Donna1185

Hi,
Thinking of taking my 76 year old Mom to Italy. She had planned the trip twice but due to health issues had to cancel. She is fine now and I'm thinking of taking her.
Was thinking of taking a tour like Globus or Tauk, are these good for first timers? I would like to go to Rome, Florence and possibly Sorrento. Am shooting for April, any advice? Which tours are better, should we go to venice instead. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

LoveItaly

Hello Donna, a tour is fine but in that you will be on a strict schedule (what time to have your luggage ready to be picked up, breakfast, on the bus etc. etc.) have you thought about doing doing an independent trip to Italy?

Your main interests seems to be Rome and Florence. By train those two cities are just 90 minutes apart from each other. By train from Florence to Venice it is a little less than 3 hours.

Are you talking about April of this year? If so you will want to make plans ASAP.

Anyway, my thoughts are given your mother's age if you are comfortable about not going on a tour but travelling on your own it could be more relaxing for your mother..if it would be for you of course. If your mother wanted to take a siesta in the afternoon she could (many Italian ladies love to) and you could move at the pace that would work for the two of you without being on an hour to hour schedule.

You don't indicate how many nights you would have in Italy. If you post back regarding that I am sure I and many others could suggest a nice itinerary for you two.

As far as tour companies not having taken any I could not respond. Best regards.

Donna1185

Hi,
I was thinking 8-9 days.
Yes April of this year, I know its quick but while everyone is healthy.
I'd love to go to Sorrento/Capri also.
I've never been and I thought a tour would be easier so we can see the main site and not have to spend alot of time walking around looking for them.
Then again the tour does seem very rigid.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much.

tedgale

Unless you have an organized tour, I think three locations in 8, possibly 9 days is a LOT of travelling for a 76 year old first-time traveller who has been unwell.

If you want to minimize stress but also want freedom, you might rent a Rome apartment for most of a week, having first taken two or three days in Florence.

Venice is a lovely choice but there are many bridges and walking is often the only way to get somewhere. Would that suit her?

amsdon

Hi Donna.

My mom had Rheumatoid arthritis and we traveled a together on a tour to Spain with Globus. They are one of the better companies.
I hear Tauk is even better, although much more $$.
If money is no object you are in for a treat, check them out & Abercrombie & Kent too.

Despite her illness when I mentioned
resting to my mom she was quick to reply that "I can rest when I die"
I know that sounds horrible & I was SHOCKED that my proper little mama would say such a thing. But she wanted to see it all. I did not take a "companion chair" to have as a backup but I regretted that as it would have been nice to have in the room just in case too. She did not want to use a wheelchair or cane initially in her illness so she toughed it out at first.

Now I treasure our times together every single day. I think it's great that you are going together.

I agree with Love that solo travel is great & our preference, but if you feel more comfortable having someone else in charge a Globus or Tauk Tour is very good too.

There are some tours that are guided & escorted yet in the category of "leisurly"
Globus has two such tours to Italy. They stay more time in one city.

See of this helps:

http://www.globusjourneys.com/Vacati...aly-Vacations/

You will also note that one of those Leisurely Italy tours indicated "platinum collection" which has slightly better hotels.

Just a warning they may not be in the heart of the sights as tours tend to be larger hotels.

ams

petitepois

My parents -- both in their 70s -- have used Tauk tours to go to Ireland and Mexico. They LOVE them. I never thought of my parents as tour people -- and they used to do a lot of independent travel -- but they love these tours! They say everything is first-class, from the accomodation to the very knowledgeable tour guides. So, if you do decide to go the tour route, I definitely recommend Tauk.

amsdon

oops, excuse the typos please.

Donna1185

Thanks for all your responses and info. My Mom can keep up with the best of them, sometimes I get more tired then she does!!! LOL
Were both breast cancer survivors (diagnosed the same year)and she cancelled her 2nd trip because of my chemo schedule. I truly want to do this for her, it will be very special.
I will check out Globus & Tauk tours, even if we just do Rome and Florence I'm sure she'd love it. Have never been to Italy so if we do independent, I feel like we may spend most of the day wondering around!! LOL Which may not be a bad thing.

LJ

Mom (then 83) and I went to Italy for her first time and my second some years ago. We went on our own, saw Florence and Rome and a small town in the Abruzzo (where my daughter was at school) over a 17 day period. Mom did like the slower paced days and was later horrifed by a bridge-club pal's tale of a bus tour that saw 5 cities in a week and had everyone getting up at 7am most days.

Mom also appreciated rooms with tubs, as opposed to shower-only, and places with elevators (many budget hotels have stairs only).

For April air-conditioning is not an issue. But for the same reason, Capri may not be dependable weather-wise.

