I don't know how they could possibly price flights for 2014 when the airlines don't even have schedules/prices that far out. Airlines only load fares about 10 months out.

You don't need a tour company for a trip such as this. I would watch for an airfare sale (once you are in that 10 month window) and book things yourself.

>>>First Class Transport to Florence, 2.5 hours<<<

Doesn't even make sense. The fast train from Rome to Florence takes 90 minutes. You can book online yourself (not this far in advance) and currently you can get discounts for as little as 9€. You also don't need 1st class on these fast trains especially for a 90 minute ride. This is a picture of 2nd class on those trains.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/Frecciarossainterno.jpg

>>>They are priority tours with a tour guide and you do not have to stand in the lines you would typically have to stand in to see these.<<<

They don't sound like priority tours. Some sound like a walk-by, not an actual go inside.

You can book your own entrance tickets for most sites and avoid lines.

There is no mention of the Vatican in Rome. I would not do the illuminated night tour of Rome. That would be a waste of time to me. You might want to see a place or two lit up at night (the Colosseum), but not the rest. It's another walk by type of tour since most places aren't open at night.

Florence is very walkable (only about 20-25 minute walk across the historic center). You can easily do it on your own.

Pisa is a 7€ train ride from Florence and easy to do.

If I were you, I would watch airfares (sign up on a few farewatcher sites when you are in the 10 month window) and try to add some days to your trip. You only have eight days in Italy.

Does that price include all your airfare?

If you do some searches on this forum, for each of your questions, you will find a LOT of information to help you fine-tune how to go about it.

In general, you will find most people here are more in favor of traveling on their own, without a tour group. It isn't difficult to plan a trip on your own, and get guides for specific places, like ancient Rome. It is a matter of what you are comfortable with, and how much it costs.

We toured Italy the first week of May in 2006, and the weather was outstanding. The flowers were in riotous bloom on the Spanish Steps, for instance. And tourist crowds aren't there yet in early May.

Have fun planning your trip. It will be lots of fun.

I made a couple attempts to post that... My kindle died and so did my laptop. Boo.

Anyways, it seems I left out that since we were looking so far out, we couldnt get exact dates for the trip and the flights so the itinerary above is based off what we would book if we were going September 2013. I my goal was just to get a price range, I know its not going to be exactly the same a year from now but I know what price range I'm looking at. Does that make sense?

As far as the rail trips between... Those travel times were just based off an article read which is why I wanted to get forum opinions since I figured they would be more accurate. The blurb about the tours being priority is again based off the website. Never having gone to Italy, I wasn't sure... Hence the forum post.

I'm just nervous about booking everything seperate, to me the perks of

Oops, like I was saying, to me, the perks of a tour packaged trip like the one above, is that everything is booked consistently and you can purchase insurance in case anything happens.

As you can probably tell, I haven't traveled much at all so this whole process is new to me. I'm just trying to make the most of it. I would love to spend more time, I could possibly add two more days but my travel partner has a daughter and that's a long time away from your child, ya know?

Thank you for the comments! I have some more forum reading to do.

>>>the perks of a tour packaged trip like the one above, is that everything is booked consistently and you can purchase insurance in case anything happens. <<<

Insurance wouldn't cover a sightseeing tour that didn't happen. You can also buy insurance to cover your own trip you put together. You can compare different insurance options on sites like: http://www.insuremytrip.com/

Most of these tourist sites offer their own tours which can easily be booked or they have audio guides you can rent. I can't imagine going to Rome and not visiting St. Peter's and the Vatican Museums.

Whenever I fly to Europe I plan to stay as long as possible. If I'm spending all that time and money (one of your biggest trip expenses) to get there, then I might as well stay awhile.

To be honest, I would rather tour the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill than the Vatican but that's just me.

Thanks for the link to the insurance site. Do you think travel insurance worth it?

>>>To be honest, I would rather tour the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill than the Vatican but that's just me.<<<

Your friend might think otherwise.

Here's a rundown on costs so you have an idea.

Private limo transfer from airport to hotel: 40€ for up to 3 people.
http://www.romeshuttlelimousine.com/en/airport-transfer.php

Taxi from airport to hotel: 48€ up to 4 people including luggage (it's a set fee in Rome).

