As we enter a new decade, I’ve come across a season of reflection. How did I get the travel bug? Thinking back to 15 years ago, I can’t help but think of how much has changed. There was no Instagram or Facebook, I didn’t have a cell phone that I could use internationally, and rarely anyone had Wifi access. My sister and I were in our 20’s and except for Mexico and Canada, we had never traveled internationally. After being inspired from the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun,” we both realized that Italy would be a great country to get our feet wet in the world of travel. Since we knew nothing about travel or how to plan, we decided to go through Contiki. Contiki is a company that organizes tour groups for 18-35 year olds. After picking the ‘Simply Italy’ tour, we were on our way for the experience of a lifetime!
Table of Contents
Rome
Right after we got off the plane, we encountered our first scam artist. A man approached us and offered to drive us to our hotel for a “discounted” rate of 70 euros. We bypassed the long line of people waiting for a taxi and foolishly let this man drive us. Thankfully, we got to the hotel safe, but our wallets were a lot lighter. That was definitely a lesson learned.
On our first night at the hotel, there was a welcome reception where we got to meet everyone going on the tour, including our driver and guide. All of the people were young and from different parts of the world. Being the introvert that I am, I remember feeling so shy and out of place. After dinner that night, a group of us decided to explore, so we headed to Campo de’ Fiori. That was the first time that I felt like I was able to relax and enjoy the company of everyone on the trip.
In Rome, we explored the Colosseum and the Roman forum area just near it. I remember feeling so in awe of the history that I was walking through.
Tuscany
From Rome, our big green tour bus took us up to Tuscany, where we enjoyed wine tasting. We also got to explore San Gimignano and climb the tower. The rolling hills and scenery were incredibly beautiful.
Florence
Right after a thorough day in Tuscany, our bus took us to Florence for the next couple of nights. Here, we would tour the Uffizi Gallery, enjoy a nice dinner on top of a hill, and explore the beautiful city. To be quite honest, I vaguely remember what we did in Florence since it was so long ago and I did not document my travels at the time. However, the David statue stood out in my mind for well, obvious reasons.
Pisa
On our way to our next destination, our tour group made a brief stop at Pisa to see the famous leaning tower. What I remember about this visit was the numerous street vendors selling souvenirs everywhere. Even though the tower leans at about four degrees, people are allowed to actually visit and climb up. It’s amazing to me how this structure has not fallen down.
Lake Como
After Pisa, our bus made its way north to the beautiful Lake Como region. We got to enjoy a ride on a boat and also explore the town of Bellagio for a bit. This part of Italy was breathtaking! The weather was slightly more crisp and I remember it being such a beautiful day to enjoy on the lake. Lining the shores of the lake were huge mansions that one could only dream of living in one day.
Verona
Our last stop on this day was the city that inspired Romeo and Juliet: Verona. This city pleasantly surprised me in how pretty it was. Unlike Florence, which was almost overrun with tourists, Verona had a mixture of locals and tourists. Many of them were eating, shopping, and just living every day life, which was almost a strange sight to see. We visited the famous Juliet statue and climbed the tower that overlooked the city.
Venice
Our next stop was Venice, a city that is built on 100 islands. We started at St. Mark’s Basilica and got to tour a glass making factory. I also remember visiting a lace shop, for which Venice is known for. After a gondola ride, my sister and I ended up drinking wine with some other sisters from our group. Although my sister was feeling sick, the wine definitely helped. In hindsight, I wish I had done more research on Venice and things to do and see. We were offered some free time to explore, but I was clueless on where to start. I didn’t want to get lost and potentially not make our meeting time. Remember, this was the days before wifi and Google maps. I definitely want to give Venice another shot because out of all of the cities we visited on this tour, this was my least favorite.
Assisi
After an overnight stay near Venice, we had a long drive to get to our next destination: Assisi. This town in the Umbria region remains one of my favorite cities to this day. As our little tour group wandered around in our free time, we got to witness and partake in the city’s local flag throwing ceremony. If you’ve watched the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun,” there is a scene where the locals participate in festivities very similar. It was such a treat to watch.
That evening, we stayed at a bed and breakfast just outside of Assisi. After dinner, we all drank and sang along as someone played on the piano. The day and night were so magical and I will always remember Assisi being the highlight of the tour.
Sorrento and Capri
The next day, our tour bus took us on a long drive south to Sorrento. From this coastal town, we could see the active volcano Mount Vesuvius. Because our journey was so long, the only thing I remember doing on this day was checking into our hotel. At night, however, is when the real fun began. At this point in the trip, everyone was getting a long very well and loosened up quite a bit. Needless to say, people ended up dancing on tables and bars and drinking a lot of wine.
Since we stayed the night in Sorrento, we were able to spend the next day in Capri. Not only did we get to see the Blue Grotto on a boat, but we also did some shopping and got to tour the island on our own. I thought Capri was stunning and at the time, not too touristy.
Pompeii and Rome
Our last destination before heading back to Rome was the ancient city of Pompeii. Pompeii is known as the city that was buried under the ash from Mount Vesuvius’ eruption in 79 A.D. Sadly, I can’t find any pictures of my time here, but just imagine a city filled with ruins and randomly placed phallic symbols on the floor.
We ended the tour in Rome with a last meal complete with dancing and singing.
The Good and the Bad
Pros
As with anything in life, there were pros and cons to doing a guided tour of Italy. I really liked how all transportation was included within the country. We didn’t have to worry about how to get from one city to the next. Additionally, having a local as a tour guide provides insights to the cities that I may not have learned on my own. Lastly, since everyone on the trip was young, it was nice to get to know people from around the world and have some serious fun.
Cons
Touring Italy in eight full days was doable, but I don’t recommend it. While the guided tour allowed us to see the main cities, I feel as though we were only provided a snapshot of Italy. It was just like reading a synopsis of a book rather than the whole novel. There wasn’t enough time in many of the cities. Venice would typically require a two to three days to explore, and we only had several hours.
Second, there wasn’t any freedom to choose which hotel to stay at. Fifteen years ago, that didn’t matter to me, but now, I scour TripAdvisor for reviews on anywhere I choose to stay.
Lastly, while the company in the group was great, I honestly got a little tired of seeing the same faces every day for more than a week. Like I previously mentioned, I am a tried and true introvert, so I definitely need some ‘me’ time every now and then.
Recommend?
If you’ve never been overseas before and have no idea where to start planning, I would highly recommend Contiki (if you’re young enough) or any other tour company. You won’t get the freedom and flexibility of traveling independently, but it removes a lot of the stress. Do I have any regrets? Of course not! Going on this trip allowed me to step outside of my “bubble” and triggered a deep yearning to see the rest of the world. Because of this trip, I’ve been to 12 countries since then and have no intention of stopping. It made me realize how huge the world is and how much I have yet to see.
I loved going through memory lane with you!