She and I were both happier in smaller restaurants and had our 'big' meal at noon for better sleeping (as Italians tend to eat late, it was more challenging to enjoy a large meal at 8 or 9 pm).

Have a wonderful time...we did and now that my dear Mom is gone (aged 90 and after 2 more family trips abroad!) we are SO glad we did this!

amsdon

By the way Donna, speaking for myself (age 51 and lieks independent travel too), If I were to do a tour I would only do the "leisurely" tours.
What that name really says to me is that it is less of a chaotic whirwind, but still alot of cities for a short time IMO.

LJ

Donna, our last messages crossed...of course, you would be fine on a bus tour, too...its all in the attitude,isn't it? BTW, my Mum was a breast cancer survivor, too, diagnosed at 75 and lived to 90 (as I mentioned) and died of something else altogether. Do have a wonderful time and post when you get back to inpsire others.

maryanne1

My daughter and I went to Italy in May of last year with this tour group
getours. com. I have traveled on a tour and independently also.
I have found as I have gotten older it is easier with the tour if I want to cover more places and not have to think about the details as much. It is nice to have someone pick up your luggage each day and get it on the bus.
First time to Rome (only) we stayed a week and did it independently. I don't think if you added only Florence to the schedule it would not be that hard.
This last trip we wanted to add the Amalfi Coast, Florence, and Venice.
Also we got to see alot of the countryside such as beautiful Tuscany we would have not experienced. Also I learned alot with having a good tour guide I would have never learned on my own.
I also think with the euro being what it is, I think tours are a good value.

Donna1185

I've heard with with the euro being so high a tour may be the way to go.
I myself would LOVE to go to the Amalfi Coast also, but not sure how the weather would be in the beginning of April.

suze

I think for your situation a tour might be just fine. Rick Steves is another tour company you could look at.

If you decide to go on your own, I might suggest only going to Florence and Venice. I suggest this because they are not as huge and hectic as Rome, and just those 2 cities would be relatively easy to plan independently, take the train in between, making just two hotel reservations in central areas of each city.

Barbara_in_CT

Tauck Tours are excellent. While they are more expensive, there are no extras except for tipping the guide and bus driver. Hotels are the best the city can offer. Meals are not served as a group and you can order anything on the menu. I think that when you compare apples to apples, they are an excellent value.

klondike

I will try to get the name of the tour co-workers took to Ireland last spring. Their comment was they were glad they had chosen "upper-end" company over cheaper (à la Rick Steves?) because everything was handled for them. They especialy appreciated that they stayed in nicer hotels where luggage was delivered to your room, instead of being tired from a day of travel/sightseeing and having to dig their luggage out and drag it upstairs or wait it line for the tiny elevator.

Is this your/her first trip to Europe? They were glad to have taken a tour the "first time" and now feel confident to do one "on their own". For any person with mobility issues, Venice would definitely be the more challenging with all the stepped bridges, etc. IMO, but if it is someone's dream-come-true wish, there's no reason not to include it. It would just require a little more research/planning.

Actually, it sounds like your mom would be fine either way, but maybe you would have more time to talk and concentrate on enjoying the experience together if all the organizational/driving responsibilities were left to someone else? If you're experienced in these cities and know the lay of the land, transportation system etc, then then doing it yourself would give you more freedom.

As someone suggested, there are whirlwind tours and then there are more slow-paced ones to choose from.
Have a great time, whatever you choose!

ira

HI Donna,

A 10=14 day visit to Venice, Florence and Rome is one of the easiest trips to plan yourself.

I would fly into Venice - 3-4 nights, train to Florence - 4-5 nights (visit Siena and Bologna), train to Rome - 3-4 nights (visit Orvieto or Ostia Antica), fly home.

This will not be tiring for your Mom.

Before you book a tour, look to see how many nights you will spend in each venue.

Not many people like to have their luggage outside the door every morning at 07:00.

KL467

Donna,

I really like going on Rick Steves tours. There are several different tours that go to Italy. www.ricksteves.com

That being said, Rome, Florence, and Venice would be easy for you to plan yourself. Flying into Venice, take train to Florence, take train to Rome, and fly home from Rome would be my recommendation. The train ride from Venice to Rome is very scenic. There are many Fodorites who could assist you if you decide to go this route.

I love Sorrento but cannot help you with the logistics because everything was done for me through my tour group.

Donna1185

Hi,
Well I think its between Perillo Tours and Globus Tours. I'd love to go on Tauk tours but the cost is way over the top.
I know most of you are independent travelers but my Mom feels better if we go on a tour.
Any advice greatly appreciated

bozama

My mother in law took a Globus tour of Italy two years ago. She is strong and healthy at 73, but found the tour way to rushed and it tired her out.
If stength and stamina are in any way compromised I would either take a very high end tour( not Globus) or I would travel indepently to allow for sleep ins and a more leisurely pace.