"Every effort was made to give us a trouble free and enjoyable holiday. The fact that everything was taken care of made it very relaxing - yet we still had free time to ourselves as well. A winning combination!"
Art & Architecture of Chicago
September 2011
About Us
Specialtours, founded some 40 years ago, was a pioneer in offering escorted tours for cultural groups, such as The British Museum, The Royal Academy and The National Art Collections Fund. It was privately owned until July 2009 when it became part of The Ultimate Travel Company. Our office is in Fulham, central London.
Specialtours has always provided a personal service, with a small team working to the highest standards. We pride ourselves on attention to detail. The principals, Susie Orso and Frances Roxburgh, are involved on a day-to-day basis, designing, arranging and accompanying tours. Three other highly experienced tour organisers - Nicola Howard, Harriet Landseer and Antonia Lloyd Owen - are part of the Specialtours team.
Each of us is responsible for their tours, from the initial concept and research to accompanying the tour to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Meet the Team
Susie Orso joined Specialtours in 1987 and has arranged and accompanied numerous tours for specialised groups, including museums, alumni associations and garden societies. She lives in Florence and has developed many private contacts in Italy over the years, along with a faithful following. Susie is bi-lingual in Italian and also speaks fluent French and German, and some Spanish. Although she specialises in her adopted country, Susie is at home in most parts of Europe and the USA.
Frances Roxburgh joined Specialtours in 1990. She had previously worked in guidebook publishing and the art world and led walking tours in Italy for The Alternative Travel Group. She has a degree in French, Italian and History of Art and has escorted many tours for European and American museums, garden groups and private clients. She finds less well-explored destinations such as Albania, Poland, Portugal and the Caucasus very rewarding, as expectations are so often exceeded.
Nicola Howard lived in Paris, Barcelona and Rome before joining Specialtours in 1996. She has a degree in History of Art and a background in photography. Nicola speaks fluent French, Italian and Spanish and has specialised in these countries, as well as in Turkey, North Africa and the Middle East. She has a particular interest in the Islamic world, while Georgian Ireland is another area of expertise and enthusiasm. Nicola has arranged tours for many art and garden groups.
Harriet Landseer lives in Prague (with occasional stints in Ireland and Andalucia) and, having led tours all over the world for Specialtours since 1996, now concentrates on Central Europe. Fluent in Czech, with excellent contacts, she is also at ease in German, French and Spanish. She studied History of Art at Yale University. Harriet has created a number of specialised tours for American and European clients, including itineraries devoted to libraries, contemporary art and equestrian events. She has recently translated a book on Czech castles and country houses.
Antonia Lloyd Owen joined Specialtours in 2002 with a degree in History of Art & Architecture and a good understanding of the Decorative Arts. Having lived in Spain and worked in Germany and Austria, she feels comfortable in these countries and has since widened her interest and expertise to Scandinavia and the Baltics. Antonia also arranges and accompanies tours in the UK for overseas visitors, focusing on special private visits to houses and gardens.
