FAQ's

All our tours except for vacation packages are bookable directly via our website. Please select tour on the website calendar then enter the number of participants in your party according to their ages then proceed with placing the reservation on our website.

VERY IMPORTANT: Please ensure that the following e-mail address: reservation@tours-italy.com is not blacklisted by your email provider otherwise our emails will not reach your address!We strongly recommend always checking your spam/junk mail as it's beyond our control if our emails end up there.

When placing a booking on our website please include a valid email address. Once you complete the payment you will receive an automatically generated email confirming your booking was received.

Be advised that we require 24/36 hrs to process the reservations ( please see our business hours info) -

a) if the payment goes through correctly you will receive the tour voucher(s) with all the details via e-mail within 24/36 hrs - we strongly recommend always checking in the junk mail as well!

b) if there are issues with the payment you will be contacted through email notifying you about the situation - please note that you will receive the automatically generated email even if your paymeny didn't go through!

Most cards have an alert on overseas transactions so please double check with your bank before submitting your card details on our website.

The automatically generated email is only to confirm we received your booking - only the email containing the tour vouchers is the actual reservation confirmation!

We offer different types of vacation packages depending on your preference/budget/requirements.

When visiting our website you will notice the itineraries are subdivided into separate sections:

1. SEMI-PRIVATE itineraries - our most popular ones Including: a selection of our small group tours private car / water-taxi transfers 1^st class hi-speed train rail tickets hotel accommodation with breakfast ( except Cinque Terre - no breakfast) These itineraries are feasible based on arrival to Rome on selected days of the week
2. PRIVATE itineraries – for clients with a higher budget that want all services on a private basis for a unique Italian experience Including: a selection of private tours arranged only for your family private car / water-taxi transfers 1^st class hi-speed train rail tickets hotel accommodation with breakfast ( except Cinque Terre - no breakfast)These itineraries offer maximum flexibility as to travel period – view our website calendar for dates
3. SMALL GROUP itineraries – for clients that don’t mind traveling on transfers and tours with a small group and who look for the least expensive option Including: a selection of our small group tours shared car / water-taxi transfers 1st class hi-speed train rail tickets hotel accommodation with breakfast in the least expensive hotels These itineraries are feasible based on arrival to Rome on specific dates only that we list directly online.
4. TOURS & TRANSFERS itineraries – for clients that wish to arrange their accommodation themselves but look for assistance with tours and transfersIncluding: a selection of our small group toursprivate car / water-taxi transfers 1st class hi-speed train rail tickets To advise feasibility we need to receive travel dates first from the client as small group tours featured operate with a different schedule in low/middle/high season and since clients book their hotels independently we need to know the dates of stay in each location to advise when the tours are available.

Cancellations made by clients must be requested in writing to reservation@tours-italy.com and the date of cancellation will be calculated based on Italian standard time.

It is important when cancelling a tour you provide your name, tour name and date of the tour you wish to cancel and mostly important to us is your reservation number. Credit card refunds will be made according to our cancellation policy.

For further details please view our terms and conditions @ http://tours-italy.com/terms-and-conditions/

Amendments or changes to your reservation have to be sent via e-mail @ reservation@tours-italy.com or via fax @ +39041982434. Remember to quote your name, name of the tour and date of the tour you wish to modify and most important to us is your reservation number.

Office number: +39 041970499

Operations Dept & for emergencies: reservation@tours-italy.com

Sales Dept: sales@tours-italy.com

Our business hours are as follows:

High season ( from mid March until 4th weekend of October excluded)

Mondays to Saturdays 8.30 am to 5.30 pm CET

Sundays 9 am to 5.30 pm CET

Lower season ( from 4th weekend of October until mid March):

Mondays to Saturdays 9 am to 5.30 pm CET

All our personnel is English speaking!

Please contact us as soon as you realize you lost your voucher and a copy will be provided.

For your convenience we recommend printing your paperwork however if you show the voucher on your device we will admit you to the tour without any problems.

Only in case of the Private Gondola ride it is compulsory to come with a printed voucher.

Please follow this link to view all our terms and conditions: https://www.tours-italy.com/terms-and-conditions/

We require your name, address, credit card number along with expiry date and security code (last 3 digits code on the back of your card), the name of lead traveller and participants on the tour. Also a contact phone number while in Italy is highly recommended as well as your hotel's name and address. It is important when providing hotel's name you enter a phone n° sometimes because of the privacy policy some hotels do not disclose their phone number.

