Can anyone tell me if they did any tours in Italy and were they any good. Husband doesn't want to go with all older people, but we're not partiers either. Would like to have any recommendations for tour company we should look at for family of 4 (13-14). He thinks we should just do it on our own, I'm not so sure. Thanks

Leigh
I went on a Trafalgar trip with my mom, aunt and brother. We did the Splendors of Italy - but I don't think they do that particular one anymore. It was an amazing way to see Italy, because there are so many small towns to see - that you probably wouldn't do on your own. But it felt rushed, and I prefer planning my own trips so I probably wouldn't do it again. There were mainly older couples and a few singles. My brother and I were 18 and 19 at the time and it was a bit boring for us at times - luckily there was one other girl, another 18 year old. That being said, it was ideal for us at the time because we didn't have to drive ourselves and we didn't have to worry about where next, they take you to special local places too and give you secret tips. Shout if you have any other specific questions - happy to answer.

They still do have that one I was looking at it and gems of Italy.

It was an incredible tour. I loved every single town! Even planning to return to some with my husband

We loved touring with them as well. I loved the local tips and special lines for getting into popular attractions.

Oh yes! Not waiting in lines was A BIG bonus!

I'm taking a trafalgar tour in April. I've heard really good things about them.

When you get back can you let me know what you thought of it.

Laura my mom took one of England and Scotland and loved it. My friend took the same tour I'm taking a couple years ago and she loved it. I wanted to take a tour vice renting a car or going by train because I want to be able to get on the bus and not worry about a thing. Plus, I will have a professional tour guide telling me about the country and tell me what I'm looking at.

My husband and I took a trafalgar tour a few years ago. It was great, everything is done for you, and as first timers ( and we also visited 8 countries in 3 weeks) it was the best choice for us. We were among the youngest on the tour, but there was a wide range from a few family groups to a few seniors, a few single people, and a few young couples. There was something for everyone!

I am travelling by myself as did my friend. I have absolutely no hesitation going alone.

I traveled by myself on a Cosmo tour, Europe 7 countries in 28 days. It was fantastic, had my own seat which I could lay down to sleep, plus I always had the window. I wasn't alone, I made 42 new friends from around the world.

How much time will you have?

Depends looking at 10-15 days

Laura . We have visited Italy a few times. We took our kids at the same age as yours. Rent a car so you are free to come and go on your own schedule. Don't try to see too much. Tuscany, Cinques Terre, Venice and points between will be plenty for 2 weeks, maybe a day or two in Rome if that's where you fly in and out of. Or you could go south instead to Matera, Alberto Bello, Amalfi. Driving in the bigger cities is challenging along with finding parking so we stayed or parked outside of cities and took public transit into the cities.

Where are you planning to be in Italy?

Rome, Venice, Florence

I would suggest NO to a tour type of thing then. It might be easier and less stress but they are SO pricey. We spent a week in Rome and took a book 'Rick Steve's Pocket Rome'. There are all kinds of tips in there plus maps and walking tours. We walked everywhere from our location and only took a cab twice which was a lot cheaper than here! Venice same story. Florence...just one day there but same thing. Took the train from Florence to Venice.

If you only wanting to see these cities, then I would agree with above.

Leigh Candice Dorkin for sure. We were actually in Rome and Tuscany for 6 weeks. The middle 4 weeks we travelled with friends by car and always on secondary highways through all of the little towns. Amazing trip as well as a beautiful country.

I'm not sure what everyone else has recommended so far, but I would absolutely recommend touring Italy on your own. It is a very welcoming and easily accessible place. There are a variety of train options (from express private luxury to rickety old fashioned budget-friendly trains) to get to all the main cities, and it's still easy and delightful to take the slower trains to smaller towns. Driving through the countryside is also beautiful and safe (even though some drivers are pretty speedy)! In general I have always found Italians to be patient and have a great sense of humor with tourists. It really is the kind of place with so many great charms that you won't want to be tied down to a tour schedule - especially if a particular place speaks to you and you want to change your plans, stay an extra night, or do a wine tour. Speaking of tours, you can always throw a couple last-minute day tours or walking tours into your schedule at the last minute.
I did just notice that we are talking about insurance and if you happen to go to the hospital or a doctor while you're there, they'll treat you well. I had to go to the hospital twice while I was there and both times the administrative staff didn't even want my proof of travel insurance. They simply said "In Italy, assistance per tutti", treated me, and sent me on my way.
Enjoy!

