Heart of Italy tour tips

HOI is fast-paced since 2-night stays mean only 1 full day in each location. I've been back a week from the tour and remember how whirlwind it felt and how glad I was to be well-prepared for the packing/unpacking every other day. It's not only smart to pack light but to pack aggressively organized to make this chore as easy as possible. I loved the jam-packed itinerary for each day and the local guides were to a woman, ah-mazing. Despite heavy rain in Florence, walking tour still went on and a few members opted to bail midway due to the soggy conditions. A reminder to be flexible and prepared for weather, good or bad. Not having a dedicated bus driver on this tour was disappointing but understood due to logistics (i.e., no one takes a bus to the Cinque Terre). Adjustments to the tour itinerary did get made on the go and it was frustrating to lose our 'vacation from your vacation' day in Monterosso as the dinner we should have shared on arrival was moved to the next day for unannounced reason. It wasn't a disaster but made our hiking on the not-quite free day more time restricted than I would have preferred. This was the 1st (out of 8, and 1st of 4-Italy) RST that our guide did not speak the local language which surprised me. It caused a touch of confusion in a few spots but again, with a 'rolling with the punches' attitude, nothing that couldn't be handled with patient optimism all would work out (and did) in the end. Hotels were all terrific in location, staff and breakfast if not ideal WiFi strength in-room or bathroom size (which must be expected in very old buildings). Former convent-turned-hotel in Volterra very sweet with some rooms still showing name-plaques next to your door. Rome's metro does have 3 stops/stations closed (Repubblica, Spagna and Barberini) which is not impossible to deal with, more important to be aware of and plan accordingly. Do not miss biking Lucca's ramparts if that is a possible consideration, length of which easily done in less than half an hour and not expensive or difficult to rent a bike. I regret not taking advantage of purchasing wines when at the wine tasting in Volterra, free shipping included on a 6-bottle purchase I now know was a great deal. We did a Tours by Roberto jaunt in Tuscany (Montalcino) during our extended stay in Florence and realized then that usually there IS a fee. HOI is another fun and informative RST that serves a tasty sampling of central Italy. Enjoy and buon viaggio!

So funny that you posted this today! The memory that popped up today for me on FB was my brother and his young adult sons in front of the Colosseum 6 years ago today just before the meet-up on the Heart of Italy tour! It was our first Rick Steves tour and it kind of started an addiction, lol!

The 2 nights model is common on Rick Steves tours. With a tour guide to orient you (ours did speak Italian), you get a good introduction to many places. It did not feel too rushed to me but it might to others. The next year I did the 21 day Best of Europe and it is 2 nights in most locations with 2 one-nighters. It moved fast but was really enjoyable to me.

What I particularly liked about this tour was the variety of locations. Rome is big, busy, larger-than-life, ancient ruins around every corner. Volterra is a small, bustling hill town that is really interesting and really nice when the day visitors leave. Monterosso al Mare is a gorgeous, historic seaside location and Cinque Terre is jaw-dropping. Florence is back to a city environment but different from Rome and doable.

I agree you have to be organized for this to work well. I like packing cubes to keep my stuff corralled. This was my first venture at packing light and I've gotten much better since then. I do sink wash as I go and with 2 nights if you wash stuff the night you arrive somewhere it's dry by the time you're ready to leave. Others like to do laundry 1/2 way thru. I think there was laundry available from the hotel in Monterosso but I don't remember 100%. I have quick dry underwear and tee shirts that are cotton/rayon blend that dry quickly. I take jeans (cotton/poly blend) and capris that are quick dry. One pair of shoes will work, two if you need a back up pair in case one gets wet.

Funny about Florence - we had a hard rain the evening we had our intro to Florence walk. Definitely take a waterproof rain jacket with a hood.

We got to Rome 2 nights before the tour started and I would try to do at least one but 2 is better. There is SO much to see in Rome that the tour doesn't cover plus I always like to give myself extra time in case of a transportation delay. I also like at least an extra day to recover from jet lag before I dive into a tour.

We stayed 1 extra day in Florence but more would be better. One of my nephews had limited time he could take off so we couldn't stay longer.

Bottom line? I have very fond memories of this tour! What a great introduction to Italy!

We took the HOI tour last spring and had lovely weather. It was our first trip to Italy and we are returning in September for Best of Southern Italy. We did not feel rushed during the tour, though I wished it was longer. We stayed an extra night in Rome before the tour and an extra night after in Florence, and I could have easily stayed another night in each location just to savor everything. The days were full, but there was plenty of downtime to just absorb the experience. Packing cubes were our friends, and having dedicated locations for items made packing easier. If you keep everything within arm's reach of your luggage re-packing is quicker. We loved out terrific tour guides and the wonderful museums (See Borghese Gallery the morning before you meet the tour. Amazing!) but our favorite memories of the trip were wandering and experiencing the cities. Don't worry about finding the perfect restaurant, just stop where it appeals to you. It will be wonderful!

Roaming on your own is great fun, but can have its downside. Here's my tip: when your guide gives you the 'lay of the land' walk on your first day in your new location, take the little map from your guide book and mark on it the places they point out for great food, drink, gelato, history, etc. AND how to get back to your bus in Lucca. The walled city can be confusing, even with the tall towers pointed out as landmarks. Four of us were fifteen minutes late getting back to the bus and they had sent out search parties. We all had our phones, of course, but they were all in airplane mode and our guide couldn't reach us. That's tip two: make sure your have your phone on and your guide's contact information already in your contacts in case you get lost.

Different? I wish I'd prepared a little more. Especially wish I'd taken that art history course back in college. But learning from Paolo at the Uffizi Gallery and Francesca at the Vatican was a wonderful way to start.

Happy Traveller,

I can't offer real-time suggestions about a tour, but, hopefully you find this light and funny (as I stumbled upon it.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbwlC2B-BIg

I'm not a big Adam Sandler fan but I've watched that video half a dozen times since I saw it on Sarah Murdoch's FB page. So funny!

Pam, yes, it is a great parody of a particular tour company and possibly a fun poke at tours in general.

I saw it while browsing YT. I didn't know SM had it on FB, lol, I don't use FB.

Thanks for all these insights. It really gives me a sense of what this tour is like. I suspect Volterra will feel like an oasis after the busyness of Rome.
Yes, I did see that video and there's definitely some nuggets of truth within the comedy!