HELP! My husband &amp; I have decided we will be going to Italy in October 2002.<BR>At this point, we are confused (glad we have over a year for planning!) Sitting in front of us we have tour books from GLOBUS, INSIGHT VACATIONS, GRAND EUROPEAN TOURS AND SAGA TOURS. We would welcome feedback on any of these companies - pros and cons.

Hi Lavon,<BR><BR>Do you really need to do a tour? Italy is one of those places where it's easy enough to get around by yourself, and a tour will just make you burdened to the tour group's schedule. Plus, you'll only get a taste of whatever cities you choose, and just when you feel like you want to linger, it'll be time to get back on the tour bus.<BR><BR>I would suggest choosing the cities in Italy that you would like to visit, and then if you really feel you need a "guide," just book a 1/2 day or full day tour from your hotel. That way, you'll have someone explain the historical significance to you about where you are, and the rest of the time, you can wander on your own.

I agree with the above poster. Depending on where you're going, I don't really think a tour is necessary. Most places are so easy to get around via walking/bus transportation and it's much more fun to do things yourself rather than have to follow some tour schedule. Where do you plan on going in particular while in Italy?

Can somebody PLEASE answer Joe's question? I can give him a little bit of insight, but not enough to help him. He obviously wants to take a tour. And, believe it or not, tours are not totally negative and some people are just not comfortable enough to travel by themselves. Others really ENJOY tours and that is their first choice for travel.<BR>Joe, from what I can tell, Insight tours is a higher end tour--and you get what you pay for. Globus has had some good words on this site--most people who took the tour were favorable. I looked at a Saga tour brochure of someplace I was familiar with and was not impressed. Seems like they are overpriced for what they give. Don't know anything about Grand European. Why don't you do a search for each of the four groups on this site and see what others have to say about them? And there are others that many recommend. If you do a search on "tours" you will find quite a few threads that give both the pros and cons of taking tours. It may make you feel more secure in your choice. Have fun in Italy whichever way you go. I've travelled both on tour and by myself and both have much to say for them.<BR>By the way, I'll be returning to Italy in Oct 02; maybe we'll see you there. Feel free to e-mail me with questions.

Thank You Linda! Why do people insist on changing peoples minds on this forum. If they want a tour, answer the question or move on! <BR>Joe: I don't know what you want to spend, but Tauck Tours( A bit pricey) has several itineraries to choose from. Insight, Globus and Grand European, do pack their buses, so be aware of that as that may feel uncomfortable for you.I would recommend you that if you can, don't let price be your only guide.Another company to consider is Europe Through The Backdoor. They offer regional tours of Italy and take smaller groups.The tours are more vigorous though and last 3 weeks. My husband and I have traveled with ETBD and Tauck. Tauck is much more luxurious but ETBD offer more of "real" Italy. <BR>

check out CIT Tours, I've used them twice for Italy and love their itineraries and flexibility. You can have meals on your own and lots of time to yourself without missing anything. Their prices are great too. Good Luck

Good morning, Joe will pricing between tours being similar and if not<BR>what is the difference between one to <BR>the other? Personally would look at<BR>a coupleof things, first, how much free<BR>time do you have in good cities such as<BR>Florence and Venice. How many days in<BR>the big three, Rome, Florence and Venice.<BR>Does the tour nightly stops in some very<BR>minor little town? Where are the <BR>hotels in the tour located. Some list<BR>city center and can be out in the boon<BR>docks and that access to the city proper<BR>would be by taxi, bus or etc. Have not taken a tour in many years, howeverif<BR>you need any help in hotel locations,<BR>drop me an e mail.<BR><BR>Richard of LaGrange Park, IL&gt;.

Pros - 1) You don't have to plan much other than making your flight from home! 2) You can find some traveling companions you enjoy dining and touring with. I hope someone can give you a good idea of what "target group" each of these companies focus on. When we started planning the trip we just finished, we started looking at Perillo Tours (which were fairly pricey but seemed to have good hotels, a lot of good extras, but were aimed at maybe an older age group than ourselves). Then we looked at Rick Steves' Tours (which purported to be budget-oriented and aimed at a lively mix of ages). We liked one Steves' itinerary, but since we had some time, discovered we could plan our own trip at about 70% of the cost, tweaking the destinations to our desires. So. My advise would be to consider carefully the itineraries, research the options each give you for hotel choices (you really want to stay in central city when that's where the main attractions are -- although if the Florence option for any of them is Fiesole, you may want to give that tour-provided a bonus point over a central-city location!) and compare the length of travel time (and means of travel - bus/train/combo) between each destination.

