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Looking for the Holy Grail... in a Tour of Italy

Looking for the Holy Grail... in a Tour of Italy

Old Oct 20th, 2016, 07:04 PM
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Looking for the Holy Grail... in a Tour of Italy

My wife and I are celebrating our 35th wedding anniversary and my 60th birthday next year and we want to take my 27 year old daughter and 29 year old son with us on a trip to Italy. We want to go in mid-May 2017 and we want to visit Venice, Florence (really interested in the Tuscany region) and Rome. We don’t have an unlimited budget but of course we are looking for the Holy Grail. To us that is a tour with the fewest people possible, staying in better hotels with as much of the logistics handled as possible (transfers and such). We would also like it if we were able to have some time to explore on our own as well as spending time with the tour group.
Does this Holy Grail exist? As I look around the web I see an unbelievable number of tour companies and packages with prices all over the map. I’ve seen a couple options at Trafalgar that look interesting and reasonably priced, but I suspect it’s the full-bus-load experience and we would really like to avoid that if at all possible.
Does anyone have suggestions based on experience with taking a tour of Italy? Any and all assistance to help us find our Holy Grail is appreciated.
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 07:13 PM
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Your main problem most tours do not cater to the age range you have.

Many small groups do exist -- but they tend to be expensive and by that alone tend to draw an older crowd.

You might check Rick Steves tours -- but, are you sure you really want a tour? I'd consider traveling entirely on my own but then hook up w/ small groups or private guides for day tours in individual cities.
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 07:17 PM
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I was about to suggest what janisj suggested. It's pretty easy to arrange transportation and hotel stays on your own, and the posters here will have a lot of helpful information, recommendations, etc. for you.

Lee Ann
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 07:23 PM
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great minds
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 07:37 PM
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the site has been acting weirdly this week . . . my post didn't top the thread.

TTT
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 07:43 PM
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Most major universities offer all-inclusive tours of limited group size, but they're usually not cheap and generally attract, as Janis points out, an older and presumably more affluent traveler. You don't have to be an alum, and you may not find exactly the tour you're looking for in the particular weeks you want to go. But Google and see if you find one that comes close.

Or plan and book yourself the trip you want. If you're treating your adult children to this adventure, ask them to help. The four of you can decide on the itinerary, you set the overall budget, and then divide the tasks of finding flights (preferably into the first city and out of the last city), identifying and booking hotels, city tours, transportation, etc. As you describe your initial thoughts, this would not be a complicated trip.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 01:58 AM
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any reason why you can't book this yourselves? [because that Holy Grail really doesn't exist unless you have bottomless pockets]

very easy to do and there are plenty of people here to give you a hand with tips on getting the best/cheapest flights [not always the same thing!] best areas to look for accommodation, the italian train system etc.

if that makes it sound complicated it isn't really and you have plenty of time to get it all sorted.

if you feel that you aren't that savvy with the internet to do the research /bookings, you have 2 adult kids who probably live on it - get them to do the work!

And doing it yourselves is likely to be closer to what YOU want, and cheaper.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 03:14 AM
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Much cheaper!
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 03:29 AM
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Exactly!
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 04:23 AM
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I'm going to assume you're not the DIY type when it comes to travel. Most of us here are, and have a hard time understanding why others don't want to join in the fun. But I also understand that some people have no interest in plotting out the details of their travel. That said:

Maybe you'll want to visit a good travel agent (that sound you're hearing is the gasps of others here) who specializes in Italy. At the very least, the TA can arrange ticketing for transfers -- train, etc. -- plus hotels and possibly hook you up with local tour guides for small tours of sites/attractions you're interested in. If you make it clear that you don't want the Trafalgar-type bus tour, something can be worked out.

Yes, it may be more expensive than sitting down and arranging your own trip, which can be especially difficult if it's your first time visiting a locale and you've never planned a trip. But it's for you to decide whether the convenience of having someone else do it for you is worth it.

You're probably going to hear some stories about bad TAs, just as you'll hear stories about bad auto mechanics and bad banks. Research the TA you use to ensure he/she knows the area you want to visit.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 04:24 AM
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How many days do you have for this trip?

If Tuscany is your main focus, you might look for a tour of that only and then tag on a few days in Venice and Rome on your own.

There are some packages you can book with sites like Gate 1 Travel or Go Today which allow you to pick and choose hotels, day tours, train and airport transfers, etc. Sort of crafting your own trip. You could select a Fly-n-Drive package of Tuscany (flight/car and sometimes hotel also) and add on their package of Rome/Venice.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 04:37 AM
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https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/ita...-florence-rome

I have been to Italy, including Venice and Rome, a number of times on my own, but I am actually considering taking this tour in the spring. I want a good guide for Florence, and I think revisiting Rome with a guide might improve my opinion of it. I have traveled on five RS tours over the last 20 years, and his tour leaders are excellent, the hotels central and the food good. There is plenty of time to do your own thing. His web site has a number of scrapbooks from people who have taken his tours, which can give you an idea of what the trips are like.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 07:10 AM
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You don't say how long you will have for the trip, that might affect which tour co. to choose from.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 09:22 AM
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Wow, thank you all for the quick responses and great suggestions. We were thinking of a tour (10 to 14 days is the target) because this will be our first trip to Italy and we have limited personal time to get it all together. I do hear loud and clear however that DIY may be the better way to go and I’m going to explore that more. It also sounds like a “good” travel agent who could handle some of the more obscure details would probably be worth the price; I’m in central NJ if anyone has a suggestion on that point. I will also look at the tour companies suggested.

Thanks again and all of your feedback is truly appreciated.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 09:29 AM
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if you're open to doing it yourself, you would ideally be looking at "open jaw" flights [into Venice say, out of Rome] which are often shown as "multi-city" flights; they should cost the same or a little more than a round trip flight [into and out of the same airport].

You do not want one way flights as they are MUCH more expensive.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 10:45 AM
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>> It also sounds like a “good” travel agent who could handle some of the more obscure details would probably be worth the price ) can handle those sorts of things.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 01:14 PM
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I agree you can easily do this on your own. I agree that TAs are horrible at "obscure travel details." Many of them haven't even traveled to where you're headed. But I don't see a single thing in your list of desires that would fall into the category of "obscure," anyway.You'd probably have to make at least a dozen trips to Italy before you even came close to the "obscure" category.

Get a few guidebooks and some maps and investigate the official websites of the cities/places you want to visit. Italy is not a difficult place to plan your own trip.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 01:33 PM
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Another voice to "TAs are horrible at obscure travel details."

I don't know when was the last time you used a TA for "obscure travel details." If this is something you assumed, in my experience, it is more of a fantasy. The travel industry has changed since the airline deregulation and internet. With commission opportunities reduced, they seem to only want to sell prepackaged common denominator off the shelf products or business trips where they get predictable negotiated fees to fixed destiantions. Completely opposite from what you think you will be getting. Working on "obscure" details with limited commission opportunities is the last thing they would work on.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 01:37 PM
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http://storylandsea.com/

As per your original question, this company run great small group tours.
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 03:29 PM
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This is simple. You have a local travel agent book flights,hotels, transportation between cities.
In each city hire a local guide. For example: tours by locals.
My family has followed this formula for 15 years in numerous European cities.
You chose what is the best value and the best itinerary.
Regards.
Mike
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