Which touring method- rushing from one thing to another or choosing 1 or 2 things?

[World Gallery]

I have been in touch with 3 tour companies in Italy and I am noticing something about them - some have so much stuff packed into one day and another does "themes" and focuses on less in the same amount of time. I realize I need to figure out if "less is more" and what will be the better experience/approach for our family. My kids will be 11 -18. What is the better approach? What is more memorable? We are taking private tours and I am sure any tour company would be flexible but when they first reply back, they are sending a packed intinerary and I am not sure what to do with all these suggestions they send for one day!

 

This is from Context Travel - In general, we usually try to cover the Roman Forum and Colosseum during the first part of the day and the Vatican complex (museums and basilica) in the afternoon. But this means a lot of rushing around and, at best, a cursory familiarity with the city. A far more civilized itinerary would involve passing over one of these tourist-heavy sites.

Context also has a tour that focuses just on the Grand Bazaar in Turkey, which I like. The other tour company recommended 4 major sites in one day!

 

This is from Pleasant Travel for the port of Livorno (my initial reaction to this is to steer clear because this is crazy and overwhelming!):

In the morning I will pick you up at the Port in Livorno. The trip towards

Florence meanders through the hills of Tuscany, through the heart of Chianti country.Forty- five minutes later will find us in "Piazzale Michelangelo" which holds Michelangelo's version of the Statue of David.This square is one of the highest points of the City and overloks the amazing Renaissance Architecture. Down in the City we'll see some of the most amazing Sites of the historic center of the City including the Duomo, the Academia and "Ponte Vecchio", Signoria Square ecc. And some famous churches like Santa Croce. On the way back to Livorno we'll stop in Pisa, in Miracle Square- La Piazza dei Miracoli; where we'll find the leaning tower of Pisa.The way back from Pisa to Livorno is along the ancient Auralian Road "Roman Road"- For lunch we will stopatypical family restaurant where you can sample genuine local food and wine.

[soccerref]

My own personal preference is to see as much as possible as I may only 'travel that way once'.

 

IMHO the Pleasant Travel tour is not as overwhelming as it might seem. You are being driven for quite a long time so you can relax and watch the scenery. The centre of Florence is fairly compact with many of the most famous sites being quite close to each other and it is the same in Pisa. I have some mobility problems and was able to do a similar itinerary without too many problems. Just be aware that, depending on the time of the year (June to early September), it will be hot and crowded but absolutely worthwhile.

[chipmaster]

A cruise by the very definition where you have a day in every port is a rush rush rush affair in the Med. Totallly different than a Caribbean which might be just one stop beach/snorkel dime a dozen + one other attraction.

 

IMHO the very reason I choose a cruise was to check of a bunch of things wiht my kids and parents. Others prefer the do two things at leisure pace. Only you can decide.

 

In Rome we did a lot and did at "our" pace, as we ran tight later in the morning we discussed with the driver what our preferece was to skip. For sure we were going to do Vatican, Sistine, and St. Pauls. I would not call it a lot of rushing around but efficient movement :D I wouldn't have done it any other way, but that was the plan for us all alone in Athens, Istanbul, Naples, Rome, Florence/Pisa.

 

Its private do what you want in the order you want and play a bit by ear..

 

I have been in touch with 3 tour companies in Italy and I am noticing something about them - some have so much stuff packed into one day and another does "themes" and focuses on less in the same amount of time. I realize I need to figure out if "less is more" and what will be the better experience/approach for our family. My kids will be 11 -18. What is the better approach? What is more memorable? We are taking private tours and I am sure any tour company would be flexible but when they first reply back, they are sending a packed intinerary and I am not sure what to do with all these suggestions they send for one day!

 

This is from Context Travel - In general, we usually try to cover the Roman Forum and Colosseum during the first part of the day and the Vatican complex (museums and basilica) in the afternoon. But this means a lot of rushing around and, at best, a cursory familiarity with the city. A far more civilized itinerary would involve passing over one of these tourist-heavy sites.

