1st time Traveling Abroad (to Italy)

Steve says it all. I have done it 8 times - (next month will be 9)

Suzi,

I'd also recommend pre-reading Europe Through The Back Door before you get too far in your planning. That will provide you with a lot of the "basic" information for travelling in Europe.

You indicated that you were planning to "try a tour for about 2 weeks". Which tour(s) are you considering? That's a great idea - it will provide a gradual introduction to Italy with an experienced Guide, and by the time you're ready to travel on your own you should be quite comfortable.

You might start by getting suggestions from everyone in your group on which places they most want to see. That will give you an idea where to start. Don't try to fit too many places onto the list, and be sure to allow for adequate travel times between cities. The "fine details" can be worked out once you have a rough idea on the places you're going to visit.

You might find it helpful to watch some of Rick's TV shows, as that might give you some ideas.

Good luck with your planning!

I agree w/ Steve. On my first trip to Italy which was also 3 weeks, I purchased Rick's Italy book. I read through the areas I thought we'd like to see and w/a map in hand, plotted my journey. I emailed the hotels Rick suggested and brought the book w/ us. Its a wonderful travel guide and every hotel he suggested in our price range was great! Buy it, its well worth it. Good Luck!

I always plan our trips and do much research ahead of time. We do not want to travel with a large tour group. The independent part makes traveling memorable. I researched our Italy trip for this Sept. for several months. Finally decided to try an independent package. All of the accomodations and transfers and some city tours were included. However, 4 of us are on our own most of the time. We have 11 nights in the package beginning in Venice, and then extending time with our own arangements in Rome for several days. We are relaxed and can now spend time getting to just know our destinations before travel. We feel confident that this will be a wonderful trip.

Hi Suzy, I'm going to Italy as well for the first time in October. I took the wimpy way out and booked a Trafalgar tour. I know, big group about 40 to 50 people, hotels a bit out of city centers, but you know, I'm fine with it being it's my first time and I just felt a bit overwhelmed in trying to plan it myself. I am staying an extra 3 days in Rome at the end of the trip and also a bonus 2 days in London after that and staying at Rick's recommended places. I'm still doing my research using Rick's books and the internet but at least I know my hotels and transport between cities are taken care of.

How old is your daughter? When would you like to take this trip?
What are your interests? Why did you choose italy?
I think you will get a lot of great advice from this and similar forums if you give more details about yourselves.
Also,I think planning is more than half the fun, especially if you are not pressed for time.
The more you know about Italy BEFORE you go, the more meaningful and relaxed it will be.

How old is your daughter? A friend of mine was given the task of planning the family's first vacation in Italy when he was 12. He spent hours on the internet and in the library, researching and learning, over several months, and says it was the best trip he ever had. 15 years later, he remembers every site.

Thank you everyone for many great things to consider. Rick's book is on it's way - that will be a big help. We are looking at one of the tours: Trafalgar's. It's a different mix of us going. My dad is a super active and healthy 76 - no problem for him. My daughter is 15 and a great kid, easy, agreeable/considerate most of the time (I know, nice!) and I am ready for everything. Myself, I would find my way and enjoy more on my own, but the different generations I believe are looking at different expectations/experiences.

We are going to join a tour for 2 weeks and spend the last week on our own, visiting the village where my grandparents were born. I expect this will be the major highlight of the trip, many relatives still in the area.
I think I am probably more nervous about knowing what to pack! More suggestions welcome...Grazie mille!

Suzi,

Before deciding on a tour, you might have a look at the ETBD Tours as well. As your Dad is "super active", that style of touring might be a good fit for him. As the ETBD tours are limited to 28, a smaller group might be more comfortable for your daughter. Finally, the tours include a fair amount of free time, so you'd be able to explore a bit on your own. This could be the best of all worlds for the specifics of your group.

The 9-day Heart of Italy tour might be a good one to consider? You could do some touring on your own either before or after the tour.

Cheers!

Figure it out day to day, down to the hour. Then get there and ignore most of your planning.

I went to Italy with my 15 year old daughter last July. We have been before, quite a few times. I would be very hesitant to choose an organized tour. First of all, planning a trip tailor made for you and your party can be fun. Tours i think tend to have more mature travelers and might not be ideal for your 15 year old.
you are right, that the time with your family in your grandparents town will be the best part. Your daughter will love it.

I agree with Ken- check out the Rick Steves ETBD tours. My husband and I went to Europe for the first time with one of his tours just to get our feet wet with European travel and it was great. Very well organized, balanced free time and group time, and small groups of 25 or less usually. And they are not all mature travelers. The groups I've toured with have had 14 year olds, 75 year olds and a bit of everything in between.

Like you, I am very busy with work and don't have all the time I would like to plan as you need to for these trips. With the RS tour, your planning is cut in half.

Read the book the others recommend. Consider the tours- even if you just get itinerary ideas it would be worth it.

I agree with Steve's first post, and Ken's latter as well. By taking a ETTBD tour, especially to start your trip, it will lay the ground work for you to complete the remainder of the trip on your own. My in-laws countlessly refused my advice (go figure) about traveling this way in Europe and they would reminisce like cattle when they returned. After 4 trips, they finally took my advice is used the ETTBD method, and they can't stop talking about how enjoyable it was. Plus, this type of travel will really help your daughter's travel philosophy as she gets older and spends more time traveling.