Tuscany & the Amalfi Coast (2012)

We just returned from Italy. We are both tired from all the walking but it was so worth it. Our guide, Fernanda was so informed about everything. She made it fun and exciting with all her discoveries. I agree that Florence was a bit overwhelming. So much to see.
Tuscany was my favorite. The rolling hillsides and the cypress trees. The winery we visited that was run by all women. The etruscan museum and the tomb she took us to. Our busdriver dressed up like a mummy and came out.
Assissi was a challenge for me with its ramp to the church and the steps everywhere. But surpisiingly we did it and I am so happy that we had this wonderful experience.

Traveler: Linda Barnhart from Royal Oak, MI traveled on April 28, 2012

Fabulous! We so enjoyed almost every aspect of our trip. Particularly important was the fact that we stayed a week in each of two places, and did not have to do much unpacking and packing.
Our favorite portion was the stay in Tuscany: Orvieto, Radicofani and the stop at the winery, Pienza, Assisi and our favorite, Sienna. Beautiful countryside, good food and wine. The day in Florence was a disappointment, too much to see in too little time. The stop on our return to the hotel at the American Military Cemetery, however, where some in our group participated in the flag lowering ceremony, was quite moving.
The hotel in Chianciano, the Grand Hotel Ambasciatori, was charming. The staff was so friendly and helpful and the restaurant was very good.
The hotel in Sorrento, the Conca Park, was perfectly located for exploring the old town. Lots of shopping and good restaurants, and a wonderful view of Mount Vesuvious from our window.
We had a very compatible group, and our tour guide, Paolo Santioli, made the trip! His enthusiasm for his country, his helpfullness and sense of humor, and his knowledge of the places we visited, added so much to our travels.
I would suggest that Grand Circle stress more how much money is needed for tipping: tour and local guides, maids and hotel restaurant workers, bus drivers etc.
Our only disappointment was the overseas portion of the airline trip on Delta: cramped seating for a long journey, not too clean planes, and inedible food.
We are already planning our next trip with GCT in 2013, one of those river cruises which everyone raves about! It will be my fourth trip with Grand Circle and my husband's second.

Traveler: Judith Granger from Georgetown, TX traveled on March 31, 2012

The trip in general was very good. Fernanda our trip director was excellent in every way. Itinerary , scheduling, our companions and the weather was great.
The poor part of the trip we explained in detail in our mail in review and involved two of the hotel accommodations and our unnecessary efforts in obtaining tickets to the Easter Sunday Mass in Rome. Fernanda aided us in dealing with the management at the hotels. We spent a great amount of time with friends in the inner circle that agreed the inequality was unfortunate. Doubtful we will do a land tour

Traveler: Henry Rowan from Berlin, MD traveled on March 22, 2012

What a trip. This was my first international travel experience and also my first experience with GCT. I was very pleased with the trip. It was strenous, but GCT informed me that it would be. I travelled with my sister (another novice to international travel and GCT) and a GCT inner circle member. Having an experienced travel companion was helpful, however with all the assistance from GCT I would have been comfortable traveling by myself. Several single women were a part of the tour group and that revealed to me that I can travel alone.

The Italian experience was all I expected and more. Hearing the language spoken, seeing families together, visiting the ancient villages - what more could I ask for - maybe a sunny day in Capri instead of the deluge we experienced. There was one item on my wish list - viewing the statue of Mary Magdalene the Penitent by Donatello. That was a higher priority than "David". After seeing that everything else was like sprinkels on an ice cream cone. Even though I couldn't understand a word of the Tarantella Folk Show it was great fun - dinner, conversation with other GCT travelers, lots of laughter and a good show. Tuscany was like looking at a travel book and Amalfi was breathtakingly beautiful.

Where to next? Looking at the options. Who knows where I may go?

Thanks for a great, fun experience.

Traveler: Ruth Ann Rousey from Sykesville, MD traveled on March 31, 2012

We think a change of hosts for our home visit is needed. It was run like a business - not personal - excellent food - no interaction with hosts.

Traveler: Carol Spizuoco from Marco Island, FL traveled on November 08, 2011

First and foremost, our director, Fernanda Biserni, was excellent. She is a very capable professional who made the trip an outstanding one for everyone involved.

TUSCANY: We have toured Europe a lot, so we have a feel for the "old" Europe that the directors present. However, Italy is exceptional in that the past is so well preserved. I think it's because Italy was a poor country that simply didn't have the means to modernize. Now that is their advantage, at least in terms of promoting tourism. Siena, Firenza (Florence), Cortona, etc- each is an extremely-well preserved piece of the past. However, having said that, the Tuscany portion of the trip was too long for us by a couple of days. See one incredible old Italian village, you've seen them all. Plus, December is, obviously, a slow season so a lot of things are closed. Which, everyone on the trip agreed, is MUCH better than the mad rush that must be the high-tourist season. Also I like the technical side of things, so I visited the Museo Galileo in Firenza, which I would highly recommend to anyone of similar inclination.

SORRENTOAMALFI COAST: This is a whole different world from Tuscany. It's almost indescribable, how the villages cling to the sides of cliffs. Again I marveled at the proud history of ancient ItalianRoman engineering- too bad they haven't maintained it in the modern age. Most incredible to me were the ruins of the Vesuvius eruption. Visiting Pompeii was an experience of a lifetime- standing in the huge central forum, you can just feel the fear of the people as they watched the mountain explode. DON'T MISS THAT EXCURSION! Even more incredible to me, however, was the visit to the Stabiae Villas in Gragnano. Grand Circle Foundation supports this notable historical dig, so we had an honest-to-god archaeologist lead the tour. It was amazing, seeing the work at one of the villas, with many more known to exist nearby under many meters of ash and dirt (one of which is 250,000 sq. ft.). The next project is to dig out the fountain adjacent to the central pool. To me this isn't about the past as much as the present: by understanding our history we are better able to shape our future. Along with the Santa Maria della Pieta School Visit in Sorrento, I was extremely impressed with the Grand Circle Foundation's cultural and educational work, enough so to make a couple of donations when we got home.

WEATHER: It was pretty much what I expected, a real mixed bag. Most days had at least a little bit of sunshine, and others had at least a little bit of rain- a few had a LOT of rain. Our trip to Siena was a good example: as we toured the city it rained cats and dogs, but there was bright sunshine after lunch. I had a fairly light jacket and a couple of wool sweaters, which was just fine. The only day I was really cold was on Capri, when it was pretty chilly with a stiff wind. But in fact it was the most beautiful day, and as soon as we got to the leeward side of the island it was delightful. We love the weather and much preferred it to the hot Med summer. Just be prepared for ANYTHING as you board the bus.

Traveler: Joseph Mclaughlin from Pittsburgh, PA traveled on November 29, 2011

This has to be one of the best tours we have taken, & we would recommend it to anyone. Staying at one hotel for 7 nights in Tuscany & 7 nights in Sorrento was just great.Not having to live ouy of your luggage is wonderful.
Aside from the first hotel in Rome, all the hotels were good
We had a Program Director, Fernanda, & she brought every city & sight to life along with her little surprises. Tuscany was our favorite spot, where we stayed in Chianciano. Beautiful countryside along with our trips to Florence, Siena & Assisi, made this a very memorable trip.
The Amalfi coast is just beautiful, & Capri
is always a fantastic place to visit (or live there).
We would recommend all the optional tours, if your body can take it. The time of year (November 2nd through the19th) was good with the weather in the 50's & 60's, & no crowds.
This was our first trip with GCT, & we hope to travel with them again.

Traveler: Philip Gambino from Ridge, NY traveled on November 02, 2011

We really enjoyed this trip. Italy is so beautiful. The Italian people are friendly and extremely helpful. We also did the pre and post trip to Venice and Rome. I don't feel this trip would have been complete without seeing these two places. Each area has it's own uniqueness.

I recommend, plan your tipping before you go, or encourage Grand Circle to include all tipping when you are with them. I feel towards the end of our trip some were short changed on their due gratuity. This was our first trip with Grand Circle, so we were unaware of all the tipping needed.