This is not an attempt to change lavon's mind - - and regrettably, not an actual answer to the original question. But nothing wrong with exposing her and husband to alternatives.<BR><BR>And I realize, lavon, that you figure you need a year to review choices and plan. It can be a great way to make a two week trip last 52 weeks (assuming you enjoy that - - as many of us here do).<BR><BR>But I invite you to read about a trip to Italy THIS fall (Sep 19-Oct 2) - - put together BY and FOR visitors to this forum. Totally non-profit and non-commercial, and designed (hopefully) to appeal to those who would otherwise prefer independent travel - - but see some advantages in traveling with others of a like mind. Maximum 10 or 11 participants; 4 currently committed (5 if my wife goes), with 3 others (or is it 5?) seriously considering it, at this writing (getting new inquiries all the time).<BR><BR>See www.rexbickers.italy.com for more info.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex Bickers<BR>Westerville, Ohio<BR>

Joe -<BR><BR>I haven't done a tour, myself - but I have a number of friends who have used ABC Tours and really like it. They stay ar wonderful hotels at good prices - and have enough free time to see the sights on their own if that's what they want to do.<BR><BR>Have a great trip, regardless of your choice -<BR><BR>Dona

Hi<BR>Well we have booked the Globus Grand Tour of Italy and Sicily for Sept 15 and will let you know our thoughts after....<BR>We have taken the extension in Sorrento and have one day free in Rome before the tour and a full week after and plan on staying at a B &amp; B.<BR>Getting Excited.

Lavon, one thing to look for when deciding is how much is included with the price. I debated the exact same question and although I opted for the self-guided route (going from Oct.13 to 27), here's what I learned during my 'research': <BR>A travel agent told me that although Insight may be more expensive, they include the admission prices to several if not all of the sights/museums. You may want to confirm with Insight and the others what is/isn't included in the price. <BR>Make sure you understand the terminology in the brochures. When it says "you see the Leaning Tower of Pisa" it may not be more than a drive-by without acutally leaving the bus. <BR>Look up the hotels, if they're listed in the brochure, on the internet. Many have their own websites with pictures of the rooms. <BR> <BR>Good luck.

Hi - Try Central Holidays for Italy- a very reliable tour group. Didn't use them for a tour but booked them for an independent air/land package. They have good deals. Enjoy!

Joe, <BR> <BR>I can comment on Grand European. I did the London/Paris/Rome hosted 2-week tour last fall. The 4-day Rome portion of our tour is one I believe the company repeats for the Italy-only tours. <BR> <BR>Generally, it seems to be a good, responsive company. The hotel in Rome, however, is near the train station, and I did not care for it. It is hard to find something to eat around there, and it is not convenient to the major sights. <BR> <BR>As far as food and entertainment, I found the food to be fine, but not great. Indeed, there were times I contemplated skipping an included meal and going off on my own for something delicious. The entertainment was very touristy, and our seats were sometimes not the best. <BR> <BR>I did a hosted tour, meaning you pay separately for excursions. I highly recommend this approach if you wish to do a tour. Some days, you are just tired and wish to skip the day's events or do something different. With a regular tour, you can't always do that if the bus is leaving town that day. With a hosted tour, you can opt in and out as you please. And once you get into it, you may find you don't wish to pay twice as much to visit something you could do on your own. <BR> <BR>Finally, I'll just emphasize how important it is to really think about the itinerary you choose. In shopping for this tour (and separately shopping for a 10-day Italy tour for someone else), I found that many of these tours move at a breakneck pace. Lots of getting up at 6 a.m. to be on the bus by 7. Lots of time on the bus, which is truly depressing for me. So look for something that gives you A LOT of time away from the group. <BR> <BR>Good luck!

We're leaving next week on a Globus tour to Italy. I'll post my thoughts as soon as we get back at the end of July!

I picked Insite for my first ever trip to Europe. If I live so long I can always go back on my own. Ill try to get back to you in September after I get back.

THANK GOD REX SAW THIS CRY FOR HELP REGARDING ITALY! I was beginning to think he might have missed yet another opportunity to plug his Italy trip.