We’re Feeling the Love! Praise From Our 2019 Family Travel Planning Clients

By Amie O'Shaughnessy
September 4, 2019
13 Min Read

Families are traveling! Airplanes and hotels have been packed throughout 2019, and I’m ecstatic to say that we created a record number of itineraries for Ciao Bambino clients to meet the growing demand for immersive travel experiences in every corner of the world. Now that summer is over and our kids are back in school, we’re taking our annual deep breath and evaluating how we’ve done. Were our clients thrilled with their journeys? Did we succeed in engaging families in destinations in a meaningful way? Did we help parents and kids connect with one another while creating unforgettable memories?

The results are in and the news is incredible! Our Family Travel Advisors work one on one with their clients and at the end of the planning process, we’re all very invested in the trip outcome. We love that many of our clients take the time to debrief with us about their favorite (and not-so-favorite) experiences. We’re all real … travel isn’t perfect, as there are many elements that are unpredictable, but the high points outshine any imperfections every time and create those indelible smiles that we cherish long after the trip is over.

2019 Family Travel Advisor Testimonials

Here’s a look at a few of the memories our clients shared about their Ciao Bambino experiences this season. This is the true gift of our service that we treasure! Yes, we are a for-profit business and we make money to be successful, but the positive impact we have on families is the joy of the job. I’m so proud of our talented team of Family Travel Advisors who work with boundless integrity and passion.

Ciao Bambino Family Travel Planning Testimonials for 2019

Trips Designed by Amy Annis

What a fabulous trip! We all loved Spain — even more than we anticipated. The people, culture and sights were so interesting. Your itinerary and planning were flawless. The trip went so smoothly and we never had a hiccup. Thankfully we had everything we needed in such easy-to-follow form and it was just the right pace. We had some good downtime, but saw everything that was on our “must do” list. There was something at every stop that made it memorable. Even the train strike was a non-issue thanks to you all. Thank you so much for your thorough and insightful guidance! Now we just need to figure out where to go next! — Melvin family trip to Spain

Yay Amy! Thank you so much for all your amazing help — it really was such a special and memorable trip! It was so much fun. Can’t wait for you to plan another one! — Schaeffer family trip to Croatia

We did indeed have a wonderful time. It was the first time really the kids have been in the States and all very much enjoyed it! We will be using you again and are all the time passing your name on to our friends. — Kenny family trip to New York, Chicago and San Francisco

Trips Designed by Katie Brown

You put my mind at ease with all your helpful tips and answering all my questions! This trip wouldn’t have happened without your expertise. I will recommend Ciao Bambino to other families looking to travel to Europe! — Ash family trip to Italy

Thank you so much for your guidance, creativity and knowledge and making this a memorable trip for the both of us. Looking forward to working with you again on our next adventure. — Kearns family trip to Japan

Overall it was an amazing, amazing time! Thank you for helping us put it together, and especially for rolling with all of our demands and last-minute changes. Definitely the big special trip I had been hoping for! — Ference family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Helen Buckner

We were referred by a friend to the services of Ciao Bambino and what a great referral it was! From the first time we spoke to Helen until now, the service has been nothing but amazing … We were a little wary traveling with a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old, but the trip was fun and not stressful. The activities she recommended were spot on for our kids, and we loved them as well … She made our trip memorable and seamless. The app, the documents and the follow-up were all first-class. We cannot thank her enough for planning our trip, as it will be one for the memory books! We owe it all to Helen! — Winnie family trip to Paris and Italy

Working with Helen to plan my family’s summer trip to Lake Como was such a pleasure. She was super attentive and detail-oriented. She took the time to listen to our needs and was able to provide us with the perfect itinerary to ensure everyone in our group was satisfied. Everything was thought out and executed to a tee! Helen was always reachable and able to change around last-minute things as needed. We were so happy with Helen and Ciao Bambino! — Blick family trip to Italy

