Best of Italy Sept 30-October 16 2022

Flight home was Rome->Atlanta->Minneapolis->Spokane. When I originally booked there was a direct early evening flight from ATL to Spokane however, of course that nice flight disappeared along the way and I was routed via MSP. Loooong day.

Luggage: I obsessed over luggage weights for months as the CDG to Milan leg was on Air France and they have a smaller dimension for luggage as well as a total weight limit of 12kilos for the bag and personal item. After comparing many bags, weights, sizes, I settled on the highly overpriced but very lightweight Osprey Ozone. I’d gotten good feedback on this bag from AMann in Spokane as she used to work at REI and knows the Osprey brand well, as well as from forum member Lo who told me it packed weird and there were odd spaces. She was so right about that. I did a couple of test packs but still wound up every time with some odd spaces. I purchased the bag the last week of August when their new bags finally came in. I bought directly from Osprey, ordered on a Monday and had it on a Thursday with their regular shipping. It weighs 4.5 pounds. Packed up I came in at 16.1# at departure which was fine for me to lift overhead into the bin. At the Air France gate no one even looked at bags although it was a completely full flight and I have never seen overhead bins stuffed so full. Interestingly only in the Delta One and First class cabins on the return flight did people offer to help me. I graciously declined because yes, I made sure I could do it myself. These were not FAs but other passengers. Very kind of them. Getting this bag on and off the train from Milan to Varenna was very easy as well as pulling it to various hotels on the tour. This bag has a monopole handle so does not work if you need to add a bag with a trolley sleeve. It does have a loop you can snap a bag on to but my personal item dragged the floor when I tried this out at home, so just no to that. I loved the handle on the bottom of the case. It was easy to grab if you loaded the bag wheels out in the overhead bins.

Capsule wardrobe: I took 2 pr black long pants (Costco 32 degree knit pants for the airplane days and the old Kirkland brand travel pants) 2 pr of black capris (LLBean Vista Camp capris and a cotton/poly blend), 4 SS tee shirts (aqua, cobalt, white and light blue), a white Eddie Bauer sunshirt, a gray quarter zip Drifit top, unders/socks/PJs. Wore my Altra Lone Peak athletic shoes. Took a pr of black FitFlop ballet flats which I’ll not take again - OK for close by in the evening or hotel but would not work for walking long distances or over much cobbled pavement. 2 scarves. 1 waterproof rain jacket.

What worked, what didn’t, what I needed and didn’t have:
-Last spring I got seduced by Travel Fashion Girl’s blog posts. She goes on and on and onnnn about the Eddie Bauer Departure 2.0 sunshirt. I got it last spring in white and then had buyers remorse…”A WHITE shirt for travel, what was I thinking??” Too late to return, I tried it this trip and OMG, it is wonderful and impervious to dirt (and trust me I’m kind of a slob when traveling…spilling stuff, etc.). Picture this. I didn’t wash it the whole trip but wore it nearly every day as a sunshirt over a tee. It doesn’t even look dirty. No collar or cuff grunge. Wore it on water taxis, trains, Rome Metro. Into museums, dungeons, parks, churches. The last few days in Rome I tried to get it dirty by leaning against walls, outdoor stone benches, you name it. Nope! Clean-looking and not smelly in spite of it being 100% polyester and 80+ F in Rome the last 3 days. This garment stays on the travel team!

-The gals on a Road Scholar FB group were all raving over the LLBean Vista Camp capris. All my capris are cotton or cotton-poly blend and quite heavy. Since I was trying to make my bag the lightest weight I could, I wanted some capris that weighed less so I tried these out even though they are $79 which is more than I would normally pay for capris. They worked really well. They too did not show dirt and could be worn multiple times without looking or smelling unclean, lol! I washed them twice over the 3 weeks. They dried well once and took a long time to dry on the other occasion which was in Siena. I knew it was too humid for things to dry well and it took about 24 hours. I try to put out a wash as soon as I arrive at a hotel. Put it in suds in the big ziplock bag then head out to dinner with a hang to dry when I get back. I was in a room with a small balcony so hung them over an outdoor chair in front of the sunny window for the day. They were fine to be worn on the morning we departed. The waist band is a little heavier than the rest of the pants so as expected that was the last to dry. This, too, makes the team! I may look at the long version for my trip next spring as they are very light to pack.

-I’d impulse bought a lightweight Columbia waterproof jacket (Switchback III) a couple of weeks before travel. It is lighter weight than my regular rain jacket so thought it would do well for the warmer weather in Italy. Plus, hello! Capsule colors! And it was aqua, hahaha! It was also on sale at Fred Meyer for under $50. It is waterproof as evidenced by walking in a drenching rain from the hotel in Monterosso al Mare to the train station, hahaha. It folds small enough to go in my small purse. The hood was an issue. Too big and floppy and no adjustment on the back of the hood to take up volume, just the cinch around the front of the hood. This was the only problem. It probably is the kind of fabric that makes you sweat if you are in a really warm rain or doing some aerobic activity but for touring it was absolutely fine.

-In Belgium and Netherlands last spring I’d had a couple of museums who made me check my LeSportsac Everyday purse so I decided to downsize this time. In TJ Maxx I found a Baggalini Town Bagg for $25 or so and it was just right. It’s 10x9x3.5. Since it was smaller it didn’t pull on my shoulder as much and I didn’t need anything I usually carried. It is big enough for my iPad Mini if I wanted to bring that along as well as my Zeiss compact binoculars. This worked well and will be my new travel bag!

