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We think you should fly to Italy ... not through Italy
Small group relaxed pace tours of  Italy - maximum 16 people

       
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Fall Tour...2008
Deluxe Tour of Italy
Sorrento, Rome, Venice,
Cortona ,Castellina
, Florence & Orvieto,
includes excursions to:
Pompeii,
Capri, Civita Bagnoreggio, Siena,
San Gimignano, Monteriggioni,
Murano & Burano
Sept. 10 - Sept. 28, 2008
 
 
SOLD OUT

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This is going to be a wonderful adventure -  a little longer than most of our tours. We hope it will be your "trip of a lifetime". It is a fabulous opportunity to see the most important parts of Italy without feeling rushed.We hope you'll join us. We know you'll have a wonderful time.!

We begin south of Naples in Sorrento with a guided tour of Pompeii and a visit to the isle of Capri. 

In Tuscany we'll visit a local winery for a tasting & tour.  We also spend three nights in Rome and Venice and  two nights each in lofty Orvieto, Florence and even two nights in Cortona ("Under the Tuscan Sun").We'll be in both Orvieto and Cortona for their weekly bargain filled street market. We also stay in the tiny and beautiful Tuscan village of Castellina-in-Chianti. From their we will visit Siena and to San Gimignano.Our hotel in Castellina is an ancient palace that has been converted to a welcoming and gorgeous  hotel. You won't want to leave.

In Florence you'll be able to visit famous art museums without the lines and shop in designer shops or the never ending street markets. The same is true in Rome.  We'll make an appointment for you to tour the Vatican Museum so you can walk right by the people standing in the three hour line to get in! In Venice we include three days of vaporetto tickets so you can ride the waterways as often as you like. That includes the ferries out to the islands Murano, Burano and Torcello!

This Deluxe tour includes many extras and all the excursions on the daily schedule.  We don't charge extra excursions like most tour companies. We include several meals but for the others you can eat with the group and still have the freedom to decide how much you order and therefore how much you spend. In large group tours when meals are included  you often get food that is "institutional" rather than homemade. In the charming little restaurants we take you to mama is still in the kitchen.
 
Laid back pace... Free time galore... time to do what you want to do... 

Castellina-in-Chianti


above: the main street
in Castellina  

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above: Monica in Castellina
below: looking at pool from terrace 
above in Castellina




It's hard to find a bad meal in Italy!

above: fall 2006 Rome farewell dinner


Our"laid back" small group tours are flexible and fun. 
You'll never  feel rushed nor regimented.


SORRENTO...
above: a charming street
 near our hotel in Sorrento

Sorrento has it all, the hospitality of Italy combined with a relaxed atmosphere. It is located on the Amalfi coast which is home to some of the most scenic views in all of Italy. Sorrento is a very clean city and our hotel is in the very heart it. It is an easy walk to shopping and great restaurants that feature great seafood and all of Italy’s specialty cuisines.

Sorrento is part of the Amalfi Coast - a beautiful and renowned stretch of mountainous coastline south of Naples. The coast is dotted with picturesque villages and towns clinging giddily to cliffs. The views are breathtaking.

Sorrento also offers convenient ferries to Capri, one of the most beautiful places on earth. We include a ferry ticket to and from Capri with this tour. You can go with us or go to Capri when you please.  Larry will be showing everyone around the island with its two towns – Capri and Anacapri.  Once there you can each decide if you want to take a boat ride around the island and see the blue lagoon or take a minibus up to Anacapri.  There is a chairlift from Anacapri to a scenic overlook at the top of the Island. You can spend the whole day or take the ferry back to Sorrento whenever you like.

On our final night in Sorrento we include an evening Dinner Show with several wines and a musical folk show known as the "Tarantella". This tells the story of Sorrento in song and dance. We know you’ll have a wonderful evening.  The next morning we’ll be picked up by our driver and taken to our hotel in Rome.   

We have some rooms reserved for a fourth day.  If you’d like more time in Sorrento you can check in early (based on availability). 

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above: dinner./show in Sorrento

You  shouldn't rush through
such a beautiful country.  
Slow down and do it right with
Larry and  Jill

 



 






      Larry & Jill   in Venice by the Grand Canal

LA DOLCE VITA...Join us as we enjoy excellent food and wine...
Winery visit, wine tasting, great food, cooking classes,  tailor made for
Food & Wine Lovers!