Context also has a tour that focuses just on the Grand Bazaar in Turkey, which I like. The other tour company recommended 4 major sites in one day!

 

This is from Pleasant Travel for the port of Livorno (my initial reaction to this is to steer clear because this is crazy and overwhelming!):

In the morning I will pick you up at the Port in Livorno. The trip towards

Florence meanders through the hills of Tuscany, through the heart of Chianti country.Forty- five minutes later will find us in "Piazzale Michelangelo" which holds Michelangelo's version of the Statue of David.This square is one of the highest points of the City and overloks the amazing Renaissance Architecture. Down in the City we'll see some of the most amazing Sites of the historic center of the City including the Duomo, the Academia and "Ponte Vecchio", Signoria Square ecc. And some famous churches like Santa Croce. On the way back to Livorno we'll stop in Pisa, in Miracle Square- La Piazza dei Miracoli; where we'll find the leaning tower of Pisa.The way back from Pisa to Livorno is along the ancient Auralian Road "Roman Road"- For lunch we will stopatypical family restaurant where you can sample genuine local food and wine.

[ksps cruise fan]

I have been in touch with 3 tour companies in Italy and I am noticing something about them - some have so much stuff packed into one day and another does "themes" and focuses on less in the same amount of time. I realize I need to figure out if "less is more" and what will be the better experience/approach for our family. My kids will be 11 -18. What is the better approach? What is more memorable? We are taking private tours and I am sure any tour company would be flexible but when they first reply back, they are sending a packed intinerary and I am not sure what to do with all these suggestions they send for one day!

 

This is from Context Travel - In general, we usually try to cover the Roman Forum and Colosseum during the first part of the day and the Vatican complex (museums and basilica) in the afternoon. But this means a lot of rushing around and, at best, a cursory familiarity with the city. A far more civilized itinerary would involve passing over one of these tourist-heavy sites.

Context also has a tour that focuses just on the Grand Bazaar in Turkey, which I like. The other tour company recommended 4 major sites in one day!

 

This is from Pleasant Travel for the port of Livorno (my initial reaction to this is to steer clear because this is crazy and overwhelming!):

In the morning I will pick you up at the Port in Livorno. The trip towards

Florence meanders through the hills of Tuscany, through the heart of Chianti country.Forty- five minutes later will find us in "Piazzale Michelangelo" which holds Michelangelo's version of the Statue of David.This square is one of the highest points of the City and overloks the amazing Renaissance Architecture. Down in the City we'll see some of the most amazing Sites of the historic center of the City including the Duomo, the Academia and "Ponte Vecchio", Signoria Square ecc. And some famous churches like Santa Croce. On the way back to Livorno we'll stop in Pisa, in Miracle Square- La Piazza dei Miracoli; where we'll find the leaning tower of Pisa.The way back from Pisa to Livorno is along the ancient Auralian Road "Roman Road"- For lunch we will stopatypical family restaurant where you can sample genuine local food and wine.

 

You will get answers from both points of view in equal numbers. I prefer seeing fewer things in depth, but this doesn't make my answer any more right than the individual who prefers seeing as much as possible since he might never pass that way again. (Disclaimer: I visit Italy with great regularity for extended land visits.)

 

You've had considerable experience touring with your family. What has worked well in the past?

[Susan-M]

What is the better approach? What is more memorable?

 

I would mix it up ... some days packed, some days at a more leisurely pace.

 

 

Rome: I agree with Context ... a combination of the Colosseum & the Vatican (with an hour at the Colosseum and 2-3 hours at the Vatican) would still leave time to see places that can be viewed quickly - Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona. I would opt for a quick lunch that day (e.g. pizza or panini).

 

Istanbul: A whole day in the Grand Bazaar is too much - one to two hours would be plenty ... it gets repetitive very quickly, it's crowded and you'll get tired of merchants trying to get you to look at their products. You could easily do 4 places in Istanbul in a day, and it would be much more interesting than just the Bazaar. If you're thinking of doing Istanbul on your own, Rick Steves' has a great walking tour of the Bazaar - it's quite an adventure and takes you to places in the bazaar that you wouldn't find on your own.

