Hi All,
I've just returned from the European Splenduer and we spent a few days in rome I would recommend the Cicerone hotel to everyone it is in a central position and the staff were really excellent.
On our tour the TD always asked if there were any one unhappy about there accommodation or food to come immediately to her and she would do her best to help them.
I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with insight and would recommend them to everyone.
happy traveller
chrisk

..... We are going on Best of Italy in Sept 09. We did Italian Escapade with Insight in 2006 and it was truly wonderful.

To keep the costs down we decided to do Best of Italy this time with 5 extra days on our own in Rome before the tour. (We rented an apartment, much cheaper)

Thanks,

Kathie[/QUOTE]

Kathie:

Great idea to arrange for an apartment. Is it located in Rome? Just think, you will be able to take Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner anywhere you want, partaking of the best Fare anywhere. We all know about the hotel food. All of the meals we had in Rome, Venice, etc. on our own were simply wonderful.

Although you already did Italian Escapade, if you have an opportunity, I urge you to read our Tour Tale. Look for TRAVLINCPL, The Best of Italy, around page 3 or 4 of the Tour Tales. I think it would be helpful. Let me know.

Have a wonderful journey.

TRAVLINCPL[/QUOTE]

Yes our apartment is in Rome, very close to Piazza Novona. I have a list of restaurants I have compiled checking numerous travel boards for recommendations. One of the best meals we had on our last trip was at a little place in Venice, we still talk about that meal. We plan to skip the included meal in Venice and again strike out on our own. Venice is also a dream destination for the couple traveling with us, so we have to make it memorable.

We are also going to take the train from Rome to Orvieto for a day trip while on our one. We thought the mix of days on our own plus the tour was the perfect plan for this return trip.

I had already read your tour tale about BOI (and all the others), I loved your pictures!

If you have any other thoughts or tips on making our trip successful please let me know.

Thanks,
Kathie

KathieR

While walking through historic and charming Orvieto, plan on having a wonderful meal at Trattoria del moro aronne, via S. Leonardo 7, adjacent to the piazza del popola.

Since you are already an experienced traveler in Italy, I will only add one other suggestion:
If you do not already have one, invest in a digital personal storage photo bank. This is a small, electronic, self-contained device which will accept your digital cameras' memory card. At the end of each days' shoot, simply insert your card and download your pics.

Leave the device, secured, in your apartment. Should your camera be stolen, you will have all of your prior days' photos safely stored in your photo bank. When arriving home, simply upload them into your computer for viewing or whatever.
This will be your backup system.

TravlinClp,

Thanks for the tip about a good Trattoria in Orvieto, it's now on my short list.

And I really like the info on the storage photo bank, that is a great idea that I will check into for our trip.

Thanks,
Kathie

KathieR:

Here is a handy link which clearly illustrates a very good quality photo bank. This particular one is by Smart Disk. There are similar ones on the market. If you invest in one, make certain you have all of the euro receptacles needed to operate the device on room power, if not using the batteries. Let me know what you think.

TRAVLINCPL


http://www0.shopping.com/xPF-S...USB-Digital-Dr-80-GB

quote:

If you do not already have one, invest in a digital personal storage photo bank. This is a small, electronic, self-contained device which will accept your digital cameras' memory card. At the end of each days' shoot, simply insert your card and download your pics.

I looked at similar things when I first started traveling, especially when SD cards were so expensive (actually, it was Compact Disks), but I didn't get one. I just bought a 4G SD card for $10.00, so I figure it is much cheaper to just buy several cards. What do you think is the advantage of a storage unit?

Jill

I totally agree with Jill on this. We bought a similar back-up device five years ago and took it with us on a 36 day European visit (2 Insight tours separated with a week in Rome). Each night we had that device plus two cell phones plus two sets of camera batteries to charge and the memory cards from two cameras to back up onto the memory back device.

Never again!! We've since purchased a number of high speed 4GB SD cards for a very small price and rely on these. We haven't used the photo storage device since that tour. Anyone like to buy it?

phil

Phil will have to donate his storage device, I think.

I have an old Olympus digital camera that takes photos at 640 x 480 (wow!), eats batteries and has inside memory only. I will have to donate it.

I also have a Sony Mavica that records on 3.5" floppy disks.

We just buy extra SD or CF cards for our later cameras and leave the photos on them (on the cards).

Cat's

[/QUOTE]

I looked at similar things when I first started traveling, especially when SD cards were so expensive (actually, it was Compact Disks), but I didn't get one. I just bought a 4G SD card for $10.00, so I figure it is much cheaper to just buy several cards. What do you think is the advantage of a storage unit?

Jill[/QUOTE]

Jill:

To review, having the use of a digital storage device for downloading all of your days' photos is, in no way, related to the capacity of SD cards, nor is having the device related to cell phones, batteries, and hi-speed SD cards.

Simply put, while out and about touring in Rome, Venice, Positano, or wherever, your camera is at risk of being stolen, lost, or forgotten.

Presuming that you had already downloaded all of your pics the prior evening in your apartment and/or hotel, your loss would then be limited to only those photos taken on your new day out, plus the camera, of course. However, you will still have, within your personal storage device, all of the photos you had taken on your tour thus far.

Have you seen the device on the web-site I sent to you yet? Also, let me know if you see the point I have now outlined for you.

TravlinCpl,

I do realize that it has nothing to do with the capacity of SD cards, I'm sorry if I implied that. I only meant that I can buy SD cards fairly cheaply and that I use them to store my pictures. TO give an example, I have 3-4 1G cards, 6 2G cards, and 2 4G cards. When I fill up the card, I take it out of the camera and store it in my luggage. When I'm home,. I put them all on my computer and then go through them and decide which ones to mess with.

I did see the device, it looks like it will do the trick. I just offered up my experience as an alternate to the problem of storing photos. I agree entirely with your point that it would be terrible to lose all of the photos if my camera was stolen. I have a picture in my mind of running after the thief and yelling "Please throw me the SD card!"

Jill