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above: on the way to Murano

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above: St. Marks Square in Venice
dancing to the competing orchestras


Above & below:
Typical "streets"  in Venice -
a magical and unforgettable city.

 
below:  breakfast room in Venice hotel

below: one of the rooms in Venice hotel


Our boutique hotel in Venice is a "jewel box". All the rooms have upholstered walls, hand decorated furniture, fresh and beautiful draperies, custom tiled bathrooms with all modern conveniences. The public rooms have gorgeous Venetian light fixtures and elaborate decor.  Staying here is the perfect ending to what we will try to make a "perfect" adventure for you.


above:on the  terrace at hotel in Venice

 (yellow building on the left is our
hotel in Venice) This picture doesn't
do it justice It sits on a lovely little
street with gondolas and a park
just steps away.


TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT:
Send us a $500 nonrefundable deposit along with the  signed and dated agreement.

We can accept Master Card or Visa but there is a 3% service charge.

Final payment is due 90 days before departure.

These payments cover lodging, all excursions included on the itinerary, all  ground transportation except where indicated to and from airports, breakfasts and  meals as stated on our itinerary. It also covers luggage handling (where available).  

Air Transportation is not included. Please contact us before you book your flight so we can help you make sure that you get flights that  will work with the tour schedule.       

above: Lynne & Molly in Monteriggioni


above: WWII American Cemetery

below: Piazza Signorelli in Florence


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above: breakfast room in Florence
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above: a room in Florence hotel

above: hotel lobby before dinner Florence

above:  Aileen & her dad
Aileen says: "Traveling with Larry & Jill was like traveling with family...only better. We were looking for flexibility and we got it.We would definitely do another trip with them!"

above: one of the rooms in Cortona


above: view from breakfast room in Cortona


above: Every evening we
 get together for a glass of wine before dinner. 




above 2 pictures:
Isle of Capri is just a ferry ride away
from Sorrento


above: our hotel in Sorrento
just as charming inside!

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   jill%20larry%20civita%20garden-400.jpg above: Larry & Jill in garden in
Civita di Bagnoreggio

 below: Civita di Bagnoreggio
"the dying city"
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HERE'S WHAT IS INCLUDED
ON THIS DELUXE TOUR:
  • Three nights each in Sorrento, Rome & Venice
  • Two nights each in Orvieto (Umbria), Cortona,Florence& Castellina-in-Chianti (Tuscany)
  • In all, seventeen  nights in charming,  hotels with  a welcoming ambiance  in the center of the historic areas  
  • All Ground & water transportation as described in itinerary
  • Welcome dinner and folk show in Sorrento
  • Guided tour of Pompeii.
  • Ferry ticket to Isle of Capri.
  • Seventeen Italian style breakfast buffets 
  • Private Nighttime Driving Tour of Rome
  • Wine seminar, tour of ancient cellars and a wine tasting at Dievole Winery near Siena
  • Farewell Dinner with wine in Venice  
  • Two nights in the center of Cortona - lots of Tuscan charm.
  • Dinner with wine in one of the most fun and popular restaurants in Cortona    
  • In Castellina you'll have free use of a beautiful spa that has a whirlpool, steam room etc
  • Two nights in a luxury four star hotel in the heart of Florence.You'll have  time to visit the Uffizi, Ponte Vecchio, street markets, etc 
  • Two nights in luxury hotel four star in center of Orvieto
  • Three nights in elegant hotel in Venice
  • Three days  vaporetto (ferry) tickets in Venice - includes boats to the islands of Murano, Burano & Torcello.
  • Included excursions to Pompeii, Isle of Capri, Civita di Bagnoreggio, Siena, Monteriggioni and San Gimignano.
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above & below: Welcome Dinner in Rome
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                          Rome

Below: Piazza Santa Maria - in Trastevere

This is the oldest fountain in Rome! Believe it or not, Emperors used to enclose this piazza and watch sea battle reenactments here.  



Below: Cinzia awaits us with a friendly welcome at our Roman style hotel -  in the center of Trastevere. Our "home" in Rome is a cozy little hotel where your experience will be similar to visiting family or friends in Rome. There are only a handful of hotels in Trastevere and we believe that being able to stay within this area is a special experience that gives you a unique look at life in Rome. It is just around the corner from Piazza Santa Maria - (pictured above) one of the most popular night spots in Rome. People gather from all over Rome for dinner and to watch street entertainers. The winding streets that surround the piazza are full of great little restaurants and boutiques. The church has some of the most beautiful mosaics in Rome.



below: ladies from one of our
groups
on Ponte Sisto Bridge