THE SMALL GROUP ITALY TOUR | Italy's Great Cities tour - NOW Free Air!y

“Open my heart and you will see,
engraved inside of it, ‘ Italy.’”
-Robert Browning
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Dear Italy Tour Enthusiast,

QueensLander Tours extends our personal invitation for you to join us on the trip of a lifetime, and one you won’t soon forget. QueensLander Tours' small-group “Italy's Great Cities” touring program has grown increasingly popular over the last two years with Italy being our #1 destination of outbound US travelers to Europe.

If you’ve ever been to Italy, then you can relate to the above sentiment by Robert Browning...Italy is a place that, once you’ve been, it never quite leaves you. It becomes a part of you, always there, whispering to you like a long-lost friend, wanting you to stop in for a visit...[Continues Below]

And if you’ve never been, then you only have to imagine places like the Colosseum in Rome, the Duomo of Florence or the water-filled streets of Venice to awaken inside of you the part that longs to see and experience a place where history is so alive, it speaks to you from every plaza, every church and even the very stones beneath your feet. [Continues Below]

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This is the "Great Cities of Italy Tour,” and we’ll be focusing on four of the most well-known in all of Europe - Venice, Florence (located in the heart of Tuscany), Sorrento and of course Rome, along with visits to charming seaside villages like Positano and Amalfi on the Amalfi Coast, and Tuscany's Cortona, Siena and San Gimignano with their undiscovered secrets!

Let’s start in Venice…Ah, Venezia!

VENICE - VENEZIA
Your introduction to Italy begins in what may well be the most enchanting city in all of Italy-Venice, and it is here in Venice, where cars are not allowed and fresh seafood beckons from every neighborhood trattoria, where we begin our tour. Who hasn’t wanted to see this “most romantic” of cities, with its water-filled canals and that famous Venetian glass? Here, you’ll have the opportunity to do just that, including a private boat for a tour along the Giudecca canal. We’ll also visit Saint Mark’s Square and Saint Mark’s Basilica, the Doges’ Palace and the Bridge of Sighs.


Take advantage of Venice and enjoy an authentic gondola ride or simply wander the streets of Venice and get lost in this city's romance!

The romance of this city is apparent at every step…take a few minutes to just soak it all in. From Venice, we head to the heart of the Tuscany region, Florence.

FLORENCE - FIRENZE
Florence will then be our home for the next few nights. Florence is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, and for good reason. Florence is home to some of the most famous artwork in the world, by geniuses such as Botticelli, Brunelleschi, Cellini, Donatello, Fra Angelico, Ghiberti, Giotto, Leonardo, Michelangelo and Raphael. Even if you’re not well-schooled in art history, Michelangelo’s David, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, Giotto’s campanile (bell tower) and Brunelleschi’s dome on the Duomo are a few of the sights with which you are probably familiar.

We’ll join our guide for a walkabout tour of Florence, where we’ll see many of the sites described above as well as get an in-depth commentary on the history of Florence. And as before, you’ll also have plenty of time to enjoy shopping the various markets or to do some sightseeing on your own.

UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - SAN GIMIGNANO, SIENA AND CORTONA
We venture deep into the Chianti countryside (known as “Chianti”for the fine wines produced in this region - look for the Black Rooster to ensure you have true Chianti produced wine) to immerse ourselves in the romance that is Tuscany.

San Gimignano’s skyline is impressive, made up of the 13 remaining towers dating back from the 11 th century (it once had as many as 72 towers!). Also known as the Manhattan of Tuscany (because of its skyscraper skyline), San Gimignano rises on a hill dominating the Elsa Valley and exudes character from every stone. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time to the Middle Ages as you walk along the cobblestoned streets of this charming town.

Siena is a city that has perhaps preserved its original character more markedly than any other city in Italy. The narrow streets and medieval gates, walls and towers will have you again feeling like you are transported back to the Middle Ages. The soaring skyline is its pride and is dominated by the gothic cathedral (Duomo) and the taut needle of the Torre del Mangia. Siena’s piazza is perhaps one of the most unusual we will see on our trip. It's a lot of walking but well worth it.

After our full day of exploring under the Tuscan sun we make our way to Cortona. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the view as we pass through some of the most beautiful scenery in Tuscany.

ROME - THERE WAS ONCE A DREAM CALLED ROME
After Cortona, “All Roads Lead to Rome…”

In “City of the Soul,” William Murray quotes a friend of his who had this to say about Rome: “It’s not only the physical beauty of the place…It’s the smell of it, the aura of great history in the stones of every street and every building. To be in Rome is to be in touch with everything in life that really matters.”

It is in Rome, one of the world’s great cities, where we’ll spend the last three nights of our tour. We’ll stay in the heart of the city, with easy access to all the major historical sites. We’ll take you on guided tours of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and Palatine Hill where you'll see the splendor that was once Rome...we also do a brief tour of the Sistine Chapel and Saint Peter’s Square in the Vatican. You are also welcome to join us on optional tours of the monuments of Rome, where we’ll explore the Pantheon and the Piazza Navona. Other optional tours include an evening “illuminated” tour of Rome, for a guided tour of Rome at night. As in each of the cities we will visit, you will have plenty of time on your own to explore as you wish, whether that includes joining us on one of our optional tours, strolling down hidden streets to see where the day might lead you or sitting in Artists’ Square sipping a cappuccino, watching the people go by.

