Just thought I'd add my two cents to this discussion. I was very hesitant to do an organized tour, since I enjoy independent travel but did so with Italian Escapade at my husband's request. We were so impressed that we are now booked on our third tour with Insight for later this year.
I liked the fact that not every dinner is included with Insight so that you do have some time to go out and try things on your own, although optional dinners are available on most free evenings if you'd rather stay with the
tour. We also declined some of the optionals in both Florence and Venice, giving us the full day in these places to explore on our own.
It seemed to me that the tour gives you the best of both, so I'm now a former independent traveler who is sold on the idea of organized tours.

My intent was to comment on the pros of organized touring as a person who was formerly drawn to independent travel. That said, we happened to like the itinerary that Insight was offering on the locations that we chose to visit and our experience with them was good.

Very good assessment.

I have never travelled with a tour before, but think that it is a good way to be introduced to a new place. I am taking the Country Roads of Italy this October and my main reason for that is because I am going to Italy in 2010 for 6 weeks (or more) for a vacation ( my retirment gift to myself) and I want to be familiar with the country and know what to expect. That vacation will be very different from a tour as I dont want to do the typical touristy things during that trip. I want to relax and enjoy the scenery, the culture, the people. I will stay at an agritourismo in the Tuscan countryside, maybe take some cooking and painting classes, do a bit of sight seeing but only when and if I feel like it. So, as I dont think I could go all the way to Italy and not see Rome, Venice and Florence at the very least, I will do those things on my tour this October. There may be some things I will want to see again, who knows. My next trip will be in the spring, so it will look quite different from what I will experience this October.
So, I think both kinds of travel have thier benefits, depends on what you want and how you want to spend your time.

Almost forgot that I wanted to commend you Ken and Angela for your Tour Tale. Parts gave me goosebumps, when you described your sense of awe at being there and seeing things first hand that you had only dreamed about. I know that feeling, having experienced it myself the first time I saw the rocky mountains. It is like being a child again to be struck with such wonder at the majesty of what lies before you. I know Italy will be like that for me too. The history, the age of structures still standing after so many centuries, the natural beauty of the country, it is all just so awsome. It really puts things in a different perspective doesn't it? Here in North America, particularly in Canada, to have a house that is over a hundred years old is really something, our history just doesn't extend back for centuries the way it does in Europe. Really makes you see time in a whole other dimension.
Anyway, thank you Ken and Angela for your tale, I will read it often while waiting for my own trip this October!

To: DianeG

Your kind words are sincerely appreciated, and quite accurate of the thoughts and feelings we experienced while being in the presence of something tangible dating back some 3,000 years or so.

Also, we are so pleased that you were able to perceive some of the experiences we witnessed, first hand, while reading our Tale.

Although you have some months yet, prior to your trip, we wish you a rewarding adventure, and look forward to reading your Tale on the BB. In the interim, we will keep any eye open for your Posts.

Ken, thank you for such a wonderful presentation. My husband and I will be going on this tour in October, so I really enjoyed seeing your pictures and reading your daily activities. You did a terrific job!
Cheryl

I also would like to thank Ken for his wonderful Tour Tale and the pictures he has posted. In fact, his pictures are what convinced my husband that this is the trip we should take. We are booked for Best of Italy beginning in Rome on October 2. Cheryl, which trip are you taking?

Ann

This message has been edited. Last edited by: AnnieB,

To CAG:

July 16, 2008
Hi Cheryl.......

We were very pleased to learn that our Tour Tale and photo albums of Italy were meaningful to both you and your husband. Also, I regret the delay in acknowledging your Post as we have been so busy with business, yet still enjoying summer side-trips here and there along the Jersey shore and Florida.

Actually, while writing our Tour Tale, the task continued to provide us with visions of Italy that we looked at in a different way, at home, as this fast-paced tour left little time to reflect on one's experiences until later on.

We wish you a wonderful experience in Italy, and remember to bring with you a Personal Storage (Data) Device with which to download your digital pics into, after each day's picture-taking.

Ken & Angela (TravlinCpl)

July 16, 2008

Hi AnnieB

Please accept our regrets for not acknowledging your Post sooner. We have devoted much less time to the Site since we completed the posting of our last album, yet we do check in from time to time.

We were so pleased to read that our efforts contributed to your decision to book "The Best of Italy". This is a tour that you will never forget, and re-live for a long, long time to come.

Our goal, Annie, was to produce a Tour Tale that would serve to be a helpful guide to other travellers; not just a Hotel Review. Also, the creation of our photo albums, along with the descriptive titles and historical notes, were all carefully written so as not to be "commercial", yet to provide the reader with just the appropriate degree of insight, as if the reader were envisioning the experiences through our eyes.

When in Italy, do take in all of the sights, sounds, scents, tastes, up, down, and around, as the art, history, culture, religion, demographics, cuisine, past and present, will be all around you for the taking. Enjoy, and have a wonderful adventure!

Ken & Angela (TravlinCpl)