Kylie

My husband and I are planning to take a trip to Italy in October. We have only 8 days and we're trying to figure out whether it would be better to explore on our own, or to take a tour. We would like to visit Rome, Florence and Venice.<BR><BR>If we travel on our own, we have concerns about how to get from the airport to the hotel and how to get from city to city. Plus, we would need to find hotels. We just want someplace clean and safe. Any suggestions?<BR><BR>Also, has anyone traveled with Trafalgar? Or traveled with other groups? Thank you!

maryann

I prefer going independent, rather than on tour guides.<BR>If the tour involves a lot of museums or other activities I am not interested on, I don't want to feel "stuck".<BR>

Karen

Hi,<BR><BR>It really does depend on what you like. I did a tour with Central Holidays with my aunt 2 years ago, and it was a lot of fun, but I prefer creating trips on my own. Pros of a tour: everything is basically arranged for you, you don't have to cart your luggage, entrance fees to a lot of sights are included, they usually give you some free time to wander on your own etc. Cons: less flexibility, had to be up early every morning, the people on the tour can make or break a trip, and there is very little "alone" time (which I like). If you want to plan your own trip, do searches on this website for hotels and transportation options (I think it would be easy to take a train between the cities). You should have no problem making arrangements on your own. So, it really depends on whether you want to put in a little effort to create your own vacation or not. Good luck, and you will have a blast - I LOVED Italy. Florence was my favorite!

Dawn

Kylie,<BR>I'm not much into tours. I much prefer to be on my own. You want to see major cities? Not difficult. I'd fly into one and out of another, ex. Into Rome and out of Venice or backwards. My personal opinion that in 8 days I'd drop one of these cities, but......... if you don't want to that's another story. I'd do 3 days in Rome, 2 in Florence and 3 in Venice. My favorite 2 are Florence and Venice. With the time you're allocating for the entire trip, you'll fall in love with each city and will want to visit them all again anyway.

Bob

We took a tour of Italy a few years ago only because we had some of the same concerns you seem to have. We quickly learned that we could plan our own trips, drive or take a train and have the independence of doing it on our own. We would never do a tour again for the reasons Karen pointed out and I would add that the meals you get on a tour are subpar at best. Since that first tour we have visited France and Italy on our own. It's easy and this site can be a great resource. You don't have much time to plan a trip on your own if your are leaving in October so you may have to take a tour. Either way good luck!

KMB

Kylie,<BR><BR>We traveled 2 years ago on an independent tour with Altalia. They have an independent tour with 3 nights Rome, 3 nights Florence, and 3 nights Venice. They provide air, rail transportation between cities and the transfers to and from the airport. Your transportation from the rail stations to the hotels is on your own. In addition you can choose between several packages depending on the type of hotel...5 star down to 3 star. In each city, a overview tour is included. The rest of the time we explored on our own. This was our first trip to Italy and it was FANTASTIC. We made all our own dinner reservations and had our travel agent upgrade our rail tickets to first class reserved seats (which I would recommend) Otherwise, Altalia did everything else. Their website is www.italiatourusa.com.<BR><BR>We are leaving on Friday to do a tour through Tuscany (it is with Global Holidays traveling with a group of auto dealers). We'll see if we like tour group travel as much as we did our independent trip.<BR><BR>Good luck!

claire

Kylie,<BR>As long as you pack fairly light and you & your husband can handle carrying your luggage, doing the trip on your own should be a cinch. Trains between the big three cities you want to visit are plentiful and easy to take. You can get your hotels set before you leave, all via the internet. People here can help answer questions when you know more of what you'd like your itinerary to be in each city. Best of all, all of your time will be your own. To slow down or speed up as the mood stikes you. Of course, you need to do your homework before you go in order to know what may interest you in each place. And, you can join a walking or other tour in each city if you think you might be overwhelmed (easy to happen in Rome). What we always remember most fondly about Italy is relaxing at a caffe or at a piazza and watching the world go by.

Suzanne

Definitely go solo. Tours constrain you to the group and specific locale when you might want to explore a more local venue to get the true flavor of the city. Oftentimes, you can just join a walking tour (at the Roman Forum, for example) for free and still feel like you have a "guide" to tell you the sites. Yet, when you are finished, you are free to go back to your hotel or do as you wish w/o a group. <BR><BR>Aiport to city travel is very convenient via train or local autobus/shuttle. Both are inexpensive and practical. Find out where your hotels are and map them to the closest metro/train stop. In Rome it is easy since there are only 2 main metro lines. Taxis are very expensive and you can get ripped-off if you're not careful.

Melissa

Hi Kylie-<BR>I just returned from my 1st trip to Italy, spending 2 weeks travelling to Rome, Florence, Venice, Assisi, Orvieto, Siena, and San Gimignano.<BR>I NEVER EVER thought I could do it on my own- but I did, and you can too.<BR><BR>I looked at tour companies like Trafalgar and Gate 1, and finally decided to do an independent trip with the assistance of a travel agent (an American Express agent). <BR><BR>I had the same concerns as you about getting around from airport, city to city, etc. You will find the people on the board to be most helpful, and very encouraging of a solo excursion. And they are most correct. You will not regret going solo. You will regret being on a bus, waking up early every day, and subjecting yourself to the idiosyncrasies of the tour director and other passengers. <BR>I did do one day tour when I went to Florence to Siena. What I witnessed on that bus made up my mind that I would never do a tour. People freaked out when someone else took "their seats". I had a woman behind me who had a negative comment for everyone and everything. Two men (both appearing to be in their 50's) nearly got in a fist fight over a reclined seat. This was only a day tour with 4 hours on the bus tops. <BR>I would be most happy to help you with your concerns. Please feel free to email.<BR>BTW- is it this October? If so you better get cracking!

carol

Kylie--If you took a survey of those who frequent this forum (including myself), you will find that they prefer independent travel 10 to 1. But this does not mean that independent travel is BETTER than tours, except for those who prefer it. If it feels like a hassle to research hotels, transportation, museum schedules, etc., as it does to lots of my really sopphisticated, well-traveled friends, by all means use a tour company to eliminate all the fuss. Sure you have to stick to their schedule, but for most folks, it's fun that way--and you get to meet lots of other nice folks also.

xx

Let's not forget the waiting around for your tour companions, and waiting, and waiting...

Kylie

Thank you all very much for your responses to my questions. We will see if we can pull the arrangements together quickly so we can travel on our own.<BR><BR>I appreciate all of the advice. Everyone has been so helpful.

jim

kylie,<BR><BR>here are some suggestions from our recent trip to rome florence and venice.<BR>i will assume you are flying to rome and home from venice.all hotels include tax,breakfast,a/c and private bath)<BR><BR>rome: santa chiara hotel (200 euro)behind the pantheon near piazza navona. you are walking distance from almost everything. visit old rome one day and the vatican the other. <BR><BR>train to florence: balestri hotel(under 180 euro)on the arno near ponte vechio.<BR>the boboli gardens are a great walk and retreat from busy florence. just a short walk from the ponte vechio.<BR>take the ic train to siena for a day trip. the bus is more direct and costs more, is crowded and you miss the great countryside views.<BR><BR>train to venice: the violino d'oro is non smoking and about 220 euro per night, skip the room with a view as they cost more and are smaller. you will be near harry's bar and san marco.<BR><BR>* eat lots of gelato<BR>* skip the murano glass factories<BR>* relax<BR>* take first class eurostar trains(non smoking if you do not smoke) book your train a day ahead at the local american express offices. if you like the lunch menu on the train then make sure you secure a reservation once you board...our lunch from venice to rome was fantastic.<BR><BR>have fun and email if you have any specific questions