Exeter International planned and booked a two week trip for us to Denmark, Sweden and Finland in June. We had never traveled to Scandinavia and needed help deciding what to visit and how to get the most out of the trip. Our agent, Jody Riccotone, was outstanding. She personally knows the countries and recommended a great selection of sites. This included a trip to the Swedish west coast where many swedes go for summer vacations. We rented a car in Copenhagen and drove to Sweden, and Exeter actually sent us a GPS preloaded with our destinations. If you are planning a trip to Scandinavia or Eastern Europe, please talk to Exeter first.
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From start to finish I have never felt so well cared for by any travel specialist. Exeter International stands out in my mind for the highest level of planning and personal attention. Our trip to St. Petersburg and Moscow was a total delight with the hotels, guides, sightseeing, and local transportation arrangements. It was smooth sailing due to meticulous planning and the expertise of their courteous and knowledgeable staff. I can recommend them very highly without any hesitation.
Visiting St. Petersburg has been a long-standing item on our bucket list. We decided that we would use an ocean cruise as the means of travelling there and picked a cruise that included a two-night port stay, giving us three full days to enjoy the city. Even so, we were concerned that reliance on the excursions offered by the ship would not give us the experience we were looking for. Being a part of a group of 20 to 40 people working to a fixed schedule did not appeal to us. We decided to contact Greg Tepper of Exeter International for help.
The Exeter team worked with us to plan a visit that covered all the traditional highlights, while adding in elements that are simply not available to large tours. For example, our visit to Peterhof not only included a walk through the famed gardens and fountains, but also incorporated stops at the grottoes and a thoroughly delightful exploration of the little-visited bathhouse . It was those two additions that made the visit memorable.
Likewise, the highlight of any visit to the Catherine Palace is the Amber Room. Unfortunately, ropes keep you far enough away from the walls to make it difficult to appreciate the artistry of the room, and photographs are strictly forbidden. Our visit, however, included a lengthy stop at the Amber Workshop, where all the amber displayed in the Palace was created. This is something that is simply not possible to do with a large tour. Here we were able to talk one-on-one with the Amber Workshop guide and actually handle the raw materials, examine pieces in detail, and take all the photographs we wanted.
In addition to putting together an excellent plan, the execution was perfect. Little details were carefully thought out, such as making sure that we started our day only after the regular ship excursions had time to complete the lengthy passport control process.
Finally, we enjoyed the services of a wonderful guide for our 28 hours of touring. Luda has 20 years of experience working as a guide, and it all shows. Her knowledge of St. Petersburg is encyclopedic, but she only shared what we showed an interest in hearing. She was attentive to our moods and interests and frequently made adjustments to the plan, both small and large, to better accommodate our needs. We could not have asked for a better guide.
Our recent custom private trip to Romania and Bulgaria was our second with Exeter (first was Russia). Working with them to plan a trip that fits personal interests, pacing and requirements is a pleasure. There is nothing "cookie cutter" about the process.....Better yet, what you sign up for is what you get...with flawless execution. High quality guides. Charming properties. Special experiences along the way. One of the benefits of using Exeter is that they specialize, not trying to be all things to all people. They know their stuff, are always available to help and deliver. Highly recommended.
Outstanding trip!!! The team at Exeter arranged a wonderful custom itinerary for me and my sister that aligned perfectly with our interests. Responsive during all the planning and super helpful with terrific recommendations. Our drivers each day were very professional, punctual and courteous. Igor made a special effort our first day to take a route that allowed us to see many of the major sites around Moscow with lots of photo opportunities on the way to our first museum visit. Very thoughtful. Our guide Elena was superb very knowledgeable and a true delight She timed our visits each day to avoid lines and maximize our time. While we very much enjoyed everything we saw, I think it is the wonderful people we met along the way that we'll remember for years to come. Thank you Exeter for arranging such a personalized and truly extraordinary experience!
The trip I recently took with Exeter and its founder, Greg Tepper, to Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia was truly extraordinary. Having taken 4 other small tour group trips in the past 5 years, this was by far my best experience. Chief among the accolades were the sites visited, knowledgeable and affable local tour guides, the special circumstances of private visits to the Hermitage and Kremlin Palace, the non-tourist oriented restaurants, and hotel accommodations. The trip was flawless and it was especially helpful to be accompanied by Greg. His love of the Russian culture, its people and history was apparent through out our travel experience.
In every respect, Exeter's expertise and professionalism was flawless......every detail was meticulously planned and brilliantly executed by Stella Bayley in Tampa and Elena in Moscow and Luda in St. Petersburg. If you want a five star experience Exeter is my unqualified recommendation.
Exeter put together a fantastic trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg. The accommodations were situated perfectly and the guides did a superlative job. The special tours set up at the Kremlin, Hermitage and Summer Palace were exceptional making this one of the most memorable trips I've ever had.
