Viva Italia 9/15/11 - We're Back!

[tinkerbell10309]

First let me say I have never written a review about anything. Since I found this board so helpful while I was waiting our trip I decided to share our family's experiences on the Viva Italia trip that we took on Sept. 15th.

My family is a group of 8 adults. Myself and husband (both 56), our two sons and future daughter in law (23 -25), my sister and her husband ( 54 and 56), and our dad (who turned 82 during the trip). As you can see there is a wide range in ages.

We all had a great time with unforgettable memories. Our Adventure Guides Courtney and Marco were absolutely wonderful and took care of everything. Courtney is from the States and currently works at WDW when not doing one of the ABD tours. Marco resides in Northern Italy and from time to time is assigned one of the ABD tours. They make a great team and it was a pleasure having them as our Adventure Guides for the week. The Adventure Guides stay with you the whole time you are doing a scheduled activity.

There were 38 people in total on this tour - including my family. Of those 38, eight were Junior Adventures ranging in age from 4-11 years old - most were on the younger end. All the Junior Adventures were well behaved and a pleasure to have in the group. They warmed up to us strangers and tour guides quite quickly. The tour guides were happy to let them take turns holding the sign and walking next to them. They kept up with the adults and never complained.

An ABD rep met us at the airport in Rome with another family of 3. We were escorted to a large air conditioned coach bus for our 30 minute ride to the Bristol Bernini Hotel. Little did we know that this was going to be the last time we would have to lug our suitcases anywhere. For the next 9 days ABD took care of our luggage until we arrived at the Venice airport. It felt great.

Upon arrival at the Bernini we were met by our Adventure Guides Courtney and Marco in the hotel lobby. All I can say is that they were well prepared to greet us. They knew all our names (now we are 11 with the other 3 guest) without reading off a list or postcard - nice personal touch. So after a brief meeting they handed us a map of Rome and marked we were on the map and some nearby sights. Since it was already 3 PM and we were exhausted we decided to go across the street and grab some lunch. When we came back our rooms were ready and our luggage was there with an additional surprise from ABD. Let's just say it was a very nice surprise - so I won't spoil it by telling anymore. We had four separate rooms and all were appointed differently and comfortable. Two twin beds were joined to make one large bed. There was a stocked refrigerator and a writing desk. The bathrooms had all the amenities you would expect in a 4 star hotel and there was a large safe in each room. The staff was friendly and helpful.

We had our get together meeting at 5:30 PM where a member from each family introduced their group. Courtney and Marco told us more of what to expect the days ahead and had some more surprises for us (think lanyard). Dinner was buffet style and the food and wine were plentiful. No one ever went hungry. I won't get into the taste of any of the food during the trip, since how something taste is really an individual thing - even among our own family of 8.

After dinner Courtney and Marco were available for questions or to give out suggestions. We took Marco's advise and walked to a place to get gelato then just walked through the streets of Rome.

For the next 9 days - breakfast every morning begins between 7:00 - 7:30 AM. The group usually meets around 8:15 - 8:30 AM ready to go. Breakfast is Continental with plenty to choose from - eggs, meats, fruits, cereal, cheeses, pastries, yogurt, various breads, juices, coffee and tea. You show up at breakfast anytime you wish. The table sizes are for 2 - 6 people. All the guides ask is that you be ready to go at the selected time for the day. Eating breakfast is up to you.