I am planning my next trip with Grand Circle, their prices are beyond compare and their hosts are awesome.

Traveler: Barbara Alaback from Louisville, OH traveled on October 29, 2011

This was a wonderful trip--I want to live in
Pienza!! Assisi was a beautiful city, Sienna, Florence great. You'd think you didn't want to
see another church and then the next one would be even more beautiful. It was really nice to stay in one location and travel out from there rather than lugging suitcases every day.
Pompeii was absolutely amazing. Sorrento was a nice city. Compact enough to easily get around by walking. Loved the little fishing
village. The Almafi coast was also lovely, but loving to take photos, I would have loved to take a boat ride along the coast to get pictures from the water.Capri was also
nice, but probably my least favorite place-
though the boat ride we took around part of
the island was very nice. All the local guides we had were exceptional, we learn so much from them. We also had a stop
at an American Cemetery which no body
even knew was in Italy. It made us all
think of all our soldiers who we have left
around the world. It was very nice of the
Italian government to let us have this place.
It was very impressive.
The food on the trip was very good, and
the little local restaurants that our director
told us about were just lovely places. We enjoyed those a lot. Have to mention my sister is a vegan, Giuseppi Mellina really
went out of his way to make sure she had
meals that worked for her. Giuseppi was
a wonderful program director, he made the
whole trip so enjoyable

Traveler: Alice Nelson from Belvidere, IL traveled on September 24, 2011

A scenic country,friendly people,spectacular sites, well informed local guides, and a tour director intimately familiar with the medieval towns scattered through out Italy make this a unique experience. BRAVA VANESSA!! Tom and Jeanne Rogers

Traveler: Thomas Rogers from Phoenix, AZ traveled on October 19, 2011

Taking my first trip to Europe, I know after returning, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Tuscanny is everything beautiful you see in travel photos. Tall Mediterrian pines, olive trees planted in drill team percision on beautiful rolling hills, grape vine stalks precisiously placed in cadence rows, food you dream about, history that comes to life with excellent Program Director's, and it's difficult to stop! GO is my best advice!

Traveler: Nancy Kinney from Venice, FL traveled on October 19, 2011

This is a GREAT trip. The itinerary keeps you busy but you see a very good cross section of Italy. People who have difficulty walking should avoid some of the excursions.
Our PD, Giulio was fantastic; get him if you can. He is VERY knowledgible about Italian history around all the places we toured.
Include the pretrip to Venice as well as the post trip to Rome; don't miss these two cities.
The hotels are well located and cater to us Americans. The side trip to the glass blowing factory in Murano (off the coast of Venice) could be deleted.

Traveler: Donald Dearing from Nevada City, CA traveled on October 01, 2011

Beware of this description as it denotes a trip that is much different from normal GCT tours. For this trip, it meant that Tuscany would be a visit to a small spa city that can be walked in an hour and 7 days of bus trips to towns and sites for short visits. A few hours in Florence is very disappointing even for those who have been there before. That is all that is possible with this "extended vacation".

Sorrento and Venice were wonderful and the trip leaders, Fernando and Andrea were excellent.

Hopefully, the Tuscany portion of the trip will be restructured with Florence as a featured city for 3 days with that time taken from Chiancianco where 4 days would be more than sufficient.

Traveler: Bruce Dennison from Encino, CA traveled on October 02, 2011

I was a first-time traveler - and solo. This trip far exceeded my expectations.

A couple of tips for future travelers -

1. Take a walking stick. The warnings about walking 3 to 5 miles a day and over rough cobblestones are accurate. I did Venice as a pre-trip and found the stick of enormous help on days 2 and 3 when my legs were in shock from climbing up and down the stairs on all the bridges. It was also particularly helpful in Siena where the entrances to the piazza made me feel like I should be looking for a piece of cardboard and sliding down the slope and in Pompeii where there was indeed a lot of rumble on the ground. I got mine at REI. It was collapsible and fit easily in the bottom of my suitcase.

2. And speaking of my suitcase...I'm a shopper and didn't plan accordingly. I shipped ceramics home, but my suitcase was definitely "weight challenged" because of the wine, cheese and limoncello I bought plus space challenged because of the purses, scarves and jewelry I bought. If you plan to shop a lot, either pack lightly so there's room in your bag, bring a fold-out bag with you or plan on buying a small bag when you get to Sorrento and paying your airlines fee for the additional bag on the flight home.

3. And speaking of flights ... feel free to talk to GC about how you are being routed and what airline you're being booked on. I traveled from JFK to Venice via Paris on Air France and loved the flights. Planes were clean, plenty of leg room, food was good and the domestic terminal was easy walking distance from the international termainal. On the way back I went from Rome to JFK via Amsterdam on KLM and was disappointed. The plane was older and looked very worn. The aisles were tiny, the leg room was very tight, the meal was poor (though we were offered little snacks several times in addition) and the walk from the domestic terminal to the international terminal was exhausting.

4. The customs office in the Amsterdam airport was hidden away, it was poorly signed and no one seemed to know where it was. If you've got tax-free forms to have stamped you must find the customs office at whatever airport you depart the EU from, so start asking for directions as soon as you get off your plane.

5. Be sure to keep a journal, even if it's just notes jotted down in your iPhone. This is such a memorable trip with so many sights and sounds that you'll forget things you want to share with your friends and family at home if you don't keep some kind of record.

6. And finally....do the Sorrentine Adventure. It's not "just" learning to make pizza. It's a visit to a 4-acre farm that is practically self-sustaining. The family makes their own cheese and wine and olive oil from their animals and vines and trees, grows their own produce and really demonstrates a way of life that you don't often see in the States.

Have a wonderful trip - and if Patricia Fannon is your PD you certainly will. She's fabulous - and knows every wonderful pastry shop along the route so plan on a few extra pounds even with all the walking you'll do!

Traveler: Nancy Egbert from Placerville, CA traveled on September 18, 2011

My wife are third time travelers with GCT. I have always found the company to be extremely well organized. When I call, I readily talk to a person and that person knows all details about our account. The trips are very well organized, with a lot of thought put into the itinerary. Most companies claim to want their customers satisfied, but GCT means it and does its very best to attain that goal. Usually the hotels and meals are mediocre, but they are certainly adequate and worth the price. We have been very satisfied with all aspects of our travel with GCT.

Traveler: Charles Sweet from Wakefield, RI traveled on September 28, 2011

Fernando Aversa - our tour director did a great job with our group.

Food - I am a Celiac. So, I knew that I would have a challenge with the pasta and desserts on this trip. Fernando did a great job of taking care of my needs, so I didn't get sick.

Florence - this place was a zoo. We were there on a Sun. Many bands and lots of people. Our guide needed more training in giving a tour, in talking to the group and he should have been able to move us around the area to get us out of the crowds.

Loved Tuscany and all the stops, Pienza, Assisi and our stay in Chianciano.
Only problem we ran into in Chianciano is when you were on your own for lunch or dinner, it hard to find places open. Many times the eating places were closed for lunch, and open late for dinner. We tended to go to the same couple places in our staying area. It would have been nice to have gotten a list of restaurants, times open, and locations within walking distance of our hotel.

Enjoyed our stops in Naples, Montecassino and loved seeing Pompeii.

Our second phase of the trip was our stay at the Hotel Montana in St. Agata. The hotel was just okay. We were originally suppose to stay at Cesare Augusto Hotel in Sorrento, and 12 days before our trip we get a note that we are changing hotels. This was a big dissappointment for our group. We had to be bused everywhere, in addition to waiting on the bus all the time. Wasted a lot of time waiting and being transported. Our view from our room was overlooking the race track street with a grocery and bakery across the street. You couldn't enjoy sitting on the small balcony, the gas fumes would get to you. Also, I don't think this hotel was use to serving food to groups of people. We had the same old same old selection of foods everyday. If you continue to use this place you'd better check it out.

