Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review Day 10 - Florence

Tour Day 10 -

We met with a local tour guide in Florence for an walking tour past the The Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiori and ending at The Basilica of Santa Croce. The dome of the Cathedral has an interesting story and was designed by a goldsmith. Florence is renowned for its gold jewelry and leather products and after a visit to a jewelry store, we were led to the Peruzzi leather factory and showroom. With a couple of hours free time, we wandered around the Santa Croce Piazza and some of the group toured the Basilica where Michaelangelo is buried.
Back in Rome there was an optional dinner, but we chose instead to walk to a restaurant close to Raganelli Hotel (I think it was called Benditos).

In summary I thought this was a great tour, and I was fortunate that the group was a lot of fun and looked out for each other. No one intentionally turned up late at meeting places and were prompt when we had stops for lunch or restrooms. Our tour guide was also very entertaining and efficient at keeping things running smoothly. The hotels were all adequate. This was a cost saver tour so the hotels were usually away from the main cities, but I found them all clean and comfortable. The buffet breakfasts were good (although many complained about the coffee). There was a rush in the places we stopped and not nearly enough time to take in the sights, but we did cover a lot of Italy in a short period of time.

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review Day 9 Lake Como, Pisa, Florence

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene - Day 9

We took the optional tour to Bellagio on Lake Como which was beautiful (37 euro). Unfortunately, because of the noise from the boat we were unable to hear the guide. We spent time walking around the small town and found a restaurant for our gelato/restroom stop. The part of the group that stayed behind said there wasn't much to do or see in the town where we left the bus. After boarding the bus, we traveled to Pisa for a brief visit before heading to Florence. Pisa was another tourist trap full of market stalls and vendors. We took a few pictures and then ate at McDonalds (mainly so that we could use the restroom).
Arriving in Florence around 3:00 we had time to explore, but the Novotel Hotel was not near the city center (5 miles). There was an optional dinner in the Tuscan Hills (61 euro). We opted to take a taxi into Florence which was quite expensive (26 euro each way). I'm glad we took the time to go into the city because the following day was rushed and it gave us a chance to explore and have a nice quiet dinner in a local square. Like other places we have visited on this trip, I would have liked much more time to explore. One place that Pitti Palace just a short distance from the Ponte Vecchio. A big influence in Florence was the Medici Family, many of whom although not of royal descent, went on to marry kings of other countries.

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review Day 8 Verona and Lake Como

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene - Day 8

We were able to spend a little time in Verona viewing the market stalls (fruit and vegetables were very fresh) and walking to the arena where concerts are still held. The courtyard where there is a bronze statue and balcony of Shakespere's Juliet is best viewed as early as possible because it gets crowded.
Then back on the bus to travel toward the Italian Lakes where we had views of Lake Como.
Dinner at the Grand Milan Hotel in Saronno.

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review - Days 6 and 7 Venice

Day 6 - We arrived in Venice (mainland) in the afternoon and were offered an optional tour of the Canals of Venice (69 euro). As I've been to Venice several times I preferred to wander around the streets, rather than take a tour which included a gondola ride. A few of the group decided to take the small train (people mover) from where the buses park (Tronchetto Island is a man made island shown to the left of the above picture) to the island of Venice (note: first stop is for cruise ships), but unfortunately it was on the far side of the island and away from St. Mark's square. We walked for 30 minutes following the signs for San Marco, then turned and walked back following the signs for Piazzale Roma, returning on the train to meet the Trafalgar coach. The hotel where we stayed that night, Il Burchello, was once a villa converted into a hotel. As with most of the hotels it wasn't near enough to do any additional sightseeing of Venice (17km). One additional feature that the hotel had was a laundry room. Near the hotel (across the river) is a small supermarket and wine shop. Stock up on water here as it's considerably cheaper than in the tourist areas. There is also a pathway along the river for a nice evening walk.

Day 7 - Venice
When we arrived back at Tronchetto Island the following morning, we took a boat cruise to Giudecca Island where we toured a glass factory before going across the lagoon to St. Mark's Square.  There was an optional tour, Majestic Venice (35 euro), but it was so crowded in the square and water had begun to bubble up from the lagoon, flooding part of the square so we decided instead to head to Santa Maria Della Salute crossing the canal by bridge and then taking the gondola/Traghetto back across the canal - 2 euros.
After meeting the group back at St. Marks we selected the optional tour to Burano which included dinner (69 euro). We chose not to join everyone for dinner (I think it was 39 euro without the dinner) and instead wandered around Burano and stopped for pizza at a local pizzeria (I think this was called Devil Take Away Pizza). Burano was well worth the optional cost - Burano is a quaint and peaceful town.