 

Florence - sounds perfect! But I would make sure that you fit in a visit inside the Accademia (it's not clear in the description) to see the original statue of David... you might need to book your own tickets for that. You only need 1/2 hour in the Accademia.

 

Susan

[suzski]

Although I don't want to overload myself, I'd hate to spend so much time doing one thing (Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, for example) that I missed so many other things. Like others have said, I don't know when I'm going to get back so the cursory look is better than naught.

[euro cruiser]

Only you can decide what works best for your family. I've done both at different times with different family members, the crazy "pack it all in" cruise was with a cousin who is absolutely sure she'll never go back. After the third day like that she and her family almost broke down, it was too exhausting. In Naples we went to our family's parish church in the northernmost part of the city, then to a couple of sites in the city, then out to Capri and the Blue Grotto, and back to the ship. The next day was a "to the walls" race around Rome, followed by another race from Livorno. It was too much, so maybe the answer is to alternate crazy pack-it-all-in days with slower, in depth ones.

 

This is from Pleasant Travel for the port of Livorno (my initial reaction to this is to steer clear because this is crazy and overwhelming!):

In the morning I will pick you up at the Port in Livorno. The trip towards

Florence meanders through the hills of Tuscany, through the heart of Chianti country.Forty- five minutes later will find us in "Piazzale Michelangelo" which holds Michelangelo's version of the Statue of David.This square is one of the highest points of the City and overloks the amazing Renaissance Architecture. Down in the City we'll see some of the most amazing Sites of the historic center of the City including the Duomo, the Academia and "Ponte Vecchio", Signoria Square ecc. And some famous churches like Santa Croce. On the way back to Livorno we'll stop in Pisa, in Miracle Square- La Piazza dei Miracoli; where we'll find the leaning tower of Pisa.The way back from Pisa to Livorno is along the ancient Auralian Road "Roman Road"- For lunch we will stopatypical family restaurant where you can sample genuine local food and wine.

What struck me about this is the laughable idea that one can "meander" through the hills of Tuscany and still make it to Florence in 45 minutes. No way, no how. Best case is about 90 minutes. I would ask them to be specific about whether they intend to simply show you the outside of the places they mention (the Duomo, Santa Croce) or if your tour will also include the inside.

[hubofhockey]

Although I don't want to overload myself, I'd hate to spend so much time doing one thing (Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, for example) that I missed so many other things. Like others have said, I don't know when I'm going to get back so the cursory look is better than naught.

 

In Istanbul, there is no reason not to see the Topkapi Palace (and include the Harems), Blue Mosque, Haggia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar in one day. We did all of those things and had a great sit down lunch. You have a lot of time there because the port is so close to all of the places you are going to go. Tours with driver guides who are also professional licensed guide are also inexpensive. I think our day with Kusadasi Tours was $75 and it included a great lunch. I would rank the Grand Bazaar below the Palace and Blue Mosque on my list of things to do there. If those are the four places a company recommended seeing, they are giving good advice.

 

As for Livorno, it is a tough call on whether to include Pisa with a trip to Florence. There are many on Cruise Critic who would rather see the Leaning Tower than anything in Florence. We did the Florence/Pisa tour last year and this year just went to Florence. We had a better day just seeing Florence and I wish we had more time in Florence.

[cruisemom42]

It doesn't have to be either/or. You can do some of both. Or choose a reasonable middle number. Instead of 1-2 sites vs. 7-8 sites, just pick 4. I do think there is a bit of a downside off if you try to cram too much into a day, particularly with kids. (I've traveled with my son in Europe starting from about age 7 and he's now 19.....so I know!) They tend to get cranky when being stuffed with too many facts.

