Fodor's Travel Talk Forums - First Time Visitor

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First Time Visitor

My wife and I would like to go to Italy this fall. This would be our first visit there. Can anyone suggest a moderately priced escorted tour (10-11 days) which goes to Rome and the Naples area? Are there any tour operators we should avoid?

Welcome to Fodors, Vettman. Ohhh, you're going to love Italy, and fall is a great time to go. You won't find much information about escorted tours on this message board, as we tend to be a bunch of "do it yourselfers." There's a lot of knowledge here about visiting Italy, so stick around awhile and open messages that look interesting to you. Study the itineraries that people post here for review, and check out the hotels popular with other posters in the cities you plan to visit. Learn to use the search engine to search past posts, commonly called the archives. We'll help you. When you start to get an idea of where you want to go and what you want to see, come back here and ask lots of questions. You're sure to generate replies. Oh, one other thing: be sure to give your post a focused title, such as "Looking for a budget hotel in Florence" or "Please help with rental car agencies in Italy." There's another website that has a huge amount of good information about Italy. Try www.slowtrav.com and the message board at www.slowtalk.com, related non-commercial sites. Clear your calendar, these sites require some time. Go to your library and browse in the Italy travel guides. Check out those that look interesting to you, but make sure they're recent. I wouldn't depend on the information in a guide book that was published prior to 2002. Have fun planning!

An elderly friend of mine has been on several Grand Circle tours to various parts of Italy, and she recommends them highly. She's an intelligent, lively, curious person, so I think her judgment about the tour is probably good. I don't think I would like the GC tours because they are for large groups (~40 people) and there's a lot of time spent on the bus. However, they may be good for a first-time visitor who'd rather not travel independently, and they are not too expensive. I do like some tours very much, but only the very small group tours that focus on a specific area.

An escorted coach tour is a good way to experience Italy for a first time visitor and the operators doing the most comprehensive tours are, Insight, Trafalgar, Globus and Cosmos. Pick up a tour book from your travel agent. At least with a tour there is no waiting in line at the best sites, your guide takes you to the front and straight in. I enjoyed the tour I did with Cosmos and it encouraged me to go back and travel on my own to places I wanted to see in more depth.

I would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond. I will certainly followup on your suggestion. Thank you. vettman454

Way to go Betsy! A great reply to a newbie. Excellent suggestions and tips on how to use the site. I am surprised that some jerk didn't get in before you with the usual "Do a search" reply that has become commonplace here.

Vettman, don't be afraid to try an independent trek to Italy if you are so inclined. Italy is fantastic for the "on your own" crowd. There are many wonderful people here who can practically build you an outstanding itinerary and give you all the "ins and outs" of each aspect of your trip. whether an escorted tour or independent. There are even a few who will go along with you, if invited. LOL.

Why thank you, Jim! I'll be first in line to volunteer to go along with Vettman and his wife.... I love to plan the trip as well as experiencing the actual travel. Wanted to share that with Vettman.

Europe Through the Back Door (www.ricksteves.com) offers eight "Best of Italy in 20 Days" tours starting between Sept. 3 and Oct. 14. They include Rome and Naples. While they're longer--and therefore probably more expensive than you wish--I suggest you visit the site to get an idea of what is included in a tour which emphasizes traveling in small groups, meeting local people, and getting as close to the land as possible. Use the information there for comparison with other tours you find that better fit your schedule.

My parents had considered an escorted tour when they went to Italy for the first time (1st Europe trip for them). Instead they worked with a U.S. travel agent that knew Italy well & she suggested a great itinerary. Besides arranging for hotels, train tickets & a rental car, the agent also booked them on smaller day tours, walking tours with a guide (groups of 5-6 + guide), plus free days where they could explore on their own. This was more expensive than a big tour, but very personal. They were able to pick their own restaurants and didn't have to go everywhere with a group of 20+ people (the biggest downside to an escorted tour IMO). They had an excellent trip and were very happy they did it that way.

Here's a footnote to my previous post. Europe Through the Back Door also has three 20-day "Bus, Bed, and Breakfast" tours of Italy this fall. Again the length of time may not work for you, but these tours are cheaper because you're given a lot more time to explore on your own than is true with the other 20-day tours. If you decide to travel 100% independently, use the descriptions on these or other tours to plan your own route.

Vettman454, I'll take my chances that I won't be burned at the stake with the suggestion you seek out a good travel agent. They should have brochures from the major tour companies to give you and should be able to make recommendations based upon feedback from previous clients. You can then come back to this board for comments. The travel agent has a vested interest in you being pleased - repeat business and referrals. No, I'm not and never have been involved with the travel industry.

Perillo Tours offers several tours to Italy that are 10-15 days. They are a reputable company and have been in business for almost 60 years. For information, please see www.perillotours.com (BTW, you will love Italy!)