What I needed:
-Not surprisingly my hands are the same age as the rest of my body (old!) and I had some difficulty getting the caps off of some water bottles and jam jars. I will pack a kitchen gripper on future trips(thank you Darcy, lol!!) although someone on the tour said they were using their Nitrile gloves they’d brought. I had a few gloves but did not think to use them! And no, I was not going to go back down to the desk in the hotel in Milan to have them twist off the water bottle cap when I was already in my pjs!

-At the last minute I left out my umbrella to make my bag lighter. OK, yes, I wound up having to buy one in Varenna although I did not need it much. I used it a couple of days in Varenna and I did loan it to a tour member who’d left her jacket on the bus when we went in to Monterosso. I was happy to help her not get as soaked in the downpour. New 15E umbrella will go in the bag next time.

-I’ve dithered over getting a power bank. I needed it this time. My phone is 2 years old and still in good shape but in Venice it started pooping out the day I was on my own. I think navigating with Citymapper was using up more juice maybe because you are always in small alleys? When it started looking low I screen shot the rest of the route back to the hotel although I thought I could find it without the map. I used it all day in Milan and Rome with no issues so it was just a problem in Venice. I’ve got an Anker lightweight power bank in my Amazon cart.

Weather: I mostly had good weather. I went to Varenna 2 days early and it poured most of my free day there and in to the day the tour started. We got rain leaving Monterosso which was the heaviest by far AND the worst possible trek to the bus when it’s wet. Beautiful weather in the Dolomites which is a big outdoor day and nice weather everywhere else. For me, not being very heat tolerant it was quite hot in Venice and Rome (80+F all 3 days). I’d hoped by going this late in the season that I’d have a bit less heat but it is what it is. I’m also a mosquito magnet and they were quite bad in Venice, Florence, Monterosso, Siena, Orvieto and Rome. Generally had to keep my hotel room windows closed and in Venice that was fairly stifling. My last night in Rome I was eating in a restaurant with open windows and got bitten while I was eating.

Pre and post tour days: I spent 2 nights in Milan before the tour started. I got tickets for the Last Supper and signed up for the museum’s own guided tour which was excellent. It was just 8E more over the price of the regular admission (15E) and included a guide who met us outside with whisper systems, walked us thru and talked the whole time. She was excellent and definitely worth more than 8E! I also booked a fast pass ticket for the Duomo roof with access by lift plus the Duomo, excavation area and museum. In between the 2 I visited the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana which was right next to my hotel and in which I saw Rafael’s cartoon for the School of Athens fresco and Leonardo’s Codex Atlanticus plus a few assorted Breugels and a surprise Avercamp. This museum is awesome…not very busy, beautiful venue and lots of great stuff, lol. No need to book ahead on this one.

In Rome I spent one extra night after the tour. I was able to get on the English tour of the Domus Aurea for 930 and then had the Borghese booked for 2PM. I walked to each going back to the hotel in between as it was on the way. The Domus was fabulous. Really amazing. It’s only open Fri/Sat/Sun as it’s an active archeological dig Mon-Thurs. The paintings on the walls and ceilings were amazing as well as the whole huge complex. I can see why they only allow you in with a guide as you’d easily never find your way out, haha. The Borghese blew me away. I joked on my FB page that I might have gotten a touch of Stendhal Syndrome from the overwhelming beauty of Bernini’s work. I’d also ducked over to the church of Santa Maria della Vittoria which was literally a 5-minute walk from the tour hotel on Saturday to see the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa, then saw the fabulous Rape of Proserpina, Apollo and Daphne and Bernini’s David at the Borghese and was just in awe. The Borghese is strict about checking bags/purses. I’d planned for this and just wore the small 5x7 bag I wear on the plane. This was OK for Borghese and in fact I saw a small sign showing the allowable bag size and I suspect even my new smaller travel purse would have been ok.

Money/Credit Cards/Apple Pay: I’d decided to go as digital as I possibly could for this trip, partially to cut down on the weight of paper for various sights I’d booked and also partially just to see if I could. I used Apple Pay for everything including 3E gelato. There was never a blink of an eye when I held up my phone and asked “Apple Pay?”. The only times I had to use cash were at 2 of the tour hotels when I needed to pay for drinks and both Hotel Pasquale and Altarocca Wine Resort wanted cash for that. A hilarious thing did happen at the airport in Rome when I was leaving. After security and border control I headed to a coffee bar for an OJ and a croissant. I asked for that and then held up my phone and said Apple Pay? She gave me an Apple Croissant. It was delicious and I laughed about it the whole time I was enjoying it. The Apple Pay was actually a small advantage with the exchange rate being in the dollar’s favor right now. For instance a panini and a coke at the Vatican Museum was 9E. The charge posted on my Visa account with Apple Pay was $8.63, of course that happens if you pull out your CC as well.

Apps: Before I left home I downloaded the Lombardy area regional train app on which I could buy my ticket to Varenna and the Malpensa Express ticket. When I got to Milan I was so tired and ready to be away from crowds that I went with a taxi transfer in to Milan. It is a 104E flat rate which I gladly paid to be alone. I did buy my Varenna train ticket on the app the morning I was leaving (no price difference for buying ahead on this regional train). I also downloaded apps for the Borghese and Milano Duomo. The Borghese one was good, the Duomo one was not worth the 2.99E or whatever it was. I’d downloaded the parts ahead of time but could not advance it when I was there even though I had data on. I’d downloaded Citymapper app last spring in Paris on the recommendation of forum member Kim. As mentioned I used Apple Pay ALL the time. I have 2 CCs loaded into my Apple wallet.

