Throughout my 25+ years of travel, meeting people has been the great highlight. I have made friends all over the world, people who are more like an extended family to me. I’d like you to meet some of those friends, please check out their work and follow them on social media if you’d like. Every one of these fantastic folks is a familiar and reliable friend to me, and I trust they will be good to you.
Multi-talented Stacy is both a professional artist and a tour guide. She’s been living in Venice for more than 20 years, and has brought a piece of her watery city into her painting. You can check out her artworks or book a visit to her studio at stacygibboni.com
In a small town outside of Torino, Lisa married a local and has made a life for herself at the foot of the Alps. She enjoys hikes, foraging, and cooking creative Piemontese cuisine. She leads her own custom tours and writes about her life at lisasdolceitalia.com
Virginie offers small group tours in France, with set itineraries in Burgundy, Brittany, Provence and customized trips. She also runs a guesthouse, L’Esprit des Vignes, well located in Southern Burgundy between Paris and Provence. Find out more at virginiemoretravel.com
Ben is a writer, sommalier, teacher and the founder of Etna Wine School, where he teaches visitors to Sicily to appreciate wines grown on the mountain. He’s written a guide to Etna wine, The New Wines of Etna. You can join his classes & tours at etnawineschool.com
A native of Munich, Daniela is an artist, photographer, tour guide, and world nomad based in Avignon, France. Her unique style and spirit fuel her adventures and work.
Adam is a talented guide, musician, and ace story teller. Whether it’s a ghost walk, music tour, or pub crawl, he leads groups around London with panache. You can take a virtual walk with him, find his schedule at thedailyconstitutional.co.uk
If Italian food is your thing, Coral and her team at Curious Appetite have you covered. Aside from writing for food magazines, she sells gourmet food boxes, organizes quality food experiences in Florence and virtual cooking classes. Find out more at curiousappetitetravel.com
A friend of more than 20 years, Roberto is a tour guide in Tuscany, specializing in off the beaten path villages and dad jokes. He and his American wife Patti also run a lovely farmhouse B&B outside of Siena and an olive oil and wine farm. Find out more at toursbyroberto.com
Stephen is a fellow northern Irishman and the most enterprising colleague I have. He guides small, upscale group tours of Ireland and runs two hotels, Milltown House in Dingle and Hotel Oberland in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland – find out more at essentialirelandtours.com
A dear friend and fantastic writer, Trish guides tours around the world and is my favorite Disney princess. Her travels often center on her love for food, which she documents on her Instagram “The Movable Feaster” Find her at thetravelphile.com
A Scotsman living in New Zealand, Colin has combined his love of guiding with his new home downunder. He guides both tours of New Zealand and Australia, as well as the occasional tour of his homeland. Join him on one of his tours at mondumo.com
Probably my only friend who had the Pope at her wedding, Joanne is a writer and entrepreneur who just also happens to be married to a Swiss Guard. She lives inside the walls of the Vatican and writes about her unusual life at travelangel.me
French native Véronique (Véro) relocated to Paris in 2019 after more than two decades in Seattle. Véro is a long-time travel blogger and adult educator (she currently teaches online group French classes,) and a Paris-based tour guide (leading private tours in Paris and the Ile de France, and virtual tours available on her YouTube channel.) She documents her travels and French life daily in social media. Find out more at frenchgirlinseattle.com
Charlie has visited, worked or studied in 33 countries. With Celtic blood and a love of culture and languages, she continues this love through hiking, guiding and writing. Charlie is available for UK and European tours, personalized travel poetry, Global travel planning sessions as well as classes in wellbeing for healthy, happy travels. www.travelwithcharlierawson.com
When Dutchwoman, Rolinka is not guiding for Rick Steves’ Europe, she is at her home in the South of France – the Eco Guesthouse Ferrairolles. Here she has a wide variety of offerings: hosting private boutique retreats (yoga is very popular), guiding private tours, tiny house rentals and teaching guests about autonomous living.
A proud Scot, Liz came to guiding after a career in education. She has to pinch herself on a regular basis to believe that she’s landed her dream role – introducing visitors to Scotland through bespoke tours and a travel planning service. Find out more at jaggy-thistle.com
Gaetano has worked as a tour guide in Pompeii for 35 years! In his own words he describes his passion for Pompeii:
“I am a third generation Pompeii tour guide. I still remember very well my first time in the ruins, it was my grandfather’s gift for my 9 year old birthday. I was so fascinated by the site and by my grandfather’s storytelling. Since that moment I spent most of my school holidays in the ruins following my father and grandfather’s tours. It was the job that I have dreamt of doing in my life.”
Book your own private tour of Pompeii with Gaetano here.
Lindsay is the co-founder of the Roscioli Italian Wine Club and a lead sommelier at Rimessa Roscioli in Rome. Here at AWS we love Lindsay and Roscioli – if you join us for any of our Rome tours, you are guaranteed to find yourself at a wine tasting at Rimessa Roscioli!
Taste Hungary is a multi-tiered company dedicated to showcasing Hungarian cuisine and wine who we partner with. Their experiences educate travelers about the region through its cuisine and wine, history, culture, and context in the larger world. Find out more at tastehungary.com
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