We recently traveled with Exeter International to Budapest, Vienna, and Prague. Their guides in each city were fabulous. Highlights: spending a day visiting Terezin with a holocaust survivor, concert at the Spanish Synagogue, and private More
I have worked with Exeter International on a number of occasions already, and it is an extremely efficient outfit. The office staffs in Tampa, Florida and in St. Petersburg, Russia are friendly, highly efficient, and very well-informed about what St. Petersburg and Moscow have to offer groups of visitors. Worthy of special mention is the high caliber of Exeter's in-country guides across the board. They all have fluent English, know everything about the sites they are showing, are very even-handed in their guided tours, and are very friendly to my students. They are also always ready to step in when a couple of emergencies have cropped up on our tours. We are very happy to have Exeter's support for our programs in Russia.
I have to say ditto to all the other reviews. Dasha did an amazing job understanding my needs, interests and the needs and interests of my 3 young adult children. Every detail from beginning to end was meticulously executed. Our private itinerary was outstanding. Elena in Moscow and Anya in St. Petersburg were extremely intelligent, knowledgable and thoughtful guides. The drivers were outstanding as well. We all loved what we saw, ate and most of all the interesting and warm conversations with our guides, drivers and all the people we met. I will definitely be using Exeter again. They are the best!
Entry after hours into the Winter Palace and adjacent palaces (the Hermitage) for a private tour made the whole trip worth it; it was extraordinary in every sense of the word. Exeter provided us with a string quartet playing at the foot of the main Palace staircase and champagne at the end of the visit. That evening would not have been possible but for Exeter. We were in Russia at the end of April, beginning of May, not White Nights, and both Moscow and St. Petersburg were throbbing with tourists. Sometimes the crowds were unavoidable, but Exeter made certain we did not wait in line, something that catered to our backs and made good use of our time.
Exeter made everything very easy for us from the moment we landed in Moscow, all the way to emigration at the airport in Saint Petersburg as we were leaving Russia. We did not have to worry about logistics for a second.
I and my friends have taken over half a dozen trips with Exeter over the past few years. Each experience has been unique and extraordinary. Well planned. Extremely well executed. I always say that it's the guide who makes or breaks a trip. Exeter understands that and has identified the very best in each country.
What I appreciate the most is how they always find special embellishments that enrich ones journey and increase your understanding of the places and the people you are visiting.
The principals at Exeter have been together over 20 years and its shows. They are the best!
Exeter ruined our trip to Sweden and Norway. Totally incompetent. They subcontract everything and don t check details. Unbelievably bad customer service. They are like horse traders. Layer upon layer of delegation of responsibility with zero accountability.
Our July trip to St Petersburg was delightful! Our guide, Elizabeth, was very knowledgeable and pleasant. She suggested additional places to go, and some of them turned out to be favorite destinations! We especially enjoyed early or timed admittance to the Hermitage and to Yusupov's Palace, providing opportunities for photos FREE of other tourists in the rooms! Being able to visit the Amber Workshop at Catherine Palace and the grotto at Peterhof were excellent advantages other tourists didn't even know about. The Angleterre Hotel was very comfortable & convenient. We walked to dinners each evening, and easily found our way around the central part of the city on our first Sunday there alone. We even stood 2 hours participating in the mass at St Isaac's, which was incredibly interesting. When the sunset looked promising, we zipped across the street to climb up to the St Isaac's dome walk for great photos! Our evening at the Mariinsky seeing Ravel's "Cleopatra" was exceptional. So much history and visual opulence! Thank you for your great planning.
Our trip was seamless in every sense of the word. Thanks for listening and understanding how we like to travel. It was perfect! Hotel recommendations were wonderful and ideally located; our guides were knowledgeable and fun to spend time with; and suggestions for restaurants, concerts and other activities were spot on! Importantly, not only did we enjoy but we are now curious to spend more time in this part of Europe.
I recently brought my 15 year old son on an Exeter International experience to Krakow and Berlin, with a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. From the first phone call to plan the trip, I was happy to put myself into Gwen's hands for expert planning. Good move, she made all the right suggestions for a perfect trip, routing and hotel selection and I did not have to lift a finger.
From a traveler's perspective the trip was run perfectly, smoothly and with zero glitches. Easy as can be, we simply followed the daily agenda set out for us and focused on spending time together.
The experience was one that we will never forget, and one that was perfect for us at this time in our lives. Meaningful, emotional, soulful and lots of fun as well (we have fun everywhere). Yes, the content was sometimes hard to digest and quite emotional as one would expect, but in the hands of Exeter's EXPERT guides, we looked at it as a traveling history lesson. Especially with content that is so important, where a sensitive and thoughtful delivery is critical, our guides delivered way beyond our expectations. Aside from the bonding that we enjoyed together as father and son, the next highlight was the time spent in the company of our professional guides. Their interpretation led to a very successful trip.
I would not hesitate to recommend the team at Exeter International for any trip they operate worldwide. Total satisfaction and we look forward to being in their care again.
