Italy or France

No bad choices. This is a good thing. Some folks might prefer one country over another - it's like asking which is better, chocolate or strawberry ice cream. Try one, then try the other sometime. It's not necessarily an either/or question.

If bus time is concerning, check the itinerary for each tour. The daily bus time is listed. Of course, they may not be much different.

We've done both. If you've never been to Italy, do that one. Three amazing world class cities. Paris & HOF was great too, if you've never been to Paris. But note, the other places you see are smaller towns. It helps to know some French history. If you have strong interests in art, history, religion, etc., it helps make the decision.

Never been on a bus? These are very comfortable coaches, and the distances are not great. The rides (with mandatory breaks for the driver) are good opportunities to rest, read, snooze, or visit with the others. Not a hardship. Note, the VFR tour only requires two changes of location.

Just go at least a day early either way, and pay attention to what's not included on the tour, so you can arrange to do them on your own.

We have been to Italy and France several times. I am not familiar with the tours in question.

The big three cities in Italy, Rome, Florence and Venice are hard to beat. You get huge doses of history, art, culture and cuisine.

Rome has the ancient history sites as well as the amazing Vatican with St. Peter's and the Sistine Chapel (not to miss). Florence was the center of the Renaissance and has amazing art museums, Michalengo's David is not to be missed. Venice with its romantic canals and history that fills the gap between the Roman Empire and the Renaissance is great.

France has so many great area. Paris is filled with great sites as well as Versailles and the Lourve. If your tour goes to the Loire Valley, you get great Chateaus. Normandy, you get the WWII history, D-day beaches and Bayeux Tapestry. If you go to Burgundy and Provence, you get more Roman history, along with the scenic Rhone River sites and French Rivera.

I would go with Italy first. That is what I did.

Big cities or smaller towns and countryside?

I've done Paris and HOF and Heart of Italy and have been to Venice, Florence and Rome on various RS tours.

The big cities of V,F and Rome are fabulous but they are big bustling cities. They are intense and not restful, lol!

I enjoyed Heart of Italy (first RS tour - chose that one because one of the family members could only take off that amount of time) with the less crowded Volterra as a stop plus a few hours in Lucca. The days we were in CT there were no cruise ships in so this was also a different feel from Rome and Florence.

I really loved Paris and the HOF. Altho you have Paris on the front end (and I also stayed days after in Paris) on Day 4 of the tour you are out of the city and on to Guedelon which is fascinating. Even though there were crowds at the chateaux we visited they were not the intensity of the big city.

The more I travel, the more I realize I enjoy the smaller cities more than big cities (Paris and London are exceptions). Your thoughts may be completely different.

When are you planning to travel? If you can't get away any time but summer, I would go for Paris and HOF. For me the heat in Venice, Florence and Rome would be too much.

I've encountered RS tour groups in both countries and they seemed equally happy.

It is easier for an independent traveler to move from Venice to Florence to Rome than to get around a series of smaller towns efficiently. I travel to all sorts of off-the-beaten-path spots by public transportation, but it does take extra time and limit the amount of territory you can cover. Therefore, I'd tend to favor a tour that includes a bunch of smaller places, though I'm sure all the tours are very enjoyable.

Maybe food choices can help you decide? Both France and Italy have WONDERFUL food, however, if you are at all picky, I would choose Italy. I love French food, but it can tend to be very rich and somewhat exotic. My mother, for instance, had a bit more trouble finding food that she enjoyed in France (crazy, I know!). The food in Italy is more familiar, but it's authentic and that makes it out of this world for me! UNLESS you plan on living on bread, cheese, and wine alone (totally understandable), in which case, I'd go with France.

Thanks for the helpful replies! Right now I'm leaning towards VFR. I will most likely go in June so I know it will be warm. As long as there is more sun, than rain, I'm good.
What are the hotels like on the tour? I'm happy with basic, simple rooms but do prefer quiet places. Also, the cooking lesson does not sound very appealing. Is there a way to get out of it :)
Lastly, any recommendations for things to do during free time? I like to be outdoors as much as possible particularly in parks, gardens, and other nature places. I would be open to opera and theater! Thanks for any tips!

HT they don't always use the same hotels. But the ones we were in were exactly as described - small and centrally located, and sometimes old and creaky. Yes some rooms may be closer to the street-side or to the trash dumpsters than you might hope. One of the reasons they provide earplugs in your tour packet. But we enjoyed them and didn't have a noise problem. Free time is up to you - thats one reason they want you to read and bring the guide book, so you can see the things you are doing and not doing on the tour, or just wander. You are not forced to participate in any activity like the cooking class. Just tell the tour leader and your buddy ahead of time. No worries. I actually enjoyed it even if I wasn't looking forward to it, as it was more about having fun. a

Jbratch - I don’t find French food the least bit exotic - they have the best bread and cheeses , and chicken and beef are featured in many dishes ! I had a much harder time in Italy with the food , not a huge fan of pasta , and hated the bread ! So it’s personal tastes !!

Op- I’ve only been on one RS tour , I’ve always travelled independently, still do , but I found out I loved the bus time ! Time to relax and look at the amazing and interesting scenery without worrying about looking at maps or timetables! Buses stop at least every 2.5 hours as the law dictates the drivers get rest stops ! The rest stops are all pretty nice too !

I love French food, but it can tend to be very rich and somewhat exotic

I'm not sure what you mean by exotic? French cuisine is often pretty simple but ingredients tend to differ between regions. Personally I prefer the cuisine of Northern France with plenty of butter and duck fat or that of the Alsace region with its German influence much like I prefer the Piedmontese food rather than the southern/Sicilian (although I wouldn't shun this either!), none of which I would consider exotic although a brief flick through one of my French cookbooks reveals one or two recipes that could be considered exotic such as crumbed cocks combs or calves brains on toast!

Perhaps unfamiliar would've been a better word? Fois gras, escargots . . . even duck can be a bit unfamiliar to some. Not too much French food here in Kentucky (darn it). And you are right - it is totally a personal preference. That's what I was meaning when I said that the OP could allow their own food tastes to guide them. I was just using a personal example from my family to explain what I meant... absolutely NO OFFENSE meant to French food. I ate my weight in French food in Paris this summer!