Best Ski Holiday: Italy & the Dolomites

This was our second family trip with Zicasso. The first was to Greece and this vacation was to Italy. I have to say that both trips were spectacular. Initially, I chose Zicasso for Greece after the economic bank crash as insurance to be able to travel to Greece and have a native Grecian help us out in case of any trouble. The trip was beyond compare, with no hitches.

So I booked with Zicasso again for the Italy trip. I plan our family trips very diligently, with a bit of education and history for my kids and some relaxation and fun too as it is our only summer vacation. My request was to visit Rome, Sardinia, Venice, and the Dolomites in 12 days, to have top-quality hotels and travel, and to have private tour guides who would save us the long lines and lengthy, cattle-like tours. I also wanted to immerse us in the authentic culture of Italy and stay, visit, and be among locals, not tourists. Last, I wanted it to be relaxing and simple. Zicasso did it again! They delivered everything to a T. The local tour guides were well-versed in the history and culture, as well as being efficient, welcoming, and fun. Transportation was excellent, with personal/private drivers who were willing to go the extra mile to host us. We had accommodations at key locations around town that were clean, and beautiful and accommodated an American traveler's taste.

Our agent was on top of everything throughout our trip, and very efficient and responsive to all our needs. The guides were top-notch and the logistics excellent. Most of all, the locations they selected hit the bullseye in terms of enabling us to get the real Italian feel and culture.

In Rome, we stayed steps away from all the historical sites and within walking distance of everything we wanted to see and do.

In Sardinia, our agent suggested accommodation which was epic! We had our own bungalows and a beautiful beach resort with private cabanas at our fingertips, as well as great food and service. We even traveled to other towns by car and rented a boat to explore the coves on the coastline for a day. (I highly recommend this). There was also a great spa and we took advantage of the pools and massages.

In Venice, we were greeted by another amazingly friendly agent. It was as if she was family. She showed us "the real Venice". She painstakingly booked two excursions to Morano and Burano, and scheduled private glass-blowing exhibitions and lace-making demonstrations. These were beyond wonderful examples of Venetian culture.

Last, we went to the Dolomites, to Cortina. It was a wonderland; a top ski town converted into a treasure for hikers in the summer. Our hotel was excellent: modern and comfortable, and everything was top-notch – the food, the spa, and the reception.

This trip was incredible and Zicasso did it again.

Overall the trip was a great success.

We were two couples traveling to the Dolomites in northern Italy, to enjoy hiking and climbing. The trip was beautifully planned covering multiple small towns / settlements, great hotels, private transport arrangements and private mountain guides.

Overall the arrangements were flawless.

I started planning a 30-year wedding anniversary trip for my wife and me in August 2023. The 11-day trip started in Paris and went to Switzerland and northern Italy (Dolomites). What a tremendous job the Zicasso travel company did in planning this very busy trip, with lots of moving pieces. From pick-up at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to drop-off at Marco Polo Airport in Venice, everything was so well orchestrated.

While we were in Paris, the agency planned a day trip to Normandy, just ahead of the 80-year anniversary of the D-Day invasion, a half-day trip to Monet Gardens, and a Seine River cruise, all flawless. And the hotel they selected for us was a perfect match for our tastes, with a free, delicious breakfast each morning.

Next, the first-class train accommodations to Lucerne were terrific and again, the hotel they selected was perfect. We took two day trips out of Lucerne, complete with cog-wheel, cable-car, gondola, bus, and boat transfers for transportation. Everything was laid out in easy-to-follow instructions. Also planned, and very unexpected, but wonderful, was a tuk-tuk driving tour of Lucerne with cheese fondue served while our informative driver gave us the highlights of Lucerne’s rich history and beauty. Don’t skip this tour! It was well worth it and worth every calorie from the scrumptious, melted Emmentaler cheese with bread and small potatoes.

A driver, friendly and fun, picked us up at the end of our Lucerne visit to drive us to Bolzano in northern Italy. It was a five-hour drive that was stunning, with waterfalls pouring out of the Alps. He was a very attentive and cautious driver on breathtaking, yet tricky, switchback turns. The next day, the same driver took us another two hours to our final stop at Cortina in the heart of the Dolomites.

I can’t say enough about the travel agency, or thank them enough, for the level of detail, thought, and planning they put into our trip! The travel agent and her team were tremendous. She even checked in via email and text during our trip to provide me with any “heads-up” information she was made aware of so we’d be in the know. So thoughtful!