The Bell'Italia Trip was absolutely amazing! It was so much more than I could've imagined; we were able to see so many beautiful cities. The landscape and buildings were gorgeous, the people were kind, and the food was amazing. I definitely recommend this trip. It is very educational and guided but there is also quite a bit of time to explore for yourself. show less

I had an amazing time, my tour director was awesome!!!! I did not want to leave...I cried my last night, because it was such a blessing to learn everything I did on this trip. I am truly grateful that EF tours has such a great program like this. Thank you to everyone who made this possible!!! show less

Loved this tour! There was so much hands on history leading and so much we got to do in the time we had. Definitely looking forward to the next tour! show less

When our then 14 year old daughter came to us last fall, saying she wanted to do the Bell' Italia tour, my husband and I were stunned. Our daughter is cautious and quiet, and rather picky about food. This 9 day experience took her out of her comfort zone in so many ways, with food, with culture, with new people, and daily routines. She loved every single minute she was on this tour, and has come home utterly changed. As someone who used to live in Central Europe, I used to have nothing good to say about group tours, but this experience made me see that my long held bias was not fair at all; EF allowed our daughter to get out of her comfort zone in safe and educational, and delicious ways. The cost is extremely reasonable as it includes airfare, hotels, travel, most meals, and all site admission fees and guides. Thank you EF Tours! show less

What better way to celebrate the end of a school year than by packing up and flying to Italy the next day? I recently led a group of 30 students and parents (grades 7-9) on a tour of the highlights of Italy: Verona, Venice, Rome, the Vatican, Pompeii, Florence. Looking back now, I'm amazed we fit all of that into a week. Bell' Italia is an amazing experience filled with carbs (Italians love pasta and bread), but don't worry, you'll get to walk it off exploring beautiful cities and stunning Roman ruins. These cities have been on my bucket list for years. It was a treat to get to broaden the views of my students and witness these places with them. As always, EF pulled through for me in designing an itinerary that was packed with experiences and allowed us to squeeze every ounce of intensity out of the week. show less

This was my 4th time doing this tour, and 2nd time doing the extension to Sorrento and Capri. First off, do the extension... it is well worth it.
The progression of the tour in March is great as the weather gets better with each destination. I would make sure you get San Gimignano put into your tour, it is a stunning town and will now be a must when I return.
Travelling with EF makes things much easier. We had a issue in the seasonal hotel we were at outside Florence and EF was quick to switch us hotels. They really take the stress out of travel. I had a tour of 95 and things were well planned by EF and our 2 tour guides in Italy. It amazes how awesome every single tour guide I had in all my previous trips were uniquely awesome.
I know that next time I go back I will be condensing the tour a bit to ensure that I can get a day trip into Amalfi. I plan to stay 1 night in Florence, and after following the full day there head south towards Rome. This will give us 1 full day in Rome and maybe part of the following day. I will also be looking into a group hike to the carter on Mt. Vesuvius.
This tour really is a dream, you will not regret it. show less

Although I personally did not take this tour, (my son did), I would recommend that parents REALLY take the time to give their children this experience! The joy on my son's face, the obstacles that he overcame (didn't like pasta, but ate it everyday, and climbed over 400 stairs with a fear of heights), was well worth the price paid, and the time/effort incurred in fundraising for this trip. show less

Italy was amazing! I have never been on a trip of that caliber in my entire life! The sights and sounds of Italy are in my memory forever! It was such a wonderful experience. The free time was my favorite part of the trip. Walking through Rome and being able to enjoy that trip with my best friends!

I would suggest this trip to anyone who wants to see all Italy had to offer, truly a beautiful place and EF Tours makes it a memorable experience. The hotels were great, the hospitality one of a kind and the food; lets just say I always left full! show less

The Bell' Italia tour was the experience of a lifetime that will never be forgotten by my daughter or I. We recently discussed the places we would like to tour in more detail, the foods we would like to taste again and how we would like to soak up more of the atmosphere of Italy. The experience has become a part of who we are and the desire to travel and see more of the world has been sparked within my daughter.

Our tour guide was spectacular and in the end we felt we could call him family. He truly made the experience a positive one as he looked out for the ones in the group that had dietary concerns and he listened to the requests of the group when there was an opportunity to adjust the sightseeing schedule. Never did we feel like we did not know where we were going and what was up next as he kept us informed yet gave us time to soak up the scenery as our bus took us to our next destination.

The accomodations were spectacular and we always had good food. The group loved the first place we stayed as it was quaint and felt like a piece of Italy in the country. It was neat to be the only ones there and the kids felt like they were in a different country because they were experiencing accomodations that were not typical for them.

My favorite places to explore were San Gimingano, Pompei and Sorrento. I would have loved more time in Pompei but the way things were set up there wasn't a lot of time. San Gimingano had the most amazing caprisse sandwiches that we have yet been able to duplicate!

We were blessed with amazing weather so we were able to experience the sights, sounds and smells of all the places we visited. It was especially interesting to tour the facilties that provide income to certain regions: leather, glass and then there was the tasting of the lemonchello!

The history of Italy is spectacular and every corner is full of it. The buildings, streets and artwork all screamed of it's history. I loved this about this tour. It wasn't simply about what we saw but about the history and reason behind it's exsistence.

Our tour was well organized from boarding the plane to depart to returning home. The things we weren't clear about were always clarified by our tour director. He was knowledgable, friendly and the kids loved him!

I would do it again in a heartbeat! show less

This trip was an incredible experience. My daughter has never travelled on her own and my little girl returned with experiences and memories that will last her a lifetime. EF provided an incredible itinerary, with detailed information for us,and a worry free experience. It was such a great adventure that she is going to Greece and Italy this March Break and her brother is going along too! show less