Hi
Was wondering if anyone is on the tour, Best of Southern Italy, starting Sept. 10- 22nd?
My husband and I our excited and nervous, we have never been on a Rick Steves tour, or to Italy!
I imagine it will be hot, however this time worked in our schedule best!
Any tips from someone who has traveled here would be appreciated! We will be in Rome 4 days prior to the tour.
PS We have a travel book!
Thanks
Nancy and Jerry
I have not been on this particular tour - but have been on several Rick Steves tours. They are wonderful and Southern Italy is my favorite part of Italy. I like the smaller towns and cities. I really loved Matera - an amazing place - we stayed 2 nights .
I hope you have a wonderful trip and be sure to let us know all about it.
Rick Steves tours are very special. I have traveled with at least 4 tours companies and I would vote Rick Steves Tours as the best.
Happy Travels...
Thanks Frances!
We will be going on this tour soon and after it I can post ithoughts. This will be our 6th RS tour and our third one to Italy (have done Village Italy and Sicily). We have traveled some on our own to Italy (and traveled a lot on our own to other countries). We have found RS tours to be fantastic in every way. Hope your experience is like ours and that you fall in love with the RS tour experience!
Awesome that would be so helpful Jana
Nancy & Jerry,
That's an excellent tour, so you're in for a treat, especially since it's a RS tour! I've found that September is a great month to travel, although in Southern Italy it can be hot at that time of year. You'll need to be ready for anything though, including rain.
As with any RS tours, you'll eat well, so be sure to bring "expandable clothing" ;-)
For the "who's going?" part of your question, you may also want to post in the Rick Steves Tours section of the Forum.
This is a super tour and itinerary covering so much of all the wonder that is Rome south in Italy. My daughter and I had a truly incredible time May '15 on this 6-stop for 2-nights each tour and I think you have chosen a first RST exceptionally well. Good plan to have your own start in the Eternal City prior to tour. The pace is not literally breakneck but when you think about having to pack up and move on every couple of days, you begin to realize the benefit of packing smartly so you are not unduly struggling with your stuff. Make a best attempt to keep weight and number of bags easily handled by each individual; you will be in small towns where you will be dropped off from the clean, new, double-the-size-of-members-on-board touring bus and will in some cases need to tote your own bags a short distance to your hotel--in some cases it will only be your personal bag and everyone's main bags are loaded onto a small vehicle which will drive the 'main' luggage to the hotel for you. The first drive to the Gargano Peninsula from Rome is lengthy but there are stops made to keep everyone comfortable and happy. And the payoff in Vieste is really, really worth it. Every one of the overnight locations is sublime; Rome, Vieste, Matera, Positano, Sorrento and a really exuberant finish in Naples. Visits to Tivoli, Alberobello, Paestum and the water buffalo spa (you'll see what I mean when you get there, it's pretty darn impressive how well these animals are treated and bonus! the mozzarella di bufala is delicious). You will be in cave-type dwellings, on the water off the Amalfi coast (incredibile! as well as the gorgeous drive portion) and visit amazing Greek and Roman ruins. The variety of places/sites/activities is remarkable and I hope you enjoy every bite. I certainly did. Among your tour mates will be plenty of returning RST customers and maybe first timers such as yourselves. If you have Ann Long as your guide, you will be in the best of hands, she is a treasure. Buon viaggio!!