Beautifully arranged trips exactly according to my needs from agents that knew the destinations well and offered great advice. Outstanding hotel selections. Everything was first-rate. The guides and transfers were especially helpful. I have completed two trips with Exeter and cannot recommend them more highly.
Exeter arranged the most impressive itinerary to Uzbekistan ever. The attention to detail and breadth of experience was truly remarkable and vastly exceeded my expectations. It's a little pricey, but I cannot wait to do another trip thru them!
Top notch experiences, guides, and drivers. We used Exeter and Silvia Baigorri to plan a lengthy itinerary in Croatia. She listened and came up with some of the best day trips and detours -- cooking classes, wine tastings, oyster tastings, and city tours. We had private drivers and guides and learned so much from them. If you want a luxury experience, they are worth the price.
My brother and I have just returned from a jewish heritage trip to Lithuania arranged by Jody Ricottone from Exeter International and I cannot rave highly enough about their level of service. The whole trip exceeded our expectations and from day 1 & it was a pleasure doing business with Exeter and Jody in particular. She understood exactly what we wanted and put together an amazing tour for us. The Hotels and guides were all top quality. We had 3 different guides (from the 3 different regions we visited), all of whom were extremely knowledgeable & professional. The logistics were perfectly arranged and it all worked like clockwork. I cannot recommend Exeter highly enough and hope to be a return client many more times!
Exeter organized our trip which was completely efficient and provided us with very educated guides that gave us a current and historical account of each destination. Our trip was luxurious and fun .... what more could you want in a holiday!!
I have never before written a review but our Russia trip was so amazing I wanted to share. If you are at all thinking of traveling to Russia, Exeter is the only way to go. They handled everything superbly. Private tours and after hours admission to places most people can t access were incredible (and we aren t tour people). Can t wait to go again. Kudos to Greg and his team. Stephanie and Frank.
Scott, Greg, and the entire team made our trip to Russia to experience the ballet an absolute dream- everything was organized for us so we could just sit back, relax, and enjoy- HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!
This trip to Moscow/St Petersburg has been one of the very best travel experiences of my life! I have generally travelled independently with friends and have not been overly eager to go on "group tours". This vacation was truly an outstanding adventure that gives new meaning to the concept of a tour. Everything was first class, impeccably arranged with every need and detail anticipated by Exeter. If you have never been to Russia I can think of no better way to see these cities than with this company. The local guides were wonderful.The arrangements for additional individual activities like ballet and opera were easily added. The group was small enough to make one feel as if you were actually travelling only with your own friends but here was also enough free time to pursue additional activities of interest on your own . This is a trip not to be missed!
The 2019 Founder s tour to Moscow and St Petersburg was amazing! Looking at brochures and itineraries doesn t convey what I found most appealing about this small group tour of about 20. The people! Others have raved about the private tour of the Hermitage and the VIP tour of the residences of the Imperial Tzars. What doesn t appear on paper is that our guides were knowledgeable, experienced, and engaging. As a solo traveler (63yo female) I loved that the other members of the tour were so interesting and friendly. We had so much fun!
Greg (Founder of Exeter International) has lived in Russia, visited it yearly for 30 yrs, and has a degree in Russian studies. I felt very secure that he and Adam could have handled any situation. But, they didn t have to because they had prepared so well for our trip that it seemed effortless. Much like a professional golfer, where a lot of time and work ahead of time goes into the perfection of the swing, the behind the scenes preparation by Exeter International produced a trip without flaws. The schedule was kept with precision but we never felt rushed. Even with street closures due to a parade, we hardly noticed the detours.
We saw the stunning Cathedrals, museums, and other highlights of Moscow and St Petersburg, slept in the most comfortable Four Seasons beds anywhere, and had some free time for spa treatments and the Theatre. The Sapsan high speed train was an incredible ride! At 217 Km/m, it felt like we were floating.
The Russians that I met were so nice! The cities were clean. The streets in Moscow were well lit. I felt very safe.
I came home with a yearning to return. I think the desire to go back is the highest compliment one can pay. Thank you Greg and Adam, and all those behind the scenes people that helped make the experience unforgettable!!
Exeter arranged a wonderful trip for us through Central and Western Europe. The guides in each city were outstanding -- offering personal insights, recommendations and fascinating historic context. Exeter was completely responsive, flexible and professional in accommodating us throughout our trip.
This was my first trip with Exeter after extensive travel with other firms, and I must say this experience was top drawer! If Russia is of interest to you, don t consider anyone but Exeter. They have tremendous connections, extremely impressive guides, and a leader (Gregg Tepper) who is impressive with incredible passion for all things Russia. Being able to travel as a part of a small group was truly impressive. He is thoughtful, bright, thorough, personable - and his participation made this trip to Moscow and St Petersburg unequalled. He knows the language, he knows the people, he knows the culture, he knows the places to visit, he knows the food, and he knows the history. If you get the opportunity to travel with Exeter, DON T MISS THE OPPORTUNITY! My wife and I can t wait to travel with Exeter in the future.
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