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Specialists in Group Tours to Italy
Italy has been our most popular destination over the past several years. This is hardly surprising given the personal service and diverse touring programs that Casterbridge can provide in what is truly one of the world’s great destinations. Read on to learn about just some of the elements that set Casterbridge apart in Italy.
The Best Flights to Italy on Guaranteed Dates
We have exceptionally close relationships with many European national carriers, including British Airways, Air France, Lufthansa, and of course, Alitalia. These relationships allow us to find your group the very best flights and fares, with minimal connections in order to make your trip less time consuming and stressful. This means we can offer you the very best routings, including to some of the lesser-known gateway cities, which can significantly reduce your journey time when you arrive. Imagine flying directly into Venice rather than enduring a lengthy transfer from Milan or Rome. Consider the advantage of a flight directly into Naples so your Classical Italy tour can begin that first day in Pompeii, rather than the arrivals lounge of Rome airport. We strive to make your transfers as efficient as possible, without the unnecessary stress and increased cost of tiring, time-consuming journeys.
Casterbridge always guarantee your tour dates, and you will know your proposed flight schedule and routing as much as 11 months in advance of your tour!
Making the Most of Your Arrival Day in Italy
Casterbridge strives whenever possible to make arrival days a useful part of your tour. By doing things like making a stop at Ostia Antica or the Catacombs along Via Appia Antica on our way into Rome, or taking an introductory Vaporetto ride upon arrival in Venice, we are able to ensure that the afternoon of your arrival days are not simply lost time.
This standard practice serves to increase the value of your time spent in country, and simultaneously reduces “jet lag.” Arrival Days count in your overall tour time, you should not allow that time to be wasted!
Thematic and Chronological Travel in Italy
In a genuine attempt not to confuse participants with mixed, haphazard and unrelated materials, we aim whenever possible to provide thematic, and chronological content to each day of the tour. In Italy for example, thematic days are dedicated to such topics as ‘AD 79,’ ‘The Life of Leonardo,’ and ‘Michelangelo and The Medici.’ We carefully track the course of momentous events or the lives of historical figures to create learning that is both engaging and easier to follow.
After two thematic days in Rome dedicated to ‘The City of The Caesars’ and ‘The City of The Popes,’ the layers of history are revealed. We explain why the pagan Trajan’s Column is capped with a Christian saint, how the Pantheon became a sacred church, how Hadrian’s mausoleum became a Papal fortress, and the incredible story of a man executed by the Romans whose tomb was crowned by one of the grandest buildings in the city – St. Peter’s Basilica.
All Casterbridge tours are highly customizable to fit your educational themes and priorities, ensuring you get the very best out of your travel experience.
Our Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guides in Italy
As we all know, there can be a few bumps in even the smoothest of roads. While we strive to ensure none pop up on your tour, you can relax knowing that your exclusive Casterbridge tour manager/guide is there if they do. Usually, your tour manager/guide will live locally and be fluent in both Italian and English. He or she will be with you 24 hours a day, from airport arrival to departure, in order to confirm reservations, help you get from place to place, and suggest free-time and evening activities that meet your group’s needs and budget.
The role of a Casterbridge Tour Manager/Guide is so important that each one must go through a specially designed Casterbridge training program and only the top few percent of each class are selected to act as our representatives in Italy. They are continuously evaluated and only those with the highest recommendations from our groups are permitted to stay with us.
We hand-pick each Casterbridge Guide to make certain they meet our exacting standards.
The Expertise and Perspective of Local Guides in Italy
Never underestimate the value of expertise, especially when it is shared willingly with eager learners of any age. For this reason, Casterbridge strives to provide you with specialist local guides at the most important sites on your itinerary, such as the Uffizi Gallery in Florence or the Vatican Museums in Rome.
These local specialists are in addition to the 24-hour presence of your exclusive tour manager/guide. Each one has been trained and licensed by the Italian Government to make sure they have an acceptable level of knowledge in their specific area of expertise. In Italy, you will probably have a local guide with you at some point nearly every day, except for arrival and departure days.
You can designate those sites where you would like to have a specialist guide, and whether you would prefer them to present an academic or a cultural emphasis that focuses on the specific theme of your tour.
A Balance of Educational Visits, Cultural Experiences, and Recreational Activities
Balance is essential, not only in life, but also on a great tour. Casterbridge makes every effort to achieve that balance by offering a variety of recreational and cultural activities to complement the educational opportunities along your tour.
It may be watching an expert make gelato in Rome (and then sampling it of course,) making your own pizza in Florence or Naples, or taking a Ghost Tour of the Venice canals after dark. Whatever your preference, we have many different options for fun, exciting experiences while in Italy.
Click here for our Cross-Cultural Connections, where you will find a comprehensive list of the recreational and cultural opportunities available in Italy.
Our Accommodations and Meals in Italy
Casterbridge Tours chooses 3 star (and occasionally 4 star or superior 2 star) hotels as a standard, but you are always free to request alternate accommodation for your group. Each hotel is evaluated following each stay, and we continue to use only those who are consistently rated highly by our groups. When possible, we prefer to use smaller, family owned hotels as opposed to giant concrete monoliths. Please feel free to ask for a list of sample hotels in the area your group will be traveling.
As part of our educational travel philosophy, we always strive to give our groups extensive exposure to the local people and culture. Part of the experience is, of course, sampling the local cuisine. Therefore, unless you request it, your Casterbridge tour will not include a lot of American chain restaurants. For dinner, you will sample regional cuisine, either in your hotel or in neighborhood restaurants.
In Rome, Florence and Venice, this means that whenever possible, we will have dinner in local restaurants away from the hotels for an authentic dining experience.
All Admissions Are Included on Our Group Tours to Italy
A standard Casterbridge Tour averages double (and sometimes even triple) the average number of admissions that most of our competitor’s tours do. In addition, Casterbridge is one of very few operators who will pre-book your group into as many major attractions as we can.
In Florence, for example, we will pre-book visits to the Accademia, the Uffizi, or the Pitti Palace. In Rome, we will pre-book you into the Colosseum and Forum. Pre-booking ensures that we always receive group admission rates, we can pay them in advance, and your group can bypass the lines.
This unparalleled level of service and value has come to be expected by Group Leaders choosing Casterbridge as their Tour Operator.
Getting Around in Venice and Rome
A practice standard to Casterbridge is to “do as the Romans do” so to speak. So unless you specifically request a bus, your group will receive day passes for the metro and bus system in Rome and for the Vaporettos in Venice. Not only will this provide a great cultural experience for your group, but it is also the most efficient and convenient way to navigate those bustling cities.
Remember that your exclusive tour manager/guide will be with your group at all times to help you with directions, the language, and interactions with local people as you journey to your next visit.
Undiscovered Jewels and Hidden Treasures in Italy
Because Casterbridge Tours is a custom tour operator, we can offer you tremendous flexibility in your tour itinerary. We can mold your schedule to your specific, detailed needs. So we would be delighted to take you to any of the “hidden treasures” around Italy not always found on a standard itinerary.
Some of the recent jewels chosen by our Classical group leaders were Nero’s Domus Aurea, Stabiae, Sulfatara, and Pozzuoli. Some groups have also requested to spend an overnight off the beaten path in places like Orvieto or Siena.
Your tour is truly your tour with Casterbridge!
Register to plan an educational tour to Italy, either online or by calling 1-800-522-2398. Start planning your group travel program today!
