“there is an utility in having seen what other people have seen, and there is a justifiable pride in having seen what others have not.” Lord Chesterfield on travel (1754)

“The grand object of travelling is to see the shores of the Mediterranean.” Samuel Johnson (1776)

Specialtours, who we have recommended here before, are now part of the Ultimate Travel Company and continue their excellent programme of small-group, expert-led tours.  They have featured Blue Guides authors such as Paul Blanchard and Nigel McGilchrist.

For archaeological tours to Turkey and Greece, including private yacht charter, see www.petersommer.com: "land or boat tours focusing on the archaeology and history of the regions visited, led by a series of knowledgeable experts, with plenty of time for relaxation and the appreciation of good wine and food."

And the leader in the cultural travel field, Martin Randall Travel, has recenly added a superb Mediterranean cruise programme ("No dumbing down: a return to high-brow cruising") to its wide and varied offering. 

Editorial Board member, Charles Freeman (The Horses of St Marks, The Closing of the Western Mind, The Greek Achievement, Egypt Greece and Rome and most recentlty AD 381), leads study tours of Italy through Millennium Tours and is able to design and lead tours for private groups.  He is also developing a tour programme of Classical Greece and Turkey for Ciceroni Tours.

Editorial Board member, Professor Nigel McGilchrist, has lectured on art history throughout the United States and Europe including at the Smithsonian in Washington and at the San Diego Museum of Art, and leads tours for, among others, the University of the South for whom he served as Director of European Studies.

The experts at Si! Sicily!, with over 30 years of practical experience of tourism in Sicily, will help you plan your tour, including accommodation, transport, guides, activities and itineraries so that you get the most out of your holiday.

American resident in Venice, Howard Fitzpatrick, leads excellent private guided tours for Venice Art Tours.

Città Nascosta will organise tailor-made tours for small groups "to the most secluded and inaccessible sites in Florence and Tuscany - opening doors that are normally closed".

Professor of Classics at the University of New Mexico, Monica Cyrino, has led some fascinating tours examining modern cinematic treatment of the ancient world, such as this one recently for the Virgilian Society.  She is author of Big Screen Rome (2005).

Blue Guides Romania author, Caroline Juler, arranges tours to Romania, see www.mamaliga.co.uk.

Excellent and very detailed (even by Blue Guides standards!) downloadable audio guides to specific sights: www.JanesSmartArt.com

For expert guided walks in the City of London tours of the City's main attractions: www.cityoflondontouristguides.com

“the true museum which is Rome, the museum of which I am speaking, is, it is true, composed of statues, of colossi, of temples, of obelisks, of triumphal arches, of tombs, of stucco decoration, of frescoes, of bas-reliefs, of inscriptions, of ornamental fragments, of building materials, of furniture, of utensils etc., etc., but it is also composed fully as much of places, of sites, of mountains, of quarries, of ancient roads, of the placing of ruined towns, of geographical relationships, of the inner connection of all these objects to each other, of memories, of local traditions, of still prevailing customs, of parallels and comparisons which can only be made in the country itself.” Quatremere de Quincy (1796)

“Greece will continue to be visited for its landscape, beauty and a great past contribution to human civilization, and to all these aspects the Blue Guide provides the best companion” Stuart Rossiter, Blue Guides editor-in-chief 1963-1973