Data: I debated about doing the Verizon $10/day plan or whether I should go with the $100/month plan. I counted the # of days I thought I’d be using it and went with $10/day. That worked great and I used 8 days. I used Citymapper for navigation in Milan, Venice and Rome. I tried to use it in Verona but didn’t check ahead of time and Verona isn’t one of their maps (rookie mistake!). I used googlemaps and the map out of Rick’s Italy book that I have on Kindle on my phone. I’m not fond of his maps as he used to not always have North facing the top but he does have public bathrooms marked in the city centers!

Tour sights: The overnights were at major sights but the transit days were filled in with interesting stops as well. I’m a seasoned tour member so I didn’t bother with sit down lunches on transit days. My MO is to scope out a sandwich/salad place, get take away, find a public bathroom and then see what there is to see.

-We stopped in Verona for lunch and a walking tour on the transit from Varenna to Kastelruth. The guide did not explain anything about Juliet’s balcony being a recent addition (1930’s) and that we would not see it on the walking tour leading to disappointment from some tour members. An explanation ahead of time would have been helpful.

-Otzi the Iceman and the fantastic South Tyrol Museum of Archeology was the stop between Kastelruth and Venice. This was excellent and what I’d most hoped to see.

-Not a sight but the tour guide used her slush fund money to get 3 water taxis from the Tronchetto parking lot to our hotel and back on departure day. The vaporettos were mostly jammed full and no one was masking. I appreciated this way to decrease our exposure to other travelers.

-Pisa was our lunch and sightseeing stop between Venice and Cinque Terre. First time I’d been there. Interesting but once was enough. Too many people taking forever to get the perfect shot with their phones of someone holding the tower. I wanted to yell…People…take the picture and move on!

-Florence American Cemetery was a surprise stop on the way from Monterosso to Siena in addition to the scheduled lunch stop at San Gimignano. I’ve stopped at this cemetery before on an RS tour and I wish it were a permanent part of the itinerary. They have lovely bathrooms and just a stop of 45 minutes gets you an orientation to the cemetery from an employee and a bit of a wander thru the graves with time to say thanks especially at one of the headstones of the unknown. They are slowly disinterring the unknown soldiers and sending them back to Delaware for DNA ID and have identified 40 of the service members who are listed on the wall of the missing. San Gimignano was interesting but slightly overrun with tourists from many nations. I did have a nice lunch there but don’t need to go back. Interesting that you can see the towers from a distance but they are not as evident when you are “there”, lol.

-Assisi was on the way from Siena to the Orvieto area hotel.

Tour hotels: All were well-located. Royal Victoria, Kastelruth and Altarocca Wine Resort were the nicest. I made a tactical error in that I went to Varenna 2 days ahead and paid for a nicer room with a lake view and terrace at the Royal Victoria then had to downsize to my tour room. If I’d thought ahead I’d have asked when I booked if I could stay in the same room and pay the difference! I loved my room in Kastelruth! It had a little Hobbit doorway but once you stepped thru it had a vaulted ceiling and was adorable. My room at Hotel Serenissima in Venice smelled a little of mold but there was none visible. The Hotel Aberdeen in Rome had very nice employees but my single room was dingy. It looked clean until I was contemplating the universe in the bathroom on my last day and saw all the soap scum on the outside of the shower doors. I could rub it off with a towel so time is just not being taken to do deeper cleans - perhaps they are short staffed.

Tour meals: All plated dinners. No choice for an entree with the omnivores. As a vegan I’m used to not having a choice but I think the omnivores were surprised there was never a choice. The guide also usually did not know what the menu was in case people wanted to duck out and eat elsewhere. I’d say the group meals were adequate but not outstanding although others on the tour might have differing opinions! There was difficulty getting food on our arrival day in Kastelruth. It was Sunday and the guide opted to take us on a nice walk up to see the Stations of the Cross above town. I don’t think she realized how many places were closed and how few choices there were as this was her first BOI tour since 2019. It would have been much better to send us to dinner early so everyone could get fed. My recommendation on my evaluation will be to have both nights as tour meals for tour itineraries that stay in Kastelruth. There was a group meal in Venice which is an easier place for people to find eating options than this small town at the end of the summer season.

Tour group: Very fun group to travel with. I was not really pleased when I saw the list of 28 on the roster. All showed up, all ended the tour. All were very pleasant and interesting travel companions. At least half (maybe more) were first-time RS tour members. This group tended to have younger tour members than many tours I have done. In fact, I’m thinking at 73 I might have been the oldest. It didn’t dawn on me until the Rome hotel when I saw part of the list for rooms that tour member ages were listed. I wondered how I’d lucked out and gotten mostly ground or 1st floor rooms, lol! Now I know it’s because I’m old as the hills!

Wow sight: Otzi the Iceman! This is what I took the tour to see and it exceeded my expectations. That museum is wonderful! Yes there were school kids running everywhere and playing with the little elevated platform that raises you up to see Otzi but I kept thinking…wow…what an awesome field trip! Plus knowing this man from 5,000 years ago lived in your part of the world!

2nd Wow site was Seiser Alm/Alpe di Siusi! Oh my word, what a stunning area. I loved the Alpine meadows with the huge mountains surrounding the plateau. Plus we had a simply gorgeous sunny day!

Observations: This is a busy tour and is marked moderate to strenuous with lots of walking and stairs. This is a fair assessment. It’s also got a huge amount of bus time. I knew this going in but even though there are stops every 2 hours or so this can be tedious if you are not ready for it. It is a great sampler of the best Italy has to offer so people can see what they like and come back for a more in depth visit. The overnight locations are varied between large and small towns with some countryside as well. The 2nd week seemed busier than the 1st week to me but that is the nature of how the route is set. It met my expectations and I was able to also tailor things to my needs by skipping some tour sights and adding in what I wanted to see in areas I’d visited before. I think it pays to do some research ahead of time to see what would be fun for you. I cracked up when I got to my Secret Itineraries tour of the Doges Palace and there were 2 people from the tour group who’d also signed up! Fun!

