Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Italy Travel Tours’

When packing Italy travel clothes, many would-travelers, especially women, get a little anxious at what clothes to bring. We all know that Italians are, almost to a person, a fashionable lot.  But as a tourist traveling to Italy, you do not have to spend a fortune in designer frocks either to feel like you fit in as a traveler in Italy. Do not be too overly concerned with looking “out of style.” Wearing habits are the result of culture-rooted traditions.

Check the weather forecast. Keep in mind the temperatures can vary widely from north to south of the peninsula. Look at the temperature average of the destinations you are going to visit before packing your luggage.

It is worth spending time, and money, to get the right comfortable shoes even if you just plan to walk in the cities. Consider the sidewalks and streets paved with cobblestones you have to face for your visits to museums, churches, archeological sites, and historical areas. Narrow and climbing streets are typical features of historical centers in Italy, whether in the large cities as well as in small towns. However, buy your shoes in advance and break them in before your holiday starts if you plan on bringing a new pair of shoes.

Pack tops and bottoms that you can mix and match. Keep them comfortable, loose-fitting, and easily washable. Pack short-sleeves or pretty tank tops and a couple of longer-sleeved layers. Remember that you are required to avoid shorts, tops, or similar clothing that reveal too much skin when visiting churches and monasteries. Bring a lightweight jacket for rain or chill, or a couple of long silk scarves which will add some pizzazz to a mundane look, as well as keep you cozy if the weather turns a bit chilly. Include at least one dressy outfit for a night out on the town.

Whatever your fashions sense, remember to travel light when thinking of what Italy travel clothes to pack.  We want you to enjoy whichever of the Italy Travel Tours you decide to take.

Many Americans take Italy travel tours to Tuscany, but where do you begin to absorb all that this region has to offer?  Tuscany means different things to different people.

Some people associate Tuscany with olives and the many products made with this ancient fruit.  Chief among them is olive oil and there are hundreds of farms, both large and small, that press the nectar from the olive to produce a staple of cuisine; olive oil.

Recognizing the allure of watching ages-old artisan techniques, some groves now open their operations to visitors.

Tuscany also means wine and the famous “wine road” of Chianti is another popular activity for travelers.  Your tour guide will take your intimate group to the many vineyards around Greve, including Casaloste and Villa S. Andrea.  You’ll learn how 21st century technology meets practices hundreds of years old to produce world-class wine.

Fine art is how some people define Tuscany.  There is no greater collection of Renaissance art in the world than what can be found in Florence.  Michelangelo’s “David”, considered by many to be the greatest statue in the world is a must-see, however there are lesser known works hidden throughout this city and your knowledgeable guide will help you discover it.

Perhaps the simple geographical and historical beauty of Tuscany is what you desire most.  In that case, your guide will have many options for you.  Would you like to explore one of the most scenic places in the world?  Then Cinque Terre is for you.  Consisting of five towns, Cinque Terre is navigable by boat, train, car and foot, depending upon your activity goal.

Whatever you seek in Tuscany, your guide will be ready with information, organization and a wealth of English-speaking help to make your Italy travel tours a memorable experience.  Check with Federica Merli at TuscanyWithMe.it to help you design the perfect tour of Northern Italy.

Your Italy Travel Tours can follow the path of a best-selling novel by American writer Frances Mayes.  Mayes is best known for her book Under the Tuscan Sun, an adventure of renewal and rebirth experienced in Tuscany after the author’s divorce from her husband.  Many Americans seek to retrace the steps taken by Mayes on this important period of her life.

Ask your tour guide to pick you up at your hotel in Florence and to drive you to Cortona which is a little city in central Italy, high atop a hill overlooking Lake Trasimeno.  The walls of this ancient city are estimated to be 3,000 years old.

After a series of wars against Rome in 300 B.C., Cortona was destroyed and later rebuilt.  By the 14th century it became part of Tuscany and it gave birth to several Italian historical figures: Luca Signorelli the painter, Brother Elias- companion to St. Francis of Assisi, and Cardinal Egidio Boni.

Once you have absorbed the splendor and history of Cortona, it is time to explore Lake Trasimeno.  With a surface area of 79 miles, it is larger than Lake Como, though the latter is more famous.

Separated by hills from the Tiber River, the lake is ringed by bucolic little villages.  History buffs will delight in the ancient history of this body of water.  There was a Battle of Lake Trasimeno in 217 B.C.  that puzzles historians to this day.  They’re not certain exactly where it took place because the lake was larger at that time.

Legend has it that the golden chariot of Flaminio lies at the bottom of this very deep lake.  Don’t be disappointed if you can’t find the chariot on your trip.  The many olive groves and vineyards that dot the lake will enchant you and provide beautiful photo opportunities on your vacation with Italy Travel Tours.

Consider your Italy Travel Tours to begin in Florence, with a full day of exploration of this marvelous region.  The best way to see it is by car on the scenic road called Viale Dei Colli.

From here you can view the Miniato al Monte church with its spectacular green and white marble façade.  Your tour guide will point out this is a fine example of Florentine Romanesque architecture.

High on a hill above the ancient city is Forte Belvedere, built by the Grand Duke Ferdinand in 1590.  The purpose of the facility was to safeguard the Medici Villas.  The drive to the Fort is spectacular with historic walls lining the narrow road.

After Forte Belvedere your guide might recommend the Pitti Palace and its collection of museums and galleries such as the Costume Gallery, Palatine Gallery, the Coach Museum, Royal Apartments, the Gallery of Modern Art and the Silver and Porcelain Museum.  They are all surrounded by the Boboli Gardens, a beautiful park of trees, flowers and shrubs.

If you enjoy the history of the Great Philosophers, venture over to the Piazza della Repubblica where the greatest minds of old Florence met for espresso and cappuccino.  The cafes that housed these conversations still stand today.

You can walk from there to the Piazza del Duomo and to the Piazza Signoria where you can take in the best of the Renaissance and the art of the period.

After that you’ll want to hop in the car so your tour guide can drive you to the Basilica of the Holy Cross, or the Santa Croce.  The largest Franciscan chapel in the world, it includes 16 chapels bearing frescoes by Giotto.

The Chapel was begun in the year 1294 and it was the replacement of an earlier church on the same site.  Your Italy Travel Tours will open your eyes to the beautiful and ancient history of Tuscany.

To schedule your own custom tour of Tuscany, contact Federica Merli at Tuscany With Me.  She will assist you in designing your tour to your exact requirements.

Click here to read our previous post on: Italy Trips to Remember.