THANK YOU for an amazing trip! We couldn’t have done so much without you … literally, it would have been impossible. Overall the trip was fantastic. — Froneberger family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Mandy Cecchetto

We enjoyed all parts of the trip — hotels and tour guides all were great. It’s the most complicated trip we have ever planned and you were amazing! — Gertschen/Klaseus trip to Japan

I can’t thank you enough for helping me plan my family vacation to Italy. We had a wonderful time — it was all I hoped for and more. Everything went so smoothly because you had it all so organized for us. Thank you!!! It truly was a vacation my boys will always remember so fondly. — McCarthy family trip to Italy

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Trips Designed by Linda & Brendan Considine

What an amazing trip! Linda had great attention to detail and was always available, even while we traveled. Invaluable. We couldn’t have planned it without [her]. The planning fee charged was a bargain; it should have been three times more! — Satterthwaite family trip to Italy

The tours have been fabulous! You guys hit it out of the park. And I am beyond grateful for everything you have done for us. What you organized was amazing. — Robertson family trip to London

[Our trip] was truly wonderful and so special. You made it really easy and enjoyable. All the activities you planned were spot on and the logistics were so well taken care of. Thank you! I have already recommended you to a bunch of friends and can’t wait to use you again for our next trip. — Connors family trip to Switzerland, Italy and France

2019 Family Travel Planning Testimonials

Trips Designed by Natalie Ethridge

We had a great experience using Ciao Bambino. Natalie’s recommendations were spot on. We could not have been happier with the amount of time in each city and the help that we received … Thanks again for everything! — Fox family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Kristi Marcelle

Peru was amazing! Thank you guys for planning a life-changing trip. I can’t wait to start planning next summer. — Cheary family trip to Peru

It is our personal connection that we have developed with Kristi and our trust in her knowledge of the spots we have chosen that keep us coming back. She is highly responsive, professional, but we feel like she would be someone we’d hang out with if she were in our social circle. We feel so lucky to have found her! We will definitely use Ciao Bambino again soon. — Wilson family trip to New Zealand and Bora Bora

To put it succinctly, we LOVED our Japan trip. We especially enjoyed the cooking school, calligraphy lesson and drum lesson. Our guides were wonderful as well, very sweet, the right energy level and very warm and caring. We’ve been telling our friends about what a meaningful difference working with you made in planning our trip. — Hanebrink family trip to Japan

Trips Designed by Megan Norris

We had such a fantastic time in Barcelona! It was a great trip and we made a lot of great memories … When anyone asks how we take the girls on these kinds of trips and how we actually enjoy them, I always say it would be completely impossible without you guys! You did such a great job planning this trip and tailoring it to our ages and interests! Thank you!!!!! — Memmott family trip to Spain

We were toasting you in Hawaii with immense gratitude for finding us such a perfect place to spend Spring Break. We wished we had two more days! It was very hard to leave. — Storey family trip to Hawaii

The itinerary, the hotels, the excursions and the transportation were all great. You guys did a great job. We felt spoiled! Also, thank you also for the notes and welcome gifts at each of the hotels — nice touch, and much appreciated. You’re the best! — Caligari family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Laurel Perry

Our trip was, to put it mildly, ABSOLUTELY EPIC! It was PERFECTION and everything you touched was amazing. We honestly were blown away by the hotels, the tours, both cooking classes, the tour guides — each better than the next, except not really as we loved them all! … Words cannot convey how wonderful this trip was. It was the most magical two weeks. We used very part of the gift you gave us; the backpack went all over Europe; my kids played with the cards on every car trip. Honestly, WOW. You’ve spoiled us to ever travel any other way. We’ve already told several friends about you, and we are in deep discussion of where to go next summer with you by our sides. — Jacobs family trip to Italy

I just wanted to thank you for planning such an amazing trip for us. The hotel was perfect, transport smooth and activities amazing! My kids loved the macaron class, as well as the d’Orsay, Montmartre and food walking tours. It really was such a special trip … I can’t wait to reach out to you for our next one! — Komitee family trip to Paris

