Has anyone used Perillo Tours of Italy? I would like to know where they might stand in comparison to Trafalgar and Tauck.

Some friends used Perillo a couple of years ago and highly recommended them -- these friends have lived in Europe and have high but reasonable standards; don't know about comparison to the other groups though.

Have not been on one myself - but my parents best friends used them. The tour appeared to be moderate - not lux like Tauck. They said hotels were not great - but OK - but were far from town centers - and two were different from the hotels originally named. They opted out of many meals - since they felt they were too "Americanized" and found much better in local restaurants.

Caveat: these people often travel independently but did not know any Italian and so took a tour - they said their last.

We took a Perillo tour of Italy in 1996. It was our first visit to Italy and provided a wonderful overview. The guides were excellent; all of the accomodations were located in the center; the meals were very good; the price was right. It obviously isn't as luxurious as a Tauck tour since Tauck is a deluxe tour and probably twice the price. Perillo provided a wonderful hassel-free introduction to Italy and, if that is what you want, go for it. Independent travel is much more interesting for obvious reasons. Also important to note is that Perillo tours will have as many as 48 people and the average age is usually in the upper 60s to low 70s. Tauck travelers may be somewhat younger but not necessarily so.

See my post - Perillo Tours - Bad Experience.