Tour company that will do all the work but not herd us around
 

Before we get too old and too poor, my friends and I want to go to Italy. We went to Greece a few years ago and used Untours. That worked out well, but we might want a bit more structure this time. We're not old, but older than we were the last time we traveled together. I know I'll get lots of responses from people who will counsel that we can do this ourselves, blah, blah, blah. We could plan and book the whole thing (we've all done it before and could again if we choose). But is there some company that will do the planning, the driving, not cost the world and not drag us from place to place at breakneck speed?

Oh, okay, twist my arm. I'll do it. How many people, length of trip and are you high-, mid- or low-budget?

I've used Grand Circle Travel because they have mostly multi-night stays so you're not changing hotels every day, in fact they are known for more leisurely travel. They have good program directors and local guides and usually don't cover large areas. They sound like what you're looking for. They also offer add on locations before and after the trip.

I would also check into Elder Hostel trips (one person in the party must be 55 years old) which are educational as well as sightseeing. I have friends who have used this company for Italy and loved the trip. They stayed 2 weeks outside Florence in Montecatini. I've used Elder Hostel for a day trip to MOMA in NYC and enjoyed the day.

You haven't mentioned where in Italy you want to go. If you're looking to cover the entire country you will be dragged around at breakneck speed.

Carla, you say that you want to see Italy and wish to explore tours that will not “herd” you around. Well, if you want to see the major attractions (Rome, Florence, Venice, Sorrento, the Lakes, Sicily etc.), the tour would include a great deal of “herding” in order to visit all of these places. Is there one region of Italy that you would be most interested in visiting? If so, concentrate on that area. Years back my daughter and I took a tour with Trafalgar, “Milan and Italian Treasures,” with first and last nights in Milan and six nights in a villa on Lake Garda from which we took daily excursions to nearby cities, the Dolomites, and Venice. We returned each evening to a lovely pool and garden, with drinks and dinner at the villa.

The more I travel, the more restricted the area I like to explore. Larger tour companies, however, usually offer wider venues. Recently, I have been checking out two tour companies that specialize in Italy – Stay and Visit and Love Italy. Their offerings look enticing. Before you go, appreciate that there is a certain amount of “herding” on any tour. But then, you will not have to worry about finding the hotel, parking, hefting your luggage, and a host of other inconveniences you may encounter with independent travel.

It sounds like you want to pay a price to the vendor who will give you a package that includes:
- flight arrangements
- shuttle to hotel
- hotel
- offer of various "site" tours (either included in the price or optional add-on, so you can pick and choose)
- meals?

If this is the case, take a look at www.go-today.com.

Also, try some of the airline vacation packages. My second trip to Europe (with my sister) we used British Airways and took their London/Rome vacation. We were on our own in each city (including meals), but the flight, transfers and hotel being taken care of was great. Also, in Rome, we were surprised to find someone waiting for us at the hotel when we arrived. It was a BA rep and she gave us an envelope with info on a sight-seeing tour that was included (somehow we had missed that:)).

After my first two trips (lo those many years ago), I've chosen to do independent travel, but I absolutely understand that you might want to take a trip that you can do without planning every aspect--particularly appealing if you are going as a group of friends, rather than a couple. Less chance of anyone feeling pushed around by someone else's choices. Let the tour operator make these decisions and all you have to do is agree on a package.

Good luck!

Hi Carla. The only tours I recommend are the slow pace/easy pace or "Leisure Tours" I think Globus has an Italy at leisure. The pace is slower and there is more down time.

Whatever you do I how it's terrific.

It sounds like what you watn is a combination of a travel agent (to do all the planning) and a private driver/guide (to drive you around on your schedule and provide the commentary).

Perfectly simple to do - but will cost big $. How much depends on how many you are, how big a vehicle and what your itinerary is. With a private driver you have to pay for his hotel and meals as well onceyour outside his town.

And the travel agent will charge you for planning since in europe only deluxe hotels pay the agent a commission - for others you have to pay it.

I'm in with Leely2 - - I would do it also.

With the same need for the same kinds of information.

And I would likely be willing to split the job with Leely2.

I would charge next to nothing.

Best wishes,

Rex

Years ago we took a trip to Italy with Central Holidays--Venice, Florence, Sorrento, Rome.