 

My rule of thumb is this: when you get home and you're looking at your photos, if you can't remember something about nearly every photo, you've probably crammed too much into your day. :)

 

I'd be hard pressed to identify my own touring "style". I can spend hours on end in a museum, looking at each thing and reading about it. On the other hand, if I have limited time and several sites that I want to see, I can sometimes go into tour overdrive. :D

[World Gallery]

Thanks. This gives me a lot to think about. My husband and I took a Med. cruise in 1999. This was before CC. I had the booklet with shore excursions from the cruise line (R1, now Oceania), highlighted what I wanted on the way over, booked with the ship, and that was that, so easy. We had a great time, all tours were great.

Now, so much as changed and with 5 kids, there is so much to consider - too many museums, too many ruins, overload, getting things mixed up in their minds, not remembering what was what because it was too much and just finding a balance. They like history and like to travel but this is their first trip to Europe.

cruisemom - We went to Topkapi Palace (and include the Harems), Blue Mosque, Haggia Sophia on our 1999 trip. I love those places but not sure if my kids would appreciate all of them. Also, not ready to explain harems to my younger girls. Our last trip, we were rushed through the Grand Bazaar, which left us dying to go back.

 

Thank goodness for CC!

Any other suggestions welcome.

[World Gallery]

My rule of thumb is this: when you get home and you're looking at your photos, if you can't remember something about nearly every photo, you've probably crammed too much into your day. :)

 

I really like this! It gives us something to think about.

[World Gallery]

Only you can decide what works best for your family. I've done both at different times with different family members, the crazy "pack it all in" cruise was with a cousin who is absolutely sure she'll never go back. After the third day like that she and her family almost broke down, it was too exhausting. In Naples we went to our family's parish church in the northernmost part of the city, then to a couple of sites in the city, then out to Capri and the Blue Grotto, and back to the ship. The next day was a "to the walls" race around Rome, followed by another race from Livorno. It was too much, so maybe the answer is to alternate crazy pack-it-all-in days with slower, in depth ones.

 

 

What struck me about this is the laughable idea that one can "meander" through the hills of Tuscany and still make it to Florence in 45 minutes. No way, no how. Best case is about 90 minutes. I would ask them to be specific about whether they intend to simply show you the outside of the places they mention (the Duomo, Santa Croce) or if your tour will also include the inside.

 

I very much enjoyed reading this post and had to laugh out loud!:)

I am going over our cruise intinerary now, writing in intense day/less intense day but we have 3 days in a row that we really need to make some decision on: Naples, Rome and Livorno. These are the 3 heavy days, all in a row!

[hubofhockey]

My rule of thumb is this: when you get home and you're looking at your photos, if you can't remember something about nearly every photo, you've probably crammed too much into your day. :)

 

I really like this! It gives us something to think about.

 

Your kids would never forget seeing the Topkapi Palace. But maybe deciding between the Haggia Sophia and the Blue Mosque might be a decision to make. I just can't see a full day at the Grand Bazaar.

[ksps cruise fan]

We went to Topkapi Palace (and include the Harems), Blue Mosque, Haggia Sophia on our 1999 trip. I love those places but not sure if my kids would appreciate all of them. Also, not ready to explain harems to my younger girls. Our last trip, we were rushed through the Grand Bazaar, which left us dying to go back.

 

Thank goodness for CC!

Any other suggestions welcome.

 

I find that sometimes the places that stick with me the best aren't necessarily the starred items in the guide books. In Istanbul, I'd put the obelisk at the Hippodrome and the basilica cistern in that category.

 

Everyone knows that the street level of a modern city is higher than the historic level of that same city, but seeing the obelisks sitting so far below the current grade level really made the point visible.

 

Everyone also knows that succeeding civilizations repurposed building material from conquered civilizations. Walking through the cistern makes that point visible: ornately carved columns were used only for their value as structural support. I especially loved the two Medusa heads which are set in place in the wrong orientation since they were nothing more than the correct-size block for the task. That some artisan had carved them beautifully and the Medusa image once had emotional power for the original civitilzation was irrelevent to the cistern builders.