We encountered three other groups travelling with GC at the same time we were there. We know that two groups got to stay at the Cesare A. The location of that hotel was great in that you could just walk out of your hotel and enjoy the town of Sorrento. We checked it out. It is all about location, location, and the Montana wasn't the place GC should have put our group. Also, the Montana didn't have Wi-Fi, so we weren't able to use the computer. If we're paying this kind of money for a trip, the hotels should provide free use of the computer.

We loved Sorrento,the Amalfi Coast and Capri. Beautiful area.

George & Bonnie Bortnichak

Traveler: George Bortnichak from The Villages, FL traveled on September 14, 2011

My wife and I are 9-time travelers, and thoroughly enjoyed the scope of activities offered, and found the pacing refreshing as we like to walk (averaged 5-6 miles per day, some organized and some on our own). Italy does not offer much support for disabled or those needing assistance travelers!
Our Program Director, Patricia Fannon (also known as Professora Yum Yum for her discovery of the best pastry delights at every stop we made) was absolutely the best -- she focused on the needs of "all 37 travelers", and was quick to resolve personal travel and individual medical issues quickly -- a real treasure!

Having Chianciano (an easy going spa town, rather than a bustling big city) as our base of operations in Tuscany was refreshing -- great gelato and eats across the street at the Grand Cafe, and pizza at the Boston Hotel (enough for two). Some travelers took in the SPA for 3 hours (bring your suits, or can buy there), and enjoyed the experience. Visiting the various hill towns, especially Radicofani, Montalcino (the Brunello wine superb), Pienza, Cortona, and Montepulciano a delight (the climb to the top of the town exhilerating). Our one-hour Art of the Renaissance presentation by Fernanda was a college semester class that was thoroughly insightful and prepared us for our new explorations.

Florence on a Sunday with 22,000 marathoners in the streets was unfortunate, but The Academia Museum (David) a must see! If get the chance when leaving Florence at the end of the day , have your PD stop at the WW II Cemetery for American Soldiers(one of two in Italy) -- we were able to participate in performing the Retreat Ceremony at 5 pm -- a memory maker!

Both Optional Tours, Assisi and Sienna, enjoyable, especially if this is your first visit to Italy.

The Amalfi Coast full day tour was breathtaking....literally! Do not sit on the right side of the bus next to the cliffs if you can't stand high places. Our driver Pepe was spectaculart!

Sorrento has lots of shops (leather, porcelin, lemoncello candy, etc.), and fun to walk the narrow streets (have to stop at Davide's for gelato -- do you sense a theme here!). The Foreigner's Club is a great stop when you use your Dine Around Card -- great view for lunch or dinner, and menu tailored for Grand Circle. The Home Hosted lunch --- visited a local farm where our hostess Anna and family showered us with a true Italian meal using fresh ingredients. Our Home Away From Home presentation was enlightening.

Local Guides for Isle of Capri (Roberta), and Pompeii (Francesco) were insightful (husband and wife), and were "fantastico"). If get chance to take boat trip around Isle of Capri at the end of the day do so -- photo op for sure! Archaeological Museum of Naples is where all the "good stuff" from Pompeii is located, just close your eyes to the lack of refuge control,

The visit to Montecassino Abbey on the way from Sorrento to Rome -- spectacular views across the plains.

Rome Post - Trip. A must if this is your first visit to Italy...lots to see and do both with Hotel Representative, or on own -- we liked the walks. If go to Coliseum and Forum on a Sunday all of Rome will be with you as they block the surrounding streets to vehicles. Did not take the Rome by Night Tour as wanted to explore on own. Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel tour quite awe inspiring, but was extremely crowded, but then it always is everyone says, so just be prepared -- pick pocket heaven!

Remember, this Italy and you just have to be "patient"...sit back and enjoy, and everything will happen in due time!!

Jay Swander, Colonel, USAF (Retired)
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Traveler: Jay A Swander from Albuquerque, NM traveled on September 21, 2011

The only regret we have about this trip is that it is now in the past.

We had a wonderful time touring through Italy, took all the optional tours, and visited a different town each day. Each was unique and truly beautiful with wonderful people that were a pleasure to chat with.

Our program director, Guiseppe, was extremely well versed about the places we visited was charming, diplomatic and had the patience of an angel.

We look forward to our next vacation trip and have decided that Grand Circle is really the best way to go.

Traveler: Chris and George Hemond from North Smithfield, RI traveled on September 24, 2011

Scheduled to leave for trip on Sept 7th. Two weeks before date was notified that we will not be staying at the Hotel Cesare Augusto in Sorrento as contracted for but would be staying in the town of St Agata six miles away. In the Hotel Montana. When we did not go into Sorrento with the group, we had to take a public bus on our own to go into Sorrento, a ride which took anywhere from 25 to 30 minutes. We got into town and had to walk a few blocks to the main square. To return we had to go to the bus stop a few blocks away from the square, be aware of the bus schedule and the buses were usually late to arrive. By not being in Sorrento we missed the advatages of being a part of the nite life there and taking advantage of the shopping hours. About the Hotel. Grand Circle reserves the right to change hotels and offer similar accommodations. By no stretch of the imagination is the Hotel Montana similar to the Cesare Augusto. I went to the Hotel Augusto. It is a 5 minute walk to the center of Sorrento. It has a pool, gardens with sculptures, terraces outdoors, a terrace in the pool area on the 6th floor with food available for purchase, much larger dining room, lobby, rooms balcony, and is in a nice neighborhood where you are overlooking residential condos rather a food market with discarded boxes outside and laundry handing from the houses in St Agata
The Hotel Montana was probably a 2 star hotel if that. Nothing similar about the Montana and the Cesare Augusto and certainly nothing similar between staying in Sorrento which we had sioned up for and staying in St Agata 6 miles away. I feel that there was a misrepresentation on the part of Grand C ircle and I do not plan on traveling with Grand Circle again.

Traveler: Blanche Levine from Palm Harbor, FL traveled on September 07, 2011

To begin properly, I have to commend our Program Director Giulio Passariello for providing a wonderful insight to the areas of Italy we visited and giving us some of the flavors of Italy that you cannot get without an excellent guide. He has a wealth of information that he shares about his country and is extremely proud of his country.
For the Tuscany portion of the trip, the hotel in Chianciano was excellent and centrally located in the Tuscany area. Our travels in Tuscany took us to Assisi, Cortona, Pienaa, Frienze, Siena, Orvieto and Radicofani. These are wonderful places to visit to help understand the Tuscan region. We also visited a working winery which was a wonderful experience.
The second half of the trip was spent in the Sorrentine Peninsula. Our hotel was changed two weeks prior to departure and we stayed in a small hotel in the town of Sant'Agata. The hotel was at best a three star but GCT more than made up for the inconvience. We like the idea of not being in a busy city but I think GCT could improve on the hotel considering the town had a few nicer hotels according to some local folks we talked with. I will say that the hotel did do its best to make our stay a nice one, the beds were decent and afterall, we didn't go to Italy for the hotels, we went for the experience for the country. The meals we ate there were very good. Our first hotel was to be in Sorrento. However, my wife and I both agreed that staying in this small town away from the hustle of the city life made our stay even more enjoyable. We loved that little town and the small shops where you could buy fresh bakery products and fruits just steps away. We even had a small grocery store directly across the street where you could get some small items, water, wine, cheese, etc. Can't say enough about that town. GCT provided us with tickets for the local bus to get to downtown Sorrento. We only did that once because our itinerary was so full that we didn't have that much free time and I say that as a good thing. Cheers to GCT for making that experience a wonderful one.
I had lived in Naples back in the day so to speak and I told my wife Juanita that the first place she needed to see and experience was Italy. Of all the countries that I have traveled to, Italy had the most to offer. GCT's itinerary made that trip especially nice. Ciao.