Entrance to the Colosseum/Forum/Palantine: 12€
Regular tour of the Colosseum: 5€
Special tour which includes Colosseum underground and 3rd tier: 20€

Admission to Accademia in Florence: 6.50€

Admission Baptistery Pisa: 5€
Admission/tour of Baptistery in Pisa: 8€
Your tour doesn't include admission to the tower which would need reservations.

Fast train Rome/Florence: 2nd cl 43€, 1st cl 63€
Advance purchase discount tickets 9€.

Fast train Florence/Venice: 2nd 45€, 1st 63€
Advance discount 9€.

If I were booking a day tour from Florence to Pisa, I would book one that included a hill town or vineyard such as this one.
http://www.caftours.com/highlights-of-tuscany-tour-with-typical-lunch-wine-tasting.html

This is an easy trip to do on your own. But if independent travel for a first trip to Italy makes you uncomfortable, take the tour. At least you spend several days at each destination, which is better than most tours.

Be very selective about which excursions you sign up for. I've been to Italy a number of times. (My husband has relatives there.) And I've never seen the leaning tower of Pisa. It's just not important to me.

I prefer to travel in Europe in the spring. The days are longer so you can see more.

kybourbon: You're very right, she may. I'm completely fine with visiting both. We had kind if agreed that we would pick one tour each so, mine will be the Ancient Rome and if she picks the Vatican then great! If she pucks something else, that's great too. Thanks for the price breakdown. I'm glad I started looking into this early, we have a lot of decisions to make about our trip.

Mimar: Great point about the longer days, that also means we don't have to wait as long!! Haha.

So, let me ask you this, I'be read a lot about types of clothes to wear. I'm from So. Cal. The summers are hot 100-110 and the winters are usually pretty mild. I've read the typical weather in May is late 70's to late 80's. Is that pretty accurate? We're definitely planning jeans and shorts but in the summers here, I practically LIVE in summer dresses. I know that there are shoulder and knee rules churches AND I've heard Italian men are pretty aggressive... (So are American men.) Are summer dresses appropriate? I realize there's a lot of walking and I probably wouldn't wear them on tours but just to wander around in the late afternoon/evenings...

How much Italian is necessary to learn. I want to be able to communicate effectively with people and I'm excited to learn a bit of a new language. We're also interested in taking a cooking class. Worth the money? (I've found a couple for 100-150 a person.)

<< weather in May is late 70's to late 80's >>

Sounds about right for the temps.

<< We're definitely planning jeans and shorts >>

Jeans are hot and heavy. You won't be able to go into churches in Italy while wearing shorts. I suggest you leave these at home and buy some light weight capris or trousers.

Why wouldn't you wear your summer dresses during the day? Seems like the ideal outfit for hot weather.

<< How much Italian is necessary to learn. I want to be able to communicate effectively with people >>

It's not necessary to learn any Italian but knowing the basic words of politeness will improve your experience.

You would need to study for several years at home or stay and study in Italy for about a year to communicate effectively.

Why not do what other people do and learn a few words and phrases. People in Europe who deal with tourists speak English.

Adrienne: Key phrases and stuff like that is what I meant but communicating effectively. O took two years of Spanish and can barely speak it past introducing myself and asking for directions, I know I can't learn Italian quick enough to carry. Long conversation.

As far as the dresses are concerned, I figured it was fine but I was just checking. I live in jeans, even here in the summer so I'm not really worried about them being hot or heavy... I will definitely make sure I pack some capris. I'm not a trouser fan.

You've received lots of helpful comments. I'll point out a couple of things I've gleaned from my SIL and BIL who prefer to take guided tours.

The days start very early. OK, some people get up early even on vacation, but being showered, dressed, packed, breakfasted and in the lobby by 7:30 day after day is not my idea of vacation.

Lots of riding buses. From the tour description you provided, the transportation from Rome to Florence is probably by bus. Waste of time IMO.

Because you're riding lots of buses, the hotels need to be well located for allowing a parked bus to be loaded up. The tour company also wants a hotel with many very similar if not identical rooms. For these reasons, the hotels are usually located well outside the historical centers of cities, somewhat far from the main sights.

About speaking Italian... You have more than a year to listen to language CDs and learn some basic phrases. (Check your local library.) If you speak a little Spanish, you may be surprised to learn the similarities to Italian.

