Things you wish you'd known before the tour...

[ylojerseygirl]

Hi,

Long story short, we are woefully unprepared, (research wise) for our European ports in 15 days. I booked tours in all three Italian ports, Rome, Naples and Florence so we would see the "important" tourist sights, and I am trying to read up when I can, but

 

What do you wish you'd known before your tour...things to look for, things that don't take as long as you thought, or take more...things to go in search of, things to avoid, things to eat, or not eat... I think personal experiences are much better to learn from so please, anything you can think of, please share!:confused:

[CintiPam]

IMO the most important thing to keep in mind is that you are in charge of your own private tour. Immediately upon getting into the van, you should review the entire day's itinerary with your guide so that you know you are on the same page, including about how long you want to spend at each stop. Often, there is a disconnect between what you told the tour company and how your actual guide believes you are spending your day.

 

If you want no shopping stops at all, make that clear at that time also.

 

Also, if you want a quick lunch stop or a leisurely lunch stop, make that clear then as well.

 

Basically, share your priorities with your guide right away. That way there will be no misunderstandings.

 

Remeber, you are the boss of your tour, not the tour company.

[lisiamc]

If you've booked good tours, it's your first trip to Europe, and you're seeing the "important" stuff, then I'd say you'll be absolutely fine. I think the very best outcome would be if you returned home with a strong desire to come back to Italy and explore in more depth. And with a bit of luck, your guides will make sure you are able to do some little fun bits like having a proper espresso or a gelato or a nice meal.

 

Don't worry too much, and don't try to pack everything into your short time ashore. Just enjoy it, relax, and experience the Italian-ness of it all. :)

Edited May 5, 2014 by lisiamc

[euro cruiser]

The first thing you should know is that in Italy you don't have a guide unless you paid extra for one. Drivers and guides are different licenses in Italy - your driver may be very knowledgeable and talkative but he/she cannot accompany you to any site. They have not had to pass any knowledge or history tests as guides do, so what they're telling you may or may not be correct. It will be entertaining, in any event, because they wouldn't keep getting work if they were not.

[texancruzer]

Wow, there is a lot of "things" that come to mind ….. after 4 Med cruises.

Will try to remember them all and list them here.

 

1. There are places to DIY, there are places to use tours. Everyone says ships tours are to be avoided like the plague - but our first trip over we did quite a few ships tours and enjoyed every one :) It was beyond our comfort "zone" and our cruise was booked very close to the sail date so not a lot of time to plan. IT IS POSSIBLE to have a great experience on a ship tour.

 

2. If you have the time……read read read and plan your day. Only you know what is really important to you - what you enjoy and the best way to have an amazing experience. There is so much to see and do in almost every port that you must pick the " biggies " for your first visit. And don't think you won't ever get back…. we did and then have been back 3 more times !

 

3. Take 1/2 the clothes and twice the $$$$. Europe is expensive. You can figure out most of your expenses but there are ALWAYS more…… allow yourself some wiggle room in the budget.

 

4. On that note: if you see something you want as a souvenir - depending on where you are: first haggle or just buy it ! I can truly say that more than once I have gotten back and said "why didn't I just buy it ?"

 

5. Don't try to cram in so much you are worn out half way through. Its easy to do.

 

For the ports you have listed:

 

Rome: our favorite city ! We always begin and end here and add on a few days. Walk as much as you can……. you miss a lot riding in a car or bus. There are so many small pedestrian areas and they are fascinating. Take some time out of your "tour" and walk around. The Trevi fountain - Pantheon - Piazza Navonna area is a great area to walk.

Naples: We always do a private tour here…… Pompeii is fascinating and Amalfi coast is stunning. Try some lemon cello and have some pizza !

Florence: again, walk. Very comfortable city. Like a well worn sweater it wraps itself around you.

 

And in all 3: talk to people. Smile and they smile back. Use Buongiorno when greeting them. I have found the locals to be VERY friendly if you engage them. A large part of travel is to experience not only the sights, but the smells, the sounds, the tastes, the touch and THE PEOPLE !!!!

[slidergirl]

About seeing the "important" things: What is "important" to one person is not to another…

Having never done a tour, private or cruise, in Europe (I'm a DIY girl), this is what I would do if I had to do one:

You are going to have to research, read, read, read, evaluate the "things" so you can determine what you truly want/need to see. Once you whittle your list to the necessary sights, then be sure your tour company knows exactly what you need to see so they can tailor the tour. One person may want to spend hours at the Spanish Steps and the shopping streets that surround it, another may want to just "drive by" the Pantheon (you actually can't drive by it - you have to walk to it - but you get my drift), another person may want to do 30 minutes in the Vatican Museum to just get to the Sistene Chapel. Like EC said, be sure you book the driver AND guide if you want an knowledgeable person to accompany you to "explain what you are seeing" (Never figured that one out when people say that). If you don't care to have the guide, be sure you have booked only a driver who will drive you within walking distance of what you want to see ( some places can't be driven right up to).

