We think you should  fly to .Italy -- not through Italy!
    Small group tours to Italy - maximum 16 people
Every room in our Cinque Terre hotel has a sea view.


Our tours are flexible and fun. 

You're never 
rushed or regimented.


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Tour of Florence, Cinque Terre, Lucca, Pisa, San Gimignano, Siena and an Agriturismo
August 28 -September 10, 2008
  

 

SOLD OUT


What's included, pictures & details
Daily Schedule

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Deluxe Tour of Rome, Florence, Tuscany and Venice


September 10 - 28, 2008 
SOLD OUT


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April  2010
Grand Tour of Rome, Tuscany and Venice
(Tour and price are not final and may be changed)
$4,495  per person + air

( 17 days - 15 nights in  Italy)

What's included, pictures & details
Daily Schedule 

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above: Roy & Mary -  hotel lobby in Venice

below: a wine tour
 in Montepulciano Susan and Larry

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Trevi Fountain Night Drive in Rome

above: Nell, Eileen & Phyllis in Capri 

            below: cooking class in Montalcino                      Molly - on left - her third tour with us

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 below: 
Isle of Capri - just a ferry ride
away from Sorrento!
       



Above: charming Sorrento
A beautiful street near our hotel


above & below: 
more beautiful views in Sorrento




above: Welcome Dinner in Rome 
below: Castellina terrace 
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below: after dinner toast in Castellina  


below: last night farewells

above: last night of tour
below: looking out farmhouse windows  

below: Monica
behind the desk - Castellina

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below: Irene says hi from Castellina too !


below: Mary laughing in Rome

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below: sunset in Cinque Terre
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 You shouldn't rush through
such a beautiful country.  Slow
down and do it right with...
Larry and Jill

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"the dying city" 
Civita di Bagnoreggio
It's seldom included in tours of Italy; but you can see it with us!   That's us in the picture above - way up at the top of the "dying city".  (We had a great lunch there too.)    
This amazing place is
Civita di Bagnoreggio

MORE ABOUT
THE "DYING CITY"
The "dying city" referred to as Civita has only a handful of full time residents.  They are dedicated to trying to save the city. Work is being done to strengthen the remaining buildings so they won't continue to collapse like the rest of the city. To reach Civita you will need to walk a kilomer over a pedestrian bridge to the top.  It is worth the climb! Those who can't or don't want to walk, will find a restaurant with a magnificent view at the bottom of the bridge. Once there you'll have time for a nice lunch and look around the small center. You'll never forget Civita Bagnoreggio 
Impastate la farina con l’acqua e il ale, fino ad ottenere un composto omogeneo.   

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Past Customers ...
check out the "Past Trips" button up top
(I'll be posting lots of pictures
from your tour there)







 Larry & Jill in Rome

below: Larry in Cinque Terre
click on picture to meet Larry....
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"a picture's worth a thousand words"
We put lots of  pictures on this website so you could envision what traveling with us would be like.  

For customer referrals ...
Check the "Testimonials" button up top


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TO SIGN UP...
Email or phone us and ask us to send
you the sign up sheet.  Once we receive your sign up sheet and deposit, your tour price is guraranteed!

  E-mail - larry@midtbo.com 
       817-545-0975        

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Past Customers ...
check out the "Past Trips" button up top



On the road again!
Our small vans get you close to the places we visit. Small group touring is much more fun than being on a big coach. Erna and Francesco (pictured above), are two of our favorite drivers. They skillfully maneuver the vans through the narrow streets of ancient Rome and get us  to the top of the tiny mountain towns in Tuscany - wherever we want to go!! 



above: When you go home, we stay
in Italy and  find more places to take 
you.  It's a tough job, but someone
has to do it!

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Below: Famous St. Mark's Square

in Venice
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The following is what you can expect on a   Larry & Jill Tour
...
  • Choose what you want to do - Whether your day is  filled with an outing to the Vatican, visiting art museums or shopping or you choose -you choose. We help you achieve your  goals for your visit to Italy
  • A small group (16 people maximum) means you won't get "lost in a crowd". You will be treated on an individual basis.  Singles traveling in large groups often discover that it is easier to get "left out". We won't let that to happen.
  • We travel at a relaxed pace so you can take in the landscape, dally over a leisurely meal or "shop til you drop". We stay at each destination longer and we spend as little time in the vans as possible.
  • The hotels we choose are in historic and central locations - close to everything.  
  • Being in a small group allows the luxury and convenience of traveling in eight passenger vehicles  that can drive up windy narrow roads into the very centers of the tiny hill top villages. Our small vehicles get you "close-in". We avoid the unnecessary "bus time" that can't be avoided when hotels are located far from the  historic centers and far from the places that you want to spend your free time. 
  • The people who own and staff the hotels we've chosen for you have become our friends over time. For us returning to each hotel is a little bit like returning home. This warm feeling carries over to you. We hope you'll feel that our friends in Italy are your friends. They want to make your visit to Italy  a happy experience that you'll always remember. 
  • Since we are a small group, you can really enjoy your meals! We enjoy small and charming restaurants and a freedom of choice not possible in large groups.
  • In the evenings before dinner we love to get together with everyone in informal gatherings at the hotels. 
  • We hope you feel like you are traveling with a group of friends! Being away from home with a group of like minded intelligent people tends to help friendships flourish. 
  • We have special themed meals and wine tastings. We make dinner reservations for our group every night but you are always free to make your own choices as to when and where you have dinner. You may go off on your own for a night on the town once, twice or every night. It's up to you! We usually reserve two tables of  eight so its easy to carry on conversations.
  • We always answer your questions promptly. You may choose to communicate with the others who'll be on your tour before we meet in Rome.  We enjoy exchanging pictures over the Internet before we meet  so we can spot each other as we arrive at the hotel.
  • Our hotels always include a private bath in each room.
  • On the first day of your tour you'll receive an Information Packet with interesting and informative details about the places we'll visit and  maps for every town. As your departure date gets closer you will receive additional information from us by email.
  • Luggage handling where available. Luggage handling & tips are included in the cost of your tour. You must be able to move your own luggage a short distance but never up long staircases. Our hotels usually have an elevator but if they do not, luggage handling is included and we'll have someone carry the bags up and down the stairs for you
  • We are making detailed plans right now to make our next tours the best ones ever. Larry goes on every tour and is just as interested as you are in making sure the tours are as much fun and well executed as possible. We look forward to doing things a little differently each time - making little changes to fine tune every  tour.  
  • As the owners  we can be flexible and  act quickly to  make sure that each tour fits the mood of the group and meet unexpected challenges smoothly  and effortlessly.
  • Our goal is to exceed your expectations! 
Below:  boat ride to Murano
(included in Venice)



