Meet your Europe travel designers
Jenny
Venice, Italy
Jenny was born in Este, a beautiful medieval town in Veneto region.
Great lover of art and archaeology, she graduated in Cultural Tourism at the University of Padua. Since then, she has worked with the major tourism industry players, sharing her passion for travel and with the desire to show the world what her Country has to offer.
Her favorites:
Countries: Italy, Greece, Portugal
Cities: Matera, Porto and Barcelona
Wine: Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Dish: Spaghetti Carbonara
Sara
Venice, Italy
Born in Venice, Sara is a knowledgeable Italy expert. She loves her city and she wants to show everyone the best Italy can offer. She graduated with a university degree in Translation, specializing in Tourism and International Trade.
Based in Venice, she represents the Europe office of the company, ready to help clients with their every need. Speaks fluent Italian, English and French.
Her favorites:
Countries: Italy & France
Cities: Venice, Paris & Dublin
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Risotto with pumpkin
Lisa
Venice, Italy
Lisa was born in Dolo, near Venice.
She then moved to Iowa, Frankfurt and now lives in Padua.
She has long experience in the tourism and airlines industry.
She speaks English, French, German and Italian.
Her favorites:
Countries: France
Cities: Syracuse
Wine: Amarone della Valpollicella
Dish: Fried fish
Pietro
Valencia, Spain
Pietro was born in Trieste, then decided to move to Spain and lived in Malta, Barcelona and now Valencia.
He is a great expert in the hospitality and events industry in Europe.
He speaks Italian, English, Spanish and Catalan.
His favorites:
Countries: Italy, Spain and Greece
Cities: Sevilla and Venice
Wine: Txakoli
Dish: Eggplant parmesan
Elena
Nurenberg, Germany
Born in Venice, she graduated with a university degree in Foreign Languages and Tourism and speaks fluent English and Spanish, together with German.
She is based in Nurenberg, Germany, but she has traveled extensively all over Europe and the US since when she was little. She is currently living between Germany and Italy. She developed an incredible knowledge of some of the most beautiful European cities and wants everyone to see the beauty of the old continent.
Her favorites:
Countries: Italy & Spain, UK
Cities: London, Berlin & Rome
Wine: Primitivo
Dish: Pasta al Forno
Ivan
New York, NY
Ivan Matta, our co-founder, is an experienced travel professional with strong specialization in the European destinations.
Born in the beautiful island of Sardinia, after college and work in Milan, Ivan left Italy for the States, choosing Manhattan as his primary base.
His knowledge of the European destinations as well as the North American travel advisor's community, gave him the opportunity to create aliveXperiences.
His favorites:
Countries: Italy, France & Portugal
Cities: Milan, Nice & Lisbon
Wine: Passito di Pantelleria
Dish: Fregola with clams and mussels (Sardinian dish)
Madalena
Lisbon, Portugal
Born and raised in Lisbon, Madalena became a tour guide, specialized in what she loves the most in the world: Portugal!
As a travel designer, she can now create unique tailored experiences for travelers in her country. She speaks fluently Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
Her favorites:
Countries: Portugal and Italy
Cities: Lisbon, Funchal (island of Madeira) and Venice.
Wine: Red from the Douro valley
Dish: Cataplana de marisco (a traditional Portuguese dish with seafood and clams).
Elena
Florence, Italy
Elena was born in Latvia, and throughout her carrier, collaborating with best European tour operators, designed journeys the most prestigious and popular destinations in Europe.
Elena's passion for travel, kind and optimistic personality, impeccable work ethics, ability to navigate complex requirements and restrictions, ensures that clients will have the most amazing experience while travelling.
You can find Elena exploring new places in search for exciting destinations and wonderful experiences to share with you!
Her favorites:
Countries: Italy, Greece & France
Cities: Paris, Rome & Rhodes island (Greece)
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Linguine alle vongole
Marco
Lascari, Italy
Marco was born in Palermo and today lives in Lascari, a small Sicilian village overlooking the Mediterranean sea.
From an early age, he cultivated a passion for mathematics and information technology.
He has begun his professional career as computer programmer specializing progressively in the computerization of production processes in various companies finally dedicating himself to databases for the management of various types of data.
Countries: Italy, Japan
Cities: Singapore
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Spaghetti with sea urchins
Dee
New York, NY
Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Dee moved to New York City at the age of 12.
She has travelled extensively all over Europe and developed an incredible knowledge of some of the most beautiful European countries.
She speaks English, Bahasa Indonesia and Italian.
Her favorites:
Countries: Portugal and Ireland
Cities: Lisbon, Dublin and London
Wine: Prosecco
Dish: Risotto with pumpkin
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Laurence
Paris, France
Born and raised in Paris, Laurence worked several years for US-based companies operating in France. She has always loved exploring France to find hidden gems and picturesque spots. She has a deep knowledge of her country culture and heritage that she likes to share with international travelers, creating unique and authentic itineraries through the French regions. Speaks fluent French & English.
Her favorites:
Countries: France
Cities: Paris, Avignon, La Rochelle
Wine: Pommard
Dish: Blanquette de veau
Paloma
Madrid, Spain
Paloma was born in Madrid, where she has lived and worked all her life. Passionate about her country, she has helped many North American travelers in creating incredible travel experiences in Spain that only a local can. Fluent in English and Spanish, she is a great asset for the whole team.
Her favorites:
Countries: Spain, Portugal and France.
Cities: Madrid, Lisbon, Paris
Wine: Cava
Dish: Fideuà
Nick
London, England
Born in London, Nick has spent part of his life between Spain and The UK.
He has a strong knowledge of some of the most amazing European destinations like The UK, Spain and Portugal.
Speaks fluent English, Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese.
His favorites:
Countries: England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Spain.
City: Barcelona, London, Edinburgh
Wine: Ribera del Duero
Dish: Paella