Peter Sommer Travels Traveller Reviews

Have just returned from "Exploring Sicily 2018' I can thoroughly recomnend this tour. Sicily exceeded my expectations and was a wonderful archaeological and cultural learning experience on this beautiful island. Our expert guides Tony and Lucia, as well as being enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their subject matter, were attentive to the needs of their guests throughout ensuring a comfortable tour. The accommodation and selected restaurants were top class. Loved it!!

Although I live on the opposite side of the world to the tour operator Peter Sommers Travels, this made no difference to making arrangements for the tour. The contact at head office responded immediately to queries and instructions were clear and concise.

Our two-week historical and archeological tour around Sicily was absolutely marvellous. It not only informed us but also introduced us to much broader aspects of Sicily - its culture, its lifestyles and especially its wonderful and varied food and wine. We visited all of the significant sites, towns and cities and gained a really comprehensive understanding of ancient and modern Sicily. Our expectations before the tour were already high but everything we experienced exceeded them entirely. An absolutely fabulous tour.

We are thrilled to recommend Peter Sommer Travels for this Exploring Sicily tour. The accommodation was of a very high standard, all of the beautiful hotels and ’agriturismo’ chosen perfectly, and the meals and food were consistently excellent, also chosen with great thought for detail and local experience. The group of only 12 people was a perfect size, allowing everyone to interact easily and have fun together. Above all, our two guides, Prof Tony Spawforth and Lucia Iacono were superb, their passion and enthusiasm not only informing us comprehensively, but also creating a wonderful sense of group harmony.

This our third tour with Peter Sommer Travels. Based on the two prior tours we expected the Cruise to the Cyclades to be a superb experience. We were NOT disappointed. If we were in the group of Americans favored by the Republican Congressional majority and the Trumpster we would spend our gains, in part, by cruising with Peter Sommer three or four times a year. The huge variety of available tours; something to satisfy almost any interested traveler, is a major part of the attraction. The small groups of people is far superior to the experience we have had with other cruising companies whose boats held 100 or more people. The details of what is visited and what the guest is shown are obviously carefully planned. Until one experiences a trip with Peter Sommer one doesn't realize the wonder experience you have with two guides continually available to teach, describe, and help the guest. The Turkish gulets are a superb choice as a mode of travel. We regret the worsening geopolitical situation may sharply reduce the availability of this mode of travel. I would advise someone who thinks that they know a lot about travel accommodations offered by cruises of any size to hold back on a review of such accommodations until they have lived on a gulet for 10-14 days. And, in addition, no raving about other cruise cuisine until they eat on a gulet staffed with a cook measuring up to the Peter Sommer Travel standards. We look forward to land travel with the company in the future as we have no reason to suspect that there will be any diminution in the cuisine to we will be given. North American residents should understand or realize that dealing with Peter Sommer Travel in the Midlands of England is as convenient and as personalized as dealing with a travel company or agents within a few miles of their home. Peter and his staff have gone out of their way on multiple occasions to make our trips more enjoyable. Working out the details of booking and payment has been much more tolerable with the Company than almost any of the other companies with which we have dealt. It's time to stop. Obviously, we would rank Peter Sommer Travel as our number one choice for any additional tours we might take in the future that involve the lands and seas upon which they offer tours. If only the pound would drop to parity with the dollar!! Thanks for this opportunity to offer our opinions. Del B. Coolidge, M.D.

I think I covered that in my long-winded diatribe.

I very much enjoyed my cruise in the Cyclades. Our guides Heinrich and Maria knew the archaeology and geography of the islands very well and were gifted story tellers, dramatizing each location. The ship’s crew were great, professional and friendly, and the cook quite amazing. Days began gently with a wonderful breakfast on board, and frequently ended with long evenings on deck again, eating local specialties (sweets and liqueurs), trading stories, myths and lamentable jokes. I loved passing small islands just visible on the horizon and then the slow approach to harbour, each island interesting in a different way. We visited tiny unique local museums, and also learned a lot about island industries: pumice and marble quarries, winemaking, and sponge fishing. The expected highlights were the sacred peace of Delos and the wonders of Akrotiri and the caldera of Santorini with whitewashed villages spread high along the cliff-tops like snow. The surprises for me were climbing down into the volcanic crater at Nisyros, walking inside a restored Roman Villa at Kos, the hospitality in small monasteries of aged nuns and priests, on Naxos seeing the sunset through the never-finished temple and finally the crossing to Bodrum Museum in Turkey, to see there the Uluburun, a salvaged 14th century BC boat. Maria and Heinrich were wonderful guides, magnificent in the couple of medical emergencies we had, and great at creating a cohesive group of happy tourists. Thank you.

Peter SommerTravels, highly professional, well organised: small group travel.

Our two weeks aboard the Aegean Clipper made this Greek island vacation one of the best times we ever had. There is interest and beauty in every direction on these islands and at sea. Each meal was a delight and a wonder. Our guides narration was great throughout, at turns thoughtful and funny. Both guides were approachable, well organized, and plainly concerned that we get the most from our experience. So many events stand out, hiking in the hills on Naxos, the ancient cathedrals, swimming in the blue water, museums full of the most ancient works. We loved it.

