It helps us to know how you plan to travel. By car lets you stop whenever you see something interesting. How's your Italian? The better it is, the more you can explore. And what do you look for? And how long do youexpect to stay? For a first trip, you could spend a week in Florence and not exhaust it. Then hire a car and see some other places.
Seeing the big cities with a tour group is a time saver and most of all you are not always wondering how to get there. Michelin's green guide had "must see" places on a map. Reserving a place to stay is important in the first and last nights and in the big cities. In the Fall it gets dark earliy, so find a place to stay whie it is still light. Get to the town while the tourist office is still open or stop on the highway, easier to find a hotel there than in the city, and they have a place to park.
Places I like: Orvieto, Todi, Ravello, Bergamo, Venice, L.d'Iseo, L d Garda, the Val d'Aosta, Paestum, the Cinque Terra, and what I call "Pierro country" (Arezzo to Sansepolcro for works by P della Francesco).
What you get out of it depends to an exent on how much you know to start with: History for Venice, art for Florence, Rome and Venice, Latin for inscriptions on the tombs everywhere.
===gm===
There is also the pleasure of living well, like staying at Villa d'Este in the lake district, the Danieli (for its charm) in Venice, the Villa Cipriani in Asolo, and the Palumbo in Ravello. ===gm===
Thanks, gm, for responding to my message. I will be looking up online and in my guidebooks the various places you mentioned. I will be travelling in Italy three and a half weeks. I'd say about half the time Grand Circle will be providing guided tours and activities and meals. It's the other half I need to cover. I know that the "host" will certainly have suggestions for me as will the concierge at the hotels but what I'm really interested in are the "discoveries" not as readily recommended by such people. In my travels, while the sights found in the guide books are certainly worth my time, what's proven to be most memorable are unexpected delights discovered through wandering or by recommendation of others. I'm very interested in the Italian equivalent of American bars. Not the standard bars or the modern ones but ones that have a bit of age to them and attract a loyal clientele. I'm also interested in good, hearty food, preferably in small family-owned restaurants. While I will enjoy the art and history of all the locations I visit, I am also interested in the unique, off beat, and curious. I speak no Italian. Is that going to be a big problem?
RJ
good luck... it sounds like fun... if it is your first time there a guided set up for part of it is a great idea.
I have some interesting off the beaten track spots in Rome and Venice, i was just there in march with my son. It was my 6th visit so we just go it alone and train between areas.
Not speaking italian is not a problem... it is a tourist friendly country. And lets just say Italian men will be overly nice to a non Italian spealing lady! I could email you some spots for food and drinks... in several of those spots. Please advise if you want me to contact you directly.
gfmueden gives some great suggestions... I am thinking you wont have alot of time to explore outside of the areas or cities you are in. In Tuscany I recommend for day trips to visit Siena, and Cortona if possible. San Gimignano is also nice but has gotten a bit touristy (it is the hill town of medieval towers). In Rome a good day or half day trip is to see Ostia, I have never been there but is well recommended for something similar to Pompeii if you dont get a chance to get there. Orvieto is a nice stop as well... but i am not sure your itinerary will allow it. I also like Verona for an overnight stop if you get time... i also know alot about Piemonte which is a relatively untouristy place...
another thing to consider is what you prefer to see... do you like everyday life/food/ambience, or do you like antiquity as in Rome/etc, or medieval and Renaissance art, or the various churches, or high fashion and shopping... you can kind of set your extra itinerary around those goals....
I havent travelled south of Roma yet... so I wont help you down on the Amalfi. But if you want me to send you to your eons email some suggestions for Rome, Florence, Venice... bars, restaurants, interesting places ... pls tell me on this post and then i will contact you separately.
The best gelato is in Florence... !
Leftymn,
Absolutely, I'd welcome your suggestions, especially re Rome, Siena, Florence, and Venice. I'll be in Rome and Venice four days each. The included tours will cover antiquity, various churches, and the art. I'm not a high fashion, or even shopping kind of gal, but I love window shopping if the stores are unique and filled with local fare. And as I indicated, small restaurants and bars where it's good to eat and relax, enjoying the ambience and the people.
I look forward to receiving your suggestions. Thanks!
Hi: I am also taking the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany Tour from Aug. 31 to Sep.17. Probably the trip extension to Rome. What date are you traveling? I visited Italy last year in May. Went to Venice, Florence, Pisa, The Cinque Terre, Tuscany, Rome....I had a very good time. Now, I am looking forward to this tour, since last year I traveled independently with my granddaughter. Never been on a tour before. I am learning to speak Italiano, to be able to talk to the Italians, I am hoping to have a lot of fun and meet new friends. The suggestions for places to see and things to do are very helpful. Ciao, Ofie
