Trip Report: Mom and Son in Italy
Aug 27th, 2006, 06:51 PM
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Trip Report: Mom and Son in Italy
Well, here goes my first trip report. This trip was an escorted tour. I know most of you are do-it-your-selfers, but hopefully I can still give you some helpful information.
First, some history. My 10 year old son (I'll call him JR for short) and I took a 10 day tour to Italy with Globus. This was my first time to Europe and I decided to take this trip as a 40th birthday present to myself.
I booked the tour through affordabletours.com and got a 10% discount on the tour portion. I booked my own air through American Airlines and saved almost $300 per person from the air offered through Globus. I also purchased trip insurance seperately through Travelex and saved some money compared top the Globus insurance while covering the air at the same time.
My general feelings are: this was the best trip of my life! Everything was beautiful. Globus did a great job with the tour. I'm glad I did the escorted tour because I felt more comfortable with a group getting around Italy. However, now that I've done it, I would love to go back and plan my own trip.
There is definitely not enough time in each city and the hotels are not quite what or where I would choose when planning it myself. But, I knew all of this going into it and enjoyed every minute of the trip.
Day 1 - August 5th - Miami to Rome
My flight with American went fine. I flew from Miami to JFK then had a 2 1/2 hour layover before my flight to Rome. The food on the flight was OK and I pretty much just watched movies, ate, and read most of the way. I was only able to take a quick nap for about an hour or so. JR, of course spent the majority of the time playing with his gameboy and watching movies, but he was able to sleep for a couple of hours. There were no delays or typical coach-flying problems during the flight.
Day 2 - August 6th - Rome
It took about 1 hour to get through passport control and pick up the luggage. I booked a transfer to my hotel through romeshuttlelimo.com. The Globus transfers only picked up at certain times and I didn't want to wait at the airport so I booked the transfer via e-mail a couple of weeks before the trip.
Once we picked up the luggage, I was extremely happy to see a gentleman holding a sign with my name on it waiting for us. He was very nice, although he didn't speak much English. The transfer for two people with two large suitcases and a couple of carry-ons was 35 euro. I gave him a 5 euro tip since I was really very satisfied with the whole process.
We arrived at the Hotel Cicerone at about 8:30 am and our room wasn't ready so we stored our bags and started off on our own. Even without sleep, I didn't want to waste any time while in Rome.
We walked to the Castel Sant'Angelo and rented the audio tour. The castel was OK, the audio tour was very confusing but did help by giving some interesting information. The views from the top were spectacular!
On to St. Peters! By the way, we had our first gelato (the first of many) on the way to Vatican City. They were 2 euro each and were very good. We walked to St. Peters to attend mass. It was Sunday and they had several masses throughout the day. The line was pretty long but I was just so amazed to be there that the time went quickly while I just looked around the square.
Once inside, I was just in shock. St. Peter's is definitely the most beautiful church I have ever seen! This is definitely a must-see. After mass, we walked around the basilica and then went down to the grottos where we saw the tomb of Pope John Paul. I wanted to climb the dome but we were just too tired to tackle that.
JR was also awestruck by the whole thing. He did fall asleep during the mass, but the rest of the time he was just as amazed as I was at everything we were seeing!
We took a taxi to go see the Time Elevator Roma movie. This is a ride/movie near the Piazza Venezia that gives you a history and overview of Rome. It was a little expensive but JR really wanted to see it and it was pretty cute and very informative. I recommend it as a fun way to introduce kids to Rome.
We took a taxi back to the hotel, arrived at about 5:00, had a quick check-in and went up to the room to shower and change. The room was small and the bathroom needed some work, but it was clean and the A/C worked great.
We met with our group and our Tour Director Cristina. She gave us an hour long orientation before dinner. It was a little tough to get through while everyone was hungry! The included dinner was a couple of blocks away and was pretty good. Lots of wine!
A word about the weather. I was a little afraid because of what everyone said about Italy in August. I'm from Florida, so I don't know if that is what made a difference, but I found the temps to be fine. It was pretty hot a couple of days but nothing unbearable. A couple of evenings were actually cool.
More to come...