below: dancing in St. Marks Square (Venice)
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below: wine seminar Castellina

below: Paul waves farewell in Venice
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below: Charles & Jan - their last night in Venice
Charles has traveled to Europe
with us three times - Jan five times!
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above: Jill with gelato in San Gimignano
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above: Mary & Mary in Venice

Below: bridge to Civita Bagnoreggio 
   It's worth the climb! 
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below: April 2008 group
Civita Bagnoreggio
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TO SIGN UP...

  Email or phone us and ask us to send
you the sign up sheet.  Once we receive your sign up sheet and deposit, your tour price is guaranteed!
  
  larry@midtbo.com
817-545-0975
 
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above: a beautiful view in Cinque Terre

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above: Jill & Jan on vaporetto in Venice
Our Promise to you:

Don't worry about the Euros! Once we receive your sign up sheet and deposit, your tour price is guaranteed!

You'll always have a private modern bathroom.

Because we travel at a leisurely pace you'll have the freedom to do what you want. The pace of our tours  allows you to "experience" Italy - your way. Wake up to Tuscan church bells.  Surrender to tantalizing smells as you pass  the local bakery.    Become a people watcher.  Practice saying "buon giorno." These are some of the things you can do when you travel with us in a small group of  16 people. You'll enjoy a level of personal attention and the freedom to "do your own thing" that is impossible in bigger groups.

We seldom do early wake up calls. Usually we set out for the day's adventures at 9:00-9:30 so you can enjoy a leisurely breakfast. If you're a morning person you  can enjoy a pre-breakfast walk along  cobbled Tuscan village streets and watch as the locals get ready for their daily routines. 

If you would like a guided tour of a  museum - ask us and we'll make arrangements. There is no extra charge from us. You pay the actual charge. In addition to that we will make sure you avoid the lines. If you don't choose to tour museums, you are free to spend your time and money however YOU choose.     When museums are included on other tours you, in fact,  are paying for it whether you want to go or not.  This is not the case on our tours.

The only things you pay extra for on our tours are museums, cooking classes or horseback riding.  We don't charge extra for excursions, side trips, included winery tours/tastings.

We have dinners in small restaurants like the ones you might choose if you were traveling with a group of friends. We've selected charming little restaurants in the center of town near the hotel that serve great food. 

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Above: "You have to try the
Italian hot chocolate!"

Below: Larry with Marissa in Rome
Her cappuccino is GREAT!!!

below: view from trail in Cinque Terre
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Above: our hotel in Sorrento

Sorrento Dinner Show - "Tarantella"
 
below: on Orvieto hotel terrace
below: Patty's & Suzie's first tour with us
below: one of our rooms in Orvieto hotel


below: Cathedral in Orvieto

                                                             Below : pictures of Agriturismo
A fabulous vineyard near Florence, in the Chianti hills.  Fattoria Lavacchio, pictured here, is an organic farm that produces
spectacular wines and olive oil, includes a great restaurant and is set in one of Tuscany's most picturesque areas.

above: Food & Wine Tour October 2007
"Look who we found at the farm!"

below: views at the farm






below: get together in the
 court yard  at the hotel in Rome



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above: cat goes for ride in Cinque Terre
below: "fish soup" to share in Cinque Terre

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TO SIGN UP...

 Email or phone us to
discuss a tour or sign up:
   larry@midtbo.com 
817-545-0975

Email Us

 ABOUT CINQUE TERRE..Cinque Terre is one of the best preserved natural and semi-natural areas of the Mediterranean. History and geography  have forbidden excessive housing development and the creation of a major roadway.  A crystal clear sea,  architecturally interesting locations and a varied and extensive network of paths make it one of the most sought after vacation locations in Italy.  
The weather is pleasant from April through the end of October
.
 
below: ferry in front of hotel
goes to the other four
villages of Cinque Terre

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above: near our hotel in Venice

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above: fooling around in Venice
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 above: Ann in Venice
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above: Mary Lou & Bill choosing a bottle

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above: wine tasting luncheon in Tuscany