Pam, thanks so much for all the wonderful comments. This really helps!

Love your report, Pam! Fantastic!!!!! Glad you had fun:)

A wonderful and very helpful report!

Pam, thank you for this wonderful and thorough trip report. I felt the same about Bernini’s sculptures in the Borghese - they blew me away.

What a great trip report, Pam! It was fun and informative. Bravo!

I want to say that I think you were very nice wanting to tell the photo takers in Pisa to take the picture and move on. I would have wanted to tell them to forget their stupid picture altogether!

As usual a very informative trip report! Your description of the White shirt “test” made me burst out laughing! I could just envision you leaning against the wall and outdoor stone benches! The shirt must be popular. They are almost sold out online. I have a similar Columbia blouse in white that I took to Greece a few years ago. Also “wall proof” as I tested it at the Acropolis & the stone seats at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus. lol! Glad your new Baggallini bag worked well. My go-to for travel. As far as rain jackets, I have had good luck with the Columbia Arcadia ll Rain Jacket. It’s packable, waterproof, breathable and adjustable storm hood & hem that provides extra coverage. Actually looking forward to wearing it soon as we may have some much needed rain in WA State!

I had a feeling this would be trip report day! Pam, what a great report. It's interesting what people choose to put in their reports; yours is about as long as some of mine, but with totally different emphases.

I do appreciate the clothing details, since most of my favorite travel clothes have finally worn out; I had to dump TWO pair of beloved, well-worn, and definitely well-traveled pants on our most recent trip. Replacing them will be difficult, so I will follow up on some of your suggestions.

We stayed at the Aberdeen this summer, as well, and you're right that it seemed a little tired. We still love it, though, with its great location and helpful staff. Wifi wasn't very good though, at least in our room. There was one corner of the bathroom where I could get connected; usually I just headed out to the hallway. Have they brought the breakfast back up to their old standards? They were still serving Pandemic Style in May.

I don't mean to gripe; it will remain our "go to" hotel in Rome.

I am a little surprised that there were no choices on the group dinners, although I must say that having choices is a fairly recent innovation, at least in our experience. We've taken 16 RSE tour (2009 - 2022, with no tours in 2020 & 2021), and I don't remember menu choices on tours until about 2016 or so. I do think on a couple of the early tours we may have had one meal with menu choices, as a special treat. So most of the tours we've been on have had no, or few, menu choices. But we've always enjoyed the food, and I have had good luck with most guides helping me with special menu requirements.

Whoops, looks like I've wandered off topic. Sorry! Thanks again for the report; I'm still trying to decide if this is a tour we want to take.

Thanks for all the comments!

Barbara - If you are considering this tour and have not been to Italy I would not hesitate. If you have been to Italy I'd weigh up what you might want to do on your on for repeat stuff. For instance, on the day of arrival into Rome there is a Colosseum and Forum tour, then a walk thru the Central Core, back via Spanish Steps and home. I've done that a couple of times and did my own thing. Went to the Capitoline Museum and some churches. I was headed for the Pantheon and recognized a restaurant I'd eaten at with my 21 day Best of Europe so I headed in for dinner. It was pretty hilarious that I had just finished, looked up and there was my guide and the group looking in waving, lol!! About half of them came in for dinner. Small world!

Valerie - The only thing that kept it from being perfect was missing our dinner together!

Suki - Thank you for reading. I know you are an independent traveler so it's nice to know you thought some parts were helpful!

Samatudd - Honestly, I'd seen the outdoor Berninis and maybe some in other places but they did not undo me as much as these did. A few months ago someone here on the forum posted a link to some youtube videos with an art historian about Bernini so I thought I was prepared but...wow.

AMann - I will try to remember to bring that shirt to the next CdA meet up. They do have it at the EB Outlet in Spokane Valley although I had to order mine online to get the right color and size. I will wash it first, hahahah!

Carroll - I edited my thoughts because I was pretty sure the Webmaster would not have allowed me to post the actual words I was thinking, hahaha!

Janis! Were you watching me on the bench in the Borghese Garden while I was waiting for my entry time? I kept saying to myself...people are going to think you are nuts, hahaha! Good to know the Columbia is the same impervious fabric (which will probably never decompose!). I'd looked at the Baggallinis for years but the LeSportSac is wearing like iron so felt bad replacing it. "Having" to move to a smaller size worked well, lol. I'd gotten a Baggallini tote for my spring trip and it worked really well too.

Jane - I started writing mine on the trip, jotting down this and that in a googledocs file so it was easier not to go day by day, lol. I think you'd like the LLBean capris - casual but with a good fit even though you are pretty tiny. I hate to order pants that cost that much without being able to try them on first but LLBean has OK return policies. TBH, I did not eat breakfast at all at Aberdeen. One of the guys said he went in about a half hour after the start and there was hardly anything left but I didn't ask anyone else about it. You know, the last 3 tours I've done have been Road Scholar and they generally offer a choice to the omnivores. The last Rick tour was April 2019 and I could not really remember. I overheard a number of comments from the group thru the trip that no choices were offered so thought it was worth a mention.

Pam, if you're remembering me as "pretty tiny," you need to go lie down a while. I think you and I could probably share a wardrobe, although I'm a bit taller. But thanks for the laugh!

I will check LLBean, though. I bought something of theirs many years ago, but I don't remember what. I do remember I liked it...