First, some history. My 10 year old son (I'll call him JR for short) and I took a 10 day tour to Italy with Globus. This was my first time to Europe and I decided to take this trip as a 40th birthday present to myself.
I booked the tour through affordabletours.com and got a 10% discount on the tour portion. I booked my own air through American Airlines and saved almost $300 per person from the air offered through Globus. I also purchased trip insurance seperately through Travelex and saved some money compared top the Globus insurance while covering the air at the same time.
My general feelings are: this was the best trip of my life! Everything was beautiful. Globus did a great job with the tour. I'm glad I did the escorted tour because I felt more comfortable with a group getting around Italy. However, now that I've done it, I would love to go back and plan my own trip.
There is definitely not enough time in each city and the hotels are not quite what or where I would choose when planning it myself. But, I knew all of this going into it and enjoyed every minute of the trip.
Day 1 - August 5th - Miami to Rome
My flight with American went fine. I flew from Miami to JFK then had a 2 1/2 hour layover before my flight to Rome. The food on the flight was OK and I pretty much just watched movies, ate, and read most of the way. I was only able to take a quick nap for about an hour or so. JR, of course spent the majority of the time playing with his gameboy and watching movies, but he was able to sleep for a couple of hours. There were no delays or typical coach-flying problems during the flight.
Day 2 - August 6th - Rome
It took about 1 hour to get through passport control and pick up the luggage. I booked a transfer to my hotel through romeshuttlelimo.com. The Globus transfers only picked up at certain times and I didn't want to wait at the airport so I booked the transfer via e-mail a couple of weeks before the trip.
Once we picked up the luggage, I was extremely happy to see a gentleman holding a sign with my name on it waiting for us. He was very nice, although he didn't speak much English. The transfer for two people with two large suitcases and a couple of carry-ons was 35 euro. I gave him a 5 euro tip since I was really very satisfied with the whole process.
We arrived at the Hotel Cicerone at about 8:30 am and our room wasn't ready so we stored our bags and started off on our own. Even without sleep, I didn't want to waste any time while in Rome.
We walked to the Castel Sant'Angelo and rented the audio tour. The castel was OK, the audio tour was very confusing but did help by giving some interesting information. The views from the top were spectacular!
On to St. Peters! By the way, we had our first gelato (the first of many) on the way to Vatican City. They were 2 euro each and were very good. We walked to St. Peters to attend mass. It was Sunday and they had several masses throughout the day. The line was pretty long but I was just so amazed to be there that the time went quickly while I just looked around the square.
Once inside, I was just in shock. St. Peter's is definitely the most beautiful church I have ever seen! This is definitely a must-see. After mass, we walked around the basilica and then went down to the grottos where we saw the tomb of Pope John Paul. I wanted to climb the dome but we were just too tired to tackle that.
JR was also awestruck by the whole thing. He did fall asleep during the mass, but the rest of the time he was just as amazed as I was at everything we were seeing!
We took a taxi to go see the Time Elevator Roma movie. This is a ride/movie near the Piazza Venezia that gives you a history and overview of Rome. It was a little expensive but JR really wanted to see it and it was pretty cute and very informative. I recommend it as a fun way to introduce kids to Rome.
We took a taxi back to the hotel, arrived at about 5:00, had a quick check-in and went up to the room to shower and change. The room was small and the bathroom needed some work, but it was clean and the A/C worked great.
We met with our group and our Tour Director Cristina. She gave us an hour long orientation before dinner. It was a little tough to get through while everyone was hungry! The included dinner was a couple of blocks away and was pretty good. Lots of wine!
A word about the weather. I was a little afraid because of what everyone said about Italy in August. I'm from Florida, so I don't know if that is what made a difference, but I found the temps to be fine. It was pretty hot a couple of days but nothing unbearable. A couple of evenings were actually cool.
More to come...
Aug 27th, 2006, 08:40 PM
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Hello jrmama, a 40th birthday present to yourself, a trip to Italy, lovely. And having your ten year old son with you, double lovely!! And the best trip of your life, that has to be a triple lovely!! I await the balance of your trip report.
