July 23rd, 2013

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Avventure Bellissime, providing superior-quality tours of Italy since 1999, offers an impressive selection of tours throughout Italy, including:

- Small Group Italy Tours

- Private Italy Tours

- Italy Shore Excursions

- Italy Transfer Tours, and

- Discounted Combo Italy Tours

Some of the most popular, though, are our small group and private Italy Walking Tours.

These exciting excursions allow you to explore Rome, Venice, and Florence on foot, at your own pace, led by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable expert guide, and fully immersed in the cool local culture, magic, romance, and amazing history of Italy.

Properly packing for any trip is important, but properly planning, preparing, and packing for a walking tour is especially important, as there is — perhaps — nothing more disappointing than not being able to enjoy a holiday due to discomfort.

Here are some tips directly from the expert guides on the Avventure Bellissime team.

For all Italy and European tours and vacations, make sure you include the following when packing:

- Passport / Identification

- Copies of reservation confirmations (tickets and hotels)

- Copies of Travelers’ Insurance

- Emergency numbers for both home and abroad

- Cash! (Travelers’ Cheques, credit cards, and Euros)

- Camera, batteries, and film

- Toiletries and medications

- Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat

- Reading material (Note: We suggest an eReader or iPad as they’re easier to tote.)

- Adapter (European outlets are different than the ones in North America.)

- An easy grammar book so you can learn that language as you go

- Clothing and outerwear

Note: Check the weather before you go to determine what “season” you’re packing for. Best to bring several changes of clothes — items that can be layered (function) and mix-matched (fashion). And consider all the activities you’re planning to do while in Italy and bring something appropriate for each occasion:

…a light rain jacket or poncho; something dressy should you decide to go out in the evening, or a few accessories so you can dress up your basic day-wear, and several pairs of shoes.

Comfortable walking shoes; sandals or flip-flops (for letting your feet breathe after a long day on the town), and flats or comfortable dress shoes. For winter and/or rain, flat leather boots or lightweight hiking shoes. Note: Never bring brand new shoes on a holiday. Wear them before you leave home to break them in.

Make sure to also bring an outfit appropriate for visiting churches. Note: Visitors to the Vatican (and other churches and sacred spaces) are asked to wear — out of respect — clothing that covers both the shoulders and the knees (men and women).

Women might choose a below-the-knee-length skirt and a shawl, and men might choose longer Bermuda shorts and t-shirts (not tank tops!). Should you forget, stalls outside the Vatican do sell plastic cloaks for covering up, but they’re not particularly comfortable or fashionable!

Aim for two pieces of luggage, maximum — one piece of checked luggage, and a carry-on bag (backpack, courier bag, or satchel) that can double during the day as a convenient carry-all for your must-haves.

Consider bringing an empty piece of luggage, too — something that can fold-up for easy transport in which to bring home all the goodies you buy in Italy, from souvenirs to special Prada pieces.

And crucial for walking tour comfort?

Bring a pair (or several pairs) of supremely comfortable walking/running shoes or hiking boots. (Unless you’re doing some serious hiking, lightweight hiking boots or running shoes will be just fine. Make sure, though, that they provide the support you need — during your time in Italy you’ll be traversing old cobblestone streets, steps/stairs, and bridges.) Consider a style with ankle support and Vibram soles and consider waterproof shoes or a waterproof spray if you’re visiting in the rainy season.

And don’t forget:

- A light satchel, backpack, or fanny pack in which to carry your credit cards, camera, and essentials while you’re out walking.

- Moleskin and Band-Aids should you get blisters along the way

Below is a sampling of some of the popular Italy walking tours offered by Avventure Bellissime:

Rome
- Rome Small Group Walking Tours

- Private Rome Walking Tours

- Classic Ancient Rome Walking Tours

There’s no end to what you’ll see on one of our small group or private Rome Walking Tours. There are 2000+ years of history to explore here, and our guides will provide a great introduction.

Our Rome Walking Tours include everything from a visit to the Vatican and Sistine Chapel to a trip to the Catacombs, the Esquiline Hill Churches, Trastevere, the Borghese Gallery, and more. Learn about Baroque Rome, explore the Roman Underground, or brave a Ghost Walking Tour!

Check out our Summer  special offers on Rome Vacation Packages, and combine several Rome Walking Tours for added savings!

Venice

- Venice Walking Tours

- Private Venice Walking Tours

We also offer small group and private guided Venice Tours led by licensed expert Avventure Bellissime guides that include exciting Venice Ghost Walking Tours, visits to Doges Palace, Venice Cannaregio, the Secret Gardens, and the Jewish Ghetto. Note: All our Venice Walking Tours include “skip the line” tickets to Venice’s must-see sights.

Florence

- Florence Walking Tours

- Private Florence Walking Tours

Have a yen to see Florence? Our Florence Tours are the best way, and include small group and private tour options. As with all Avventure Bellissime tours, these trips are led by expert guides. See Michelangelo & David, learn about the Renaissance, see Uffizi Museum, Medici, and more. Walking Tours, our Florence Original Renaissance Walking Tours, and our Florence Uffizi Museum Walking Tours.

Other Italy City Tours

- Other Italy City Walking Tours

Want to go farther afield than Rome, Venice, and Florence? Consider one of Avventure Bellissime’s other Italy City Walking Tours in Milan, Vicenza, Padova, Bologna and Verona. All Italy City Tours include in-depth guided experiences and “skip-the-line” tickets for the most popular sights, like Da Vinci’s Last Supper & Giotto’s frescoes at the Scrovegni Chapel.

Here’s what some Avventure Bellissime clients have said on TripAdvisor about the Italy Walking Tours they took with our team:

Our first day in Rome with Avventure Bellissime, we had a walking tour of the Colosseum, and the Vatican, St. Peters, Sistine Chapel. The whole tour was 4 hours. The Colosseum is amazing. We really enjoyed learning so much from our guide. It is so much more meaningful when you learn the history behind the artifacts…Our second tour that day was the Vatican, Sistine Chapel. Our guide gave us a lot of background information as we led up to the Sistine Chapel. It was very crowded, but that didn’t get in the way of seeing the chapel…Skipping the lines at all the attractions saved a lot of time..a big perk of going with this company!” (Tammy E. from California)

“[Francesca] guided us through Vatican City, Ancient City of Rome and Colosseum, filling us with priceless knowledge. Not only we learn about the history, but also the Rome today. We are also very impress of her initiative to make sure we did not miss anything. Our hearts felt so good the rest of our trip in Italy. I would also like to take this opportunity to thanks all the beautiful people we met in making our trip so wonderful. Grazie!” (asian8traveller from Singapore)

Are you ready to start planning your Italian holiday?

Make sure to include an Avventure Bellissime walking tour, and let our team of expert guides and experiences travel experts ensure it’s the trip and tour of a lifetime. Get in touch with our Italy travel team today.

For more tips and tricks on getting the most out of your next Italy vacation, click here.

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