First timer to Rick Steves Tours and Italy

Which tour to take will depend to some extent on your budget and how much time you have. The 17 day Best of Italy would be a good one to consider. If you don't have that much time, look at the shorter tours, focusing on the area you're most interested in.

The RS tours are excellent! You're in for a treat.

Any of the Italy tours will be wonderful. Your consideration is the amount of time you have to take a tour. You really need to fly in at least the day before a tour begins so that you will have time to adjust to the time change and get over jet lag. Many people fly in the day before and many fly in a few days before so that they can see what you don't see on a tour and won't have time to see in your free time. Also some stay at least a day or more after a tour ends or go other places. If your just interested in a tour, then fly in at least a day before the tour. Do not fly in the day of the tour. It is just too tiring. I did that on my very first RS tour and that was a huge mistake. I had been to Europe four times before but still made a silly mistake.

The longer the tour, the more you see of Italy. However, you just need to base it on how many days you can afford to be away. Whatever you choose, will be wonderful and will see a lot. Also research where you will be going so that you know what you want to see in your free time. Do not wing it. Make a plan and a list of where you want to go. See what you can and if you don't get to everything, well that's okay. Just have a great time and enjoy what you see.

Read the Rick Steve tour scrapbooks of Italy. They are a wealth of information about the tour and where people went in their free time, what they brought with them, what mistakes they made, what tips they have, where they ate and just in general about the tour. Also their photos are wonderful.

As for comparing tour companies, I cannot say. I have only been on one other tour company tours years ago and that was for 18-35 year olds. But I will say, the RS tours only have 24-28 people on their tours and no tipping to the guides and all that is listed that you will see is not extra.

Hope this helps you making a decision.

Have a great trip.

We loved the Best of Italy 17 day tour! Every location on that trip seemed like a “wow” location. We loved the variety - lakes, coast, mountains and all of the city “must see” spots for a first time to Italy, plus some fun smaller towns. We enjoyed that trip so much that we have returned to all of those general locations on subsequent trips.

Reading through Ann’s good advice since we were typing at the same time. Yes, be sure to arrive a day or two early. We flew into Milan and took the train to Verona for a couple of days. Verona is a nice town as a pre-trip location. They’re used to tourists, there’s plenty of sites, and it’s on a main train route. We stayed at Hotel Aurora which is on Piazza Erbe.

If you are a fan of RS you are probably familiar with his different tour philosophy. But, for me, the biggest differences are no tipping and no shopping stops (with kickbacks to guides). Takes a lot of irritations out of the trip. We also greatly appreciate the limit to 28 or less on a full size bus so that most (or all) can have a seat to themselves. Most tour companies fill the bus to 50-55; it makes a huge difference. Also, pretty much assured of a centrally located hotel and a considerable amount of free time after mostly morning tours. And, generally better guides (he pays better) and he uses local guides a lot since the tour guide cannot be expected to know the details of every museum, etc.

On the other hand - carry your own bags; probably have to walk some to those centrally located hotels; hotels are not American style; you have to pick your own restaurants for around half your dinners (we like this a lot and guides will give you recommendations).

All the Italy tours are great. Just pick the one that strikes your interest. We did South Italy and Hill towns back to back with extra time in Rome and Padua. Great if you have the time.

Robbie

Tom, great advice so far. Our first tour to Italy many years ago was with another company similar to RS. Looking at the RS Best of Italy 17 day tour, this mirrors many of the destinations we covered. It would be a great introduction to Italy. We have since toured Southern Italy and Sicily. Going back in a couple of months on our own, followed by the RS Adriatic Tour.
Enjoy your journey!

read all the details on the tour descriptions, and understand what the expectations are. Some people expect gourmet meals and 4-star hotels and are disappointed that that is not what you get. Its about the experience, not pampering.

We did Venice-Florence-Rome as our first RS tour. Great tour, but pick the tour that best suits your interests, budget, and schedule. And plan on getting there at least one day early.

I’ve taken 2 RS tours over the years. Istanbul and Florence. Each the 7 days option.

I’ve traveled solo for nearly 40 years so 7 days is my limit for tours.

Loved both tours. Personable and knowledgeable guides, Mert and Dante respectively. Pleasant fellow travelers and both hotels where we were housed were nice, quiet and comfortable.

