Tour Review - 3-17 Oct 2023
Here’s my overall thoughts on the tour. I’ll do a day by day for those who care with photos once I get them sorted.
Physical Demands: First off, Tauck isn’t kidding this is a 3/3 tour. You will be walking long distances, uphill and on rough surfaces and standing for long periods. The stone stairs down to the Blue Grotto, Pompeii’s stone streets, quaint Italian hilltop villages like Assisi. This was our 11th Tauck tour and easily to most physically demanding. Add to that the first 3 days (including the optional Capri excursion) all had early starts where we barely had time for a quick breakfast before leaving. After that the starts got more reasonable.
Itinerary. If your heart beats fondly for cathedrals and museums this is the tour for you. In filling out our comment card I realized that what we most enjoyed were more scenic sights – the Blue Grotto, the Amalfi coast, the boat ride along Cinque Terre, the (hard won) views from the hilltop villages and the water and boats around Venice. I also realized that we didn’t have a single unique cultural experience that Tauck usually includes like a visit to a farm or local business. While I know this tour is the favorite of many, I’m not sure it was the best choice for us.
Hotels. The hotels (hotel rooms) were a mix. If you look at the Classic sized tour and the Small Group you’ll note that they use different hotels. Before booking I spent time reviewing each hotel and decided we were fine with those in the larger group. I still think they were but the rooms allotted by the hotels were not always great. In Sorrento we actually stayed in the Small Group hotel the Grand Hotel La Favorita. We were pleasantly surprised to be allotted a junior suite with private balcony. That was the high point. In Rome the InterContinental was very nice though the rooms a bit small – totally what I would expect in a big city hotel. Then we went to Perugia. The town is up on a hilltop with lovely views of the countryside. You can imagine our dismay when we were directed to the basement in a suite consisting of a windowless living area, small windowless bath and bedroom with a small window looking at a tree. After talking to others in our group we went to the front desk and requested a different room. Our bellboy was behind the counter and chuckled asking us if we didn’t like room 52. Not sure his boss appreciated his input but did in fact move us to a very nice suite on the top floor with wonderful views of the country. Up next was Pisa for one night in a small room with a tub, no shower or shower curtain. I managed to hose down the bathroom. The Westin in Florence is right on the river with a rooftop bar/restaurant and 171 rooms/suites. I didn’t necessarily expect rooms with prime views but everyone got rooms overlooking the interior airshaft. Looking at the fire maps they have about 6 of these rooms per floor and obviously have decided to allot them to Tauck. The Danieli in Venice we liked in spite of the quirky layout connecting two old buildings together and requiring a combination of stairs and elevator to get to your room. It’s a bit of a grande dame right on the waterfront. We had a small room with a French balcony looking at the Doge Palace/Jail. Breakfast is in the rooftop restaurant. Sadly due to cooler temps we ate indoors.
Weather. We had much warmer weather than expected. I’d thought 70s with the possibility of rain. We several times were in the 80s and never saw anything more than clouds. Thankfully all the hotels had good AC.
Food. Tauck included loads of meals for this tour and often more than we wanted to eat. Generally good especially the dinners where we had our pick of 3 courses from the menu. Lunch tended to be a preset meal. One thing I found interesting was the lack of diversity of cuisines in Italy. Anywhere else we’ve been you could find just about any type of food – Italian, Mexican, Thai, burgers, etc. Italy – at least the places we were – really didn’t have much diversity. It could be awhile before I can eat pizza or pasta.
Classic vs Small Group. I’m not always convinced the small group price tag is worth it but for this tour I think it would be given the length of the tour, the number of sights visited, coordinating meals, etc I believe would go much better with a smaller group.
Travel Post Covid. After our experience on this tour, reading posts here on the forum and on the Tauck Travelers facebook page, I don’t believe the travel industry has recovered well from covid. Added to that is that demand – especially this year – is more than the system can support well. In the past when visiting Rome, the travel groups got skip the line entry into the St Peters Basilica. The Vatican has ended that and the groups had to wait in the same line with the rest. Yes, unexpected things can happen on tour like one of our days was totally thrown off due to a major traffic accident. Disappointing but not Tauck’s fault. However, our schedule in Florence was rearranged and those who were supposed to have dinner in the hotel’s rooftop restaurant instead went to a different hotel. No explanation of why. This happened to us on our Week in Scotland tour’s Farewell dinner – an inferior meal at the Intercontinental instead of the Balmoral.
