8-10 Days Italy Tour "LEVEL 1 or2" A MUST!!!

sbean401

My wife & I are thinking of taking an 8-10 day tour of Venice, Florence & Rome this coming May (2017), but won't be able to do a "Level 3" tour. We would need a Level 1 or Level 2 tour---we've had too many knee & hip surgeries!!!
Any way to find these levels of tours?

Ken from Vegas

The "A week in... Venice, Florence and Rome" tour seems to be the only one with activity level 2. (Just search for the Italy tours and look at each tour for activity ratings). Central Florence and Venice are closed to vehicle traffic (except boats in Venice and taxis in Florence) so some walking will be required, no matter how you go. If you want to go longer, add some days on your own at the start or end of the trip. A day at the beginning is always nice to get over jet lag. There's always more to see in Rome at the end of your trip.

Stay away from the Culturious trips, for sure. These are for more active travelers.

Happy travels.

Dixie Chick

My husband and I were on the Italian Lakes, Venice, Florence, Rome trip in May, 2016. We absolutely loved, loved, loved the trip. However, there is a huge amount of walking up and down hills and steps. In many places, even the coliseum, there are elevators. Even when walking on flat surfaces, there are cobblestones and uneven surfaces.
On our trip we had one darling couple ages 85 and 91. They were slow, but they managed to do everything. In order to see and do the things you want to see, you just have to walk and climb. A lot. It is unavoidable. But you can take your time, go at your own pace, and enjoy the journey. You might consider taking a walking stick.

If you compare the Lakes, Venice etc. tour with the one that is Venice, Florence, Rome only, you will see that they are virtually identical except for one day that subs a wine tasting for Siena, and then, of course, the added days at gorgeous Lake Como. Bellagio is just beautiful and totally different than anything else on the trip. Well work the extra couple days. Most importantly, the shorter tour does not have any SMALL GROUP tours. With your mobility concerns, I think it would be a MUST to be on a small group tour. It is just easier to herd 20-24 cats than 40-44, It takes less time, and you will not feel rushed to try to keep up with a larger group. We have done both sizes of tours, and we would never consider doing a large group tour again. Yes, it costs more, but it is worth it.
Also, go a day early to rest from the long flight. Have a quiet dinner in the downstairs bar/dining area at the hotel...and a glass of good Italian wine.

I hope you will be able to do the trip. If you cannot, I recommend going to France on the Normandy, Brittany, Paris, and Loire Valley tour. There is very little strenuous walking or climbing, except for the day at Mont St. Michel, but everything else is pretty flat. We did this trip in fall 2015, and we adored the trip. Good luck!!
Nancy

CalKat

I'm just going to chime in here and say that the "Best of Ireland" trip is activity level 2 and quite doable for anyone with mobility issues! No climbing unless you want to kiss the Blarney Stone or walk around the city wall in Derry.