Viva Italia

[MariaTia2]

Hi! Well we finally booked on the May 17th trip to Italy. Will anyone from the boards be joining us?

I have 2 questions for those who have done this tour:

1) Is wine included with the dinners on the tour?

2) How is the free day in Tuscany? Did you get bored? Can you take a taxi into a local town to explore on your own?

Thanks so much! I am sure between now in May I will have many more questions!

 

[dingoballs]

I haven't been on that tour before but I have a question. Did you have any difficulty booking your flights since the tour starts in Rome but ends in Venice? Did you use a travel agent?

 

[MariaTia2]

We are using a AAA travel agent - she is excellent! But, no we did not have any problems booking our flight - we are actually fly into London and out of Frankfurt - we are extending our trip before and after the tour! The flights were only about $50 more from flying round trip into London and we get to see so much more!

 

[dingoballs]

That's a great idea to maximize your enjoyment of more countries in Europe. The Auto Club is a definite resource that I hadn't thought of. Thanks!

 

[kmcrosby]

We're confirmed for June 17-25. Seems you have some of the same questions we have. Be sure and post a report when you return.

 

[DisneyKevin]

Hi there,

I was on the Viva Italia tour and can answer some of your questions.

* wine was not included with every dinner, but there were dinners that did include a wine selection or two.

* the free day in Tuscany was not part of this past year's intinerary. That is new for 2007 tours, so you wont find any first hand experiences.. I can tell you that your days prior to and after the "free" afternoon in Tuscany are very, very busy. I believe everyone on our trip would have enjoyed a slower day towards the middle of the trip. I think ABD added this after getting feedback that folks needed a chance to kick back and relax for a few hours. There are awesome places to relax and enjot the resort. There is also a pool.

I believe that there is a cooking class in the morning of the "free" day. We didnt think that was going to be very much fun and it turned out to be a wonderful experience.

The Borgo di Fontebussi is a bit remote. It is not within walking distance of anything. There is not really anything nearby. The area of Tuscany is very rural. The entire area is a series of twisting, turning country roads, each being more beautiful than the next.

On our way from Orvieto, we stopped at an auto plaza on the highway. The name escapes me, but apparently it's very well known. We had never seen anything like it. You could buy souvenirs, books (mostly in Italian), recorded music etc. There was even a deli counter where you could purchase sliced meats and cheeses. There was a terrific assortment of Italian chocoates. The thing that surprised us the most was that they have Pringles varieties we had never heard of.....Olive Oil and Rosemary (delicious, by the way), Tomato Basil and others I cant remember.

We were advised that this would be a good time to pick up snacks, soft drinks or anything else we might enjoy in our hotel rooms at the Borgo as there are no vending machines or convenience stores nearby.

I hope this information helps.

Kevin

 

[the who #3]

i, like kevin, have taken this tour, and i can promise you that you will never be bored!

we had wine at most meals and with-in our group of tour members we also purchased bottles to share if we wanted more or at a meal where none was provided. tuscany seems to be a good place to buy wine.

my mother felt fatigue and needed to stay in one day and it happened to be at the borgo di fontebussi. it is lovely but very remote. there was no place to have lunch as everything closed during the day, and the in-room-bar only had a couple of soft drinks. we were lucky that we raided the in-room-bar at the previous hotel of peanuts and cookies, otherwise we would have spent a very hungry day.

the meals that you pay for on your own are a little pricey, but only because of the exchange rate. orvieta has some really great restaurants!!

i can promise that you will love every minute of your trip.

we also spent extra days in london before out italian tour, that was also a plus and the rooms (thru brittish holliday airlines) were a very good price if reservations are made with the plane tickets as a package deal. i will make this tour again someday if abd continues it.

say hello to cynzia (the tour guide) for me. she is terrific.

ciao

 

[mvgavin]

i
say hello to cynzia (the tour guide) for me. she is terrific.

by chance, do you recall the names of all your local guides?

 

[the who #3]

our other guide was tina (sorry i don't remember the last name altho i am sure i have it writen down somewhere). she also was fantastic. both of our guides were very knowledgeable and energetic, with wonderful personalities.

the entire trip was so great that i have even considered taking the same trip again. but i may visit southern italy instead, or maybe france. gee, there are a lot of great sounding adventures by disney trips in my future.

your disney guides will be just as great and much fun as you will let them be. their personalities seem to be very adjustable to the people on the tour. that is a one of the best qualifications a guide can have.:

 

[eva]

Thanks so much to everyone that has given their tips on the Viva Italia. It is much appreciated. Wow! I better make sure to stock up on snacks for the room. I eat 5-6 times a day and my blood sugar will get too low if I don't at least have a hand full of nuts to munch on off and on. Are there places to buy drinks like diet soda and bottled water at each of the hotels? Thanks again!

 

[DisneyKevin]

I am diabetic and the tour guides were terrific.

They provided snacks frequently throughout the day and always had something sugar free for me.

Soft drinks and bottled water are EXPENSIVE in the hotels. We paid 20 euros for two 10oz Coke Lite (Itlay's verion of diet coke). We walked two blocks and found a small store and bought a 6 pack for 6 euros.

Keeping snacks in the hotel and with you is a good idea anyway.

Kevin

 

[the who #3]

i apologize for the statement i made earlier about no food at the hotel in tuscany. we were not expected to stay in the hotel during the day and food was well provided for the group on the tour. that was the only hotel that did not have all day food service and a well stocked in-room fridge. there is plenty enough food to feed many more people than are on the tour. the guides always have water, drinks, and snacks that are passed out all during the day. you will never lack for enough!!!!. that includes guidence, fun and excitment as well as food.

 

[disneytraveler]

When i was the tour last year, wine was provided with the meals in Tuscany.
There was also a very nice wine tasting. I Rome there was a wine wine list at the dinners we ate together. You can pay for the wine after. I was interested in just a glass and then my fellow travelers also wanted a glass so i said i would buy a bottle to share. Well i was fortunate because the restaraunt said the wine was on them. But yes there are times where it is with the meal and times where you can purchase.

 

[disneytraveler]

I had Cynzia for a local guide also.

 

[disneytraveler]

Disney Kevin,
That auto plazza had everything. I bought alot candy there.