Italy in 21 Days

Hi John,

The consistent responses on these forums are to just purchase point-to-point tickets in Italy as they are cheaper than a pass... unless you plan on traversing the entire country a few times each week.

Agree with the point-to-point tickets. Many trains go between each destination each day so they're not going to sell out (unless you're traveling on a national holiday, so you should check the calendar before your trip), and if you buy a day or two in advance you can even get a discounted amica fare.

However even though you didn't ask, I have some advice about Rick's 21-day itinerary. You'll find it very challenging to do it at his pace. I've been on a RS tour and it is wonderfully organized. I'd say that it would take a person on their own 4 or 5 days to do what they do in 3. You got a bus waiting at the hotel you're leaving, a driver that knows where the next hotel is, you're preregistered and they just hand you a key when you walk in the door (rooms are ready), a guide that takes you to the museums and other sights without getting lost, reservations made at many of the bigger museums, local guides waiting for your group for city walking tours, etc.

On your own you need to navigate between cities by car or go at times convenient for Trenitalia. You need to get your luggage to the train, and from the station find your next hotel, for a room that probably isn't ready until 3pm. If you want a guided tour there are plenty of good guide companies RS recommends but you go at the time they decide. Some museums only offer reservations to tour groups, not individuals. And so on. 30 minutes here, an hour there, it all adds up pretty quickly.

If you search older posts you'll see that people who tried to follow Rick's schedule found it exhausting. You could do it in 21 days, easily, after you've done it 5 or 6 times like the RS guides have. For the 1st time, though, I'd really suggest taking about 30 days to do his 21-day tour on your own.

John: I hope you'll carefully consider what Mike is saying, starting in his 2nd paragraph. Many travelers who have made the automatic assumption that they can replicate the pace and itinerary of one of Rick's organization's tours have found out the hard way, after about day 3, that their trip wasn't working out they way they thought it would.

John, I'd add that if you read the RS story, he began as a tour leader. He began offering classes in the States about his tours and his low-cost down-to-earth travel philosophy, and found that at each class the sample itineraries with descriptions of where to go and what to see where disappearing. The light bulb went on, and a publishing empire was born.

My point is that RS has been doing this for so many years that his guide books reflect what HE can do, not a tourist showing up for the first time. I travel with RS books, find them wonderful for describing where to go and what I'll find. However I think any traveler will be stretched to match his itinerary.

You've received the basic advice and it is sound. To be any more helpful, where in Italy do you want to go?