To tour or not to tour - that is the question!

Ciao! Lucky you to be headed to Italy. It’s our favorite destination & we are returning for three weeks next month. We have not gone to Italy on a tour (though I’ve led a culinary tour). I suggest that you take a tour for a couple of weeks and then add a week to tour independently. Driving is fine but we find it a bit tense (we are roughly your ages & have been married 43 years). Also you will be able to hit the high points with a tour & would have difficulty fitting all that in on your own. We have travelled alone & with another couple & find that some time where others are making decisions is good. Several friends have gone on RS’s tours & been well pleased. Buon viagiare, Ct

Travel on your own, but at sights with complicated stories, definitely take a tour. Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pompeii. You just can't swallow it all squinting at a smartphone or a guide book. For simpler places, just explore, but do your homework. Research the places or you'll miss a lot. Lastly, don't feel you have to see everything. Slow down and enjoy, and never ever think that it's your last trip.

How long is your trip? Just remember that you'll most likely see more on a tour of the same duration as an independent trip. The tour transportation gets you from place to place more efficiently than going on your own. You'll also likely see and do some things on the tour that you wouldn't on your own. On the other hand, like you said, with a tour you'll lose some flexibility and spontaneity to come and go as you please. There will be 'free' times when you decide what to do but you can't decide to stay somewhere when the tour is ready to leave. Only you can decide which is more your style. I have done several tours in Europe (not RS though) and I was always satisfied with how much I saw and did. I've also traveled several times independently and enjoyed the freedom that gives you to be flexible with your schedule. Both ways of travel have worked well for me so it's hard to say one is better than the other.

We like RS tours. There is something to be said for someone taking care of the logistics. Plus half the time is open for your own exploring. As long as both you and the other couple are fine with meeting other travelers and don’t mind carrying your own bags sometimes without elevators. There is also my way tours with just the logistics. We are taking our 6 RT tour and adding days before to see another part of Italy. Not sure how long you have but we find it the perfect fit. I think you would be very hard pressed to fit in everything you do on a tour. How long do you have?

Oh forgot to mention the RS guides are outstanding and there is no tipping. Small groups. Now I sound like a commercial. Ha

Agree with Mike.

I love to plan our Europe adventures, and I make liberal use of small group "minivan" tours, and sometimes private guides for places that my husband and/or I are really interested in, or would be difficult for us to visit on our own. I love Rick Steves, but an escorted bus tour is still an escorted bus tour. I like to sleep late, and I have been known to spend an entire day in a single museum.

Italy is a very easy country for Americans to visit independently.

I am admittedly a RS tour person so know that influences my opinion. I've done 10 RS tours and I've also done 10 Road Scholar tours (will always choose Rick's unless Road Sch has an itinerary I'm interested in.) I also travel independently using the skills I've learned on tours.

Pro: Easy, peasy. Hotel, transportation, half your restaurants are provided. Your guide will teach you travel skills (transportation lesson in all the places that have a public transport system), culture, history, politics. I've enjoyed traveling with my RS groups - generally they attract people who want to learn about a country, are open to new experiences and don't need a lot of hand-holding. You save time by not having to figure out how to get to/from your hotel/museums/activities, etc and see more because you travel more efficiently. The RS company generally has things down to a science on getting people in/out/seeing major sites plus locating you near the city centers so you can explore on your own.

Con: It's hard for me to think of cons - but probably fast pace, often not being able to linger somewhere you'd like to unless you've got a free afternoon in the same location, maybe stopping at a place that you wouldn't choose (thinking the tin mine tour on the Southern England tour), getting up and going every day unless you opt out of something on a non-transfer day. More expensive than traveling on your own.

To me they are a sampler of places and experiences. If you want in-depth at one place, this is not going to happen unless it's on a City tour. You trade money for efficiency.

There is no right answer to this, you know!

One of the many advantages of a Rick Steves tour is that you will not have to worry about transportation or lodging logistics. That can be a very daunting chore for first timers to Italy. Another advantage is that all the guides (both on the tour and local) are compensated by Steves's company and you are not expected to tip them -- and that can add up to quite a bit extra on other tours. In addition, the RS tours are not shopping tours where you are herded to shops so the guides can get kick backs. So far as doing you own thing, you will have ample free to do things on your own. We've taken a number of his tours and suggest you give taking the best of Italy tour -- I really don't think you'll have any regrets should you take it.

Being spontaneous if very hard to do today (thank you internet) as most hotels and B&B's are booked months in advance. Also you will pay a lot more for train tickets purchased on or close to the day of travel. Again, need to book months in advance. I used to travel with no reservations but in the past 5-10 years have found that does not work well unless you are in the low season. I still prefer independent travel and do get tours for specific locations/attractions. Again, many of these must be booked in advance.

I highly recommend taking the Best of Italy 17-day tour. That was our first time to Italy (4 trips since), and the trip covered so many “wow moments” & places. You can definitely be spontaneous at each location, too.