 

I think details like this are fascinating and stay with me long after one more room of the palace has blurred into the other in my memory.

[epixx]

If your teens are anything like ours, then take them to the Tower of Pisa and let them climb it. We've been to Livorno twice, and both times the climbing of the tower was the highlight for the kids, even more so than Florence. We adults felt just the opposite, but, for some reason, climbing the tower is just so appealing to many kids. Part of it is that they already know about it from school and science classes and have seen many pictures.

[euro cruiser]

We've traveled all over with the kids over the past fifteen years and the best thing I've found is to have them make some of the choices. Sometimes that has been a struggle, and sometimes they did it willingly (depended on the kid, their age at the time, hormones, etc.), but I've always figured that if they had a hand in creating the day, they are more invested in having it work out.

[texancruzer]

I will add to the great advice above by saying

 

" a private tour is YOUR tour "

 

Most tour companies have the "set tour" list - but this by no means you have to do all of it -or- you can do some of it and add other stuff.

 

It also means that you can go at your own pace (versus a cruise tour) AND you can change it up during the day. Meaning, if the kids are getting whiney :eek: you can change your plans right then and there......

 

I always start with a "set tour" and then tweek it to my liking. I don't think I have every changed it up during the tour, but then I don't travel with my kids as they are grown.

 

The other piece of advice I have is - if you don't have a travel guide - go buy one. I like DK Eyewitness ones since they have soooo many pictures, maps and visuals (verus reading everything)

 

.......THEN GET THE KIDS INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS ! Hard for them to complain later if they helped in the whole process :D

[ksps cruise fan]

I find that sometimes the places that stick with me the best aren't necessarily the starred items in the guide books. In Istanbul, I'd put the obelisk at the Hippodrome and the basilica cistern in that category.

 

Everyone knows that the street level of a modern city is higher than the historic level of that same city, but seeing the obelisks sitting so far below the current grade level really made the point visible.

 

Everyone also knows that succeeding civilizations repurposed building material from conquered civilizations. Walking through the cistern makes that point visible: ornately carved columns were used only for their value as structural support. I especially loved the two Medusa heads which are set in place in the wrong orientation since they were nothing more than the correct-size block for the task. That some artisan had carved them beautifully and the Medusa image once had emotional power for the original civitilzation was irrelevent to the cistern builders.

 

I think details like this are fascinating and stay with me long after one more room of the palace has blurred into the other in my memory.

 

Later, when I read epixx's post, I realized I didn't make my point clearly. The places that will appeal to your children may not be the starred attractions.

 

In Florence, I doubt I'd take a family into the Uffizi gallery since a growing number of restored masterpieces are displayed under a thick sheet of plexiglass and the reflection of the crowd in each room shows on the plexiglass. I don't care if the Uffizi is a big deal gallery, the viewing conditions made our experience less positive than visits to the Bargello or to the Pitti Palace, also major art collections.

 

Pick and choose what appeals to you and your kids rather than follow a list of what someone else says is important to see.

[World Gallery]

Thanks! This is all truly excellent advice!

 

Epixx - We are planning to climb the Tower of Pisa. I asked by kids about this and they thought that this was "awesome". They also can't believe people are even allowed to climb Mt Vesuvius. They think they want to do this but want to be assured it won't erupt when we are up there. It is so funny to hear a kid's perspective. My girls were almost in tears when we read about Pompei (just read the The Buried City of Pompeii, which is a great book for all ages. It tells the story from the point of view of a free servant living there) so this is another place they are very interested in.

 

ksps cruise fan - That is a great point about bad viewing conditions, especially with kids.

 

texancruzer - I am going to make it a point to let all of our private tour companies know that we may want to change us a few things as we go along.

 

I will keep printing out all of these great ideas!

[texancruzer]

It sounds as if your children are truly blessed with some pretty awesome parents !!!! Appears you already have begun to open their eyes to the amazing things they will see and experience before you even leave home :D