Testimonials

"What fantastic memories we have of our Italian Pilgrimage.  Forty-two members of the Deaf Community from the United States joined with the delegation from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for a 10 day pilgrimage to Italy.   The International Pilgrimage of Catholic Deaf People, Rome 2008 was fantastic.  What made our tours and travel more than we could have hoped for or imagined was having Hands on Travel and Terry Giansanti as our guide in so many of the remarkable historic, religious and cultural destinations in Rome, Florence, Orvieto and Assisi.  Terry's assistance planning and during our trip was outstanding.  He made the pilgrimage a real hands on, deaf friendly, trip of a lifetime.  Terry mediated language, history, culture, and geography in such a professional, warm friendly way.  Many of us are looking forward to our next opportunity to experience Italy with Hands on Travel!
--Sister Kathleen Schipani, Deaf Apostolate, Archdiocese of Philadelphia

"It was an excellent experience exploring Italy! Honestly, you were excellent in giving us good lectures on each part of Italy. We were very lucky to have full communication access with you. Well worth it! We would recommend this to all of our friends!"
--Raymond and Diane Kilthau, Colorado

"Everything about our Russia, Finland, and the Baltic States trip was fantastic! This tour offered us the opportunity to see and experience Moscow, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius in a way that wouldn't have been possible on our own. We enjoyed meeting deaf people in each of the cities we visited. We appreciate being able to sit back and relax and enjoy our vacation with everything taken care of by HOT! Since we were so impressed with the quality of service given by HOT we plan to use this company for our future travel plans."
--Kitty and Lance Fischer, Maryland

"Going on the Ireland trip with HOT was one of the most memorable trips we had in our whole life. We had the opportunity to see so many beautiful scenes such as the beautiful pastures, blue skies, blue ocean, clear brooks, breathtaking mountains, sandy beaches, and much more. Terry provided us with great insights on exploring the island by taking us to pubs and restaurants with great food and to many comfortable bed and breakfast places. For those who want to see the inside and outside life of Irish people, travel on windy roads with Terry is a MUST!!!"
--Steve and Dot Brenner, Maryland

"In March of 2008 we brought 17 students from California School for the Deaf Fremont over to Italy for 11 glorious days. Prior to the trip we had to encounter many planning and budget hazards but Terry was there every step of the way. Once in Italy Terry was nothing but a sensational, patient, wonderful and knowledgeable travel guide. It was his first time with a school group but he did not even show it! He took the time to talk with the students, answered all their questions, gave wonderful presentations, and continually modified the pace of the trip depending on the mood of the students. Dealing with high school teenagers is a whole different ballgame, but Terry handled it with grace and infallible charisma. The kids loved the fact that their tour guide was deaf and signed in ASL and always clamored for his attention. They felt as if Italy was a lot more accessible to them. Even to this day, the kids still talk about the trip. It was a FABULOUS trip and probably one of the best international studies trips CSD has taken! There are not enough words of thanks for everything, but let us say it again-- Thank you!"
--California School for the Deaf, Fremont

"Starting with the spectacular view on the Amalfi Coast, visiting Capri, and the driving on the hillsides keeping everything exciting, was a tremendous beginning of a two week visit with a fun group of people. Rome, Tuscany, Florence and Venice, all with a guide to take us to the best places each location had to offer, from restaurants to hotels to museums to simple sightseeing. The knowledge that Terry has of Italy (his wife was born there and claims that Terry knows more about Italy than she does!) added immensely to the tour. A can't miss vacation!"
--Jim and Holly Macfadden, Maryland

"We wanted to say how grateful we are to you for being our wonderful guide. Spending time in Italy was a pleasure and a learning experience! Many thanks for sending us home with wonderful memories! Arrivederci!"
--Paul and Rosemary DonAroma, Connecticut

"Francis and I were extremely fascinated with the details you gave in museums and other places. When you explained about masterpieces, we felt like we were in them. With your deep heart, you introduced the legendary Italian love of good things, including GOOD FOOD! We enjoyed the bed and breakfast places. It left a lasting effect on us. We also learned so much about each region of Italy, totally different from each other. Thank you very much!
--Jenny Sue and Francis Bourne, Maryland