Day 2 - We were given head sets that we were to use for the next week, this was so we can all hear who was speaking without having to be on top of them. They worked well - even my dad was able to use them with his hearing aides. The ear bud only went into one ear. A local guide, Maria, joined our group for the day. She was from Rome and has a wealth of information about the history of Rome. We visited the Forum first since it was going to be hot that day- there was no line. After that we walked over to the Coliseum and it was packed - lines were everywhere. But we didn't have to wait we just walked right in. For those who couldn't walk up the two flights of stairs one of the guides took them up in an elevator. Once upstairs Marco and Courtney sat the Junior Adventures down and did a separate lesson for them while Maria spoke with the adults. There was plenty of time for group, family and individual photos. Marco and Courtney both have their own cameras and are also happy to take family photos for you with your own personal camera. Before we left there was time to use the restroom and shop for souvenirs. We then boarded the bus and drove to the other side of Rome to have lunch and begin our walking tour of Rome after lunch. The walking tour last about two hours with a stop half way through for gelato - the Adventure Guides took care of that for the group. We saw the Spanish Steps - they even allowed time for those who wished to walk to the top, Trevi Fountain - it was real crowded but Marco wiggled his way to the front so we can have our photos taken and coins were provided to throw into the fountain, we went inside the Pantheon and walked through Piazza Nouvena. After the walking tour we boarded the bus for the ride back to our Hotel - it was about 3 or 4 PM. Courtney and Marco had set up "office hours" in the lobby for an hour or so for anyone who wanted to stop by with questions or looking for dinner suggestions. Dinner was on your own with plenty of options near the hotel for either grabbing a bite or having a sit down dinner. After dinner we walked to the Trevi Fountain so we can see it at night - it's about a mile. Of course we stopped for gelato on the way back to our hotel.

 

[sayhello]

Thanks so much for the report so far, tinkerbell10309! Looking forward to more. It sounds like you've discovered the wonders that are ABD and especially the Adventure Guides!

Sayhello

 

[sjs314]

Tinkerbell10309 - Thanks for shareing your review of the Italia Adventure, I can not wait to read more as this is a trip DH and I have talked about maybe taking. It truely sounds like your first 2 days were wonderful and something DH and I would love to expierence.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Before I begin Day 3 let me tell you about the buses we had. They were coach buses with seats that slightly recline. Each seat had their own air and light controls - like those on an airplane. There was plenty of room so we were able to spread out. Daily our Adventure Guides provided us with bottled water and an assortment of snacks while on the bus or exiting the bus. There were overhead racks to store your back packs. Everyone sits where ever they choose when getting on the bus. And in case you are wondering there are no rest rooms on the bus.

Day 3 - We're off to Vatican City. Maria, the local guide, joined our group again today. As usually she was full of information. Marco had another surprise for us on the bus ride over - nothing big but it was thoughtful. It was early and already there was a little bit of wait to enter the Vatican Museum only because everyone had to go through security - yup just like the airports. Just follow the instructions and it will move along smoothly. The line for all the other tourist was way longer and they weren't even allowed to enter yet. Not only did ABD get us fast passes - we were allowed to enter before the museum opened to the non tour group public.

Once inside we walked through one floor of the Museum on our way to the Sistine Chapel. Once outside the Sistine Chapel doorway you are given about 20 minutes or so to view the Chapel on your own, use the restroom or take a coffee break. No photos are allowed to be taken in the Sistine Chapel. A meeting place and time was designated inside the Chapel. Once our group was together we exited a "back door" to St. Peter's Basilica. This back door access is only for tour groups, everyone else must exit and walk around the building, wait in another line before entering the Basilica. Maria again was full of information and history about the Basilica, she guided us around. You must dress appropriately (shoulders and knees covered) and you are allowed to take pictures in the Basilica.

Once you exit the Basilica you are given time to browse the official Vatican Gift Shop in the square and use the restroom. There is a restroom in the gift shop so don't bother waiting on the long line outside the Vatican - thanks Courtney for that bit of info.

There were two opportunities for group and family photos. The first was a patio where the Basilica dome was the background and the other was in the plaza using the Vatican as the backdrop. Again both Courtney and Marco took group photos and family photos until everyone was satisfied. They took photos with their own cameras and with your personal camera.

It was around noon when everyone was done with the gift shop and it was off to lunch. Our family of 8 did not go to lunch with the group since we had purchased Scavi Tour tickets for 1:15 PM the month before. The guides were helpful and directed us where we had to enter and where we had to go to get a taxi back to our hotel. The taxi cost about 7 euros per car and can fit 4 adults. While we were waiting for our time slot we just purchased some Panni's and drinks for lunch from the truck and sat on the benches outside the gift shop to eat.