Pompeii, Italy

Pompeii was much larger than I had imagined and rather than a small village, it had once been a thriving town closer to the sea than it is now. (After the Mount Vesuvius eruption the debris and volcanic ash extended the coastline). There is still much of the town to uncover. The Italians were great engineers and the streets were laid out in an orderly fashion. The street pavements were bordered with light colored stone that reflected from lamps that pedestrians carried at night. Large stones were placed periodically so that people could cross the road which was often filled with water (they were placed wide enough apart to permit the wagon wheels to pass through). Pipes were revealed to show even at that time, these were used to bring water into the city. Unfortunately they were made of lead and caused many early deaths. There was a spa, swimming pool, courtyard for gladiators to practice in and an arena.
When Pompeii was first uncovered they found imprints of the bodies and filled these with plaster to show how people would have been overcome by the gases.
To add to the eeriness of the deserted town, thunder rumbled in the distance with what I can imagine was not unlike the sound of Vesuvius exploding in AD79.
Mount Vesuvius is an active volcano  and yet people continue to live at the foot of the mountain. With a view of Naples on one side of the road, the other shows miles of shanty towns and homes built illegally at the base of Mount Vesuvius. The Italian government has had little success in stopping residents from building in the danger zone of the volcano.

Courtyard where gladiators practiced. Many were prisoners and resided in cells around the courtyard.

Part of the courtyard reconstructed. 

Streets of Pompeii

Ceiling fresco in the spa area

Part of the spa where there were rooms for hot, cold and tepid water.

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review - Day 5 Bay of Naples - Monte Cassino - Assisi

We left the hotel early in the morning and headed to Pompeii (optional tour 36 euro). Although views of Monte Cassino are shown in the advertising for this trip, you will only see it as the coach drives by. There is no stopping to take pictures and it's far in the distance.
I was surprised how big the town of Pompeii was and due to lack of funds to both uncover additional areas and maintain them, only a third of the town is revealed. We had a very informative guide, Enrico, who showed us what ingenious people the Italians were. The tour was a little rushed because of the impending rain and I would have liked to spend more time in Pompeii.
The skies continued to darken and by the time we reached Assisi there was a misty rain. After checking into our hotel, Il Castello Hotel, which was once a monastery and built inside the city walls we had just a short walk to the basilica. Don't expect fluffy towels, they resemble tea towels. Make sure you tour the city when you arrive, because there is no time the following day.

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review - Day 4 (Sorrento-Bay of Naples)

Day 4 -Rome-Sorrento-Bay of Naples
The drive to Sorrento was beautiful with views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius  We stopped at an inlaid-wood workshop for a tour then spent an hour or so wandering the lovely lanes in Sorrento (be sure to stop at Primavera for a gelato).


An optional tour to Positano (40 euro) was worth doing with a drive along the Amalfi Coast and time to wander around the lanes in Positano, a quick dip in the ocean and a drink and bruschetta at a restaurant overlooking the beach. The hotel scheduled was The Grand Moon Valley but we stayed instead at the Hotel Mary on the Sorrento coast. After a swim in the pool, which was very cold, we ate dinner at the hotel and spent the evening sitting on the balcony and watching the buses and cars trying to navigate the sharp bend (some guests had a sea view). Some of the others in the group chose to walk to the small town (Vico Equense) where there are a few small shops. I wish we'd had longer to spend here as it seems a very interesting town with lots of history.

Trafalgar Tours Italian Scene Review - Days 1, 2 and 3

Tour Travel Tips here
The Italian Scene Tour by Trafalgar is a great way to see different regions of Italy and in a short time: Rome, Sorrento, Assisi, Venice, Italian Lakes and Florence. It's a whirlwind tour criss-crossing Italy with stays of mostly one night in the cities visited. Our tour director, Federica was amazing and teamed with a skillful driver (Salvo) they made our tour run smoothly.

