Family Vacation Ideas

We had a fantastic trip with the Zicasso travel company. They helped us plan the perfect itinerary for our family (two adults and three kids aged 17, 14, and 10). They listened to our desires for an active family vacation and went above and beyond with all of the details!

We spent two full weeks in Croatia and had so many memorable and beautiful experiences. They set up friendly, knowledgeable drivers in a comfortable air-conditioned van. The accommodations they booked were all fantastic, from boutique hotels in the middle of the old towns in Zadar and Split to larger resort hotels in Hvar and Dubrovnik.

Our favorite experiences were ones we would have never found on our own, including a private biking tour and dinner at a restaurant in old town Hvar, a boat ride to Trogir, and the Blue Lagoon out of Split, with a stop at the most marvelous island for the most impressive and fancy lunch I've ever had. Other highlights were a history and gastronomy tour in Split; a biking tour outside of Dubrovnik, followed by a cooking class and amazing home-cooked meal at a family home; a kayaking tour out of Hvar; a private boat tour to the Blue Cave, with snorkeling; and a visit to Mali Ston to enjoy fresh oysters on the boat of the oyster farm owner, who explained how they caught the oysters and treated us to the freshest oysters and mussels we've ever had!

Our contact from the travel agency was always very quick to answer questions before and during the trip.

We loved Croatia – the history is amazing, the people are friendly, the food is great, the architecture is stunning, the national parks are gorgeous, and there is so much to do and experience. Everywhere we went, we felt 100% safe, and everything was very clean. The Adriatic Sea has crystal-clear, beautiful water.

You absolutely must visit Plitvice Lakes (stunning waterfalls and lake) and Krka National Park if you have time. It is beautiful, less crowded than Plitvice, and teeming with frogs, which my boys loved finding.

Split was my absolute favorite city. It’s amazing how they have incorporated newer architecture among the centuries-old buildings for an amazing old-town experience. Dubrovnik has stunning ancient walls and fortresses, Zadar is beautiful and has a great waterfront promenade, and Hvar is a vibrant and fun beach town.

The travel agency always set us up with local guides and drivers who really added to our experience. We loved having private tours instead of being with a huge group!

I'm so glad we booked through them and would encourage others to do the same!

THE BEST VACATION EVER!!!!

I must admit that I was somewhat uncomfortable arranging a group tour to Italy with someone I communicated with only via the Internet and telephone.  However, after my first communication with our agent -- I knew that she “had it.”  She understood exactly what we wanted to do.  She was right-on in both concept and execution.

Our ten-day adventure in Italy began with a private transfer with an English speaking local driver from the Rome airport to our fantastic 3 star boutique hotel located right in the historical center of Rome.  During our three days in Rome, we had fantastic private tours of Ancient Rome, the Coliseum, and the Vatican Museums.  Extremely knowledgeable, English-speaking guides led all of our tours.  Sense of Italy had arranged for VIP, skip the line, priority entrance for all tours -- saving us from long waits in long lines.

After our busy 3 days in Rome, we departed via private van transfer from our hotel in Rome to the Chianti Region of Tuscany.  The transfer included stops on the Val D’ Orcia to visit the amazing Villages of Montalcino and Montepulciano.  The “light lunch” and wine tasting we enjoyed in Montalcino was one of the highlights of our trip.  In Tuscany we stayed 7 Nights in a beautiful, historic villa located on one of the best wine estates of Chianti (Villa Le Corti near San Casciano) where we were met with a fantastic welcome dinner. During our time in Tuscany we were transported by private van from our villa to private tours of Siena, San Gimignano, Florence, Pisa and Lucca.  On each of our stops we were met by knowledgeable English speaking guides that clearly were proud of the history of their country, and were anxious to share it.  Interspersed in all of this activity were numerous exceptional meals with opportunities to taste (and drink) very fine Italian wines.

When we finally were forced to leave Italy, our agent arranged for private transport accommodating our varying departure times from the Florence airport and train station.

Thanks to this travel company and our agent for designing the perfect vacation for our group.  The only complaint that I heard was that we ate too much — wow was all the food delicious.  I really don’t know how she did it.  All of the tours were great — the van drivers friendly and helpful, the guides knowledgeable, and the sites spectacular.  Our stay in the villa was a great experience.  We were treated royally everywhere.  We all marveled at our agent's ability to get us, the vans, the guides, the food and wine, etc. all at the right place at the right time.  She is a genius!!!!

Jeff E