Comments
Thanks for the review, Claudia. I'm scheduled for this tour next Spring.
BTW, I wouldn't mind all Italian food. I find good Italian food (including good pizza) hard to find in the part of the US we live in.
I'll be interested in your photos. (FYI, didn't you mean "Venice" at the end of the "Hotels" para?
) I'm glad we took the small groups tour. Even back then, due to high winds and seas, we didn't get to go to Cinque Terre- Tauck substitued Porto Veneri at the tip of the peninsula, which was interesting and nice, but not Cinque Terre. The Bruneleschi hotel in Florence was a very nice small hotel, but even better was its location!!
Were you able to add in any extras on your own in Florence?
Yes, it should have been Venice. I've corrected.
We walked up to the ticket office opposite the Baptistry and got the Ghiberti pass for the same day. Gave entry to the Baptistry, the museum and 2 pm skip the line cathedral.
Wow, same-day tickets!!! Was it due to lesser crowds at this time of year? Did you need tickets to the cathedral or was that from the crypt or to climb Brunelleschi's dome?
Possibly yes. Our tour guide the day before said to go to that ticket office and we wouldn't have any trouble getting tickets. You can get into the cathedral itself for free but it's a very long line that wraps around the building. There are 3 pass options: Brunelleschi, Giotto and Ghiberti. The Brunelleschi for 30 euros includes all 5 sights including climbing the dome. Ghiberti is the cheapest at 15 euros and only includes the baptistry, museum and the cathedral with timed entry that means you don't have to wait in that long line. You go into the cathedral through the crypt entrance. Giotto is 20 and adds the bell tower.
Thanks. Obviously a new ticketing system.
I don't know if there were other options other than single site tickets when we went in 2016 but we had the equivalent of the Brunelleschi- we climbed the dome, saw the baptistry, the museum but didn't have time for the crypt, and decided not to climb Giotto's bell tower since we had climbed the dome. (But we also squeezed in a Segway tour of the city and an private afternoon excursion to Pisa and leaning tower climb over two days
) Too much to see and not enough time!!! 
I built a matrix/spreadsheet to track it all 
On our meal on our own night in Florence we ate at the Hard Rock Cafe
Hi Claudia,
My husband and I went on this tour in 2016 and it was our first and up to now favorite Tauck tour. I am considering going again, because the tour has changed since then, and our dear friends would like to go. So I hope you don’t mind a few more questions and comments:
1) Thanks for the hotel comments. They were helpful.
2) Can you please give more details about the food choices. We have taken many Tauck tours in Italy and traveled on our own, and we don’t eat much pizza there. Pasta: definitely! So many different types and ways to serve, that I personally do not get tired, but there have also always been plenty of other things to choose from, including seafood and beef. We have always seen non-Italian restaurants in the larger cities. Were they too difficult for you to get to? That you couldn’t find burgers in the larger cities is puzzling. (McDonald’s popped into my mind, but that is probably not what you meant!) We were craving burgers in Oslo one time, but they were not the same as home, so I do get that sometimes you want something familiar.
3) When you were deciding about trips and discussing your options in a previous thread, you said that you were interested in architecture, history and food. I was puzzled that you did not mention anything about whether your expectations were met regarding the first two. If those are your highest priorities, it should be pretty hard to top this trip.
4) You mentioned that this trip lacked a cultural experience, and you sounded disappointed. But the trip advertises 3 blockbuster-level after-hours experiences: The Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, the Uffizzi Galleries and St. Mark’s Basilica. You did not mention any of these activities, did you get to see them? Yes, it is a lot of churches and museums, but that is where the art is. I can see how this could be overwhelming. I hope you were able to enjoy at least some of the art and architecture, and the history behind it.
5) I’m glad the activity level and pace were accurate.
6) One of the tour highlights for us in 2016 was arriving in Venice by train. The experience is fantastic. I hope you enjoyed that.
While I do admit that this itinerary can be pretty exhausting, for those who are up for it, it is a pretty incredible journey.
Hi Wan, as I initially said I've got a longer day to day review planned (mostly written but I want to add photos) which may answer more questions. I probably should have waited to post this one as I was still jetlagged and managed to pick up a head cold (no not covid) enroute home so I'm a bit tired.