Finally, we're off to the southwest coast...it's the Amalfi Coast and it is truly one of the most scenic destinations in the world. Welcome to Positano and Sorrento. We overnight in the village by the sea, Sorrento, and words don't do this leg of our journey justice. Just wait and see!

At tour’s end, we depart from Naples airport to go back home to the United States, but if you would like to stay a little longer, we have a lot of suggestions for some places you might like to visit…it’s entirely up to you. But whatever you choose, whether to come home at tour’s end or whether to stay so you can take an excursion down to the Isle of Capri or maybe the Cinue Terra, just know that you’ll be leaving with the kind of priceless memories that some people only dream of, and quite possibly an extra suitcase full of souvenirs!

Something for everyone…

Whether you’re a “first-timer” to Italy or have visited many times, we invite you to join us for “ Italy in the Fall.” We have specially designed a tour catered to those of you who have never been to Italy. For one set price, you’ll be staying in first-class accommodations in each city and have the experience of local, English-speaking tour guides. You’ll have a chance to visit all the major, “must-see” sites, plus enough free time on your own to visit the places that really matter to you…or, you can simply enjoy that time relishing your first taste of Italian espresso in the town plaza-it’s entirely up to you. Also included are in-depth tours in each city, group transportation in an air-conditioned motorcoach, admission and entrance fees for each stop on our tours, breakfast each morning and four all-inclusive dinners.

And if you have been to Italy before and maybe want something a little different, you have the opportunity of choosing to go as a “first-timer” (there are many sites you could see a hundred times and still find something new!) or adding on whichever tours and attractions are to your liking and interest, essentially building your own trip (simply call us at 1 - 877-865-6711 for a custom quote).

That all sounds great! But…

By now, you might be thinking, “Gee, I’d really love to see Italy, but I just can’t right now, maybe someday I’d like to go…Well, that someday is now. Just think about this-when you look back on your life, what do you see? If you’re like me, you remember the times spent with friends and family, maybe family vacations, places you’ve visited, experiences shared with loved ones. It becomes easy to put things off, things that you’ve dreamed of, or maybe something you’ve always wanted to do, but someday will always just be “someday” unless you do something about it NOW.

You may also be thinking, “But traveling to a foreign country can be intimidating-where to stay? What to see? Where to eat?” This is where I come in! I take care of all the details, so you can simply focus on enjoying what little time you have over there. QueensLander Tours is dedicated to making each trip you take with us the best you’ll ever experience. Your time is precious-you want to see as much as you can while you’re there. Your money is precious-you want to make every dollar count…Every detail is taken care of so that the only thing you have to worry about is what to pack. Lynette of Brisbane, Australia had this to say about us:

QueensLander's dedication to making our touring experience informative, entertaining and their attentiveness to each detail was absolutely delightful...having Mark along as our Tour Captain as well as a genuine local (and knowledgeable) guide onboard made for a fantastic touring experience of Italy and Europe!"

By now, you’re probably wondering, “But how much does all of this cost?”

Good question. But first, let’s consider just the cost of a good hotel. Frommer’s 2006 guidebook on Italy suggests several “moderately priced” hotels, all of which average around $250 a night (most a lot more) . Even an “inexpensive” hotel averages over $150 per night. Even then, the prices vary widely, depending on where in the city you want to stay. There are similar listings or both Venice and Florence. And these are just for “inexpensive” or “moderately” priced hotels!

For our “First-Timer’s,” all-inclusive package, what we’re offering are first-class accommodations in the heart of each city, easily accessible to the very places you want to see, plus several meals, transportation, guided tours and the peace of mind knowing that it’s all taken care of for you. That’s little more than you’d spend on just “moderate” accommodations!

In addition, if you have traveled in Italy before and maybe want to be a little more independent, we have an additional option we call our “returning traveler” option. You’ll still get the same first-class customer service and first-class accommodations from us, but you’ll have the freedom of spending your days as you wish, with the option of adding on only those tours/meals/etc. that you are interested in, as these are not included but are all available as “optional” tours.

Whether you want to go as a “first-timer” and let us worry about all the details or you want to be a little more independent and essentially “build your own trip” (while knowing all the major stuff is taken care of), we have the perfect trip for you. Call us-we can’t wait to talk to you! ( 1-877-865-6711 )

Frances Mayes in “Under the Tuscan Sun” once said that “…most trips have an underlying quest. We’re looking for something. What? Fun, escape, adventure-but then what?” Everyone travels for different reasons, but my question for you would be what are you looking for? And, no matter what the answer to that may be, I can guarantee one thing-this trip can be life changing. To experience another culture, to open your eyes to another part of the world, to step in another’s shoes, if even for a few days, it changes you, even if only a little.

Remember Robert Browning, from the beginning of the letter? “Open my heart and you will see, engraved inside of it, ‘ Italy.’” Come, if you dare, and you may just leave with a little bit of Italy etched on your soul as well.

I do look forward to traveling with you to Italy. Please drop me a line with any question you might have!

Sincerely,

Mark Story -
You can ask me any question about Italy, this tour or any vacation you're planning to take to Italy by calling or email:
1 (877) 865-6711
Mark@QLTours.com

Tour Captain, Italy's Great Cities 2007
QueensLander Tours
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