"If I am asked to say just ONE word how I feel about the Alpine Jewels Tour, it would be "AWESOME!" I really had a great time with the tour group and D&D (Donalda & Diane).  D&D were terrific guides, believe me!  They really know these three countries.  D&D had helped me appreciate the Bavaria's culture much more!  Having dinner with Bavarian deaf community members with their traditional Bavarian clothing inthe beer garden was an especially memorable moment for me. Now, I have a very warm fuzzy feeling whenever I see the word "Bavaria".  Also, I have fallen in love with Switzerland and its majestic mountains and green grassy slopes with cows and bells around their necks.  D&D brought us to many beautiful places in Switzerland.  Now, I look at Colorado's mountains with shrugging shoulders ... nothing compare with Switzerland's mountains.  You would not believe how many pictures I have taken of its mountains! I really enjoyed staying at Fontana Passugg.  It was my favorite place to stay. I was very much impressed how the deaf, HH and late-deafened people worked together to make the conference retreat center successful! I will always keep all the wonderful memories in my heart with a smile on my face! Thank you very much for providing the Alpine Jewels Tour!!!"
--Shirley Gsell, Colorado 

"We were pleased with the package that you offered, and liked how you were able to give us creative, customizable solutions. The nice thing about your consultation services is how you were able to provide us with Plan B and Plan C. One of the pluses was your e-mail responsiveness, which made the the travel planning as effortless as possible. We definitely had a perfect babymoon in Italy, and we have you to thank."
--Christopher Brown and Roberta Mather, Washington D.C.

"Our adventure in Italy was superb. You did a great job reserving comfortable hotels and good restaurants for us, and taking us to interesting destinations. I enjoyed learning from Terry's amazing knowledge of history, culture, geography, and art of Italy. I would love to go to Europe again with Terry because he is such an easygoing person."    
--Ted Myhre, Indiana

"We certainly did have a blast in Italy recently due to a well organized two-week tour prepared by Terry. His narrative presentation throughout the tour was very informative and impressive. Also, after our daily tours we we had a great time during the evenings to sample the Italian cuisine and wines selected by Terry and moreover we had a real joyful, relaxing and casual fellowship with our tour group including Terry and his assistant, Sey  during these dinners.  Hats off to Terry and  Sey.  If you should consider for a tour in Italy, we highly recommend you to contact Terry."
--Race and Jean Drake, Virginia

"We had an incredibly superb vacation with an excellent tour guide, Terry.  With Terry's great knowledge in Italy culture, history, art, wine tasting and stories, we couldn't ask for more.  All these great times dining out at great restaurants, walking tours, fingertasting with a fantastic group and a great assistant in Sey was just memorable.  We ll be back!"
--Charlie Marmo and Ron Scolaro, Los Angeles, California

"Everytime we see images of Italy in our snapshots, books in bookstores, or even in the movie "Mission Impossible 3", we  get excited!  We truly appreciated you as our guide, as you helped us acclimate to the foreign language, lead us to historical sites, and give us interesting information which we wouldn't have gotten otherwise on our own, and see firsthand what they eat in restaurants!  I wish we could have seen more places, but then we would have to extend many more days.  Thank you once again for the wonderful memories." 
-- Barbara & Fred Bass, Phoenix, AZ

"Terry, thank you to you and Roy both. My son thoroughly enjoyed himself on the tour. I never thought it would be possible for him to get a signed tour of the Vatican. You have helped make a wonderful trip a lot more memorable and special FOR one deaf 12 year old from sunny Florida."
--Amy Prado, Florida

"The perfect trip!  What a pleasure to go on a vacation of a lifetime and only have to make airline reservations!  My daughter and I were fortunate enough to spend a week with Terry in March as he guided us through Rome, Florence and Siena, and our experience could not have been better.  Terry is professional, very knowledgeable, patient and a real pleasure to travel with.  An added bonus is his extensive wine knowledge – what a treat.
Although our time was short, I don’t think we missed a thing.  The best part of all was the fact that my daughter could communicate with him directly – first-hand information all the way.  I look at our pictures often – what great memories.  Terry, thank you for providing such a wonderful and needed service."
--Karen and Lauren Bain  Cleveland, Ohio

"We found ourselves in Rome for a visit. On the first day, we walked around without Terry and we were fumbling with our guidebooks and maps and wondering what the different sites were around Rome. We saw a site that had several ruins that was overrun with cats. It appeared to be a cat refuge of some sort. At that time, Sally and I could only speculate and guess what the sign said (it was all in Italian). The next day, Terry took us on a wonderful tour of the city of Rome and he gave us a very in-depth historical explanation of each site in ASL. Both Sally and I soaked in all the fascinating information and we were totally awed about what we learned. We walked by a non-descript building and Terry stopped us and explained it was the first school for the Deaf in Rome. We would have never have known that if it wasn't for Terry. We walked by the ruins with the cat refuge and Terry asked us if we knew the significance of that place. Sally and I replied that it looked like some sort of unknown ruins that they let the cats used. Terry smiled and pointed to a spot between two fallen Roman columns and explained that was the spot where Julius Caesar was killed! Our jaws absolutely dropped and that itself was well worth the price of the tour! What's more, Terry, in his energetic and animated manner, took us to a lot of spots of historic significance and explained a lot of cultural tidbits of the people of Rome."
--Scot and Sally Atkins, South Dakota

