The trip of a lifetime. Andrea and Patti are the best to work with. We went on a 10 day tour of…read moreItaly and I can't say enough about it. I would do another trip with them in a heartbeat. Having everything booked and paid for before we even left was less stress for when we arrived. Every day was something more gorgeous than the day before. Can't wait for the next excursion!!

I recently returned from a spectacular trip to Italy. Although Andy and Patti planned numerous…read moreadventures for a true "Italian" experience, there was still enough time to shop and engage in independent exploration. Compared to previous vacations, Skyline made traveling easy. All I had to do was show up with my luggage. Thank you, Skyline, for a most memorable vacation!

Up top: Know what you're getting into. Lake Geneva Cruise Line offers cruises that range everywhere…read morefrom one hour to three-and-a-half hours. I think one hour is probably my limit on a boat, but I was on a group trip that was planned without my input, and I ended up on a cruise that was 2.5 hours. And I didn't find that out until I was seated and we were about to set sail. OK! I was in a dilly of a pickle, but it all turned out fine in the end. But the last 1.5 hours could have not existed and I would have been fine, to be honest. The first 45 minutes of my cruise were action-packed, though! I took the U.S. Mailboat Tour, which took us around Lake Geneva to some of the mansions on the lake that had mailboxes at their docks. I guess mail is still delivered this way, and Lake Geneva is one of the only places in the United States that has this kind of mail delivery. It was fun to see the mail jumpers leap off of the boat and onto the docks to quickly put mail into the mailboxes, all while the boat is moving forward. The mail jumpers have no time to stop -- they have to keep it pushing in order to jump back on the boat! I only saw one person eat it during our cruise, which I think is good. You can sit on the boat deck, which gives you the best views, but it's hella windy, and depending on the weather, can be cold. There's also seating below, which is protected from the elements. There are two restrooms on board, as well as a bar. At first, when I entered the boat and saw the bar, I thought that was weird that there was a guy behind a counter slinging alcoholic drinks. But once I set sail on a 2.5-hour journey, I understood. You need a little something, sometimes. The U.S. Mailboat Tour is very cool and a great way to learn more about Lake Geneva. I do think it could have been 1.5 hours shorter, but I'm an editor, and I'm always looking for ways to tighten things up. I think if you are kid-free and have a little drink (or two) in your hand, then a 2.5-hour cruise might suit you more.

We did the Santa Cruise and loved it! They made us so magical for the kiddos. The little village…read moreyou can wait in prior to your boat ride was adorable and well put together. The service was amazing, super sweet employees. The Santa cruise was a perfect amount of time and the set ups across the lake were spectacular. The story that went along with each light set up was so cute! My daughter was so excited when Santa said her name was on the nice list. The only thing I wish I knew was the left side of the boat is the place to be... we were on the right side and our window was facing the middle of the dark lake.

Moonrings was first referred by my wedding coordinator a few years ago and we've used them for…read moretrips after our honeymoon as well. Don't let the name fool you, they do more than just honeymoons. They are a full fledged travel agency. The staff does go to many of the places the recommend so it's not just blind recommendations. We used them because with all the efforts going into the wedding, we didn't want to have to worry about the details about a honeymoon as well. We wanted to go to Hawaii and worked with Miriam Geiser. We did a 7 or 8 day trip to Oahu and Maui. Miriam helped gather the details for flights and hotels. We gave her a budget and she would stick to it. Honestly, if you're looking for a low budget type of trip, I would not use them, not because they can't work with you but being catered towards honeymoons and the like, they work with more high end hotels and services and have more experience with those places. They work with mostly 3+ star hotels. More like 4-5 star hotels though. Moonrings and Miriam did an amazing job with our honeymoon. We got detailed information and everything was set. All we had to do was follow their guide they gave us and we had a stress free honeymoon. They have some amazing recommendations on food and activities. A lot of the time, the staff has personally been there so they can vouch for it. Because we had such a great experience, we used them again when we visited Chicago. Being based out of Chicago, Miriam was able to give us a "bucket list" type of trip and give us a lot of good recommendations on food. Chicago is an amazing place. We had a great 3 day trip. If you're thinking of heading outside the US, they also have that covered too! As an anniversary/big trip, my wife and I wanted to go to Europe. We contacted Miriam again and they were able to give us another detailed trip to Italy and Spain. Miriam took care of the Italy portion and we worked with her colleague, Kevin, on the Spain side. Moonrings will let you talk with their experts for each city. They could have easily just had Miriam handle the whole thing and gather data for us about Spain, but they go the extra step to make sure they give you the best information they can. Not only is the itinerary detailed and spelled out, they also have your back when things aren't looking good... While in Rome, there happened to be a workers' strike, which would cause us to have to change our plans of visiting the Colosseum. Without us saying anything, Miriam had found out from her sources about this strike and went looking to see if she could get the tickets refunded or any alternatives. In Spain, we were not able to reconfirm a reseravation to a restaurant and the restaurant called Kevin. He told them to hold the table and emailed us to see if we were still going to make it. Because I got sick, I wasn't able to make the reservation, let him know, and he took care of it. Thanks Moonrings.