Clothing... Pack light. Pack things that mix and match colorwise and layer. We also live in California, and on the first trip we made to Italy we were a little surprised at the humidity (not high, but definitely higher than SoCal) that kept the feels-like temperature higher. Venice in particular would look gloomy when we left the hotel, but we'd be shedding the sweaters or jackets after 5 minutes of walking. Select shoes for comfortable walking, not necessarily fashion.

OK, you asked for brutally honest: Just reading the text of that tour promotion makes we want to scream. Talk about capitalizing on people's ignorance! As kybourbon points out, it's not even sensibly thought-out or reasonably priced and just has you walking by a lot of things you will probably want to actually see. You can easily and more cheaply figure this all out on your own. Watch airfares starting about 10 months out, check train fares about 3 months out, get maps, read guidebooks, get busy with Italian, make a plan. It's not rocket science.

Forget the jeans and shorts. Dresses are perfect. Capris work fine, too. Jeans weigh down your luggage and are hot. Make sure you have something to cover your shoulders/head when going into churches. Comfortable, sturdy shoes are essential.

Sundresses are the best thing to wear. Italian men are not any more agressive than American men. If your dresses are short, wear a pair of leggings. Both sundresses and leggings take up very little room in your luggage and can be hand washed in the bathroom sink if necessary. Since you will want to do carry-on only (especially with that much moving around from city to city) jeans are not a good option as they are bulky and take too long to dry.

Please note: This is a walking and orientation tour of Venice that does not include entry into any landmarks.>>

to me, n_renea, this sums up the sort of package tour that you have looked at. you can really organise something a lot better and more interesting yourself, using local guides if necessary, for example Context Rome, who will do an excellent tour of the colosseum, forum etc., or Rome at night, or...

the sorts of tours that these people are offering you could do yourself with a guide book, and probably do a better job.

for the sort of trip you are considering, you could book an open jaw flight into Venice and out of Rome [often thought preferable for north american visitors as the flights out of Venice back to the US tend to leave vey early in the morning] spend 3 nights there, 3 in Florence and 4 in Rome.

too much to see in each place for you to see it all, but that would give you a decent taster, and you would be in charge of what you saw and did, NOT someone else.

>>>I would rather tour the Colosseum, Roman Forum, and Palatine Hill than the Vatican but that's just me.<<<

If you take their large group tour you will be disappointed.

They will run you thru the Roman Forum pointing out a few sites, you will only see the Palatine Hill but not visit it and then over to the Colosseum.

The guide will give the same exact speech that he/she gives every day and likely questions off their grid if taken will be answered inaccurately.
I base this on the whoopers I have overheard them telling their large tour groups.

If that is one of your top sites to see, spend a bit more and book a small group (6 or less) tour with a company like ContextRome.

Now what you are doing with this travel agency (TA) and this independent tour is paying for them to book things for you with very limited options on hotels and no other tour company options.
And they are booking your air and rail travel with fees attached.

I'm a computer idiot and don't speak or read Italian but I have done all those things on my own except the advanced train tickets only because I've travelled off-season and have just walked into the station and used their ticket vending machines which if I can use them anyone can.

But it is fairly easy to advance book train tickets on your own and others here can help you do that.

Booking the airline tickets is easy but still ask for advice here on how to get deals.
Also I would fly into Venice and out of Rome, it's alot easier leaving.

Booking Italian Hotels: If on you own, now you have *alot* of options and 1st hand info on the many messageboards.
Post your price range and ammenties needed here and on other boards, google search the choices, decide and book. Also in esp the big city hotels booking in English will not be a problem.

Site Tours: Just like the hotels you now have multiple options and 1st hand experiences and not the single choice of the TA.
Again booking in English, no problem.
Also you can pre-book tickets on your own and avoid the long lines at the same sites that a tour group would.

Transportation: Except it seems the TA getting your rail tickets you're on your own anyway, so you don't need them.

Post here (also check out websites on Venice), ask about getting from the Venice Airport to your hotel.
That's where the majority of the herd is heading from the airport and it's signposted in English.

From Rome, hire a car and driver roughly the same price� as a taxi, hotel to terminal very easy.
[Or in reverse.]

Transportation within the Cities;

Venice is walkable with waterbuses on the canal.

Florence is also walkable, the main tourist attractions and the majority of hotels are within 1sq/mi.

