Our family wants to go to Italy (Rome, Florence & Venice). We've been told to take a good tour company for our first visit. What tour company would you recommend if we don't want your typical "tour" experience? We are used to very nice vacations.

You most emphatically do not need to take a tour to visit those 3 cities, or anyplace in Italy for that matter. It is so supremely easy to book your own flights and hotel. You can get lots of help here. Also, why not define "very nice" vacations..do you mean Four Seasons and the like?

Hi C,

It is very, very easy to plan your own visit to R,F and V.

I suggest
flying into Venice - 4 nights
train to Florence - 4 nights
Daytrip to Siena
train to Rome - 5 nights
fly home

See www.kayak.com for airfare
See www.trenitalia.com for trains
See www.venere.com for hotels

Also see Helpful Information: Italy 2
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34568596

Enjoy your visit

Thank you all! We ARE going to do it on our own. Just waiting on replies from hotels of choice. What would be your top 3 restaurant choices for each city (V, F, R)?
The recs on hotels was spot on. Grazie!!!

In 2001 we ate at a very lovely restaurant in Venice called Antico Martini. The food was delicious, the service impeccable, and the bill astronomical - but it remains one of my daughter (then 10 years old) favorite dining experiences - it was her first time eating ravioli in a sage butter sauce that were as light as feathers and perfectly grilled asparagus. Venice restaurants are quite pricey and the others we ate at were basic neighborhood trattoria's- expensive and unforgetable.

Florence, we loved Quattro Leonni - it is on the altro Arno side of the river.

Rome...Orso 80 is quite touristy but we love the antipasti and found it to be quite fun and good for us since we're vegetarian..Myosotis on Via Coppelle is a very good restaurant -so is Maccheroni around the corner from Myosotis. But there are too many restaurants and you'll get a lot of favs from people.

travelhorizons - I have to ask this question of you. Is it okay for you to solicit clients on Fodors.com. I know they highly frown on this.