On a side note the Scavi Tour was very interesting and lasted about an hour and a half. The space in very tight and cramped and it was very humid and hot. If you decide to go for it on your own bring water and a cloth to keep wiping yourself down. The outside temp that day was 90 degrees, I am sure it contributed to the very humid conditions under ground. It was worth it but be prepared. No photos were allowed to be taken.

We arrived back at our hotel around 3:30 PM, some of us rested and some of us walked up to the hill to the Borgehese Gardens. At around 7 PM we headed out to Piazza Nouvena for dinner. There are several restaurants in the Piazza to choose from. We picked one and sat outside to eat dinner. The Piazza is crowded with many artisans selling their wares. There were also local people signing and playing a guitar while we ate. It was nice to be there and we enjoyed it. The walk is about a mile or so from the hotel but it goes quickly. Along the way we stopped by the Trevi Fountain again and of course purchased gelato on our way to the hotel.

 

[sssteele]

Talk about perfect timing. I must have been reading through threads on page 2 while you were posting your trip report.

Thanks so much for taking the time to relive and share some of your memories with us. I'm anxious to read it, but now I'm thinking I don't really want to know too much before we leave for our own Adventure. Maybe I'll just skim over it, and delve into it after we return.

Thanks again. Hope ABD met all your expectations.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Day 4 - We're off to Tuscany. All you have to do is leave you luggage outside your hotel room door at the designated time and like magic it appears in your next hotel room - I just love it.

We all board the bus in the morning and head off to the hills of Tuscany. There is the usual water, snacks, jokes and lessons along the way. Participation is up to you, you can close your eyes and sleep or just look out the window. After about an hour and a half bus ride we arrive in Orvieto. After taking the funicular part of the way up there is about a 20 minute walk up a hill on a small winding road lined with shops. Don't worry if you can't walk one of the Adventure Guides will go with you on the bus that brings you up the hill. There is a Gothic cathedral at the top of the hill as well as places to eat and shop. The views are beautiful and the guides are there willing to take your family photos. You have 2 -3 of hours of on your own time to eat, explore and shop. My husband and son decided to climb the stairs in the bell tower and took photos, the views were even more impressive from up there. The walk down was easier than the walk up so only a couple of guest took the bus back down. This was never an issue with either of the guides - no problem at all.

The bus ride to our next Hotel, Hotel Paggeria Medicea, was about 3 hours away.A Disney movie was shown on the bus for all those who choose to watch it. About halfway into the ride we stop at a road side rest area to use the restroom and buy personal drinks and snacks for the next day or two. (Warning: The hotel you are heading for is on top of a mountain and there is no where to go to purchase food, drinks or snacks. They don't sell anything at the hotel but drinks at the bar, there are no stores. The so called small store near the restaurant never opened for the three days we were there. Be aware that the only real food you get to eat is what is served for the three meals. So use your time wisely in the rest area and purchase enough drinks and snacks for the next day. The next day you are at the hotel for the entire day with no bus. So heed the guides advise and stock up especially if you have children.)

At the hotel the grounds, common area and views are beautiful. The staff is friendly. I understand we are to have a rustic feel for our stay here but we were terribly disappointed in the rooms. We had four different rooms, all the rooms had a strong musty smell (like a damp basement). I kept the window open in my room to try and get rid of it. Two of the rooms my family had were extremely tiny - there was only one rack to open your suitcase on, so one person had to open theirs on the floor which took up all the floor space. You had to literally climb over the suitcase to get to the bathroom, that is how little floor space was available. My son's room was just as tiny and didn't even have a window in it. Can you imagine our shock - you think you are getting a 4 star hotel room and you end up with a room with not even a window. They were smaller than a cruise ship cabin. There was no desk and only one small kitchen size chair in the corner. Our other two rooms were suite size. Mine even had a sofa, two club chairs, end tables and a coffee tables. All though the room was extremely large the dresser was broken and one drawer didn't even close all the way and the other was jammed part way open. A chunk of marble was broken off the corner of the coffee table and the ceiling in the bathroom looked like something stained it. The bathroom fixtures, linens and floors were all clean. The bed room floor and bedding were all clean but the furniture was well worn. All I can say is that we were disappointed in the rooms but not the grounds. The guides tried to switch my son's room but he hotel was booked for the next two nights. It was only on the last night that he was able to get a room with a window. I didn't like the fact that we had no choice but to stay there and live in a musty smelling room since you can't even go to another hotel. IMO these rooms ranked well below Disney's budget hotels in WDW. Sorry to complain but it is just the way we see it.

