rmh621

has anyone done an escorted tour to Italy (e.g Globus, Trafalgar, etc) would like to know how they are? expect to have about 10-12 days in Italy and thought that may be the best way to maximize my time. right now plan to spend a couple days in Rome and the balance of time in the Florence area. noted several tours with itinerary including Rome, Venice, Florence. Is that feasible in 10-12 days.<BR><BR>Thanks

Jill

I went on a Globus tour last year and enjoyed it. Globus is very organized and we had no complaints. 10-12 days is fine for the 3 cities you mentioned, but keep in mind that on a tour your time is not your own...you just go with the group...it's a nice way to travel though...stress-free and they get you to all the important sites. Be ready to spend a bit more on the "optional excursions" which are offered...they usually take you to nice places you cannot otherwise get to on a tour but it does add to your travel cost. Have fun and eat lots of gelato!

rmh621

Thanks for the input. the tours I am looking at are labelled "leisurely" so I think they will provide some leisure time albeit minimal. I thought this was maybe a good way to get an overview and hopefully then feel capable of going back and doing more in depth on my own. <BR>RMH

Sue

rmh621,<BR><BR>I took a tour with Trafalgar 2 years ago and thought it was ideal. I was able to see all of the major sights and actually had plenty of time (for me). Now I know where I would like to go back and extend my stay.<BR><BR>My tour was 12 days and included Venice which was the highlight for me. I took the Bellissmo Italy tour. <BR><BR>Enjoy Italy, it's incredible!

Linda

We recently took a trip to France and Italy Grand European/Far&Wide. It was not we expected -- a very disappointing trip. See photos at www.farandwidefiasco.com<BR><BR>In the meantime, from my website I have received many emails from people giving us good advice and recommendations for future trips. Insight Tours has been recommended many times as well as Trafalgar (although I don't know anything about either of them). I've taken Tauck, CIE, Bennett (I think they're out of business now), and American Express -- they were all excellent. <BR><BR>We learned on this tour that, while we didn't realize we were booking a "budget" tour, we could have taken a much more expensive, first-class deluxe tour for the same amount of money once we paid for all the optional tours (including the Eiffel Tower, Sistine Chapel, etc.) plus the dinners (5 were included in the tour).<BR><BR>While this last trip included some bad experiences, we are anxious to go on our next adventure.<BR><BR>Happy and safe travels!

Andre

Linda,<BR><BR>I just went through your "fiasco" website - yikes!<BR><BR>It's none of my business, but if you're internet-savvy enough to design a whole website, why not do a little research and take your next trip independently? That way you'll know exactly what you're getting and won't be cooped up with total strangers for days on end...<BR><BR>Andre

Linda

When my husband and I travel, we always take independent trips, but my 80-year-old mother, my 15-year-old daughter and her 15-year old friend were with me. I felt a tour would be our best bet, especially handling the luggage and the language. Clearly, I did not do enough research on the itinerary nor did I read the materials closely. We chose the trip for the itinerary. Yeah, I know, dumb move!

Andre

Linda,<BR><BR>I see your point - I would not relish organizing a paneuropean itinerary for such a diverse group. My recommendation would be to rent a house or stay at a hotel in the countryside (Tuscany, Provence etc.) and rent a car. That way, the adventurous/young/active members of your group could come and go as they please, while the older/relaxed ones could take it easy.<BR><BR>You won't cover as much ground, but it will feel like a real vacation!<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

x0x

topping

Lee

If you would like to see how an escorted tour of Italy can be, go to http://bestofitaly2001.com

jetset

We took a Trafalgar tour called Simply Italy in Feb.2002 and love every minute of it for 6 nights covering Rome, Florence and Venice.<BR>If only we had enough vacation time we could have taken the Real Italy that covers more. Anyway with 6 nights we saw the "must sees" in each city and was really worth it than doing it on our own for such a short time. Our tour director was wonderful and very knowledgable.<BR>Looking forward to do Real France this coming December ( thank God just paid off the credit card from the Italy tour) on their Winter Break special.<BR>good luck!