Aug 28th, 2006, 04:12 AM
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I took a Globus tour with my then 14 year old son 3 years ago, the year of the heatwave, and loved it too! We got to Rome early, toured a bit, went to the zoo (in 100 degrees 
and guess what - the animals were smarter than we were - they were mostly asleep!) and took a tour to Pompeii - a good tour for a boy of that age.
I still remember that he had bought some sort of squishable ball on a rubber string and was playing with it on the Pompeii tour bus (maybe squeezing it as hard as possible would describe it better, and yes, I did warn him to ge a bit gentler) when the unthinkable happened - it popped!!! #-o Ever wonder what is in those squishy balls? A white powder that spreads and it hard to brush off. It wasn't sticky, but it somehow adhered to his clothes. He, and the bus, were a mess! Luckily we were in the very back, so no one saw what happened, but we spent quite a bit of time that trip trying to clean it up. I still felt sorry for whoever would be responsible for that final clean-up.
It was sort of like a reenactment of the eruption of Mr. Vesuvius!!!
Anyway, I can't wait to see if you took the same tour that we did.
and guess what - the animals were smarter than we were - they were mostly asleep!) and took a tour to Pompeii - a good tour for a boy of that age. I still remember that he had bought some sort of squishable ball on a rubber string and was playing with it on the Pompeii tour bus (maybe squeezing it as hard as possible would describe it better, and yes, I did warn him to ge a bit gentler) when the unthinkable happened - it popped!!! #-o Ever wonder what is in those squishy balls? A white powder that spreads and it hard to brush off. It wasn't sticky, but it somehow adhered to his clothes. He, and the bus, were a mess! Luckily we were in the very back, so no one saw what happened, but we spent quite a bit of time that trip trying to clean it up. I still felt sorry for whoever would be responsible for that final clean-up.
It was sort of like a reenactment of the eruption of Mr. Vesuvius!!!
Anyway, I can't wait to see if you took the same tour that we did.
Aug 28th, 2006, 06:29 AM
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jrmama ~ excellent insight for those who just do not want to take that first trip to Europe independently.
Thank you for posting, for your first trip report you are doing SUPER!
Welcome home, Tiff
Thank you for posting, for your first trip report you are doing SUPER!
Welcome home, Tiff
Aug 28th, 2006, 07:10 AM
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Don't stop the report! this forum needs insider-info on escorted tours for all different stages of life.
I recall my parents as world travellers and very independent and quite skittish about escorted tours as young people (I.e. under 75). As they aged, they did not lose the lust for travel and came to rely on the care provided by a good touring company. They enjoyed Italy, Mexico, UK and Southern USA and Northern Canada well into their eighties because of the freedom provided by knowing someone else was taking care of the arrangements.
Though my DH and I are still in the hiking, backpacking stage and pride ourselves on doing it all on our own, I don't plan to give up travel if /when that is not longer the best option. And if was on my own tomorrow, I'd get on that bus with a smile.
I recall my parents as world travellers and very independent and quite skittish about escorted tours as young people (I.e. under 75). As they aged, they did not lose the lust for travel and came to rely on the care provided by a good touring company. They enjoyed Italy, Mexico, UK and Southern USA and Northern Canada well into their eighties because of the freedom provided by knowing someone else was taking care of the arrangements.
Though my DH and I are still in the hiking, backpacking stage and pride ourselves on doing it all on our own, I don't plan to give up travel if /when that is not longer the best option. And if was on my own tomorrow, I'd get on that bus with a smile.
Aug 28th, 2006, 08:48 AM
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Kwren, I'm so glad my son's squishy ball was not the only one. His exploded at dinner in a restarant in Rome! That white powder (I hope it was flour)was impossible to get off of everything! I was so embarrased with the waiters trying to clean it off the floor.
Thanks everyone for the encouragement in writing the trip report. I was hoping I wasn't boring everyone. When you start writing, it gets long pretty quickly. I'll try to do more tonight
Thanks everyone for the encouragement in writing the trip report. I was hoping I wasn't boring everyone. When you start writing, it gets long pretty quickly. I'll try to do more tonight
Aug 28th, 2006, 04:58 PM
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Just a few notes before I continue:
First, if you don’t like early wake-up calls, these tours are not for you! Every day, we were woken up between 6 and 7 am and were fed and on the bus 1 ½ hours later. I was fine with it because I really wanted to use every minute!