Just got back yesterday afternoon, and we are all still struggling to get back to reality. We had many highlights in our trip, but overall we enjoyed everything about it … We treasure our family adventures and the making of memories and discoveries together. We are very thankful to you and Ciao Bambino for making our trip happen in so little time and so nicely! — Granados family trip to Italy

2019 Family Travel Planning Testimonials

Trips Designed by Susan Robinson

I am typically the one in our family who does all of the trip planning, but with our big family trip to Switzerland I wanted some help to get the most out of our trip. I wanted to avoid the stress of having to figure out which city to visit, then which hotel, and then which activity would be the best. That is so time-consuming when you are going to a place you’ve never been before and I didn’t want to make a mistake. Susan solved this problem for me and more! I worked with her to design a general timeline and budget, and she went to work creating an itinerary that relieved my trip planning anxiety. She chose perfect locations, great hotels and fun activities for each member of our family. We traveled to five cities over a 12-day period and the whole trip ran like clockwork. I will be using Ciao Bambino again! — Acton family trip to Switzerland

Our 3-week-plus vacation in Italy was AMAZING! Thank you, once again, for all your time, work and input planning this trip. Like I’ve said before, it wouldn’t have happened without you — and it wouldn’t have been as phenomenal even if we had had the time to plan it ourselves. Everything went smoothly and having the app on the phone was incredibly convenient. We are so happy we found out about this service and brought you on board! — Santana family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Melissa Rosdahl

Bonjour Melissa! Best week of our lives. Everything was beyond magical … So so so happy with our experience! — Shainker family trip to France

We had a wonderful trip! I can’t thank you enough for all your suggestions. Your help was so appreciated! I’m already looking forward to our next adventure and will definitely be in touch when that comes around. — Warta family trip to the UK and Spain

Just wanted you to know we had a great trip. Everything worked as planned, like clockwork — drivers on time, guides coordinated with drivers, so we were never in a place not quite sure where or what to do. The itinerary was excellent; the restaurant recommendations did not fail us either. Thank you for guiding us so carefully and thoroughly. It was a remarkable and memorable trip. — Wayne family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Nicole Schick

Thank you again for planning such a wonderful trip for us. It was perfectly laid out with gorgeous hotel options and doable driving times, and we LOVED all of the activities and experiences you planned for us. We have been telling all our friends about you guys — it was so helpful to have your [guidance]! — Sprague family trip to New Zealand

Now that I am over my jet lag, I wanted to write and say a big thank you for your amazing planning for our trip. We loved everything about it … the hotels were fabulous, the guides were fun and very informative and there was always someone right there to meet us when we arrived at our destinations. We all had an amazing time … so thanks again for all that you did to make this happen. — Herlache family trip to Greece

What a great trip and time together as a family. I wanted to thank you for working with me over the last almost-year to plan this celebration and vacation! I appreciate your responsiveness, advice and advocacy during the planning process and during the trip. — Fanfair family trip to Italy

Trips Designed by Anna Sizer

Working with Anna to plan our trip to Barcelona was such a pleasure! She took time to find out what we love about traveling, and tailored her recommendations to our specific preferences. As a consequence of taking the time to learn our likes and dislikes, she found us the most wonderful boutique hotel that really nailed what we love about living in and experiencing a new city. Anna’s expertise in planning also helped us put together an itinerary that got us to all the sights we wanted to see while leaving room for rest and relaxation at our beautiful hotel. I highly recommend Anna’s services! — Brand family trip to Spain

Ciao Bambino truly made all the difference on our trip to England and Scotland, especially traveling with a family of 3 generations. We were all able to enjoy each and every single moment together, knowing the details were in such capable hands! — Rinaldi and Yorman family trip to the UK

