Melinda Fortunato
Fairfax Station, Virginia Travel Agent
Best Travel LLC, an independent agent with Nexion, LLC, a Travel Leaders Network Affiliate Agency
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Travel Advisor for Luxury and Custom Vacations
After a lifetime of travel and living internationally, Melinda Fortunato is a seasoned Travel Advisor with over 10 years of experience. Her passion for travel and her expertise in Italy has garnered her a reputation as a leader in the industry. Melinda's in-depth knowledge and insider connections allow her to create truly unique and unforgettable experiences for her clients. She knows the magic of the canals in Venice, the countryside in Tuscany, the bustling streets of ancient Rome and magnificence of the Amalfi Coast. Her extensive network of contacts throughout the country ensures her clients receive the highest level of service and access to exclusive experiences. Melinda's attention to detail and dedication to her clients needs has earned her a loyal following and countless repeat clients. Whether you want to explore the hidden gems of the Italian countryside or indulge in the finest culinary experiences the country has to offer, Melinda 's expertise will make your Italian adventure one you'll never forget.
Custom Travel Advisor
Uniworld River Cruise, Wachau Valley, Austria
Experiencing my own products is essential to give my clients the ultimate service and experience. Some of my favorites are cruising AmaWaterways and Uniworld on the Danube stopping in ports like Vienna and Budapest.
I loved driving around Portugal, tasting port along the majestic Douro River and sitting at outdoor restaurants in Porto eating fresh seafood and local cuisine.
Each destination offers so much that I want to go back, but there are so many other places to explore!
My Areas of Expertise
CERTIFICATES & AWARDS
ASTA Travel Advisor of the Year 2022
Luxury Travel Specialist
ASTA Verified Travel Advisor
Certified Travel Advisor
My Travel Stories
Uniworld River Cruise on the Danube
Imagine relaxing on a lounge chair atop a riverboat, a soft warm breeze brushing your face while gazing at blue skies contrasted by green hills covered with vineyards. Quaint, cobblestone towns with church steeples reach up high along the hillside. The sound of water gently lapping against the boat mixed with ... Read more from my Uniworld River Cruise on the Danube story.
Melinda is the best!
Reviewed By Courtney & Grant - Fredericksburg, Virginia | Traveled to Europe
My husband & I came to Melinda with the idea that we wanted to go to Europe, eat food & tour around. She planned an experience of a lifetime we will never forget. She booked our 15 days to Nuremberg, Germany; Salzburg, Austria; Munich, Germany; and Rome, Italy. Melinda really cares about her clients & is passionate about creating an experience for them. She planned the trip we have always dreamed for, & more. She took care of every detail so all we had to think about was to enjoy traveling and relaxing. I am very appreciative of the work Melinda spent planning our trip. From the time I initially reached out to Melinda, when we were in Europe, and then back home, she was there every step of the way. She provided us with a hard copy of our itinerary with helpful notes & all of our tickets. It was so organized and perfect. I have referred everyone I know planning a trip to Melinda. She is simply amazing. Let her plan your trip. You will be so pleased & are in great hands!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Melinda Fortunato responded:
Thank you so much, Courtney! It was a pleasure working with you and Grant, and I am so happy that your honeymoon was exactly what you hoped for.
Thank you so much, Courtney! It was a pleasure working with you and Grant, and I am so happy that your honeymoon was exactly what you hoped for.
