Number of days to arrive early.

Dokey

We are thinking of taking this tour and would like to arrive three days before the tour. Would Tauck be able to book the extra nights at the same hotel the tour starts if rooms are available. Of course one of the nights we would use our Gift of Time. Has anyone taken this tour and arrived three or four days early. We have never been to the Italian lakes region, but have been to Venice, Florence and Rome with Tauck, and we can't wait to go back. Thought we could explore on our own if we don't want to repeat some things we have already seen.

smarks50

I haven't taken this particular tour but always book the tour hotel 2 - 4 nights before the tour starts. I always book the hotel through Tauck; the earlier you let them know you want this the better chance they can arrange this for you. You can do this in conjunction with the "gift of time." The price per night is usually reflected in the "accommodations" section of each tour description.

twig

On our Tour of Switzerland in July we had a surprise side trip to Bellagio,Italy which is the first stop on Italian Lakes Trip. It is a charming town with stone stairs climbing up lovely walking streets. We glimpsed at the Grand hotel that is the hotel for Italian lakes trip and it was magnificent. We loved the views of Lake Como with the snow capped alps.
We actually are booked on this trip for July 2015 so it was fun to have a preview. We always go ahead and excited to see more of Bellagio. NY Times had a great article recently and mentionned cafes in Bellagio.
Hope this is helpful.

smarks50

Agree - Bellagio is one of the jewels of Italy!

Dokey

Thank you for the helpful information. Hope someone who has come back from this trip recently could give some ideas on what to do while in Bellagio and in the lakes region. Especially if they went early and had a lot of free time. Also what may be the best time of year to go on this tour.

British

it depends what your priorities are. Is it the weather? Is it when there are less crowds? Weather can be looked up on the Before You Go section of the website page for the tour, under Weather. For things to do, one place to look is go to the website for the hotel you are staying in and see if they have a section for nearby places to visit, you will also find out where exactly the hotel is. Or you can call the Concierge for ideas in advance. All this can be done while you wait for people to reply, in case no one does. I have not been to the Italian lakes area to help you out.

Dokey

Hi British, I had done a lot of research on everything that you suggested before I posted on this forum. It is sometimes just nice to hear some ideas from someone who has actually been there. But really appreciate that you took the time to try and help. I realize I may not hear from anyone. While we aren't thinking of doing this tour until next year, thought I would give it a try. We already have our fourth tour with Tauck booked for next year. So this one would be number five. Like a lot of people on these forums, we have become addicted to Tauck. Thank you