Rome is mostly walkable with a centrally located hotel, if not a taxi for 2 isn't unreasonable say to the Vatican/St. Peter's.
Plus the main bus routes aren't really hard to figure out.

So you don't need a tourbus to get you around Rome and Florence.

So booking on your own will save you money and give you the choice to see the sites you want to see and how.

n_renea I haven't been on our trip to Italy yet, so my opinion is more on the style of travel than on the actual trip. We're going this coming June. But I've traveled pretty extensively, mainly in Central America and the Caribbean and I love planning trips. For me that's part of the adventure. For our first trip to Costa Rica I thought we wanted to do a package because it all seemed so overwhelming to plan, however, the more I looked at the packages, the more I realized I could do it myself. From that point on, there was no stopping me!

Now, that being said, I have friends who much prefer a guided tour. They did a group tour to Italy a few years ago - they were about 40 and had absolutely no interest in planning the trip on their own. They wanted the trip taken care of for them. They wanted to just be able to get up, be at their designated spot and go where they knew they were going. They LOVED it! They made some great friends that they still keep in touch with. They feel that they saw exactly what they wanted to in the depth that they wanted. They researched the type of group they wanted and went with it. They took the time on the bus rides to rest and didn't mind that time at all. They said they had great food, which was all included and I don't remember them complaining about the hotels, but I know they weren't luxury either.

So, I think it just depends on what your comfort level is. I think if you're going to do a tour, it can be a good experience if you find one that meshes with your interests and expectations. I also think that if you push your comfort level too far you can have a worse trip than not going on a tour if that's what you would have been more comfortable with in the first place.

If you decide to try the trip on your own, you definitely can get great advice here though!

Haha, I did ask for brutally honest and got it! Thank you all so much!

I can't forget the jeans completely but maybe I'll only pack one pair.

The more you all post, the more it seems like booking ourselves would be the best way to get the most out of our trip. I'm so excited so THANK YOU for all your advice.

I will definitely look into booking it all individually. Price range wise, we havent talked specifically about price ranges but I would like to be able to book our hotel and transportation for right at or less than what the TA was going to charge.

To be explain a little more... I was originally planning on going alone. I didn't think anyone would be able to take the time off to go so when I brought it up to my friend, she was very excited. She's an ideal travel buddy. I sent her what I was already looking at. I felt more comfortable, if I were to be traveling alone, to book with a TA but since we're both going. I think we will definietly talk about doing this on our own.

I'm going to pick up some learning Italian cd's (great idea!) and just start looking around at what hotels and things cost for the months we're looking at.

I had read that June through August are the main tourist months of we went in mid-May or mid to late September, would that still be considered tourist season?

June through August are very hot. May and Sept. will be a bit cooler, but you have to keep in mind many things are simply not air conditioned (churches, restaurants, many museums) in Europe. Air conditioning that does exist is not equivalent to US AC.

Any sun dresses would need sleeves to enter many churches (shoulders and knees need to be covered). Instead of jeans, take linen. Italians tend to wear very thin linen to keep cool.

Star listings for hotels in Europe are based on the amenities offered (elevator, bar, restaurant, etc.), not on the quality of the hotel. Decide what amenities you need, post a budget and people here will give you lots of options.

Try to squeeze in the Borghese Gallery and do the audio tour. It was one of my favorite galleries. Also, we booked tours of the Vatican and Ancient Rome...but make sure it is a small group. You don't want to be in a group of 20+ following a guide around. We were 2 in a group of 4 and 6...well worth the money spent.

Just think of language learning as part of the (fun) planning process. Millions travel without doing so, but I cannot imagine not at least learning numbers and basics needed to conduct transactions. Will I be having an in-depth conversation with anyone? Not likely, but I definitely think it adds to the experience, and is vital in restaurants--particularly if you want to go to restaurants without English menus.
Also, I definitely see a lot of parallels with Spanish--so much so that I find myself confusing some words. On the balance, my Spanish background helps. I'm a big fan of Rosetta Stone if you can afford the splurge.
You asked about blogs also. I'm hoping to get to Rome next year, and here are a few I've bookmarked:
http://www.revealedrome.com/
http://www.tavoleromane.it/foodtours/en/?page_id=100
http://www.parlafood.com/

It's always tourist season in Venice, Florence and Rome. But if you go in May or September, there will be fewer tourists and the weather will be more pleasant.

