European Focus - Sarasota, Florida

Jodie M.

Our family of 5 has just returned from a 2 week European Adventure with James. He has ruined us for traveling without him. It was so relaxing to have someone who knows what they are doing in charge of logistics. Planning and executing a big trip like this is stressful, but not with James! He takes care of every detail with precision: every hotel was a win, and his personal relationships with hotel owners ensured that we had the best service and warmest welcomes possible. We always felt safe because James knows where he is going. He is flexible and handles problems with ease, becoming our advocate to make sure we had the best experience. He is fun and easy to hang out with, engaging with us and strangers alike. We met more people on this trip and have warm memories of Europeans because James likes to talk to people. He understands the family dynamic and allows for family alone time, sending us off with recommendations for the evening or afternoon. We highly recommend taking a trip with James and we won’t go to Europe again without him!

Cynthia U.

Wanted to thank you again for an incredible trip- you simply thought of every comfort and convenience.

I was so impressed by your local knowledge but even more with your genuine friendships with families and owners of the various establishments we visited.

Your tour felt like your favorite cousin taking you to all his favorite spots. Just delightful. We’ve never been on a more relaxing and enjoyable vacation. And your crazy stories- haha!

Nikki A.

Our experience with James could not have been better. This was my husband and i as well as my parents first time in Europe and due to the unknown we felt a tour guide was necessary and we stand by that after concluding out trip. There is no way we could have logistically put together a trip of 3 countries in two weeks with some genealogical excursions off the beaten path without the help of James. He asked thorough questions during planning about each member of our group so it would be enjoyable and up to the level of the kind of trip we are all used to with regards to hotel rooms and restaurants. We did a lot in just two short weeks but it was extremely relaxing and enjoyable too since we did not have to worry about getting place to place, we just followed along with James. He had great stories from his lifetime of trips while we were in the car for longer periods of time that made it enjoyable as well. We would recommend James to anyone considering a trip to Europe. My husband and I are already thinking of our plans for Oktoberfest with James someday!

Kelly Y.

My family and I went to Germany in late Spring. It was my first time across the Atlantic. James is wonderful and very knowledgable. He took great care in planning our itinerary and we definitely had a vacation that we will remember for a long time and very tailored to our group. The van was very comfortable, especially since I suffer from motion sickness. James is also a wonderful photographer. Hopefully we will be able to plan another vacation soon. Highly, highly recommend European Focus Tours and James!

John S.

James has taken us on two very special ancestry trips in and around Bavaria, with some sight-seeing thrown in. On these trips, he has arranged for us to meet local historians and even previously unknown relatives. He has managed the conversations for us thru his ability to translate the language!

We have a trip to Ireland booked with him in the spring of 2024, and have a couple more being planned in 2025 to other locations in Europe.

James is very helpful in setting up your itinerary, makes wonderful selections for lodging, and makes sure you are well taken care of along the way of your trip. He assures your time is well spent doing and seeing what is most important to you, but if he says "would you like to see....", say yes! We trust and respect him as a professional , appreciate him as a person, and like to think of him as a friend.
John and Kathy Schlee

Colleen K.

European Focus Private Tours will help you experience Europe at its finest! James Derheim customizes your tour so you can enjoy every moment ! You will see countryside, villages, cities, historical sites and enjoy walks through vineyards and drives along the coast. James knows the wayside stops that his clients will cherish. I will be enjoying my 7th tour with James and my husband and friends as we travel to Ireland in September. I highly recommend European Focus Tours!

Henley D.

I travelled with my sixteen year old daughter and a friend. We had an ambitious idea of going from Paris to Venice on spring break over 10 days. James was wonderful to work with prior to the trip in terms of planning and ensuring that we had advance tickets to key locations and suggesting stops and even cities that we did not even have on our radar. From the moment of our arrival and connection with James in Europe, we felt safe and well taken care of. I didn’t hVe to worry about Nh of the logistics - and I am a planner and a worrier! Some of our favorite experiences were his surprises and a result of him knowing the areas so well - and even knowing people in various places. James is also very knowledgeable about many of the locations we visited. My daughter said, “James knows something about everything”! And indeed, it did seem that way. We were totally spoiled with driving in his wonderful van across France, the Swiss Alps, and Italy. - it never felt like “transportation” because we stopped all along the way for pictures, walk-arounds, and meals. Oh, and he is a professional photographer too - with such a great eye for memorable photos. I have so many pictures that I will always treasure! I can’t imagine ever traveling any other way. If you prefer private, personalized service and want to skip the group tours and planes and trains across Europe, travel with James! We will surely do it again!

CJ A.

We travelled with James in 2022. He worked with us to plan just the trip we wanted. It was so nice to have every detail worked out for us, making it a stress free vacation. He took us to so many places we never would have seen on our own. He paid attention to what we liked and made appropriate suggestions for extra things to do. I highly recommend European Focus.