A more affordable option .....

A friend recently asked me to come up with an itinerary for a trip to Italy with me for her and four friends.  She had some parameters.  She is a teacher, so the trip needed to take place during vacation week.  And good lord, it can't be $4000 plus airfare.  Please.  Her request got me thinking .....  There are many, many, many folks who can't afford either the time, or the big bucks, to get away to Italy for 11-14 days.  My trips thus far have all been that long.  For those with the means and the flexibility, they are priced well below industry norm.  Incredible trips.  Hooking up with incredible locals.  Being exposed to incredible things.  In very, very small groups (4-6 guests per trip). Great trips, but not for everybody.

So, I am officially introducing a more affordable 8 night trip to Italy.  Fly to Italy on a Friday night, spend the next 8 nights in Italy, and fly home on a Sunday.  You'll miss one week of work.  We'll go to three of my favorite places:  Southern Tuscany, Cinque Terre and Florence.  Each trip will be open to 5 guests ..... YOU gather the 5 friends and I'll do the rest.  We'll stay in drop dead gorgeous accommodations (an Agritourismo in Southern Tuscany with 360 degree views of the Val d'Orcia, an Airbnb perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Ligurian Sea in Cinque Terre and a historic hotel located on the top floor of a former palace in Santa Spirito, my favorite square in the Oltrarno section of Florence) and I'll share with you the local traditions of each region.  Winemakers and off the beaten path hill towns in Tuscany will be explored with Giancarlo, our private driver.  We will hike lesser known paths in Cinque Terre and immerse ourselves in the absolute beauty of the region AND learn about and honor the heritage and history of the region .... its winemakers and their arduous work to produce wine and maintain the dry stone walls that are absolutely essential to the survival of Cinque Terre.  And I will share with you my favorite spots in Florence.  Wine bar.  Gelato shop.  Leather producer.  Garden with a view.  And non touristy trattoria.  Let me know when you would like to go, and I'll see if the accommodations are available.  

Prices:  
$2,300 per person if a group of 5 people sign up together
$2,500 per person if a group of 4 people sign up together
$2,800 per person for individual sign up.  We will coordinate a mutually agreeable date as soon as 4-5 people have signed up.

A presto!  Let's go to Italy!

​--Karin