If you have booked the tours through the cruise, well, you're stuck with what they give you.

[lisiamc]

My first trip to Italy was a Tauck tour to Todi, Orvieto, Sienna, Assisi, Florence and Rome. It was chosen carelessly, with a minimum of research. Luckily it was a good tour with a good guide, that covered some "must-do" sites and some that were a charming surprise. Sure, Rome and Florence were great, but it was lovely, quiet, tiny Todi that made me fall in love with Italy, and come back, over and over again.

 

So yes, I agree that research is a good thing, but micro-planning might rob you of the chance of a wonderful surprise!

[sandinmyshoes]

I always pack a bit of bubble wrap, large ziplock bags, and an extra collapsable carry on size bag because I always find specialty olive oil, balsamic, and wine I want to bring back. Italian grocery markets have wonderful items you can not get in the states.

[vatali27]

1) don't overwhelm yourself. There is nothing worse than spending all day in the car going into rome, running from place to place, and being so exhausted by lines and items that you no longer care what you are seeing. I see so many people do that deluxe rome in a day, and by the time they get out of the coliseum, they don't care what is next.

 

2) Don't assume your driver speaks English. None of ours did. the tour guides did, but the drivers didn't.

 

3) Take time to smell the roses, or the lemons. I loved Rome, we did several extra days there. But for cruise ports, I loved Sorrento. Very Europe feel, and it allowed for a very relaxing day. We ended up not doing Naples or Pompei.

 

4) It costs. A lot. assuming you go in the summer months, you will want water. and the snacky food was great, and the souvenirs, and all of the other items that wont fit in your suitcase. Oh, and your going to need another suitcase. :)

 

5) Pisa and Florence were easy to do in 1 day, assuming that you want a taste of both. Pisa is very short, and even if you shop and eat there, its only a couple of hours. Florence could easily be multiple days if you wanted it to be.

 

6) buy your tickets in advance, or have the tour company do it for you. For the Vatican, for the tower of Pisa, for Statue of David, the lines are very long, even the tour lines, if you haven't gotten your tickets in advance.

 

7) Enjoy yourself and take notes for where you want to come back to.

[dalgirl]

For a quick overview of the big sites your driver will take you to, check the proposed itinerary that the company sent to you to confirm your tour. Then go onto youtube and look at some videos of the sites in advance - this can even include those wonderful Rick Steves videos - that way you have some history background of what you will actually see.

 

The driver may ask what type of food you are interested in for lunch - pizza, pasta, etc. I wanted some really good gnocchi and told the driver. he got on the phone, called a restaurant he knew of to see if they had gnocchi that day (they did) and he took us to this great restaurant, the best place we have eaten in Italy. We wanted to sit and enjoy a nice Italian lunch and that is what we got. Eating quickly and taking off again looses some of the atmosphere for us - we have a private driver, a nice car, and no lines - we are already ahead of the game;)

 

And if you go through the Vatican and into the Sistine Chapel - do NOT forget to look up and zero in on the Creation of Adam panel. We were so overwhelmed by the time we got there I couldn't remember if I had really looked at it:eek: By my third cruise and tour of the Vatican I can definitely say I have seen and admired it:p

 

You will have a wonderful time - it will be a glorious day!

[slidergirl]

For a quick overview of the big sites your driver will take you to, check the proposed itinerary that the company sent to you to confirm your tour. Then go onto youtube and look at some videos of the sites in advance - this can even include those wonderful Rick Steves videos - that way you have some history background of what you will actually see.

 

The driver may ask what type of food you are interested in for lunch - pizza, pasta, etc. I wanted some really good gnocchi and told the driver. he got on the phone, called a restaurant he knew of to see if they had gnocchi that day (they did) and he took us to this great restaurant, the best place we have eaten in Italy. We wanted to sit and enjoy a nice Italian lunch and that is what we got. Eating quickly and taking off again looses some of the atmosphere for us - we have a private driver, a nice car, and no lines - we are already ahead of the game;)

 

And if you go through the Vatican and into the Sistine Chapel - do NOT forget to look up and zero in on the Creation of Adam panel. We were so overwhelmed by the time we got there I couldn't remember if I had really looked at it:eek: By my third cruise and tour of the Vatican I can definitely say I have seen and admired it:p

 

You will have a wonderful time - it will be a glorious day!

 

If I remember correctly, Thursday = gnocchi… My last visit, I was swayed from getting cacao e pepe (that I had been thinking about for months) by a special of gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce - yum!!!

[dalgirl]

If I remember correctly, Thursday = gnocchi… My last visit, I was swayed from getting cacao e pepe (that I had been thinking about for months) by a special of gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce - yum!!!