On to dinner that night - the Junior Adventures had their own dinner with the Adventure Guides and a Disney movie. It was right up stairs from where the adults were dinning - so if need be mom and dad can just check in on their Junior Adventures. The adults tasted two different wines from the region before dinner. Dinner was several different course and we all had a wonderful time. There were only a couple of people at the bar after dinner, so our family played cards that night. It was drizzling out so going for a long walk was out of the question.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Day 5 - Time to relax. Today is the day you can sleep in but if you want food before lunch make sure you get to breakfast by 10:30 AM. (LOL)

At 11 AM the group met for our pasta making lesson. At first I thought - nah I don't need to do that, being Italian I know how to make pasta - well all I can say is we all had a great time. The lesson is giving by the chef with plenty of explanations. They had enough stations set up on this long table for everyone and we all had fun. There was flour every where and we didn't have to clean up (lol). Lunch was immediately following the lesson and guess what they were serving? Three different types and it was delicious. The wait staff and guides were going from table to table making sure there was more than enough for everyone. The views from where we were dinning were beautiful.

There were no planned activities for the rest of the afternoon. The weather was not really warm enough for swimming so our Adventure Guides came through with an unplanned activity for all those who chose to participate. Adjacent to the hotel is the Medicea Estate. Since the Estate wasn't being used that day they arranged to get one of the hotel staff to give us a tour. It was nice and interesting - I was glad we went. We spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around the grounds and lounging in one of the many chairs around the grounds. There was also a small playground area that the Junior Adventurers played in.

Dinner that night was a Tuscan BBQ - plenty of food and wine was served. The Junior Adventures were now becoming friends and decided on their own that they would all eat at their own table of 8. It was cute to see and one parent quickly snapped up the bottle of wine that was sitting in the center of the now Junior Adventurers table and shared it with the rest of us.

Some socializing after dinner but overall it was a quite night. Another round of card playing for us.

On a side note - Earlier in the day my family had ask the guides about getting transportation to go over to Pisa. The guides made the inquire for us - there wasn't anything large enough to accommodate all 8 of us, so it meant having two hire two cars. That now doubled the price making it too costly for us just to take a ride to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. What ever optional tours the hotel offered were not available on Monday - which was our free day.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Thanks for sharing your adventure with us Tinkerbell. I love reliving our trip of Italy that we took last year. I'm wondering if Marco is the same guide that we had...he was from Italy as well. If so, he was wonderful!!! Sorry to hear you didn't like your room in Tuscany...for our trip, that was the best room that we had. It was huge. Our guides helped us set up a trip to Pisa, but there were 21 of us that were interested. I'm glad I did it and the cost wasn't terrible, but I'm not sure it was worth it. You really didn't miss much and if you do the Bella Italia trip, they make a stop in Pisa so you can see it then

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Diskidaheart - I had heard that there wasn't much in Pisa but figured if it wasn't too costly we would venture that way. For the 8 of us with two cars would have cost us around 600 euros. With the exchange rate the way it was it would have been over $800 to hire two cars just to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Anyway it all worked out for the best since right after lunch Courtney and Marco surprised us with the option of viewing the Medicea Estate. It was interesting and I am glad we did it. Now I have an excuse to come back to Italy.

As for the hotel, the grounds were immaculate, the food was good and the staff were friendly. It was hard getting past the musty smell (it's what hit us first as we opened the door) and the fact that my sons room had no window. Our room was huge, about three times bigger than his but the furniture was in need of repair. It was just disappointing. Even after all that my son still says the best part of the trip was being in Tuscany. Him and his fiance just love being in the country. (We live in NYC so Tuscany is just the complete opposite of what we have here).

