What's the best way to plan a trip to Italy?

Question

My husband and i want to go next year, but we don't know if using sites like Expedia/Travelocity is better than using a real travel angent.

Answer 1

There are several ways to experience Italy. You can either do an independent trip or some prefer a group tour. With a tour you will see more than you would on your own. There are tours also that are quite relaxed and you do have some free time. They are open to extend the stay as well from either the arrival or outbound city(which might be the same).

You can certainly attempt to do this on line, however I would highly advise against it. There are several companies we work through that specialize only in Italy. I have clients who enjoy doing some research on there own, because well it can be fun and exciting. When it comes down to it though they plan the trip through an agent. A lot of people have the misconception that agents tack on huge fees to make money. We don't do this actually (well I know our company doesn't and most don't in general). How we make money is say you go directly to the vendor you pay the same price, however the company makes more money because they aren't having to pay a Travel Agency anything. Thus the encouraging of you booking on your own with some vendors.

A lot of agencies will charge a $20.00 per service (this is ours anyways) because we do put lots of time and research into doing our best to ensure you have a lovely holiday.

I would first decide how long you would like to go for, then we can help in what you can and want to do in that timeframe. A cruise as someone else mentioned is also something to consider. But again it's all in what you are wanting the trip to be and only you can determine that much we just guide you into the trip of your dreams!

Either find yourself a good local travel agent or if I can help you with anything feel free to email me and I can give you contact information. Either way you go have a wonderful Italian experience!

Answer 2

I highly suggest you use a local travel agent with lots of experience. This is a trip that I do quite frequently for people and even for someone with 30 years, it takes me weeks of proper planning to insure they have a great vacation.

For the record, I am not soliciting business, as I do not have the time to take on new clients.

If you book on the internet, you are on your own. If you book with a travel agent, you have a professional that will follow you every step of the way.

They will plan a cleaner, easier, trip.
They will find hotels that are safe and convenient.
They will save you money
They will offer suggestions on where to go, how to get there.
Best cities, towns, etc..

I can't say enough, about how important it is to book a trip with an agent.

Answer 3

Italy is tough to do independently unless you speak some Italian or Spanish...it is different than say Germany or Switzerland. Traffic is horrible and the trains are usually on strike or off schedule. You will see more with a tour, but if you are going just to sit in the sun, then do it yourself. Remember, Italy is packed with tourists April - September. It looks romantic and serene, but it can be a tough trip without proper planning. Try Globus. They have a "Italy's Great Cities" tour which is great.

Answer 4

First determine what kind of trip you want to take. Will you be doing a lot of sightseeing? Plan to spend most of your time on the beach? Maybe you'd be more interested in a cruise? How about hiking (lots of beautiful mountains in northern Italy)? Once you've made a decision research the places you want to visit and compare hotel prices. At this point you could also look for a travel agent who specializes in the kind of vacation you're interested in and have him/her help you out if you don't want to do all the research work. Even if you intend to plan your itinerary yourself it might still pay off to use a travel agent for booking the flights because they often have access to special deals on airfare.

Answer 5

My ultimate suggestion is to no longer attempt to do too plenty. Going for 2 weeks (as an occasion), do no longer attempt to do Florence, Venice, and Rome. %. one, and bypass to it in intensity, and make some journeys into the encircling section. they say of Rome that "an entire life isn't adequate". So why attempt to cram extra suitable than that for the time of in basic terms some weeks? no remember what you do, you will omit way extra suitable than you will see, so decelerate, and take a little time to precise see and journey one place. and don't take a excursion, that's susceptible (except you're bodily no longer able to do it on your guy or woman). you will see what you're instructed to make sure, devour what you're instructed to devour, associate in basic terms with different unadventurous human beings, you heavily isn't waiting to declare "I hate this place, i'm moving on" or "i like this place, i opt to linger", and you will lose the excitement of honestly discovering something and even perhaps experiencing a flavor of community existence. A excursion would be an ok thank you to make sure a museum or get a one-day (or much less) assessment of a city, in spite of the shown fact that it's not a sturdy thank you to return and forth to a place.

Answer 6

Depends. If you both feel confident that you can get around on your own then book everything on the internet. If you feel you may need a guide, go to a travel agent and try to get booked on a group tour. Also Google Perrillo tours of Italy, though I think they leave out of New York/ New Jersey.