Oh, I forgot to comment on your possibly having been the oldest person on your tour. We think, but we're not sure, that we were the oldest people on our South Italy tour this year, and a close second on the Loire Valley tour. We've come in second on three of our last four tours, I think. Thank goodness for octogenarians, Lol!

What a great trip report! I really enjoyed it, and I want to buy one of those sun shirts!

Jane...I may still be suffering from Stendhal's, hahaha! I did have a pumpkin spice latte this morning so that might be clouding my memory! And I honestly did not mind climbing a lot of stairs to my room! Been there, done that. Can do it again but happy not to!

Estimated Prophet....I'll swear that I am not getting a kickback from Eddie Bauer on this shirt, lol! I think they are winding down the season based on the website so you might have to wait until next year unless you've got an Eddie Bauer or EB Outlet near you.

Pam, thanks for all the useful information, especially about clothes. A lot of my travel wardrobe comes from Bean-I'm a big fan of their sport shoes. And I'm quite willing to pay more for clothing and other things that enable me to travel light. Good idea about the top gripper-I'm adding that to my packing list.

I really, really enjoyed this, Pam! I still can’t believe that there are museums that will not let me bring in my everyday purse which is the Sportsac one you mentioned! At least it isn’t my travel purse because I use Travelon for its safety features. But it’s the principle of the matter! LOL

Interesting, you wrote that when you saw that there were 28 people coming on this tour, you weren’t exactly happy. Isn’t that the typical size of a group? Or was this oversized?

When you said that “most“ of the tour group followed the mask rules, I just had to wonder why everybody didn’t do it. It isn’t like it’s a good idea to get confrontational since you’ll be with these people for the entire length of the tour.

Thank you for the review of the hotels. As an independent traveler, it’s great getting helpful insight.

What I really appreciate about this report is how you made this trip your own. You went where you wanted and that to me sounds ideal.

Cala - well, I'd been having some issues at home on getting jar lids off but it didn't register that that might be a problem with travel. After the first instance in a hotel room where I couldn't open a water bottle I made sure every time I bought a bottle of something I opened it at the counter before I walked away so I could ask for assistance.

Continental - Yes, you know the purse! And it's not like it's a big tote bag! It was the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels as well as the Reubens Museum in Antwerp last spring where it was too big and I had to put it in a locker. Years ago I had the same experience with the Neue Pinakothek in Munich and the Rheinische Landesmuseum in Trier both of which kind of threw me for a loop. If I KNOW it's going to be an issue I make sure to have my money belt on and have my wallet easy to grab out like I did with the Borghese Gallery. That LeSportsac has never been a problem in ANY of the museums I've gone to in France or UK. Very weird. Re the masking - I was never sure if the person was doing it deliberately or if it was just slipping off their face. The last 4-5 tours, both Rick and Road Scholar were around 20 so 28 seemed big BUT everyone was prompt on return to the bus from an outing or comfort stop so that made a difference. 28 is supposed to be the maximum number of participants.

Pam, thanks again for an amazing, honest, super-organized so well-laid out report. I can tell that you actually have a spread sheet in your mind before you even get on the first plane! Your trip reports should be required reading for any first-time tour member.
Heading over to llbean to look for my next pair of travel pants!

Darcy....if they are washed and we manage lunch next week I can bring them along for you to take a look at.

Great report Pam! Love all the details. We hope to do this tour in the next couple of years.

Welcome home, Pam! So much fun to read your reports! And I just receive the lightweight Anker power bank…it weighs in at 8.6 oz with the little cord, but it’s worth the piece of mind when we’re driving and using Google maps.

Always a pleasure to read your trip reports!! I just have to go over to the Spokane group one of these days and meet all of you!

Tammy - you guys will have a great time! I think you'll enjoy the mountain-y bits as I did!

Cathy - Thank you! I can't remember if you all are gone for the time being? Otherwise, if you come to the November meet up would you bring the Anker with you?

Carol - Come on over any time! You'd be more than welcome at our meet-up! We have a great group and Jean chose an awesome bakery where we've been meeting. Really has delish macarons!

I love how you organized your report Pam. Very helpful with lots of good information.

My daughter spent some time in Alpe di Siusi last October and fell in love. I am working on an independent trip that will include it and your beloved Ice Man! :)

Pam, thanks for writing your most excellent trip report! I always enjoy your trip reports and the details you include!
Glad you finally got to see Otzi The Iceman!

Pam, I really enjoyed your report and am a bit envious on the way you organized the report. Well done.
Love your humor and the story about the white blouse and also the encounter at Pisa. Funny.

I’m always on the lookout for purses and/or travel bags - have had a Baggalini in the past which turned out to be a great bag. But I’m looking for something smaller as well so will check out the small bag you just used.

Oh, and my youngest daughter and her soon to be husband will be in Italy at the Alto Adige and hope to see Otzi and museum in Bolzano. Their dream honeymoon trip for relaxation, food and wine of the region.

***Well, I am kind of ticked off. I just finished washing my travel clothes and those dang expensive LLBean capris have pilled in the crotch. Now admittedly NOONE is going to see that but it frosts me that I paid that much for something that is poor quality. The $12.99 Costco 32 Degrees knit pants I would expect not to hold up. $80 pants should wear better.

CaliMom - thanks for the kind words.

Rebecca- You know how long I’ve wanted to see Otzi!!

Linda - In looking for a Baggalini, I’d start at TJMaxx and Marshalls. The specific one I found, I first saw at TJ, didn’t jump on it then it was gone. Then finally saw at Marshalls. This one is about 3 inches wide at the bottom. I bought one in the interim that I didn’t examine closely and it was just like an envelope bottom…no width there. Decide which might work best for your purpose! Tell your daughter Bolzano has a wonderful looking market. Not sure what days but lovely looking food!

