Hello travelers thanks for all the advice people are giving me. Dates for Italy are basically beginning of Oct for 3 weeks I've been going onto Viatar to look at different walking tour choices etc for the the above mentioned places. I already picked a walking tour for Venice and a Grand Canal Tour going off of price,# of people per tour and reviews. If anyone has any company they used and like great. Due to Covid and the Delta V which is picking up steam in the USA, Isreal and more I might not want to join any bus tours for safety. Instead maybe a private guide which would be probably super expensive. Other option catch public transportation if it was a train and easier to social distance then a bus to location and hire someone when we get there instead.
Sorrento: 1. day Capri Trip with Blue Gratto, Island. Last time I was there in 1987 I didn't go to Gratto but did something else.
Day trip to Vesuvious, Pompeii via tour bus. Most tours are over 25X in a bus and they say they have Covid protocols nevertheless I'm not sure I'm ready to chance it. Maybe just taking a bus/ train to Pompeii instead and if its possible to do the same for Vesuvuous then we can hire guides when we arrive or hire a private guide that picks us up and takes us there. I'm on a budget but Covid safety and Convenience might be better. On Viatar Private tours for just 1 person are $200 give or take. Rent a car? I personally would be concerned of getting lost but I've driven a large camper Van in Utah and I drove it totally fine after a day or so of nerves. We would have our phones so we would use GPS.
- Olive Oil tour and Limoncello tour of a farm. If its close enough we can catch a taxi.
- Olive Oil tour and Limoncello tour of a farm. If its close enough we can catch a taxi.
Roma: 1. 3-4 hour ideally or more ancient Rome walking tour of the Colosseum, Pantheon etc etc. I've saved some possible options on Viatar based on rating, length and # of people. These are all walking so no buses involved.
- Vatican/ Saint Peters Church tour with guide. There is a tour that gets you into the Vatican before it opens to the general public which is great. It's 3 hours for $82 USD on Viatar. Although we could walk the grounds of the Vatican by ourselves for less I think paying a guide to get in early and avoid the noisy crowds is great. Its not just a museum with art but multiple historical buildings in In the Vatican City. Saint Peters Church is supposed to open up again when were there in Oct. We shall see.
Florence. I've saved possible walking tour choices on Viatar but if people have recommendations great. Again preferred tour time I feel is 3-4 hours to truly experience the history of Firenze with a great guide.
Day trip to Siena, and or San Gimignano. On Viatar they're 12 hour tours and would be on a bus so If I'm concerned about Covid I guess I'd need to hire a private guide driver. Going on public bus like my family did last time in theory is just as unsafe as going on a tour. And actually maybe a tour bus would be safer if they have special air filters and all the windows open for flow of air. Humm. Were taking trains between cities and I feel its easier to social distance and have window open for fresh air. Obviously if I wanted to be real safe I'd stay home and not go to Italy but its a perfect time for me and possibly less tourists in Italy because of that.
Favorite Olive oil grove farm to visit for tasting oil preferably a sustainable/ organic one. On the Siena day trip etc some stop at estates/ farms for Chianti wine tasting. I unfortunately am not a true Italian because I'm vegan and can't drink alcohol but most likely they also have olive groves too although maybe not. Maybe I can taste, eat some olive oil on this portion of the trip and give ourselves another full day actually in Florence to " fare niente". it would be a great time to take a fresh pasta making class and an olive and olive oil tasting class. Grazie a tutti.