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Day 6 - We're off to Florence.

The bus ride into Florence takes a over an hour depending on traffic. It takes about 20 minutes just to get down the mountain. The bus driver does an excellent job navigating tiny two way roads and tight turns. It's a lot of stop and go navigating the streets and it was morning rush hour. One Junior Adventure started becoming queasy from it and after moving him to the front of the bus it didn't seem to help much so the bus pulled over so he could get some fresh air. The guides and other adventurers on the bus didn't mind at all while we waited for him to settle. As he was sitting outside some of the adults on the bus started talking about how they were feeling queasy too but didn't want to say anything. The bus eventually pulls into a station to purchase a ticket to enter the city of Florence and almost everyone gets off the bus to use the restroom and get some fresh air.

Once we arrived in Florence and left the bus our Florence guide met up with us. The first thing we did was go over to the museum that housed the David. We waited for our allotted time, went through security and were in in the museum no time. We saw a few different pieces in the museum but the main attraction was the David. No photo taking was allowed. The Florence tour guide was also our guide was the walking city tour of Florence. We walked to the Duomo, saw where the David was originally on display outside, and other sights along the way. The tour lasted about two hours and she just filled us with a lot of history and information. We walked to the restaurant for lunch and they had the tables waiting for us.

Lunch ended around 1:30 PM and we were on our own. The guides showed us the designated meeting spot and said that there will be two buses back to the hotel, one at 3:00 PM and one at 6:00 PM. There was no need to decide then what time you wanted to go back - just show up at the designated time slot and go back with one of the guides. From the meeting spot to the bus is a good 20-30 minute walk. Arrive early and rest on one of the benches if you need to.

My dad and brother in law along with some other Adventurers went back on the 3 PM bus and made it back to the hotel with no problem in an hour. Not so lucky for those of us on the 6 PM bus - it was rush hour even in the mountains. Traffic everywhere and a lot of stop and go. Most people on the bus were starting to feel queasy from a lot of lurching and stopping. We arrived back at our hotel two hours after we meet. It was around 8 PM - good thing we had late dinner reservations.

Dinner that night was on your own and there are a couple of restaurants on the property to eat at. The guides highly recommend that if we plan on eating on property to let them know and they will make reservations for us. So dinner was set for our family at 9 PM. We had a lovely time at dinner and the chef that taught the pasta making class the day before came out to talk with us.

If you didn't want to eat dinner in any of the restaurants you can pick up a sandwich in Florence and bring it back to your room for later.

While in Florence, on our own, we visited the Santa Croce Church which houses the tombs of many famous Italians like Michelangelo, Galileo and Machiavelli. There was no Disney magic here - we had to wait 20 minutes on line, pay 5 euros each to enter and no one there to guide us. Boy were we spoiled by the last few days. All in all it was worth it if you are looking for something to do in Florence.

For all you shoppers reading this - sorry to say I don't know much about shopping in Florence. I like to browse and if I see something I like I purchase it. I don't set out with intentions to buy. There were a lot of what I consider flea market type vendors and plenty of shops with store fronts. I can't even tell you about prices - my logic is Florence is a tourist city and will probably have tourist prices. So I rather wait for a good sale at home.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Day 7 - We're going to Venice.

After breakfast we meet to get on the bus that will to take us to the train station in Florence. The guides are well prepared, after hearing the talk about feeling queasy from so many the day before they have a supply of queasy pops and pass them out to whom ever needs them. The ride into Florence this morning was faster than the day before and uneventful.

When we arrive at the station one member from each family goes with one of the guides to get our bag lunch. You get to select your sandwich, snack and beverage. It's all placed in your own bag to eat at you leisure on the train. The guides mention that there are free restrooms in McDonald's and food place - they both had very long lines. There are restrooms at the far end of the station that cost 1 euro to use - it is so worth the 1 euro. You need to drop the euro in a slot to open the turnstile type doors to the restroom area. It is very clean.

