Tours of Italy

3,557 Views | 28 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by ETXAg05
Bluecat_Aggie94
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I'm 3 years out from 20th anniversary. We want to do a tour of Italy. I'm leaning towards a group tour. On my "must see" list is Rome, Florence, and Cinque Terre. Venice is high on my list but could live with skipping it.

What would you add? What am I wrong about?

Recommendations for tour groups?

JMac03
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I have a client on a Trafalgar group tour right now and having a great time. Hers is 5 countries in 11 days. Kensington, Cosmos, Globus are some of the other major companies as well. They vary based on type of accommodations and level of tours/services (mid-range to higher end). If you want more info or have questions on any of these feel free to shoot me a PM or email (in profile).
TXTransplant
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I'd do the Amalfi Coast (including Capri) over Cinque Terra. In part because the Amalfi Coast is a bit challenging to travel to from a logistics perspective. This is where a high-end group tour is a nice luxury.

We did the Italy-Amalfi Coast Tour with Adventures By Disney, and it was an absolutely amazing trip. Probably the best we've taken. Tauck offers a very similar tour.

If it weren't for the name Adventures By Disney, you wouldn't know you were on a Disney trip. They just use the corporate name and brand to leverage a top-notch travel experience. They Also offer adults-only trips.

We did Rome before-hand on our own. There are a number of companies that offer private and semi-private guided day tours in big cities like Rome. We used one called Walks (formerly Walks of Italy). Website is TakeWalks.com. They were outstanding.

JMac03
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Adventures by Disney is on my bucket list to do - any of their itineraries!! They have some really awesome ones. I remember from our training when they were going over some of the Italy itineraries and they had the Disney paddle that they held in the air - they called it the "paddle of power" because it basically got you behind the scenes access/skip the line, etc and everyone else standing in line would just be looking at the folks on the ABD tour and be like "who are those people just walking past is". "That's the power of the paddle"
TXCityAggie
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The Cinque Terre is beautiful but it's ridiculously crowded these days. I went about 15 years ago and then again last year. Completely different experience.

Last summer, a small group of friends and I went to Rome for a few days then rented a car and drove through Tuscany for a week. We finished with a few days in Florence. I ended up going on to Venice by train on my own. I 100% recommend visiting the small towns throughout Tuscany over the Cinque Terre. We were there during peak tourist season and were still able to easily avoid the crowds by basing in a lesser know town and just day tripping to places like Siena and Cortona.

Our house was in Chianciano Terme, and I can't say enough great things about it. It was beautiful, tourist-free, and right in the middle of everything.

I'm sure you will have fun no matter what but Italy is very easy to do on your own and will allow you more flexibility than an organized tour.
one MEEN Ag
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Bluecat_Aggie94 said:

I'm 3 years out from 20th anniversary. We want to do a tour of Italy. I'm leaning towards a group tour. On my "must see" list is Rome, Florence, and Cinque Terre. Venice is high on my list but could live with skipping it.

What would you add? What am I wrong about?

Recommendations for tour groups?


I would recommend spending some time out in wine country around Florence. Its gorgeous, the wine is incredible, and its a nice change of pace from the cities.

If you do the Amalfi Coast, book an AirBnB or VRBO on one of the cliffs. Its incredible. Wife and I were about a 20 minute bus ride away from Positano and it was absolutely the best part of the best vacation we've ever taken. You could walk to the beaches and book a little boat, walk to the shops, or walk to any incredible restaurant.

Don't rent a car and don't try to travel by big bus through the cliffs. Take the rail into Solerno and catch the ferry out to whatever coastal town you want. Travelmar runs the ferry and has a good app. Take the local bus to the small town once you're on land.

Amalfi Coast is great for a group that doesn't need to do everything together. Its a great place to just unwind and walk around.

TXTransplant
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JMac03 said:

Adventures by Disney is on my bucket list to do - any of their itineraries!! They have some really awesome ones. I remember from our training when they were going over some of the Italy itineraries and they had the Disney paddle that they held in the air - they called it the "paddle of power" because it basically got you behind the scenes access/skip the line, etc and everyone else standing in line would just be looking at the folks on the ABD tour and be like "who are those people just walking past is". "That's the power of the paddle"


We've done two trips with them (Germany and Italy-Amalfi Coast) and both were fantastic. The Amalfi Coast was just a whole other level, though. We are doing Alaska with National Geographic in 2020 (ABD dates just didn't work for us) , and I will definitely look at ABD for a trip to Japan sometime between 2021 and 2023
breezecustomtravel
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I've booked group tour trips with Trafalgar and Tauck. I liked them both and my clients liked them as well, it was exactly what they were wanting and they were able to see Italy and Europe in a very organized and fun way. I've have not used Adventures by Disney yet but as other people were saying, I've heard some great things about their trips.