Peter Sommer Travels was our choice due to the serious archeology chops of the company and its guides. What a delight then to find the guides as adept at booking a gourmet meal and arranging for us to make it there as to discussing the finer points of spolia. The tour operator was generous, covering many admissions fees and other expenses that we had expected to pay ourselves. While not inexpensive, they provide wonderful value for the money in every way. We are happy and recommend them.

We booked a bespoke tour of Greece based on the graduations of two of our children, one studying ancient medicine. We asked Peter Sommers Travel to create an itinerary that would help us see and learn about some of the sights and ancient culture our children studied in college. We were not disappointed. It was a well thought out tour - beginning to end. Specifically, we toured Athens, then we boarded a gulet and toured the Dodecanese Islands, with the last leg of the tour in the Peloponnesus region of Greece with our last evening returning and completing our tour in Athens. We were treated to local cuisine and culture. We experienced a trip that is not the typical tour of Greece and we loved it! It was exactly as billed and more. We love to get involved with the local culture and not the tourist culture per se. It was lovely, relaxed and informative. Our guides happily handled all our questions with knowledge and patience. It was truly a wonderful family trip and we highly recommend Peter Sommers Travel to everyone. We told just about everyone we came in contact with during our trip home!

Peter Sommers Travel was attentive, communicative, knowledgeable and prompt with requests for information and questions regarding specific details of travel and the itinerary. We were well cared for and every need we voiced or did not voice was met. Our guides were professional, courteous, well versed in their field of study, and happily entertained us with their knowledge and stories.

Wonderful second trip to Lycia! A joy to sail again on the lovely gulet Sunworld IX, to savour the creations of Birdal our ingenious cook, to swim in the translucent waters of intimate creeks. All these reward the amateur archeologist who seeks to touch the remote traces of once-thriving ancient settlements, the remains of daring hydraulic engineering or sophisticated urban planning. Pinara and its honeycomb of rock-hewn tombs, Delikkemer and its cyclopean syphon, the sunken city of Dolichiste and many more: names, images, a treasure of memories never to be forgotten.

To appreciate this ancient Lycian civilization, one needs expert guidance. We had the best. Peter Sommer is not only a very efficient tour operator, he is an archeologist who explored and combed the Lycian territory for over two decades and still today approaches its history as a passion. Besides his erudition, Peter is also an excellent guide in the full sense of the term, prudent, attentive to the safety of his charges yet encouraging and inspiring. So much so that, at the end of the trip, one cannot but start plotting the next adventure in his company.

It was fantastic. The historical expert was extremely knowledgeable and the driver and guide arranged everything perfectly. After beautiful, informative walks through the countryside and/or through historical sites, we would stop for a delicious meal at a carefully-selected nearby inn. My questions were quickly answered, the pace was just right for the experience to be both relaxing and stimulating, and there were no delays or disappointments. It was exactly the experience that I had been hoping for. I left with a very positive impression of the whole area, as well as with a far deeper understanding and appreciation of the history of the area than I could possibly have gotten from traveling on my own. In addition to giving me an appreciation for the Roman period, the tour gave me an understanding and appreciation for the architecture and history of the dark ages, and of the border wars. I would very much like to go to the region again, and I would certainly be interested in travel again using Peter Sommer Travels.

Everything was arranged beautifully. It was wonderful to know that the arrangements were in good hands, and I could relax and focus on enjoying the beautiful countryside. Every stage of the trip was planned, so that there was always food and rest right when it was wanted, and we were ushered past every line and barrier without hassle or delay. Also, everyone was extremely courteous and pleasant. They did a wonderful job, and they made it look quite easy and fun, although I am sure it must have been a lot of work making everything go so smoothly.

I’ve long dreamed of a trip to Greece centered on visiting islands but was daunted by the amount of research and planning this would entail. Then I happened upon the website of Peter Sommer Travels and knew I had found the perfect fit. Just the right size ship, just enough tour members to feel like a big family, an itinerary of places seen before and places totally new, a program including history, art, local culture and food, swimming, and relaxation, expert guides, food and transportation provided. Now, having returned from the trip I can say it was everything that was promised and I highly recommend it. Our ship and crew were wonderful, the tour members were interesting people and great company, our guides were excellent organizers and communicators, and also friendly, humorous, and considerate companions, the food was marvelous, watching islands all around us as we made our way among them, and seeing our destinations get larger and larger as we approached was unforgettable, each island became an individual as we learned what was special about it, and to be traveling the same sea routes as the ancient seafarers is a memory to treasure.

This is an excellent company to travel with. The itinerary, the guides, the ship and its crew, the food, the activities, the fellow passengers, all were simply the best.

We sailed out of Napoli on a beautiful gulet that had a captain, first mate, housekeeper/barmaid, chef and archeologist. All for six cabins! Very reasonably priced for what was offered. Every day was well planned and well suited for the group. We enjoyed relaxing on the boat while sailing but also enjoyed visiting the different towns on the islands and up the coast. It was wonderful having our own onboard guide/archeologist that was always there for us. Plus our local guide who met us in various towns or historic sites was always on time and very friendly and informative. Honestly, this was one of the very best one week trips we have ever taken.

Boat was immaculate. All of the staff were professional and very nice. Onboard archeologist was very organized and always there for us if we had any questions. We always felt safe, well taken care of with a very friendly attitude from crew while they showed us a great time, both fun and educational. Second time cruising with Peter Sommers and we will definitely do it again.