It always seemed to be the same sad story whenever friends and acquaintances returned from trips to Italy. "How was your trip?' I'd ask, eager to hear all about it. "Oh, fine," they'd usually reply. "Fine? What did you see, where did you stay? How was the shopping? Tell me about your favorite meal," I'd beg. I wanted details! What I heard over and over again broke my heart:
"We passed by a lot of churches and old buildings on the bus, but we didn't have time to get off and go inside."
"I picked a tour that looked like a great deal, but since it included only a few meals and since most of the interesting musuems and sights came with separate 'optional' charges, I ended up spending about double the original package price!"
"The Uffizi was closed the day we were in Florence."
"Our hotel was okay, but nothing special, and it was noisier and farther out than we thought it would be. The shower didn't work either."
"We were kind of disappointed in the food. It was okay, I guess, but not exactly spectacular. We wasted a lot of time trying to find good places to eat every day, but didn't have much luck, although we sure spent plenty of money!"
"It turns out we missed the most interesting museums and sights because we just didn't have time to do much research before we left. All I really remember is a lot of paintings of saints and angels."
"Shopping? No, I didn't know where to go and the stuff in the outdoor markets seemed like a rip-off. All I brought back was some little junk for the kids."
And so on. What a shame, I thought. While it's pretty hard to have a "bad" time in Italy, to have a great trip takes a lot of planning and a huge amount of research. With my background, experience, and love of Italy I knew I could create fantastic tours. I knew I could design affordable small group travel that could be customized during the "free time" to fulfill the dreams of each member. I knew I could offer each client the time of her life.
TIME OF YOUR LIFE TOURS:
EXPERIENCE THE BEST OF ITALY WITH US
Small intimate groups--never more than 8 women on a tour
Lovely hotels with all the amenities and attention to detail
Multiple days stay in each city, so you can unpack and relax, and have an in-depth experience of the art and culture and also get a sense of the rhythm of daily life
Great day trips included in the price
A relaxing pace that allows you to absorb what you see with plenty of time to savor the experience
Informative, interesting talks about Italian art, history and culture, so you'll understand what you see
Excellent food in restaurants we have specially chosen-- order what you like off the full menu
Spring and fall tours for the best weather and fewer crowds
Special "extras" all included-- like a gondola ride and an evening concert
Expert advice and help in planning your free time
1st class train travel between cities
No hidden costs--admission fees to all museums and sights listed in the itinerary are included
Perhaps the most important thing Time of Your Life Tours offers is the personal attention of the owners of the company to every aspect of your trip. Paula and Teresa will be your on-site guides and traveling companions, available and accessible during your tour.
A GOOD QUESTION!
We are often asked how we can offer so much more than similarly priced tours. The reason is simple: we do everything we can do keep our costs low so your travel dollars go toward your trip and not toward fancy offices and company overhead.
We work from home, using our own computers, phones, and other equipment. We do all our own research, copywriting, and marketing. We even do all our own website work. In short, we do everything we can to provide the best trip for your time and money.
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