I had a honeymoon couple just go to Italy in May/June of this year and we set up a custom itinerary for them to visit Rome, Florence, Sorrento/Positano/Almafi Coast, Venice and Milan and it was a wonderful honeymoon!
We booked all of their airport transfers, rail tickets, hotels and a few tours all in a package and it worked perfectly. It was similar to a group tour but catered to them and they were able to do more things on their own if they wanted.

I've also been researching a Italian Riviera Cruise...I haven't had a client venture out on one but there are some great options out there for that if you were interested in a cruise.

I'd be happy to help with any planning or booking!

Lauren K '07
www.breezecustomtravel.com
@breezecustomtravel
Bluecat_Aggie94
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Good stuff. Interesting take on Almalfi Coast vs Cinque Terre. I put the latter on the list because by the photos it looks almost the same. I'd already heard of the Almalfi coast and that was my original idea but many reviews discouraged it because it eats up your itinerary, but the take that "thats why it is worth it" is likely good advice.

I was planning Rome on our own at the beginning or end, planning to use some personal connections to arrange tours at Vatican City.

I'm also very interesting in the countryside/small town.

As much as I want to do it all, I just know we are going to have to make choices.
TXTransplant
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How long are you planning the trip for? 12-14 days is enough time to see the Amalfi Coast (including Pompeii), Rome, and Florence/the countryside. Trying to squeeze Venice in there would be tight, just because it's so far to the north.

Just a suggestion...I would do Rome first. It's a busy, busy city, so that would leave you the rest of the trip to "relax" (a relative term).
FancyKetchup14
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If you fly into Rome - Take a flight or train to Naples then hop on the Vesuvio Vernicular to Sorrento. From there you can take a bus to Positano, Amalfi, etc.

Don't stay in the city of Amalfi, it's a dump. Positano is the bees knees. Sorrento is really nice too. Smells like lemons everywhere.

Skip Capri and take a ferry from Naples to Procida. A gorgeous little island you can walk and hang out on. Never been to Cinque Terre but heard it's got heaps of tourist these days.

I also second spending time in Tuscany. A few nights in Florence then rent a car and hit the cities of San Gimingano, Siena, Pienza, and the Val d'Orcia. My nights in Tuscany were my favorite nights I had in Italy. Pasta making. Wine drinking. Awesome sunsets. There's nowhere more romantic.

I thought Venice was great for three nights. If you like art the Guggenheim in Venice is really cool. Go hit the islands of Murano and Burano.
lil99chris
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If anyone wants information on an Adventures by Disney tour, send me a message. Like others have mentioned, Adventures by Disney does a magnificent job with these vacations.
bugle rank '87
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We have done Italy with Tauck twice now, and loved both for different reasons.

The Classic Italy tour was our last trip and visited: Sorrento, Amalfi coast (including amalfi and ravello), Pompeii, Rome,Orvieto, Assisi, San Gimignano, Viareggio, Cinque Terre by boat from La Spezia to Vernazza,Florence and Venice. This trip obviously covered a lot of territory but was so interesting and beautiful. The only city we would skip was Viareggio (beach city) but we did get to see Pisa and the marble topped mountains with Carrera marble.

The other trip was the Italian Lakes tour that included Rome, Venice, Florence, Sienna and Bellagio on Lake Como. Bellagio is one of our favorite cities in Rome for relaxation and beautiful views.
We’ve never lost a halftime...
OldAg92
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Would love some input from folks who have done both the guided tours and "on your own" trips to Italy. Italy is my wife's #1 lifelong bucket list trip and I plan to make that trip happen when finances allow. My only hesitation with a guided tour is the fact that everything is scheduled. When we visit new places, we like to take our time, explore, etc and my fear is that we'd be rushed and miss things that we could otherwise see.
TXTransplant
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We've done trips both ways. The only company we've traveled with is Adventures By Disney, but as I said above, we are checking out Nat Geo next summer.