On researching hotels, you'll be able to find hotels in a huge range of prices in all three cities (though Venice will generally be more expensive). It may work better if you decide on your hotel budget, then start researching for centrally-located hotels in that price range.

n_renea, hi,

I was raised in California and now live in Italy and you can definitely relax about your first trip to Italy and doing it together with your friend on your own. The cities you plan to visit are actually much smaller in size than maybe what you are imagining. In terms of walking around size, think in terms of Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Berkeley, places you can mainly walk around easily but also with MUCH better public transportation between the cities. Taking the trains between cities, even long distances, are a breeze.

Of course these "small" places are overflowing with fantastic buildings filled with famous and things like nothing you've ever seen -- so you will need to choose and be organized about seeing what most excites you to see, and living with the fact you can't see it all just this first time. Don't let anybody guilt-trip you into seeing anything if it's not calling to you. Other people have (IMHO) pretty rigid ideas about Venice and Rome, especially when you remember for some Catholics it's all about the Vatican, and other people think there is some "right" way to see Venice or Italy. Poo. If people tell you they "can't imagine" that you wouldn't include this or that, well, that's interesting information about them and their advice, not about Italy.

Also, you asked people to be "brutally" honest, but I honestly think there is no reason to be brutal -- and just so you know, if you want, you can get detailed advice from Frommer's and Tripadvisor message boards without sarcastic putdowns like "this isn't rocket science." It honestly will take you and your friend some real brain work to plan an affordable, rewarding trip for your first trip to Italy -- especially if you want something more than check off the most famous sights quickly and then go shop a lot and eat piles of ice cream, LOL. You should read some trip reports around here about people who come to Italy and leave and still don't have a clue. Of course you'll want to eat some great Italian treats, but I admire you for zeroing in on the kind of tour that appeared to offer you some intellectual content for your trip. I'm sure you can do it on your own, without the tour group, but you had to start somewhere and you made a good start, with an open mind. Brava! Complimenti! (Italian lesson #1)

You'll get less tourists in the "trinity" outside of the time when school kids are on vacation. But you should be braced for crowds and lines at the most famous monuments and churches, so find out which ones you need to reserve before you go. It is very hot in summer, and more humid than California generally, and summer lasts until Sept 21 in terms of heat (even a bit later in Rome).

Hope all your dreams come true.

There are a bunch of things about this description that I don;t get

But a couple of notes:

I would spend more time and less money on hotels (you don't need 4* you can do 3* and get enough time in each place to actually see something (can you see SF, LA and SD in 7 days with travel in between - I don't think you'll get to see much)

Not only all 4* but basically all 3* hotels have private baths - and central location is more important to a trip with limited time than having a bar in the hotel.

The hotel in FLorence is well on the - wrong side of the Arno - not in a good position for sightseeing - better someplace simpler near the heart of the city. Hotels in the other 2 cities are reasonably central - but not as close as I would want to be. IMHO art of the joy of any vacation in europe is exploring the city on foot (plan on doing 8 to 10 miles a day - NOT like CA - cars are useless in all 3 places).

I would do a lot more work on what you actually want to see and do - then figure out how much time you really have - and people can help you make decisions. (Each city has dozens of tours of all types from inexpensive to exclusive walking tours that you can usually pick up on the spot except for the few places - Scavi, Borghese, etc - that require them.)

I'd get a copy of the Rough Guide to Italy to read up about the trip now so you can enjoy your knowledge while you are there.

Italian, learn in CA, also try one or two of the skype based italian one to one teachers (I used one based in Italy on http://www.verbalplanet.com/index.asp Elisa Polise) and even skype chat to italians (try Busuu.com). You may not get to perfection but it is much nicer to order in the language.

The three cities you want to go to are very easy to do on your own. The train system in Italy is very clean and extensive (even the cheap slow regionale are pretty good) The Silver Arrow (Rome-Florence-Venice) is a great train.

Italian hotel rooms are smaller than you might expect and every bathroom has an emergency pull cord in it. (don't pull it)

Any sun dresses would need sleeves to enter many churches (shoulders and knees need to be covered). Instead of jeans, take linen. Italians tend to wear very thin linen to keep cool. >>

it's a small detail at this point, but a light shirt or a large silk scarf that you can put in your bag and won't weigh much is all you'll need to solve this problem.

as for language learning, do you belong to a library? They very often have language CDs or tapes that you can try out before you buy. e-bay is also useful for picking up 2nd hand copies at cheap prices. My favourite is Michel Thomas, but the most important thing is to practice little and often.

once you have a budget, i'm sure that there are people here who can recommend nice central hotels in each place. Central = convenience, and when you are in a new place for a short period of time, IMO that is worth a lot.