Welcome home Pam, and thanks for the really detailed trip report!
Laughing at you trying your best to get dirt into your new top!

Great trip report, Pam. I didn’t think it was too long at all. I am glad you enjoyed Castelrotto and the Alpe de Suisi. Did you have time to do any of the hikes there? We were up there a couple of days in a row hiking. The views are breathtaking for sure. I agree that the pickings are slim in Castelrotto for restaurants and perhaps prearranged group dinners would be better. It is a picturesque and charming little town though.

The Otzi museum is very well done and you are not on overload there as you could be at some museums. It is just enough to keep you interested but your eyes aren’t glazing over.

I am surprised that you had no choice of meals for the group meals. On the four tours we took this year with RS, we always had at least two choices and I requested vegan and was accommodated. And the food was all really great. On the southern Italy and Sicily tours, wine was included in all the meals which was not expected. Most tours you pay for your own drinks unless it’s water.

You must have stayed at the Hotel Duca di York in Milan. We stayed there, too. Isn’t that a lovely place. That hotel is very conveniently located. If our arms were a bit longer we could have reached out and touched the Pinocoteca Ambrosiana from our hotel room window.. That is a gem of a museum. Did you get lost trying to locate the hotel? We did but we were jet lagged and disoriented and no Google maps on that trip.

The mosquitos were bad? We did not run into any in April/May or in September. You must be one of those “lucky” people that they love to bite.

I like your idea of using Google docs for journaling. I will look that up. It would be easier than carrying a notebook and writing the report by hand.

Welcome home and get some rest.

Pam, sorry to hear of your disappointment with your L.L.Bean capris.
I would be pretty steamed, too, to pay 80 bucks for pants that pilled!
I have had many of their products in years past which were of good quality. However, recently (in the past 3 months) I have been reading the reviews of any of their products I am thinking of ordering. I have had some surprises in what I have read.

Pam, I hope you will write a review on their website so others can know what to expect from this product.
Hopefully, you can return this for a refund.

SJ - by that last day or two when I realized the shirt had not picked up soil AND I was at the end of the tour so my tourmates would not have to travel with Pigpen, I did try, lol. It was kind of fun to see how much stuff I could lean against! Normally I’d very much try to avoid walls/benches/etc!

Mary - The tour bus was able to drive us up to Compatsch so the group went up. A number did the Witches trail, I walked up to the Panorama sort of with the guide and other tour members. I took my time as I was stopping to listen to birds along the way. I agree the Otzi Museum is a great size. Easy to see everything and take your time but no overload. And yes to staying at Hotel Duca di York! Such a good location! I did not have trouble finding it because I took a taxi from the airport, lol. By the time I’d gotten to Milan I was ready to be out of crowds and grabbed a cab. I had the paper journal out to pack but left it out due to weight. Googledocs is just as easy as I can access across platforms. I have the iPad Mini with me so pretty easy to type on it.

Rebecca - you are exactly right. I did not read the 1 star reviews on this product and should have because many of them list pilling as a factor.

I was so happy to see your trip report as I have been thinking about you and wondering how your trip went. I love the clothes and purse recommendations! I’m always on the lookout for lightweight and functional clothes. I have a Travelon purse that I have used on my past two trips but decided on my last trip that I don’t like the strap (too heavy and hurts my shoulder), so I will check out the Baggilini you found. I’m glad you love the Osprey Ozone. Yes, it packs weird, but it’s my go to because it’s so light.

I went through CDG for the first time for my Paris trip. I couldn’t find the exit to the taxi’s! Sheesh. I’m so lame! Your description of connecting through for your flight to Milan freaked me out. If I couldn’t even find the exit I think I should make an effort to never connect through there!

I’m glad you had another great trip. I had the time of my life on my Paris tour. I loved getting reacquainted with Paris after a 40 year absence. I totally get why you go back every chance you get! I’m pretty sure I will do the same!

Pam - love this in depth report! It sounds like such an interesting tour and how fabulous to get to see Otzi. That would be my number one thing on this tour! You know I'm always interested in what people take to wear/what works and doesn't so I'm always looking for that in your details. Flights sound laborious and I admire your gumption to transfer at CDG! I would have such anxiety about that. Glad everyone made it thru covid neg. but especially you! Happy for you that you got another trip to Italy. You are probably well versed in all Italian things now and can lead your own tour. Sign us up!

Pam, I loved reading your report - both for the info and your personality shining through it! (How many of those lame “holding up the tower of Pisa” are ever looked at again?)

I suspect that the Delta Atlanta-to-Spokane flight doesn’t actually exist! It’s just offered as a bit of hope while purchasing, but it’s disappeared for me, too. : )

I use a towel in my hotel room to open up tight bottle tops…in case you desperately need help next time - LOL!

Thanks for sharing all of the details! It’s always so helpful to learn from each other what works and what you would change. Looking forward to hearing more about it at our next travel group meeting.

When we were on this tour, both of the dinners at Kastelruth were group meals. They were several course, wonderful variety, etc. but it may have been set up that way because our hotel wasn’t in town. We stayed at Hotel Seelaus - a very nice one.

Lori - SO happy you had a great time in Paris! Doing a RS tour there REALLY increased my confidence on solo travel there. A few years ago I was with a friend and we'd gone out to CDG to meet her husband. We were early and he was late so we walked around a LOT and actually walked over to 2F from the 2E arrivals doors in the public corridor so I sort of knew where the corridor would be to stay inside the sterile area of the airport. It was well-signed (look up) as long as you know which terminal you are headed to it was not bad...just a longer slower walk. I gave myself 3+ hours and turned out with more than that since we arrived early. Some folks in the local meet-up group had booked a flight schedule a few months ago that only gave them 1h10m to change so that was kind of why I timed it. That would never have worked. I was sitting in the front of Economy Plus and deplaned right after the Business class cabin and in fact got on the shuttle bus with them so that would not have been a huge advantage. You'd do fine as long as you gave yourself enough transit time. Did everything work out OK with getting out just after the storm? You were on my mind!

