Recs for Italy tour companies?

[Anonymous]

Has anyone used a tour company for a tour of Italy? I like the idea of having a preplanned tour because I know nothing about Italy other than I would love to go. We made the mistake of looking at a Disney tour that sounded amazing but it would be 18,000 for our family of three before airfare for 7 days. Not ready to pay that much yet! Looking more for 10 days, 10,000 or so. Anyone work with a company you loved?

[Anonymous]

Never used them, but my parents swear by Nada's Italy Tours. Based out of Charlotte, but appears they can handle everything no matter where you are. http://www.nadasitaly.com

I do think your budget may be a little low for 3 people for a full escorted 10 day tour.

[Anonymous]

We did the Disney Italy tour last year - and it was amazing.
They release new itineraries / dates usually in May, and prices are the cheapest as soon as they are announced. If you are just looking at the trips now they are the "last minute" and therefore highest prices for the same trips.

If you go on disboards forum, they have a message board specifically for Adventures by Disney, and a long thread on other alternative tour companies and people's experiences.

[Anonymous]

http://pavlus.com/

This is an online travel agency that discounts tours from lots of companies. I know several people that have used them with great success. If nothing else, it is a good start to look and compare tours from the different companies. It will give you an idea of prices and iteneraries to consider.

The cost will depend on how much you want included in the tour.

[Anonymous]

Ten days for 10,000 for three people including airfare? It will be a stretch.

The best way to manage to see Italy on that budget would be to organize things yourself. I would get flights to Rome (1,000 each), find an AirBnB apartment for five nights and self cater, going out only for inexpensive (but good!) pizza and ice cream. You can find day tours or day tour guides for the Vatican and Forum. But lots of stuff you can easily see on your own. Then find a second city for the next five days and do the same AirBnB apartment and self cater.

[Anonymous]

While I can see the appeal of an organized tour, we have never done one because the cheapest way to travel is on your own. I have looked wistfully at the tourists lining up to get on their coach bus while our family is waiting for the local bus for sure! But then again I get such a thrill navigating on my own and actually planning the trip.

We just got back from Italy. Southern Italy is very cheap, and our young kids liked it a lot. Some tips:

Fly to the cheapest destination in Europe. Norwegian airlines is great. For example you can get a cheap ticket to edinburgh. We once got $80 tickets there. Then use Ryanair or one of the other budget airlines to Italy. Then fly to somewhere with the cheapest ticket back to the US. Maybe it will be Oslo or Dublin. Use SKYSCANNER for looking up airfare.

Rent a car. In Italy we have gotten a nice car for a week for under $100. It’s insane. You will spend more on gasoline, but it’s still cheap.

Stay in cheap, family run, bed and breakfasts. The breakfasts are huge (and free) and will save you money. And they are cheap. You can easily find a place for less than $100 a night. This route is actually cheaper than a Airbnb and you get to know your hosts, and it’s their job to help you navigate the town. In Italy there are Agriturismos. They are little B&Bs with a farm element. Sometimes it’s just a large garden and chickens.

Do your research. Look up the tour companies’ itineraries and then replicate them on your own by either driving or using public transportation or a little of both.

Stay away from the touristy spots for more authenticity and cheaper prices. We have been all over Italy now, and it is all worth seeing. The most popular spots have not been my favorite.

[Anonymous]

As a single person I used Gate 1 which uses really basic hotels. So cheap you could hire a private driver for Rome and/or Florence and add on a few days with a car and inn in Tuscany.

[Anonymous]

I highly recommend a tour for a first time trip. You may likely even find it less expensive. I have traveled quite a bit on my own--but, when time is short, a tour can be better. The advantages:
1. Planning.
2. Lines--they get your museum tickets for you.
3. Time--you will see more in a shorter amount of time.
4, You will learn more about what you see.

If I were going, I would likely go on my own. However, I have been to Italy a number of times. I lived in Europe. You can spend a lot of time getting lost and navigating back to where you belong. If you have plenty of time--that is part of the fun. You find interesting things and places along the way.

A lot depends on your goal and your sense of adventure.

If you do decide to go on your own--I would suggest finding hotels in two cities and planning from there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As a single person I used Gate 1 which uses really basic hotels. So cheap you could hire a private driver for Rome and/or Florence and add on a few days with a car and inn in Tuscany.

My aunt and uncle have gone on many Gate1 tours and swear by them. The prices are usually insanely low. Still, I think Italy is manageable without a tour.

[Anonymous]

Try Go Ahead Tours. My then girlfriend (now wife) used that on our first trip to Europe, it's more flexible so you have more free time to explore. But you get skip the line access to museums and stuff which is super convenient.

[Anonymous]

Also recommend Gate 1 - I’ve taken 2 trips with them. Prices are very good for what you get.

[Anonymous]

https://www.walksinsiderome.com/

[Anonymous]

I saw a tv commercial for perillo tours and it looked like everyone was having a great time

[Anonymous]

Ciao Bambino if you are planning a family trip - they do great family-oriented family itineraries really custom to your preferences. We did some unique things through them - like private cooking school on our villa's terrace, a farm tour and amazing farm to table meal - tour included aged balsamic vinegar, truffle dogs (and truffles!) and unique walking tours in towns in Tuscany.

[Anonymous]

We got a quote from Ciao Bambino, and the price was not too dissimilar from Disney. We ended up planning our own trip instead, and spent about $12k for 4.

Invest some time to do research and decide what you really want to see in Italy. There are wonderful packaged tours, but many of them might, for example, include admission to churches/museums/whatever that you really don't have an interest in seeing. Some cities and regions are less expensive - I think Florence is a bargain compared to other areas, and full of history and culture. Amazing local Tuscan food. I want to go back right now! You can pick what you want to do, and then find a specific guided day-tour oriented to your interests.

One trick of planning is figuring out how to get from 1 city to the next. Are you the adventurous type and want to try a rental car? Would you like to ride the train? Would you like to hire a driver? We did the latter between Rome and Florence, and then Florence to Venice. It was a great decision. The drivers could stop, and we had more time to see additional places en route that would have been difficult to negotiate by train. (And I am not adventurous enough to drive a rental car in Italy!!)