However, to answer your questions:
As I said the food - especially the dinners where we got full choice from the menus - were excellent. Lunches were often preset so some courses you'd like and others not so much. Dinners you'd get 3 courses picking from antipasti, primi (pasta/rice), secondi (meat/seafood) and dulci (dessert). I tended to favor pasta as I haven't been craving meat much lately but did have some excellent prawns at least twice. As to other cuisines, I'm sure if we'd gone further afield of our hotel or sights we might have seen more especially in Rome, but generally it was just Italian restaurants with pretty similar menus. However, we did get burgers one day in Rome since the Hard Rock Cafe is right next door to the Intercontinental. I'll try to list the restaurants other than the hotels in the longer review.
Yes, there was a fair amount about history though I always do a lot of reading ahead anyway. Architecture is basically Roman with the biggest exception being St Marks in Venice which is so Byzantine and very different.
What I meant by cultural experience is the type of thing Tauck has done on other tours like Ireland where we had lunch and time spent with a family that owns a dairy farm. Or the Loire valley where we ate dinner at a chateau, met the baron and had a hunting hound demo. This one felt more like "here are the most important sights to see in Italy".
Yes, the arrival in Venice was special. I didn't realize we'd walk out and be immediately facing the Grand Canal. Another guest and I just grinned and were so happy. I loved Venice in spite of the crowds.
Hope this helps.
Claudia, thanks for this review! I appreciate the details, and also appreciate that you are honestly saying there were some disappointments. We had the same mix of hotels on our Bellissima Northern Italy tour in September. We did not have nearly your good luck when we mentioned our disappointment to our tour director (first in a whatsapp private message, then softly off to the side in person). He followed us into the formal dining room and loudly scolded us for our "complaints" in front of everyone.
Oh my goodness! While I appreciate that the Tour Directors are having a more tough time with customers, that is unbelievable.
We didn't bother with the TD since we know they have little or no influence on room assignments. Or at least that's what we've always been told. We just very politely asked a man at the reception desk who I think was a manager. The bell boys reaction certainly helped.
Wan, I think Claudia was starting with a very general view of the tour before her main review.
When I attempt my reviews, I don’t mainly mention the itineraries too much, because it’s all on the website, I tend to just give my personal impression and I think that is how Claudia meant it.
This post is the first half of my day by day review for the tour with some photos. Please wait until the second half to comment.
Day 1 – we arrived the night before so we could take advantage of the Capri option. Very early start at 7:40 - rough for a first day. We took a van to the harbor, ferry to Capri, terrifying mini bus to the other side of the island and the Blue Grotto. To get to it you have to climb down a stone staircase (200 steps?) and wait in line on the stairs. Eventually you and about 3-4 others get into a small rowboat with the boatman, row over to a different boat for tickets then wait your turn to get into the cave. This requires sitting in the bottom of the boat, laying as flat as possible. I literally got sandwiched briefly between my husband and the boatman. It’s amazing inside and worth the hassle. Overall took about 2 hours. Then we were taken to Anacapri for lunch and a chance to walk around. No time for the gondola ride to the peak. Back to the harbor by minibus and another ferry ride. Welcome reception and dinner were at the hotel. Excellent food. We had 39 guests.
Day 2 – another early start for our drive along the Amalfi coast. It’s beautiful though the air was a bit hazy with moisture. We stopped in Positano and could visit the cathedral there or just walk around. Then off to Ravello for lunch and browsing. A long inclined walk from where the coach could drop us off and the village. Lunch at Cumpa Cosimo was a small place with the owner – an elderly Italian lady – informing us what we’d eat. She was a character. If we wanted we could visit some gardens in the town. Not a lot to them but lovely views of the coast. Back to Sorrento about 4:30.
Day 3 – off to Pompeii for a guided tour. I’d been looking forward to this sight especially but ended up not enjoying as much. In part because my husband fell walking up the stone incline that is the entrance to the sight. He had to take it very easy watching every step and we were often at the back of the group not able to see what the guide was pointing out. We really needed another guide. Tauck provided 1 for a slow group of about 8 and the rest of our group shared the other. Also it got very warm. I can’t imagine doing this tour in hotter weather. After the tour we went to a nearby restaurant - Tiberius - for lunch then off to Rome.
