Kim

My husband and I would like to take our 2 teenage children (19 and 15)to Italy this summer, but want to book with a tour company who also understands luxury. We haven't decided the exact routing yet, we just want our experience Italy with our kids.(my husband and I have been) We will have approx. 10 days. I would like to address this to others who have actually taken teenagers with them or been with other group when teenagers were among them. We are definitely interested in sight seeing, but an all day history lesson might cause a little boredom. (if you know what I mean)<BR>We are looking for an upscale company providing 4-5 star lodging and for all the details to be taken care of. <BR> We prefer a very small group or private. Has anyone booked a private tour? And, would you recommend it? I know I certainly wouldn't want to be booked with a family with children if mine weren't with me. (of course, mine are precious, but others might think otherwise)<BR>Any suggestions would be appreciated.<BR>

Geoff

Tauk is a regular tour company at the highest end. They do traditional tours but they have something called Bridges For Families - it may be what you want. Either that or you want a truely custom personal trip with just your family and the well known name there is Abercrombie and Kent.

nmm

Maupintour is another choice. I've done 2 Tauck and only had one teen, but both were during May. I agree w/ the above suggestion for Tauck family vacations, probably your best bet.

Kim

ttt

Expert

Go with Tauck, it's the best you can get, if money is not objection. They have the best itineraries, small groups, the best hotels, and you'll have the freedom of choosing the restaurants, and some time on your own.

Sandra

Have a look at Abercrombie &amp; Kent. Believe me, they really understand luxury. AND they understand family travel. They had a trip in their 2002 brochure called: &quot;Italy, A Family Adventure.&quot; There were 4 departure dates throughout the summer. Perfect. I'm sure it will be repeated in 2003. Feel free to email me for more information.

John

My family has done both A&amp;K and another company called Butterfield. <BR><BR>A&amp;K is true luxury and you will not be disappointed. The best hotels, staff, sights, etc. They can also set you up with their tours on a private basis (although this may add a hefty surcharge). As a less expensive alternative, they have some tours which are limited to only 15-20 people.<BR><BR>We recently took a BUtterfield tour because my youngest sister was along (early teenage years) and we wanted to have something that interested her. Butterfield has tours that have separate activities for adults and kids. However, these tours tend to be more activity-oriented - biking, hiking, etc. They are available at www.butterfield.com<BR><BR>Another company you might consider is Robinson Crusoe. They have luxury tours that are mainly small groups. I know they do several tours throughout italy.

Cindy

Hi Kim,<BR><BR>We have taken our daughter to Italy 4 times when she was 11, 13, 14 and 16. We were always on a cruise and sometimes stayed post cruise days but we have no experience with the tour companies you are asking about. We have always used private guides for at least one day while we were there. We have used different guides but always given them the age of our daughter and asked that they plan their information to interest her and we have included &quot;fun&quot; things (Blue Grotto at Capri, gondola ride in Venice, climbinb Vesuvius, catacombs in Rome, etc.) Since you've been, you probably have a good idea what your teenagers will enjoy. Another thing we did to help get her familiar and interested was to watch movies set in the areas we would visit (&quot;Three Coins in the Fountain&quot;, &quot;Gidget Goes to Rome&quot;, &quot;Roman Holiday&quot;, various James Bond films set in Venice, etc.) You can watch them again after the trip and remember being there. We also enjoy watching TV in the countries we visit (&quot;Laverne &amp; Shirley&quot; and &quot;Wheel of Fortune&quot; in Rome, &quot;Dukes of Hazard&quot; in Amsterdam). Even though we don't understand, it is fun to watch.<BR><BR>We have also asked our guide, in advance, for specific activites--eating a pizza where we can watch them roll it out and throw it in the air (tasty and fun!), shopping for gold jewelry, leather purses, teen-oriented shopping. We have found that preparing and remembering are a great part of the fun. Have a great trip.