You mentioned this is your only trip to Italy. There’s just no way you could cover all of this on your own in that same amount of time. The RS guide has reservations at locations to avoid long lines, the transportation is always ready to go, and they’re experts at sharing a great experience. The best way I can summarize choosing which type of vacation is to ask, “would you rather be able to relax and enjoy each moment and have no worries and a guide available for activity or restaurant recommendations, etc. or would you like to be the person who has to try to coordinate how to get to the next location with everyone else expecting you to know?”

I do think taking the RS trip would be the option that would most likely help you remain great friends in the future. Do arrive a couple of days early to get over jet lag and have a wonderful time!

We have done both types of travel - tour and independent. When you go on your own, you choose the places you want to see, where to eat, where to stay. You don’t have to keep a strict tour schedule. With a tour you lose that but you will have experiences on a tour that you will not get on your own such as lunch at a family home in France overlooking a vineyard while the owners’ young daughters played the grand piano in the parlor. It was absolutely magic. For us, it’s a toss up. We’ve been to Italy twice on our own. It is an easy country to get around by train. We have rented cars for parts of our journeys (the Dolomites and Tuscany) because it makes sense for the countryside. RS books are good for logistics, etc. I highly recommend that you study the info there and use it to plan your own trip if that’s what you want to do. Whichever you choose will be great.

You'll just have to try a tour if you've never been on one, then you'll know. We're all different! We traveled only independently in our twenties and thirties and then on a whim took a RS Best of Europe tour and liked parts of it and found some of it not to our liking. So we still do both (in our sixties). We like the excellent guided tours of museums and sights that RS provides as well as having hotels and transportation taken care of. But we also like heading off on our own and getting meals at markets and spending hours in bookstores. Most RS tours provide enough free time to keep us from getting too antsy, but every now and then, we skip a scheduled activity and do our own thing, no problem. Really, you can't go wrong either way.

The last time I was in Italy with a tour was 1966! It was part of a high school trip of Europe. I came home with a girlfriend who is sitting across from me right now.

We love to travel independently and think that planning is half the fun. While we’ve never taken a Rick Steves tour, that’s my vote for you. His tours are done right and well worth the money. As mentioned, you’ll have plenty of free time. Also consider tacking on some free time at the end to either return to an area to explore in more depth or head to somewhere not on the tour.

Try to go during the off or shoulder seasons. April, October or even November would be great.

We took a Viking River cruise with long time friends (he was part of the 1966 trip). Although it wasn’t our cup of tea, we had a blast being with our friends. The highlight was exploring Amsterdam together after the cruise.

Perhaps you can have the best of both worlds. Take a RS tour like Heart of Italy but arrive 3 days early and spend some time in Rome by yourselves then stay 3 extra nights in Venice at the end. Then you can compare and contrast on-your-own travel with a tour group. You will be back! You are young compared to most of us. 😁

Have you traveled with the other couple before? One advantage to a tour is that there's no "what shall we do today" discussion every morning -- and if they're not happy with the day, it's not YOUR fault.

"Have you traveled with the other couple before? One advantage to a tour is that there's no "what shall we do today" discussion every morning -- and if they're not happy with the day, it's not YOUR fault."

Laura B!! THAT exactly was my motivation for pushing for the first tour I did which was Heart of Italy. My brother, SIL and their 2 adult sons and I wanted to go to Italy. I knew I would be the one to plan (that's my nature) and I did not want to have to figure out the daily sights, get everyone going in the AM, figure out transportation etc. In addition I hadn't been to Europe since the 80's and had pretty rusty travel skills. The tour worked great for us. The kids (ages 20 and 25) were the first ones to the meet up location every morning and had a fabulous time. I was able to relax and enjoy myself as well.

Hi FinallyItaly and welcome to the forum! A couple of thoughts?

We are spontaneous people.....

Whether to go with a tour or on your own very much depends on your travel style. We have not taken an RS tour because we're just too independent to be tied to an agenda, and they cover too much ground too rapidly for our preferences. It's nice to be able spend 4 hours in a museum a tour might cover in 2, and to work some of our sightseeing around weather or what we do or don't feel like doing on any given day. I'm not dissing the tours in ANY way - RS tours get consistently high marks - but whether they'll be a good fit or not depends on your style.

The tradeoff is having to make your own arrangements and do your own research but much of Italy isn't especially difficult to travel independently.

if I am enjoying myself it would be so nice to be able to stay in a
specific city longer if I wanted to

If you are traveling during high season, changing plan at the last minute could be a challenge. As previously mentioned, accommodations in the more popular places book up early and rather solidly so you could find yourself scrambling to find a bed, or at least one that suits budget/amenities. We tend to plan longer versus shorter stays to begin with, for flexibility, and have yet to feel we've stayed anywhere too long. Fun day trips from a base location are often a possibility if one wants to explore further afield.

we want to experience as much of Italy as we can

Of course you do! That said, one of the pitfalls we often see are itineraries which involve a LOT of moving around over a short time. Every move of location eats more time than you think it will, time which could be better spent having fun versus checking and out of hotels and dealing with transport from A to B. Short stays can also land you in city ___ on the day the big museums are closed, or heavy weather mucks up an outdoor sightseeing plan.