We generally accept reservations right up to 24 hrs before departure, but to avoid disappointment, it is always best to book as far in advance as possible as most of our tours, especially in peak season, are sold out many days in advance. Plus, for majority of our tours we offer special discounts for early bird multiple-tours bookings!Your bank details and all the information you enter on the various forms are automatically encrypted when your data is transferred over the network. The SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption system automatically encrypts your data before it is transmitted over the network, and it can only be decrypted using a unique key once it has arrived on our server.

It is recommended to reserve via our secure website. Booking over the phone is not considered the safest way of booking since a credit card is involved and our phone conversations are not recorded.

In this case you may send us an e-mail @ info@tours-italy.com or sales@tours-italy.com with the type of service you require , exact number of participants, age and num of children, date or period in which you wish to travel. Or you can break down your reservation into more than one, for example, if you want to book 16 people, make two reservations eight on each one. Always remember to cross-reference bookings via the comment's box on the form you complete to make a reservation.

In case of very custom requests it's always better to contact our Sales Team first - in this case the reservation is made via a special booking form sent through email - here we accept only Visa or Mastercard cards or bank wires if it's a booking made much in advance.

We apply different rates and discounts depending on the tours chosen , num of participants period of the year etc. For these reasons we kindly ask you to contact us first via e-mail @ info@tours-italy.com or sales@tours-italy.com

We take full prepayment at the time of booking. Advanced payment is required in order to guarantee a spot on our tour.

We use Pay Pal as a payment gateway - this means you will be asked to complete a simple registration in order to submit your credit card details - we accept all major cards. If you already have a Pay Pal account you can use it to pay for the tour instead of a credit card.

Due to fiscal law in Italy, it is compulsory for us to issue an invoice when we receive a payment for a booking and each invoice must include the date and place of birth of the payer. These details are not sold or forwarded to a third party but the tax office requires them to be included on the invoice.

Our Pay Pal payment gateway accepts all major credit cards.

Our Internet site uses the SSL encryption protocol to guarantee secure transactions and complete confidentiality. We use a security certificate issued by the company THAWTE.

Your bank details and all the information you enter on the various forms are automatically encrypted when your data is transferred over the network. The SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption system automatically encrypts your data before it is transmitted over the network, and it can only be decrypted using a unique key once it has arrived on our server.

Our company is based in Italy, therefore, all rates are displayed in EUR currency.

Yes! The intermediate banks will automatically convert your currency to EUR while the payment is processed.

Many of our group or small group tours offer a special rate for children depending on their age - please view our website info about your specific tour to verify if there are any discounted rates for your children. Small group day trips in a van generally do not have any price difference between adult and child as each passenger requires a seat so the rate is basically the same for everyone irrespective of their ages.

Tipping in Italy is not compulsory as it is for example in the US. So basically it is up to you if you wish to tip a driver-guide or a local guide or not - they don't expect it and they will not feel offended if you don't tip them but of course, if you do they will certainly be grateful!

Yes, all our tours operate in English only. Upon request and only in case of private tours we can arrange them also in other languages.

We ensure that our guides are all fluent and articulate English speakers – because we know that the stories and history they are sharing with you are important and fascinating, and we want to make sure you don't miss a word.

All our tours operate rain and shine! In case of adverse weather conditions where client's safety may be at risk, we may decide to either cancel the tour or offer an alternative itinerary or tour date.

All our tours start from centrally located departure points - after receiving your reservation we will automatically send you a tour voucher confirming your reservation and all the details of the tour including the meeting point. For selected private tours it is possible to meet you in the lobby of your hotel directly - check your tour voucher for details!

For our regular scheduled tours, a company representative will be waiting for you holding a sign with our logo and with Avventure Bellissime and tour name written on it.

For Private Tours, your guide will be waiting for you holding a sign with your name written on it.

Yes! When entering religious sites anywhere in Italy you need to cover shoulders, arms, stomachs and knees out of respect for a place of worship. We also suggest comfortable walking shoes.

All our SMALL GROUP tours require a minimum number of people in order to operate - you will find the info directly on each tour's description on our website.

Most of our tours are hardly ever canceled however our Operations Dept always monitor the sales situation and if there is any issue they try to contact you in advance through e-mail or at your hotel to suggest alternative solutions. That is why it is essential that you include on the booking form a valid email address on which you can be reached during your trip and also possibly your hotel details in each city so that we can get in touch with you if necessary.

We recommend contacting us 96 - 48 hrs prior tour departure. If you are contacting us within less than 24 hours from tour date remember emails are not checked and read outside business hours.

Private tours are arranged only for your family/party - there will not be other people joining and such tours can be adjusted and customized to your needs. They are also generally more expensive.

Small group tours are tours run by us on specific days and times and there will be other people joining. These tours are generally a less expensive option than private ones.

