Our Story

Imagine taking your passion for Italy and turning it into a very rewarding way of life, showing new friends the vibrancy and heart of the country you love with specially designed exclusive travel itineraries. New Zealander’s Susan Williamson and John Percy have achieved this goal, designing itineraries for a small group of discerning travellers and independent travellers to travel Italy and other European destinations in style with their company, Etruscan Pleasures (Italia) Ltd, specialising in Italy, Croatia, France, Spain and Portugal.

Thoroughly spoilt, their clients are immersed in the cultures, arts, and history of the unique regions of Italy including Sicily; visiting beautiful gardens in the early summer, the Tuscany countryside in the hunting and harvesting season and Verona when the opera season is at its height.

“We take all the hassle out of travelling. Even your bags are carried by someone else,” says Susan. “Travel is by first class train, private car, private water taxi and very short periods in a luxury mini bus.” In addition, John and Susan do their best to accommodate any special requests.

What makes a journey with the John and Susan so very special is their many years of accumulated knowledge, expertise and language skills. Italy was John’s home for 23 years as he worked as a limousine chauffeur driving the rich and famous, like Liz Taylor, Danny Kaye, Charlie Watts and Paul McCartney, when they wanted to be taken off the beaten track.  He has many stories to tell and of the realities of living in Italy.

 John and Susan shared their deep passion for the Italian culture and decided to share their knowledge and expertise in all things Italian with others in the form of an exclusive travel business, specialising in itineraries for small groups and the independent traveller. With a diverse number of itineraries per year, Susan and John would love to enable your Italian dreams to come true.