 

Yum indeed, and parmesan like you have never had before. And the wine! :)

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

[slidergirl]

Yum indeed, and parmesan like you have never had before. And the wine! :)

 

Sent from my GT-P3113 using Forums mobile app

 

I just realized that spellcheck changed my "cacio" to "cacao" - not sure I'd like chocolate and pepper…..;) Parmesan - the King of Cheese... And, definitely, the wine!!!!!

 

Even if you do stop at one of those majorly touristy restaurants with tables on a piazza, it's still Italy - enjoy the pasta, drink the wine, watch the people - it's worth the money just for the experience!

Edited May 9, 2014 by slidergirl

[dalgirl]

I just realized that spellcheck changed my "cacio" to "cacao" - not sure I'd like chocolate and pepper…..;) Parmesan - the King of Cheese... And, definitely, the wine!!!!!

 

I knew what you meant:)

[hubofhockey]

The first thing you should know is that in Italy you don't have a guide unless you paid extra for one. Drivers and guides are different licenses in Italy - your driver may be very knowledgeable and talkative but he/she cannot accompany you to any site. They have not had to pass any knowledge or history tests as guides do, so what they're telling you may or may not be correct. It will be entertaining, in any event, because they wouldn't keep getting work if they were not.

 

 

I think this is the most important point on these boards. They call themselves driver guides, but they are more like chauffeurs who know English and the good ones can charm you well. The positives are good and comfortable transportation with air conditioning and the ability to skip the lines. As such, these services can be good investments for the day. However, a good Rick Steves guidebook designed for cruise passengers (we are now using ours for St Petersburg and Scandinavia) can be as good or better in ports where transportation is not a major obstacle.

 

Taking a train to Rome was a better experience for us than when we used the driver guide. We took our teens and actually booked walking tours in Rome for the forums and Colisseum with a licensed guide and it was outstanding. After that, we did the same typical walk of the modern city and Pantheon that the driver guide services do. Not too hard.

 

There are times and places for driver guides, but taking a hydrofoil to Capri, a bus to Nice, or even hop on hop offs in Barcelona are the way to go. Enjoy and don't second guess yourself.

[melody hounddog]

I think this is the most important point on these boards. They call themselves driver guides, but they are more like chauffeurs who know English and the good ones can charm you well. The positives are good and comfortable transportation with air conditioning and the ability to skip the lines. As such, these services can be good investments for the day. However, a good Rick Steves guidebook designed for cruise passengers (we are now using ours for St Petersburg and Scandinavia) can be as good or better in ports where transportation is not a major obstacle.

 

Taking a train to Rome was a better experience for us than when we used the driver guide. We took our teens and actually booked walking tours in Rome for the forums and Colisseum with a licensed guide and it was outstanding. After that, we did the same typical walk of the modern city and Pantheon that the driver guide services do. Not too hard.

 

There are times and places for driver guides, but taking a hydrofoil to Capri, a bus to Nice, or even hop on hop offs in Barcelona are the way to go. Enjoy and don't second guess yourself.

 

Great advice! Thank you.

[cinnamon]

Having just returned from a Med cruise with 4 days in Italy, I can tell you that the price of a coffee varies HUGELY.

 

Our cheapest was €1.60 in Rome airport (FCO). The dearest was in a square in Capri, €5.50. Both were Cappuccinos. The average was usually 2-3 Euros.

 

It is always cheaper to have a drink in a side street. You pay a large premium in the piazza, especially with a uniformed waiter.

 

BTW, the best Cappuccino was in a side street in Sorrento, €2.50 with a bottle of mineral water thrown in at no extra charge.

[peralbk]

My first trip to Italy was a Tauck tour to Todi, Orvieto, Sienna, Assisi, Florence and Rome. It was chosen carelessly, with a minimum of research. Luckily it was a good tour with a good guide, that covered some "must-do" sites and some that were a charming surprise. Sure, Rome and Florence were great, but it was lovely, quiet, tiny Todi that made me fall in love with Italy, and come back, over and over again.

 

So yes, I agree that research is a good thing, but micro-planning might rob you of the chance of a wonderful surprise!

That's exactly what we did 10 years ago, Tauck w/Tony the same itinerary. We have been back to Italy 3 times!:)!!

[disneylover89]

We have our first Italy visit with Tauk in July. Venice, Florence and Rome. I am soooo excited!!!

[bcnvcanada]

The price of coffee doubbles or triples if you sit down. Off times there is a surcharge for a table. Drink Italian style at the bar. Also, don't order a

capuccino after 11:00 am. Order a drink in a coffe bar, cafe and use the w.c. (bathroom) from free. Also have some euro change for the attendant at the bathroom in public areas.

[mskaufman]

It's been said, but make sure your guide knows what you want. I also look at Google images for pictures I want to make sure I capture.

[Ellijay Sharon]

This thread has a lot of good advice!!! Were going in September can anyone add to this? So much to think about we don't wont to miss anything..