Last year, I fulfilled a long-held dream of returning to Italy. After several fits and starts, I planned a 26-day trip that included both a tour and some independent travel on my own.
Since my last visit to Italy was in my early 20s, I had a very long list of places I wanted to see in Italy. Some were places I wanted to return to again and others were places I had never been and had read so much about. I knew I wanted to return to Venice, Florence and Rome, but I had always wanted to see Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast, Umbria and Tuscany. That is a lot of ground to cover!
So to begin, I sat down in January (for a May departure) and made a list of all the towns and places I wanted to see: Milan, Lake Como, Verona, Venice, the Cinque Terre, Siena, Lucca, Orvieto, Assisi, Rome, Naples, the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri. I knew that I did not want to rent a car, especially alone, so I had planned on using all public transportation. Next, I looked at how long this trip would need to be to cover all that I wanted to see. I was suddenly hit with the realization that this trip was going to be a challenge in the given time I had. Next I researched train schedules and what trains were available to my destinations, and which ones would require buses to get there or some combination. It soon became apparent that to do my itinerary would mean I was going to be on the go—almost constantly. I started to become apprehensive about reaching so many connecting points, and feared I may become overwhelmed trying to get to so many destinations. I wondered if my trip would actually be fun or would turn into an arduous, frustrating experience? Well, as they say, it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts!
Well, lo and behold as I was sitting at my computer building my itinerary, and feeling some apprehension about accomplishing this trip — I received an email from Gate1 Travel with the exact tour of Italy that I wanted! Gate1 Travel’s itinerary visited nearly all of my itinerary with the exception of Milan and Umbria. I was so elated! The timing could not have been better. So after some thought, I quickly signed up and indulged myself in taking this 16-Day Italy Tour of Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast, the Lake Region, Venice and Rome. I also planned to travel alone for 10 days to see the places that I wanted that were not on the tour — Milan, Orvieto, Assisi, Multipulciano and Pienza. For Multipulciano and Pienza, I signed up for a full day tour with Viator out of Rome. I also signed up for a second full day tour with Viator to visit Hadrian’s Villa and Villa d’Este. Both were excellent day tours that I highly recommend if you are in Rome. My only prior experience with Viator was when I was traveling to Dublin by myself, and was without a car. Someone had recommended Viator tours as an option, and it was a great way to see some of Ireland.
Before I left on my trip, I had felt a little apprehensive about my Gate1 tour, since I was taking the tour alone and I had seldom traveled on formal tours—and never alone. But after the tour was finished, I felt completely satisfied on every level. The tour far exceeded my expectations—and I realized that taking a tour made getting to all these places so much easier than if I had done it on my own. Plus I was in the company of many wonderful people that I otherwise would not have met. A year later many of us are still in touch through social media.
Plus, my travels alone to Assisi and Orvieto from Rome were fantastic, I spent 2-3 nights in each town, then took the train back to Rome for my one-day tours. It was the perfect combination of a planned tour itinerary and traveling independently with the freedom of solo travel.
Buon Viaggio!
Buon Viaggio in Italia!
