We are into our 2nd week on our small group tour to Italy and we have a wonderful group of 12 travelers enjoying the weather, great food, wonderful wine and the history/culture of Italy. In Rome we saw the Colosseum, Forum, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Pantheon. A special tour of the Vatican will be remembered for years to come. After taking the high-speed train up to Florence yesterday, we went on a tour into the Italian countryside with a visit to a Tuscan winery. Read more about our small group tour in the blog post.
We have a small group of 11 travelers enjoying the Amalfi Coast this minute! Our tours of Amalfi, Sorrento, Ravello, and Positano have been nothing short of spectacular. And let's not even mention those authentic lunches high in the hills of the Amalfi Coast. They are without question, some of the best meals I have ever had with scenery that is unmatched anywhere. In the blog post I have put a link to my FB page where you can see the photos and video of our trip.
Our small group tour to Italy consisting of 12 adult travelers starts when we meet in Rome on Tuesday. We have a full and active itinerary planned for the whole time we are there. What I like about this trip (and all of my trips) is that I enjoy the hotels, we tour on our schedule and not the schedule of some big tour company, we have some great guides lined up, the itinerary is paced so that not only is it active, we have some really lazy but fun days like when we drive into the Tuscan countryside to visit some old hill towns and wineries. It will be a fun time in Italy and I invite you to look at our itinerary in this blog post.
On my small group tours to Italy, visits to Roman markets are an essential part of the tour. What I like about the food markets are the colors and smells of flowers, fruits, vegetables, olive oils, and herbs. There are other types of Roman markets featuring works of art, souvenirs, and other items of interest. In fact, we will be visiting two of my favorite Roman markets described in my blog post on my next small group tour to Italy next week.
We've been taking our small group tours to Rome and the rest of Italy for about 5 years now. When traveling to Rome and since it is a city that is somewhat spread out, we like to stay in hotels that are convenient to local transportation. I prefer, as well as the guests on my small group tours to Italy, like hotels that are comfortable, clean, well-run and will not break the bank. Check out my blog post to find out two hotels I recommend for traveling to Rome.
It is one of the most basic questions I get, from people traveling to Rome on their own, or for people on my small group tours to Italy: "How do I get from the airport to my hotel in Rome?". We'll give you all of the Rome airport transfer options in this blog post to make sure you arrive safely and economically. Read the blog post to find out how to get to your hotel in Rome from the airport.
One of the most popular activities on our small group tours to Italy is a visit to Vatican City. There are two, really three, main sites that everyone wants to see: St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museum, and the Sistine Chapel (the Sistine Chapel is part of the Vatican Museum). Although the Vatican follows pretty regular hours, there may be some surprise closing dates. The other issue is that there can be extensive, and I mean extensive lines to get into the museums or basilica. My tips will help you enjoy your next tour to Rome and the Vatican.
For quite some time I have been resisting adding a small group tour to the Amalfi Coast. I wasn't sure if an Amalfi Coast tour really lent itself to the small group tour concept. But after studying and doing some research, I think we have come up with a terrific option for a small group tour of the Amalfi Coast. We'll start off in Rome, visit Herculaneum and Pompeii before moving on to Sorrento. The next day we'll visit Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello. The following day is a tour to Capri. On the last day we relax in Sorrento before heading back to Rome. Read the blog post to find out more about our small group tour to the Amalfi Coast.
When traveling solo to Italy or leading one of my small group tours to Italy, I like to stay in smaller, family run hotels. They offer more intimacy than those big tourist-class hotels. The small family-run hotels in Florence that I use offer specials service and make their guests feel cared for and unique. The small, family-run hotels I like in Florence also offer greater value than tourist-class hotels. Read my blog post to find out more about two picks for family-run hotels in Florence for your next tour of Italy.
Venice is one of those beautiful and unusual places on this earth. I traveled there last week and on my next small group tour to Italy we will be traveling there again. Usually I will stay at least 2 nights when traveling to Venice but it is do-able as a day trip from either Florence or Padua. Take a look at my blog post for some pointers on how to enjoy a tour to Venice.