We would DEFINITELY recommend to our friends to use Ciao Bambino. You were awesome — from taking your time answering our questions, keeping me focused on our goals, recommending only the best for our limited time and budget in Italy, understanding the dynamics of family travel, personal attention to where the best value would come and how to save money, updating our itinerary as we requested, helping me schedule some off-the-grid requests in the best way without missing out on the must-see items. Your expertise and patience were two reasons that our family vacation was a smashing success. — Sperandio family trip to Italy

2019 Family Travel Planning Testimonials

Trips Designed by Melissa Smith

As we wrap up our vacation I wanted to take the time to thank you. This is the best vacation we’ve had since my husband organized our honeymoon … and I’ve been married for nearly 13 years. The hotels were great! The excursions were great! The people were patient and … wonderful. On behalf of my husband, my two boys and I, we offer a heartfelt thanks. You have gained few loyal customers. — Louis family trip to Costa Rica

We’re back from our wonderful trip to Spain. You really created a fantastic experience for us! You left no stone unturned. Thank you so much for creating a family vacation that will carry lifelong fond memories for us all. — Mathurin family trip to Spain

Trips Designed by Katie Stewart

We loved our trip to Cape Cod and Boston. It worked out so well as we spent the week at the Cape and weekend in Boston. You did a great job and made it so easy for us. Places you chose were perfect. Our kids loved it all and want to go back already. Many thanks. — Garlikov family trip to Massachusetts

The best part of the vacation was you! And I say that in all seriousness. You were always so responsive and helpful (whether it was me being worried about my foot or asking you to track down lost wine bottles!). You made the trip what it was, and for that, you have us as clients for life! … We cannot thank you enough for making this vacation not only memorably, but truly exceptional. — Finnegan family trip to Austria and Germany

We loved working with you and appreciate that you were so thoughtful about advice and guidance on a region that, while developed, doesn’t see as much tourism from American families. I appreciate that you … were so proactive about addressing my concerns. It’s hard traveling with non-verbal kids! Wales was the perfect place to take a toddler. — Liao family trip to Wales

Trips Designed by Cary Walker

We congratulated ourselves several times on choosing you to help us. The only stressful days were the ones we were on our own! I’m not a superfluous praise giver, but this trip will be tough to top. — Springob family trip to Italy

Cary is amazing … She takes all the hassle out of planning and vacation and takes such good care of us. She is able to secure us accommodations that we love, and we are pretty picky about what we are looking for with a family of five. We love working with Cary and Ciao Bambino and we recommend her every time some asks for a good travel planner. We are already thinking about next summer and heading back to Europe, so Cary will be the first person I call to help us with that trip. Thank you again for such a great company/service. — Drews family trip to Hawaii

We absolutely loved it; would definitely go again and wish we’d stayed longer! You made it a once-in-a-lifetime discovery and dream, rather than just a vacation. — Gideon family trip to the UK

Trips Designed by Barbara Weindling

It was literally the trip of a lifetime. I could not imagine it going any better … Thank you again for all your help. We will definitely be going back and hopefully you will have a big part in the next trip. — Heitzmann family trip to France and Italy

Barbara, thank you for planning Vancouver for us. I had no doubt you would make it a well-rounded experience and you delivered, yet again. I appreciate it so very much! — Berry family trip to Vancouver

We are heading home today and we all wanted to make sure you knew everything was just perfect in every way. This was a dream vacation for us all. thank you very much for putting it all together … In a nutshell, this was the best vacation we have ever been on. — Adams family trip to France

Relevant Links:

Get our guidance for long-term family travel planning on Ciao Bambino

Family Vacation Planning Simplified: A School Year’s Worth of Travel in 6 Easy Steps

18 summer vacations to take before your kids grow up

10 family vacations that will change kids forever

How, when and why to use a travel agent to book a family vacation

Photos courtesy of the individual families pictured.

Editor’s note: This post was accurate when published. We advise checking independently for the latest information and updates. Ciao Bambino does not accept responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in, or for any actions taken based on, the information presented.