Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Michelangelo’

Welcome, northern Italy tours have never been more affordable and exclusive now that you’ve found out about Tuscany with Me.

Our friend Federica Merli was born and raised in Tuscany, is fluent in English and German and, with extensive work experience in public relations for an Italian winery, is now completing her certification as a Sommelier.  If you’ve experienced the Wine regions of the U.S., you’re ready to travel the ancient Wine Road of Italy.

But you won’t want to limit your trip to Tuscany to just the wineries.  Federica is an authority on all the best Northern Italy has to offer.  Tell her of your interests and she will research them in advance to provide your small group with the most personalized and exclusive customer service available in all of Europe.

Whether it’s a guided half day tour, full day excursion, or an entire week or two of touring, Federica can create a suitable itinerary with each person in mind.  If you’re planning a honeymoon, the celebration of retirement, a family reunion or if you simply want to gather a small group of friends or colleagues, there’s something for everyone in Italy and Federica will help you to find it.

Have you ever considered a trip to an olive grove where you can see the presses at work creating the finest olive oil in the world?  Or how about a tour devoted just to gourmet food?  You might want to devote a day to shopping where Federica will cut through the tourist traps and take you to the places the locals call authentic and a good deal.

Italy invented spas and the Italians are still pampering guests with the finest techniques and treatments in the world.   And for an adventure you may never have thought of, Federica highly recommends a tour of a white marble quarry, the same quarry used by Michelangelo beginning in the year 1500. You’ll never look at marble in the same way again.

The euro is decreasing in value against the dollar, making a European vacation the most affordable in 20 years.  So gather your group, update your passports and start planning your custom Northern Italy tours today.

The Northern Italy Travel kids areas are perfect for a lifetime of learning.  Italy loves children and it is apparent in the many books and novels that familiarize children with Tuscany before they step on the plane to visit.

To plan a trip with children, offer the many books that focus on real and fictitious characters.  You might wish to incorporate these books into your bedtime reading in advance of your trip.  The Stravaganza series of fiction for young readers is a prime example of fact meeting fiction over Italy.

The City of Masks and the City of Stars feature a long simmering battle between two families in the fictitious city of Giglia, remarkably similar to Florence.

The picture book Museum of Adventures allows children to travel back in time to Michelangelo’s day.  He transports them to the marble quarry and art studio where he worked on his sculptures.  Another picture book entitled Leonardo provides a pictorial biography of the Italian Master.  Young readers will become acquainted with da Vinci’s scientific experiments and art as well as his eccentric lifestyle.

We continue the theme of Leonardo da Vinci with another picture book of the same name.  In this work we see the inventor’s sketches and models.  His magnificent flying machines, a gigantic crossbow and water pumps are astonishing since he lived many centuries ago.

Why not teach your children about Botticelli?  Unlike many artists who toiled in obscurity, Botticelli was a famous artist of his day.  The picture book of the same name will explore his creation of the Birth of Venus which your children will see in real life at the Uffizi gallery when you go.

There are many ways to prepare for Northern Italy Travel, kids and books are an excellent way to begin.

Read more about Northern Italy Travel

A most distinct area of Northern Italy tours that will entice you with its charm is the Veneto region.  It consists of seven provinces and the cities of Mestre, Verona, Venice, and Padua.  Veneto exists in the northeast, between the Dolomite mountain range and the Adriatic Sea.

Veneto is a prime wine making region of Italy with more than 20 well known wines made from German and French grapes and produced into Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Merlot.

Accommodations in this exciting region of the country are abundant and include private homes and cottages as a possibility for your lodging.  For example, for June 2010 you can book a 2 bedroom apartment in Venice within walking distance to the canals for $826.00 for a four night stay.  In San Peitro di Feletto a three bedroom villa can be rented for $1,404.00 for four nights.

Many websites can help you with your accommodations and many have a minimum number of nights for your stay.  Contact your tour representative for assistance with lodging.

The locals believe every trip to Italy must include a trip to Venice where cars are forbidden and all travel is by foot, boat or bicycle.  For this reason, time in Venice seems to stand still.  Modern life is forgotten in this ancient city with a lifestyle that is preserved.

Venice is one of the honeymoon capitals of Europe for its romantic nature.  But it is also famous for its food markets and abundance of seafood.   In fact, the city’s proximity to the ocean make the seafood dishes in Venice world class and famous.

The other mandatory stop on your Italian trip is Florence.  Florence is the cradle of the renaissance and the works of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael and Botticelli are in full splendor throughout the city’s many museums and churches.

Consider custom Northern Italy tours when you chose to travel to this marvelous country.  Our blog host, Federica will work with you to design the perfect tour plan that will be just perfect for you.  Contact her at Tuscany With Me.

Prices for Italian vacations were down in 2009 compared to 2008, and 2010 promises to be about the same.  Airfare, meals and museums have all reduced their prices to combat the global recession.  Keep in mind the euro is holding a firm command over the U.S. dollar so expect to pay about 55 cents more for every single euro.