Traveler: Steven & Juanita Dombkowski from Stevensville, MD traveled on September 07, 2011

Visiting these parts of Italy is a dream come true inspired by my 1979 visit to Rome with my husband and the movie"Under the Tuscan Sun" which I had the chance to watch with other travelers while in Chianciano. It's fitful that Cortona was part of our excursion amongst others.
I enjoyed most segments of our trip from the bus ride with an expert driver, friendly travelers, enthusiastic, knowledgeable, caring and most helpful tour director guide, the scenic country side of rolling hills, cypress trees, vineyards, majestic, awesome, old churches, cathedrals, basilicas, villages, narrow cobblestone streets, the local villages, scrumptious foods and drinks which will be featured on my next quilt, the unfathomable endless ruins of Pompeii, Stabiae, and Rome, the daunting sight of Mt. Vesuvius keeping watch over Naples, Pompeii, Sorrento and surrounding cities, towns, villages at her feet with unsuspecting,busy citizens who've learned to live with a sleeping volcano.
I love my trip to this part of Italy and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Traveler: Judy Tiamkegg from Edmonds, WA traveled on September 06, 2011

My experience was truly a life changing experience! It was a dream trip of mine that I wrote a blog about on July 4, 2007... seeing Rome again, Tuscany and Amalfi Coast. For three and a half years Europe was my home before some unfortunate circumstances happened. I loved Europe and always said that I would live there again but feared returning for 10 years. My dream trip made me face those fears and now, I am planning to move to Italy! Everyday I talk to someone about possibly a job that I can do here and there even if it requires flying back monthly or I may teach English. Tuscany, Firenze especially, grabbed my heart with the beautiful countryside and historical architecture. I cannot fully explain the feelings that well up inside of me when I look at my pictures. Mostly while there I stayed in the city center and I loved that I take 2 steps and see one thing and take 4 steps and a 5000 year old building comes into my view. When visiting Rome, one day I was just out walking and 4 beautiful fountains sprung up in front of me....WOW! I have always been adventuresome and I absolutely loved my Italy adventure!

I get overwhelmed when speaking of this trip from Chianciano Terme where we stayed in a very nice hotel centrally located with wonderful staff and a fantastic view to each place we visited while there..., Pienza and the pecorino cheese competition and tasting; Orca Valley and it expansive magnificent beauty; Siena was a splendid city with a Basilica like no other; Assisi with all it's history as well as the labor, talent and dedication that went into this beautiful massive Basilica & grounds; The Etruscan Museum charming, small yet filled with history, Cortona.. minus the fountain not being there, I felt as if I was " Under the Tuscan Sun" ; Orvieto, again unique and beautiful.

Radicofani what a delightful gorgeous little village way up high in the mountains. This tiny village was filled with history, flowers and a uniqueness all of it's own. Taking pictures and just taking it all in made me late getting to my bus that day. It brought peace and serenity to the soul.

Montepulciano was delightful when driving through it, however I missed out on spending a day there; Bagno Vignoni, paradise...I could have stayed there for hours; Stabie frescos that truly helped one appreciate the ruins and the work that goes into archeology; Ravella gardens, again what a view and what beauty.

Scala needs it's own paragraph too because of the spectacular view from the restaurant that we ate at to the heart soul touching memorial that Italy had designed in memory of 911. Our program director gave us each a book titled " SCALA incontra NEW YORK" which I will forever cherish. Italy truly is a passionate, caring country. The drive to and from Scala as well as onto Ravella is one I will not forget either. I waited excitedly with each turn to see what would come into sight.

Then we come to the wine & olive oil tasting at "Casato Prime Donne", Brunello of Montalcino Winery, this was a fun, educational and unique experience. On the way back from there I think we stopped at The Etruscan tomb that only our program director had the special keys to which added excitement to this days adventure.

All the Basilicas or cathedrals were different, absolutely amazing and truly unique for the time period & the artist. Naples Archeological Museum, Mt Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii one would not want to miss either. Pompeii however can get a bit long and hot. Again our program director timed it so we beat a lot of the crowd and heat.

The coast was magnificent with the same ambience of 2 steps one thing and 4 steps another. Sorrento again was a beautiful coastal town where we stayed in a lovely hotel with wonderful staff that was very close to town. While there we toured Capri, Ana Capri, and the Amalfi Coast. The Amalfi Coast left an indelible mark in my brain starting with the beautiful ragged coastline to the turquoise blue water that the sun rays glistened off of to its' little villages on the side of the road that were enchanting. Positano is a site to see with an array of colors that line the coastline. It still amazes me how these villages are mostly built on hillsides.

Then we come to our last adventure, the driving tour of Rome which took in all the key tourist sites as well as a few others that maybe one never hears about. Rome in all it's beauty and splendor was a quick trip for most, however I stayed on an extra 2 nights and three days before heading back to Firenze.

I could absolutely go on about all to include The Sorrentine adventure where we had a home cooked meal with a lovely host family in a beautiful home on the hillside overlooking Sorrento Bay. Also I really enjoyed making pizza's and watching Buffalo Mozzerella cheese being made a well as trying different cellos' to include lemon. The Pasta Festival was a beautiful display of pastas & vegetables that our Program Director Simone arranged that I would have loved to have seen stay out longer as a centerpiece. It was beautifully done! I learned a lot about pasta that night to include about a pasta product grown in Arizona & the evening was quite enjoyable.

The Italian American Veteran's Cemetery was very special and should be included on every tour. It really touched my heart to see how well kept and beautiful this memorial is. I saw it touch many hearts because we had a number of veterans on our tour. It speaks of passion for another country's men and women that gave their life's to help fight for Italy's freedom. It still brings chills.

Montecassino Abbey and its panoramic view of the Apennines cannot be left out either. The history that surrounds that place and all of Italy can't help but touch one's heart. Trying to imagine men crossing those Mountains to fight a battle was mind boggling, yet again showed a passion for what that they stood for and would go to any lengths to protect

Lastly I do want to add though, I did a break-a-away which added to my trip immensely and I would highly recommend to anyone with an adventure spirit and the time to do so!

Simone, my Program Director did an excellent job! He put his heart and soul into everything that he did and said on a daily basis. His knowledge of the history, arts, agriculture, politics and his own personal stories of his days in the military and etc truly made me believe that I had the best tour guide that GCT had. My program director never failed to point out anything that had a story or that might be of interest to somemany! He also was very, kind caring, compassionate, and courteous to all. He was extremely helpful to all too even when faced with some difficult circumstances. In my mind, he went above and beyond of what others might do. With his impeccable timing many times we missed the big crowds and extreme heat. He also changed the tour around when needed to fit the needs of the group. For instance to start a tour a the top of a city and walk down verse start at the bottom and walk up. Our group had a number of people that did not have the greatest mobility. Simone also seems to have a bit of sweet tooth and he delighted our sense of taste and smell on more than one occasion with a surprise sweet! Lastly he had a wonderful sense of humor, was extremely passionate about his country and GCT company as well as having a passion for people. He got to know a little bit about every single person on the tour which I was really impressed by. He truly was is a genuine caring person. He even requested our driver Dominico back for the Amalfi Coast drive because he knew that it would make all feel more relaxed, comfortable and safe. When Dominico showed up to drive us, the crowd cheered. He had been totally right!

Dominico my driver for the biggest part of the trip also deserves an excellence rating. He was and is a very skilled and fantastic driver. He made all feel comfortable and safe even on the Amalfi Coast drive. Besides his driving skills, he was very kind, caring, helpful and courteous. He always held his hand out to help one on and off the bus too whether young and full of energy or older and in need of some assistance.

Thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to share about my trip. My only suggestions are as follows: More meal selections; an extra day of free time that is not on a day when a major event may be taking place i.e. Positano day evening boat excursion. That was the one thing that I wanted to do on my day off and could not. Also the Pasta Festival & Dinner at the hotel was on the same evening as our free day which made it hard to stay gone all day; bigger beds for singles that have no furniture surrounding them. I am 6 foot tall and at one of my hotels, I feared hitting my head or wacking my feet on the closet every night. It made sleeping soundly hard.
I would and have highly recommended GCT and this tour to friends and colleagues.

Traveler: Reba Boyd from Chandler, AZ traveled on August 31, 2011

I always enjoy my times with Grand Circle and am amazed at what good work they do with planning and pacing and handling the occasional unexpected difficulties that may pop up through no fault of theirs. This particular trip seemed to have just a bit extra, maybe because the Italian countryside is so beautiful, the towns are so charming, and Rome is one of my favorite cities. All of my program directors have been excellent, each in his or her own way, and this one was no exception and did a great job. Thanks to Grand Circle for a wonderful journey.

