Tour Group Packages for Your Visit to Italy
Additionally, plane fare, hotels, breakfasts and dinners and the bus required to travel from one destination to another were included in the price, which was very reasonable. As a matter of fact, one member of our tour group had already been through Italy before but chose to book with a tour group again for her second venture simply for the fact that meals, transportation, and hotels were included, which would have cost significantly more if purchased separately.
While a tour may definitely seem like a viable option, as my wife and I learned during and after our trip, there were several factors that although weren’t entirely negative, they would dissuade us from traveling with a tour group again, at least where Italy is concerned.
As stated, purchasing a vacation through a tour group simplifies travel and lodging arrangements greatly, leaving you significantly less to worry about, other than what to pack and how much spending money to bring.
But you must keep in mind that what appears on paper as a 9-day tour, which is what we had purchased, is in fact the equivalent of a 7-day tour, once you factor the traveling time on the plane, and waiting at the airport, out of the equation. Based on this, we found it a good idea to actually leave a day earlier than the tour commenced. This allowed us ample time to adjust to the time zone difference, get some rest, and relax at our leisure, as well as tour the Vatican in Rome the following day, as the tour group was not meeting until the evening. Additionally, with the Vatican tour conquered, we were free the next day to take in additional sites around Rome while the tour group took time to visit the Vatican on what was officially the first day in Rome for the remainder of the members of the group.
There are several tour packages to choose from no matter which company you might book with. These packages can range from one week to two weeks, and will enable you to visit a variety of places around Rome. On our tour, we were to begin in Rome, then continue to Montecatini in Tuscany, then back to Rome again. During the course of the tour, we would visit Pisa, Florence, Sienna, and San Gimignano. Additionally, the tour provides the option of visiting other towns or participating in tours of additional sites for an extra fee.
While it may once again seem beneficial to join the tour because of all the above visitations and options, we did not realize that each day required us to get up at approximately 6:00 – 7:00 AM in order to have a quick breakfast and be ready to go to the next destination or attraction. And most nighttime optionals did not return to the hotel until late in the evening, so rest was scattered and rare. You have to be prepared to always be on the move. If you would prefer a more leisurely vacation, then I would highly recommend planning a trip yourself to ensure traveling at your own pace.
Another factor of concern for us was the lodging provided. The hotel in Montecatini was quite lovely, and being that the town was not overly large, it was in a central location. However, in Rome, our arrival hotel and destination hotels were situated horribly within the city, and were somewhat lacking in overall quality. I suppose if you were to book a more expensive tour you would find yourself in a better hotel, but research is definitely necessary if you are concerned about such things.
A tour guide was helpful in providing information and entertaining us on the bus rides from one destination to another, but the same information can easily be found in any guidebook. Additionally, if traveling is a concern, we discovered that Florence is a central hub, providing train service to almost any of the major cities in Italy. If planning to tour Italy on your own for the first time, I would recommend staying in Florence, and from there, you can visit many other destinations.
Overall, we enjoyed our tour of Italy. Most of the destination were lovely, with the highlights being Florence, San Gimignano, and Montecatini Alto, an older section of the town perched high atop a mountain with beautiful Tuscan-style streets and dwellings, and amazing views in all directions.
A few other items of note. Included dinners on the tour are with the group, not yourselves. If you prefer romantic dinners for two, you have to eat separately. Our tour did not include Venice. If you want to visit other destinations that are not included on the tour, you must plan accordingly and risk missing out on other aspects of your tour.
Whether you book your vacation as a tour package or venture on your own, Italy is still a marvelous country to visit. Make sure to pack plenty of film!
