[donnie426]

We have been researching Italy tour packages and companies and are very confused and concerned about selecting the wrong package or company. If you have had any experience in this area we would welcome any and all suggestions. We are planning this trip in the next couple of months before it gets to hot. Thanks

Congrats..You have picked a great country..We have made a few trips to Italy and it is one of our favorite. The last trip we flew into Paris, rented a car and drove through France, into Italy and down to Tuscany. We had rented a villa in Tuscany and then flew out of Rome.
If you don't mind driving it is a great way to go. The cars are smaller and the driving is fun as you go through the small villages, stop when you want to and can go at your own speed. You may want to get a map of Italy and study the places you would like to go, the cities you would be in and what you want to see in the Villages/Cities. We are now looking at flying into Milan, driving to the lake country (Como, etc.) then to Venice and in general that part of Italy. I was there a few years ago and this is a good drive.
If you don't want to drive I have heard great things about Perilo Tours and would most likely opt for them if not driving. At one time, many years ago I worked in Paris and found there are 3 rules when American's drive in Europe.
(1) Never look back over your shoulder as the person behind you is responsible.(2) always remember the person on the right, regardless of the circumstances always has the right away and (3) don't drive in the passing lane unless you are going to pass. These are really the main things when in Europe. I have never had a problem and I have driven in a number of countries. Good Luck..

[Jerseyboy2]

Last year my wife and I and friends did a great tour with Odysseys Unlimited. The tour name was called Portrait of Italy from the Amalfi Coast to Venice, it's a 17 day tour. The tour group is limited to a max of 28 people. We had a great time. The hotels, food places we saw were great. Their web site is www.odesseys-unlimited.com check it out. They have other tours of Italy also.

Steve

[Ohiogirl]

We took a 7 day Mediterranean cruise about 4 years ago that started in Barcelona, stopped a couple places in France (Villefranche, where we took a city bus on our own to Eze and another to Nice for one day) and then Livorno, Italy (bus to Florence for the day), Naples (we did an Amalfi coast tour by bus (can't imagine driving that one on own and live to tell about it- some people did the Isle of Capri tour which also got raves), then to Messina (industrial port in Sicily took a cab with another couple to Taormina - about an hour away - for the day - gorgeous, and ended in Civitavecchia (nearest port to Rome). Took a bus to Rome and stayed for another 3 days in a hotel and flew home from there. We were with a group from Ohio, but could have done this on our own as well. About half the time we did our own tour arranging, the rest thru the cruiseline.

There are longer cruises that end up in Venice. If you haven't done a lot of travel in Europe, this is a nice way to see quite a bit and have some time on your own at the end. I prefer it to a bus-type tour because you don't have to have your bags packed outside your door at 6 or 7 am every day.

If we weren't with a group, could have then taken a train or driven (I'm not as brave as the previous poster) to the hill country, lake country or wherever after seeing Rome.

I've been to Europe about 4 times now, and am a fairly adventurous traveler who normally does a lot of prepration (studying maps, reading travel books, etc). Now I might do ok on my own and I do agree that part of the fun is stumbling on delightful scenes and sidetrips, but if it's your first time to Italy and you don't speak Italian there's some comfort with some structure for most of us.

First time I went was about 10 years ago - my daughter met me and my sisters at the airport in Paris at the end of her semester in Luxembourg. We had planned our itinerary, had reservations in 3-4 cities in 4 countries and a 2-3 night Rhine river cruise in the middle of it all. I don't know that we would ever have found the train station, let along the hotel, if it weren't for her experienced help.

Just something to consider instead of a tour company by land - or maybe you could do a combination - cruise for the port cities and a tour on either end. Cruise prices seem really good this year.

[l2ridehd]

We rented a villa in Tuscany and used Suzanne B Cohn located in Maine. Excellent. I would highly recommend her travel support. Everything she told us, provided, information, car rentals, restaurants, the chef for cooking lessons, far exceeded expectations. I would use her again. She is recommended in Conde Nast and I understand why. I hope to go again and I will use her again. She personally visits and checks out every villa she represents.

http://www.villaeurope.com/FlashHome.htm