Our man in... When it comes to the ultimate travel experience, it’s not what you know, but who you know. From the Sistine Chapel to the South Pole, there are secret agents ready to take you places far from the madding crow. VICTORIA MATHER blows their cover.
John is the man who can get the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museum closed for private visits. It’s worth spending some £2,000 to be able to lie on the floor and marvel at Michelangelo’s ceiling without your view being impaired by Australian backpackers.
Particularly good with children, Maria Luisa will bring the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum to life for them. She’s also a demon shopping guide in Naples, and has a fabulous sense of humour.
This Venetian resident takes guests to St Mark’s Basilica after it has closed (you arrive to the sound of soft organ music). She can also take you backstage at the newly renovated La Fenice opera house.