Traveler: Linda Feather from Jacksonville, FL traveled on September 02, 2011

In Tuscany the town of Cianciano& the small hotel((Patria)was centrally located for our optional trips and delightful.The nightly routine of the town folks walking up to the plaza was a delight..we joined in to listen to the music.
The amalfi coast and our hotel(Conca Park)overlooking the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius was very nice.Our trips toCapri andPompeii brought back memories of my travel there 50 years ago.The trip to share lunch with an Italian host and making our own pizza,a day later made this trip More than what we expected.

Traveler: Henry Mauriello from Manahawkin, NJ traveled on September 02, 2011

I don't typically like tours, but this one was very different. It was the perfect blend of plenty to do and time to relax if you wish. Because you are based in one place for a week at a time, you can stay with the group or take the day to explore on your own. Our tour director, Fernando, was wonderful; funny, helpful, patient and very interesting. Our destinations were wonderful, but it was the smaller places, such as the lunch at a private residence, making pizza at a farm and the winery tour, that I liked the best.

I am very much impressed that Grand Circle supports the cultures it visits, such as the Etruscan Museum and the Stabiae dig. Social conscience is hard to come by in today’s world.

I would unreservedly recommend Grand Circle Travel - in fact I already have.

Traveler: Judy Saunders from San Jose, CA traveled on August 24, 2011

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip, my first with GCT (after 2 with OAT). The pace was perfect, and it was really nice staying a week in each major region without having to change hotels often. I loved Tuscany, and thought the trip couldn't get any better, then we went to Amalfi and it was just as wonderful. Chianciano was a quiet town, while Sorrento had a wonderful vibrancy to it.

Our program director, Fernando Aversa, was fabulous. He is extremely knowledgeable about his country and had a real passion for sharing it with us. He also has a great sense of humor, and most days had a 'surprise" for us - an extra site, local delicacies, etc.

I took all of the optional excusrions, and loved them all. The food throughout was wonderful, as was the wine (available at just about every meal).

Everyone in our group raved about the trip. I highly recommend it.

Traveler: Susan B. from San Jose, CA traveled on August 24, 2011

Loved the trip under the outstanding guidance of Gulio Passariello. His good will towards all and his intimate knowledge made the trip memorable.
I wondered why we were going to such a small town in Tuscany, Chianciano? I found out - it was the highlight of our trip. Sorrento and our hotel's nearness to the main square made this a rare privledge on trips. So much interface with the local populace there. Rome's ruins obviously can't be replaced; and the hotel's closeness to the train station was a bonus for our subsequent personal trip back to Florence.

Traveler: Donald Hardy from N Hutchinson Island, FL traveled on August 07, 2011

Excellant trip. Enjoyed the pace. Staying in only 2 hotels was great. Very good included & optional tours.

Traveler: Pascal S Brock from Lugoff, SC traveled on March 09, 2011

This portion of the trip was, to me, the most enjoyable. Tuscany is far superior to SorrentoAmalfi re the true Italian experience. Beautiful country, very good wines, and the towns are great. People actually stroll at night after dinner, around 8-9) and it is extremely pleasant. Sorrento was nice but the Tuscany region and portion of the trip is just the best!

Traveler: Rod O'connor from Scottsdale, AZ traveled on August 30, 2011

My wife BJ and I had a wonderful time on this trip. After a day of rest from the long flight, we travelled by bus to Chianciano, a very lovely city patronized by Italians and vacationers from other parts of Europe. This city is noted for the many spas as a result of the warm water springs in that area. We met a nice,young Belgium family with their son at the hotel pool.
We used the city and our fine hotel as stepping off points to different sightseeing areas. One thing that we must mention are the Tour Directors chosen by Grand Circle tours. They are fantastic! Our Tour Director's name was Paolo Santioli. He is a young married man with 2 children and a wonderful wife. Paoli was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. He went out of his way to insure that we all had a great time.
Our first days tour included the town of Pienza, Italy's first example of Renaissance town planning with an included lunch. This town is a unique UNESCO WORLD HERITATGE village. We browsed the town and the many shops.
The next day had us in the beautiful city of Florence where.we were able to have a walking tour of Florence and also visit the Uffizi Gallery & the famous Statue of David.
Talk about a beautiful city!
Another very interesting city we visited was Siena, Florence's historical rival. Siena has a very large town square where horse races are conducted twice each year around the inside edge of the square. The riders ride bareback and many fall off of their horses going around the circle. Hundreds of people are roaring for their horse in the middle of the square. A horse can come in without a rider and be declared the winner. The winner receives a special religious banner which he carries until the next race.
The area of Italy that we visited contained many hills and mountains dotted with olive trees, grape vineyards and beautiful flowers.
After a week in Chianciano, we spent the next week in Sorrento where we had an initial walking tour of the city
Of particular interest to me being retired military was an area called Montecassino and the Benedictine Abbey. This area lies high on a mountaintop with the valley below. During WWll during the Allied invasion there was a big battle at this location. Allied troops had to cross the valley below to move north. Thousands of allied troops were gunned down and killed because of the Nazi high ground position.
As a child, I had heard the story of Pompeii, so this was our chance. We had no idea that the city of Pompeii was so large. This is a must visit for anyone taking a trip to this area. Another highlight for us was the tour of Capri. This island has to be one of the most beautiful places in the world sitting high over the bluegreen water on the side of a mountain with wealthy homeowners with large yachts on the water.
Grand Circle Tours always makes sure that there is a Farewell Dinner so everyone can say their goodbyes. Many lifetime friendships are started on Grand Circle tours.
BJ and took the 4 day Optional Tour of Rome . The Pope was not in Rome to greet me. He was vacationing, however, instead we started our visit at the Colisieum. What a huge facility. Emperor Nero was definitely what one would call a "wild & crazy guy". A must see.
Of great interest was Vatican City where we visited the Basilica of St. Peter, the Sistine Chapel and the many treasuers to include the Pieta by Michelangelo. Of particular interest was the crypt of Pope John Paul our favorite Pope.
Our tour ended with goodbyes to several of our friends met on the initial tour.

Traveler: Herman Posner from Sun City West, AZ traveled on August 17, 2011

This was our 5th trip. We have been blessed with guides on all of them, but our guide this time (Pilar) was fantastic. She made a great trip even better. We loved Tuscany as the scenery and small towns were just great. Sorrento was much different as we did lots of people watching in the restaurants on the square at night and did some shopping. We discovered a place called the Foreigners club overlooking the bay. What a sight! The trip along the Amalfi Coast was stunning.. Our trip to Capri was our only rainey day and it just poured, but we all still had fun. Our group of 35 was terrific! In Rome, the Vatican and the Rome of the Caesars was special. The restaurant and entertainment on the Rome at night was very good. We would highly recommend this trip. Hope you get Pilar for a guide.

Woody Reaves

Traveler: Sherwood Reaves from Jacksonville, FL traveled on May 17, 2011

This was our 7th GCTOAT trip and one of the best! Outstanding itinerary, program director (Patricia Fannon) and wonderful included and optional tours. We didn't do the Capri, Sorrentine adventure or Rome at Night but thought every optional we did was well worth the money. Excellent guides, easy access to very busy places and wonderful food when the meal was included.

The trip was very active, more so than any OAT trip we have taken. It helped balance out all of the food and wine we enjoyed! Be prepared for 3-5 miles a day on uneven surfaces and walking up and down many many hills.

Staying in one hotel each in Tuscany and Sorrento was great so you could come back to the same hotel each night. You do spend a lot of time on the bus. Both hotels (Ambasciatori in Chianciano and the Cesare Augusto in Sorrento) were older but well located for shops and restaurants. The rooms were large with excellent storage. They haven't been updated but were comfortable with refrigerators and safes. We had free wifi in Tuscany and it was very reasonable in Sorrento. Patricia was unbelievable and all of the 36 wonderful in our group thought she was the best or one of the best PD's they have ever had! Thanks Patricia! She also spoiled us with pastries from all of the best bakeries in Italy. The Tuscan Buffet, which you can do with the hotel Ambasciatori one night was not worth the money and we were all disappointed. Patricia told us that the shopping was best in Sorrento and she was right.

