I’ve just returned from Lake Como, my first visit to Italy and second Just You holiday. Our Tour manager, Marius, met us at Milan airport and did a great job of guiding us throughout our included and optional excursions. He had a great sense of humour and remained totally professional and approachable throughout the holiday.
There were 25 of us on the tour (4 men), majority flew from Heathrow, others direct from Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. Age range c.59-82. Our hotel Bazzoni, in Tremezzo (half way along the length of the lake), was right on the lakeside and we all had fabulous views across the lake from our balcony. There was a sun terrace with outdoor pool at the rear of the hotel which could be accessed between the 2nd and 3rd floor of the hotel. Our inclusive evening meals in the hotel were very acceptable with free unlimited wine (surprisingly palatable!). There were three tables booked for Just You in the dining room and we all mixed well, just occupying whichever seat was available as each of us arrived in the dining room.
The weather was a bit mixed but the sun always seemed to make an appearance mid-afternoon, even on the wet days (think it’s probably usual for Sept!). We travelled back and forwards across the lake to visit gardens and villages and also had an impromptu early evening cruise around the Lake to view some fabulous villas whilst sipping a glass of Prosecco. We also travelled by coach to Lake Maggiore where we visited two islands - more beautiful gardens and places to eat. I loved all the gardens we visited during the holiday. I would post some photos if I can find out how – Just You, could you please let me know how to add photos – I looked at your Facebook page too but couldn’t seem to add any photos there either. Thx.
The only optional tour I would not pre-book again, is the Bernina Express train to St. Moritz. It would have been a lovely train ride if the weather was good but it rained all day for us and the thick low cloud made it impossible to see any beautiful views. Hence, I suggest waiting to see what the weather is like before booking this excursion! Lovely holiday, not too tiring and no rush to have breakfast – except for the Bernina Express when we had to leave the hotel at 8.30 a.m.
The only thing that upset me was the stress and anxiety I experienced trying to find my way around Heathrow totally ALONE. The Just You quote, “All we ask you to do is pick your holiday and pack your bags, we’ll do the rest” isn’t exactly what happens when you are flying to Heathrow from a local airport. I won’t write in detail about what happened to me as I tried to cope with - Arriving at Terminal 5, getting to my Heathrow hotel, getting to Terminal 4 the following morning when there were no direct transfers and, on return from my holiday, getting from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 in time for the last flight to Newcastle. For someone who isn’t a frequent traveller, believe me the whole experience was very stressful. Now that I have experienced Heathrow and have documented all the pitfalls, platforms and appropriate terminal floors etc. I probably won’t be so nervous next time. However, I am sure there are probably other prospective travellers who would love to book a fabulous Just You holiday but are being put off by the thought of having to cope with Heathrow! Would be great if Just You could provide a good information package for those Heathrow virgins, instead of just directing them to the Heathrow website (think that method is only guaranteed to work if all travellers use computers regularly and are not likely to be nervous 60-80 yr olds!!!)
Btw, in case any fellow Lake Como travellers read this review, it was lovely to meet you all and I did make it home without having to sleep on the floor at Heathrow - my Newcastle flight was delayed by 1hr!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