17 of 27 people found this review helpful
One of our most fun excursion
Reviewed By Cindy - Chesterfield. Virginia | Traveled to Caribbean
Melinda was outstanding. Very detail oriented. Answered any questions we had and got back to us promptly with every detail that was needed. She took it upon herself to enter information that was needed for our trip, allowing us to concentrate on other matters. I would not hesitate to recommend her and I will certainly use her for any future trips. She is knowledgable and extremely professional .Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rhode
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
37 of 67 people found this review helpful
Amazing European Adventure
Reviewed By SSpeidell - Fairfax Station | Traveled to Europe
Melinda helped so much! We had only the vaguest idea of what we wanted, she found out our likes, dislikes, budget and timeline and created an amazing plan. Each place we visited, each place we stayed was so wonderful that we didn’t want to leave, but then the next place would be just as fantastic, and so it went throughout the whole vacation. It was a phenomenal experience, and I could have never planned something like this on my own. There was no worry, just fun. Then the last day we were hit with a return flight cancellation. Melinda stepped in and handled everything. She got us home on time, with minimal disruption and minimal stress. Honestly, I can’t say enough how much Melinda’s expertise and assistance made our vacation truly amazing! I highly recommend her to anyone planning a vacation.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
30 of 55 people found this review helpful
Awesome Family Cruise
Reviewed By Abby - Alexandria, VA | Traveled to St. John Island ~ Virgin Islands ~ Caribbean
She was great! She was very knowledgeable about cruise travel and got us an onboard credit we didn't even know about until we were onboard! A nice surprise:)
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
35 of 68 people found this review helpful
The best trips are by Melinda
Reviewed By Family of three - Springfield VA | Traveled to Ireland ~ Europe
My family has had the pleasure of Melinda's services. She has planned 3 wonderful experiences for us over the past few years that includes Cancun, Ireland, and Punta CanaShe customizes according to our interests, budget, and family friendly excursions. She handles every detail so we are well prepared from start to finish of our trips. She always has tips to share for each country we visit. Melinda is the only travel agent for us!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
37 of 72 people found this review helpful
The most amazing experience
Reviewed By Tollie - Bumpass Va | Traveled to Faroe Islands ~ Iceland ~ Europe
Melinda was wonderful to work with. She pulled our European vacation together in 3 weeks. She had everything done and organized. She was very responsive and available even at 3 am one day when we had an issue with a flight.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Melinda Fortunato responded:
Thank you so much, Tollie. It was a pleasure to work with you, and thankful we could plan this special trip for your family to Copenhagen, Prague and the Faroe Islands!
Thank you so much, Tollie. It was a pleasure to work with you, and thankful we could plan this special trip for your family to Copenhagen, Prague and the Faroe Islands!
Wonderful Trip, Wonderful Travel Agent
Reviewed By Jula K - Arlington, VA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Melinda helped me create and coordinate a trip of a lifetime to Italy with my husband. She was very knowledgeable about the destinations we wanted to visit and gave us excellent information and tips to make our trip special. She even went the "extra mile" to help ensure we got tickets on a special train which was on our bucket list. She is delightful to work with and a real pro and we highly recommend her!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Melinda's Amazing Italy Itinerary!
Reviewed By Allen and Jen - San Juan Puerto Rico | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
My husband and I had been wanting to travel to Italy for years. Our 30th wedding anniversary was the perfect reason. Melinda planned our two week trip to Tuscany and Positano with a quick stop in Rome along the way. She carefully listened to all of our requests and perfectly planned every detail just for us. From the fabulous hotels to the private tours, we just floated from one location to the next. The advance planning, the advice she gave and the restaurant reservations she made created a magical, relaxing vacation of a lifetime. We can't thank her enough and look forward to working with her to plan our next vacation. We highly recommend working with Melinda!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
Melinda Fortunato responded:
It was such a pleasure to work with you and see your anniversary vacation come to fruition!
It was such a pleasure to work with you and see your anniversary vacation come to fruition!
Best Family Trip Ever
Reviewed By MarkL - Fairfax, VA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Melinda was fantastic. She listened to our desires and then came up with an excellent plan from hotels, to activities to transportation, etc. She was always accessible and answered every question. We had a large group of seven traveling with different people doing different parts of the trip. She was great to keeping us all straight. Her hotel picks were excellent based on the level we wanted to spend. We took many tours and enjoyed them all. She is the best and you can't go wrong with Melinda.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
The best trips are by Melinda
Reviewed By Family of three - Springfield VA | Traveled to Ireland ~ Europe
My family has had the pleasure of Melinda's services. She has planned 3 wonderful experiences for us over the past few years that includes Cancun, Ireland, and Punta CanaShe customizes according to our interests, budget, and family friendly excursions. She handles every detail so we are well prepared from start to finish of our trips. She always has tips to share for each country we visit. Melinda is the only travel agent for us!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
25 of 52 people found this review helpful
Viva Roma! Ciao Sorrento!