Breakfasts were not very good but we are not really big breakfast eaters anyway. Just some breads and pastries was enough to carry us through to lunch. Check in and out at the hotels were quick and easy as Cristina and our driver Antonio took care of everything for us.
Money: I know the consensus on this board is to use ATMs. I was afraid that mine wouldn’t work or it would get lost so I decided to exchange money at home before we left. I found an exchange house downtown that had a very good rate so I wasn’t too far off from what I got at the ATM in Italy. A couple of dollars was definitely worth it for peace of mind. The worst rate I got was actually with the credit card because of the 3% charge on my VISA.
Electricity: If you have kids with gameboys, make sure you have the proper converter. I thought I was all set with both an adapter and a converter. I soon found out, electronics require a special adapter for items under 50 watts. Thank goodness a very kind older man in our group had the right one and let us use it several times during the trip.
About the group. I was really expecting a much older group. There were actually about 12 or 13 kids under 18. JR was very happy! There were a few older couples, a few 40s and 50s couples, one single, and the rest were families. We had a really nice mix. There were 43 of us in total. The buses were very comfortable and everyone got to move around to different seats during the tour. There is a bathroom but you are strongly discouraged from using it.
Also, this tour is called the Best of Italy. There are several changes to the itinerary on our tour because the day we were supposed to see the Vatican Museum, they were closed for a religious holiday. Thank goodness Globus (Christina- our TD) rearranged the whole itinerary to make sure we could see it. Great job Cristina!
First, if you don’t like early wake-up calls, these tours are not for you! Every day, we were woken up between 6 and 7 am and were fed and on the bus 1 ½ hours later. I was fine with it because I really wanted to use every minute!
Breakfasts were not very good but we are not really big breakfast eaters anyway. Just some breads and pastries was enough to carry us through to lunch. Check in and out at the hotels were quick and easy as Cristina and our driver Antonio took care of everything for us.
Money: I know the consensus on this board is to use ATMs. I was afraid that mine wouldn’t work or it would get lost so I decided to exchange money at home before we left. I found an exchange house downtown that had a very good rate so I wasn’t too far off from what I got at the ATM in Italy. A couple of dollars was definitely worth it for peace of mind. The worst rate I got was actually with the credit card because of the 3% charge on my VISA.
Electricity: If you have kids with gameboys, make sure you have the proper converter. I thought I was all set with both an adapter and a converter. I soon found out, electronics require a special adapter for items under 50 watts. Thank goodness a very kind older man in our group had the right one and let us use it several times during the trip.
About the group. I was really expecting a much older group. There were actually about 12 or 13 kids under 18. JR was very happy! There were a few older couples, a few 40s and 50s couples, one single, and the rest were families. We had a really nice mix. There were 43 of us in total. The buses were very comfortable and everyone got to move around to different seats during the tour. There is a bathroom but you are strongly discouraged from using it.
Also, this tour is called the Best of Italy. There are several changes to the itinerary on our tour because the day we were supposed to see the Vatican Museum, they were closed for a religious holiday. Thank goodness Globus (Christina- our TD) rearranged the whole itinerary to make sure we could see it. Great job Cristina!
amp;
Aug 28th, 2006, 06:14 PM
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Day 3 – August 7th – Rome-Pompeii-Sorrento-Capri
We left the hotel at about 7:30 and stopped at an autogrille on the way to Pompeii. They handed out the optional tour forms and asked that we turn them in prior to arriving there. They do kind of push with the optional tours. Obviously, they want to sell them. We took most of them just because I preferred to stay with the group.
We had a local guide in Pompeii for about a 2 hour tour. It was pretty hot that day and there is a lot of walking so water and good walking shoes are essential. It was very interesting and we got some really good pictures with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. JR and I both really enjoyed Pompeii.
