**Trip of a Lifetime Review - Italy and Rhapsody of the Seas 9.16.2016**

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I spent about an hour here, just walking around and taking in the sights. I then got back on the bus, with the intentions of going back to the hotel to check in and get lunch. However, I passed this particular spot that looked like a huge alley way with shops and restaurants so I hopped off to explore some more on foot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After walking around for a bit, I waited for the bus going back towards the train station. It arrived about 20 minutes later and the ride back took about 30 minutes. I officially checked into Hotel Garda and made my way to my room, which was absolutely lovely. It even came with a balcony, but I didn’t use it.

 

This was my view from the bus stop ... stunning!

 

 

 

 

 

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After this I was pretty tired, so I got settled into my room for a bit and then walked around the neighbourhood. I was running low on cash so I went to the bank and rectified that quickly. There was a restaurant directly across the street from the hotel so I went there and had a fabulous dinner. The tour I had the following day had a meet up time of 8:15am and it wasn’t a comfortable walking distance from the hotel so I opted to go to bed rather early as I had no intention of missing this tour … up next, my last full day of vacation in Lugano, Switzerland and Lake Como!

 

 

 

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I woke up around 7am … the last day of my amazing trip and a packed day at that! I left the hotel at 7:50am and caught a cab to the meeting spot. I arrived there around 8:05am and quickly spotted the group. The tour was with a company called City Wonders and the meet up spot was outside of a main train station near a needle and thread statue. They divided us up into groups and by 8:30am, we were ushered into 3 buses and were off to our first stop - Lugano, Switzerland.

 

 

 

 

The drive took about 60 minutes and we had some commentary along the way by the tour guides. We had our passports just in case a check was needed, but they were never requested during any part of the tour. We were let off in the beautiful town and given about 80 minutes of free time to walk around and explore, so I did just that.

 

 

 

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Everything was extremely beautiful. It was a bit of a cloudy day but that didn't take away from the experience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Guess whose still smiling after 16 epic days?? This chick!

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Once our free time ran out here, we boarded the buses again to head towards Lake Como. It took us about 30 minutes to arrive at the ferry that would take us over to Bellagio. It started to rain a little bit at this point in time, but hey, I was in Lake Como – I was about to enjoy myself. We had two and a half hours of free time and I used every bit of it to walk around this gorgeous town.

 

Waiting for the ferry with the tour guide

 

 

 

 

 

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My lunch pit stop in Bellagio

 

 

 

 

 

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The next part of this lovely day was a 2 hour boat ride around Lake Como. We were told what ferry dock to meet the tour guides at and I got there about 15 minutes beforehand as it was a public ferry that we were taking and I wanted to get a prime seat for some photos … I got an upper level window seat and snapped away … enjoy as the next several posts will just be photos! No need to comment on these amazing views.

 

The ferry station ... just beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

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[PhilNDebbieAtSea]

Great pictures! Great trip! So glad you had such a wonderful time! Thanks so much for sharing!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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[mj]

This was a great review and some terrific pictures! Will hopefully do the Jewel next year doing some of the same ports that you did(Athens, Mykonos, and Santorini). It is less than a year away now.

 

Your pictures of Milan and Switzerland make me want to add this to my bucket list.

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I'm sure all these pictures made you feel like you were on the ferry with me! It was a beautiful journey around Lake Como and the sun was starting to set as our boat tour ended. We took a quick walk back to the buses and made the 1 hour drive back to Cardona train station in central Milan. I quickly thanked the tour guides (City Wonders is great and would definitely use them again!) and caught a cab back at my hotel, which arrived around 8:15pm. I wish I had the energy to do more for my last night, but I was tired, so I picked up some dinner and spent the rest of the evening indoors getting ready for my journey home the next day.

 

Fitting as the sun sets on this amazing trip!

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I woke up with a bittersweet feeling this morning … I was sad for this amazing trip to end, but I was ready to go home (I missed my bed!). I gathered my things together, paid my city taxes during check out and made my way back towards the train station. There is a bus from the train station that goes to Linate Airport for 5 euros. I just got the bus and the ride took about 25 minutes as we made at a stop at another train station along the way. It was a quick 2 hour flight to London and the views were amazing.

 

 

 

 

 

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I connected through Heathrow airport, which is absolutely massive. I went through security checks again and then found my way to my gate to wait out my flight. Both flights were on British Airways and I'd definitely use them again in the future. Great staff, food was pretty tasty and they had a great entertainment selection.

 

 

 

 

 

On my way ...

 

 

My flight landed around 8pm and a friend picked me up from the airport. I unlocked my front door around 9:30pm and smiled a little smile. I was finally home.

 

This, by far, was the best trip I have ever taken in my life. The places I saw, the people I met, the food I ate and the experiences I had are memories that I'll have forever. Plus, I have thousands of photos should I forget anything!

 

Specifically speaking about the Rhapsody, beforehand I didn't think being on a small ship would matter much. European cruises are known to have long port days so the ship is usually a non factor. For my future European cruises (because there will be future ones!), I wouldn't pick such a small ship. It would've been nice to have a bit more entertainment options. I did, however, love the staff and my cabin was extremely comfortable.

 

Thanks for letting me share this amazing trip with you! If I figure out how to post videos, I will share some over the next couple days and if you have any specific questions about any of my trip, please let me know!

[Coralc]

Outstanding review Deon! Thanks so much for sharing it with us. I can finally quit calling you V. :D:):D

 

~Patti :)

[harrodsfan]

Thanks for taking us along on your really fun journey.

Loved your blog!!

[dorts]

Thank you!

 

Sent from my ONEPLUS A3003 using Forums mobile app

[laedw]

Your review has inspired me to do this itinerary! How did you decide on the hotels and the tours? I travel solo, too, but thought I would let a travel agent manage the hotel and tour reservations but you seem to have managed without a TA. Now that you're back home and can reflect on your trip, can you offer any suggestions/advice for solo travelers that want to take this trip? Thanks so much for your review and your pictures are awesome! :D