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WhatsApp group for 9/11/23 Bellissima small group tour
It's getting close! We just got an invitation from our Tour Director Vincenzo setting up a WhatsApp group for our tour beginning on September 11th. He said he will begin transmitting information on September 6th, ahead of our scheduled arrival on the 9th. We have never used WhatsApp for this before, but it sounds like a wonderful way to keep the group informed.
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I use WhatsApp, I’m not sure I want any of that on a tour, strangers I have never met messaging at odd hours.
Our TD on our Egypt: Jewels of the Nile tour used WhatsApp. It was easier to contact the TD that way vs trying to call and leave messages. For our tour, all WhatsApp communications were one on one with the TD.
This sounds like a great idea! We are scheduled for this tour starting 10/11/23. I hope our tour leader does this also. In the meantime, please review your experiences either here or message me by using the message box on the upper right
I’m wondering if this is the same Vincenzo that used to work for A&K?
OurTravels34 His last name is de Michelis.
sherry_schare We will try to save you some wine...
I think it’s the same tour guide. You can ask him if he used to work for A&K. He was excellent and passionate.
Oooh, fun! We just got several WhatsApp messages from out TD Vincenzo, giving Milan restaurant recommendations around the hotel and announcing our welcome dinner location (in the Grand hotel featuring Milanese specialties such as saffron risotto and tournedo Rossini). He also gave some personal views about the dress code, packing tips and what we can expect. We were able to respond privately to him for any food allergies and bed configuration preferences. This could be a real asset to our trip, as we are coming in early. He goes on to describe himself as a "foodie" and promises we will NOT go hungry!
Okay you WhatsApp users. What if you don't have the app? Yes, I know how to get an app on my phone but don't currently have this one.
Claudia - Clearly a rhetorical question. 😂😂
Once you go to the app, you have to enter the phone number to invite the person you want to contact.
I do belong to one group of 4 on there based in England. Everyone else are single contacts. The group of four send me stuff at all hours, with a loud ding, fortunately I don’t take my phone to my bedroom
WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.
There must be Tauck customers out there that do not have a presence on the internet or want to use these types of apps. I am aware of people older than me that still do not have an email. All this cannot replace paper for the time being.
FYI: Vincenzo had been a private tour guide for George Clooney and also George Lucas.
In a place far, far, away?
We have had local guides on Tauck tours that have led the rich and famous, I would expect nothing less from any guides that work for Tauck.
In one of Vincenzo's messages, he said if any in our group do not have the app, he will figure out some way to get you the needed information. I, for one, appreciate all the little tips he has given so far, and it is a great enhancement to the excitement. It is very easy to turn off WhatsApp notifications for quiet time.
We've been contacted before tours by TDs using email - not hard since Tauck has my email address - but how would a TD know how to reach the guests by WhatsApp?
to Brenda Andersen
Getting excited about our upcoming trip which starts 10/11. We arrive in Milan on 10/10 and have a few activities planned for the morning the morning/afternoon before the welcome dinner and for the afternoon after the walking tour. Hope the jet lag isn't too bad so that we can enjoy these. Yes, definitely save some of wine for us, but most important please share your "what's app" dining tips in case our TD does not provide that service. In any case have a great time and please post after your trip.
Claudia_Sails, I believe Tauck asks for a cell phone number in their information requests, so that's what is used for WhatsApp. sherry_schare Let me see if I can copy and paste from his recommendations from my phone. It may take some doing, but stand by! We have our Last Supper tickets in hand, and have the pre-vacation excitement going on!
Thanx Brenda. As the song says, I'll be in "Italy" before you. Different tour though.
Okay, here are a few Milan restaurant recommendations from Vincenzo via WhatsApp:
Firstly, BOEUCC is simply a Milano institution. It is the city’s most historic restaurant - opened in 1696! Just a stone’s throw from the hotel in Piazza Belgiososo, 2. Expensive but worth it; past guests have loved it for it’s typical Milanese specialties (cotoletta, ossobuco, risotto).
And another:
Another would be BICE. Bice is a nickname for Beatrice and the original is long gone but her son carries on the tradition of simple down-home food in an unpretentious atmosphere …and with a kind of reverse chic, this place has always been a top favorite of the city elite. Again, not cheap but VERY memorable. Less than five minutes on foot from the hotel in Via Borgospesso, 12.
And yet even more:
And some more recommendations from our TD: And here are some more of my personal favorites for authentic Lombard cuisine a little further afield:
Gonna have to take my fat pants!!
to Brenda Andersen
Getting excited about our upcoming trip which starts 10/11. We arrive in Milan on 10/10 and have a few activities planned for the morning the morning/afternoon before the welcome dinner and for the afternoon after the walking tour. Hope the jet lag isn't too bad so that we can enjoy these. Yes, definitely save some of wine for us, but most important please share your "what's app" dining tips in case our TD does not provide that service. In any case have a great time and please post after your trip.
Thank you Brenda. Looking forward to your review of the trip and of the restaurants.