For the most part, your days aren't going to be scheduled from the time you get up to the time you go to bed. You will have some on your own time, ranging from meals to half a day or so. You can also always opt out of certain activities, if there is something else you'd rather do. Your tour guides aren't drill sergeants, and if you do want to break off from the group, will do everything they can to help you plan and execute whatever activity you want to do on your own. You're probably not going to have an entire unscheduled day, though.

I personally prefer to do a hybrid where we have a few days on our own before the group tour. As I said above, our last trip to Italy, we did a few days in Rome on own own (I did use Walks of Italy for day tours) before joining up with the group tour.

The advantage of a group tour is you will likely do activities you would never be able to schedule on your own (or it would take you a ridiculous amount of time to research and do it). For example, in Italy, we had a private mozzarella cheese and pizza making class at a farm just outside of Sorrento; we had a private boat ride off of Capri; we had guided tours of Pompeii and the Uffizi with a highly knowledgeable local guide (the tour guides in Italy are highly regulated and all of them are excellent); we got see some behind-the-scenes stuff in Siena; and we had a private lunch/wine tasting at another farm overlooking San Gimignano.

All of the big tour companies pride themselves on offering various exclusive experiences that you can't even book on your own.

The trips we've done on our own, while also wonderful, more flexible, and significantly less expensive, all required A LOT of research and pre-planning on my part ahead of time. If it's a once in a lifetime-type trip, there is something to be said for showing up at the airport, having a chauffeur meet you at baggage claim to drive you to your first hotel, and literally not having to worry about a thing for the next 8-10 days. And there are always some nice surprises on these guided tours.

Another option is to book a hotel with a great concierge service. My parents went to the Amalfi Coast and stayed at Monastero Santa Rosa. They almost didn't want to leave the hotel, but if they did, the hotel staff made all the arrangements for them (car and driver, ferry tickets, etc.) - at an additional cost, obviously.
FancyKetchup14
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I've solo'd through Italy. Your wife is wise to have that be #1 on the bucket list.

I started in Naples and went south to the Amalfi (stayed in Sorrento) via the Vesuvio train system. From there took busses to and fro to Positano, etc. and a ferry to Procida. I also met a German girl with a car and that made things easier. FWIW Naples is a filthy city, but the food there is why you go.

From there I trained to Rome, really simple process. I spent 4 nights in Rome and honesty I could move there. I hate big European cities and but Rome is the outlier. So much history and things to do.

From Rome I trained to Florence. Had two nights there to knock out the touristy things then bolted out to Tuscany in a rental car for a few nights. Stayed two nights in a cool hostel in Certaldo. Then went to Siena and Pienza and Val D'Orcia for a night. Some of the best nights of my life were in Tuscany.

From Florence it was up to Venice, again by train. Venice is cool but you only need 3 nights tops. It's easy to get lost and the water taxis add up. I'd buy a day pass if you go.

Milan is not a must-see. But Lake Como is gorgeous as is lesser known Lake Garda.

With technology it's really easy to travel on your own these days. Also, I don't speak a lick of Italian but I know spanish and I found it easy to get around. I can't recommend the country enough. Great food, beautiful language (and people), amazing sights, it's near perfect. If their economy was better I'd seriously consider trying to find a job there.
AGdent07
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Just got back from Italy on Tuesday. Awesome trip and great place to visit. We did our trip mostly on our own but also used a travel agent who lives in Italy. You and your wife will have a blast. Tons of great info already provided by other posters.

We flew directly into Rome. Spent 4.5 days there with lots of private guided tours and they were worth every penny. Did a walking food tour in the town of Trustevere that we really enjoyed.

Took the train from Rome to Florence. Very easy travel and cheap. Spent 4.5 days in Florence. Day tripped to Tuscany and wine country. I'd recommend visiting Siena and San Gimignano.

Train from Florence to Naples and private driver to Sorrento. We day tripped to Positano, Amalfi, Revello and Capri. Left Sorrento and visited Pompei and a winery on Mt. Vesuvius.

You will have a great time. Language isn't really much of a barrier. Italians were extremely friendly everywhere we traveled to. Food and wine was amazing there.

Only thing I would say to avoid is Turkish airlines. We had a terrible flight home. No AC, 3 or 4 continuously crying babies, less than ideal food, really cheap liquor, and not to mention the smell. Oh and we had to take a bus from the airport terminal to our plane and sit on the runway for 1.5 hours before take off. 15 hours in the air was not a great way to finish off an amazing trip.

Feel free to message me for my itinerary.

