the Cost of Overnight Tours and Trips

We worked with a travel agent that specializes in planning vacations to Italy. The owners of the firm were from Italy, and, therefore, had some "insider" information on what there is to do and some good places to visit. The price included round trip airfare, personal car pick-up from the airport, hotel stays at various hotels for 8 nights (which all included breakfasts), rental car to drive from Rome to Florence, and train ticket to ride the train from Florence to Venice. The company handled making all of our reservations and provided us with everything we needed and a packet of information so that we knew what to do with everything.

This travel agency was EXCELLENT and well worth the money we spent. Everything was hassle-free, as we were provided detailed information on all points of our trip. It was very nice to not have to worry about having to find decent, centrally-located hotels to make reservations for ourselves. It was also very nice to have the insider information from people who have actually spent part of their lives there.

I would advise doing as much homework as you can before contacting a travel agent. Get a general idea of where you would like to go, what you would like to see, how long you would like to stay, and what you would like to do. Research air fares to determine what a plane ticket might cost you. Try to find reviews of the agency or get recommendations from people you know. Shop around for prices.