Plan to spend 15-20 euros for dinner on the nights that it isn't included (included dinner at the hotels was not impressive anyway) and around 10 euros for lunch. Buffet breakfast is provided every day. If you don't want to pay the service charge at restaurants, take your sandwich or gelato with you to eat on a bench or on the go. Also, hotels are on the outskirts of the towns listed so if you want to do any additional sightseeing, you will have to pay for a taxi or if time allows take a local bus.

Many in depth local tours are optional and an added expense (you'll get a list of these with your travel vouchers).
Another additional expense is the airport transfers. Although these are offered, there are few times that you can take them to and from the airport. If your flight doesn't coincide with these times you will have to pay for a taxi (around 50 euro). As we were in Rome a day earlier, transfers weren't available to us, but we were able to take the Trafalgar transfer returning to the airport (6:30 a.m.).

The hotels we stayed in were pleasant and adequate. Some of the showers took some getting used to and don't expect air conditioning to make the room cold. However, they will make it a little less hot and take some of the humidity out. (It was extremely humid in Rome although locals said it was unusual for September).

Tour Day 1 -  Travel Day
We chose to arrive a day early in Rome and what should have been a travel day was our first day in Rome. The Ergife Palace Hotel allowed us to check in as soon as we arrived (8:30 a.m.)  We headed to the bus stop and found our way into the city. I would highly recommend doing this and making the most of your time in Rome.
As with most of the hotels on this tour the Ergife is not close to the city center (over 8km). Coming from the hotel, we turned right at Via Aurelia and walked until we came across the McDonald's sign which is close to the Metro (about 20 minutes). We found public transport relatively easy. The Metro is a good place to get tickets for both bus and subway. (You will need to take 3 or 4 escalators down to get to the ticket machines). The 46 bus (bus stop on Via di Boccea) takes you to Piazza Venezia (make sure you take the bus going in the right direction). We walked around the Piazza Navona (a few stops before Piazza Venezia) then followed side streets to Castel Sant Angelo before taking the No. 46 back (bus stop on the opposite side of the river to the Castel) (count the number of stops before you get on the bus so that you know where to get off). Most Italians can communicate a little in English so learn a few phrases (Dov'è means where is) and along with hand signals and a notepad to write down numbers or places, you can get along fine. We found everyone we spoke to in Rome really helpful.

Tour Day 2 - Rome
We weren't scheduled to meet with the tour group until 5:00 as most people were still arriving so we set off early to see the sights of Rome. This time we took the  Metro to the Spanish Steps,  walked up them to the Borghese Gardens (the largest park in Rome) and then took a taxi (10 eruo) to the Pantheon. From there we walked to Piazza Venezia, where the monument to Victor Emmanuel is the backdrop and sometimes called the wedding cake by locals. We also walked the steps to the right of the monument where, at the top, you can view old Rome. After returning to the hotel we joined the welcome meeting with the tour director and our group before heading to a local restaurant (optional experience 47 euro). Although expensive, there was a night time bus tour of Rome and the meal (delicious) was accompanied by opera singers wandering around the subterranean restaurant which was supposedly built on the site of Roman baths. It was a great way to meet and get to know people from the group. Note: Wine included.

I found this video on You Tube. It wasn't the night we were there (they asked a priest to sit in the barber chair the night we were at Le Terme Del Colosseo).

 Day 3 - Rome Sightseeing

We chose to take the optional Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums (76 euro) which I found very disappointing and not worth the cost (the tickets to the Vatican and Chapel showed 16 euro on the ticket). Not that the sights were not amazing, but it was so crowded it was difficult to appreciate the beauty. There were so many groups, it was difficult to hear the guide (even with ear phones) and it was very claustrophobic. After leaving the chapel, the tour headed to St. Peter's Basilica, but with the crowds and the humidity I didn't spend much time in there as I felt a little unwell after the pandemonium in the Sistine Chapel.  Included in the optional was a tour of the Colosseum which was much more informative. If I had the chance to do it again I would visit St. Peter's which is free and just view the Colosseum from the outside while the others were taking the optional tour. In the evening there was another optional tour of Rome with a stroll around Piazza Navona and Piazza Venezia (33 euro). We chose instead to go (by taxi) to the Campo di Fiori, a popular haunt of Romans, where we ate delicious spaghetti and pizza and watched the comings and goings of locals in the square.