Everyone loves Italy.  The Traveling Professor's small group tours to Italy usually covers Venice, Florence, Rome and Sorrento (the Amalfi Coast).  Planning an itinerary can be daunting, but The Traveling Professor makes it easy for the first-time Italy traveler.  See all the great sites, eat wonderful food, experience the culture. Take a look at our introduction to Italy itinerary and get ready to say "Ciao!" to Italy.

In my 15 years as The Traveling Professor I have learned a lot about travel and how to travel comfortably, efficiently and as inexpensively as possible.  I am not a "cheap" traveler who does anything to save a buck (or a euro).  My travel tips make sense, they do not sacrifice comfort for cost.  They are easy to implement - by that I mean you don't need to jump through hoops to save money or time. Take a moment and read my best international travel tips and make your next overseas trip easier, more comfortable, and less expensive.

Italy is a beautiful and diversified country.  Great food, history, culture, architecture and more. The big problem with Italy is that the crowds have become overwhelming. It's not uncommon to wait for hours to get into the Vatican Museum in Rome or the Accademia to see David in Florence. The streets of Venice are packed with tourists, many from cruise ships.  Who wants to go on vacation and be in the press of humanity or wait in line for hours?  Listen to The Traveling Professor on how to beat the crowds in Italy.

In my 100+ trips to Europe, I have learned quite a bit.  I have learned how to save money and time on airfares, hotels, tours, meals, and transportation.  But I never pinch pennies at the expense of comfort.  For instance, I would not choose to save $200 on a flight if the savings meant that I would need multiple connections or endure 24+ hour flights over a direct flight.  I would not choose to stay in a hostel outside of city limits over a centrally located comfortable hotel just to save 25 euros a night.  Check out The Professor's practical travel tips to save time and money on your next international trip to Europe.

Let's face it, traveling to places like Rome, Florence and Venice, one can expect big crowds.   On our small group tours to Italy we have seen lines hours long into places like the Colosseum and the Basilica in Venice.   The tourist push to see sites like David in the Accademia in Florence or the Uffizi Gallery can be unbelievable.  Even on The Traveling Professor's Tours to Italy much of our itinerary planning is done with crowd avoidance in mind.  In today's blog post I will give advice on how to beat the crowds in places like Rome, Florence, and Venice.   Hopefully, with these tips in mind a tour to Italy will be more enjoyable for you.

We recently returned from a small group tour of Italy.  In Rome, there were masses of people at the Colosseum and the Vatican.  The lines to see "David" at the Accademia snaked over a hundred yards around the block.  The Uffizi, with it's rich Italian art, had a wait of hours and hours to get in.   In Venice, the lines looked liked those in DisneyWorld, only on steroids.   On my small group tours to Italy, we just don't wait in lines.  Look at my tips for getting into those popular attractions like a VIP, with no waiting in line.

When traveling to Rome or Florence on one of The Traveling Professor's small group tours to Italy, or whether traveling to Italy on your own, the last thing you want to do while on vacation is wait on line.   Rome and Florence both offer two museum pass options worth considering.   Both of them provide VIP admission to museums and in some cases allow you to enter without making an appointment.  Read the blog post to see how to save money and time on a tour to Italy.

Florence is a popular tour destination and it is common to see long lines of people waiting to get into popular sites.  When running my tours to Italy, I want my travelers to see all they can see without waiting in line and without having to make an appointment.  Many European cities, including Florence, now have a pay-one-price admission card to give the traveler admission to major attractions without waiting in line and in the case of the Firenze card, without the need for appointments.  Read the blog post for more information on this useful tool that makes a tour of Florence easier and more enjoyable.