Day 4 – we were warned by the TD that the departure for the tour of St Peter’s Basilica would be leaving earlier than planned because the Vatican had eliminated the skip the line for tour groups so our group would just have to queue with the rest of the tourists. My husband and I were both tired and he was still sore from his fall the previous day so we skipped the Vatican. Instead we had a leisurely breakfast then walked over to the top of the Spanish steps then over to the Trevi fountain. It was nice to see them in the cool of the morning and without the crowds. That evening we had our afterhours Vatican Museum and Sistine chapel tour. Drinks and a light dinner were provided in a restaurant in the courtyard. We didn’t see everything the museum has to offer but quite a bit and plenty of time in the Sistine chapel. A special evening.
Day 5 – this morning was Imperial Rome with the forum tour which did not include a tour of the inside of the coliseum. If you wanted that you needed to purchase tickets yourself. We did walk around the exterior then thru the forum sights of old temple ruins, arches, towers, etc. The walking surface was mixed – sometimes tricky, sometimes smooth. Way easier than Pompeii. For dinner we joined a mother/daughter duo at a place near the Trevi fountain then walked over by it and the Pantheon for a bit of Rome nightlife. Still crazy crowded.
Day 6 – on the road again to Orvieto. The coach parked below the town and little minibuses ferried us to the top of the hill and the cathedral. The afternoon sun really catches the gold in the front façade. We had a tour of the cathedral, some free time, lunch at Trattoria La Grotta and more free time before heading to Perugia. It’s a lovely small town on a hilltop and has a shop where you can buy Perugina chocolate kisses called Baci. You can buy them at the Venice airport but the shop had more choices. Two dinners were provided by Tauck in Perugia – one at the hotel and one in town at Ristorante La Taverna. The TD split the group up and scheduled us for one each night. We had the restaurant in town. Excellent Tiramisu.
Day 7 – off on a short drive to nearby Assisi. Unfortunately the coach had to park in a lower lot and we had to walk uphill to the cathedral. Very interesting history of St Francis. Then we had plenty of free time for lunch on our own and shopping. Back to the hotel by 3 with plenty of time to walk into town and go to the hotel’s pool down in its own grotto. Very relaxing. A 6:15 we had a drinks get together on the 3rd floor deck. It was a good chance to try out prosecco or a spritz like Aperol or Lemoncello. Tonight’s dinner was at the hotel’s Collin’s restaurant. Panzanella salad and a beautiful crème brulee.
Second half of the day by day.
Day 8 – this day started well then fell apart. We were heading to San Gimignano and about an hour away a major traffic accident on the highway brought travel to a halt. Eventually the driver got us off the bumper to bumper traffic and by back roads got us to the town about 2 ½ hours late. It’s another quaint hilltop village with a lot of uphill walking but stunning views of the countryside. Sadly the delay also ended a chance to actually see the Leaning Tower of Pisa and got us to the hotel too late to utilize the spa. It closes at 7 and our bags didn’t arrive in our room til 6:30. A big mistake not to pack our swimsuits in our carryon bags. Dinner at the hotel.
Day 9 – today we headed off to Le Spezia on the coast for our private chartered boat ride along Cinque Terre. It was a lovely day. The boat docked in Vernazza for loads of free time. Lunch was on our own but the TD had reserved tables at an outdoor restaurant if people wanted. After lunch my husband and I climbed up thru the town to the hiking path that connects the Cinque Terre villages. We got some great views. From Vernazza we had a short train ride back to Le Spezia and our coach heading to Florence. Florence is another town with two dinners provided. Ours was at Al Profeta down the street from the hotel. The owner walked us thru the extensive menu. Another character. I recommend the Prawns in Saffron sauce.
Day 10 – the day started with a guided tour of the Academia – mostly to see Michelangelo’s David statue. Then the guide walked us over to the Piazza del Doumo and the Piazza della Signoria where we met up with the TD and headed to lunch near San Croce. You were on your own after that. The after hours Uffizi tour had been moved up to this day instead Day 11. Unfortunately I misheard the departure time and we missed it. We did go up to the rooftop bar for a drink and the view. Over priced drink but worth it for the view.
