"Even now I miss Italy dearly, I dream about it every night." --Eila Hiltunen
On tour travel
We've never done any sort of tour before. Here's what we really liked:
* Someone else does the heavy planning. After arranging the flights and pre-tour days, we were more than willing to let someone else make most of the arrangements. * Familiar faces in unfamiliar places. We regularly ran into other tour members while we were filling our free time, and it was comforting to see them. ("We're not too lost if they're here!") * The group support structure. When one of the tour members didn't get her luggage until halfway through the tour, there were lots of offers of help. Guide Nina was invaluable in helping negotiate the airline bureaucracy. * Guides to help manage unmanageable museums, transit, etc. We'd have spent miserable hours in the Uffizi and the Vatican trying to wring every ounce of information out of them. Instead, we got an overview of the important works, and left conscious and happy. Rick steves tours, in particular
* No grumps!
* Using small, locally-owned hotels. They're not fancy, but they do give you the local experience. * There's a nice mix of group time and personal time. * The little extras: applicable Rick Steves tour books, money belt, backpack and phrase book. * Remarkable tour guides. Every review we've read says that that reviewer's guide is the best. We certainly have the same to say about Nina Bernardo. * Post-tour surveys, which are then posted on the website. The Europe Through the Back Door people are clearly interested in the tour members' opinions, and aren't afraid to share them. AND they appear to pay attention to them. HEY, I WAS THERE!
A small list of films to relive the memories...
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TIPS
* For the initial group meeting, take along the roster and make notes when people are talking about themselves! It really helps you to remember names and potential conversation topics.
* Go out of your way to spend time with different members of the tour group at dinner or while on group walks. * If you're traveling with a group of more than two or three in your party, make a point to split up and join other folks at group dinners. A group of several people that know each other can be intimidating to others. You'll end up spending time with your party, and not meeting the other tour members. * Be brave! Try new things, ask for help, take public transportation. * Get up early! We made a point to take a brief walk each morning before breakfast. This is the perfect time to see the various attractions before they're surrounded by the tourist masses. * Research! If you don't like going into a new situation unprepared, use the internet and whatever guidebooks you can find to arm yourself with information. Also, check to see if your guidebook has any updates listed on the company website! * Take time to rest. "Pushing through the pain" is not the best way to enjoy a vacation. * Understand the local public transportation. In Italy, you generally buy a ticket (boat/bus/train) and then have to validate it before or upon boarding. There can be hefty fines for unvalidated tickets, and ignorance is not an accepted excuse. * Get audio tours on your mobile device! The Rick Steves' Audio Europe app has a number of tours that can be downloaded. * Never underestimate the wonder of having Nutella available at every breakfast spread. GAY & LESBIAN TRAVEL
We're as normal as any other couple you might know, but as a same-sex couple, we generally have to be prepared for less than positive responses from strangers. There was a lot to be wary of in planning this trip: Are we going to have a hassle from the ETBD people? Are we going to have a hassle from the hotels? Are we going to have any problems with the other tour members? Thankfully, it could not have gone more smoothly on all counts. Most importantly, our tour group was all cool. We never felt like we were any different from anyone else in the group (we're not) and, in fact, we weren't the only same-sex couple on the tour.
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LINKS
VENICE:
* Basilica San Marco * Venice Connected * Gondola pricing FLORENCE: * The Duomo * Piazzale Michelangelo * I Due Fratellini * Uffizi Gallery * Accademia Gallery |
CINQUE TERRE * Cinque Terre LUCCA & VOLTERRA * Lucca * Pizzeria da Felice (Lucca) * Volterra * Volterra Walking Tour |
ROME * Vatican Museums * Trevi Fountain * The Colosseum & Roman Forum TRAVELING IN ITALY * Rick Steves Europe Through the Back Door * Ron in Rome |