This mother/daughter trip was my Sarah’s 21st gift……….It was the hardest trip I have ever prepared for and also the easiest.This was to be the first time I have travelled without my Husband, on my own, in a country I knew very little of the language. And as Sarah couldn’t find a tour that she liked with a travel agent, and we did try, it was left up to us to organise our own itinerary.
Fortunately for us my husband found ‘Passion for Italy ‘ while searching the net. At first I was nervous about using a company that operated over the internet, Skype. Our meetings on Skype were effective and Sarah and I were blown away by Gemma’s knowledge and enthusiasm to find the right trip for us. Our contact with Helen, the travel agent who booked our flights and train travel was also extremely easy as Gemma had done all the hard work , working out times and dates.
Our trip went without a hitch no dramas at any point, the accommodation Gemma booked was exactly as she had described. Each place we stayed in was clean and friendly, and as we opted for the cheaper end of the price range, they were a good 10min stroll to the centre of town. This was more of an advantage than you may think as we got to see that little bit more of each place.
Things I learnt in Italy; If you’re using a cash passport over there, DON’T pay for your meals with it if you can help it…….they add an extra 10% to your bill that you never see till you check your balance on line. Plus if you don’t want bread with your meal, say no when they deliver it to your table, or you will pay for it, per person……There were plenty of ATM’s in the smaller villas, a little hard to find in Florence other than at the train station. Taxi drivers weren’t that bad, just make sure they are a taxi. 40 or 50 euro is norm to and from the airport. The euro is so good now, I wish I were there again…