Nance - You and Michael would love that Northern Italy area. So neat! I'm still masking here at home to make sure I've not brought anything back with me. I'll re-test again this afternoon to make sure I'm negative and then shed the mask.

Jean - Well, they were showing the ATL - Spokane flight at 9A or something but I didn't want to overnight in ATL although in retrospect that might have been better! I did try a towel and then a damp towel and could not get the cap to budge. You will not be able to get me to stop talking at the next meet-up, hahaha!! editing to add: I saw where Seelaus was located and I think that all the tours that stay there have both meals there. In the village of Kastelruth there were theoretically options but in reality, just not there on a Sunday night.

Ha, I found your report!! You always have the BEST trip reports and this was no exception! I' glad you enjoyed your trip and thank you for taking the time and sharing so much great information and tips with us. I get so many ideas and you've helped me more than you know. I have to laugh at many of your comments as I have the same reactions and thoughts myself! Love your commentary. Thanks again.

Barb! lol!! I didn't think to message you...still a little fuzzy although I slept in to 415 this morning! Glad you enjoyed it.

Well, just now seeing this. :) I loved your report, as always! (Went and got food so I could keep myself sustained for the long haul. Hahahaha!)

What a great trip! I am so glad all the pieces worked together. Now I need to get to the Borghese for certain.

And now on to researching for the next one, right? LOL!

Hi Pam,
I also enjoyed your report. I did this tour in September, 2018. I couldn't remember not having any choices at group meals. I went back and looked at my photos (yes, I am one of those that takes a pic of everything I eat) and I think that there were also no choices then. The only food that I didn't like so much was at the wine resort. I stayed at Seelaus so had meals at the hotel. They had a huge salad bar with salad and cured meats. I remember we had a seafood risotto in Venice. There were a lot of grumblings at that meal. I guess we had a lot of meat and potato folks. Even though it wasn't my favorite meal, I really like to have a sampling of local dishes, so was glad to have had that.

I completely agree that pre-planning for sites during free time is extremely important on this tour. The only thing that I enjoyed more than Borghese was Bargello in Florence. My current favorite sculpture is Donatello's David. It is amazing how much the museum and how many visitors there are can affect one's experience. The Borghese, of course, limits the number of visitors and it seems not too many people are aware of the Bargello. There were no more than 10 other people there when I visited.

I also agree with you that it makes for a perfect first trip to Italy. I remember dreading the bus time (all times listed on the itinerary), but I think I must have taken a few naps and don't remember it as being a problem.

Welcome home!
Where are you going next?

TexasTravelMom....oh yes. You would be a perfect candidate for getting Stendhal Syndrome in the Borghese, lol! I go back and look at my iPhone pictures and am just in awe. NOT of my photographic skills, lol but of how Bernini made cold, hard marble look like sensuous skin.

Vandabrud....Now, see? Just when you are feeling slightly weird about taking all those food pictures here it comes in handy for "research", lol!! I don't believe seafood or fish was served the whole trip. The first meal at the wine resort started with them bringing out a whole roasted pig for presentation. It doesn't bother me since I'm not going to eat it, lol but it really surprised a number of group members, I think. I've not been to Bargello so I will put it on my list, lol. I have to admit that the ancient statuary in the Borghese did not hold my interest after looking at the Bernini's.

For any who are still reading and interested, I just got my Verizon phone bill. I'd tallied that I'd used my International plan 8 times and yes, that is exactly what I was billed for. So, this time the daily $10 charge was better for me than the monthly $100 fee. I used it before the tour in Milan, a few times during the tour and then on my extra day in Rome.

Pam, thank you so much for the detailed trip report! I have literally been sick since I got home. Landed in Charleston late Monday night, started feeling bad Tuesday night, and I am still weak. Ugh. Carl and I are still tired, too, from the trip, lol.

Oh no! So sorry to hear you are sick! Hope you feel better soon!

I enjoyed traveling with the 2 of you!

Pam
I finally got to read your trip report. Taking care of my 3 grand-daughters wore me out enough that I haven’t been on the Forum for the last 2 weeks.
I too, get frustrated with people taking selfies and the stupid pictures propping up the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I’m normally a fairly nice person, but I have been known to photobomb persistent camera-crazy people. After getting pushed around by different groups in large cities, I have also pushed back. (It kinda felt good)
Loved your report and I love this tour. The Best of Italy was my first trip to Europe and it is still my favorite, but thanks to forum members and tour guides I have learned to be a better tour guide for myself. If I took this tour again, I would do so much more in my spare time. I have learned that you need to research all your stops to maximize your time there. I loved traveling with you through Facebook and this Forum. Where is your next trip?

Welcome home, Pam!! I stumbled onto your trip report as I was about to log off for the night. So happy to hear you made hay while the sun “shined,” and added special sites to your BOI trip. I agree, you have to be ready to hit the ground running on your free time, since that tour is a quick pace.
I appreciate the tips on what worked/didn’t work. I was tempted by the LL Bean pants for next summer’s Alpine My Way tour (those 2 days in Dolomites sparked my interest!), but not after the pilling incident. The sun shirt sounds perfect. 80’ in Rome sounds almost bearable over last summer’s 106, but it does take a toll on a traveler on the go. I need a do-over there.
Sorry about your ‘down-sizing’ rooms in Royal Victoria. That first room must have been glorious overlooking the blue water!
Thanks for sharing your experience with us!!!
Ciao!

