My husband and I are in the research stage of planning our first Italy vacation. We are considering the 13 day Italy my way tour. I have been reading reviews and have 2 questions: 1. Do the hotels on this itinerary have private bathrooms in the rooms? 2. I read a review that was negative because they complained of having to carry and drag luggage. If anyone can speak to either of these points it would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Posted by
San Francisco Bay Area (USA)
16238 posts
Haven't taken that specific tour, but I can assure you that hotels anywhere in Italy have rooms with private bathrooms and you won't have to go down to the river to wash up.
Regarding number 2, if it's a tour on your own you will probably be responsible for carrying your own bags. Travel light is the only advice I can give you.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
7364 posts
From the tour info:
Our tours are physically active! It’s an essential part of the Rick Steves tour experience. On our My Way: Italy in 13 Days tour — among other things — you'll need to happily...
Carry/roll your luggage over uneven pavement (several blocks possible) and up stairways to reach your hotel; then up several flights of stairs to reach your room.
All RS tours require you to carry your own luggage.
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
I went on this trip last year and Yes, all the rooms have private bathrooms with all the amenities - some of them were very elegant.
Yes, you carry your own bags - as on all Rick Steves tours.
There are some narrow stairs and sometimes you are on and upper floor....so be prepared.
In Rome, Florence, Assisi, Lake Como - they were very elegant hotels with elevators.
I think that only in Venice was a no elevator hotel.
I loved this trip and you will have a great time.
Posted by
Vernon, Canada
32405 posts
I also took a My Way tour last year and concur with the last reply. All of the hotels had private bathrooms (which is usually the case with tours these days - the old days of a shared WC down the hall seem to be gone forever, at least with tours).
Regarding the luggage question, I'm not sure why people would complain about that, since RS tours state very clearly that tour members are responsible for hauling their own gear. That's why they also stress the aspect of "packing light". There won't be any Porters, although fellow tour members may be willing to help on occasion. The Bus driver usually places luggage into the hold, so you just have to get it to the Bus from the hotel. In some cases there's a short walk to the hotel and tour members have to manage that on their own, which isn't a problem for most people with wheeled luggage. I use a Backpack and manage just fine (I take the attitude that if I packed it, I'll darn well carry it).
Happy travels!
Posted by
Texan in CA
4418 posts
Since you haven't included your location, I have no idea where in the world you are...so I don't know if you can access Hulu or YouTube, but here's a link to RS' Tour Experience.