I'm considering this tour for November and would love to hear any comments. I couldn't find a tour tale.

Hi Michelle, I am not certain of this because I haven’t checked but I think there are no tour tales on this tour because it may be a relatively new tour.

Michelle,

just to confirm what Dragon has suggested, I've been back through the past 3 years of Winter Tour brochures and the "Italian Splendours" will run this year for the first time.

phil

I am considering this tour as well. I am thinking very early spring (March '09) when the price, temp, and crowds are still relatively low.
I keep comparing it to others, but end up always coming back to this one. I guess I should trust my instinct.

My wife and I are thinking of taking this tour, as well, in March 2010. We have never travelled to Italy before and we liked the itinerary for this tour, it seems to cover the best of Italy. We would like to hear some feedback from this tour also.

Being a seasoned traveller of Italy, this tour looks to be great value and for a first time visitor really does offer the main highlights.

Rome, Venice and Florence are pretty standard on most European Tours, and in all tours of Italy. Sorrento, Assisi and Como will only compliment this tour.

I have visited all these places and would highly recommend them all. Sorrento, you may visit the wonderful town of Positano or Capri, Lake Como you may well visit Belagio, Assisi is wonderful, I just adored it.

I have also at some stage or another taken most of the optionals that appear to be offered for this tour. I think you would really enjoy it.

If you read any of the tour tales about Italy, you will get an idea of what to expect in Rome, Venice and Florence. Many of the Insight tours follow the same routine and visit the same places in each city.

Regards
Gen

Hi,
I am also very interested in taking this tour, probably in February '09 but I worry about the length of the days as in the winter months the hours of sunlight are short. Does this mean you get to see less sights as you would doing a tour in the summer months.
Can someone please advise, with thanks,
Helen

We have just returned from Italian Splendours - an excellent trip. It covers most of the major sites in Italy - Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento and the Island of Capri, Venice, Tuscany and Umbria, Lake Como, Pisa and Florence.

The main advantage to travelling at this time of year is that there are no crowds. Our group had the Sistine Chapel almost to ourselves and we had virtually no wait at places like the Academia in Florence (where Michelangelo's David is located). Long line-ups and crowds are the norm for many sites in Italy and so this was a real bonus.

The downside was that since we visited over the Christmas holidays many things were closed. In Florence some of the larger gold and leather retailers chose to pay a fine and stay open on the 26th, the day we visited, but the smaller shops were almost universally closed. The cathedrals in Florence was also closed to visitors because of religious services that day.

However, we were able to see many of the beautiful nativity scenes - including the one at St. Peter's Basilica - and a number of Christmas markets. It was chilly for sure - single digits (Celsius) were the norm but if you bundle up it's just fine.

I would most definitely take this trip again.

To answer the question about the length of the days it was generally dark by 4:30. However, our TD Kathy (who was absolutely phenomenal) planned the itinerary in such a way that we saw all of the major attractions in daylight hours. We did a few things such as the gondola ride in Venice and an Illuminated tour of Rome after dark but this only added to the magic.

Hi Fishy Foursome,
Thank you so much for your reply, it is certainly very appreciated. I also posted a question on the Ancient Civilizations because I am trying to decide which tour to do. Italy really appeals because of the safety issues, especially with the current unrest in Israel. It is so great to hear that you loved your tour, tell me did you have much time to enjoy Como because I really love the northern part of Italy. Were you happy with the accommodation in each city?
Thanks again, Helen