We had lunch after the tour in Pompeii. They recommended a place right at the entrance. The food was OK but it way very crowded. I noticed afterward that there were other places nearby with less people and cheaper prices.
The drive to Sorrento was about an hour. I was actually very impressed with Sorrento. We took lots of pictures and did some souvenir shopping (great prices!). Based on what I had read, I thought it would not be a big deal but it’s actually very beautiful. We were only there for about an hour. I would have liked to stay longer.
We took the hydrofoil to Capri. It was about a 25 minute ride. We then walked to the funicular (a cable car) which took us up to the center. From there we walked to the hotel.
We stayed at the Regina Cristina. The rooms were very small and the bathroom had no shower curtain (a persistent problem for me). I did hear that some of the rooms were much nicer. I just didn’t get one of those. The included dinner at the hotel was OK. Then we took a walk and saw the island at night. It’s beautiful! The moon was full and the lights around the island reflect on the water. Very romantic.
Day 4 – August 8th – Capri
After breakfast, we walked to the center of town to meet our local tour in Capri. The tour up to Anacapri was really more of a sales pitch. We were basically just told what we could do on the island and who we should do it with. It did include a tour of Villa San Michelle. That gave us a little bit of history about the island.
The drive up to Anacapri was nerve-wracking!! You ride on a little bus through these narrow roads that take you on the edge of the cliffs. The bus barely seems to be able to stay on the road by itself, but when oncoming traffic comes… mama mia!! Very scary. Of course, JR found it very fun.
Once you are done with the tour with the local guide, you have time on your own. We took the chair lift up to the top of the island. The views are spectacular! This is another must-do. It costs 6.50 euro per person for the round trip. More great pictures!
We had lunch back in the center of Capri. JR and I each had a pizza, a coke and a gelato. That with tip was 35 euro. I didn’t really look around at other places but I suppose if you look a little further out side the center, you can find something cheaper. One thing though: that was the best gelato in Italy! We had one called Torta Caprecosa (sp?). It was vanilla with chunks of fudge. Awesome!
After lunch, we did some shopping. They sell a lot of things made from lemons. I bought some nice perfume and scented candles for people at home (and for myself).
We then booked a boat tour of the Island and the Blue Grotto. We were really discouraged from trying to see the blue grotto by the people on the island. They close admission to it whenever the tide is high or the weather is not good. Everyone else on our tour took the boat tour alone but I decided I would take the chance and it paid off! We got to see it and it was absolutely beautiful!
The tour was a little over two hours long. The cost was 11 euro plus an additional 8.50 euro for the Blue Grotto. It was definitely worth it. Try to see it if you can. I have never seen water that color in my life!
Dinner was on our own but the TD arranged a dinner for about 20 of us at a nearby restaurant. I wish I remembered the name because I was very disappointed with it. The food was cold and the service was not the greatest.
Suitcases out tonight at 11:00 pm so they could get them off the island by morning.
Stay tuned for more…
We left the hotel at about 7:30 and stopped at an autogrille on the way to Pompeii. They handed out the optional tour forms and asked that we turn them in prior to arriving there. They do kind of push with the optional tours. Obviously, they want to sell them. We took most of them just because I preferred to stay with the group.
We had a local guide in Pompeii for about a 2 hour tour. It was pretty hot that day and there is a lot of walking so water and good walking shoes are essential. It was very interesting and we got some really good pictures with Mt. Vesuvius in the background. JR and I both really enjoyed Pompeii.
We had lunch after the tour in Pompeii. They recommended a place right at the entrance. The food was OK but it way very crowded. I noticed afterward that there were other places nearby with less people and cheaper prices.
The drive to Sorrento was about an hour. I was actually very impressed with Sorrento. We took lots of pictures and did some souvenir shopping (great prices!). Based on what I had read, I thought it would not be a big deal but it’s actually very beautiful. We were only there for about an hour. I would have liked to stay longer.
We took the hydrofoil to Capri. It was about a 25 minute ride. We then walked to the funicular (a cable car) which took us up to the center. From there we walked to the hotel.