In Rome we stayed at B&B Al Centro di Roma in July last year and really enjoyed it. A very small B&B located on the 4th floor of a building (there is an elevator) with only 3 rooms. The rooms were small but clean, each with its own bathroom and excellent air conditioning. They gave you a voucher for breakfast at the bar across the piazza each morning. I think the cost was $115 per night, based on double occupancy (don't know if it would be more if you each got your own room). The B&B was in a great location - easy walking distance to all the sights. I would go back in a minute!

Flying into Venice and out of Rome works better for many – flights headed for the USA seem to leave very early from Venice. Also Venice gives a very calm entry to Italy. (A caveat here – we’re Venice nut-cases.)

Second class on trains in Italy is fine. Some prefer first class, and you do get a bit more space in first, but we’ve travelled often in second without any problems. Both train trips that you are planning are about 2 hours – so not a big deal, and there is a bar (often) on trains. Many trains have wi-fi connection, in both first and second. We’ve never booked train tickets much in advance – often the day prior to travelling – but there are cost savings if you book early (maybe). Look for posts on this forum by a guy called GAC – he knows all about trains in Italy.

For hotels, www.venere.com is a good site to look at.

For Venice, the walking tour does not make a lot of sense, as you can do it on your own. Also, with a walking group, you are limited to what the guide thinks is important, and limited to the walking speed of the slowest person. A walking tour that takes in the Mercerie will be difficult – the Mercerie is often jam-packed with people. Sometimes it’s a good idea to look at the walking tour itinerary, and then just do it on your own.

If you click on my user name, you’ll find a couple of trip reports that I’ve written about Venice.

I agree you don't need 4-star hotels. If you want to feel like you are in Italy, stay at a smaller pension or B&B.

To start, read through a bunch of threads on hotels in each of the cities.

In Venice, Pension la Calcina gets rave reviews for its low prices and wonderful service. It was full when we went to Venice, but we had a very nice brunch at their outdoor cafe with a beautiful view.

We stayed at the 1-star Hotel Riva, situated at the confluence of two small canals, in a convenient and charming area. I recommend you consider it.

Casa Rezzonica (sp?) is in the Dorsoduro (sp?) area. My daughter stayed there once and liked it a lot.

In Florence, we liked the Relais Cavalcanti very much.

And in Rome, we liked Domus Julia, near the Spanish Steps.

Most hotels in Italy include a simple breakfast in their price, as ours did.

My daughter and a friend stayed here in Venice and liked it:

http://www.alcampaniel.com/

Easy to find, and not too busy in the street. With the best chocolate shop in the world outside the door.

I have no problem with the idea of 4* hotels - we always lookk for 4* or 5* (but at bargain prices) - but that doesn't men we have to shorten the trip.

If given the choice between a longer trip wit 3* hotels and 4* I would always doe the former (I did when I first traveled 30 years ago).

While a tour simplifies certain aspects of travel
its not always the most economical way to travel and if you read carefully you will "see" means look at as you pass by, rather than "visit" ie go into the various sites.

You can easily travel between Venice, Florence and Rome by train, and select well located hotels that fit your budget.

Take out some guide books on Italy from your local library and decide what things you each want to see and do in each city.

You will probably find that most tours either do not go to these places or do not give you enough free time to go on your own. Also look at map of each city, so you can see where most of the sites are. The historic centers of each of these cities is not as large as you think, and its not difficult to get around. Your hotel can help you with directions too.

You can book hotels on line...i used Tingo.com .. they re-book for you if the rate drops, and you get a refund on the credit card once you stayed and you can cancel as well.. it paid for me as the euro kept on dropping last year.

You and your friend are young, and many people on tours are much older. I have done this myself, and some times it felt like I was traveling with the parents of others. not exactly ideal.

You have enough time to organize this your self. Watch the airfares. Try to fly into Venice and then go to Rome. The flight times home will be better and you will have more choices.