Most memorable and cherished moments were being allowed into to see David before the massive hordes. 20 minutes of awe with Michaelangelos masterpiece. The same with the lovely and lesser know Cora Chuch in Istanbul.

On both trips I arrived 2 days before and continued to travel after the tours.

The Florence tour began on Christmas Day and I still smile thinking of my Christmas Eve in an “ Irish” pub listening to Van Morrison then watching Its a Wonderful Life dubbed in Italian back in my room.

I’d made my reservations for Florence before I left CA. Turns out I was the only one in the hotel. The owner made an error booking me for Christmas Eve but allowed me stay anyway. It was a small pensione with frescos on the ceiling of my room. Just gave me the keys. kitchen was stocked with food. Gave me cell phone number to call In case of an emergency and made arrangements for me to leave the keys in a hidden spot.

Checked into the RS Hotel the following afternoon.

My first RS tour was Heart of Italy. I traveled with my brother, SIL and their 2 adult kids so we chose based on time frame. One of the kids could only take 14 days, so the tour plus 2 nights ahead and 1 after ate that up.

I just finished #10, lol!! What I’ve decided I like is a mix of big cities and smaller towns/villages. I’m not sure I’d like the Venice, Florence, Rome tour just because it’s 3 very urban locations. I DO have my eye on the 17 day Best of Italy because there are some smaller towns mixed in. Just something for you to consider as you decide!

I have also done 10 Road Scholar tours as well -5 in the US and 5 in Europe. They are similar in that the guides are excellent, they top out at 26 or so, tips are included, no shopping stops.

They are different in that you don’t sign a No Grumps clause so there is some muttering in the ranks. If you have them arrange airfare they pick you up at the airport. They porter your bags so there are some who are less independent travelers than you find on Rick’s tours. The guides don’t do any instructing on local transport. Hotels generally have elevators and are usually bigger than Rick’s choices. I generally choose Rick’s tours first but will do a Road Scholar if they offer an itinerary Rick doesn’t offer.

Have fun choosing!

I have traveled with Rick Steves. With G Adventures/National Geographic. Adventures by Disney. Tauck.

At the end of the day, look at what the tour covers and what the tour costs. Find the one(s) that hits your MUST SEE moments, and then look at the cost of the tour.

I love group tours. It's easier on me. I don't have to worry about hotels, transportation, major sites, etc. I totally endorse the group tour idea. But where you go and how much it costs is up to you.

Hope you have a wonderful time!!!

We took Rick's Heart of Italy tour in April. Our first trip to Europe and our first RS tour, so I have no basis for comparison. However. I must say the quality of the tour guides, the attention to detail, the flexibility based on the group's needs, and the professionalism of our guide combine to give you very good value for the your money. We chose our tour based on the time frame. Halfway through we began to wish we'd chose something longer, because we didn't want it to end. We enjoyed the combination of cities and smaller towns, the time on our own, and the travel tips and great recommendations for restaurants from our guide. A wonderful experience and I would return to Italy in a heartbeat if everyone I loved was there.

First, have you traveled to Europe in the past? If you have, then you can manage the major cities - Rome, Florence, Venice - on your own, so I'd recommend either Village Italy (14 days) or Sicily (11 days) or South Italy (13 days). If this is your first European trip, then either the Heart of Italy (9 days) or the basic Rome, Florence, Venice (10 days)

I took one Globus tour years ago and while I enjoyed it (only 6 days and less than 1/2 full), I would never take another one. I've used an Israeli company who's tours are similar to RS in that they have excellent guides, small group, well-thought out itineraries, no obligatory shopping stops. I think RS offers a wonderful service that is worth every penny (and I pay for the single supplement :-) If you compare prices, remember that there is a total no-tipping policy (the guides take care of local guides, hotel staff and restaurant staff). There will be back-door experiences that other companies don't have. Guides and drivers are professional and excellent. Many tour participants are used to the RS travel style, so there's no dawdling, which means the group moves efficiently with minimal waiting time. Also, most people find that there is a very congenial atmosphere and participants like to mingle and get to know each other. As is made clear in the tour documents and by others here, the downside is that you may have to shlep your luggage on cobblestones and up a couple flights of stairs - but certainly not at every stop.