Considering Tour with Alitalia
Jan 14th, 2002, 12:59 PM
#2
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Of course you could spend your whole 7 days in Rome so easily, but:
if you're travelling with more than 1 person, it would be worth considering hiring a car after you've visited Rome to travel Northwards to Siena, Assisi and Florence for example.
It would work out not too much more expensive than trains/buses and sounds easier than trying to buy train tickets in Italian!
You can catch the train but you miss out on so much 'flavour' on the way. (the Italians aren't such bad drivers as everyone says!)
Alitalia are fine. Not terrible, not brilliant. Depends on what suits you with regards routes, timings, costs...
Anyway when are you travelling?
if you're travelling with more than 1 person, it would be worth considering hiring a car after you've visited Rome to travel Northwards to Siena, Assisi and Florence for example.
It would work out not too much more expensive than trains/buses and sounds easier than trying to buy train tickets in Italian!
You can catch the train but you miss out on so much 'flavour' on the way. (the Italians aren't such bad drivers as everyone says!)
Alitalia are fine. Not terrible, not brilliant. Depends on what suits you with regards routes, timings, costs...
Anyway when are you travelling?
Jan 14th, 2002, 01:18 PM
#3
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Are you talking about Alitalia airlines or italiatour?
I was going to book with italiatour for a 5 day 7 night in Florence at the beginning of march, but decided to look on the BBB website just incase. They have had 9 complaints in the last 36 months and 4 in the last year. I decided to book it myself (actually wound up being cheaper).
I was going to book with italiatour for a 5 day 7 night in Florence at the beginning of march, but decided to look on the BBB website just incase. They have had 9 complaints in the last 36 months and 4 in the last year. I decided to book it myself (actually wound up being cheaper).
Jan 14th, 2002, 03:09 PM
#5
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We did the Italiatour thing to Rome a couple of years ago... sort of on the spur of the moment. We've traveled all over Italy but thought we had short changed Rome, so spent all our time there. We probably didn't save any money (vs making our own arrangements).. but it was terribly convenient. I would stay in Rome and really "Do" it. We certainly had enough to fill our plate for 5 days even tho we'd been there before.
PS. If you want to do a day trip... Orvieto would probably be the most convenient and interesting.
PS. If you want to do a day trip... Orvieto would probably be the most convenient and interesting.
Jan 14th, 2002, 03:38 PM
#6
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PPS. Since our Rome experience with Italitour worked out so well, we subsequently considered doing a Venice/Florence package. Essentially, after comparison shopping, ended up doing the same thing but on our own. However,we have traveled a lot. If I were you I'd still consider the Rome package to get the flavor of travel in Italy.
Jan 14th, 2002, 04:30 PM
#7
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Hi Tricia -
One year ago I booked an Italiatour trip for 4 people and ended up cancelling (willing to loose our deposit) as the service was SOOOOO terrible even before we left. Alitalia gets lots of negative (and I suppose deserved) press on this site. You don't want your first experience of Rome to be a downer if you're flight over isn't good (waits, lost luggage, smoking in the cabin etc). Anyway, I ended up booking on Air France and self booking all the hotels and walking tours. Same price. Great hotel location.
All 4 of us very happy. Should you want details or have questions - e-mail me at work [email protected].
March is a fabulous time to go. Book a papal audience (Twenj.com) if you can. It's an awesome experience even if you're not Catholic.
Charlie
One year ago I booked an Italiatour trip for 4 people and ended up cancelling (willing to loose our deposit) as the service was SOOOOO terrible even before we left. Alitalia gets lots of negative (and I suppose deserved) press on this site. You don't want your first experience of Rome to be a downer if you're flight over isn't good (waits, lost luggage, smoking in the cabin etc). Anyway, I ended up booking on Air France and self booking all the hotels and walking tours. Same price. Great hotel location.
All 4 of us very happy. Should you want details or have questions - e-mail me at work [email protected].
March is a fabulous time to go. Book a papal audience (Twenj.com) if you can. It's an awesome experience even if you're not Catholic.
Charlie
Jan 16th, 2002, 03:19 PM
#9
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Hi Tricia,
I had an experience similar to Charlie's and also ended up cancelling with Italiatour due to lack of service. It was almost impossible to get anyone on the phone and when you did it was usually someone who'd just started working there. Supervisors refused to come to the phone. We at least got our deposit back after a complaint to American Express.
We rebooked our vacation 3 weeks before departure using the internet....flew British Airways to Rome (via London but that's all we could get at the "last minute"). We stayed at La Residenza in Rome and loved it and spent 3 days in Amalfi at La Bussolla.
You can do this on your own without Italiatours and I would highly recommend that you not waste your time with Italiatours. Angela
I had an experience similar to Charlie's and also ended up cancelling with Italiatour due to lack of service. It was almost impossible to get anyone on the phone and when you did it was usually someone who'd just started working there. Supervisors refused to come to the phone. We at least got our deposit back after a complaint to American Express.
We rebooked our vacation 3 weeks before departure using the internet....flew British Airways to Rome (via London but that's all we could get at the "last minute"). We stayed at La Residenza in Rome and loved it and spent 3 days in Amalfi at La Bussolla.
You can do this on your own without Italiatours and I would highly recommend that you not waste your time with Italiatours. Angela