You will have a long flight to Italy from the west coast. If you can add a day going, you will be able to rest more when you arrive. look into the various flight possibilities. For example from many east coast cities you cannot fly nonstop to Italy. However, Delta and Alitalia have nonstop flights from NYC/JFK to Venice and from Rome. Balance cost and the number of hours of flying you are willing to do.

On your own you also get to chose where to eat what to eat and when. Only on certain types of tours will you have great meals, at great local restaurants.

In addition to your local library for language cd, you can see if the library has online free language program. the BBC has a free online language program .. you can sign up and learn some Italian. But not to worry you will be visiting cities where there are many tourists and those who deal with tourists generally speak English as well as other languages.

You may also find that there are some independent travel packages that will give you the rail and hotels in each city. You can compare prices and locations of the hotels.

Happy planning and I hope your trip is wonderful.

Thank you all. Your advice has been invaluable. So excited to start planning.

What is "California style". ?????

Just as a chain is only as strong as the weakest link, a group tour is only as fast as the slowest tourist. You will get up early but wait for the oversleeper. You will be ready to move on but there will be the obligatory bathroom break (your bladder may vary). In any location with three important sites, you will drive by one, stop for a picture at one, and get a walk through the third. Boarding the tour bus takes half an hour. Same for getting a room at the hotel or anything else that the group will do at the same time. The included food will be adequate but uninspiring and certainly not in any way offensive to any one with unadventurous tastes. One third of your time will be spent on the organizational overhead of the group.

You will not have decide anything. You will not have to figure out how to deal with unfamiliar transportation or social conventions or currency. You will not be perplexed by anything unfamiliar. You will not waste any time going the wrong way on a bus or getting lost. You will not have to blame yourself for a bad choice, you can just blame the tour. And there will always be someone to answer your questions, often accurately.

At your age, you are nearly certain to be the youngest tour group members, by a few decades.

As for deciding what you want to do, what are your skills? Maps? Improvisation? Planning? Languages? You only avoid mistakes with experience, but you only get experience from mistakes. Mine have included getting lost in Rome and discovering the reality of steak tartare. What are your interests? Art? Culture? Food? Ice cream? The sheer wonder of seeing something in real life rather than a picture?

And remember, with any inclusive tour, cheap is really too cheap, and expensive is overpriced. The money spent to organize, advertise, and profit from a tour will not be spent on you.

The fact that you are starting planning now is an excellent predicter of eventual success. Go for whatever kind of trip you feel will suit you, then plan another to correct your mistakes.

To address budget...

I'm currently starting the planning of a 2 week trip to London, Paris and Venice. Because I know budget is a key factor in my friends being able to come I needed to give a fairly accurate budget for them to plan and save. To do this I got an idea of the dates they could probably get off work and the itinerary desired.

Then I figured out the order of cities based on logic, in my case London - Paris - Venice. My budget saver once I get closer to getting real time airfare will be to flip flop Venice and London.

We've also settled on late April and early May 2015 for the trip window to be solidified once we get about 6 months out based on airfare and hotel trends.

Then I calculated the number of nights I thought we'd want to stay. In this case, London 4-5, Paris 4-5, Venice 3 with 1 night on the sleeper train between Paris and France (I've heard all the arguments on flying, train is our choice).

To calculate the hotel budget I did a search on Booking.com and some apartment sites for the approximate dates this year that we would be there and got an idea of what the rates were for the hotels that looked good on location and amenities.

I've rounded up about 25% to give cushion and then figured out a comfortable daily budget (meals, local transit, entry fees, shopping money) to get my budget for each person. As I've researched I've made note of the variables, like the sleeper train for 3 would run x$ at full price but start looking at about 90 days out and we could save 20-50% on the fare.

This lets me schedule a reminder on my calendar to check and book those savings as soon as they open.

Each person is different in their needs and comfort level. I'd be fine with a shared hostel dorm room as long as it was female only, my friend would only be comfortable with an en-suite bath (she might make an exception for a very small B&B). I've got on my list a day out to Bath and that is something the other 2 on my trip may not do as it's directly based on my love of Jane Austen.

Your personal spending style is also an indicator of how much to budget. I'm the type to think over any kind of purchase and to stick to a budget... so if I budget $20 for lunch and then the place chosen on the fly is more expensive I'm going to be looking for ways to make-up for it or take it out of my spending money pool (good meal v. fewer trinkets).

All up to you and your friend and how much you can realistically save.