jan

HAS ANYONE USED A TOUR COMPANY THEY WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND? HAS ANYONE USED THE <BR>"GRAND CIRCLE TRAVEL" OR "DONNA FRANCO"? WE <BR>WOULD LOVE TO TRAVEL INDEPENDENTLY, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY BE A LOT CHEAPER WITH A GROUP OR AM I BEING MISLEAD? WE HAVE APPROX 3 WEEKS TO TRAVEL IN ITALY. THANKS FOR ALL YOU HELP.

Ed

Tour operators have good buying power, as you might imagine, so can often offer a 'bargain'. Sometimes that's a 'pig in a poke', sometimes a bit of a bargain. <BR> <BR>Among other things you want to look for are how much you're likely to spend on 'options' vs. how much of what you'll want to do is included as part of the base price. Things like hotel locations and number and quality of meals are other areas to look at closely. <BR> <BR>You'll find tips on selecting a tour that's right for you at www.twenj.com/pkgtours.htm <BR> <BR>Ed <BR>Rome.Switzerland.Bavaria <BR>www.twenj.com

Susan

Dear Jan: <BR> We too prefer traveling independently but we did take 2 tours to Italy with Grand Circle. <BR> Some of the very experienced travelers on the tour said that it is much cheaper to travel with a tour. <BR> I recently checked out a couple of the hotels where we stayed with the tours (e.g., the Meditteraneo and the Claridge in Rome) and found that they were over $200 a night. (On our own, we like to pay a lot less than that.) <BR> You have to weigh independent v. tour travel (& figure on less nice digs if you're on your own). <BR> Overall, I'd opt for independent travel unless it's to a place that's hard to get to. <BR> If you have any questions (e.g., about Grand Circle), feel free to e-mail me. <BR> Susan <BR>

jan

Thanks for your help. Susan, did you find that you did not have enough time at each stop to go off on your own because you had "prepaid" for the tours included in your package price? ALSO, How were the restaurants you ate at included with the tour.Were they the tourist trap resturants$ We like to go to the little neighborhood restaurants so we can get a real flavor for the people, and I am afraid we won't be able to do that with a tour. Correct or not?

Pat Schulte

We have been to Italy severl times (only the first on a tour).Tours are OK but you usually have limited time to just wander and you often feel like you're just being "herded" on and off a bus and often there are hidden costs in the "optional packages".For the last several years we have rented an apartment in Tuscany and used it as our home base. You really get to see the real Italy that way. If you would like information on where we stayed please e-mail me. Ciao

Mary Ann

We have taken 3 independent driving tours of Europe and have enjoyed each one. A higher price room is not always the best. We have stayed in a 600 year old Pub (Rothenburg), converted convent (Prague), a wing in a governement building (Budapest), bed and breakfast (Chamonix chalet), terraced hotel over looking the Mediterranean, etc. Part of the fun is in the planning and finding places in the heart of the city. By detailed planning you learn about the city the people. Granted, not all choices may be perfect, but memorable vacations are never going to be perfect every minute. You need to choose what works best for you, that you will enjoy. I spend a tremendous amount of time on the internet and other research, but I enjoy doing that.

howard

Jan, see my posting under "First Tour to Italy," which I just brought to the top. <BR>Our experience might interest you. We pretty had our own schedule.