Italy on your own for sure!! That way you are always doing what you want to be doing. Lots of the major cities have free walking tours which are GREAT. They work off tips so they really work hard for them and you see all the cool stuff. Then you can go back and do what you want to see more of, or relax.
Major tourist attractions like the Vatican, Pisa, coliseum, etc have tours you can sign up for there if you wanted something more guided.

Will be in Rome in September , sounds like fun.

I agree unless you prefer tours it's very easy to do on your own. We rented a car and drove through most of Italy we didn't even have a pre-planned itinerary, just went wherever looked interesting or was recommended while we were there. We had no problem getting rooms etc. Of course you can't drive in Venice but the train is awesome

I can understand why Italy is desirable to do by train but I think that it is not workable if you have lots of luggage. We found it very hard in Venice because we had to use the smaller station and the carrying of the luggage alone without elevator or porter killed us. If I had lots of luggage I would not consider multiple stops. So if you do the train - pack light.

Also....I had no idea there were so many tunnels for the trains....I thought we would have a lovely view of the countryside but spend too much time in the tunnels.

it depends on what trains you take, there are the fast lines which go through a lot of tunnels and then there are the local lines which take meandering back routes through the countryside.
Also, you should never take suitcases to Europe at all! backpacks are more sensible, the cobblestones mean your rolling suitcase will be useless!

My boyfriend and I were not seasoned world travellers or all that familiar with Italian and we toured around between Rome, Venice, the cinque Terre, and sardinia with no issues. The only spot that was a bit more challenging was sardinia.

Rome is easy to do on your own. Key to find accommodation near train station if you are traveling on wards to other cities. We stayed near Termini station and near Monti neighbourhood and walking distance to the Colosseum. Walked nearly everywhere except took the metro to the Vatican though (too far of a walk). You can book day tours for specific sites like for the Vatican, Colosseum, etc. if you don't feel like reading a guidebook. We booked a couple through Walks of Italy, satisfied with the guides. Regardless of who you go with, you will be herded through the Vatican - but you are not forced to leave after the tour is over. As for Florence, we walked everywhere. Also booked day tours for specific sites (booked through Florencepass)....and also booked a driver to visit surrounding Tuscan towns. We didn't want to deal with car rentals - plus some areas you can't actually drive through or park without permits. If you want a bit of travel support + do it your own = check out the G Adventures' local living tours for Tuscany.

Can you tell me how you booked a driver to visit the surrouding towns

Sharon!!

Carla I found our driver/guide on tripadvisor. High rating on TA, look up Alessandro Cammilli. He was great and have recommended him to others. Can maximize your time or go at leisurely pace.

Robbin thank you for this, will take notes, Rome in September for me.

This is great information, thank you so much.

The the only thing about using your credit card coverage insurance is that they can make you pay upfront and then you have to claim from the insurance company when you get back home. Which if you can afford it okay. Some places apparently let it go straight to the card, but if the refuse where does that leave you. You are in different country so protesting the charges may be awkward.

Exactly. That's what happened to us in the U.K. Credit card companies use third party insurance providers. So the credit card company pays them, then the third party insurer reimburses you. And you have to provide a ton of information (almost your first born) to be reimbursed.

We had an accident with a rental car in Istanbul. We called her credit card company the same day and they dealt with everything. It was smoother than any insurance company I've dealt with. That was an RBC Avion card. don't know if they're all different

Debbie mine was also RBC Avion. We didn't have a lot of difficulty but they wanted the rental agreement, a copy of our visa statement showing we had paid for the repairs, pictures of the damage, proof that we had prepaid the rental through our travel agent.

It happened to us when we got back they mentioned there was a dent inside the exterior door handle. They sent a picture etc and I sent off to visa to get reimburse. In return I had to provide them a copy of my ticket where I charged my flight and a copy of our rental agreement. No question asked and I get a full refund towards my visa.

but you had to pay up front first --- what if you didn't have that much available on your credit card to pay ???

