Luxury Tour of Italy's Finest: Lake Como, Venice, Florence, Rome Itinerary

Trip was very good.  Everything was well coordinated and only a couple of hiccups.  

Overall comments:Rome: 4 days in room was perfect, wouldn't want to do more.  Can't trust taxis so happy we had drivers and guides.  The private guides are the only way to go.  We saved hours in lines, had personal feedback and was very cordial and polite.  Rome itself is great but it is disappointing to see how much better it could be if the city invested in a few things (toilets!).  Again - I'll mention that taxis were there to steal your money.  No issues at all with the travel plans and the plans made by zicasso were very good. The boutique hotel was a great choice.  Location was excellent, rooms very clean and new.  Breakfast was excellent there.  In general, all of the hotels we stayed at had a very good breakfast, this is the only way to go as it just takes that meal out of your schedule and starts the day out right.  Our biggest snafu was the car rental, we were supposed to have an Audi A3 or equivalent and all the car rental could offer was a ford fiesta... it really took away from our experience in Tuscany to have such a poor automobile on those roads.  Again - not zicasso's fault - car rentals are terrible everywhere and in Rome it was very poor service.  Our drive and trip to Tuscany was great, we stopped in Orvieto as zicasso recommended and had lunch there - one of the best restaurants during our whole trip.  We stayed at the hotel and it was excellent, the food and wine there was excellent - worth staying just for that.  It was a little difficult to get to - and a bit of a drive to anywhere from there - but no real complaints and it was worth it to stay there.  In all of Tuscany we enjoyed San Gimignano and Pienza the best.  We found Siena great but overcrowded, Pienza and San Gimagnano were just as (more) scenic and less hectic.  The day trip and guide in Florence was very good but we were glad we only spent 1 day in Florence.  This is a personal thing as I understand most people prefer more time in Florence.  We really enjoyed Bologna - the food tour was probably the highlight of our trip (the downside is we can no longer eat Parmigiano, Balsamic Vinegar or Prosciutto from any other place, it was THAT much better than anywhere else).   We took a day to go to Modena, see the Duomo there (best in all of Italy in our opinion), and we enjoyed the Ferrari museum.  I would highly recommend adding Bologna, the food tour and Modena to everyone's trip suggestions.. It is less crowded than the main touristy cities - and just as enjoyable... Loved this  part of the trip.  The hotel in Bologna was perfectly placed and very very nice, excellent choice.The train to Venice was perfect.  The pickup and ride to the hotel was good also.  The hotel was ok - but probably the least nice of all the places we stayed.  It was very good, just not as nice, more cramped and the breakfast was by far the worst.  I equate this to Venice as everything was more expensive and more cramped in Venice.    We loved Venice - more than I thought we would.  I could see 1 more day in Venice and 1 day less in Rome.  Just walking the streets - wonderful!Getting from hotel to airport was good - though it was much further than we'd thought. The airline we used sucks... no way around that - not Zicasso's problem - but flight was 1.5 hours delayed and well - as an airline it isn't very good.  I'm still not so sure that taking a full day train ride to get to Puglia wouldn't have been better?  (Venice to Naples to Puglia?) Pick up at airport in Puglia was good.  The driving service was good - same driver for all our trips in Puglia - but he didn't speak a word of English so that was a challenge.  Thank goodness for Google Translate!  We had a mix up where we interpreted the itinerary as us having a guide in Alberobello (see itinerary - says private tour - so we were confused).  The driver had a friend who gave us a personal private tour of the Trullo homes and some history - that was very nice he arranged that.  But it was a little embarrassing and confusing. It could have all been avoided if the driver spoke English as well as the itinerary being more clear.Ostuni and the guide were great.  We loved Ostuni as well as Alberobello and the caves.  We probably enjoyed those areas more than the renaissance areas of Florence, but that is just us.  Note: once we got to Ostuni we told our guide no more going inside churches... at some point - its just another beautiful church - but there is one on every corner in Italy!   The Hotel in Puglia is awesome.  Seriously this place is amazing.  The food was amazing the spa was amazing the service was over the top.  What a beautiful part of Italy...   We changed our schedule to spend the morning in Bari before catching the train to Rome - we could have easily spent more time there.  I probably liked the food in Puglia the best.  The focaccia is amazing (just like Grandma made!).  In general we loved Puglia though we'd probably have been better served to have a rental car as we were a long way from anything and it would likely have been less expensive than a dedicated driver.  We would have had much more flexibility in our schedule and planning if we had our own car.   Train back to the Rome train station and pickup was very good - though the Rome train station and driving out of Rome - is never a good experience.  The hotel we stayed at our last night was very nice but probably overkill since all we needed was a bed before we caught a flight out.  All in all - highly recommend zicasso, they did a great job for this trip.  Having guides and drivers on our first trip to Italy - priceless!

