Spain tour from Cadiz ( for Seville) and the guy showed up about 2 hours late.. we had by then just hired a taxi at the port. He did leave a note ( gave to the ship to deliver to us) that he was late due to traffic ( HELLO...) he lives there, he is the tour driver he should be aware of traffic to get to the port on time. In any event, finally -after many letters ( he did send us 1/2 the deposit back).

[Brunswick cruiser]

We are looking at a tour operator in Pisa/Florence (Paulo), she wants a copy of our Credit Cards but no payment until after the tour. I can unsderstand her position, but this makes me nervous, should I provide my CC # or not??.

 

Brian

[sondi 14]

Hi Brian,

 

The tour operator we used last year in Italy also asked for a credit card

just to hold the reservation and didn't charge anything to it. We paid

them when the tour/day was finished and didn't have any problem. I guess

it would depend on if you are comfortable enough with the operator you

are booked with to do it.

 

Sondi

[Cortesefam]

Sondigreen: I've reserved with Benvenuto limos for tours in Livorno, Naples and Rome for our upcoming cruise on Brilliance of the Seas--were there any particular drivers you enjoyed on your tours, or advice on dealing with the company?

 

Giovanni has been very responsive and helpful in our email exchanges--I had seen your and other posters reports on their service--so far, they've been great.

 

Welcome your advice!

 

THANKS

[sondi 14]

Hi Cortesfam,

 

We used Benvenuto in Rome and Naples last year. In Rome we had

Angelo as our driver and in Naples we had Giovanni himself. They were

both really good and very knowledgable. We saw more in those two days

than we thought possible.

We loved our day in Naples as we went to Pompeii in the morning and then

down the Amalfi Coast for the balance of the day. It was terrific.

We found the company to be very reliable and are using them again this

May in Livorno. Giovanni is very helpful and really good at answering

e-mails and questions. I'm sure you will have a great time while in Italy.

Sondi