Traveler of the Week

As much as we aim to describe our tours in a unique and creative manner without repeating ourselves, we come across ones that stump us. Take for example, the ever popular Hop on & Hop off bus tour.

We carry them in almost every city imaginable: San Francisco, Boston, New York, Sydney, London, Dublin, and Paris (to name just a few). We have open-top buses, double-decker buses, trolleys, canal buses, water taxis, tramways, and river cruises.

Usually, you purchase a pass and ride between popular attraction stops where you can sightsee or ride at will. For the most part, we refer to them, and name them something like “Hop on Hop off” or “Loop” tours, where you are free to literally get on and get off at will throughout your day. These tours are a great way to get your bearings in a new city and are exceedingly popular.

So, for this week’s traveler of the week, we nominate Sandra M, who managed to put it just a little differently as she describes her River Red Rover - Thames River Hop On Hop Off Pass.

What a fantastic way to see London, up and down, and on and off. I recommend this to anyone wanting to travel on the Thames. What a great trip! Well worth it.”

Reviewed by: Sandra M, United States

We couldn’t have put it any better ourselves!

If you live in America you’ve probably seen this commercial: a man and a woman are in Italy, looking very much in love. Woman notices her father reading a newspaper on the steps. Woman notices her mother there, as well. Man drops to a knee with a ring and asks woman to marry him, again, for the second time (practice makes perfect apparently). She’s thrilled, everybody looks happier than can be, fade to black.

Only on TV, right?

That’s what we thought, too, until we received the following note. It’s an actual review submitted by Ken B from the USA, as part of our new Traveler Reviews. And yes, he gave the tour - Rome by Night with Dinner - the highest rating possible! Good on ya, Ken.

“Our tour started with the Trevi Fountain, at which I asked my girlfriend if she would marry me. She said yes. We then saw the outside of St Peter’s Basilica and the Colosseum. We were then taken to dinner. Due to this night being the finals of the World Cup Soccer Championship the restaurant was empty. This was great. The owner and his wife both sang to us during our dinner. Very romantic. After dinner we were taken as close to our hotel as traffic would allow. The streets were full of thousands of people on their way to the Circus Maximus to see the Italy win on the big screen. We joined in the celebration.

We absolutely loved the tour and would like to take it again next time we are in Rome.”

For proposing to his girlfriend in Rome, and getting a ‘yes’, Ken B from the USA is Viator’s traveler of the week.

-Scott McNeely

While San Francisco’s summers can be (let’s be honest - they are) downright frigid, fall delivers clearer skies and off-shore breezes.

So if you are visiting SF at this time of year, you’ll find less crowds and better weather, which can add up to lots of fun. With the best chances of fog-free days, it’s a great time of year to try a helicopter & sea plane tour of San Francisco.

Hang on - a helicopter or sea plane tour… are you serious? That sounds scary, doesn’t it?

Suzann M, one of Viator’s own staff members, thought the same thing at first but ended up having a great time on a Vista San Francisco Helicopter Tour. Here’s her story:

“I am a big chicken when it comes to heights and I’ll admit that I lost a little sleep worrying about a bumpy ride. But, despite my worries, the Vista Helicopter Tour delivered a smooth trip and all the excitement you’d expect from being in a helicopter. As a local, I’ve visited Alcatraz, Fisherman’s Wharf & the Golden Gate Bridge many, many times, but seeing these San Francisco landmarks from the air was simply amazing! I’m definitely adding this tour to my list of best things to do in San Francisco.”

For going above and beyond the call of duty and facing her fear, we’ve nominated Suzann as Viator’s Traveler of the Week for November 6. Congratulations, Suzann.

It’s official — the Viator travel blog is up and running. Tell your friends, tell your coworkers, tell random people in the street. The Viator travel blog is a resource for anybody who loves to travel.

Check back over the coming weeks and months as we post and share our thoughts on a range of travel topics: from things to do in New York City and Paris tours and activities (the stuff that pays the bills and keeps us going) to travel deals, travel news, travel alerts, you name it.

We also want to hear from you — don’t be shy, ask us questions, tell us what you like or don’t like, and we’ll see what we can do to help you make the most of your next trip. Happy travels.

–The Viator Travel Team