Locations Visited: Venice, Verona, Florence, San Gimignano, Siena, Pienze, Rome, Pompeii, Positano

My husband and I planned this trip for our 10-year anniversary. I’m a person with high expectation and this travel agency exceeded all my expectations. The entire trip was dream.

We opted for personalized tours and transport for 95% of our trip. All of our drivers were wonderful. They arrived on time and made sure we made it to all of our destinations without issue. They had the contact information for the tour guides we were meeting. Upon arrival to our first hotel, a local cell phone and gift were given to us. Having the iPhone during our trip made any needed communication with our agent and his team a breeze. In addition, we used the phone apps for navigation throughout the cities we visited. We made a last-minute request for an additional private transport, and our agent was able to make it happen. We greatly appreciated their customer service.

We participated in a several unique experiences while in Italy. We went truffle hunting in Pienza, which was amazing. After, we were served a meal that highlighted truffles and the cheeses made locally. In addition, we did a cooking day in Rome. This was a private cooking class where we made pasta, several sauces, and appetizers. The one disappointment is that we never received the recipes from the chef (we were told by the chef that they would be emailed to us). However, this is a knock on the chef and not our travel agent. Once the class was done, we were served a meal in a private garden area. Lastly, we did a food walking tour in Rome. This was an amazing way to find local cuisine that we wouldn’t have known about otherwise. A wonderful experience.

All of our tour guides were excellent. They were knowledgeable, friendly, and familiar with the cities. We had one guide that really went into the details and reasons for expressions in the art. We didn’t care for that, but we didn’t specify that ahead of time or to the guide. It was wonderful seeing her excitement and passion for all of the amazing working works of art and sculpture that we saw.

Overall, I would highly recommend this travel agent and his team if you are traveling to Italy!! You will not be disappointed. We gave him our wish list of activities, accommodation preferences, etc. ahead of time and he made sure we got them all! Thank you for such a wonderful and memorable trip. If we are able to return to Italy, you will be hearing from us.

This is the second Italian adventure our Zicasso travel partner planned for us and it was fantastic from start to finish!

We loved returning to Florence and this time around, our agent suggested day trips to Bologna, San Gimignano, and Siena – amazing places! (We also added a stop in Monteriggioni, which was a great little spot.)

Our stay in Cinque Terre was idyllic… from the hotel to the food and even the challenging three-hour hiking tour.

We ended our trip with a couple of days in Rome. Everything from the tours to hotels and private transfers went smoothly. It was an almost perfect trip (it would have been perfect had the elevators at the Monterosso train station been working!).

Our travel agent gave us a beautiful experience!

This happened to be the "BEST" vacation/honeymoon we have ever had. My wife and I have been together for many years, and this was well over due. The initial problem was finding where to go, for she has been all over the world for work. We decided on Italy, not only that she has not been there, it is also because I have never been to Europe (I'm usually staying home with the dog and or kids). So now I'm searching for travel agencies/tours etc... So naturally you see what the big name guys have and see what they have to offer. Pretty much they were all the same, being bused here and there in groups, everything being timed and or rushed.... to me this is not our well over due honeymoon, we're not young kids. This is something for our kids to do. 

So the next thought was to see maybe construct our own excursions and do everything ourselves. Then I found Zicasso Travel... custom made luxury planning. I checked them out and found out that this company, depending on where you are going, gives your information to their contracted local agencies for the place you are going to. To me this is perfect, for they know how to make your visit more enjoyable as a regular instead of your plain tourist.

I gave my info on their site and within 2 days I was contacted by our agent this travel agency via email. She is from the United States and has been living in Italy for the past 15 years I think she said. I thought fantastic and where do we begin. She wanted to know everything, from interests (places to see), regions (places to stay), likes and dislikes, budget, when and how long you are going for. The initial plan was for 2 weeks but cut down to 12 days (wife had to go to work). Within a few weeks and a few changes, we had a plan. This plan was customized to our thoughts and needs, AND all private - from the time you stepped out of the airport to the time you stepped back into the airport to go home. No rushing anywhere and could change with our guides and or driver which we did a few times (skipped the length of tour to rest/eat/relax at local places or see a different part of the area).

Now we received the price and was more than expected, but this was a once in life-time trip, and we needed it badly. The initial payment we did via Credit card then wired the rest via bank transfer. We were nervous paying to this company for they were not well known (only a few reviews that I found but all 5 star) and was hoping this is not a scam. Another reviewer stated the same, and he was glad he did. So with all things taken care of, we could not wait to get there. "A major note is to wear comfortable walking shoes, for you will be doing a lot of walking."