There is only negative that I have to say about the trip is the hotel in Osti, if you aren't doing the pre-trip. The Satellite Hotel was old, dated, and below GCT standards. We didn't do the Venice pre-trip, having been there before but we did the Rome post-trip, which you should do if you haven't been to Rome. The hotel (Albani) was fine but not in a terribly convenient location. There is no restaurant in the hotel but there are good places nearby. However, many are closed on Sundays. The optional tours to the Vatican and Coliseum were amazing and well worth the money for the ease of getting in and the expertise of the local guide, Helene.

Wonderful trip that my husband and I highly recommend.

Traveler: Sharon Scanlan from Prescott, AZ traveled on May 03, 2011

This was a WOW trip—one of the best L&D ventures of my 17 GCTOAT trips! All of Italy is an open-air museum, so every site has a story. How fortunate I was to travel with PD Giulio Cesare. He is an amazing artist in his own right, plus an expert in art history. This trip offered only the Rome extension—a must if you’ve never been there. All in all, it was 3 weeks of thrilling discovery—and now looking back months later, probably the most exciting discovery, ranking near the top of all trips.

I am still reeling from the dizzying displays of gold and marble in the cathedrals of Assisi, Siena, Orvieto, and the over-the-top gem, Montecassino. And, I can’t forget St. Peter’s and the Vatican. I literally have thousands of pictures of frescoes and floors—but, that’s the Italy that will be with me for life, along with a couple amazing museums: in Chianciano and Naples.

More WOWs: Pompeii and Stabiae, and the views from Amalfi Coast and Capri (don’t miss the photo ops from the Augusto Gardens in Capri and from Villa San Michele in Anacapri—the latter costs a few euros).

How many have experienced snow in Tuscany? Yes, it was a winter trip, but this was a surprise. Just imagine the grapes and cypress trees in those quintessential Tuscany pictures wrapped in snow! And, remember in off-season, one can walk right into the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and into the Vatican with no lines! Plus, it was cool only in the north; Amalfi and Rome were delightfully warm.

A tourist from another trip asked me a hard question: If she had to choose between the optional excursions to Assisi or Siena, which should it be? Please, don’t put yourself in that position. Take all the options, regardless of their high cost—if you have not seen them before. Plan ahead financially and just do it. Every option is so worth while*. I had only one regret: Pisa was not on this trip, and I’d have had to give up a precious day to travel there on my own.

*Only one qualification re options: I felt the Rome extension “illumination tour” was too pricy for what we saw. The dinner was too much food too late at night, and the only significant night lights were at St. Peter’s.

Traveler: Jane Lehr from Shingle Springs, CA traveled on January 19, 2011

We did the Tuscany & Amalfi Coast trip with the pre-trip to Venice, returning home on Feb. 11. It was cold, but we were dressed appropriately. The huge plus to this time of year is the fact that there were very few tourists! We are glad we did the pre-trip to Venice. The best part is that GCT has upgraded the hotel in Venice and it’s literally a stone’s throw from the famous St. Mark’s Square. We were the second group to get to stay at the “Royal San Marco Hotel.” Stephanie, our Venice program director, lives in Venice and she showed us to a lot of neat places. While is Venice there was an elective tour to the Venetian Island of Murano. We enjoyed seeing the island of Murano but didn’t enjoy the glass making factory and the arrogant escort of the factory. We also went to the island of Burano and it is really special. The colorfully painted houses lining the canals of the little fishing town are splendid!

Fernando was our program director for the rest of the trip in Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast. He is an excellent PD and we enjoyed the “surprises” or learning & discovery that he provided us daily. Our best learning & discovery was going to the Florence American Cemetery and Memorial where over 4,000 of our American Soldiers are buried and over 4,000 are listed as missing in action. Since it was coming evening, Fernando asked the Veterans in our group to retire the flag for the night. My husband and three other Veterans shared in this privilege. The hotel for the Tuscany area is located in Chianciano, which in off season is in a boring location. Fernando provided “movie nights” which we enjoyed because the settings of the movies where places that we were seeing in Italy. One day Jim & I took a local bus to Montepulciano, which is easy enough to do, and it is a great place to see.

The last week of the trip was spent in Sorrento for the Amalfi Coast part of the tour. The hotel is in a very good location, but they need to catch up with the times and provide complimentary internet service. Note: If you have your laptop there is a place outside in the front part of the hotels garden that you can use wifi from the free service that the parking garage located next door provides. The most outstanding part of our week there was the all day excursion along the Amalfi Coast. It was and is amazing! We really got to see and experience that beautiful coast. On another day you might consider taking a local bus and going to the cliff side coastal town of Positano, which is what we did and it is great if you don’t mind walking down, down though the town and up, up back out of the town. We did the visit of Pompeii and the Stabian Villa with GCT. Jim & I also took a local train and went to Herculaneum, which is another town covered by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD.

In summary: We have previously been to some of these towns in Italy, but this GCT itinerary made it well worth returning to these areas. We are of the opinion that the optional tours are too expensive and for that reason we didn’t do all of them. All in all it was a wonderful tour and well worth the money spent. I have a travel blog of this trip complete with lots of pictures if you’d like to check it out:
http:thefarmersmeanderings.wordpress.com

Traveler: Marilyn Farmer from Altoona, KS traveled on January 22, 2011

Fernanda, our tour guide & Massimo, our bus driver made this trip very, very enjoy-able.We laughed and learned our whole stay in Sorrento, Chianciano(Tuscany) and Venice (added tour). Fernanda's extra-ordinary knowledge of The Renaissance, geo-political and historical discussions and "secret" stopovers was a special treat. All our GCT guides have been great but Fernanda was A+++. Massimo got us safely around those Amalfi coast hair pin turns ..it was exciting & we cheered him all thru Italy. Both he & she kept us informed, safe, accomodating & were hilarious plus we toured with great group of people.
SORRENTO: Very pretty with lemon trees all over...go to the restaurant(Red Lion?) down the steps right before the railroad for an authentic local restaurant at very inexpensive prices...the CAP-ri (yes, that's how you pronounce it was great but over-priced. Our hotel(Cesar Augusto) was accomodating & comfortable with a very nice breakfast everyday EXCEPT for the RAW bacon!!! (its the way Europeans cook it (or don't cook it!!). We really enjoyed the walking the town (shops, views, & churches,etc).

TUSCANY (Chianciano Terme(Spa)): We LOVED Tuscany...probably one of the most beautiful areas in the world..like seeing and living in a movie set. Unfortuneately, our hotel (Ambassatore) fell WELL-BELOW the usual GCT standards...very tiny rooms..wallpaper off the walls, no shower curtain!! so we flooded the bathroom constantly, surly, arrogant, & unhelpful staff,etc PLUS Chianciano is pretty boring with a LONG walk to the nicer "old town" which had a wonderful view & several excellent restaurants and an "old world" feel....thank goodness we explored some very wonderful places with our guide in the area. Because of the hotel & its location I almost down-graded this trip to 3-star from 4-star.
VENICE: DON'T MISS IT... especially the gondola ride at night..VERY EXPENSIVE extension but ce'est la vie.
OVERALL. The add-on visits were quite expensive and NOT always of value..go on your own if you can. The tour is quite demanding by walking up steps, hilltowns, etc but even our 85 & 89 yr olds made it. Overall, WE LOVED ITALY!! And will be back on for another tour of this special country.