Reviewed By The Sharp Family - Alexandria, VA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
There may be no superlatives grand enough to describe our recent trip to Italy, and the level of personal care we received from Melinda Fortunato. All four of us were stunned by the ease of travel, the reception we received at each destination and on every tour, the quality of all the bookings she handled for us, and the complete lack of stress and hassle that most vacations entail. It was like clockwork! Melinda listened to every request and responded with the perfect travel plan to suit our wishes and needs. It was such a terrific experience, we decided we never again will travel without an agent, and Melinda will be our Top Choice! We are so confident in her skills and pleased with the result, we have recommended her to several of our friends and co-workers, and one family has already booked their next trip through her. We just can't thank her enough, and look forward to working with her again.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
30 of 63 people found this review helpful
The Arctic Circle on Viking Sky
Reviewed By The Northern Lights - Ponte Vedra Beach, FL | Traveled to Norway ~ Europe
Melinda is professional, knowledgable, and reliable. Her responses are always thorough and prompt.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
22 of 48 people found this review helpful
Works like a professional, feels like a friend.
Reviewed By Jim and Marge - Manassas, VA | Traveled to Europe
Very professional, knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with. Follows up in a meticulous manner paying attention to every detail. Understands and addresses our needs for each and every trip. The most important aspect of working with Melinda is that it feels hat you are working with a friend. The bottom line is that she cares about us, her clients.
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
32 of 70 people found this review helpful
60 Birthday
Reviewed By Sylvie - Springfield, VA | Traveled to Riviera Nayarit ~ Mexico ~ Mexico
I called Melinda and 10 days later, I went on a wonderful vacation! She addressed all of my requests. Non-stop flight, room with a view on the ocean, all inclusive,etc. Melinda worked fast and efficient. I would definitely ask her to put together another dream vacation!!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
36 of 78 people found this review helpful
Awesome travel agent- knows her stuff!
Reviewed By Marianne - Vienna, VA | Traveled to Italy ~ Europe
Melinda was very knowledgeable, professional and open to all our wants, needs and questions. She planned our trip to several parts of Italy and she knew when and where we would need what - from when to sleep upon arrival and for how long (haha) to cars to trains to hotels to sight seeing logistics, she knew how to plan everything out for us. We were very hands on in some aspects and less so in others. Melinda let us lead the way when we wanted but also led the way when we needed! She was an excellent guide on every level.Melinda also has a great temperament and is flexible. Her overall concern was truly our happiness and the joy of travel. We really felt taken care of! I highly recommend her for anyone who wants a well planned, thought out, organized and fun travel experience!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
28 of 64 people found this review helpful
Fantastic time with the family
Reviewed By Kim - Alexandria, VA | Traveled to Amsterdam ~ Netherlands ~ Europe
Melinda was awesome and worked with me to put together a great vacation to The Netherlands on a tight deadline!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
25 of 62 people found this review helpful
Beautiful honeymoon!
Reviewed By India - Atlanta, Ga | Traveled to Greece ~ Europe
My experience working with Melinda was great. She helped me plan a beautiful 10 day honeymoon to Greece. She was very responsive throughout the entire planning process. I naturally have a lot of questions but she always got back to me in a timely manner and was really informative. She planned everything from flights, to hotel, private transfers, boat cruises, and made dinner reservations for us so she really took the majority of the planning off our hands. Once we arrived back home we even had a nice card waiting for us from her. I will certainly use her for future travel plans and highly recommend her to friends and family!
I would recommend this agent to my family and friends
27 of 69 people found this review helpful