Day 11 – because of the Uffizi tour being moved up the day was ours to choose. We walked over to the Doumo area ticket office and got Ghiberti passes which gave us access to the Baptistery, Museum and Sanctuary. The Baptistery is undergoing renovation so we didn’t see much. The museum is lovely and very modern. We ate lunch at a place next to the Duomo – Le Botteghe di Donatello – with excellent bruschetta and Spaghetti Carbonara. To enter the Sanctuary (without waiting in the very long free entry line) you need a timed ticket. Two PM was the earliest we could get. I’d recommend booking tickets online before arriving. We walked back along the river and got a shot of the Ponte Vecchio. Tonight was supposed to be our night for the Se-sto restaurant at the hotel but instead it was moved to the St Regis hotel across the plaza. We were very disappointed as we’d looked forward to the rooftop restaurant.
Day 12 – we left Florence by highspeed rail. Our luggage went by truck. I’d recommend sending all your luggage this way as dealing with it in Venice is tricky. The train took about 2 hours and you walk out of the station looking at the Grand Canal. From there we took water taxis in groups of 5 to the hotel. Normally they take you to the side entrance of the hotel but due to high water we went to St Marks square which is very close by. We all headed upstairs to the hotel restaurant for a buffet lunch. We were supposed to have gondola rides at about 3 but a weather front moved thru and the gondolas stopped operating. At 9:30pm we all headed to the night visit of Basilica San Marco. It seemed a weird time to go but what happened was after a brief walk around the building we all sat in the basilica and the attendants dimmed the lights. Then they turned them on one by one until it was fully illuminated highlighting the beautiful byzantine ceiling of gold mosaics. Very special.
Day 13 – the day started with breakfast in the rooftop restaurant. In warmer weather you can dine outside but it was a bit too cool for that though we still had great views. Then the group walked over to the Doge Palace for a guided tour. Initially a bit boring – more old rooms with old painting – but then they take you over the Bridge of Sighs to the old jail which was so cool. The TD also told us the hotel could arrange with one of the Murano glass factories for a free boat ride to see a glass blowing demo and shop if we wanted. Most expensive free boat ride ever but I do love the piece I picked out. About 4:45 we had our rescheduled gondola rides and I was glad we hadn’t done it the day before when the water was choppy. The Farewell Reception was in the hotel lobby and dinner in the rooftop restaurant.
Day 14 – the tour was over but we stayed an extra day. After breakfast we walked over to the bell tower in St Marks square. It costs 10 euros to ride the elevator to the top for amazing 360 degree views of Venice. The photo shows the Doge's Palace and just beyond it our hotel. Then we wandered the lanes and bridges until we found the Rialto Bridge, did some more shopping and rested up for our 3:30am water taxi departure for the airport.
Claudia - Beautiful pictures and they brought back many memories, I loved this tour.
Loved your review of classic italy. Read my review of Belissima Italy...might be in messages to me
Thank you for the amazingly detailed and thoughtful review - We are going on this tour in June '24 - I came into the forum because I wanted to ask about the quality of all the dinners that are included. We had heard from ppl who went on less expensive tours with other companies that the food was disappointing "beef or chicken?"... But you have made it sound like the food is good and authentic...
The comments about poor hotel rooms is really concerning, I mean, this tour is expensive and I am expecting nice rooms and views, not interior courtyard... And I would expect the TD to advocate for you if you had a bad room assignment...
We are considering day trip to Sienna on one of the free days in Florence and buying a Colosseum tour since not included. Also Borghese museum,,, I am interested in anyone's else's view on the food... I'm not afraid to book our own dinner if reviews are bad, but sounds like that's not an issue....
Metzel, I wouldn't worry too much about the rooms. It was only the one in Perugia that was worth the effort of talking to the front desk to change. The Florence room itself was very nice and huge - like 20'x20' with sofas in the corner, big bathroom, etc. It's just I'd hoped for some sort of city view as pictures of the building don't give you idea they even have interior rooms. I should have checked it out using google earth. You could probably pay to upgrade to a room with a view by contacting the hotel though it would be for 3 nights. At least with an interior room you miss out of any traffic noise.
Since we know the TDs don't have any control over room assignments we didn't think it was worth it to bother her. We did inconvenience her somewhat as moving rooms made us a bit late to meet up to walk to our restaurant that night. Kind of the drawback to their arrangements for meals not in the hotel.
Yes, the dinners were excellent with plenty of choices. Even the lunches were good. There might be something I didn't care for but plenty of other food that I didn't miss it.
Claudia thank you for your excellent review! What a packed trip! I don't remember it being this packed when we did it in 2016, but a lot has changed about the itinerary. And I was certainly younger then!