Where cities are involved, an itinerary crammed the most-visited attractions puts one squarely in the middle of the densest crowds, which can get old in a fat hurry. Longer stays allow for alternating those with wanders into interesting corners where fewer of those congregate.

My husband and I are planning a trip to Italy, along with another
couple for next year.

This can be a deal breaker for reasons wisely pointed out above. Their style and YOUR style may be very different, and they may not be as willing to do the planning needed for an independent trip, leaving you holding the bag for doing all of it. A tour would take that responsibility - and any complaints about schedule/sightseeing choices - off your shoulders. We have friends we dearly love but could never travel with as our interests and lifestyles are just too different. It would drive us nuts having to wait around half the morning for them to get out of bed! :O)

Perhaps you can have the best of both worlds. Take a RS tour like
Heart of Italy but arrive 3 days early and spend some time in Rome by
yourselves then stay 3 extra nights in Venice at the end

A good middle-ground solution and one a fair amount of RS tour-takers seem to take advantage of. Something to consider?

Laura B. asked the most important question - have you traveled with the other couple before? Do they share your spontaneous nature? Nothing can ruin a vacation more quickly than wanting to stay longer (or leave a place) and your travel companions are not on the same page. If you picked a tour, would they be happy with the choice? If you plan everything, are you willing to manage the plan (and the people) for the duration? I travel solo, and the stress of getting just myself where I need to be can be taxing. Adding more people to the mix is a consideration (but not a deal breaker, just something to be mindful of).

I echo what others have said that a good compromise is taking a shorter RS tour combined with travel on your own. In my opinion, the travel on your own should occur after the tour - you'll be more acclimated to the culture/pace/language and you will have developed a rhythm with your travel partners. Be sure to build in a day at least at the front of your travels (jet lag recovery).

We are taking our very first RS tour - Heart of Italy in September. We are arriving a day early so will have a day and a half in Rome before the start of the tour. We also booked the same hotel so we won't have to move. After the tour ends in Florence, we booked two additional nights at that hotel and then 4 nights just outside of Siena at a farm B&B so that we can independently travel to some of the hill towns before spending a final night in Rome before heading home. We realized that we cannot see everything in one trip, so this is hopefully a start to many travels in our retirement years!

I am happier traveling on my own; for me the planning and research is part of the fun, and I also like a slower pace than most tours adopt. However, I find that when I arrive in a new country (sometimes just in a new city), I'll have a few hours when I feel disoriented until I start figuring things out (and that can happen no matter how much preparation I've done). As others have said, the travel logistics can be a lot of work, and if something goes wrong (as when my first Italian train this summer was canceled, and the second was delayed for hours due to a strike), you're on your own.

A friend of mine visited Europe with her husband this past summer, her first trip there in 25 years. I had told her about my travels and she liked the sound of it but was nervous about being in an unfamiliar place on her own. She ended up booking through an agency that handled logistics - they booked hotels and transfers, arranged private or small-group guided tours on request, and designated a "host" in each city who provided an orientation and was available by phone if they had questions or problems. Beyond that, they decided for themselves how to spend each day. She found it to be an excellent compromise between a tour and a completely independent experience. I imagine it's pretty expensive but she felt it was well worth the cost.

Spontaneous travel just doesn’t really exist anymore. Everyone books trains and hotels months in advance, so traveling on the fly is a real headache and time-suck. If you travel without a tour, then book everything in advance and stick to the plan. No one wants to be hunting for a hotel room on their vacation!

I am usually an independent traveler. I often travel with my sister. Now this is a person whom I love with my whole heart and have known literally all my life. There are entirely different dynamics when you are traveling with another person (or perhaps in your case, another couple). You have to do a great deal of communication and compromise when planning and when traveling. If one person becomes “the planner” for the group this can inadvertently lead to hard feelings.

I also took my very first Rick Steves Tour this June. I was unsure going into the experience how I would like group travel when I am such an independent person. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour! There is a great balance between structured activities and free time. The logistics are extremely well done to utilize time effectively. I learned quite a bit more when we visited places with a guide than I ever do when I travel independently.

I think you can have a wonderful trip no matter which route you choose to take. I do think that all four of you need to get together and have a serious discussion about travel styles and needs. Each person also needs to come with a list of “top three” sights or experiences that they hope to have in Italy. Carefully examine the itineraries of any tours you are considering. How do these match with your priorities?

You won’t be able to match your two statements, “we want to be spontaneous” and “we want to see all we can”. Those two approaches will need a little compromise as well.

I think the advice to consider a few days on your own and a tour seemed pretty reasonable. Just be sure to read the itinerary carefully. Finally, you should always go to Europe with the expectation that you will return.

Start with independent travel It is so easy book hotels, drivers, and private tours online. We do not like giving up our freedom to do what we want on a given day. We do not go sightseeing or touring every day. And we do not like to ride on buses.
Each to their own so ask yourselves a lot of questions about how you want to spend your time, all planned out, or spontaneous. There is no right or wrong. The time may come when we will be limited to escorted tours and will look at all the offerings.