The cabin we travel in is First Class. The guides assign us our seats ahead of time and they try and keep family members together. Some of the seats face backwards but you can move around once the train gets going. Snacks and beverages are provided, but other stuff is available for sale. There are also restrooms on the train and we are advised to use them before we arrive in Venice. The train ride is about 2 hours - mostly in and out of tunnels.

Upon arrival in Venice you are immediately placed in a gondola. The gondola's can hold about 6 people. After a ride through the narrow canals we all meet in the grand canal where we exit and start the walking part of our tour with a local guide from Venice. Let me just say that here is surprise along the way. Eventually we walk our way to St Marks square and take plenty of photos. Marco and Courtney stay with our backpacks while the local guide takes us to the front of the line to enter the church. Fast-pass again it was great - a lot of people were waiting on line to get in. After touring the church we walked back to our Adventure Guides and say good bye to our local guide. We then walked to our hotel which was around the corner.

The Luna Baglioni is a 5 star hotel and the rooms are comfortable and well appointed. Disney did their magic again and poof our luggage was waiting for us in our rooms.

We are now on our own but the guides have "office hours" in the hotel lobby for about an hour or so to answer questions and offer suggestions for dinner. We took Marco's suggestion for a place to eat and he made reservations for our family. There are plenty of places to either grab a bite or sit down and eat - it's up to you.

We spent our free time in the evening just wandering the streets of Venice.

It was nice to have no cars.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Day 8 - Mask Making

After breakfast we meet and take the 30 - 40 minute stroll to the studio where we will be making our mask. This is a real mask making studio - you will be decorating your own Venetian mask just like the ones they sell through out Venice.

We stopped at the studio/store front where we get a brief lesson on the history of Venetian mask and how they are molded. We then go around the corner to the working studio where you get to pick the style mask you want to paint and decorate. I (who loves doing all crafts) enjoyed painting and creating my mask - my husband & son on the other hand would have preferred to walk through the fish market but they stayed and participated anyway. There are artisans on hand to help guide you with the various steps and to help embellish your mask with glitter, jewels, ribbon and feathers. You have until noon to complete your mask and can leave when you are finished. Your mask are left behind to dry and the artisans finish them off with tie back ribbon and add glitter to any of the flourishes on your mask. When done with mask making you are on your own until dinner time.

After mask making we roamed the streets of Venice and grabbed a bite to eat for lunch. Some members of our family walked over to the Bridge of Sighs and Dogies Palace while the rest of us wondered back to St. Mark's Square to go to the top of the Bell Tower. There was no Disney Magic here we had to wait in line 20-30 minutes and pay 5 or 8 euros to take the elevator to the top. Yes - this one has an elevator and no stairs. You can spend as much time as you want up there and take photos of Venice in all directions. When you are done just get in the short elevator line to come down. The rest of the afternoon we spent wondering around.

Before we left home our original plan was to take the boat ride over to the Island of Murano. But once there we decided not to go just because we enjoyed wandering the streets of Venice. Murano glass pieces are sold in various shops throughout Venice and vary in price and quality. Some pieces are clearly marked and some aren't - so use your discretion if you looking to purchase authentic Murano glass.

Farewell Dinner - later that evening was the Farewell Dinner. Our finished mask are now dried and waiting for us in the banquet room. There are a few extra decorated mask for the guest who didn't attend the workshop. Everyone wears their mask for a few minutes and take photos - the rest of the evening they lay on the table. The Junior Adventurers preferred to keep theirs on longer. At the end of the evening bubble wrap, tissue paper and a plastic bag are provided to wrap your mask up to transport home.

I am not going to reveal any details about the Farewell Banquet - let's just say you will be pleasantly surprised. The Magic just kept on continuing.

After dinner it was back to roaming the streets of Venice.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Day 9 - Arrivederci

Yes, all good things must come to an end and so must our wonderful vacation.

ABD leaves no stone unturned. They have prearranged for our transportation to the Venice airport depending on the time of your departing flight. The hotel porters take care of the luggage - just leave it outside your room at the designated time. Your luggage waits for you in the lobby of the hotel and the porters place it in the same water taxi with you for the 20 minute ride to the airport. Once you exit the water taxi you will see other tourist dragging their luggage behind them for the 7 minute walk to the terminal. Disney wouldn't allow us to do such a thing - like magic - they arranged for mini vans to meet us at the water taxi station. The porters place our luggage in the vans and we climb in for the short drive over to the airport terminal. The porters then wheel our luggage into the terminal at which point the magic is gone and we have to wait in line to check in towing our luggage behind us.