First stop Rome. We were greeted by our designated driver for the next 4 days. He was great! I had a little problem at first that I forgot to pack extra batteries for my hearing aids, so as we left the airport and he was showing us around, we were looking for batteries. We stopped at a hearing aid place and they had them. He saved my life for my wife would have killed me. A couple of hours driving around we finished seeing parts of Rome, picked up the special letter to see the Pope the next day, and now at the beautiful Hotel, where check-in went fast and smooth. The rest of the day was to relax. Early the next day was off to Vatican City, Service with the Papal, then off to the recommended place for lunch. After lunch, we met our tour guide. She is a beautiful, intelligent, knowledgeable young woman and a blessing to have. She took us on our first tour of the Vatican & Sistine chapel ending with St Peters. She gave us a few recommendations of where to eat - fantastic. The next day we were off to Pompeii and along the coast. It's a long drive but worth it. There in Pompeii we met our private tour guide, who is a knowledgeable and funny young man. A pleasure to have as he took us around the ruins. After that, we drove along the coast to our next stop for lunch. Instead of eating inside at the recommended place, we decided to eat outside close by for it was a beautiful day. Walked around a bit with our driver and then drove back to hotel to relax. The next day, we saw our beautiful tour guide again as we walked around ancient Rome. It was raining on and off so we grabbed an umbrella at the hotel. We had a great time with her again. She dropped us off to eat at the end of our tour and gave us recommendations of where to go on our own. We took a taxi to the ancient underground burial caverns and took a group tour there, then back to hotel to relax. 

Next stop Florence. Our driver picked us up again as we checked out and stopped at a few places along the way. We arrived to a  beautiful hotel on top of a hill over-looking the city. The next day we took a taxi into town early for breakfast and meet another lovely woman for another full day of tours. Another great day!. The next day our new designated driver picked us up for 2 Chianti wine tours stopping in between for lunch. The next day our driver picked us up to explore 2 towns, Siena and San Gimignano, on our own. While having lunch in San Gimignano, I ask our waiter where I can get a pair of new reading glasses, mine broke the night before. He directed us a few blocks away and picked up a new pair. No matter where you go, the people are very friendly and speak English. 

Next stop Venice. The next day, our driver picked us up as we checked out and transferred us to the train station where we took a high-speed train to Venice. As we got out of the train station, we had a hard time finding our private water taxi due to construction by the near-by church. Within 15 minutes, our agent called my cell and directed us to our taxi. I was in amazement, like she was watching us from above and knew we were lost. God bless her. Found our driver and off we went. As we got to the port, our private water taxi driver directed us to the hotel a few blocks away. We walked past the hotel twice, asked a young lady at one of the local shops and just pointed to the other side of the walkway down 100 feet/30 meters. LOL... Again, check-in was fast and easy and relaxed with a little bit of exploring on our own. The next day our private guide was waiting for us in the lobby. She gave us a beautiful tour of this city and stopping to get one of the best gelato we ever had. Also instead of taking our private Gondolier ride in the early evening, our guide made arrangements for after the tour to take the ride and to drop us off on the other side of the Grand Canal so we can explore this beautiful church and be close to the hotel. Later that evening, we had dinner reservation and instead of walking (that's all you do in Venice) we decided to take a water bus. Well this was an experience. What we found out was that there are 2 sections next to each other, so if you need to go down the canal to the right, you get in the left side section and vise/versa. Yes we got on the wrong side. We did not realize this till 4 stops later where we got off and paid again to the correct section. Called the restaurant stating we will be late. We finally made it even with a few wrong turns. Dinner was great and took water bus back. The next day, we were on our own to explore till late afternoon when we met our guide in the lobby. She took us on a Baccari wine tour to 2 places and then off to our private sunset cruise along the Grand Canal to end our honeymoon. 

The End!

The 2 weeks in Italy our travel agent planned for us  was fantastic. We has a fantastic schedule with experienced and excellent guides. This was my first time in Italy, a 60th birthday trip with my sisters, we have varied interests and she hit the mark on them all! The hotel location in Sestri Levante was the perfect location. The weather was beautiful for late Sept., we enjoyed the beach and calm Mediterranean waters when we were relaxing back at the hotel.  The guide on our hike in Cinque Terra was very good. We did not know what to expect. His knowledge on the history of the area kept us more than expected. The guide knew the area and was able to rearrange our schedule due to rough winds that cancelled the ferry.

I would have never taken a pesto making class, but it was a highlight!

The sailing day was absolutely perfect. The weather was beautiful, and the skipper was a true sailor!

On our way to Florence we stopped in Lucca and a winery that were fantastic. The driver was prompt and informative. Our hotel in Florence had the perfect location! Close to both sides of the river to explore by foot every day. The 2 days with our guide were fantastic! She was excellent in every way, she knew the history, art and even helped with restaurant suggestions and reservations. Having a guide was the perfect way to not only see the sights but understand the time period and history. The day trips out of Florence to Chianti, Siena and San Gimignano, were perfect with wine-tasting interspersed with visiting the smaller towns in the Tuscany region. The weather was beautiful both a weeks we were in Italy. 

The trip exceeded our expectations in every-way and we will all be repeat customers!! 

Thanks for making my 60th birthday trip, the trip of a lifetime!