Traveler: James Hamill from Glastonbury, CT traveled on October 23, 2010

This was our 9th trip with GCT and while most of the trip was excellent - there were parts that were not up to usual GCT standards that as veteran travelers with GCT, we have come to expect.
ROME - The hotel in Rome - the Nova Domus was in a terrific location, but it was dirty and dated. We have always enjoyed GCT trips and while the quality of hotels varies from location to location - the hotels we have experienced in the past have always been comfortable and clean.
SORRENTO - Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast were true treasures. However, we felt the optional trips were overpriced so we "day-tripped" on our own to Pompeii and Capri with private guides and at considerably less expense than what GCT offered. The exception was the Sorrentine Adventure which we would not have been able to schedule on our own. The Cesare Augusto Grand Hotel in Sorrento is located two blocks from the train station which made travel quite easy. In Sorrento, the accommodations, food, school visit, and home-hosted visit were excellent..
CHIANCIANO - The countryside is spectacular. Tuscany lives up to its billing! Chianciano, while a charming town, is not well situated for those who wish to strike out on their own and there is little to do within walking distance of the hotel. However, The Grand Hotel Ambasciatori is located two blocks from the tourist office and we were able to purchase bus tickets to Florence - where we then picked up a local tour to see the city and the sites. Neighboring towns and villages are available by bus, but plan to be adventurous and flexible if you choose this route. There is no train station is Chianciano, but you can take the bus to another town and then take the train. Assisi is a recommended optional trip with GCT as it is too difficult to get there on your own.
NO STEP-ON GUIDES FOR INCLUDED TRIPS OTHER THAN THE AMALFI COAST - this was certainly a new wrinkle and unexpected. One of the strengths of GCT is the quality and availability of local guides that "step-on" at included tour stops - not just optional tours. This did not happen on this trip and the rules in Italy prohibited our wonderful program director from doing these duties when we arrived in the various villages included on the tour. It was most unsatisfactory not to have the extensive knowledge of locals who know and love their communities and are eager to share their vast information with travelers.

Having said this, we would still recommend the trip., but rate the trip as "good" rather than "excellent". Our program director, Lella, was terrific - one of the best that we have had on a GCT trip and all of the directors have been good.

Traveler: JoAnne and Zell Boggus from Homosassa, FL traveled on November 01, 2010

There is nothing I did not like about this trip! The spectacular scenery of the countryside, the marvelous food and in particular, our very accommodating and knowledgeable guide....all made for a most interesting adventure. Be sure to bring sturdy walking shoes for the hilly cobblestone streets in the ancient towns!

Traveler: Nancy Nohilly from Barnegat, NJ traveled on April 05, 2010

This trip was our first land-based escorted tour; we have taken several of the river cruises and were not sure we were going to like this mode of travel. But we were pleasantly surprised and most pleased with our trip. Grand Circle provided us a remarkable experience. The itenerary, the schedule, the timing allowed for stops were all very well planned out.
Italy offers 3000 years of history, architecture & culture as well as splendid scenery. One only has to open the eyes to enjoy. However, our journey gave us a look not only into the obvious wonders but also a chance to connect with the real Italy, its people & customs. Through Discovery programs & with the services of our excellent and knowledgeable guide Patricia Fannon we weren't just tourists but explorers gaining insight into the Italian lifestyle both old and current.
Yes we were mezmerized by the rolling hills, the hill towns, the FOOD, & the scope of the history, but that wouldn't alone have provided the depth of our experience.
GCT delievered on its brochure promise and we will not be hesitent to take another land escorted tour.

Traveler: Susie Kelley from Bradenton, FL traveled on March 08, 2010

I just wanted to concur with what John and Marie said about Simone our tour director....I was on the same trip in spring of 2009 and he was really excellent as was the entire trip...would enjoy doing it again!!!!!

Traveler: Donna from Brooklyn, NY traveled on April 11, 2009

Traveled beginning on October 3, 2009 - and also included the trip extension to Venice.

First of all, our tour director, Lella Guarneri was absolutely wonderful. She very quickly learned all our names and was always giving special treats. Secondly, most of the people on our tour were terrific - great fun and very caring of any in our group who had difficulty keeping up. Thirdly, our bus driver, Filomena, was phenominal - never had a moment's fear when she was driving.

For the most part, regional guides were good, some better than others.

The hotel in Rome, Nova Domus, was rather spartan, but for one night it was okay.

The optional trip to Pompei and Naples was terrific. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the trip to Capri - it was horrid - the same day we went, six cruise ships docked - perhaps Grand Circle could have done some research before scheduling the trip - the town was so crowded one had difficulty walking!

Sorrento and the Cesare Augusto hotel were great. Sorrento is a great walking town - and we were able to discover many fine restaurants. In addition, the food in the hotel dining room was quite good.

Chianciano - the hotel, Grand Hotel Ambasciatori, was quite good. However, Chianciano was too quiet - a spa town off-season. The restaurants were rather limited, and one could walk the whole town in about an hour. Luckily, the food in the hotel was good. The optional Assisi tour and Assisi itself were wonderful. Not so wonderful was the optional Florence city tour. It was originally scheduled for the Thursday, but was changed to the Saturday. What a mistake - the town was crowded with people taking advantage of a "day off" from work.

Pienza and the Orcia Valley tour were spectacular - Pienza is an exquisite town.

The post-trip to Venice was in many ways disappointing. Venice, as always is quite beautiful and enjoyable. The disappointing part was the Hotel Continental in Venice. The hotel was not as advertised or shown on its own web site. Our room was dark, dingy and not too clean - the carpet was absolutely filthy. The bathroom had a distinct odor of sewage. The view was an alley. The site advertised a bar - its always nice to have a drink before dinner or after a day of sight-seeing - but there was none. The food in the breakfast hotel was about the worse I've ever had in a hotel in Italy, plus the servers were not the best - you had to literally beg for hot coffee in the morning.

One of the most enjoyable parts of this trip was the wonderful and varied tour members - most were great!

Traveler: Karen from Little Falls, NJ traveled on October 03, 2009

this was our second grand circle tour, both taking place in 2009. we have always enjoyed italy, in trips made in prior years, which were a combination of business and pleasure. so our first pleasure only trip was just that, very pleasurable.

our tour gudie was very good and creative with some of his side trip adventures. he is definitely not a fan of the prime minister and i looked to see if the person who recently assaulted the pm was the tour guide-- fortunatley he was not. now to the trip itself.

the amalfi coast is a sight to take in and enjoy. we saw it from both the bus and the water, in one of the creative, off program, side adventures arranged by the tour guide. the stabian villas and pompeii trips were great. i would suggest reading about the destruction of the area caused by the eruption of vesuvius for some background. a good historical fiction account of that could be found in the book titled"pompeii". we did the isle of caprii on our own and made it there and back. a real sorrento highlight was the time spent with the kids at the santa maria school. the home hosted meal (feast) provided one of the best meals of the trip. we enjoyed the off book dinnermusical show also put together by our creative tour guide. sorrento was a nice city to wander around in as there were many shops, restaurants, etc. to kill time in when not being involved in a planned event.

the bus trip to chianciano was long, as were most of the bus trips on the tour. i guess we were spoiled by the mostly effortless travel provided by the river cruise we took earlier in the year. the tuscan country side is pretty and the towns like radicofani were interesting. we found assisi to be out-standing. the trip to cortuna provided some shopping and a surprise picnic lunch hosted by the tour guide and driver. there is not as much to do in chianciano as sorrento so the evenings were a little on the quiet side. we took a trip to montepulciano on our own. it was easy to do. walking up to the historical
old town provided some good exercise, shopping and snacking.

hotels were ok, bus trips were long, the food was great and so was the wine, and the trip was excellent. we certainly would recommend the trip to anyone.

