Was just talking to somebody the other day about these planned tours people go on to visit Italy or Europe in general.
They were saying how horrible it is to go on those things. You're rushed running around like a chicken with his
head cut off, you don't really have time to see anything etc. etc.

Here's the deal. Go to Italy on your own or hopefully with a companion or a small group of friends. Better still
somebody who as been to Italy before or even somebody who has been on one of the God awful tours. Alone if you want to
really learn Italian or with somebody who will speak Italian with you and or knows how to speak Italian. Stay in a town
and make that place your base of operation. Per esempio I was in Perugia and that was my base of operation place. From
Perugia I went on the train to many places in Italy. When I lived in Vicenza that was my base of opereation. Traveled
all over northern Italy from Vicenza and even on down to southern Italy. Went to Venezia and Verona 20 times or more.
Train travel in Italy is convient, cheap and fun. Just riding on the train in Italy is an adventure.

What kind of people is a planned tour of Italy for? The kind of people who aren't adventurous. The kind of people who
want to see the sights and compare another country to America and not absorb the culture or try to find a love for the
people. The kind of people who like to be lead like cattle and hurried and follow a schedule. It's for young people not
comfortable with leaving America behind. It's JUST like taking America with you to another country so you feel more comfortable.
If you want to go to Italy. . .do yourself a favor and learn some basic Italian (enough to hold a conversation and get you around
on your own), take a month off, get a good book that talks about what there is in Italy, and go without a tour group. See the sites
and then walk away into the REAL Italy. Don't get ripped off by paying thousands of dollars for one of those cattle herd tours.

Agreed. I don't like being rushed or on a schedule. Quite frankly, that's the exact reason I want to go to Italy....to GET AWAY from my schedules! I just want to take my time and figure out things on my own. That's what a vacation is for.

Va bene.

The thing is Joe, in every town in Italy they have these little guided tours you can take if you want too. For esempio in
Perugia they had a little tour of the town. In Florence, Venice, Rome or anywhere else the samething. Una volta I traveled all the
way to Naples from Vicenza in northern Italy solo and then took a guided tour of Pompeii. Went to the beautiful island of Capri
on my own. From Perugia I took a guided tour by bus con amice to San Marino and San Leo with a tour guide who spoke only in Italian.
Even recorded it on audio and later put it on CD. Went on my own by bus to Gubbio con un amico who had been to Gubbio molte volte.
Went to Assisi and Spoleto and other towns on my own from Perugia. In Spoleto they had a guided little tour of the town I took and then walked around
on my own eating out and speaking Italian with everybody and anybody I saw. People are always friendly if you speak Italian and even if you don't.

Villa i was specifically talking about the large tours that you arrange for when you arrive there. With regards to the small tours you just mentioned.... what was your opinion on those? I would assume any tour is a pain!

Tough choice I think on this...

I went on a travel agents 7 day tour of Sicily that was crammed into just 4 days.

We saw a TON of stuff up and down the west coast of Sicily, from standing on an active Mt Etna, to the cities in the South and back again.

It was quick, cheap and my only trip to any part of Italy and very well worth it!

Yes we were rushed, and yes we didn't spend as much time in each place as possible, but we were there! and we got to see a lot!

Having gone there on such a quick tour, we know what we want to go see and what we don't...we know where to stay and where not too.

Our tour guide was great and got us to both touristy places and a few local shops she knew well.

So I say never pass up the chance to go to Italy no matter what! But know that these tours can be very quick and not always what you want, but are a great introduction to a place you may not know.

Funny story about my tour: it was all inclusive and all you can eat, etc.

The first day the food was piled high, and fresh and yummy and there was plenty.

The second day the food was piled not so high, and well...a day old.

By the last day, the pile of food was pretty low!

Very good point mike!

Right Joe. We're talking about those large expensive cattle round up guided tours that are planned right here in the U.S. Those are the ones you want to avoid. Think about it. If you're on one of those tours you really can't do a lot on your own.

Those little tours in Italy are fine. Although I've been to Venice many times and never once took a guided tour of Venice per se. Listened to some of those tour guides talk though.

Hopefully when you go to Italy you'll spend at least a month there and hopefully speak Italian con la gente.

I totally agree with you professore a guided tour is awful! I mean I am happy and proud that I was able to go to Europe
but it was pretty bad! I mean everything is rushed and you don't really get to enjoy any of the beautiful culture! Next
time I go I want to go with a couple good friends or family and actually enjoy the trip and leave with a sense of
accomplishment and that I have done my best to enjoy my trip! This last trip was too rushed and although we saw a lot
of good cities and three different countires I would have liked to stay longer in each pace to absorb the lifestyle ,
culture , food and people! As so as I was getting used to one place we had to move on to the next place!!!!

I think ill go the cheap route and just listen in on other peoples tours if i run into them. And quite frankly, i'll take a day in italy if thats all i can get!

In Perugia ho conosciuto una ragazza Italiana cosí attrativa e lei me ha portata per ogni posti e totalmente gratis.
Siamo faccia una per il altro. This is what you need to do Joe.