Italy-Need help choosing bus tour or cruise
 

I will be visiting Italy for the first time this summer. I will be traveling with my husband, children (14 and 7)and my mother (80 + and anxious to go!). My seven-year-old and my mother are my biggest concern. I want to be sure that the two of them are not run ragged. I would love suggestions as to whether you think we should do a strictly land tour by bus or a cruise. Whichever you think, I would also appreciate recommendations of tour companies and curise lines. We will have two weeks, including travel to and from Florida. We want a tour that will give us the appropriate amount of time to see the sights. Thanks so much.

Big question - they are 2 totally different choices. It would help to know what the priorities are of this trip. To see Italy in depth, to see particular cities, to enjoy a relaxing vacation, etc. I think a cruise would not really run you ragged, but you are sometimes limited in number of ports and amount of time at each. On the other hand, a bus tour has the potential to run you ragged, but you are always somewhere, if only on the bus enjoying scenery. I would not recommend a bus tour for a 7 year old or an 80 year old, let alone both of them in the same group...for up to 2 weeks! Inevitably every bus schedule has an annoying schedule to keep up with, and perhaps you cover more land (literally), but you don't always get to go out and enjoy it, and that is very frustrating. On a cruise visiting the cities is usually a big tease - you arrive in port at 8am and have a few hours to enjoy wherever you are and then you are back on the ship in time for sailing until the next port. Also very frustrating, but I think a ship is a much more fun and comfortable place to be in between sightseeing, as opposed to being on a bus. I really don't think there are many tours that give an "appropriate" amount of time, but I haven't been on enough to say definitively. As far as cruises go, I think the more popular lines we're familiar with in the US don't have many (or any) cruises that go ONLY to Italy - usually there's also Spain, Turkey, Greece and/or others in the itinerary. Costa or European lines such as MSG may have itineraries devoted to Italy. I've been to Italy a number of times and I've been on cruises and I've taken bus tours - if you can tell me more about what you hope to accomplish maybe I can give you better ideas. <BR>

Thanks Hamlet. Since we've never been to Italy, what we're looking for a good overview of the country. We'd like to get an idea of where we'd like to return and visit at greater depth. I'm looking for advice as to which cruises offer the best itineraries. Also interested to know if there are any land tour companies that offer smaller tour groups and can do some customizing.As you can imagine, we've got some challenges given the age span in our party. By the way, we'll probably bring along a wheelchair for my mother so she won't have to walk every single step.

For two weeks I would suggest choosing 3 major cities as your bases and then doing daytrips from each. That way on any given day you can decide what the agenda will be and who will be doing what. The trains and buses from<BR>Florence, Venice, Rome, etc can easily help you see a good bit of the countryside around each, and you still have the glories of each city to explore. It will be much less traveling<BR>much less packing and unpacking, and much less cranky-making for all concerned. People on this forum can help make suggestions for an itinerary, or you can search here under day trips and get lots of information, etc.

Two years ago we did a two week bus tour of Italy through Trafalgar with my 6 year old. She made out great. Slept on the bus, ate plain pasta with parmesan (SP?) cheese at the fancy restaurants and snuck up front at all the museums and other tours since she was so short. No problem!<BR><BR>BUT, this year we took my mother to France. She has a hard time walking. She was much more difficult and demanding than my child. She wore out easily and couldn't climb the stairs.<BR>Europe is not equiped like the US for the handicapped. <BR><BR>In Italy you will have trouble with the wheelchair, expect this, but use it whenever you get the chance. If your mother can not walk at all, you will need to talk to the bus tour company or cruise ship to make sure they can make accomodations for her.<BR><BR>A cruise is much easier than a bus tour but you see different sights. Maybe you could go to one city for a couple of days, take a one week cruise then visit another city for a few days.<BR><BR>Think about where you can fly in and out of, like Rome, Venice, Milan, Florence, etc. and where the cruise will go.

Thought of some other things. On our Italy tour there was a 15 year she got bored often. Teenagers aren't as easy to entertain or impress as little ones. You will need to make more of an effort to keep the teenager happy. Have her bring something entertain herself like fashion magazines, stationary, walkman with headphones, and handheld video games. <BR><BR>Once you decide on places to visit post a question asking if they are wheelchair accessable. We had a stroller with us and often there was no way to use it because of cobblestone streets and walkways or walkways that were super narrow.<BR><BR>Stroller (in your case wheelchair) was impossible in Pompeii and the catacombs. Also, when we visited the Coloseum we were left off on a long cobblestone path. I think they may have had another entrance more condusive to wheelchairs, but not sure.

I agree with the earlier post suggesting that you pick a few towns for your first trip[. The major cities will offer bus tours. We like to contact the concierge ahead of time to see if they can make arrangements for a private car and driver. You'd be surprised at the cost. It's usually not much more than a booking for a day trip with a tour company costs.

My fiance and I are taking our honeymoon cruise in May that starts in Barcelona and goes to Ville France, Rome, Naples, Malta, Sicily and Venice. It is a 1 week cruise and we have chosen to stay 2 extra nights in Venice. I have been on several cruises before and I think it is a wonderful way to do what you want. If your mother is tired, she can stay on the ship where there are always things to do. They have programs specifically designed for different age children adn of course...the food!!! Good luck and enjoy whatever you decide.

We are undecided as well about whether to cruise or bus thru a tour of italy. We are wanting to see the isle of Capri, Rome. Venice and Florence for sure. Wouldn't mind throwing Nice in there also. But... what cruise lines offer itenaries (sp?) like these? Any suggestions and ratings from those who have done this?

I've done all three types of tours. As mentioned in another response, the bus tour lets you see alot, but it will run you ragged. <BR>The packing and unpacking every day or two gets old quickly especailly in a family group you'd be traveling with. You and your husband would probably get the brunt of things keeing everyone going and on time. <BR> <BR>I'd go on a cruise. We took our 4 grandchildren to the British Isles on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line 2 years ago, ages 10-17, and they all had a blast. Unpacked once, knew where you would eat and sleep each night and the kids all had a great time on the ship. My wife and I had a chance to relax in the evenings and on sea days. The point about limited time in each port is true, but you can look at it from another point also. We felt like we got to sample many places and decide which ones we'd like to come back to and spend more time. <BR> <BR>By coincidence, my wife and I and a couple of friends are taking a royal Caribbean cruise this spring on Legend of the Seas. It leaves Barcelona on May 19 for a 12 day cruise. Most of the ports are for italy, but we'll have stops in France and Croatia. I'd suggest you look into this itinerary.