Traveler: Dale from Fort Worth, TX traveled on October 12, 2009

It's been a couple weeks, now, since we have returned from our wonderful, Italian Trip, and our expriences have still left our heads spinning. In 3 weeks, we experienced everything from ancient Etruscian and Roman civilizations, to the beautiful temples, Basilicas, Cathedrals and Churches, to the incredible scenery of the Amalfi Coast and Tuscany, to the magnificient Art and Architecture of Berninni, Michalangelo, and Da Vinci and so many other geniuses. And then, there is the tasty Italian pastas, pizzas, fresh produce and let's not forget the regional wines.
Our pre-trip coordinator, Mauritzio, in Rome was delightful and so very kind and soft spoken, and our Main Program Director, Giuseppi, was absolutely wonderful. Let's not forget the great Driver, Luigi, who was also very expert and good natured.
In the 3-12 weeks we spent in Italy in November, the weather was surprisingly sunny, warm, and mild. Only one day was inclement and rainy, so we certainly had nature on our side as well. We took all the optional tours except Capri and felt they were all well-worth the extra expense.
Wherever we toured, we were treated with courtesy and the Italians were friendly, helpful and had a great sense of humor. We had also signed up for the Venice post trip which was cancelled, but we did it on our own, anyhow, and had wonderful assistance from our Program director who gave us some very good advice. This itenerary is all-encompasing and we feel, that it is another trip that is so very worthwhile and enjoyable. Everything was so very nice, and our fellow travelers were loads of fun and so very interesting. As you can tell..we thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful vacation, and plan on taking many more with Grand Circle.

Traveler: John and Lynn from Morrison, CO traveled on November 12, 2009

We arrived at our hotel in Rome before noon, received some great suggestions from Olga, the tour director, and headed for the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica. Olga's suggestions were right on target, and after the Vatican we walked to Castello de San Angelo. Thus we were able to squeeze in some bonus sites on our travel day. The location of the hotel is what made that possible.

Sorrento was a great city for walking and shopping and nicely situated for day trips in the region. The Amalfi coast was beautiful, even on a rainy day.

We opted out of the Capri optional due to the weather forecast and had a wonderful walk and lunch in the fishing village at the bottom of the "cliff."

Thanks to Olga and Philomena, our driver, we were able to do a side trip to Montecassino on our "traveling" day. Thanks to Grand Circle for great buses and great drivers! The switchbacks and view from that hill were awesome.

Tuscany in November was beautiful, with the Fall colors and balmy weather.

Chianciano turned out to be a great central location for day trips. Our favorite was taking the bus on our own to Multpulciano and spending the day exploring the city.

This was a great trip, giving us a look at Italy we couldn't have done on our own.

Traveler: Glenn from Waverly, IA traveled on November 02, 2009

I expected this trip to be a great one and it turned out to be fabulous. Lovely warm weather with only 3 days of rain in a month. It was my first time to these regions of Italy. I've studying Italian for some time and I was able to put it to good practice. Rome was spectacular - Spanish Steps, cathedrals, alleys, the Vatican, Coliseum area, Caravaggio and other paintings in churches, bridges, monuments. Local guides took us through historic areas, piazzas, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and so much more. All sprinkled with history, anecdotes, discoveries at every turn. From my hotel room I could admire St. Peter's dome illuminated, awesome. Using the subway made it easy to get around and see more. Amalfi Coast a feast for the eyes - Sorrento and limoncello, Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Pompei amazing with view of Mt. Vesuvius, Naples, Stabian Villas and Gragnano. Blue skies and turquoise waters in Capri. Tuscany was enchanting with its undulating countryside, hills topped with ancient villages, farm houses or a small church all surrounded by the ubiquitous cypresses. Stayed in Chianciano with daily tours to Siena, Pienza, Radicofani, Florence, Assisi, Cortona. Delicious meals, wines and cheeses not forgetting a daily dose of gelato. Highlights were home hosted meals. Although I loved the whole trip, Venice was the crown jewel because it is so unique and charming. I would take this trip again in a heartbeat.. With GCT one visits places and meets people that one would not encounter otherwise. Arrivederci!

Traveler: Brigitte from Cupertino, CA traveled on September 17, 2009

The trip of a lifetime! It was everything we had hope for and more.

The pre-trip in Rome was living history, with the Vatican, Sistine Chapel, the Forum, Coliseum, Piazzas and fountains. Marvelous!

We met our Program Director, Giulio, on the eve of transferring to Sorrento. His sense of humor, and heart, he gave us "his all" and made every experience extremely meaningful with his vast knowledge and personal insight. He cared about us, and loves his country. Bravo Giulio!

Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast was like being in a fairy tale with beautiful villages, vistas, and tours. Amalfi, Positano, Capri, Pompeii, farm visits and great food made for a beautiful week. Since this was our first time in Italy we did all the optional tours. If we were to visit again, we have learned that many areas were easily accessable using their convenient bus and rail system. However, one would miss out on all the insights offered by Giulio which made each discovery more special.

On to Chianciano in the Tuscany region and our week of truly great “discoveries”. Lifetime memories in each day's adventure as we visited and explored ancient hilltop fortresses and villages, Etruscan areas, Radicofani, Assissi, Florence, Siena. The farm house visit and restaurants serving delicious meals and good wines made for perfect days.

Amazing how we started out as strangers on a tour, and ended up forming friendships
with some very nice people - fringe benefit!

What a marvelous, experience the entire trip was to us.

Traveler: Bruce & Barbara from Orange, CA traveled on June 23, 2009

While we have taken quite a number of GCT trips, our tour of the Amalfi Coast was a real high-light. Tour director Fernando was probably the best tour director we've ever had...and we've had some wonderful ones.

The tour itself was fantastic...Chinacaino was wonderful, surpassed only by Sorronto...our tour director's home area. I'd love to go back. As a first timer we took all the offered optional tours. If I went back, I'd use the wonderful Italian transportation system to do some traveling by train. The tour director would be very helpful in advising about how to do this.

We had a totally wonderful time - starting with (as our tour director said) "a group of strangers" and ending up "a group of friends"....thanks to a wonderful fun experience.

Traveler: Eve from Coralville, IA traveled on May 21, 2009

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. Our Guide, Fernando Averzo, was very knowledgeable about every place we went He kept coming up with his little "surprizes" - little side trips not listed on the tour. I learned so much about every place we went. Sorrento is just beautiful and a nice place to stay while branching out to various other places. Before leaving on the trip I had never heard of Chianciano - The town we stayed in while in Tuscany. It turned out to be a charming place. I fully recommend this trip to anyone remotely interested in Italy. You'll have a great time.

Traveler: Dolores P from Pennsville, NJ traveled on May 21, 2009

This is the best way to see Sorrento and Tuscany because you stay 7 nights in each location. It is easy to do day trips on your own since the hotels are perfectly situated. We loved the difference in the seaside area of Sorrento and the beautiful rolling hills of Tuscany which is unspoiled. Our program director Patricia was exceptional and very available at all times.
The home hosted lunch was wonderful and the family was friendly and hospitable. The meal was fresh and delicious.
Some of the optional tours were very expensive and we did Capri on our own for half the cost.
All in all of our 4 trips with GCT, this was our favorite. The weather was perfect at that time of year.

Traveler: David from Marlton, NJ traveled on April 27, 2009

I've travelled with OATGCT eight times, and this easily ranks with my most favorite trip, which was Turkey's HIdeaways. The Amalfi Coast and Tuscany are two areas of Italy that must be visited by anyone who is romantic and enjoys magnificant scenery. Everything worked for us on this trip. Our tour guide, Patricia, went out of her way to accommodate each of our needs. She's also an expert on Italian history and has a raucous sense of humor. It's easy to do the optional tours on your own as the train and bus service in Italy is superb. We spent an entire day on our own in Positano, and took ferries on our own to Capri and the island of Ischia. The hilltop towns of Tuscany have retained their medieval charm and the shopkeepers are cordial and very friendly. Our tour group was par excellente. Everyone liked one another and the mix of cultures was readily accepted and enjoyed by all. The spring weather was perfect, and the fields blossomed with red poppies, mustard plants, and seasonal vegetagles. It just was a fabulous vacation in every respect.

Traveler: Barbara Goldstein from Coral Gables, FL traveled on April 27, 2009

Our trip on the whole was fabulous, thanks in great part to our guide Jiulio. He was pleasant, knowledgeable and funny. Capri was disappointing, as it turned out to be mostly shopping rather than a good tour. In Florence, we would suggest visiting Michaelangelo's workshop rather than the gold and leather "factories" as these are just outlets for selling. Otherwise, we enjoyed everything, thanks in great part to the wonderful Italian people.

Traveler: Connie from Longmont, CO traveled on March 17, 2009