Texas Ag Mom
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Hubs, daughter & I spent 3 weeks traveling thru Italy. It was our first trip to Europe & daughter & I planned the whole trip. Flew into Venice for a few days, Cinque Terre, Florence (multiple day trips), Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi Coast, & Rome. We stayed in Air BnB & we travelled by train. Some of the best decisions & not expensive (I love luxury on a budget. Haha)...we had a private car pick us up in Florence & take us to multiple towns in Tuscany & a winery lunch & Castle tour. We prebooked the castle & it was incredible. For Capri we prebooked a boat. Just the 3 of us & the captain. He took us to the blue hole & around the entire island. We stayed in Sorrento & took a "tour" by van. We don't normally do tours like that but it worked ok. There was only one other family w/us. We hit multiple towns & the driver just dropped us off & told us when to be back.
Bruce Almighty
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My wife and I spent two weeks in Northern Italy this summer and did Venice, Cinque Terre, Piedmont and Lake Como. Venice was cool for a couple days, but I wouldn't spend any longer than that. Venice has a reputation for having bad food, but we had some amazing meals there. Cinque Terre was a disappointment. It felt like Epcot doing Italy. Crazy crowded and filled with bars and cheap gift shops. Piedmont was amazing. We stayed in Alba. The food and wine were amazing, the views were gorgeous, and way more low key than Tuscany.
TXCityAggie
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Another note about traveling around....

If you get online the day that tickets are available (I think its like 60 days ahead of time) you can get really good deals on first class train cars.
Rexter
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A few years ago, we did 3 weeks. The wife made all of the reservations, which were b&b and apartments, and all travel was by train except one small leg by bus (Sorrento to Minori).
Our stays were in Rapallo, Pisa, Rome, Sorrento, Minori, Vicenza, Venice, and back to Vicenza.
Our favorite was Minori. The most unimpressive was Venice. The ferry out to Murano and Burano from Venice was well worth it.
Great food everywhere.
schmendeler
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If it's your 20th anniversary, you are probably too young to do a group tour. Too many compromises in freedom to give up in comparison to doing it yourself. Consider planning it out yourself.
lil99chris
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schmendeler said:

If it's your 20th anniversary, you are probably too young to do a group tour. Too many compromises in freedom to give up in comparison to doing it yourself. Consider planning it out yourself.


The Adventures by Disney tour is a younger age group. Disney also takes all of the planning out of your hands and has access to some great spots and activities.
JMac03
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There are other companies geared at younger people. GAdventures is mostly 35 and under (although they would be older than that). I think GoWay is typically a younger crowd too. Although these are also usually more budget friendly options and not as upscale.
lil99chris
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See links below for ebrochures for Adventures by Disney. Feel free to reach out to me for more information.

Adventures by Disney (Italy) - https://www.disneytravelcenter.com/eb146de2e1/

Adventures by Disney (All) - https://www.disneytravelcenter.com/eb9503b74d/


blue70
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To tell you the truth, you do not need a tour. You can plan it all yourself .Plus, you will have time to enjoy yourself and not be rushed. We took a day trip from Rome to Florence. If I were you, I would not stay in Venice. It would be better to stay in Milan and take a day trip to Venice and a bunch of other little towns around there. Europe is so easy to do by yourself and to get around. Trains basically go from country to country and city to city.
SW AG80
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AG
Florence is my favorite city in the world. Venice, I am glad we saw it but neither one of us has a desire to go back. Lake Como is THE most beautiful place we have ever seen. Think Carmel combined with
Lake Tahoe X 1000.
blue70
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I liked Florence, but it was just so busy and when we went the " migrants" were so aggressive. They were actually grabbing people.It was only right at the beginning of the city though. Down the street from the train. Those were the only cons. It could be different now. I enjoyed the Pitti Palace. Did not go to Uffizi. I think two days would have been better. We would have been able to go to Uffizi and maybe climb the bell tour. We were able to see quite a lot in one day though.
dodger02
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I did a guided Greece/Italy tour about 20 years ago. The only thing nice about it was that it was before the internet made researching accommodations and transportation super easy and I didn't have to give a thought to where I was going to sleep or how I was going to get there. I got off the plane and on a bus...then off the bus and on a plane 10 days later.