In summary we had a wonderful time and service was more than we expected. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone looking to visit Italy. Once I made the reservation at ABD I did not have to plan or worry about a thing. It was truly a relaxing, although busy (just the way I like it) vacation. Can't thank Marco and Courtney enough for the fabulous and memorable time we had.

Any questions feel free to post I will be happy to try and answer them.

 

[Diskidatheart]

Thanks for the wonderful trip report. I loved Venice and wish we could have spent more time there. We do plan on going back to Italy someday and Venice would be high on my list of places to visit. It's such a unique place that words cannot really describe it. It sounds like you did the same thing we did there and just walked around trying to take in as much as you can. I love that there are no vehicles and everyone has to walk or ride a Gondola. How did your 82 year-old Dad do on the trip? I know this trip is a lot of walking so hopefully he hung in there. I'm guessing he slept really well each night. Glad you enjoyed the trip and sorry you have to come back to reality where bags don't magically appear at your next destination (it doesn't take long to get used to that treatment).

 

[tinkerbell10309]

I originally started out wanting to write a summary and just got carried away. The whole trip was just, let's say, Magical. Below is some info some of you may find useful.

As for euros - there are ATM's everywhere. There are also plenty of currency exchange places - although we never saw anyone using them. Don't know if if was because of the rate/fees or if there was no need. Since there were 8 of us I purchased all our euros from my bank in one order. They gave us what I felt was a good rate since we have several different accounts with them. Did we get the best rate possible? - probably not - but it was worth the convenience of not having 8 of us line up at an ATM machine once we arrived in Italy.

Irons - they are not allowed and there aren't any steamers or presses in the hotel room. We did find that Downy Wrinkle Release works real well. Take in from someone who irons everything - even t-shirts. I stressed over the thought of my clothes appearing wrinkled (it's just the way I am) so I had no choice but to give Downy Wrinkle Release a try - it works. Just spray it on your clothes, tug or shake out and a little while later wrinkles are gone. Thanks to who ever on this board for recommending it.

Hairdryers - all the bathrooms had hairdryers but they are of low wattage. Having shoulder length hair I brought my own dual voltage travel hairdryer and used the low setting. BTW it's only $20 at Target of similar store.

Amenities - all the hotel rooms had small bottles of shampoo, bubble bath, body lotion and small bars of soap. The hotel in Rome and Venice had bathrobes and slippers - I don't remembered if the Tuscany hotel offered those. The hotel in Tuscany only had a shower - no bathtub. There was enough toilet paper and towels in all the rooms. The hotel in Tuscany did not supply the smaller type wash clothes. I tend to use body wash so I brought my own with 3 inexpensive scrubbies - after each hotel stay I just placed the wet scrubby in the trash pail.

Safes - each hotel had safes in the rooms. Just read the instructions supplied for using them.

Current - the voltage in Italy is 230. Just check the tag on what ever you are bringing to make sure 230 is the range provided on the item. We had a camera, cell phone, laptop and hairdryer and they all worked with just a plug adapter. Hairdryer was the only item I needed to purchase since the one's I have home did no conform. For everything else 230 already fell in the range.

Shoes - wear something comfortable and flat on your feet. There is a lot of walking, although it is at a leisurely pace many of the streets are cobblestone and uneven.

Activity level - the ages of the Adventurers in this group were from 4 - 82. All seemed to have a good time and were able to keep up. My dad who is 82 was able to keep up with no problem. At home he is active, goes shopping and fishes, but he does no other extra walking. He was able to participate in all the activities. Another couple in their 70's also had no problem keeping up. All the Junior Adventures walked with no problem - you did see every once in a while the 4 year old being carried but she never whined. There were a couple of people for whom stairs or extensive walking was difficult - the Adventure Guides made alternate arrangements for them.

