Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Uffizi Gallery’

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

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.