There have been some big changes at Slow Travel Tours, the travel company that the message board moderators run "on the side."
Given our current economic crisis, we decided to pitch in and add some new services and tours to allow you all to travel on little to no money. So for this year, we're announcing, Slow TravelDepressionRecession Planning. Thought vacation rentals were out of your reach, not with our new SlowDumps. Need transportation, we have you covered with our Transportation Rental Services, not to mention our new Tours and Travel Tips !
-------------------------------------------------------- You may remember, in 2005 we launched a great selection of packaged tours. Everything from a fast tour of Europe, to the ulitmate slow tour of Poggibonsi, to an obsessive/compulsive tour of Switzerland, to the ultimate tour of the Uffizi. Read more about our Tours.
Our tours were such a success (yes, everyone wants to spend time with the SlowTrav moderators - even if they have to pay), that in 2006 we launched our selection of villas and vacation rentals.
We offer perfect apartments in Rome and Florence, a themed Cotswolds cottage, an amazingly well design Swiss Chalet, an Amsterdam Canal House, and places in the Italian countryside that are almost "American." Plus some lovely "extras". Read more about our Villas.
In 2007, we launched a new tour (can anyone forget ElderGeezr, The Modern Day Grand Tour) and a new division, Slow Travel Services to make your tours and vacation rentals even better, offering car rentals, pet vacations, child packages, trip planning and GTG planners.
And in 2008, we announced the formation of Slow Air!! Yes, for the first time our moderators take to the air to slow you down. Our fleet of modern planes should get to your destination, in time, with varying classes of service to account for your personal needs (or at least those of the guy next to you paying more). For those of a more sensitive nature, explore our new PCS, Personal Containment System! We know what you want! Flying, the way you've always deserved to.
------------------------------------------------ Please visit www.slowtravtours.com and see our new offerings. And book a trip with us for heaven's sake!!
We welcome your POSITIVE comments and feedback - anyone else can visit Fodors.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,
Ha Ha! Great stuff!! It would take me week to read all of your links. It must have taken you since last April to build this!! Well done, all, and thank you for giving me a laugh.
I am relaying a complaint by a girlfriend who joined one of your hostage-taking recession tours. First of all your weather advice sucked: weather happened. Secondly 6 months after the tour, her car rental agency forwarded to her a ticket for 339.40 euro (including a 112.20 euro for late fine) from the fashion police of the municipality of Milan, accusing her of wearing ugly-as-sin shoes which had been recommended precisely by slowtrav as stunning-vs-ugly-blabla. And oh by the way, the 1-week-all-over Italy tour did not even have the decency to throw in Athens and London, duh ! Lastly when your tour operator told her her plane was delayed and her luggage sent by mistake to Karachi, that was the ultimo straw.
Might I suggest a stop at Econoland, the Economist magazine's new theme park, as an appropriate destination for DepressionRecession Tours? Fun AND educational!
Posts: 820 | Location: San Francisco Bay Area | Registered: 28 June 2006
Hi everyone my name is silvia and i'm from italy ... i'm using this forum to ask u the very important american's tour operator for vacancy in general ( NOT specialized in a particulary destination) i really appreciate your asnwer have a great day silvia
Posts: 1 | Location: italy | Registered: 01 April 2009
I'm still trying to recuperate from the tour I took with Slow Travel Tours last year, Kim...so I'm not sure I'm up for another one this year. However, rent me a goon for sure! I have a few folks who've irritated me so much this past year that a good beating from a qualified goon is just the ticket for them. Good service, great idea. I'm in!
Here's my abbreviated trip report from my last Slow Tour in 2008:
Accommodation: I loved my stay in Florence with Maureen's sister in her new condo! That trundle bed was dee-lish! Comfy as can be. I'd highly recommend it if your are thinking of a few days in Florence. I've posted a photo of her penthouse condo below...seeing is believing!
Museums: Uffizi tour...take it! Especially if you are bored and have a few days on your hands and nothing left to do in Florence after you've seen the top 3 must-sees in the city. I loved this tour. A lot. Good way to eat up 5 - 6 days. Got caught up on my sleep by passing up some of the daily tours and catching a few zzzzz's in the corridors. Bonus: I learned where every single bathroom is in the Uffizi!
Food: This was my only complaint. Maureen's family eats a LOT of prosciutto. I offered to buy groceries the day I arrived and the amount of that stuff that they insisted they needed to have was......phenomenal and expensive! I had to run to 5 ATM's to get enough Euros to pay for groceries. Oh, well, they'll eat good for a year on that amount of prosciutto.
Rating:
A recommendation: I looked at taking the SlowHo night tour but at the last minute, I chickened out! You should have seen the way the tour guide was dressed! I've never seen skirts hemmed that short or tops cut that low. I ran back to Maureen's sister's place and locked the door behind me after I was safely inside. I think those SlowHo guides wanted me to work on their night tours! At least, the big guy in the flashy suit who was with them yelled something about that as I ran like Hades for the apartment door. So, beware of this tour. It isn't what it seems, it seems.
Gook job, Kim et al! As always ...totally enjoyable!
"The trouble with practical jokes is that very often they get elected." ~ Will Rogers Brenda
Here's a look at Maureen's sister's penthouse condo...
Slow Travel Talk 
Does it come with a matching Mukka Express?
I love this day on SlowTrav!!
...phenomenal and expensive! I had to run to 5 ATM's to get enough Euros to pay for groceries. Oh, well, they'll eat good for a year on that amount of prosciutto. 