There are many sample itineraries to try when visiting Italy.  Many people go directly to Rome before exploring other cities and the rolling countryside.  Will you join an organized tour or go it alone?  All options are available right from the internet.  If you do hire a tour guide make sure he or she speaks English.  There is nothing worse than needing information from someone you cannot understand.

Whether or not you are Roman Catholic, a tour of the Vatican is a great stop.  The Vatican Museums house some of the world’s finest art, including Michelangelo’s frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.  You can then walk to St. Peter’s Basilica which is Christianity’s largest sanctuary before walking outdoors to the mammoth St. Peter’s Square which has regular audiences with the Pope.

No trip to Italy should be complete without a tour of Tuscany and there are villages, bridges and wineries between Rome and Florence to entice you to make Italian vacations a tradition you will want to repeat.

The host of this Blog is Federica Merli of TuscanyWithMe.it, a native Tusanite, where you will be greeted in flawless English and she will assist you in planning the ultimate holiday in Tuscany.  Each and every client receives close personal attention and if you know where you want to go and what you want to see it will be arranged immediately

If you are unsure of just what your best choices should be Federica will make marvelous suggestions.  All of her tour clients receive a custom tour to exactly what you want.  Italian vacations do not get any better than this.

To receive a price quote click here: Italian Vacations

Good Italy vacation tours will help you determine your priorities so you can make the most of your time there. Italy has 20 regions and unless you have six months of travel time you won’t see everything in your first trip, which isn’t a bad thing because we can all use an excuse to return to Italy.

Tuscany is the region everyone has heard about and everyone wants to visit. The Renaissance was born here, it is the home of Chianti wine and Michelangelo spent time here. Tuscany is not particularly large and it is not served well by public transportation. A car and tour guide are indispensable in any area of Italy outside of Rome.

You can drive from the north of Tuscany to the south in three hours on the highway but you would miss the beauty of the region. The back roads are the way to go to really enjoy the spirit of any region of Italy and Tuscany is no exception.

Many travelers begin their vacation in either Florence or Pisa after arriving by plane in Rome or Milan. Some American airlines now have direct flights from the east coast to Pisa or Florence, eliminating interim train travel from Rome and Milan.

If crowds and long lines and high prices are an issue for you, avoid the peak season of July and August if you can. Instead, consider spring or fall for your visit. The weather is still attractive, the prices are better and massive crowds have dispersed.

If you’re traveling with your entire family, watch for festival schedules. Italy offers unique opportunities for children they can’t find in the States. Bring your camera to take photos of the kids watching “knights” on horseback in Arezzo, or they might smash nuts in Cortona.

Big or small, spring or fall, Italy vacation tours can help you experience the best that country has to offer.

As we publish this article on Christmas Eve we wish all of our readers the very Merriest of Christmases and to all a prosperous and wonderful New Year.

This is the best time of the year to make your travel arrangements for your next vacation to Italy.

Contact: Tuscany with Me to plan now for the vacation of a lifetime!

Your search for Tours Tuscany ends here, with some of the best kept secrets of this marvelous region of Italy.  Old world charm is very much the order in the Tuscan region.  Hotel prices have come down a bit from 2008, making this the best time to make that trip you’ve always dreamed of.

While everyone is going to Florence, you might want to try Siena.  The Palazzo Pubblico boasts the best secular fresco in all of Italy.  Significant artists such as Domenico Beccafumi, Simone Martini and Duccio are evidenced throughout the city with their works dispersed in private and public arenas.

If your visit is long enough to travel to Florence, be sure to look at the Cappella Brancacci at the Piazza del Carmine.  Created by Masaccio, Michelangelo himself studied the work when he was alive.  Masaccio is considered the finest Tuscan painter of all time even though he died at the age of 27.  Many of his works are housed at the Uffizi Gallery.

Public transportation is the normal way to go in Europe.  To rent a car can be quite costly, thanks to lofty insurance rates. A far better way to travel is to rent a car with a driver.  This is a way that every little detail that you would be otherwise concerned with will all be taken care of for you.  Your personal tour guide at “Tuscany with Me!” will be happy to make the arrangements for you.

For rail transportation you may check train timetables at http://www.trenitalia.it.  Train service is ideal to Arezzo, Lucca and Prato as well as Le Crete and Val d’Orcia.   Again, these details will be arranged for you by your personal tour guide.

Smaller areas are best accessed by bus and a pdf. schedule is available for download at http://www.lfi.it, and http://www.sitabus.com/.

As you will likely rely on your tour guide, try to plan as far ahead as you can.  The best accommodations and prices are usually available to those who plan their trip 6 to 12 months in advance.

Tell your tour operator your preferred budget of price for your hotel and it will all be taken care of for you.  The same goes for meals, a guide with experience in Tours Tuscany is invaluable in helping you navigate this beautiful and historic country.