We stayed at the Regina Cristina. The rooms were very small and the bathroom had no shower curtain (a persistent problem for me). I did hear that some of the rooms were much nicer. I just didn’t get one of those. The included dinner at the hotel was OK. Then we took a walk and saw the island at night. It’s beautiful! The moon was full and the lights around the island reflect on the water. Very romantic.
Day 4 – August 8th – Capri
After breakfast, we walked to the center of town to meet our local tour in Capri. The tour up to Anacapri was really more of a sales pitch. We were basically just told what we could do on the island and who we should do it with. It did include a tour of Villa San Michelle. That gave us a little bit of history about the island.
The drive up to Anacapri was nerve-wracking!! You ride on a little bus through these narrow roads that take you on the edge of the cliffs. The bus barely seems to be able to stay on the road by itself, but when oncoming traffic comes… mama mia!! Very scary. Of course, JR found it very fun.
Once you are done with the tour with the local guide, you have time on your own. We took the chair lift up to the top of the island. The views are spectacular! This is another must-do. It costs 6.50 euro per person for the round trip. More great pictures!
We had lunch back in the center of Capri. JR and I each had a pizza, a coke and a gelato. That with tip was 35 euro. I didn’t really look around at other places but I suppose if you look a little further out side the center, you can find something cheaper. One thing though: that was the best gelato in Italy! We had one called Torta Caprecosa (sp?). It was vanilla with chunks of fudge. Awesome!
After lunch, we did some shopping. They sell a lot of things made from lemons. I bought some nice perfume and scented candles for people at home (and for myself).
We then booked a boat tour of the Island and the Blue Grotto. We were really discouraged from trying to see the blue grotto by the people on the island. They close admission to it whenever the tide is high or the weather is not good. Everyone else on our tour took the boat tour alone but I decided I would take the chance and it paid off! We got to see it and it was absolutely beautiful!
The tour was a little over two hours long. The cost was 11 euro plus an additional 8.50 euro for the Blue Grotto. It was definitely worth it. Try to see it if you can. I have never seen water that color in my life!
Dinner was on our own but the TD arranged a dinner for about 20 of us at a nearby restaurant. I wish I remembered the name because I was very disappointed with it. The food was cold and the service was not the greatest.
Suitcases out tonight at 11:00 pm so they could get them off the island by morning.
Stay tuned for more…
Aug 28th, 2006, 06:45 PM
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I took a Globus tour my first trip to Europe. As far as the toilet on the bus. I think the holding tank is probably pretty small so that if you had 43 people using it frequently, it might not be able to handle it. They stop as I recall somewhere for lunch and then we also made a stop in the afternoon if it was a long ride that day, so there was plenty of time to take care of business without using the toilet on the bus. There was a guy on our tour that used it all the time, but he was the ONLY one who did. I was hoping he'd fall in!!! He and his wife were one of two couples that hated everyone and everything. They HATED everything about the trip and weren't shy about letting everyone else know it. I LOVED them!!!! LOL
I was surprised at you comment about the breakfasts. We have wonderful breakfasts..cereal, yogurt, fruit, meats, cheeses, eggs etc. My tour was in 1999..I wonder if they are cutting back on the breakfasts to save money perhaps. Anyway, really enjoying your report. Looking forward to you next installment.
I was surprised at you comment about the breakfasts. We have wonderful breakfasts..cereal, yogurt, fruit, meats, cheeses, eggs etc. My tour was in 1999..I wonder if they are cutting back on the breakfasts to save money perhaps. Anyway, really enjoying your report. Looking forward to you next installment.
Aug 29th, 2006, 11:26 AM
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Yes, there are plenty of stops for bathroom breaks. It was never a problem. One guy got sick while on the trip and had to use the bathroom a couple of times.
As for the breakfasts, it's not really Globus, it's the hotels. The eggs in most places (when there were eggs) were just very runny. To be fair though, I'm not really a big breakfast food person so maybe I'm not a fair judge. I did hear negative comments from others on the tour though.
As for the breakfasts, it's not really Globus, it's the hotels. The eggs in most places (when there were eggs) were just very runny. To be fair though, I'm not really a big breakfast food person so maybe I'm not a fair judge. I did hear negative comments from others on the tour though.