We used MoonRings to plan our European honeymoon and everything was absolutely perfect. We worked…read morewith Miriam who is extremely thorough and knowledgeable. When planning our honeymoon we had no idea where to begin or even where we wanted to go. Miriam got to know us and what we look for in a perfect vacation. She planned us an action packed 14 day trip through Greece and Italy and took care of every plane, train and automobile along the way. You would think she was a local based on the amount of knowledge she had about each of our destinations. We will definitely be using Miriam and MoonRings again on our next vacation.

Spring Valley has a Nature Center and also features the Heritage Farm. It's really a neat place for…read morea walk as you walk through a wooded area for about 5-7 minutes and then you see the farm houses with animal barns along with a few trails to follow. Spring Valley is a refuge of about 135 acres comprised of fields, forests, marshes, brooks and streams. Some trails are wood beamed while others are rocks and grass. It's a really enjoyable place to spend a few hours by yourself, with friends and family. Parking and entrances to the park are available on both sides 1) off Schaumburg Road 2) off Plum Grove Road.

I have been going here since the 80's and it is even better than ever now. I love taking my…read moredaughter for a hike to the farm after enjoying the nature center building. It is awesome how so many aspects of Spring Valley have remained the same while wonderful upgrades and additions have been made, too! Definitely a place that we will continue to visit throughout the year!

Steve was amazing. Very personable and knowledge about all things Chicago. We did the street art…read moreand west side tour 1/2 day tour. We ended up riding about 9 miles and he offered to extend it, but we had a prior dinner engagement. He even sent a detailed map of our tour plus some excellent photos he took along the way. Highly recommend!

Steve created a wonderful memory for us while on a short trip to Chicago. Our group of girls had a…read moremix of biking experience and he went out of his way to ensure we all felt comfortable. This tour was a comfortable pace filled with local art and history of each space. The ability to ride through the city made us feel like a local even though my riding skills may have indicated otherwise. Thank you Steve for making us feel like a priority to you and your city. Would love to come and do this again.

I have never been to old world Wisconsin before. This was our first visit…read more I had no idea what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised at all the different villages, and the workers they had there in period clothing, explaining to the visitors what they were doing. It was lovely to me and through all the different villages, and take in the history of it all. I would love to see it in fall. I'm sure it is absolutely as beautiful as in every season. Highly recommend for all age groups.

Loved our recent stop here. Got some free passes at the local library so that helped save some…read moremoney. I came here as a kid on a field trip but I forgot how big the whole compound was. Thankfully, they offer trams to bring you between the villages. We opted to walk and it was quite the work out on a late July day. But, loved the experience to help bring us back in time a bit. They do have a few treats along the way like ice cream, food and beer/canned adult beverages/soda, but I definitely recommend you bring water or snacks. It can be a long day if you take your time and check out all the buildings, which I highly recommend. The staff are so friendly and informative and answer questions patiently. Very impressed with all of the staff!!

Based on the description on their website, I was expecting a tour of a historical building with…read morestories about possible hauntings and paranormal activity, along with "a few 'guests' that may greet you throughout your tour." In reality, this "tour" is the best haunted house I've ever experienced. Nuns and monks guide you through darkened hallways of a former boarding school for young ladies (an already spooky building at night) while telling you ghost stories based in historical accuracy... which then come to life. And the best part... no chain saws, exposed entrails or dismembered bodies. Just pure, creepy, psychological suspense. Campfire ghost stories come to life. Prepare to be scared. Also, be prepared to locate the entrance by yourself (no signs to direct you) and a grumpy attitude from the women selling tickets at the concession stand (our guess: they're not allowed to smoke and were having a nic fit). It's worth the hassle, though. There is also the option for what is billed as a haunted house (as opposed to the ghost tour). We didn't do this, cause I don't typically like haunted houses. Only open during October for the Halloween season.

