Martin Randall Travel Traveller Reviews

Well planned itinerary visting the Jewish Ghetto; churches including a private visit to St Mark's Basilica;; Murano; Lazzaretto Nuovo - a quarantine station (plague) for maratime travellers; Armenian monastrey where Byron studied; Venice State Archive; good hotel, food and companions plus an excelkent lecturer and tour maanager

From making booking through to end of tour Martin Randall staff take care of everything.. Helpful, courteous and efficient office staff. Information on website gives sufficent detail to enable a view to be taken on whether tour is one you might like to do and the office staff are very happy to answer any query you may have by telephone or email. Martin Randall use good quality hotels and included meals are at good restaurants. Excellent lecturer and lovely tour manager on this tour.

A fabulously varied and memorable visit to an amazing part of the world. We were with a engaging and entertaining group of fellow travellers and we were expertly informed by tour leader Chris Moss and seamlessly managed by tour manager Emilie Salvesen.

Martin Randall Travel deliver consistently excellent holiday experiences.

I had a wonderful 6 days in Venice attending daily talks and 8 concerts of renaissance and baroque music performed in the venues associated with their composers and original performance. These were all performed by Italian music ensembles. This tour was not “guided” but instructions were given and participants had maps and instructions and where to go with key staff occasionally providing directions when needed. It was busy but very enjoyable.

Martin Randall cultural tours have participants booked in various hotels and directions to find one’s own way to informative talks and concerts, with support staff available when needed to help. Everything ran very smoothly, including the complex issues of transport from the airport via water taxies to the various hotels.

From the beginning of meeting our Martin Randall red-scarved shepherdesses at London Heathrow until the last water taxi ride across the Venice lagoon to Venice Airport the logistical support was impeccable. Our hotel, the Splendid was good in every respect, and then there was the music. We were treated to beautiful singing and orchestral performances of Venetian music of the Baroque period: Vivaldi, Monteverdi and the joyful songs of Barbara Strozzi, among others, in a variety of grand settings.

This was our seventh experience of Martin Randall music festivals. We were so thrilled that the Covid lockdown would not put an end to the company's music and travel plans. Each time we were amazed by the quality and variety of the music and musicians. The expertise of guides with whom to explore the cities chosen for the festivals, as well as the wider cultural environment: art, architecture and environment, was outstanding and gratefully absorbed.

Eight private concerts over 4 days, with supporting lectures, all the music linked to Venice and carefully chosen by MRT (whose founder co-ordinates their music tours, and indeed attended throughout). Magical stuff - from early madrigals to a final Monteverdi Vespers 1610 in the Frari. Supported by 4 excellent lectures on historical aspects of Venetian music (composers). Choice of quality hotels - we stayed at the fine Palazzo Sant'Angelo on the Grand Canal.

MRT has a strong track record of cultural tours, part of which is their music festivals/tours/cruises. They have maintained the quality of their office support through the pandemic. Expect to pay for the quality.

Venetian Palaces is a very population MRT tour. Rightly. The level of support pre-travel is strong and has not suffered from post-covid syndrome like some other operators. Access was arranged to some private palaces and hosted by the owners, and a private evening visit to the Basilica of San Marco was something special. Hotel (Palazzo Sant'Angelo) is very good and on a prime location on the Grand Canal. Guide Michael Douglas-Scott was excellent and the tour manager caring.

MRT is very competent, has some very helpful staff with a named individual for each tour, and has maintained standards.

We were based in Venice for a series of concerts of Venetian music. There were 8 concerts of varied periods and styles of music across 4 days. The day started with a lecture on the coming music, giving the background and explaining the music and its context. There was free time to explore Venice.

We have travelled with Martin Randall Travel many times and always found their tour organisation to be excellent. Interesting content and most knowledgeable tour guides.

A specialist tour, eight early music concerts in four days each in a different venue. All were magnificent. The result of superb organisation.

Martin Randall Travel is the unbeatable leader in this specialist field of "highbrow" group travel.

Venice is the best venue at any time of the year. I have visited Venice so many times over the years and love to come back. No cars, just walking to most venues or getting on a vaporetto. It is a perfect venue for a festival of music.

The flaw in this wonderful festival was the Hotel Buonvechiatti. My room was dark , facing a blank wall maybe 1.5 metres away and the space between walls was the hotel’s air conditioning noisy exhaust. The air came through a metal grid presumably the length of the hotel. It was horrible. Secondly the shower contraption enclosed one in a tight cocoon making it very hard to wash one’s self.

Martin Randall created a series of exceptional concerts performed by leading musicians over 4 days in venues where the original music might first have been performed .

Martin Randal's vision of the customer experience is outstanding and delivery by his staff is consistently professional.with attention paid to every detail.