FAQ

On all our escorted tours it is restricted to one large suitcase and one personal bag per person. Suitcase with dimensions not exceeding 30x19x10”(76x45x25 cm) and a maximum weight of 50 lb. (23 kg). Dimensions of personal items should not exceed 18 inches long, 14 inches wide and 8 inches high. Driver will help you with the luggage.

No one is better set up than G.T.I. for coaches. All our coaches boast one of the newest and diverse fleets. We currently operate vehicles with various features. All buses come standard with:

• Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning Systems
• Extra legroom – Footrests
• Undercarriage Storage Compartment
• DVD and CD Player – Multiple Flat Screen Viewing Monitors

G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy .com” It is completely unique. Simply, we are the only tour operator to include all excursions, at least two meals per day, comfortable departure and a lot more with no additional cost. We provide comfortable and generous legroom on the coach at no extra cost. You will consistently stay in first rate hotels in desirable locations and enjoy inclusive sightseeing and excursions. Because you’ll travel in smaller groups,  you will receive superior personal service from your experienced Tour Director, Tour Driver and Local Guides. 

Because it’s the most chaotic month in Italy, when Italians go on vacation en masse, and northern Europeans flock to Italy. In August, you can expect delayed flights, long lines and crowds everywhere – particularly in favorite spots like Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Sicily and the Apulia. Worse, the middle of the month (Ferragosto) finds many shops and even restaurants in less popular localities closed as in Rome, Florence and Milan.  August is endlessly sunny but unbearably hot, too. As the vacation (holiday) season and heat actually begin in late July, we schedule fewer tours in August.  

It is quite typical to find people from; Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and USA.

Tour Director and Tour Driver will make your trip comfortable, enjoyable and interesting. They are amongst the finest in the business and will help steer you through the maze of Italy’s culture, dialects and diversities and bring its magic to life before your eyes.  

G.T.I. hotels are consistently Superior First Class or First class standard (4 Star) and higher or in a style appropriate to the destination.  

Documents will normally be e-mailed 30 days before your departure date tour.  

Following the example of Paris and New York, many of Italian cities have begun to tax hotel stays. On the customized tours the law prohibits billing or collection of the “city tax” by travel agents, so you may be required to pay this tax of €2 – €8 directly to the hotel at check-out. We oppose taxes of this kind but their application is beyond our control. Incidentally, Italy recently raised the value-added (sales) tax from 20% to 22%. Our escorted tours are already included in your final price.      

Here is a glossary of some common terms used in our itineraries:

• Visit – Your coach will stop and you’ll get to visit a specific site
• View – A brief stop and an opportunity to take   photos
• See – Your GTI coach will drive by the site so that you can see it
• (WLG) – With a local guide and wireless headsets
• Sightseeing tour – A professional local guide will accompany you on a tour of a city or site
• Orientation tour – Places of interest are pointed out, allowing you to go and explore them on your own
• Time to explore, discover or relax – Free time on your own

All activities are automatically included in your booking. This sets us apart from our competitors with no extra “sightseeing” charges at the end of the tour.  

The prices listed in our brochure and website cover just about everything on the land tour! Virtually every travel expense is included in one up-front price – airport transfers, all hotel and accommodations, entertainment, meals as specified in the itinerary, special dinner, land and cruise transportation, sightseeing, shore excursions, luggage handling, most taxes, services of local guides and more as specified in the itinerary. All appropriate gratuities for luggage  handling, bellmen, doormen, dining room servers, ship staff and local drivers are also included. Over $250 cost components are included on every tour, which means no hidden costs, no surcharges, noon-tour surprises!  

On a G.T.I. journey’s price the airfare is not included. To book your airfare we strongly suggest to visit your travel agent. When you book your airfare please make sure that your arrival and departure date and time, fit together with our free airport transfers.  

At G.T.I. planning the perfect tour is our specialty. Not only do we include the ‘must see’ sights, we carefully balance our itineraries to give you plenty of free time to relax and immerse yourself in the location.  

If you cannot find the region that you are interested in, contact us we will answer your questions, provide advice and take care of your reservation.  

G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy” groups are small … on average we accommodate 20 guests on our escorted tours instead of the standard 57 guests by other tours operators. Enjoy a more personalized service, by being in a smaller group, closer to your local guide for a more in-depth experience,  spending less time waiting to get into sights, faster check-in into hotels, easier get in – get off from the motor coach.

Fill up the “Check Availability” form located at the end of each escorted tour page in order to receive info, availability and special offer. Someone of our staff will contact you. You can also visit your professional travel agent. If your travel agent is not able to provide our products, please contact us and we will take care of you.  

To sign up for G.T.I. Great Tours of Italy’s e-Newsletter, simply fill out the e-Newsletter Request Form, by clicking on the “Receive our e-Newsletter” link listed on home page of the website. Please note that your e-mail address is never shared outside of G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy .com”. Read our privacy policy below the home page.  

If you wish to share with another tour member, you can advise us by your travel agent or calling us at the time of booking. G.T.I. believes that traveling solo doesn’t have to cost you more. We will try to match you with someone of the same sex in order to avoid having to pay the single supplement.

In Italy is not allowed to smoke in the motor coaches/Hotels/Restaurants. However, we do make plenty of convenience stops giving you the opportunity to smoke, use local restroom facilities, take a scenic snapshot or just relax and enjoy of cup of coffee.  

Past G.T.I. travelers are the most important voice we have when it comes to sharing the experience of a G.T.I. journey. We encourage you to visit our community on TripAdvisorwebsite where travelers ask questions, and share information, travel experiences, photos and more.

At least two meals per day are included on G.T.I. “Great Tours of Italy”. A buffet breakfast (American breakfast) including eggs (fried or poached), sliced bacon or sausages, sliced bread or toast with jam/jelly/butter, cornflakes or other cereal, coffee/tea, orange/grapefruit juice, fresh fruits, cappuccino and espresso. Lunch or dinner (meat or fish) with appetizer, pasta or soup, second dish, salad, fruit, mineral water, fine local wine, dessert and coffee. Our selected restaurants will certainly be unforgettable! Dining is a delightful and integral part of the G.T.I. experience – selects local restaurants that offer a true taste of each region you visit.