Wife and I are planning a trip to Italy and the tour operator offers plans with or without meals. Same tour but less expensive without. Any one have any experience one way or the other. Thanks for the advice

Recommend you take the "without" plan. No doubt, you'll have decent food with the "with", but part of the Italian experience is seeking out those little trattorias and experiencing the "true Italy". The meals in the hotel will be geared toward the tourists. I always look for the places the locals eat and am never disappointed.

One strong vote for "without". <BR> <BR>I remember well flying to meet my aunt and uncle in Rome who were in the middle of a three week, pretty upscale, tour of Europe. A tour that included all meals. We had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants ... nothing fancy, just a typical restaurant freqeuented by both tourists and locals. <BR> <BR>They were stunned by the experience. "The first time we've been in the restaurant with anybody but our group." (Restaurants tend to "feed" tour groups before their normal business.) "The best food we've had since we left home." "THIS is how real Italian food tastes?" <BR> <BR>There are exceptions galore, but as a norm, one expects tour food to be bland, Americanized, cafeteria-like. <BR> <BR>Find your own meals ... especially in Italy you'll find they may be among the highlights of your trip. <BR> <BR>twenj

It's fairly safe to assume that the restaurants the tour company has chosen will offer what they or the tour company thinks won't intimidate tourists. That's likely to mean that you'll miss out on some exciting dining opportunities. It's pretty darn hard not to get great food in Italy, but I would think that eating tour company-selected meals might be one way to do it. Go for the "without" option.

Another vote to go off plan, from someone who has done many tours on plan... <BR> <BR>the food isnt as good, (apart from tauck tours new england, usa which beat everyone else hands down) and its a joyous thing to choose your own restaurant when holidaying in Europe

Go without! One of the consistant critisms I hear of tour groups is that the food is "mass produced" or bland, or cafeteria style... in Italy that is truly horrid. Do yourself a favor and experience on your own some of THE greatest food in the world!

WITHOUT..without a question, that's one of the biggest reasons I don't like tour groups, besides too many places in too few days. You need to seek out the local places, read guides if you are really into dining at 1st clas places, etc. <BR>I believe in the "fly cheap, sleep moderate, eat great " school of travel. Useed to be sleep cheap but time marches on and I love my comfort! <BR>

I definitely would go without. But, just a caution - find out where your hotels are located and what is around them. Otherwise you'll be taking a taxi everywhere. On my last visit to Rome I met some Americans whose hotel was about 10 miles outside of Rome. They were totally dependent on their tour bus to take them everywhere. If anyone has been on a great tour I'd love some feedback. Every Italian tour I've looked at houses their people on the Lido or outside Venice and the same for Florence and even the lakes. I don't want to be stuck out in the country with total dependence on my bus tour.

Ernie-definately WITHOUT!! So much of the fun of traveling is finding restaurants with great food, relaxing atmospheres's, nice little extras. I understand that on most tours you all have to eat together and its very basic fare. Don't do that in Italy with its wonderful food! <BR>