Spring Small Group Tour... 2008
Rome, Tuscany
& Venice
April 19 - May 4, 2008

In addition to three nights each in Rome and Venice, we spend two nights each in beautiful Umbrian Orvieto, fabulous Florence, Cortona (Under the Tuscan Sun) and in tiny Tuscan Castellina. 

In Castellina, a charming little wine village our hotel has just installed a fabulous day spa that is available for no additional charge. You might want to bring your bathing suit to try out the hot tub or steam room!  

Everywhere we go in Italy we'll learn about the wines and wonderfully fresh and delicious foods for which Italy is so well known. Each region has its own specialties and wines which we'll make sure you can enjoy and discuss what it is that makes the foods of Italy so outrageously delicious.

Laid back pace... Free time galore...  plenty of time to do what you want to do...  maximum 16 people

above: Chuck & Nancy
Constatine's Arch Rome
night tour

above: Campidoglio night tour






above:  our good friend Irene
in Castellina in Chianti

below: pretty streets in Cortona


below: shopping in Cortona
below: hot chocolate in Cortona



above: Casey in Cortona

Below: Piazza Santa Maria - inTrastevere -  This is the oldest fountain in Rome! Believe it or not, Emperors used to enclose this piazza and watch sea battle reenactments here.  


 A Unique "Slice of Life" in the
Most Ancient part of Rome...


above: Cinzia and her son Roberto



above: Shirley
Civita Bagnoregio

above: Kat Francis at Mayes house


Mike Deb
Civita Bagnoregio


Chuck & Nancy with cat
Civita Bagnoregio

walking up to Bramasole
(Francis Mayes house)


Civita Bagnoregio


Shirley with Larry
market in Cortona

Shirley & 'Aileen
La Torre in Castellina

Above & below:

  
Below:
three pictures of our
hotel in Venice







 (yellow building on the left is our
hotel in Venice)

above: welcome dinner in Rome

above: Kat (Civita Bagnoregio)

above: Cortona smooch

HERE'S WHAT IS INCLUDED
ON THIS DELUXE TOUR:

• Three nights each in Rome & Venice
• Two nights each in Orvieto, Cortona, Florence & Castellina
• In all, fourteen nights in charming,  hotels with a welcoming ambiance  in the center of the historic areas  
• All ground & water transportation as described in itinerary
• Fourteen Italian style breakfast buffets  
• Private Nightime Driving Tour of Rome just for our little group. You'll be able to get out, enjoy each site and take some pictures. Throwing a coin in Trevi Fountain is a MUST DO!
• Welcome Dinner  in Rome (Wine  included)
• "Terrace gathering above the rooftops" at our hotel in Orvieto featuring local sausage, cheese and wine.
• Wine tasting – in Castellina - featuring the robust Chianti from our hotel's vineyard.
• You may use a gorgeous Tuscan spa in the Castellina hotel at no additional charge to the customers. (whirlpool, steam room, sauna ). There is also an outdoor pool placed within a typical Tuscan setting (weather permitting).
• Dinner with wine in Cortona 
• Our hotel in Cortona now has a spa offering "ayurveoa, shiatsu or hot stone massage" (for additional charge and by advance appointment).
  
• Wine & cheese pre dinner get together in Florence.
  
• Excursion to the "dying city" Civita Bagnoregio. 
• Excursion to Siena with its famed Cathedral and "il campo" known for its traditional and fiercely fought Palio horse race .
• Luggage Handling where available   - You must be able to move your own luggage. When necessary it will only be for a short distance and never up steps.
• Private water taxi from the last point our driver can take us to the front steps of our lovely Venetian hotel.
• Three day pass that covers public transportation on the vaporetto system that will take you wherever you want to go in Venice including a ride out to the islands of  Torcello, Burano and Murano.
• Farewell Dinner in Venice (wine included)

above:  Larry & Jill with Illaria who leads the Castellina wine seminar
& winery tour.


The following are  features
         you can expect on every   Larry & Jill Tour...

• 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 center of the tiny hill top villages.                   
• Personalized - Whether your day is  filled with an outing to the Vatican, visiting art museums or churches or you choose to simply sit on the Spanish Steps and wonder at the amazing nonstop vibrance of Rome -you choose. We help you achieve your  goals for this visit to Italy. 
• Being in such a small group (16 people maximum) means you won't get "lost in a crowd". You will be treated on an individual basis. For singles traveling in large groups that means it is "easier to get left behind". In our small groups we have never known 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.  Our small vehicles get you "close-in". We avoid the inconvenience and wasted time involved in unnecessary "bus time" that can't be avoided when hotels are located far from the  historic centers and, of course, 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 that is not possible in large groups.
• In the evenings before dinner we love to get together with everyone in informal gatherings at the hotels. 
• You will probably feel like you are with a group of friends long before we reach the end of the tour! Being away from home with a group of like minded intelligent people tends to help friendships flourish. 
• Take part in 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 want to 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'll 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.
• 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'll receive additional information from us by email.
• Luggage handling where available. All luggage handling & tips are already included in the cost of your tour. (You must be able to move your own luggage. However if it is necessary, this will only be for  a short distance and never up long staircases.) 
• We are making detailed plans right now to make our next tours the best ones ever. We go on every tour. Therefore, we are just as interested as you are in making 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.  
• Since we are the owners of  Larry & Jill Tours 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 have fun as we  provide a tour that exceeds your expectations! 

  Tell us what you are interested in and how you like to spend your time ... we’ll  customize  your experience and make sure you  get to do  exactly what you want to do!