RS Best of Tuscany Tour?

I did this tour at the beginning of September and it was great! You can read the tour reviews, under the tour section, to get an idea of people's experiences. Yes, take your swimsuit. It may be too cold to go in the water, but you might be hardy. I don't remember any hot tubs though. The pools at the hotels may be closed though, not sure. Most Italians don't go in the water after the end of September. But if it's a warm day, you can lay out on a chaise lounge in your swimsuit on Elba. We got back to the hotel around 6ish usually, so not much sun time to lay around the pools. Flip flops are good for sandy beaches, but the beach on Elba is more like stones and a little sand. That being said, flip flops are fine for going down to breakfast, before you put your sturdy shoes on for during the day. There is a lot of walking and a lot on uneven ground, so good shoes are a must. Please post here after you return so we can hear about your trip!

I haven't done this tour, but one of our guides on my recent Heart of Italy tour, is also a guide for this tour and spoke about it at times. I think you are in for a fun adventure! She was particularly excited about the Elba portion. It is a fairly new tour and that may well be why there are no trip reports yet.

Even if you aren't swimming, I think you will find that you want to at least wade a bit and get that in the water experience. I don't see these beaches as "flip-flop" beaches because they are often rocky. I would think that a water shoe or a more structured sandal would work better on those beaches.

Have a great trip!

Thank you, Carol and Barbara, for your replies! I was able to find the trip reviews, and enjoyed reading through them. I'll be sure to post after we get back!