"For those planning a trip with and by a DEAF guide in Italy, a walking tour would definitely play into the passion of a maestro in Mr. Terry Giansanti. How could we capture in so few words the walking tour through the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria than through the timeless footpaths developed by those townspeople centuries ago? That beats by a wide margin of seeing Europe through the frame of a car window! This is the pristine way to go to experience through your eyes and mind the primitive and spiritual touch crafted by human hands as you leisurely scan through the built landscapes."
--Mark Hansen, Austin, Texas

"Now that Terry also enlivened this "surreal" experience with his wonderful storytelling intertwined with historical facts for point of interest in Venice, Florence and Rome. He skillfully enhances a story with details about culture, food & wine, language, romance and traditions both locally and from other places around the world. Thank you, Terry, for your time and energy in sharpening our awareness of the surrounding beauty and pace of life." --Joanie Hansen, Austin, Texas "What a wonderful time I had in Italy under your leadership! There were so many new experiences and adventures! I really learned a lot. All of a sudden, the two weeks were over; time went by so fast! Then the pictures arrived and reminded me of how many exciting different things we did. I saw all that! Wow. It was my best vacation ever and I can't thank you enough." --Alma Bournazian, Massachusetts

"Wow! As an adventurer, this was the BEST trip I ever took and well worth my money and time. I strongly recommend that anyone take this HOI trip with Terry Giansanti ( highly recommended, incredible guide). A very well informed, fun, eye-opening and pleasurable tour. Italy is really a beautiful country with sleepy Tuscany villages, vineyards, Roman ruins, staying in a convent and poppy fields. I am on cloud nine and still smiling over the wonderful times I had. I would do it over again in a heartbeat. You are awesome, Terry."
--Marjorie Klish, Colorado

"We enjoyed seeing you talk about many little things in Rome and other places. We also enjoyed the gondola ride to see Venice and the canals...thanks to you and Sey. We loved the delicious Italian cuisine especially in the beautiful Tuscany country. We had a great time in Italy for 2 weeks. You did a good job as a tour guide."
--Tom and Carol Higdon, Maryland

"I had a wonderful time! Everything was great and I loved Italy. Thanks for showing us your new country. I've been telling everyone that you gave the best tour! thanks!"
--Suzanne Burley, North Carolina

"Italia 101-- Having not been to Italia before, Terry's introduction to Italia was an eye-popper and jaw-dropper! With Terry's expert guidance, we were able to visit Firenze, Assisi, Pisa, Tuscany and Umbria regions. Toward the end of our trip, we took Roma with Terry as our guide for a few days. His knowledge of Italia's history was magnificent which made our walking tours special. He also made recommendations where to dine at several special eateries, shopping at some famous locations, etc. Many thanks for making our first taste of Italia a memorable one!"
-- Nancy and Cliff, Tucson, AZ

"Our time with Terry in Rome, Tuscany, and Florence went wonderfully. We were very interested in shopping for some specific collectibles and Terry helped us find exactly what we were looking for. What's more, he did all the driving and guiding, so we never needed to use a map and were able to enjoy the beautiful country in peace!"
--The Marchicas and Konoskis, New York/Florida

"There is no better way to visit Italy than with Terry Giansanti and Hands On Italia. My recent trip had the feel of being on my own but with the guidance of someone who knows Italy through and through. The trip was personalized to what I wanted to see and do -- no set itinerary, no set time, and all the flexibility in the world! The pre-trip planning was invaluable and Terry made things so smooth and easy. If only Terry could be cloned to provide "Hands On" tours for other countries!"
--Marcia Zisman, Maryland

"If you are traveling solo and truly want a Roman holiday adventure, ride with Terry on the back of his motorcycle and see Rome! Terry really knows the neighborhoods by heart. Even if you can't stay in Rome forever, he'll make sure you leave your heart behind, wanting more of Italy."
--Teresa Ezzell, Washington, D.C.

