Italy- tour operator vs self planning
 

Would like to take daughter to Italy for 30th birthday- have never been there - will likely only have about 10 days-
Would you suggest going with a tour operator ( which is what I am inclined to do)
or could I possibly pull it off by planning myself.
I dont want to waste a lot of time trying to figure things out once I get there.
Does anyone have suggestions for a tour operator that would appeal to mixed ages - am sure she would not be happy on a bus full of retired folks - no offense to retired folks- but am sure she would like some people her age to hang out with

Because Fodor's is a forum frequented by avid self-planners, the opinions you get will likely lean towards doing it yourself.

If you do a simply fly into Rome, train to Florence, train to Venice, fly home from Venice (book your plane ticket "open jaw") you could self-plan without too much effort.

That said, it sounds like you'd be more comfortable with a tour, so hopefully others can come up with some companies that are older than the Contiki crowd but younger than Elderhostel :-)

The Rick Steves Venice, Florence and Rome in 10 Days tour might be just the thing for you and your daughter. When looking at the tour photo albums on the RS website, you can see there are numbers of mother/daughters and a variety of age groups. You can also read actual feedback from tour participants.

You did not say which parts of Italy you wish to see. Two of the biggest tour companies are Globus and Cosmos (one company) and Trafalgar. I have taken the Trafalgar (Rome, Venice, Florence) tour of one week and added my own independant Pompei/Sorrento tour to it. I was in my mid 30s and the group was mixed in age. I do like to be independant when I travel, but a tour does have it's advantages. Basically, you see a lot in a short amount of time. Hopefully, you can use a tour to decide where you want to return to later. It worked for me so well, I returned the same year and did it all on my own!

when considering a tour, research the location of the hotels offered. some tours offer hotels in not-so-prime locations. ALso, in a place like Italy where there is such good food to be had, avoid tour sponsored meals if you can. Breakfast is included at most hotels with or without a tour, but if the tour has optional dinners, don't bother. You are much better off eating on your own.

Thanks for the suggestions- I will look into those tour operators
Rick Steves sounds great but not sure daughter can survive with 1 little suitcase as he recommends -
Not even sure if I could do it - its the shoes that take up all the room