
Michael S
My Viator Contributions
Michael S's reviews and photos on Viator.com
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Feb152012
The Yorkshire Pass
Tour / Activity
Location: York, United Kingdom
My Review: Great value for money, went to 24 museums and attractions in the three days and saved over £50 in admission fees. I also got discounts in restaurants and shops. if you are visiting Yorkshire and planning on visiting lots of attractions this pass is absolutely essential.
Oct212010
Bosphorus Cruise and Istanbul's Egyptian Bazaar
Tour / Activity
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
My Review: Trip was interesting. The trip to the spice market was educational and well worth it. The cruise up and down the Bosphorus had entertaining commentary and there were plent of excellent photo opportunities. Well worth the money.
Oct202010
Istanbul in One Day Sightseeing Tour: Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, Grand Bazaar
Tour / Activity
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
My Review: Excellent tour! The morning visit to the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia was informative, educational and fun, although the Grand Bazaar was a bit overwhelming. The lunch could have been more substantial, and paying for the drinks was an unexpected expense. The views more than made up for it though. The Topkapi was a little disappointing, much of it was closed for renovation, but what we saw was good. The guide was very informative and very helpful. A good way to see the highlights of Istanbul if you have limited time.
Oct282009
Postojna Caves and Predjama Castle Tour from Ljubljana
Tour / Activity
Location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
My Review: Excellent tour, not many of us, but the guide and driver was very informative in the caves, we did the train ride and tour with the local guide but he did well and the tour was fast paced but worth the trip. The castle was excellent, history well explored by the guide and the whole place thoroughly explored, a good way to get a feel for rural Slovenia. Highly recommended.
Oct252009
Skip the Line: Venice in One Day
Tour / Activity
Location: Venice, Italy
My Review: Very good trip on balance, the walking tour took in St. Marks but also some of the more out of the way places between the Square and the Rialto Bridge. The guide was knowledgeable and informative, a couple of hours well spent. The boat tour was not so good. Tiny boat, very bumpy ride, nice fizzy wine but we couldn't hear the guide over the noise of the engine. Route was excellent though, small canals not accessible by the bigger boats. All around a good introduction to Venice.
Jul242009
Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum Half-Day Trip from Krakow
Tour / Activity
Location: Krakow, Poland
My Review: Excellent! The video on the way to the site, the tour guide was wonderful, and told the facts without getting overemotional. They spoke for themselves, a thorough explanation and exploration of Auschwitz. A little more time at Birkenau would have been good, but it was a moving experience that everyone should do!
Jul222009
Prague in One Day Sightseeing Tour
Tour / Activity
Location: Prague, Czech Republic
My Review: A n excellent tour! We saw the highlights of Prague, the castle, the cathedral, the old town square with its clock, the Jewish quarter, all very good, and advice for when you went back to look closer in person later. I recommend this tour to anybody, not too much walking either!
Jul202009
Vienna Historical City Tour with Schonbrunn Palace Visit
Tour / Activity
Location: Vienna, Austria
My Review: Well timed! A look at all the sights around the Ringstrasse, a few pauses for photographs would have been nice! Our guide was excellent and gave the story behind the tourist information. Schonbrunn was magnificent, we got a real feel for the place, a good tour, it could have done with a bit more time in the gardens, but never mind!
Jul182009
Budapest Night Walking Tour and River Cruise
Tour / Activity
Location: Budapest, Hungary
My Review: Budapest by night is worth doing! It feels like a different city! The boat cruise was good too.
Jul182009
Budapest City Walking Tour
Tour / Activity
Location: Budapest, Hungary
My Review: A very good tour! There were only two of us, but we got the best of the city, Heroes Square, the big churches, a walk up Castle Hill, a real feel for Budapest, and the afternoon free to go and explore inside what you have seen on your own, very good!
My Photos:
Sep252008
Siena and San Gimignano Day Trip from Florence
Tour / Activity
Location: Florence, Italy
My Review: The trip was spectacular. We got onto the top deck of a double-decker bus, so we had wonderful views of the Tuscan countryside. Our guide, who had impeccable English, commented on the history of the region on the way and also told us about our itinerary and what we could see in Siena. There was a lot of walking when we got to Siena, but the journey to the start point for the guided tour was over level ground, so no hardship. The tour by local guide was excellent, lots of inside information; we saw the highlights of Siena, including a visit to the cathedral and the works museum to see the famous painting. We were then taken down to the Campo and given an hour and a half for a leisurely lunch, perfect. We then made the short journey to San Gimignano with a stop to take photos from a distance. We had no tour in the second stop, but were led to the walls and left to explore on our own, with all the relevant information on where to go, what to eat and what to see. There was just the right amount of time to explore, then we returned to Florence in time to get our evening meal. A worthwhile trip. You must try it, as it's difficult to get to San Gimignano on public transport, and the guide information was very helpful.
Sep242008
Florence Concert and Dinner
Tour / Activity
Location: Florence, Italy
My Review: We met in Santa Trinita square and made the short trip over the busy Ponte Vecchio to the restaurant in the Transarno area. The food was good, and the wine was reasonable, but we had the water anyway. The starter was cold meats and bread, very Tuscan, followed by a selection of pastas--the tagliatelle with lemon was sublime. The main course was a choice of fish or pork; there was a vegetarian option, too, served Florentine style with spinach rather than potatoes, very nice. We then finished off with an excellent tiramisu and coffee, the perfect end to a good meal. The journey to the church for the concert was short and sweet. The church was a bit rundown, but that just added to the atmosphere, and it was full of typical Florentine art. The concert was a nice Dutch-Austrian man playing his piano, accompanied in every other piece by an excellent Italian opera diva. Her performance was good, typically Italian, lots of vibrato, but very accomplished, and she made numerous costume changes, which added to the fun. The piano pieces were heavy on the Chopin, and there were a lot of Puccini opera pieces, but being as we were in Italy that was welcome and very good, and most people like Chopin, so nearly everybody stayed to the end. A really good night, gives you a feel for Tuscan food and culture. Everybody who visits Florence should do it.