In the case of small group tours prices are per person - for selected tours only there are different rates for seniors, students, children etc. In order to view the rate valid for your date please click on the website calendar to view the price that is aplicable on your specific travel date.

Rates for private tours are total and depend on the total number of people in your party. In order to view the rate valid for your date please click on the website calendar and enter the total number of people in your family to view the price that is aplicable on your specific travel date.

A combo tour is a combination of two or three or more independent tours - each tour follows its own schedule and it doesn't mean one tour will operate immediately after the other. Usually, it is possible to split the tours over a few days depending on the operational schedule of the tour and your specific dates of stay. In case of any doubts contact us directly to verify each tour's schedule.

Except for a few selected tours ( see website info!) we don't. To speed up the tour departure we have central meeting points. This way we can offer more competitive rates and avoid the lengthy pick-up process which especially in the case of places like Venice would simply be impossible.

There is no simple reply to this as it depends what is most important for you - the weather, avoiding the crowds or saving money.

As far as the weather is concerned anytime between April and mid/late October is fine. Of course, if you prefer to travel in the less hot months then late March, April May early June late September or October are recommended. If you like the sun and want to enjoy the summer then late June, July, August or early weeks of September are recommended. The weather is pretty unpredictable in recent years so there is no guarantee it won't rain at any time of the year.

If your main goal is to visit in peace and save money you should avoid peak season dates like May, June, early weeks of July, September, early October. This is when the tourist's attractions are the most crowded and hotels charge even 50% more for stays.

Most of our tours will not run on national holidays due to excessive crowds and confusion at the tourist's locations as well as reduced ( if any) opening hours of museums, churches etc. The national holiday dates in Italy are 1st January, 6th January, Easter Sunday, Easter Monday, 25th April, 1st May, 2nd June, 15th August, 1st November, 8th December, 25th December, 26th December.

We hope this will help you make your plans accordingly.

Because of the numerous tours, we offer it is not possible to specify in any of our tours if it is wheelchair-friendly. Consider that locations like Roman Forum or Pompeii are archeological excavations and in order to preserve them intact it is not always possible to have a special itinerary for customers with mobility issues. We recommend contacting us to check which are the most suitable tours for you. We generally suggest opting for private tours which, though more expensive, will allow us to adjust the tour pace and contents to your needs.

It all depends on what tour you are interested in purchasing - on each tour description we specify all the inclusions - for example, the Ancient Rome tour already includes the tickets to the Colosseum. Please read carefully the inclusions on our tour descriptions on our website.

Unless otherwise specified ( see day tours going to Tuscany) meals are not included in our tours.

All that is required is the reservation number and the tour voucher.

Smoking is not allowed on any of our vehicles.

Generally no as we need to consider the customers with allergies as well as the fact that you can't exactly enter with a dog in a museum or church. However, if you are planning to travel with your dog and would still like to join our tours please contact us first and we will advise if there is any solution available.

All our tours operate rain or shine. High water doesn't impact the running of boat tours or a gondola ride unless the water level is particularly high and it's impossible to access the boat landing or the gondola station.

For walking tours they generally operate as scheduled - at times our guides may need to adjust the itinerary due to the water level - any changes will be advised only upon tour departure.

In case of a tour including the St Mark's Basilica during high water the tour will take place, but it might happen that we need to partly adapt the tour to the weather conditions. On those occasions when St Mark’s Basilica is open with high water, skip the line tickets may not be accepted as all visitors have only 1 door open to get in the church.

St Mark's Basilica is, first of all, a place of worship - at times local authorities may decide to close the church for a service or another religious ceremony - this is beyond our control and visitors need to consider that when visiting Venice as is the case with St Peter's Basilica in Rome or any other religious landmark.

Pre-booked skip the line passes are regularly purchased by us between April and October ( period of the major tourist presence in Venice) for any tour including St Mark's Basilica - if the church is closed by the authorities we are not allowed to enter there despite the passes that we have. In most cases, we are not notified by the authorities about any closures or we are only informed on a last minute basis when it is already too late to contact all the clients and make any changes to tour time or date. In case the church is closed unexpectedly the tours will proceed as scheduled with the guides providing the explanation from outside using available visual aids like Ipad, pictures etc.

Skip-the-line passes to St Mark's Basilica are available from 1st April to 31st October - in the remaining months that are considered lower season the St Mark’s Basilica authorities don't offer the fast entry service to anyone as there are less tourists traveling and hardly any queue outside so consequently it is not necessary to introduce entry tickets in order to manage the tourist traffic.

Yes! When entering religious sites anywhere in Italy you need to cover shoulders, arms, stomachs and knees out of respect for a place of worship. We also suggest comfortable walking shoes.