The tour included airfare, hotels, bus transportation between cities, a 1/2-day over view tour in the 3 big cities, and a hostess who travelled with the group. As I rememember it was set up for 11 nights, but we added 2 days at each the beginning and end to get more time in Venice and Rome.

Other than the 1/2-day tours, we were on our own the rest of the time in each city. They did add optional tours at each location that you could pay extra for if you wanted.

There were only a couple of dinners included and a couple of lunches while in transit from one city to another.

The hotels were all in excellent to good locations. Don't know if they still operate, but they are worth researching.

Check Grand Circle Travel www.gct.com. They have three Italy trips and one to Sicily. Also check their sister company OATtravel.com.

One trip:
18 days from only $2595 (plus government taxes and fees)
Rome • Sorrento • Montecatini

There are traveler reviews so you can get an idea of the satisfaction level.

I've taken two OAT trips (smaller groups) and one GCT and liked both. Grand Circle is a bit slower and offers plenty of free time so you can explore on your own. Both offer pre-and post-trip extensions and optional tours, which I like, you can go or not and, unlike Elderhostel you don't pay for the optional if you don't go.

I traveled with Elderhostel twice and found it far more structured than Grand Circle and very heavy of lectures -- some great, some ordinary. Everything is included but do you want to do everything? And do you want to pay for trip insurance to Italy? Our Italy trip was so busy that several of us had to skip lectures to see St Peter's and skip an included day tour to have a day to do what we wanted and to get away from the "herd."

OAT is not doing escorted tours in Europe in 2009; they are only doing small ship and river cruises.

I have twice used a company called Tourcrafters (www.tourcrafters.com)and was very pleased with them. They have some package deals that include train tickets from say, Rome to Florence, or car rentals (you can rent a vintage Italian convertible). They also offer sightseeing tour options in the cities (I didn't avail my self of that option).

They were always pleasant to deal with. I used them when I was with my ex because the package deal was cheaper than arranging it myself. Now that I'm back to being single, it's cheaper for me to make all my travel arrangments.

I subsribe to their newsletter and they do have some great deals. You pay more the closer you stay to the city center, but even the outer hotels were not way out in the boondocks(for me at least).

Check out Megan with BellaVitaItalia (www.bellavitaitalia.com). She is a young American woman who started her own tour company in Italy, and is now married to an Italian man. We used her for a trip in June 2006 and were extremely pleased.

Its been 6 years since we've taken a tour with them, but they were extremely good on those two tours and well worth the money. You can check them out at www.perillotours.com. They seem to have a special deal for groups of eight or more going on the same tour. All tours will "herd" you around to some extent, but regardless of which tour company taken, have a great vacation.

We've gone on several Elderhostel tours and like them very much. But there is a lot of sitting at lectures and structure (herding). ((*))

Just be aware that Perillo has a very dicey reputation - even for more modest tour companies. They have a habit of substituting even worse/more inconvenient hotels for those originally scheduled and many meals are in hotel dining rooms ("Americanized" version of real Italian food.)

If yuo want less herding you can go for an upscale tour - perhaps Tauck - that uses better/more convenient hotels and does somewhat more free time/less herding - but the nature of a tour is herding. If you want you own specific itinerary - but with a guide - you will have to hire someone to guide it for you.

ntraveler, thanks for the update on perillo. You must have taken more recent tours and things do change. I only know that on the two long tours and two "Roman Holiday" tours we had with them they did exactly what they promised and their servicee was excellent, but again 6 years can be a long time. Thanks

Check out General Tours as well - they do top notch job and you can have as much or as little free time as you want to define.

I have not taken any Perillo tours. We don;t do tours. But some friends of my parents were talked into doing one by in-laws and were VERY disappointed. (They usually do Tauck - which still herd you around but not quite so much and more pleasantly. With Perillo of their 5 hotels - 2 were changed with no notice- one from Venice to Mestre!)

They reported to my parents that the in-laws - who had done several other of their tours said this is how tours work. And seemed perfectly happy with it - and the poor food. (After the first dinner my parents friends did all their dinners separately in actual restaurants - usually having to take a cab into center city to find them.)

I'm not saying Perillo is worse than other budget operators - just that this is what you risk on tours - esp if you don;t go for the more quality companies.

I may have missed it but is there a budget? That will nmake a huge difference.

Carla how much are you willing to dish out?