"We will never forget Terry Giansanti, who was a wonderful helper. He could write well in Italian language, and helped us find the birth certificate of Josette's grandmother who was born in the Tyrol region. He made our genealogical research much easier. He also traveled with us all over northern Italy and we are grateful for his service for deaf people. We loved him!"
--Doni and Josette, California

"Thanks for putting all your planning efforts into our 9 day trip. It was an experience we will never forget, especially the Jewish tour of Rome, the ruins of Pompeii, the diversity of Florence, the leaning experience of Pisa, and, of course, the beauty of Venice!!"
--Ken, Sharon, Joshua, Michael and Rachel, California

"Tuscany was awesome and majestic because of Terry's expert guidance. Walking in the vineyards made me feel a free spirit by seeing the full genuine countryside of Tuscany. I love the beauty of nature. It's worth a million "hands" to have HOI as an independent travel service for the Deaf."
--Maureen Mazza, Arizona

"We loved the overall experience. What we liked most about the tour was that our tour guide knew everything and explained it all very clearly. Anybody else would have given a general tour of Rome, but Terry showed us a lot of details around the city. Terry was clear, patient, and very helpful."
--Brenda Thornton and her school group, Virginia

"We had a blast on the Rome tour with you because you are an incredible guide! We also shall return to the States and tell people how awesome you were!"
--Erin Kearney, Illinois and Krissy Piorkowski, Colorado

"Of all the traveling I have done, my recent trip to Tuscany with HOI was one of the most delightful experiences I've had. For a first time in a long time, as a deaf tourist, I was able to access the same information that other hearing tourists were able to receive through English, but this time in ASL.There were fascinating informative details about the vineyards, the wines, and the countryside. A truly eye-opening and pleasurable tour, even more so since Terry is also a personable tour guide, who is easy going and sociable. All the more an enriching experience from my visit to Italy. I highly recommend people visiting Italy for the first time to use HOI."
--Mandy Frederickson, Minnesota

Without Terry's help and recommendations, we might have had some glitches and frustrations. He was very willing and made every effort to meet our expectations and wishes. He met us at our hotel in Naples on time and took us all the way to Sorrento, Positano and Amalfi in his car. He showed us around, not only in the towns but also a hidden restaurant on the hilltop, back roads, other villages, and introduced us to buffalo mozzarella cheese. His knowledge of Italy history, language and customs are impressive. Terry, we thank you!"
--Ricky Schoenberg and Pandy Branam, California

"I took a private trip in Italy with Hands On Italia. We visited Rome, Florence & Venice. Terry was just great in showing me the best of the historic city of Rome. He was excellent in giving me all the details so that I would not miss a thing. I felt so well-informed & enjoyed the sights. We took a day trip to Pompei/Sorrento - that just was the best - He even took me to visit a very authentic hilltop restaurant that I wouldn't have discovered otherwise. The views were just breathtaking. Terry has a vast knowledge of Italy and I learned a lot from him. Terry is very reliable and prompt and is always on time.Thanks Terry for all the terrific work. My trip wouldn't have been the same without you."
--Vijay Khanna, New York

"A friend recommended that I contact Terry directly to help me get the most out of my trip to Rome. Terry gave me great advice and suggestions. He was accurate and much more helpful than the guidebook I purchased. The walking tour was marvelous. The dynamics we were able to have was wonderful because we shared the same language. What I learned and experienced has been invaluable and I have continued to share those experiences with many people, young and old, as I believe this helps enrich everybody's life. It has certainly enriched mine! Thanks HOI!"
--Jillian Forschner, Pennsylvania

"We've been on adventure trips but never had a knowledgeable guide with sign language skills to portray us with the history, facts and stories of each hilltop town and unique place. The guide read us the menu and gave excellent suggestions on which entrees to try. We highly recommend HOI to travelers who desire to spice up their 'hands-on' adventure in Italy. Thanks for the phenomenal experience!"
--Mont & Barbara Richardson, California

"Terry's knowledge of Italy is impressive. We recently took two trips there and each time his advice has been invaluable in making our vacations special. His research on good hotels, restaurants, and places to see saved us a lot of time and gave us a lot of pleasure. All his recommendations were on target! We recommend Terry highly."
--Herb & Roz Rosen, Maryland

"We spent several days in Tuscany. The scenery was so beautiful that we felt like we were traveling on Cloud 9! We slept in a very old country inn deep in Tuscany and had the best meal of our lives at a nearby restaurant. We toured several castles and drove through small towns. Without Terry, we wouldn't have known the secrets of Tuscany. His extensive knowledge of Tuscany and the Italian language made wonders for us on our trip!"
--Bruce and Shelly Franks, Virginia

"We are seasoned travelers who enjoy discovering hidden secrets that are often overlooked by the majority of people. We also enjoy becoming a part of the local culture and sampling the regional cuisine. During our visit to Italy, Terry gave us some excellent tips that really helped add some memorable moments to our vacation."
--Linda Bove & Ed Waterstreet, California