Best of Europe: Picking the right tour can make a huge difference

The glories of the Amalfi Coast come alive with Can't Be Missed Tours, known for intimate exposure to the landscape.

The personalized nature of a quality tour includes getting to know your guide with pointers on the region. Rosella and Cookie pose in Naples.

CBM TOURS TAKES YOU BEHIND THE SCENES, WITH PERSONALIZED TOURS, SMALL GROUPS, PHOTO OPS AND MORE

The charm of the seaside towns of the Amalfi Coast includes time for wandering and dining.

Small vehicles hug the coastline with CBM, where intimate experience is paramount and guides know the territory.

Our CBM guides took us to specialty shops run by locals, for the best prices along the route, giving shoppers an edge.

An amiable CBM tour guide will meet you at the train station, ship or airport, and even pick up or return to your hotel. Private, small-group tours, tailored to each traveler, are the CBM hallmark. Transfers can also be arranged.

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS

PHOTOS By BRUCE KELLER

WHEN YOU plan a trip to Europe, you want to make the most of your precious time and money.

Booking the right excursions to fit your mood and interests is paramount to having a memorable time.

CBM makes the journey come alive, with cheerful, informative guides who take you off the beaten path.

We discovered an energetic new agency, CBM Tours, which guarantees "up close and personal" attention to each visitor and personalized, specific-interest forays to precisely where you want to go. We spent a delightful day with CBM and can't wait to meet again.  The small, family-run business is managed by Petro, an amiable multi-lingual fellow who works his small groups like a veteran jeweler, pointing out gems and bargains, making the most of each participant's time, tailoring each tour to fit the wishes of each person. Petro is a showman and he knows his territory.

Ravello's pretty streets lead to squares, churches and the famed festival.

WE FOUND CBM during a two-week Mediterranean cruise, and were thrilled to book, after studying the lively brochure. If you're interested in history and antiquity, CBM will take you up close and personal to the wonders of Pompeii, Amalfi, Sorrento, the Vatican and Florence and Pisa. 

CBM makes the tour pick-up convenient. Our cheerful guide Vincenzo met us at the ship in Naples, and drove us past the lovely port city of Sorrento, a picturesque coastal town in southwestern Italy. We had a stunning view of the Bay of Naples on the Sorrentine Peninsula. Perched atop cliffs that separate the town from its busy marinas, Sorrento is famous for its sweeping water views and Piazza Tasso, a cafe-lined square. The historic center is a warren of narrow alleys -- home to the Chiesa di San Francesco, a 14th-century church with a tranquil cloister.

AFTER TWO hours in colorful Positano, we pushed on to a town dear to my heart for its fine music, Ravello.  Its famous festival -- also known as the "Wagner Festival" -- is  an annual summer feast of music and the arts, attended by legions from around the globe, all drawn to the town of Ravello.  Many consider its location on the Amalfi coast one of the most lovely in Italy's Campania region.

An enjoyable boat ride was a highlight of our Amalfi coast CBM experience.

CBM makes free time for lunch stops, landmarks and shopping and the guides know which restaurants to recommend, based on your fancy. We found wonderful pizza and sweets and shopped for scarves and pottery made in the region.

DRIVING UP  the Amalfi Coast was a thrill.  Vincenzo pulled our mini-van off in several spectacular viewing spots where a larger vehicle couldn't go.  We'd been to Pompeii so passed on that with CBM, but others raved about the enthusiastic private tour of this fascinating place. We loved our fun, informative time with CBM and were returned to our ship precisely on time as promised. CBM's love of Italy, and knowledge of both its popular and hidden treasures made our two-week cruise.

CBM COVERS offers a range of imaginative tours and will tailor a trip to your requests -- meeting clients in Civitavecchia for Rome and the Vatican, from Naples up the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii and from Florence to Pisa. cantbemisstours.com

Herculaneum, known as Ercolano in Italian, is a wonderful relic of Roman life five centuries B.C. It's a fun train ride, too, from Naples.

UP NEXT: While we're in the neighborhood, we have more pointers.  If you're anywhere in the vicinity of Naples, don't miss the opportunity to visit nearby Herculaneum. Ercolano, its Italian name, is in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius and near Pompeii, is equally fascinating, although lesser known.  The town was covered by volcanic flows in 79 AD and is mostly preserved intact.  Remember to explore, learn and live and catch us each Friday for a fresh look at travel, nature, history, family and the arts.