The majority of museums in Italy belong to the state ( for example Doges Palace) - the employees are represented by various trade unions which occasionally may decide to go on strike - these situations are beyond our control and we can't be held responsible for them. If we are notified in advance we attempt to contact the customers and possibly move the tour to another time or date or find any other alternative solution. In most cases, the strikes don't last all day but only a couple of hours a day. In the event there is not enough time left to contact anyone ( very often we are not notified in advance about strikes) we will advise the customers directly at the meeting point about available solutions - for example, the tour can operate with a different itinerary or if the guide and clients are available they can meet at a different hour and do the tour when the museum reopens.

It is essential that you arrive at least 15 min before departure time of the tour - especially in peak season when we have lots of tourists booked on all tours. Out of respect for people who are on time and for the working time of our guides all our tours need to depart punctually - in particular tours including skip the line tickets that are booked for a specific time and can't be amended. If due to unforeseen circumstances you arrive late at the meeting point please give our office a call and we will advise if there is any way you can still catch up with the group.

Yes! If you get in touch with us on time we can advise where you can meet the second tour - for example if you purchased the Venice in a day combo including a 2-hrs walking tour and a 1-hr boat tour -and you missed the walking tour you can still join the boat tour in the afternoon.

Our Small group day trips to the Dolomites and to the hill towns of Veneto both depart from the same meeting point - it is essential that you follow our instructions as below:

The tour departs from the “Tronchetto” water-bus ( vaporetto) stop - take line # 2 direction: Tronchetto from either Rialto bridge or train station or Piazzale Roma stop and get off at the “Tronchetto” stop –

If by any chance you see a stop with “Tronchetto Mercato” please don’t get off there as this is not the correct spot.

Please don’t take the people mover as it doesn’t stop at our meeting point.

When you exit the boat please wait at the stop and the driver should show up there more or less 5 min before departure time with a sign with tour name written on it – In front of the stop you should see a ticket office with ACTV sign and at the opposite corner a bar.

Generally, most hotels that are located within the Aurelian wall, however, we recommend contacting us directly if you are in doubt that your hotel is centrally located or not. In case of customers staying far from Rome center or those staying nearby the airport an extra fee will be required to confirm the pick-up. The fee is payable in cash to the driver - the amount will be advised when you contact us to reconfirm the tour and pick-up.

These locations are first of all religious sites - at times Vatican authorities may decide to close for a special service or another religious ceremony - this is beyond our control and visitors need to consider that when visiting any religious landmarks.

Pre-booked skip the line passes are regularly purchased by us for any tour including St Peters's Basilica, Vatican and Sistine chapel - if the church or the chapel are closed by the authorities we are not allowed to enter there despite the passes that we have. In most cases we are not notified by the authorities about any closures or we are only informed on a last minute basis when it is already too late to contact all the clients and make any changes to tour time or date. In case the church or the chapel are closed unexpectedly the tours will proceed as scheduled with the guides providing the explanation from outside using available visual aids like Ipad, pictures etc.

Backpacks are NOT allowed inside Colosseum and Ancient Forum! As there is no luggage deposit area in the vicinity, avoid taking any rucksacks or large bags as due to the new admittance rules you will not be allowed to enter inside and will miss the tour.

In case of customers with any mobility issues be advised that locations like Roman Forum are not fully accessible - these are archeological sites where construction of special itineraries for wheelchairs is at present not possible as this would interfere with the preservation of historical monuments. The Colosseum is accessible to wheelchairs.

The Vatican museum ( except the gardens) can be visited with a wheelchair however if you want to rent it directly from the museum the reservation must be made in advance possibly during a regular business week Mon to Fri. As the itinerary in this case is different than our regular tour it is necessary to book a private tour in order to adjust the contents to your requirements.

We strongly recommend contacting us first with your plans to check if the tours you would like to take are feasible for you.

On our day trip to Tuscany from Rome we include a typical Tuscan lunch with cold cuts, cheeses and bruschettas - meat or dairy products may be included. If you suffer from any allergies/food intollerances or if you are vegan or vegetarian we need to be notified in advance so that a suitable solution can be arranged.

Our trips to Cinque Terre are not hiking tours however as the region is very hilly and there will be steps to climb we don't recommend these tours to anyone with mobility issues such as crutches or a wheelchair.

The following video should give you a better idea about the region:

On selected day trips from Florence ( see website for details) lunch is included - meat or dairy products may be part of the meal. If you suffer from any allergies/food intolerances or if you are vegan or vegetarian we need to be notified in advance so that a suitable solution can be arranged.