KEEP IN MIND: They are LUXURY travel planners. They don't do "cheap". They can work within your…read morebudget but will try to do so comfortably and conveniently so you receive the best impression and services at your destination. FOR CONTEXT: We started planning our trip to Australia/New Zealand from LA in 2015. We spent about $9K for two people including several flights (internationally and 4 domestically), lodging, excursions,some food, and some souvenirs. Laura was our planner and she was great! We are so grateful to have found and gone with DUE for planning. At first, we were unsure of the value we were getting through going with them. We've seen friends plan their vacations through their own research and on a budget which made us second guess what we were doing. But during and after this trip we realized and appreciated the service provided. We know that we wouldn't have chosen some of the hotels or excursions we stayed/did based on individual price if we planned ourselves-- our Queenstown helicopter ride for example which we LOVED. Having land and airfare bundled together for 2 people didn't sound as "bad" and we felt like the price was worth was we got. I'm sure we were saved significant money, getting us the best value for our dollar, through their partnerships and discounts Third, they are the experts! We wouldn't have known what to REALLY do or how to order the trip, etc. It saved the stress of booking/confirming/logistics and allowed us to just enjoy traveling from place to place, checking in/out, and ensuring we were on time for our appointments. DUE made it EASY! Plus we were not stuck with the typical sightseeing, walking aimlessly, shopping.. we had experiences-- unique ones! Lastly, communication was great. Very responsive, especially to my changes and questions. Overall, we are very happy working with DUE and highly recommend them for any travel to their destinations. They also have partners that work in Asia/Africa. Like I said-- LUXURY travel so it's perfect for honeymooners, retirees, and any family willing to splurge a bit. NO CHEAP here.

Shannon planned our "Lord of the Rings" tour in New Zealand and we could not have asked for a…read morebetter experience. The accommodations were perfect for our family and her suggestions for food and activities made it easy for us to enjoy this journey on our own comfort level. This trip was truly a dream come true! We fell in love with Queenstown and were even able to get a private lesson at New Zealand's tallest bouldering wall. All of the expenses were clearly stated and the holidays were communicated so we knew what days businesses etc. would be closed. I highly recommend Shannon at Down Under Endeavours.

I was always interested in trying their Christmas trolley tour. My family ended up taking another…read morefamily's tickets last minute because they couldn't go. They don't offer refunds, but you can give or sell your tickets to someone else. You just need to give the company their name and phone number so they can inform the driver as they take attendance. Since things happen and people get sick this time of year that's a nice option. We got lucky and had a warm night for our Christmas trolley tour. It was 40 degrees, the windows weren't foggy, no rain or snow. Given our luck in weather, it made for an absolute fantastic time! Everyone also arrived on time so we were able to start a few minutes early and the driver took us to a few extra homes which I appreciated. Otherwise, they suggest that you bring a small towel to wipe the windows since the trolley is heated and the windows fog. I'm glad the trolley is heated. The company does a nice job mapping out which homes to go to. Earlier in the season there may be less decorated homes, but the weather might be better. Later in the season, I would imagine there's going to be more decorated homes. I appreciate that the company puts a lot of effort into their map and what homes they visit. The driver did a nice job taking us around and narrating. My favorites were the Taylor Swift decorated house and the decorations that are coordinated with music. In the past, we have driven around ourselves, but this just made it a lot more relaxing and was worth the cost. The cost does not include tipping the driver, so make sure to tip. The tour was an hour long, which was perfect for me but a little too long for my 3 1/2 year-old. Other reviewers mentioned wanting a 90 minute tour. If they could offer 60 and 90 minute tours I think that would be good options. Otherwise, the 60 minutes was perfect. Another idea: They could also offer a boozy tour later at night for adults only. Christmas bar hop tour?

Annette's children's tour was great! Ms. Wehrli is a lifelong Napervillian who is clearly…read morepassionate about the community and its history. It was just long enough for my 2 year old. I appreciated how she provided a scavenger hunt list of things for kids to look for during their ride. We'll definitely ride again soon and maybe invite some of our friends along! Thanks Annette. :)

Windy City Travel helped us arrange a trip to London. Paula was very helpful in putting together…read moreour travel plan. Her assistance made the trip run smoothly and left us to enjoy a great experience in London.

We finally did it! Our family trip to Europe. Our boys are big history buffs like my husband and…read moreasked for a trip to Europe to visit specific sites/locations they chose. We decided to start planning and quickly realized we were over our heads. We found Windy City by searching online. Dana did an amazing job of listening to our wants/needs while guiding us to make wise choices as we went along. It was a terrific trip that we will never forget and we are on to planning our next two trips with her already.