Good day to you, dear friends, today I interviewed a young tour operator, who has been working in Rome for a few years. Their unique service has rapidly become the ultimate must-try experience for tourists in the Capital: Punti di Vespa Rome.
When I first met the Punti di Vespa team I was captivated by the brilliant idea and relentless enthusiasm that are the core of their project. Their approach to tourism is unique and fun and they provide an excellent alternative to traditional guided tours of the City.
They will share their love and appreciation of Rome and its beautiful surroundings in a modern and innovative way, helping travellers experience Italy in a new way, not as visitors, but as locals. We had a lovely chat about their project and the labour of love behind it.
Interview: Punti di Vespa Rome
When and how di you come up with the idea for your innovative project?
The idea itself took shape on a spring afternoon in 2013, as I decided to turn my passion for vintage vehicles, particularly Vespa scooters, into a proper enterprise.
Since I was at university, this was my favourite hobby: I would buy, fix and sell old Vespa scooters, I would spend whole days in my garage, mucking about with engines and rusty or greasy cogs. And then it came to me: why not help others explore the beauty of Rome on a vehicle that has been the only means of transportations for a large part of the population, for years?
That would allow tourist to see Rome through the eyes of a local. This is what we are about: creating an emotional experience for those wishing to explore Rome with new eyes and an open heart.
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Tell us about your tours. Where do they take place and how do they work?
We offer several types of tours. We have created multiple themed options, offering tours that explore Rome in its various incarnations: Christian Rome, Ancient Rome, Baroque Rome, Renaissance Rome, Rome by Night and so on.
Each tour lasts approximately four hours and the fact that they are conducted on a Vespa means that we can explore those little, magical alleys and corners of Rome that would be too narrow or too tricky to access with a car.
Our drivers, of course, play a key role in the Punti di Vespa Rome experience, as they are guides to a Rome that is raw and authentic, and they allow their passengers to penetrate the City’s mysteries and secrets and understand its true spirit.
We make things as straightforward as possible: the driver picks up the client from their hotel and plunges straight into the magic of an old-fashioned Vespa Tour. In winter we also offer tour options on Fiat 500s and three-wheelers (Ape Calessino).
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Is there any particular tour you are especially attached to?
I am particularly attached to the Rome By Night Tour, probably because it was one of the first tours I conducted personally – since I sometimes enjoy working as a driver and guide in my own team.
There’s something magical about Rome by Night, something that no other city can match. The yellow lights, the warm breeze on a summer night, the shrieking of seagulls and the surprising scents that pervade every corner of Rome, all of this makes the overall atmosphere of the city mysterious and timeless.
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What’s your “mission”?
Our mission is really simple: we want to offer our clients unique experiences, and in order to do this we need to investigate their needs and provide apt answers. We want a traditional city tour to be trasformed into a surprising feast for the senses.
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What’s the strangest request you have ever received?
The “strangest” request is probably not that strange in itself, but it struck me as unusually romantic and I have a feeling you might relate to this.
A Dutch friend contacted me in September to tell me that he was planning on proposing to his girlfriend and he wanted to do so in a surprising and especially romantic way. Since his girlfriend had never visited Rome, he asked to be taken on a tour on a Fiat500 and to be driven to somewhere absolutely special, where he would pop the question.
I was thrilled to be a part of such an important moment in their lives and studied a unique tour of my beloved Rome for my friend’s special surprise to his girlfriend. To this day, when we meet, we talk about that tour.
It was an extraordinary emotional experience for me as well, as Punti di Vespa was being used to seal a promise of eternal love.
Dear friends, I have been lucky enough to travel to and explore most of Italy, for business and pleasure, but Punti di Vespa Rome made me look at this city with new eyes and I was awed and thrilled by that.
Exploring a city on a Vespa, guided by someone who is local to it, was an incredible experience. I have been to Rome several times, but this tour felt like I was discovering it anew. I was confronted with a city I had never seen before, and it was magical.
I felt like I belonged, despite my own background being rather different. It was like being in a movie. On top of this, the team was highly professional and competent. I highly recommend trying a Punti di Vespa Tour if you are in Rome. You will not regret it!
THANK YOU,
GRAZIE,