Do it on your own. Train travel between those three cities is safe, easy, and fast. You can always book a viator day tour depending on the sites you want to see. There are also locals that do walking tours for cheap (did one in Dubrovnik with four other people that showed up so it was almost a private tour...guide was a local high school history teacher!). Most attractions have audio guides you can rent or you can download Rick Steeves free audio guides before you go. Biggest plus is you are on your own schedule and can take your time on the things you enjoy.

We were on a cruise last year and used cruisingexcursions.com for tours in Pisa/Florence, Rome, and Naples. They were AMAZING. The guides were all historians, very good English, and the tour buses were clean and safe. We got 3 full 8 hour day tours for about $350 each. They do group travel too. https://www.cruisingexcursions.com/group-travel
CRUISINGEXCURSIONS.COM
Welcome to Cruising Excursions | Cruising Excursions

[email protected] did well by us on a cruise. We did the almalfi coast and rome. Rome probably could have been better but the coast was great. I don't know if they did ones not about cruises but they can pack anything into.a schedule and get closer to things as they are a small van.

We tailored our tours to fit our needs and Rome In Limo was amazing! I highly recommend them. I know they have "tour sharing" as well but we hired them for just our group of 8.
http://www.romeinlimo.com
ROMEINLIMO.COM
Rome In Limo

Rick Steeves is awesome
. We utubed him n bought his Paris travel book! Really, really helped. Come up with a wish list, do some Rick Steeves, then go. You'll have a great time

I like Trafalgar Tours, you see so much you would never see! Rome you can see on your own. A tour of Northern Italy with Cinqe Terre is really awesome!

I agree with your husband. We found many small gems just by renting a car and driving throught the countryside. Am happy to share where we went and what we saw if you want to pm me

We did Day tours they were amazing and with people of alll ages . I would not recommend going on your own, you'll miss out on a lot

It's easy to get around in Italy, the train system is great. You don't need a tour, unless you like tours of course.

Some places will have tours you can purchase right there --- Find accommodation in the middle and branch out to different locations

You are better off doing it yourself. We picked up our car (make sure you use your visa card that covers car collision , so don't need to pay for extra insurance) Frankfurt, Germany and visited Munich, Austria (Vienna, Salzburg), Hungary, Crotia (Sebnik, Split, Dubrovnik), Italy (Trieste, La Spenza, Cinque Terra, Venice), France (Nice, Monte Carlo, Strasbourg), Spain (Valencia, Barcelona), Switzerland (Geneva). We did it in 5 weeks a total of 11,000 km and our car rental I booked it online from a company in the US. All we have to do is show the ticket and car rental coupon and the rental has Gps and we had one portable on hand as well. Before we went on our trip, I went on Youtube and checked where we like to visit etc. Frankly it was sn adve ture of a lifetime, we visited many historical sites and castles etc., but get ready to walk till dust. Autobahn highway was fantastic and there wasn't a single potholes, smooth like a baby's butt except Italy and Vienna the road in town are congested. In Vienna if you arrive late, hotels are locked and won't opened their doors. Hostel in Vienna is very clean and modern Euro 30 a night and can easily take a bus to places you want to go. It was definitely an adventure. We had never been before but we did it with the help of our GPS loaded with Europe's map. It is a card you have to purchase from Garmin. It is doable besides you can stay longer if you like a certain place or continue driving to your next destination. Going
on tour you have to be in tour schedules.

Go on your own. Buy a Rick Steves guide book and follow it. Done it many times

italyonabudgettours.com we did a wine tour out of Florence and it was amazing!!
highly recommend it! This is just a day tour though. We did three weeks on our own. Totally doable on your own! It was very easy to get around and to ask for directions. Also one of our best days in Rome was a walking food tour. OMG amazing experience. History lesson, plus amazing food learning about all the regions of italy, and a city tour as you're walking around.
ITALYONABUDGETTOURS.COM
Tours in Italy for independent travellers 18-39's on a budget for a real Italian experience. - Italy on a Budget tours

Definitely recommend going on your own as a family! Rome and Florence are walking cities, going at your own pace would probably be best to meet all your needs

We are doing it on our own in May. We have had lots of fun planning and reading. Also watched Rick Steeves YouTube videos.

Travel Your World has great tours

try Untours

G adventures. Awesome canadian company!

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