Cameras - know your camera battery life and memory storage. I purchased extra of these and was glad I did. You end up taking more photos then you think you are going to take. Forget the tripod - in most cases there is not enough time or space to set up a tripod and take photos - unless you do it on your own time.

Cell phone - if you must have cell phone and yours in not global capable contact your carrier. Our carrier was able to lend us (at no charge) a global phone to use while in Italy. All you had to do is activate your borrowed phone with your current cell phone number and you were set to go. Of course you will have to pay additional fees for air time used - it can be expensive. But if you need to keep in touch with someone at home it maybe worth considering.

Phone cards - consider purchasing phone cards in Italy to make phone calls from your hotel room. They can be purchased for as little as 5 euros. The number on the card is toll free - this is how my younger son stayed in touch with his girlfriend. Make sure you have them before you head to Tuscany - we were not able to find them anywhere in Tuscany.

Tipping - at no time did anyone linger expecting a gratuity. It was all taken care and who ever was servicing us knew it. As for the guides I personally recommend budgeting at the higher end or even more for their gratuity - if you are not satisfied you can always give less. BTW we tipped Marco in euros - since he lives in Italy and we tipped Courtney is USD since she was coming back to the states. They would have accepted either dollars or euros so for us it worked out best this way.

Public restrooms - well let me just say they are not what I am accustomed to in the States. Most public toilets just have a bowl with no seat. This is not an issue for those ladies who are used to straddling the bowl when using a public restroom. But this may be difficult for those who have limited mobility or small children. Just carry travel size disposable toilet seat covers and wipes and you should be fine. The only place that actually ran out of toilet paper was on the Eurostar. Thanks to someones recommendations here - I had a small travel size roll of toilet paper in my backpack. All the restroom facilities at the hotel were fine and just what we are used to.

If you have any questions just post and I will try and answer.

 

[tufbuf]

Hi tinker bell! Thanks for your report. Viva Italia is probably our all time favorite ABD. It was our first, we were with wonderful people and we had a grand time! It was nice reliving the memory through your post. There were a number of folks getting queasy on the ride to and from the villa in Artimino as well, in fact one boy could not hold it and just threw up on the coach right before getting off. We also had an 86 y/o woman in our group and she kept up as well, never held us back! She looked really good though for someone almost 90.

Thanks again!

 

[beachcat]

Thanks for the great report there Tink. A question for you. If you had an extra day in Venice, what would be # 1 on your list to do beyond the tour? I am a Hard Rock fan and am definitely hitting the Hard Rock for 1 hour but that is all because there are so many in the US. I am looking for something out of the ordinary. Murano island is on the list too. Thanks. Glad you had a great trip and I'll say hello to Marco and Courtney for you if you PM me your name. Patti and I are going on Oct.13.

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Hi Beachcat - my name is Renee - if by chance you happen to get Marco and Courtney just say hi from me. If you want you can tell them I am from the family group of 8. They did a wonderful job, hope you are just as pleased with them as we were.

If I had an extra day in Venice I would have gone over to Murano. Also, there were people on the exterior wrap around balcony (for use of better words) of St. Marks Cathedral I would have taken the time to see what that was all about and maybe have done that. I also would have gone over to the Bridge of Sighs and visited the Dogies Palace like my son did.

There are only so many hours in day - wish I had an extra free day in Venice.

Enjoy your trip - it was great.

Renee

 

[tinkerbell10309]

Beachcat - there is a Hard Rock down the street from the Hotel in Rome and there is also one near the hotel in Venice. I am not sure about Florence I didn't see one but I wasn't looking for one either.

 

[beachcat]

Thank you Tinkerbell. We are really looking forward to this trip. It is going to be a marathon. The good thing is that the Hard Rock is within walking distance in both Rome and Venice. Murano is a will do. St. Mark's at midnight is also. I will check out that balcony for sure.

This is my 2nd ABD. I will say hello to Courtney and Marco for you. My guides in London were amused when a future guest said hello for me. They definitely will remember a 8 guest party. Leaving on the 7th to London first. Can't wait.