But I far prefer going on my own. My wife and I went to Italy (Tuscany and Umbria...with a side trip to Rome) 4 years ago. Car travel in Italy is really simple and taking a train into Rome couldn't have been easier. I enjoy doing all of the research and planning my own itinerary. At first, it was intimidating. But once we got in country, I realized how easy it was to make adjustments on the fly. We would just hop in the car and drive across the countryside until we hit a small town perched on a hill. We'd spend the day wandering the streets and then sit and look out over the vineyards with a glass of wine as the sun went down over the horizon or sit and watch kids play soccer in the city square of a 1,000 year old walled village. Lather, rinse, repeat for a week. It was awesome. I personally would not pay the premium that a tour company charges.

But it really is "YMMV".
ETXAg05
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My wife and I did a 12-14 day day trip to Italy in 2016. We did it on our own and loved it. I did have the fortune of having been to Italy before in 2004 while I was in college. I went with my family then and we did a tour which gave me some good insight for this return trip.

We flew into Rome and stayed 3 nights at Hotel Navona. For what we desired it was awesome. Tremendous value. It was EASY walking distance to the Pantheon and had a good location for so many of the other things we did. I wouldn't think twice about staying there again. While in Rome we toured Vatican City, St Peter's, The Colosseum, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain. For Vatican City we booked a guided tour ourselves and loved it. It was easy to do and the guide was great. Some of our most fun time in Rome were the evenings just hanging out at a piazza (square) and watching/enjoying the locals.

From there we took a train to Pisa for he purpose of renting a car. I was nervous about driving in or near big cities so I didn't want to rent the car in Rome or in Florence. Taking the train to Pisa allowed us to see the leaning tower which was fine, but it served the greater purpose of putting us near Tuscany and getting a rent car while not in a major city. From Pisa we drove to an agriturismo (think winery bed and breakfast) in Volterra which is just outside San Gimignano. We stayed there 5 nights and absolutely loved it! We were able to take day trips to Florence (by train), San Gimignano, Siena (loved Siena - it's a must) and some small Tuscan towns. One of the things we loved about being in Volterra was that it was not touristy. It was one of the few places we went where we encountered many Italians that didn't speak English. It felt very authentic and was definitely the best part of our trip. The place we stayed was beautiful and the hosts were friendly and helpful. It was called Podere Marcampo. The best meal of our entire trip was had during this stay when we went to dinner at a restaurant in Sam Gimignano one night. The family at Podere Marcampo recommended it and it was incredible. It was so good I ordered a second plate of the entree that I had. I watched as others who ordered it took their first bite and literally marveled at how delicious it was. Another evening we ate dinner in Volterra at the Podere Marcampo family's restaurant which was also great. There were so many meals on the trip altogether but especially in Tuscany that were phenomenal.

We returned the rental car to Pisa and caught a train to Cinque Terre for 2 nights. We enjoyed Cinque Terre but the criticism of it being overrun by tourists is fair. During the day it was crowded and very busy. The evenings were quiet and peaceful though. I'm glad we got to see it in the evening once the crowds were gone. We hiked between a couple of the villages which were challenging but good hikes and absolutely beautiful. I'm glad we saw Cinque Terre but don't feel the need to go back. We stayed at an AirBnB there and it was not good.

From Cinque Terre we caught the train to Venice and finished our trip with 2 nights there. This was another hotel that we loved. Ca' de Dogi was so close to St Mark's but still felt secluded and private. These were our last two nights so we opted for a nicer hotel and were glad that we did. The location and accommodations were great. Venice like Cinque Terre gets overrun by tourists during the day but the morning and evenings when the tourists aren't there are great. Spending 2-3 days in Venice is certainly enough. We had plenty of time to do the things we wanted to do. I could see us going back but it isn't a must like Rome, Florence and Tuscany.

One of my goals for this trip was to not waste time backtracking so flying in to Rome and out of Venice worked great. We loved this trip and wonder if we'll be able to top it in the future. We'll sure try though.

I do agree that the Amalfi Coast would be a better stop than Cinque Terre. Pompeii and Sorrento were a part of my trip in 2004 and Sorrento was incredible. I definitely want to get back to that area and spend more time in Sorrento and visit Positano for the first time.

Another option on our trip would have been to hit Lake Como instead of Cinque Terre. That probably would have been the better choice but I'm still thankful we saw Cinque Terre.

Hope this can be of some help. Feel free to message me for any other specifics. It was good to go back and think through all of it again. We are in the middle of trying to decide on our next international trip now and thinking back to this trip sets a high bar.
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