Janet, glad you enjoyed the TR and yes, the more tours I go on the more I realize I need to do a lot of research to figure out what will make a tour "mine". In April I'm going to Amsterdam (Vermeer exhibition), Paris (of course, lol), London and then up to Northern England to do a tour with a former RS guide.

Shawn - well, I KNEW the Royal Victoria room would not be the tour room but wow, it was worth it for the 2 nights! It was about double the size of the tour room too, lol. It was pretty hilarious on the day I moved from room to room. The Reception called about 9 and said my new room was cleaned and they would send someone to bring the key and help with the luggage when I was ready. I was packed and going to head out for the day so I said I was ready then. The guy came up and I just had the personal item and the Osprey so wheeled it into the hall. He opened the door wide and said "Luggage?" I pointed at the roller and said...that's it. He must have been used to people traveling with a good deal of luggage from the expression on his face, hahaha! I thought about you when I was eating ribollita at the restaurant near the hotel in Siena that I think is the one you mentioned to me. My word...it was delicious!

Pam, could you share the name of the restaurant in Siena with the wonder ribollita? Thanks!

For you Cathy, anything, lol!!

We stayed at Hotel Chiusarelli and this restaurant was just around the corner from there. It was Il Masagalano and had the Ribollita on the chalk board but not on the regular menu. I'm not sure if they normally have it or not but it was awesome. The terrace view was of the basilica where St Catherine's head is placed (along with her rather revolting finger). It is lit up beautifully at night! To be clear, the Basilica is lit, not the head, hahaha!

https://goo.gl/maps/b3YQRYdfFLxG7Aba6

Speaking of people shoving you out the way while taking photos; in Florence last month, I was admiring the view from the Ponte Vecchio one morning , I had stood there all of a minute at this point, when a woman tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I was on honeymoon. (??)
I said no, and she said well then can you get out of the way now so
I can take a photo of my clients here who ARE on their honeymoon.
I managed to keep my mouth shut…….

OMG SJ!! I’m not sure how I would have responded. Yikes.

asked if I was on honeymoon. (??)

"Why yes I am....how did you guess? Unfortunately my husband couldn't make it."

Silas Marner, Thanks for the laugh!

Silas Marner…that is hilarious!

I’m still reeling over being asked to move. Good flipping grief. Maybe a curt “No English”, 🤣🤣 which would be hilarious after you’d just answered in English.

Silas Marner, Thanks for the laugh!

Jane, I think we all eventually will have a similar experience - I wish I could think of good responses on the spot!

Maybe a curt “No English”, 🤣🤣 which would be hilarious after you’d just answered in English.

Pam, the puzzled look would be priceless!

Th "honeymoon" thing happened just after two ladies approached me in the Piazza della Signoria and asked me if the statue I was standing near was Bernini.
They had just decided it probably was, having no clue in a Piazza full of statues, and decided just to sit underneath and wait there for their tour group to hopefully arrive.
I said I didn't think so, wrong Piazza; and helped them find the correct statue alongside the
Uffizi.

Maps, anyone??

Or a new thread about "Things that happen to you on your vacation" ?

Pam, I’m so glad you got to visit the Iceman (or ‘poor Ötzi’, as I call him). Sounds like you had a wonderful time overall.

Pam, I'm not sure how I missed this before but I'm loving this! Especially the packing tips - that Eddie Bauer shirt is a must-buy now! I'm definitely bookmarking this for my next Italy trip!

@Mardee, it's perfect if anyone vacations in Florida as well, hahaha!!!

Great trip report!
I've enjoyed reading it again, since it got bumped up again on the All Topics list.

Hey Pam: it’s been a while now since your trip, but do you remember where you ate in castelrotto? That Sunday must have been doubly hard for you!

I’m joining the my way alpine in June, so we’re on our own for dinners. I may pick up some snacks/salad bag at their grocery store, but did you have any luck on the vegan front at the restaurants? I emailed zumturm for reservations for their veg-friendly dinner but they haven’t replied yet.

Was the hotel bkft accommodating? I hope we’re staying there too! I’d love a hobbit door :)

I’m so happy you made it to that spot for ribollita in Siena! Perfecto! Thanks again for sharing…

Pam, thank you for your wonderfully detailed report! We are taking our first Rick Steves tour (My Way) later this year, although we have had a lot of independent travel experiences. I really appreciated your thoughts about how to make the most of different stops and transit days, especially if you have already visited a particular city.

I love hearing about other people’s packing strategies and recommendations, so thank you for taking the time to detail those as well.

Laurie

Thank you for the comments!

Shawn, Id missed your post. Sorry!

I’m pretty sure this is where I ate. They had a veggie burger option.

zuraltenschmiede.it/it

The group meal was elsewhere and the guide was not able to arrange a vegan option so made me “vegetarian“. I ate the sides and left the big hockey puck of fried goat cheese. 😂. You might be able to do better. There was a restaurant uphill from the hotel that had some delicious vegan options but they were accommodating a group that night and not taking walk ins. Vegan pumpkin soup sounded awesome.

Thanks for your reply, Pam. I tagged in very late.
Oh gosh! No bueno. It’s like, just bigger servings of the sides wd be fine with me! LOL thanks for the veggie burger tip. I may hit the coop while I’m there. But also trying to get ZumTurm to confirm a dinner reservation for me during the “veg fest” event. We’ll see!
I hope your enjoying your current tour. I’ll look for your posts :) and Bon appetit!